[Location: Central Park, New York]

"No," I said flatly.

The word slipped out before I even thought about it. Artemis blinked, her silver eyes narrowing like she'd just heard something impossible. The moonlight caught in them, sharp enough to pierce steel, but I didn't flinch. Not this time.

"You would deny me?" she whispered, her bow lowering just an inch, but her pride bristling. "After I have shed blood beside you, after I—"

"—tried to kill me before that?" I cut her off, arching a brow. "Yeah, I remember."

Her lips tightened into a thin line. The Huntress Goddess didn't take interruptions well. But I wasn't in the mood to let her twist things. Not with my head still ringing from the Minotaur's roar, my muscles aching, and that damn system window still pulsing faintly in the corner of my vision.

[Job Change Quest: Initiated][Warning: Evolutionary Path Locked — Time Limit Pending.]

I shoved the notice aside. Later. One crisis at a time.

Artemis drew herself up, pride wrapped around her like a cloak. "You mock me, Dominic Nocturne. Do you not understand? What happened tonight, what you did to that beast, will not go unnoticed. Olympus will demand answers. And I—" her voice cracked for half a breath, just enough for me to catch it, "—I will not allow them to take you."

That caught me. For all her ice and steel, she sounded… almost desperate. Like the thought of me being dragged away and chained in Olympus was something she couldn't stand.

I tilted my head. "Since when do you care what happens to me? You were fine losing arrows at my heart the first night we met."

A muscle twitched in her jaw. "That was before."

Before. The word hung in the air, heavy as the silence that fell across the park.

The lake behind us rippled. Not from wind. From something else. A pressure, faint but growing, brushing across my senses like invisible fingers. My gut tightened instantly. I'd felt something similar when Zeraphira appeared.

Someone—or something—was watching.

Artemis felt it too. Her bow rose again, her aura flaring, silver light crackling around her like moonfire. "They are here already," she murmured.

"Who's 'they'?" I asked, already knowing I wasn't going to like the answer.

Her gaze flicked toward the trees, then back to me. "Ares's dogs."

Perfect. Because tonight clearly wasn't chaotic enough.

The ground trembled faintly, footsteps approaching—too many to count. I sighed, rolling my shoulders. My body screamed for rest, but the System's stat boost was still humming in my veins, a reminder that exhaustion was optional when the stakes were survival.

I glanced at Artemis, whose silver aura now blazed like a beacon. "You know, I was really hoping for a quiet walk back after that whole Minotaur mess."

She didn't smile. Of course, she didn't.

From the shadows at the treeline, armoured figures began to emerge—men and women clad in crimson bronze, eyes gleaming with unnatural fire. Each carried weapons wreathed in warlust, the kind that made mortals collapse from sheer pressure.

Cultists. War zealots. The lapdogs of Olympus's most violent god.

And from the way they dropped to one knee as a much larger figure stepped forward, I knew exactly who was leading them.

A tall warrior in jagged armour, helm crowned with crimson plumes, spear in hand. His presence bled raw aggression, the kind that clawed at the edges of my soul.

Not Ares himself. But close.

A champion.

The Champion of War.

Artemis hissed under her breath. "Damn him."

I raised a brow. "Friend of yours?"

Her glare could have flayed skin. "Brother."

Oh. Oh, this night was going to be fun.

[Urgent Quest: Defeat The Enemies!]

[There are enemies nearby that intend to kill the host. Defeat all the foes and ensure your safety.]

[If you fail to follow the orders, you will be given a Penalty.]

[Number of foes to defeat: 100]

[Number of foes defeated: 0]

I couldn't help it. I laughed. Low, sharp, and a little bit unhinged.

"Of course," I muttered. "Because why not?"

The Champion levelled his spear at me, voice booming across the park.

"By the will of Ares, you who stole the fragment of war's divinity are condemned. Hand it over—or drown in blood."

Artemis shifted, sliding in front of me, bow drawn. The silver glow of her arrow clashed against the crimson fire dancing over the Champion's spear.

I, meanwhile, stared at the system prompt still hovering in my vision.

