“I am so sorry for your loss, son.”The priest’s warm words failed to reach Eugene’s frozen heart. He was still struggling to accept the cruel reality that he had truly lost his mother for good.Eugene had always believed that his relentless hard work would eventually bear sweet fruit—that Florencia, at the very least, would be able to stay by his side longer. Now, life felt like a hollow, suffocating hell. The mere thought of someone he could call a "father" filled Eugene’s chest with a choking wave of bitter resentment.He was the primary reason Eugene and Florencia had been forced to endure such a miserable existence in the first place.“I hope you live a life strangled by disappointment and crushing expectations. Because if your life turns out even slightly better than mine and my mother’s, I swear I will curse whatever god or entity allowed you and me to live like this.” Eugene’s bitter curse directed at his absent father was the final thing he muttered before leaving the public

Facing a beast resembling an eight-foot-tall dire wolf wasn't something Eugene was prepared to handle with a calm, cool head. Eugene’s entire body shook uncontrollably, his feet glued to the ground, paralyzed while the creature's glowing eyes locked onto him like twin searchlights—cementing Eugene’s absolute, undeniable role in this scenario: *prey*. “This fear… this utter helplessness… you truly are just a half-breed human.” ‘Fuck, fuck. Where the hell is that boy? Young Master Keaton ...? Is anybody going to save me? Where are the guards? WHY THE HELL ARE THEY LEAVING ME OUT HERE TO DIE!?’ A wave of suffocating despair crashed over Eugene. The beast’s massive jaws parted, pulling back into a grotesque, blood-thirsty grin. “I hear in the mortal world, your kind sits at the top of the food chain,” the wolf rasped, its voice a low, rumbling growl as its hot, foul breath fanned across Eugene’s face. “But down here? You are nothing more than fresh meat.” Its jaws snapped wide open

An afternoon in Horochora felt infinitely more breathtaking than anything Eugene had ever witnessed back in the mortal world. Yet, as Edward Skarsgard stood silhouetted against the sinking sun, the glare of absolute victory seemed to reflect entirely off his frame.Edward was favored to win this battle—a 99% probability. But Eugene was willing to gamble everything on that remaining 1%. Besides, this was a realm of manifestation where anything could happen, or so they claimed.The demigods stood gathered around the clearing in the dense woods where Eugene and Edward faced off. Eugene figured they must possess some form of divine, high-tech equivalent to live-broadcast cameras back home.“Why do you even want to fight me, Edward?” Eugene demanded, his gaze sharp and fixed despite his hammering heart.Edward offered a calm, composed smile, though Eugene could easily read the underlying condescension.“For Flowscent.”“You literally said you weren't taking sides.”“Ah, you got me. That al

Eugene let out a heavy sigh, taking a seat in a quiet corner of the sprawling corridor leading to the classrooms. Olympiades looked like a massive palace; Eugene hadn't even dared to wander far from his dorm room out of fear of getting lost. But in a place so vast and crowded, his only lingering companion was loneliness.After his summons to the Olympiades Council room, rumors had somehow sprouted wildly about Eugene's ability to reject cosmic energy. It felt as though someone had intentionally waited for the meeting to end just to sow anxiety about a demihuman who could nullify any cosmic attack.Eugene himself didn't fully understand how he managed to prevent energy from touching his body. But he could easily deduce that it was a grave matter, considering even the Olympiades Council had been visibly bewildered regarding the origin of such an ability.Consequently, Eugene had been placed under strict observation for three days—a status that successfully ensured he made zero friends.

Whatever Leonidas had meant that afternoon remained completely unanswered. As for what exactly his grand plan was, Eugene was left entirely in the dark.Eugene sat in the academy cafeteria picking at his breakfast platter—easily the most luxurious and nutritious meal he had ever eaten in his entire life. But his taste buds barely registered any of it; his mind was entirely consumed by anxiety."I seriously don't have a single person I can trust around here," he muttered in frustration, roughly running a hand through his brunette hair, which had grown noticeably longer."First Mr. Soso, and now Leonidas. The guy literally dragged me into this place, but now he’s acting sketchy as hell," Eugene added, staring down into his bronze goblet of milk as if it could reflect his mounting dread. "What even IS this Anti-Bind power? And how am I supposed to figure it out if Olympus itself doesn't even have a track record of it?"Suddenly, someone approached with heavy, stomping steps, coming to a