The lonely highway at the edge of the Roman territory was draped in the quiet stillness of dawn. The fog rolled over the asphalt in slow, lazy waves. Valerie stood a few paces behind Jin, her mind still reeling, endlessly replaying the impossible tenderness of the interaction between the terrifying Jin and the ghost of his mother. It was a contradiction to see Jin so vulnerable.
Then, the morning air turned sharp, heavy with the sudden scent of ozone.
A complex, geometric magic circle flared to life directly on the damp asphalt, burning with a harsh, emerald-green light. The morning mist was immediately sucked toward it, swirling violently as if caught in a localized hurricane.
The crunch of expensive leather boots stepping onto the gravel broke the silence.
A man stepped out of the thinning fog. He was tall, aggressively handsome with chiseled, symmetrical features that seemed almost sculpted. He wore an impeccably tailored, charcoal-grey suit that looked utterly absurd against the backdrop of wild pine trees and ruined asphalt. Yet, the crackling aura of authority that rolled off him made the wilderness feel like it was intruding on his space, not the other way around.
Jin instantly shifted his weight. The strap of his heavy canvas bag slid off his shoulder, hitting the ground with a dull thud. His body coiled like a spring. Valerie tensed immediately, her survival instinct kicking in, and stepped slightly behind Jin's broad back.
The intruder stopped a few yards away, offering a slick, condescending smirk. He raised his hands in a mock gesture of peace.
"Relax, Dragon-Slayer," the man said, his voice smooth and carrying a strange, resonant echo. "I came with an offer. If everything goes well, you won't have any problems today."
Jin didn't blink. His crimson eyes narrowed, his voice dropping to a perfectly level, dangerous pitch. "Who are you? And how did you find us out here?"
The man chuckled, casually straightening his pristine cuffs. "My name is Kalon. I'm an agent of the Greek Pantheon. As for how I found you... well, you have the Old Tepes King to thank for that."
Jin's jaw clenched visibly. A sharp spike of genuine, cold tension shot straight down his spine.
"The moment the Carmilla Queen turned her back," Kalon continued, pacing slowly, "he put a bounty on your head. Reached out to the underworld. Offered a mountain of gold for the human who had left the capital with 'great strength but in a temporarily weak state.' He gave us your exact coordinates with little info. but i have no problem in getting the true picture ."
Beneath his stoic exterior, Jin's mind raced. He had no problem dealing with the Tepes King—that was a localized political squabble he could squash if needed. But the Greek Pantheon? That was an entirely different story. A problem with them here , he might not make it back.
He had meticulously planned to stay off the radar of the major mythological heavyweights for now. Getting involved with the Gods of other pantheons this early in his life was a massive, lethal complication. He cursed the Old Tepes King viciously in his mind. The coward had shown his true colors, choosing petty revenge even while his own faction was burning around him.
"But," Kalon said, stopping his pacing to look Jin up and down, "seeing the bounty, and reviewing the intelligence regarding your work and your... achievements in the vampire civil war... I decided to intercept the contract. I'm not here to collect a bounty, Jin. I'm here to offer a deal."
Jin kept his posture entirely guarded, not giving away an inch of his internal panic. "Go on. What kind of deal?"
Kalon's eyes gleamed with arrogant, divine pride. "I represent the Ares Faction within the Greek Pantheon. Lord Ares is always looking for vanguards—mortals with a true, talent for slaughter. You are magnificent at killing people. So, how about it? Want to serve the God of War?"
The heavy name of Ares hung over the highway like an executioner's axe. Because as shown depicted he dont take no as a answer and given the master the servant bound to share the same attitude .
Jin can guess how it's going to go.
Jin stood frozen. seeing himself dragging in a fight he didn't start again.
His imposter syndrome, the quiet terror that had haunted him since he awoke in this body, flared to life. It screamed at him to keep a low profile, to avoid the gaze of deities and try to run from here , as that would be smart choice for him.
He knew he was never going to accept this offer, but a nagging, paralyzing fear gripped his mind.
All other time he feel this type of helplessness surface in his mind.
Like when he was thinking "If I mess with the timeline too much... what if my actions cause a massive deviation? What if my mother gets dragged into due to his action? and his plans?" He began to spiral, suffocating under the weight of the "what-ifs."
But then, breaking through the noise of his own anxiety, the gentle, lingering warmth of his mother's voice resounded in his mind.
Live life to the fullest. Just be yourself.
And that seem to snap him out of it.
It was like a physical weight was suddenly severed from his body part.
For time, Jin had been torn. His heart inclined toward a brash, challenging path—a desire to grasp absolute power, to hunt his enemies, to live by his own rules and desires.
But his mind and his views for world ,had constantly fought it, demanding he stay hidden, play it safe, be kind to others and only do what was strictly necessary for survival.
In that moment on the highway, looking at the smug envoy of a war god, the conflict finally resolved.
Jin's tense, coiled muscles suddenly relaxed. He let out a slow, quiet breath that misted in the cold air. He looked at Kalon—really looked at him. He focused his senses, probing the man's magical signature.
The mana was dense. It was strong. But... it wasn't overwhelming.
Why am I getting tense? Jin thought, a dark, liberated amusement sparking in his chest. Is it just because he threw around the word 'God'? I'm stronger than the man standing in front of me.
"Fuck his god." In this world, there are a thousand upon thousand gods.
Until when will I keep getting nervous? , trying to follow my path.
If I keep flinching at titles, how could I ever grow? would i move forward?
Kalon frowned, his aristocratic patience visibly thinning. "Well? The God of War doesn't like to be kept waiting. I need an answer."
Jin blinked, pulling himself entirely back to the present. He looked at Kalon, his crimson eyes clear and devoid of any fear and uncertainity.
"Sorry," Jin said, his tone utterly casual. "I started monologuing in my head. Just... getting a bigger picture of the things I want to do. Sorry for spacing out."
Kalon's arrogant smile evaporated instantly. His mood soured to black. He was an envoy of Olympus, extending an invitation from a major deity, and this mortal stray had just openly admitted to daydreaming during his pitch. It was a profound, unforgivable insult to his divine ego.
Jin looked Kalon dead in the eye, his voice calm, absolute, and devoid of any respect for man who think he carry a great title of "God servant".
"I am not interested in serving any master. You can go on your way, and I will be on mine."
Kalon's face twisted violently, looking exactly as if he had just bitten into a raw lemon. The smile of the diplomat vanished, revealing the vicious thug beneath.
"You arrogant little ape," Kalon hissed, his voice dripping with venom. "If you won't join the vanguard... then I will just collect the Tepes bounty and mount your head on my wall."
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hey i think i did a great work on this chapter . what do you think about it ?.