Neo breathed audibly.
His chest heaved up and down.
Death was exhausting.
His fingers twitched uncontrollably and he had trouble moving his body.
"Dammit, it feels shitty to be revived."
After taking a few deep breaths, he was ready to go again.
He submerged himself in the pond and activated his skill.
[Death]
The sensation of dying was no longer alien to him.
He had the leisure to carefully feel it this time.
Previously, he had been too nervous to pay attention to his senses.
The gravity disappeared and an instantaneous pull jerked his body.
He felt cold and his innards burned.
Opening his eyes, he found himself in the Underworld.
"O Child of Monarch, why hast thou returned?"
The Grim Reaper, still at the same place they met last time, tilted his head.
Neo patted the sticky grains of sand off his body and stood up.
After the last success, he was more confident in his 'persuasion' skills.
"I'm here due to the revival ritual. Can you send me back?"
"We can…"
The Grim Reaper, unable to understand what was happening, nodded.
He believed Neo, inexperienced in the Revival ritual, might've mistakenly sacrificed himself again.
"We will send you back, but please, do not return by mistake again. Death is not a child's toy. The Living should not touch it too many times."
The Grim Reaper decided to forgive Neo for the mistake.
After all, he carried the bloodline of the Great God Hades.
He was royalty, and a Grim Reaper like him must serve the royalty with all his heart.
"Then, goodbye, O Child of Monarch. We wish you a blessed life."
The black clouds rushed out of the Grim Reaper and sent Neo's soul back to his body.
[Unique Skill Exp +1]
[Unique Skill: Death (2/10)]
He woke up with a groan.
The water splashed inside the pond, making him slightly cold.
"Brrr… I should finish it quickly, or I might catch a cold with this damned weak body."
He dived into the pond and used the Death skill for the third time.
The familiar sensation passed through his body.
"Again? We hope we are wrong, but…. O Child of Monarch, are you doing this on purpose?"
As soon as Neo woke up on the beach, he came face to face with the angered Grim Reaper. The flames in the Grim Reaper's eyes flared.
"You dare belittle Death, O Child of Monarch? Even if you are his Child, you are not above Death!"
A chill crawled up Neo's spine.
The air turned heavy and it was crushing Neo under its weight.
Neo's legs started to shake. His teeth clattered.
However, his eyes remained calm.
There was not an ounce of fear in them.
Rule 1 of persuasion skill set: Be Confident.
He stared at the Grim Reaper without backing down.
The Grim Reaper calmed down after watching Neo's expression.
"….What is it, O Child of Monarch? Do you have something to say?"
"I'm training," Neo answered calmly.
Rule 2 of persuasion skill set: Smile.
"Train…Training?" The Grim Reaper tilted his head. Neo's calm attitude made him realize he should listen to Neo before he delivered any Judgement.
"Didn't you say it yourself? I'm the child of the Great God Hades, the God who rules over Death. But…"
Neo pursed his lips.
"I don't know anything about Death. How can the son of the Great God Hades not know about his domain?
"It's insulting to him. That is, I'm trying to learn about Death by experiencing it myself, even though it means having to kill myself for it," he spoke with a righteous expression.
Rule 1 of the persuasion skill set: Be Confident.
Neo's words pierced the Grim Reaper's heart.
The Grim Reaper's body trembled.
Just when Neo thought he was going to attack, he got on one knee and bowed.
"We apologize for being unable to understand your intentions, O Child of Monarch! W-we… You were looking far ahead, and yet we dared to shout at you. Please, allow us to pay for this unforgivable sin by sacrificing our life."
The Grim Reaper raised its arm. A cloud of darkness oozed out and transformed into a pitch-black scythe.
The scythe was about to behead the Grim Reaper when Neo spoke, "Stop it."
He took a step and stood before the Grim Reaper, looking down at him with his crimson eyes.
He spoke with a faint smile, "You were doing your job. I'm happy you stood up for your principles even if you had to face me, a child of your Master."
"O Child of—" The Grim Reaper choked on his words. "O Great Child of the Monarch, we thank thee for thy generosity."
The Grim Reaper could not believe he had shouted at such a hardworking child of Monarch.
It didn't go past Neo's notice that the way the Grim Reaper addressed him had changed.
It meant he finally accepted Neo as the kin of Hades and a fellow being of Death.
"Stand up."
Neo helped the Grim Reaper to his feet.
'Fuck, it's cold.' When he touched the Grim Reaper's cloak, a chilling cold permeated into his body through his fingers.
He barely kept his face straight and managed to not make a fool of himself.
"Now, can you send me back?"
"We can, but…."
"Is there a problem?"
"No, however, O Great Child of the Monarch, while you have not broken any rules, you have repeatedly touched Death with your soul.
"If you don't allow your soul to rest, you will lose your emotions and your soul will be corrupted. When that happens, I won't be able to send you back to the realm of living."
Neo found it hard to believe the Grim Reaper's words.
However, he knew the Grim Reaper had no reason to lie.
Besides, Neo had not read the last volume of the novel where the Gods were introduced, and his knowledge of this world was not omniscient.
He had to be careful.
Just now, he had come too close to his true death.
The thought of spending an Eternity in the Underworld sent chills down his spine.
Noticing Neo's expressionless face, the Grim Reaper knew he was beginning to change.
He was too calm after hearing the devastating news.
However, the Grim Reaper did not feel the change was bad.
It was a great change in its eye.
The son of the Great God Hades should have such qualities.
He should not fear Death, and instead unearth the method to control it. Just like what Neo had been trying to do.
'Maybe if it's him, he can accomplish what the other children of the Monarch failed to do.'
Too many children of Hades had been a failure.
If Neo could prove himself worthy, the Grim Reaper thought it would not be bad to invest in him.