Chapter 320: Karma (XXXVIII)

The next pair stepped into the arena, and then the next after that.

Each fight that followed was brutal.

The gods didn’t hesitate, nor did they flinch.

Every single one of them threw themselves forward with reckless abandon, taking blades through their stomachs, letting divine blasts tear off limbs, only to heal and keep fighting as if pain didn’t exist.

I watched from the edge of the platform, sitting quietly with my elbow resting on my knee. Their groans and roars echoed through the hall like thunder.

Bones cracked, blood sprayed, and spells exploded in rapid succession. But no one backed down.

It wasn’t skill that impressed me.

It was their disregard for survival.

“…They really don’t care, do they?” I muttered under my breath, tilting my head slightly as one of them was impaled through the chest, only to grin and punch his opponent back through a wall of marble.

Theon, still nursing his ego on the side, glanced at me from afar but quickly looked away. I could feel it, the unease still lingering in his gaze after what he saw in my eyes earlier.

I didn’t blame him for shivering.

BOOM!

Another explosion rocked the arena.

Dust and divine light burst across the stands as one god fell, half his body vaporized, but still laughing as his regeneration kicked in.

The audience roared.

And I… smiled.

Because I realized something beautiful in that chaos.

If they could take this much pain without hesitation, without fear… then later, when they faced me for real…

They wouldn’t be able to run at all. After all, they didn’t know about my god-killing authority, so if they took any attack from me, expecting that they would renegerate…

…That would be simply perfect.

BAAAM!

“The winner is Juve, and that’s all for today’s class!” Altheon declared, waving his hand, and suddenly, we were back in the classroom.

“Mhm…”

I stretched my arms slighly.

“Heyyy, handsome~”

A woman with dark skin and long black hair walked up to me, her golden eyes half-lidded, a small teasing smile on her lips. Her aura was warm and heavy at the same time, like honey that could burn.

“Name’s Selindra. Goddess of Lust.” She tilted her head slightly.

Of course she was.

She leaned a bit closer, still smiling.

“Want to have lunch together?”

I shrugged lightly.

“Sure.”

When I stood up, her hand slid around my arm, her touch soft but firm. She grinned faintly as if she’d already won something.

“Good boy,” she whispered playfully.

I didn’t say anything, just let her lead the way out of the room.

As we walked down the corridor, the sound of our footsteps mixed with the faint murmurs behind us.

“She’s got another one, already?”

“As expected of the Goddess of Lust, huh?”

I heard it clearly.

My eyes slid sideways toward her, and I caught the little smirk playing at her lips. At that, my own lips curved slightly too.

She noticed.

“You’re not scared, are you?” she asked, glancing at me from the corner of her eye.

“Should I be?” I replied calmly.

“Hmm… maybe.” She chuckled lowly.

We kept walking until the smell of roasted meat and divine spices filled the air.

The cafeteria was huge, with golden pillars, floating tables, and long counters filled with food that shimmered with divine energy.

Roasted pegasus wings, hydra steaks, grilled dragon meat… each dish was glowing faintly as if it had a heartbeat.

Selindra licked her lips softly.

“Ahh… the perks of being a god.”

I grabbed a tray, eyes scanning the endless spread.

“Not bad.”

She leaned close again, her breath brushing my ear.

“Not bad, huh? You should see what dessert tastes like.”

“You mean you?”

For a split second, she froze, then smiled, slow and sultry, her gaze hazy like melted gold. Her tongue brushed against her lip before she spoke again.

“Mmm… maybe.”

Her tone dripped with heat, and the faint sound of her foot sliding beneath the table made me glance down.

Underneath, her leg brushed against mine, lightly at first. The smooth skin of her foot pressed against my calf, tracing upward in a slow, playful motion.

The table rattled softly.

Before she could go any further, my hand shot out. I caught her ankle firmly, forcing a soft gasp from her lips.

“Ah—!”

Her eyes widened in surprise as I stared straight at her, my grip unyielding.

“I don’t have that kind of fetish,” I said flatly.

Her shock lasted only a second, and then that same sly grin returned

“They all say that,” she whispered back, tilting her head, her hair falling across one shoulder.

“Until they stop pretending.”

She moved again, testing me, sliding her foot forward once more, but my hand swatted it aside before it even touched me.

The soft thump under the table was followed by silence.

I leaned back, my expression calm, but then, the air around me shifted.

A faint pulse of killing intent leaked out, sharp enough to make the lights flicker for an instant.

“I. Don’t. Have. That. Kind. Of. Fetish.”

My eyes glowed faintly, a scarlet smoke leaking out of them.

Selindra froze mid-breath. Her body stiffened, but instead of fear, something else colored her face.

Her lips parted slightly as a faint blush spread across her cheeks.

She turned her head to the side, licking her lips slowly as if savoring something sweet.

“Oh… that look…” she breathed.

