The woman trembled as she met Perseus’ gaze. “My… My name is... Cynthia,” she mumbled.Perseus raised an eyebrow. “Oh, okay, Cynthia.” He wondered why she was telling him her name.“Are you part of the gang?” the woman in his arms asked.Perseus glanced down at her. “If I were part of the gang, would I have punched the leader and rescued you?”Hearing that, she looked away, seemingly reassured. On the other hand, Cynthia was still trembling, her head bowed.“Could you tell me all you know about him?” Perseus asked, preferring to get the information from her rather than using the system.Cynthia nodded. “He’s a slave master. He’s taken many slaves and formed a harem with them. I know where the slave house is too, and I can take you there. I’ve always wanted those girls to be free.”Perseus noticed that she wasn’t shivering anymore and was speaking to him more confidently.[I think she doesn’t see you as a threat anymore,] Iris informed him. [She’s glad you’re helping them.]‘I can see

Ethan handed his phone to Perseus, who glanced at the picture. It was indeed him. They must have gotten it from security footage somewhere.Perseus nodded. “Alright.”“See you later,” Ethan said with a grin. “Don’t go anywhere alone.”“Okay.”Perseus stared at Iris. “I thought I told you to deactivate all of the cameras.”[I did,] she claimed. [I might have forgotten to turn the others off.]Perseus headed for the door since the game of the day would begin soon.[You were wearing a mask though. They wouldn’t be able to recognize you,] Iris said. [There’s nothing to worry about.]Upon reaching the general living room, Perseus met with the others, who were peering at him as if he had something on his face.“You were late, Perseus,” Liliana said.Liliana was standing in front of them with a woman with long lashes next to her. She grinned at Perseus, a smile crossing her face.“I had something to do,” Perseus replied. “I apologize for arriving late.”“No worries,” Liliana said. “Now that

[Your death is near, host.] Iris said, appearing next to Perseus, her gaze fixed on Aera.[Why are you following her? Shouldn’t you be in the game?]Perseus glanced at Iris. ‘I should be in the game, but she insisted on treating my injuries first.’[You have to leave her and level up!] Iris cried. [I have no idea what’s happening, but the panel is blinking more furiously than before.][Your death is really imminent! You need to listen to me and run!]‘I’m not running,’ Perseus replied. ‘That man killed one of my family members and went on with his life. Now, he’s come after me, leaving Zeppelin out of the fight. If I run and he can’t find me, he’ll go after Zeppelin and kill him.’Iris’ eyes widened. [If you don’t run, there’s a high chance you’ll die.]‘I know that.’[Why are you with her then?]‘I can’t let Zeppelin face the same fate as our parents.’[It won’t take long for you to reach level 20.] Iris retorted.‘I have something he doesn't have.’[And what’s that?]‘I have you and

Forest leaned in, his eyes cold and calculating. "This isn't just a fight. It's a battle of life and death. I often wonder why your parents gave the power I wanted most to you. I’ve waited for years to see if you’re worthy of the power you possess. But if this is all you have, then you’re not worthy and are just a piece of useless dirt occupying space."Before Perseus could react, Forest flung him across the room like a ragdoll. Perseus crashed to the ground, pain radiating through his body despite Iris’ efforts to heal him.[Perseus, we can’t keep this up much longer!] Iris warned. [You need to find a way to defeat him, or he’ll—]"I know," Perseus muttered, forcing himself to his feet. His vision blurred, but he refused to back down. "I know, Iris. But I’m not giving up. Not yet."Forest approached him slowly, almost leisurely. "So, what will it be, Perseus? Will you continue to fight and prove yourself? Or will you admit defeat and accept that you’re not ready for this?"“If you ad

Perseus smiled at the cheering crowd, then turned his gaze to the other side of the audience. His eyes widened in embarrassment when he spotted his aunt and Eriane, waving an old, embarrassing photo of him.His aunt was cheering louder than the teenage girls around her, almost as if she were a teenager herself.He wondered how she even knew about the game and its location since he hadn’t invited her. He was sure he’d be scolded later, but he didn’t mind. Shifting his attention away from her, Perseus walked to his gaming seat. As soon as they all sat down, Perseus glanced at the opposing team, just centimeters away. Sam, one of the opposing players, grinned at him, then gave Perseus the middle finger and mouthed, "Loser. We all know how terrible you are at gaming. Stop using your handsome face