Again with the same quest given at the time of the fight between the Minotaur and Artemis.

Crack!

I pulled my Status Window.

• Name: Dominic Nocturne von Morningstar

• Race: Demon (Suppressed) / ???

• Level: 20—> 40

• Job: None

• Rank: H —> G

• Title: [Dances With Wolves, The Forsaken Lucifer(Locked)], [He Who Shouldn't Be Awake(Locked), [God-Eater],]

• HP: 1090/1090—> 1490/1490

• MP: 0/790—> 0/1190

[Stats]

• Strength: 178—> 218

• Agility: 124—> 164

• Stamina: 109—> 149

• Intelligence: 79—> 119

• Sense: 99—> 139

—Available Stats Points: 30—> 230)

Damn, I am stacked! My power rank also went up to G. Must be my strength stat breaking into 200.

My fingers itched. Two hundred and thirty free stat points were a mountain begging to be climbed, and the Champion of War wasn't going to wait politely while I fiddled with my numbers like some RPG min-maxer. Still—priorities.

Strength was tempting, sure, but I'd already seen what stacking one stat did: raw force. Predictable. No, what I needed was balance, survivability, and—most importantly—options.

[Allocate Stat Points?]

Yes.

I dumped 50 into Stamina, because living longer sounded like a solid plan when a hundred zealots wanted my head. Another 50 into Sense—if Artemis and Zeraphira taught me anything, it was that unseen killing intent was deadlier than any blade.

That left 130. I smirked. Screw it. Half into Strength, half into Agility. If I were going to brawl with Ares's golden boy, I needed to hit harder and move faster than he expected.

[Strength: 218 → 283]

[Agility: 164 → 229]

[Stamina: 149 → 199]

[Sense: 139 → 189]

[Intelligence: 119]

[HP: 1490/1490—> 1990/1990]

[MP: 0/1190]

[System Notification]

[Armament Core: Level 10 —> Level 12]

[Observation Grid: Level 7 —> Level 9]

[Conqueror Will: Level 5 —> Level 10]

NOW WE'RE TALKING!

The Champion of War shifted his stance, spear glinting crimson under the park lights, each movement radiating lethal precision. Behind him, the zealots stirred, a hundred silent, coiled predators ready to erupt at his signal. The air thickened, warped by divine authority and pure battle-lust.

I exhaled slowly, letting the Stat boost settle through my body. My muscles coiled, senses sharp enough to detect the faint quiver of Artemis's bowstring as she braced beside me.

But we seem to be forgetting about someone... someone who is furnace incarnate.

And this plump of meat just threatens the life of her darling—

"What. Did. You. Just. Say. You. Trash?"

Every word was powered by raging wrath as she released her hold of me.

Zeraphira's crimson hair whipped around her like a living flame as she stepped forward, aura exploding outward with the sheer weight of wrath incarnate. The very air seemed to hum and warp, and I could feel the heat radiating off her as if she could incinerate the park with a thought.

"Darling is mine," she growled, violet eyes blazing like twin storms. Her fists clenched, knuckles whitening, and the ground beneath her seemed to tremble in anticipation. Every zealot in sight shivered under her presence, their resolve faltering before the raw force of her obsession.

Artemis stiffened beside me, bow drawn, silver light crackling over her arrows. Her pride bristled like a shield, every muscle coiled, every breath measured. Yet, despite the goddess's controlled aura, I could sense her pulse quickening, each beat betraying the jealousy she fought to suppress.

I stayed perfectly still, letting the two storms—one divine, one demonic—face each other without breaking the fragile thread that kept the battlefield from tearing itself apart. My hands remained relaxed at my sides, but my mind was already running through combinations of Conqueror's Will and Trinity Crown manoeuvres, ready for the chaos to erupt.

The Champion of War didn't flinch. His spear was levelled at me, crimson light reflecting off the polished bronze, eyes locked on my chest as if he could see every heartbeat. The hundred zealots behind him tightened their formation, waiting for a single word.

And then… Zeraphira let out a roar that shattered the night.

"STEP. BACK."

The sound was more than a command—it was a wave of pure wrath, a psychic imprint of ownership that rippled outward. Trees bent under the invisible force, the lake shivered, and even Artemis's silver aura flickered in response. A hundred zealots crumpled to the ground, convulsing, utterly overwhelmed by the storm of her presence.

Artemis blinked, eyes wide, caught somewhere between awe, fear, and something… darker. I could almost hear the gears turning in her mind as she weighed the impossible: a fiancée who could outmatch the Champion of War in sheer battlefield intimidation.

I, meanwhile, reached a hand up, placing it lightly on Zeraphira's arm, just enough to anchor her without curbing her power. "Easy, love," I murmured. "We've got a plan."

Her violet eyes flicked toward me, burning, desperate, obedient. She crouched slightly, aura pulsing in waves, ready to detonate at a moment's notice. "No one touches you. Not him. Not anyone."

"Understood," I said, voice calm. "And Artemis—just…form that curtain of yours."

"No need, they already prepared that. Seems Ares doesn't want others in Olympus to know this shameful situation. So he sent his best, but discreet, to clean up the problem quietly." Artemis said, her tone as cold as she looked at something beyond the boundaries of the park.

"Great, that means I could let loose myself~" I said, jumping on the spot, rolling muscles, stretching them like coiled springs, feeling the surge of raw power from the Stat allocation still thrumming in my veins. My senses sharpened to the point where I could track every tiny movement in the shadows, every twitch of muscle from the zealots, every heartbeat in the vicinity.

"Darling? But you—"

"Me what? Crippled after what happened after the ceremony? Well, I am strong, though not at your level or Artemis's, but stronger than the helpless cripple prince once I was. So let me have this moment, please~"

"D-Darling! I didn't mean it like that! I… I just…" Zeraphira stammered, her hands trembling slightly, but the fire in her eyes didn't dim. "I don't want you to get hurt. Not to me… not to anyone."

I leaned down slightly, letting my forehead brush against hers. "I know, love. That's why you're sitting this one out… mostly. Your job is intimidation, and you're perfect at it."

Her violet eyes flickered with a mix of pride and possessiveness. "Perfect? Darling… you really mean it?"

I smirked, raking my fingers through her fiery hair. "You've literally made a hundred zealots soil themselves without touching them. That's peak perfection."

Zeraphira's laughter was soft, dangerous, a sound like molten glass cracking. "Then… I'll keep them frozen until you're done playing with their Champion."

Artemis's bow hummed as she adjusted her stance. "Enough sentimentality. Focus. The Champion isn't someone to underestimate. Even with her acting… as she is." Her silver eyes flickered to Zeraphira, calculating, assessing the raw threat before her. "He's fast. He's precise. And he's already chosen his target."

I felt it too—the Champion's intent slicing through the park like a blade. He wanted me. Not Artemis, not Zeraphira, but me. Every ounce of his presence screamed predation. My Conqueror's Will stirred, a pulse of dominance spreading through my veins.

"Alright," I murmured, letting the System interface flicker faintly before my eyes. Time to show them why I'm still alive after a thousand years of being… well… me.

I flexed my hands as my hand went inside the system inventory and pulled Muramasa out with a flick.

"Darling! T-This! How did you? I sensed there is not a drop of demonic power in you! Even didn't even sense spatial disturbance..."

"Sshhhh~ Later, now it's my time."

I grinned, letting the faint shimmer of Muramasa's blade catch the moonlight, slicing the darkness into sharp threads. The Champion's eyes flicked toward it instantly, narrowing, every muscle in his body coiling. Artemis stiffened beside me, but I could feel her tension relax ever so slightly—she trusted this move, even if she'd never admit it out loud.

"Darling… that sword—" Zeraphira's voice trembled, part awe, part warning. "It… It's not ordinary. Be careful!" Her hands hovered near mine, but I pressed a finger to her lips, silencing her without breaking the connection.

"I know exactly what I'm doing," I said, voice low, calm, a pulse of Conqueror's Will lacing each word. "You… just keep them occupied. Keep them scared enough not to touch me."

***

Stone me, I can take it!

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