"Surprised, right? About how strong Dream is?" Michael’s lips curved into a faint, almost teasing smile, as though he enjoyed watching Aaron’s reaction.
Aaron leaned back slightly, crossing his arms. "Great. So, one way or another, I’ve met all the blessed within our federation. Nathan seems like the least dangerous among the rest of you." He spoke as if making a mental note, but inside, he wasn’t sure if he should be happy or worried. Were these people going to be stepping stones in his path... or thorns lodged deep in it?
Michael’s smile widened. "Alice has the blessing of ice. Nathan—blessing of sight. Me—blessing of lightning. And Dream..." He tilted his head, lowering his voice with a hint of mystery. "...no one knows about her."
Aaron’s gaze sharpened. The confidence in Michael’s tone wasn’t that of someone guessing—it was the certainty of a man with inside information.
"How do you know all this?" he asked, his voice casual but his mind already on guard. In his world, knowledge was often more dangerous than raw power.
Michael’s expression shifted. The easygoing playfulness drained away, replaced by a gravity that seemed to settle over him like a storm cloud. "That? My father is a demigod... with access to a lot of information."
Aaron raised a brow, curious at the sudden change in tone.
"My father is the ever-famous Lightning God," Michael continued, his fists curling slowly at his sides. "The man I must kill."
That made Aaron’s brows rise for real this time. Lightning God’s son? He hadn’t even known the man had a child. And to meet him so casually ... what kind of twisted fate was this?
"Why?" Aaron asked, studying Michael’s face closely. There was no false bravado in the man’s eyes. No forced bitterness. This wasn’t an act—Michael truly intended to see the Lightning God dead.
"He killed my mother," Michael said flatly. The words fell like stones into still water, and just as quickly, the easy grin returned to his lips as though nothing had happened.
Aaron blinked, caught between shock and disbelief. "What? Why?" His voice came out sharper than intended. Since the moment Michael had introduced himself, Aaron felt like he’d been dragged through a storm of revelations.
"To answer that, you need to know a little about me," Michael said, leaning back in his seat as if telling a casual story. "I’m the child of the Lightning God, as you know. My mother? Just a woman that bastard fancied and decided to have some fun with. But when I was born... something happened. For reasons no one can explain, my father lost his blessing. I... gained it."
Michael’s smile thinned, becoming more like a baring of teeth. "Since then, he’s loathed me. Hunted me. Made it his mission to ruin me. And one day... he killed my mother. Right in front of me." His hands clenched tightly, the veins on his forearms standing out. "I’ll get stronger. I’ll crush him. And I’m telling you this now because I believe you have your own grudge against him."
Aaron’s eyes narrowed. "You might not know this, Michael, but your father tried to kill me. And he’s holding onto something that doesn’t belong to him—but to my parents. Do you think I’d just let him live if I had the chance?"
"I know you won’t." Michael’s grin returned, sharp and confident. "That’s why I’m telling you now. In the end, though... you’re not strong enough to beat him yet. I’m not either. But I’ll grow faster than you. I’ll kill him before you ever get the chance."
He stood, brushing imaginary dust from his uniform, and strode toward the section reserved for second-years without another word.
Aaron exhaled slowly. "Great. Now someone wants to steal my prey." His gaze followed Michael until the young man sat among his classmates.
"I know. If Alice is a monster, then that guy is the king of monsters," Aaron muttered, eyes flicking over Michael’s profile in the system’s data window.
"Are all those blessed by the universe always this monstrous?" he asked, half to himself. He still couldn’t fathom how strong Dream must be—and more puzzling still, why someone like her tolerated disrespect from another demigod.
Before his thoughts could wander further, a commanding voice boomed across the arena.
"Students. Freshers. Welcome to Ragnarok," Professor Elias announced, his tone warm yet authoritative. "You have chosen this university. Some of you were chosen after proving yourselves in our entrance exam. Among all of you, two names stood out—shining with power, skill, and wits. Aaron and Alice. Through fortune, they chose our university. It is only fitting that we awarded them the two special villa dorms..."
Aaron’s lips curled into a wry smirk. "So that’s the old man putting a target on my back. Cunning bastard."
Professor Elias continued, smiling faintly. "The rules for this event remain the same. If a fresher defeats their senior, they acquire half the senior’s points. If the senior wins, they gain one-tenth of the fresher’s wealth. Let the competition... begin."
"Seems our little fun has started," Michael called from across the arena, locking eyes with Aaron in a silent challenge.
Alice appeared beside Aaron like a ghost, sitting gracefully. "I presume you’ve already been marked? Or should I say... we’ve both been marked?"
"Yup," Aaron said with a lazy grin. "Now we just have to make sure our seniors know not to mess with us. Otherwise, they’ll get too arrogant and start doing stupid things. Remember, Alice—try not to beat them to death."
His words barely left his mouth when a group of sophomores strode toward them. At the front was a broad-shouldered, bald-headed man with the swagger of a professional bully.
"Aaron. Alice. Come along. We want to have... a discussion," the man said, his tone dripping with condescension.
Aaron didn’t even shift in his seat. "Nah. Not interested in moving from here. Whatever you want to say, you can say it right here. Don’t make me walk."
The bald man’s grin twisted into a scowl. "Arrogant brat. Just because the school gave you a villa and you ranked first in the exams, you think you’re strong? You just fought chickens. Now, stand up and follow me... or I’ll break every bone in your body. Maybe I’ll send you to the afterlife so your parents can teach you manners."
Aaron’s expression went cold in an instant. "What did you say?" His eyes glowed faint crimson, the air around him seeming to drop in temperature.
"You heard me," the man sneered. "Now follow your senior before you get hurt. Would be a shame to ruin that pretty face."
Alice, sitting beside Aaron, let out a soft sigh. "Please... just try not to kill him," she said, her voice sincere enough to make the bully falter for a moment.
"You dumb bitch! You are—"