Morrigan shook her head.

"No. Even without the Seed of Darkness, the Witch of Gluttony still has many ways to kill Neo. She won't hesitate. She knows he will reincarnate, and she has already lost most of her sanity."

Elizabeth's fingers tightened.

"However," Morrigan continued, after a short pause, "if it's within the True Blessed Land, where everyone's influence is heavily suppressed…"

She didn't finish the sentence.

She didn't need to.

Elizabeth understood perfectly.

Her lips parted, but no words came out.

For a moment, she stared down at the table, gathering herself.

Then she forced the words out.

"Then… you should come out of the Cosmos and meet Neo."

…

Persephone's POV

Persephone was moving quickly through the corridors, her expression unusually serious.

"Where is darling?" she muttered to herself.

One of her manifestations, which had been quietly following Hades earlier, sent her the coordinates.

She changed direction at once, gliding through the vast halls of the palace.

Hades had returned from outside the Cosmos a few months ago.

He had said he went to meet Neo.

Persephone had been excited then, practically vibrating when she asked what they talked about.

Only to hear that they hadn't talked about anything at all.

Since then, Hades had continued to leave the Cosmos from time to time.

And yet, the father-son duo still hadn't had a real conversation.

"Darling!"

She kicked the doors open without hesitation.

The doors shattered against the walls, fragments scattering across the floor.

Hades, who had been standing by a desk, slowly turned his head to look at her.

Then he glanced at the broken doors.

Then back at her.

Persephone ignored it and walked straight up to him.

She quickly explained everything Elizabeth had told her. The meeting with Celestial Worthy. The strange Fate. The warning.

Hades listened quietly, his expression unchanged.

"So that's what Neo's [Fate] is," he murmured.

Persephone frowned. "Fate… no. You said something different just now. What is that exactly?"

Hades paused, choosing his words. "Think of [Fate] as something born from one's choices. It involves the choices themselves, the consequences of those choices, and what happens when they interfere with other people's [Fate]."

"…Huh?"

Persephone tilted her head, clearly not following.

Seeing her confusion, Hades sighed and decided to dumb it down to her level.

"Let's say you chose to eat a lot for breakfast/ Because of that choice, we call you a glutton. So your [Fate] becomes 'Glutton.'

"Then, because you ate too much, you get a stomachache. That consequence is also part of your [Fate].

"And because you're sick, I take care of you. That, too, is included in your [Fate] of Glutton."

Persephone stared at him.

Her lips twitched.

The explanation made sense.

What bothered her was the example.

"I am not a glutton!" she exclaimed, punching his arm and pinching him hard, knowing he was talking about how she ate a lot in the morning.

Hades chuckled, a rare, genuine smile appearing on his face.

After that, he explained further.

That [Fate] wasn't something absolute.

Since it was born from choices, it could be avoided or changed rather easily.

"As long as Neo stops chasing strength, his [Fate] will shift. A [Fate] like his making life hell even when he's resting will never manifest."

Persephone nodded slowly.

"Hasn't he been living peacefully since arriving at the Witch of Pride's Sect? That's because he stopped chasing strength, at least for now."

Understanding dawned on her.

She tapped his shoulder lightly. "I'll explain it to the children. They're worried."

Hades noticed something subtle when she touched him. A faint fluctuation from some unfamiliar spell.

He frowned briefly, then decided it wasn't worth pursuing.

Persephone wouldn't do anything harmful.

After she left, Hades stood alone in the room, lost in thought.

"So Neo doesn't have the [Fate] of Cruelty. That's… good."

The word lingered in his mind.

Cruelty.

He couldn't remember why it mattered so much.

The memory felt just out of reach.

Still, knowing Neo didn't possess that Fate brought him a sense of relief he couldn't explain.

He didn't know that Elizabeth had unintentionally left out Neo's temporary [Fate] of Cruelty.

She believed it would disappear soon, since Celestial Worthy said it was temporary.

…

Persephone's POV

Persephone hummed as she walked through the corridors.

Her mood had noticeably improved.

She glanced at her palm.

A faint mark glowed there, barely visible.

It was a 'connection' to Hades.

If she joined this connection with Neo, Neo would be able to see Hades's memories.

He would understand why Hades had treated him the way he did in his first life.

According to Hades, the reason was simple.

"When Neo sees the memories, he would finally be able to open up to darling. And then we can be a happy family again," Persephone whispered to herself, smiling.

She could have told Neo the reason herself.

But she believed Hades should tell him directly.

Or, if that wasn't possible—which seemed increasingly likely—Neo should see it for himself.

That way, he would understand everything properly.

Persephone turned and headed back toward Morrigan's room.

When she entered, the atmosphere inside was stiff.

Persephone looked between them.

Seeing that no fight had broken out relieved her.

"Are you going outside?" she asked.

"Yes," Elizabeth replied.

"Both of you?" Persephone added, glancing at Morrigan.

"Yes," Morrigan answered.

Persephone nodded once. "I'll come too. I need to give Neo an earful. He hasn't spoken a single word to me in ages."

Elizabeth sighed and shook her head.

This was exactly what she expected from Neo.

Morrigan gave a wry smile, saying nothing.

"Heavenly Records, open a passage to the outside," Elizabeth said.

[Understood.]

A translucent screen appeared before her.

Moments later, space folded, and a portal opened in front of the three of them.

Without hesitation, Elizabeth stepped through, followed by Morrigan and Persephone.

Hot wind rushed over them the moment they emerged.

Shouts echoed from every direction.

Elizabeth's brows furrowed as she took in the scene.

They were standing at the entrance of the arena seating area.

Every seat was filled. Disciples, elders, even a few instructors were present, all leaning forward with expressions of excitement.

"This is loud," Persephone commented cheerfully.

Elizabeth ignored her and focused on the center platform.

"Huh?" a familiar voice rang out from below. "My world energy was activated? Did someone come out from the Cosmos?"

Elizabeth located Neo immediately.

He was standing on the arena platform, dressed in light combat gear, his aura barely restrained.

The opponent was... Paul.

He was rolling his shoulders like he was warming up for another round.

Elizabeth closed her eyes briefly.

"These two…" she muttered, her tone tired.

Neo noticed her a heartbeat later.

His expression stiffened completely.

He realized, all at once, that Elizabeth had seen everything. Him fighting Paul. The entire Sect watching. The betting slips. The noise. The excitement.

Paul noticed Neo freeze and frowned. He followed Neo's gaze.

The moment he saw Elizabeth, his face went pale.

"Oh," Paul said quietly. "…shit."

The spectators noticed next.

Whispers spread like wildfire.

"S-Sect Master? You returned already?"

"This isn't gambling, Sect Master! We were just… observing."

"I didn't want to come here! They dragged me!"

Excuses flew from every direction.

The smarter ones reacted instantly.

Vivi, who had been sitting near the front, bolted the moment she saw Elizabeth.

She was halfway out of the seating area before Elizabeth even looked her way.

Too slow.

Elizabeth snapped her fingers.

A sharp sound echoed.

In the next instant, thick ice spread across the arena seats.

Every single spectator was frozen in place, mid-motion, expressions stuck in various states of panic and regret.

"Stay like that for a day. That's the punishment for breaking Sect rules and gambling on Sect grounds."

She then turned her gaze to the arena platform.

"You two, come to my residence."

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