Chapter 268   - 268: Evans

"The last time I checked... I am the one in charge now."

Van looked straight in Athena’s eyes, not faltering one bit as he walked back to the table that was surprisingly still intact with even all the chaos that had already happened in and out of the room.

"I am so tired of you two yapping around for almost an hour now and it is starting to get ridiculous."

"...Boy?" Charlotte could not help but feel slightly tense with how Van was talking to the gods. In fact, she doesn’t even know why she’s still here. Sure, she accepted the job of protecting Van, but how would she even protect him if besides the male god, the other two could pinch her like a tick?

She probably had a chance against Artemis if she uses everything in her arsenal and finishes it fast, but against Athena?

She saw how Athena played Artemis like a child, her every movement calculated similar to how Angela fights... add the fact that she was physically stronger than Charlotte by heaps, then who exactly could she protect?

And it didn’t help that the boy he was supposed to be protecting was seemingly unnecessarily egging on the gods.

"We don’t even know if what happened with Artemis will happen again," Van let out a sigh, "What’s to say you actually don’t just die after I absorb your God Soul?"

"I believe the chances of us not reviving are close to none," Athena closed her eyes, "The only thing you have absorbed from us is our God Soul, whatever remains revives and keeps us alive, even allowing us to pass through the Seraph’s gate. It is like a rebirth."

"Then we will just kill those who don’t deserve to see the new world after I absorb their God Soul. In that way, only those that didn’t have a hand in your world’s destruction will be allowed to live in mine," Van then looked at Artemis, who finally recovered herself and walked from the other room, "I think it is fair. And if the enemies that the Seraph Azrael mentioned are indeed true, I would need all of the people that could help me by my side."

"Evans has a point, sister," Artemis let out a slight groan as she wiped the blood coming from her mouth, "It happens in cattle as well, sacrificing the sick in order to let the others live... we all do not have to die. I can understand why you didn’t think of it, you’ve always been the most attached out of all of us."

Artemis then stood beside Van and Charlotte, followed by Dionysus. Seeing this, the only thing that Athena could do was shake her head and let out a long and deep sigh.

"Is this truly your first decision as... the one in charge, Evans?" Athena once again looked Van straight in the eyes.

"...I suppose."

As soon as Van said this, Athena once again summoned her weapons to her hands. Artemis and the others slightly flinched from this, but they didn’t need to do anything as Athena just once again kneeled to Van, placing her weapons in front of her as a sign of submission.

"Very well," Athena said as a crack slowly formed on her forehead, sipping from it a bright golden luminance, "Please take care of us from now on, King Evans."

Dionysus let out a small smile before walking beside Athena, also bending his knees in surrender, "I’ll make sure to set up the grandest party for your future coronation, King Vanny."

Dionysus slowly trailed his finger vertically across his chest, his blood flowing like wine as his heart was exposed for everyone to see, "I wonder what powers you’re going to get from me. Hopefully you don’t get Athena’s stubbornness."

"Whatever the case may be," Athena calmly said as the cracks on her forehead grew wider, "I will be the one to teach you how to use them...

...Please, King Evans, break the shackles that have tormented us for thousands of years."

"Don’t move." Was Van’s only response as he suddenly disappeared from his spot, leaving only a trail of golden lightning in his wake.

[New Active Skill Gained: Summon Aegis]

[New Passive Skill Gained: Gift of Dionysus]

***

"W... what do you think is happening there, sir Masud?"

"Why don’t you go inside to find out?"

"..."

Masud and his subordinates were now outside of the Pit, ready to do damage control as soon as the situation arises as such. He and his men weren’t going to leave the Pit at first since it was their job to guard the Pit no matter what happens, but as soon as they felt the ground shake, they quickly rushed outside.

It had been more than an hour since then, he could only hope that the damage wasn’t too big, as this would definitely cause a backlash and would incite the Equalist State of Egypt to act even more violently if they came to know that System Holders were currently wreaking havoc inside... and they weren’t doing anything. How could they? Who on their right mind would stand in between the battle of the strongest System Holders in the entire planet?

Probably his father, but he was still currently in the ICU being healed.

And so, Masud could only pray to the gods that the damage was not too devastating. And finally, after another half an hour of nervously waiting, an activity was finally seen from the Portal.

And as soon as Masud saw the people coming out from it, he could not help but want to take his life here and then. Both the Prisoners that the group came to retrieve were covered in blood, and the green-haired lady Charlotte was with also looked tattered.

In fact, the only one that didn’t seem to have been involved in a fight was Charlotte herself, as even the little boy she was with had blood trailing from his arms.

...Did Evans do all of this? Masud thought. If Charlotte didn’t make a move, then it was probably safe to say that the damage inside wasn’t that devastating... right?

Masud quickly ordered some of his men to enter the Portal to assess the damage, in these kinds of situations, he was the one that’s supposed to check... but he didn’t really want to as he just approached Van and the group.

"You’re right, I can no longer summon Aegis," Athena stretched her arms repeatedly, but nothing was coming out of it, "But I feel like it is fitting. I inherited the shield from Father, and now it is in the hands of our new King, what else is that if not Fate? I truly was wrong with my calculation."

Athena’s face was still covered in blood from having Van ram his hands through her forehead, but she didn’t seem to mind as her eyes were filled with curiosity.

"But... you said that you have gained a passive skill from Dionysus and Artemis, similar to what you inherited with your father; so why is it that mine is an active skill?" Athena then placed her hand on her chin, but after a few seconds, she just shook her head and let out an arrogant smirk, "I guess this means the others are just worth as much as my tools."

"..." Artemis and Dionysus could only look at each other from Athena’s statement. They couldn’t really rebuke after being toyed with earlier when they fought her. Artemis wanted to say that Van also got an Active Skill from Hercules, but she was afraid that Athena would be offended from being compared to him.

"I assume that you have a bit of Hermes’s speed as well as his other many abilities," Athena continued to talk, "What about from Dionysus and Artemis?"

Van raised his finger in the air before answering Athena, "It says here that I have a perfect aim within 10 kilometers, as well as the ability to control plants."

"That’s from... Artemis?"

"Yes."

"That’s weird...I wonder what the criteria is in how this System of yours chooses what abilities of ours to copy," Athena once again placed her hand on her chin, "A lot of us have the ability to manipulate plants, even Dionysus here can control vines... and perfect aim within 10 kilometers is truly subpar from what Artemis can do."

"I can hit an insect from another planet."

"None of us asked," Athena waved her hand, "What about the Gift Of Dionysus, what were you able to get from it?"

"...Impervious to mind-altering abilities."

"In what way?"

"It didn’t say. My System is vague that way," Van let out a long and deep sigh as he closed his System Window. Van doesn’t even remember how long it has been since he truly last checked his System. Ever since the existence of gods and seraphs came to light, his strength seemed to be coming less and less from it, theoretically speaking.

...Was what he had even a System in the first place?

"Do not worry, King Evans," Athena patted Van’s shoulder, "We will unravel the secrets of your powers together. With my help, it will only be a matter of when, and not if."

Musad, who was initially approaching the group, could not help but shut his mouth instead as he listened in on the conversation with his face filled with nothing but confusion. Did they just call Charlotte’s little prodigy... King Evans?

Was it really the right choice to let these prisoners leave?

"Don’t worry."

Musad then slightly flinched as Charlotte stood beside him,

"I am as lost as you are."