“You’re dangerous~.”

I raised an eyebrow, still watching her carefully.

’She really is the Goddess of Lust… She probably has every single kink in existence.’

Selindra leaned back with a slow exhale, her smile curling again. Her golden eyes shimmered like warm honey as she tilted her head.

“You really shouldn’t look at people like that, Aestrea,” she murmured, voice low and silky.

“Someone might fall in love…”

I didn’t answer and simply turned my gaze back to the food, cutting into the roasted pegasus meat and eating in silence.

“Cold and calm while eating… that’s kind of sexy, you know?” She rested her chin on her hand, watching me like a cat watching prey.

I kept chewing.

“Nothing to say?” she teased, dragging a finger around the rim of her cup. “You’re not fun when you ignore me~.”

Still, I didn’t react.

The soft clink of my fork against the plate filled the small space between us.

Selindra’s lips twitched, as if amused by my quietness. Then, with a playful hum, she turned her head toward the hall and waved.

“Hey~ over here!”

I glanced up as five figures approached the table, two men and three women, all dressed in different shades of divine attire, their auras bright and proud.

“Ah, you’re still collecting toys, Selindra?” one of the men joked with a smirk. His hair was silver, his eyes pale blue.

“Which room are you bringing this one to tonight?”

“Maybe the whole dining hall if he keeps ignoring me.” Selindra smiled lazily.

The others laughed softly, taking seats around us. The three women, each beautiful in their own way, glanced my direction more than once.

One had long amber hair tied in a braid, her tone gentle but curious.

“So you’re the new one she’s playing with?”

“Apparently,” I said flatly, still focused on my food.

“You’re awfully composed for someone sitting with her.” Another, with violet eyes and an almost predatory grin, leaned forward slightly.

“He’s special, maybe~,” Selindra smirked, tapping her finger against her cheek.

The last woman, quiet with soft gray eyes, just studied me in silence, her gaze thoughtful.

The second man chuckled, resting an elbow on the table.

“You sure you want to get involved with her, stranger? She doesn’t leave much behind when she’s done.”

“Don’t scare him,” Selindra sang, brushing her hair back.

“He’s not that fragile.”

The three women exchanged glances, then their interest shifted again toward me.

“What’s your name?” the quiet one finally asked.

“Aestrea.”

The way they reacted was subtle, but it told me they’d heard it before. A few whispers slipped between them before the violet-eyed one smiled faintly.

“I’ve heard that name… they say you’re the one wh—”

“Mmh, no stories during lunch, darling. You’ll ruin the taste.” Selindra cut her off smoothly, her tone sharp but light.

I watched her, slightly amused.

She was trying to keep the attention on herself, but the others weren’t making it easy.

The amber-haired girl leaned a bit closer.

“You’re not much of a talker, are you, Aestrea?”

“Depends on the company,” I replied, directly staring at Selindra.

Selindra’s smile twitched.

For a moment, her eyes narrowed in that soft, playful glare, the kind that said she didn’t like losing attention.

She leaned closer again, her arm brushing against mine.

“Careful, girls,” she purred sweetly.

“He bites.”

“I wouldn’t mind him biting me~”

One of them giggled, causing me to raise an eyebrow.

“Oh? Then you can fight me for him later.”

Selindra’s smile stayed, but her tone dropped a degree colder.

The words were said lightly, but her aura flickered for a moment, hot and heavy, wrapping around the table like invisible smoke.

The three women exchanged amused, slightly wary smiles.

I just kept eating, silent, watching her from the corner of my eye.

’She’s jealous already? That didn’t take long.’

Selindra noticed the small smirk on my lips and whispered, leaning close enough that only I could hear.

“Don’t tease me, Aestrea. I bite harder.”

“I’m not scared of being bitten,” I finally looked up from my plate

Her eyes glimmered dangerously, and her smile grew wider. But before she could say anything, I set my fork down and finally looked around the table.

“So, I don’t even know your names. How about telling me?”

Selindra’s golden eyes narrowed slightly, her lips twitching with a faint, amused scowl.

“What? You’re curious about them now?” she asked, a teasing lilt in her voice.

I ignored her and turned to the others, tilting my head slightly.

“You first.”

“I’m Liora.” The amber-haired woman blinked, taken aback by my directness, but she smiled softly.

“Liora, huh?” I repeated, committing it to memory.

Then I faced the violet-eyed woman.

“You?”

“Vanya,” she replied, her grin still sharp, like she was trying to gauge my reaction.

“I’m Carliat,” the quiet gray-eyed one finally spoke.

The silver-haired man raised a brow.

“And I’m Kael,” he said casually.

“Tyrian.” The other man, who had been leaning back, smirked.

I nodded slighly, at least now, I knew their names.

…But Carliat, huh?

I didn’t expect to meet the Goddess of Emptiness so soon…

She can be really useful.

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