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
Tossing in bed, Perseus looked away from Iris. “You don’t have to apologize, Iris. Even if I were to die, it wouldn’t be today anyway.”Iris scowled at him. [What did you just say?]“I said if I were to die, I wouldn’t—”His words were cut off as an electric current surged through him. The shock was so intense that he trembled all over, and when it stopped, steam was rising from his body.[That’s what you get for thinking about death, host!] Iris bellowed. [Do you know that both Lint and I will be gone if you die? Do you know how many people will be sad when you die?]Perseus flinched and slowly turned to lie on his back. Seeing the annoyed look on Iris’s face made him want to laugh.“I was only joking,” Perseus muttered. “I won’t die. I promise.”[You idiot!] Iris yelled, watching Perseus laugh. [If you die, I will kill you!]“How are you going to kill someone who’s already dead?”Two days later.“Are you ready?” Eris demanded, poking her head through the door to look at her teammat
[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
[You can! You idiot!] Iris yelled.Perseus snapped out of his thoughts and dodged the attack by moving to the side as quickly as he could. This time, he didn’t hold back his power and unleashed it to the maximum.[Good job.]The man’s eyes glinted with admiration. “Aren’t you a little thing?” he asked. “I get to see someone I can actually fight with without killing them first. This is wonderful. You’re amazing!”Perseus gritted his teeth. The way the man spoke, it was clear he was looking down on him. “What is your name?”The man was taken aback by the sudden question. “Why are you asking your killer their name?”“I just wanted to know the name of the person I’m going to kill before I kill them,” Perseus replied. “Is it that hard?”The man’s lips curled. “Fine. My name is Forest. Not a common name, I guess.”Forest? Perseus’ eyes darted to Iris. ‘Analyze him with the name.’[I am unable to analyze him.] Iris said. [I tried when he arrived, but it was impossible.]“Let’s continue with
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
‘What is my chance of winning now?’ Perseus questioned.Iris glanced at a panel, her eyes widening in shock. [79%][What am I seeing? You have upgraded to level 20 for discovering Forest's secret and finding a way to defeat him.] She squealed.[Is this really true?]A glint of relief slowly washed over Iris. There was hope that Perseus could finally defeat the man who had long wanted his life.[You can beat him now;] Iris claimed. [Just breathe properly.][His skills have been sealed with all of the points you have left. He won’t be able to use them against you anymore.] Iris announced.Perseus glanced at her, and a t
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
Two years later, Perseus was at the airport, having just landed back in his home country after traveling full-time for two years. He hadn’t heard from anyone during that time, as he’d been constantly changing his number while traveling. He had successfully visited 100 countries and would have continued if not for being called home by his aunt.“Perseus!” Sherry’s voice made him flinch as she called out to him.It had been two years since they last spoke. After the game, he had vanished, claiming he wanted to travel.[She waited for you, Iris noted. I doubt the others did.][He glanced at her. <