Chapter 9: Between Scrap and Secrets

The smoke from the battle was still floating in the air. The ground was covered with debris, beast bodies and dark blood stains that mixed with the dust and snow. The hunters checked the area, making sure that no creature would be left alive.

He had believed that, even without his powers, he could still handle the situation. But when he saw the beasts pounceing on him, his reflexes were useless. His body had tried to react as if he were still a god... but nothing happened.

Lyon saved him before he could discover what it felt like to be devoured.

Now, he had moved away from the others, hiding among the remains of a collapsed building. He let himself fall against the cold concrete wall, taking a deep breath. His body trembled, but not because of the weather. For the first time in his existence, he had felt real panic.

He stood there, in the tres, feeling the rawness of his new reality. I no longer had power. I no longer had control.

But he still had a way to understand his situation.

He inhaled deeply and, with doubt in his mind, opened his state window.

[State Window]

Name: [Dimensional God/ Zhen Yu]

Class: Ex-God

Race: Human

Level: 1

Skills: None

Statistics:

Strength: 5Agility: 5Resistance: 5Intelligence: 10

His heart stopped for a moment.

Human.

He read the word several times, feeling its meaning sink into his chest.

There was no mistake. His father had really stripped him of everything that made him a god. Now, in this world, he was just a simple level 1 human.

"This is ridiculous..." he whispered, closing the window with a slight movement of his hand.

But before he could immerse himself further in his thoughts, a voice interrupted his isolation.

"What are you doing here alone?"

Zhen Yu looked up and saw Lyon standing a few meters away, looking at him with a slightly frown. There was no hostility in his voice, but there was a slight suspicion.

Zhen Yu swallowed saliva. Since when was he there? Did you see your state window? Could you see someone else's status window? I really didn't remember if I had given that access.

"I just... needed a moment."

Lyon looked at him silently for a second and then sighed.

"Yes, well, after almost dying in your first fight, I guess it's normal to want a break."

Zhen Yu looked down, feeling his pride hurt. He was a god, or at least he had been. And now Lyon spoke of him as if he were a novice in all this, as a useless without power or experience.

Lyon crossed his arms and watched him more carefully.

"You know... Now that I look at you well, you're younger than I thought at first.

Zhen Yu blinked.

"Huh?"

Lyon tilted his head, analyzing his face.

"When I saw you for the first time, I thought you were my age or that you were older... but now that the light is on your face, I would say that you barely look like a teenager. How old are you?

Zhen Yu felt a slight chill. I couldn't answer that question.

—... I don't know.

Lyon raised an eyebrow.

"What do you mean you don't know?"

Zhen Yu looked away.

"I don't usually think about my age."

Lyon watched him for a moment longer and then shrugged.

"Well, I guess it's not that important."

"And you...

Zhen Yu wanted to know more about him, he wanted to know more about Lyon, for him he had gone down to experience all this.

"I'm 15 years old, but I'm 2 days away from turning 16.

The icy wind blew between them, and Lyon looked around.

"We should go back to the others." It's not safe to be left behind.

Zhen Yu nodded slowly and got up. He hadn't fought, but he still felt exhausted.

As they walked back, Lyon glanced sideways at Zhen Yu.

It wasn't just his attitude or his lack of reaction in the battle. I had the feeling that I did not belong to this world.

But for now, Lyon didn't ask more.

There were more urgent things to think about.

The road back to the shelter was covered with recent footprints and traces of dark blood from the fallen beasts. The air smelled of gunpowder, iron and ash. The battle was over, but the tension still remained.

Lyon walked with his hands in his pockets, frowning slightly as he glanced quickly at Zhen Yu.