“You don’t have to trust me. You can choose to remain a doll if that’s what you want.

But if you desire to claim the latent power of that soul as your own…

If you want her techniques, experience, and strength to become part of you…

If you wish to rise like a phoenix from her ashes…

Then give me a chance.

In return, all I ask is that you kill Cassius in the most brutal way possible,” Ares said, extending his hand for Sophia to shake.

For a moment, Sophia stared blankly at that hand, unsure of what to do.

She had been betrayed way too many times in her life and did not wish to take another leap of faith in anyone.

Whether it was her brother, her father, Rocky or Poseidon himself, none of them were reliable in her time of need and hence Sophia did not expect Ares to be any different.

However, in retrospect as she thought about her soul’s condition, she did feel like her father was definitely cruel enough to plant another soul within her vessel to someday take-over her body.

Since the man was despicable enough to kill her mother and present her head to her on a plate, Sophia believed that he was despicable enough to do anything and hence she did trust the story that Ares was presenting her with.

‘I don’t trust him…. But I don’t wish to die as a doll either. If there is a soul of an ancient warrior dwelling within me then I want that power to become mine rather than my body becoming hers’ Sophia thought, as the expression in her eyes hardened as her tears disappeared.

For way too long she had been mocked as a weakling.

For way too long she had been seen as someone who did not deserve to be the Champion Of Poseidon, however, if she could absorb the ancient warriors techniques and experiences, then she would undoubtedly become an unparalleled genius that could step on the face of all her haters.

‘Father….. Rocky….. Zain…. Erin…. I will kill you all! I will become the strongest and I will trample your pride just like how you trampled mine…..’ Sophia thought, clenching her fists tight as she looked back into Ares’s eyes.

“I accept, Monarch Ares….. I accept your offer to resolve the issues in my soul and become strong enough to kill my father.

I promise that once I am strong enough…. I will kill him in the most brutal way possible and I will do it for myself and because he deserves it….. but also for you who gave me a new life” Sophia said, as Ares smiled heartily at this comment.

In his eyes, Sophia was no different from a pawn who he wished to use for his petty revenge, however, he welcomed this submissive attitude of her where she willingly obeyed all his commands, as after years of experience, Ares knew that a willing servant was better than a fearful one.

“Very well then…. Your re-education begins now! Follow Keeth here to the mana room to learn the [ Soul Absorption ] technique.

It will be painful…. It will be difficult…. However once you master it and devour the soul developing within you…. You will become an unparalleled warrior within your tier” Ares said, as his servant Keeth escorted Sophia to the mana room.

*********

( Meanwhile back on Earth )

*Ding Dong*

Riva sheepishly opened the door once the doorbell rang, as she was still apprehensive of visitors.

Anyone that she had no prior bond with made her feel uncomfortable, and she could feel truly comfortable with only Rocky around.

Hence when she opened the door and saw that it was Rocky standing behind it, she immediately jumped into his arms, tears streaking down her face.

“Rocky, you’re back!” She said, joy evident in her voice as she hugged Rocky tight.

At that moment, Rocky’s eyes widened in surprise, as Riva’s grip strength was not that of a feeble mortal.

While Riva did not realize it herself, the strength with which she hugged Rocky made it impossible for Rocky to take a breath, as for a good two minutes Rocky was forced to hold his breath until Riva eventually released him.

‘The tier4 strength still remains in her body….. she just seems to have forgotten how to harness it’ Rocky thought, as he smiled warmly at his sister.

“I’m back home…” Rocky announced, walking into the house as Riva hurriedly began inspecting him.

“How did your dungeon run go? Are you hurt? Are your team members okay?” Riva asked, frantically searching Rocky’s body for any signs of injury and only calming down once she realized that Rocky was fine and his body was intact.

Compared to just a few days ago where she rarely moved from the couch, Riva now seemed to be stronger and much more energetic, as it seemed that being removed from the toxic prison environment had helped her mental state slightly.

Since she had no mental stimulation while being within the prison, Riva found it difficult to pass time and prefered laying down without doing anything, however, back on Earth she had a lot of activities to do.

She could indulge herself in art…. Watch TV, or do a myriad of different things to stimulate her brain in her free time and over the past few days that was exactly what she had been doing.

Letting her intrusive thoughts win, and doing whatever it was that she wanted, Riva was making recovery, however, the fundamental problems still remained.

The apartment was completely dark without even an ounce of sunlight within and even the LED lights had been covered with a cloth to reduce their intensity.

The food that Rocky had left for her seemed to be untouched and starting to rot, as it seemed that Riva had not eaten a single bite in the past few days.

Overall, while she was better than the first time that Rocky met her within the prison, she was still a far-cry from her strong and vibrant self as the road to normalcy was still long.

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep