Floating Island Olympus — Throne Room
Silence.
The sudden appearance of a small human accompanied by the goddess of Love and the goddess of Pleasure immediately halted all strategic planning within the meeting.
The air turned dense, almost crystalline, and a divine tension spread across the hall like a contained thunderclap.
But something strange was happening to Brian.
It was no longer mental or emotional exhaustion. It was something deeper, darker.
Something slowly emerging from the depths of his being—a hidden fragment of his own nature: a cold, almost mechanical cruelty, being increasingly amplified by the default of the trait «Player's Soul».
Zeus, from his throne, narrowed his eyes. The light in his gaze condensed like lightning.
Zeus: —"Who do you think you are?" (Why do I have a bad feeling about this small human?)
Zeus's voice echoed like thunder trapped inside a cavern. Brian didn't even blink. His determination was already irreversible:
—Let me introduce myself… I am the Glitch. There's only one thing I want to know: Po.sei.don… Where is he?
Zeus: —"Insolent mortal, why should I tell you?" (This feels familiar… No, impossible. He resembles… but is it coincidence?... Afrodita and Lilith being here? No… it can't be, he died.)
Zeus's question pierced Brian's mind.
"What am I?" he thought. "In this world… am I more of a player, or an NPC… or simply an error?"
For a moment, the noise of Olympus faded, and all he heard was the echo of his own doubt. Then he took a deep breath, and his words turned into a verdict:
—I'm not good, I don't even consider myself just… I… am a human being. And my purpose is to be, in this world so social, hypocritical, and morally disgusting… a nightmare for those who believe themselves strong… I've decided to be unilateral.
The silence that followed was heavy.
Zeus watched him with a mix of confusion and suspicion. Then he turned his head, ignoring him, and addressed the goddesses. But when his gaze returned to the boy, a flicker of recognition crossed his eyes.
Zeus: —"What did you say? The what?" (Wait… I remember now… this is the boy who destroyed Athena's temple.)
In an imperceptible instant, Sam vanished from where he stood and appeared beside Zeus. With impossible speed, he grabbed his right arm and crushed it.
The bones in his arm turned literally into dust.
Zeus hadn't noticed—neither his approach nor the destruction of his arm. He fell from his throne and rolled down the stairs. The entire hall filled with the guttural scream of the god of lightning:
Zeus: —"Kuarghh!!" (What the hell… my arm is… destroyed?!)
Aphrodite stepped back, alarmed.
Aphrodite: —"What are you doing!?" (Something told me this… was a very bad idea.)
When everyone present saw Sam's eyes, they noticed something terrifying: there was nothing in them.
No killing intent, no emotion, not even coldness. Only an abnormal calm. An unsettling void. His gaze swept across the room as he pointed:
—He's no different from Poseidon, you know?... Hey, Lord of Lightning… you have many children, don't you?... How many did you deceive?
Zeus stood up, gripping his shattered arm while lightning crackled across his skin, fracturing the marble floor beneath him. He stared in disbelief.
Zeus: —"No one has ever reproached me for that!" (Is this a joke? This damned human… No, my arm—I can't use existential power like this… if I don't regenerate fast, I won't be able to summon my lightning.)
—That's because… before… I wasn't here.
Zeus: —"I admit it, I've had many children… but that was long ago… WHAT DO YOU HAVE TO DO WITH THOSE WOMEN?!" (I need time… my divine blood will rebuild my bones.)
—Nothing… let's just say… I'm the karma that took its time arriving.
Zeus: —"Don't come at me with that mortal triviality… you're no different from me."
Sam struck him again. A punch to the jaw. The god dropped to his knees, chin fractured, unconscious for a few seconds. Sam grabbed him by the hair, lifted him, and slapped him.
—Don't compare yourself to me, old man. You've lived for thousands of years. I can accept someone deceiving to protect or care… not to harm, traumatize, or break others.
Zeus, his jaw regenerating, muttered between sparks:
Zeus: —"Why do you care so much about this shit?..." (Damn Poseidon… don't tell me… is this brat an Immortal?)
Sam didn't respond. He struck him a third time, leaving him completely unconscious. His body hit the marble with a metallic crash.
Hades reacted, grabbing Sam from behind.
Hades: —"Calm down!!" (Is this… the power of an Immortal?)
Sam broke free and, without hesitation, drove a punch into his abdomen. Hades dropped to his knees, unconscious as well.
Hera stood immediately, her voice ringing with authority:
Hera: —"ENOUGH! They are not to blame for what Poseidon did… leave them and go to Atlantis. His temple is there." (This boy is definitely an Immortal… his energy is… unfathomable.)
Athena, from her throne, watched with her mind racing.
("If he defeated Zeus like that, I have no chance. But Poseidon will kill him… he is invincible at sea.")
Sam lowered his gaze to Zeus's unconscious body, then raised it to Hera.
—Thank you for the information, miss… but you've been deceived by this bastard.
Hera: —"That is a matter between us… you have no right to interfere." (Damn Zeus… how long will I be haunted by those cursed affairs?)
—You're wrong. It became my business… the moment this idiot decided to cover for Poseidon.
Persephone stepped forward, frowning.
Persephone: —"Then why did you hit Hades?"
—The moment he tried to stop me, he became my enemy.
Hera shot Athena a sharp glance, but kept her composure.
Hera: —"Do you care that much about that girl, to make such a scene?" (Because of you, sister, there will be a meeting between the three zones in the eastern continent… losing an Immortal like this… will be a very long discussion.)
—It shows you've never valued someone's essence… enough to understand it's priceless.
Persephone: —"Priceless?" (This boy… he's not only cruel… he has a… sweet side.)
Brian took a deep breath. Humanity returned to his eyes, and his voice echoed through the hall with will:
—I'd destroy the heavens for someone genuine… and face anything… to protect a heart like that.
Hera: —"Why… would you do that?"
—Maybe I'm an idiot… But I'd recognize what truly has value if I saw it.
Persephone: —"Like what?"
—You are the perfect example.
All of them felt flattered by the remark.
Aphrodite: —"Hmpt… You're just saying that because of our appearance."
—If I can't recognize what's beautiful, then why do I have eyes?
Another wave of blush spread across the goddesses.
Lilith: —"I didn't know you had such a sweet mouth."
—The truth… isn't sweet or bitter, it's an irrefutable fact—like the beauty of goddesses.
This time, none of them could hide it.
Persephone: —"What's your name?"
—My name is… Bri—Sam… Sam Raymond.
Hera: —"You'd better leave." (A strange name for someone from the eastern continent.)
—Alright, but first I need to speak with Athena.
Persephone: —"You won't hurt her… right?" (Sister… I'm afraid for you.)
—I don't hit women… (but I do punish them if they're truly vile.)
Hera: —"Are you a sadist?"
—No, I don't enjoy seeing people in pain… well, I do… but only if they deserve it.
Persephone: —"Well… that's almost the definition of a sadist."
—I don't enjoy others' suffering. Everything hurts, and I understand that. But I don't fear getting my hands dirty.
Lilith: —"I'll speak with her instead." (My sister is in danger with you.)
—Alright… but if my patience runs out, I'll do it myself.
Lilith: —"Thank you."
Lilith moved cautiously toward Athena, who remained seated, rigid, her brow buried in her thoughts.
Lilith: —"Why did you do that to his friend, sister?"
Athena: —"If I let something like that pass without punishment, my temple would be profaned every time I wasn't watching." (I know humans… they're as corrupt as satyrs.)
Sam heard that. His patience shattered like glass. He stepped forward.
—You may be the goddess of wisdom… but you're a heartless piece of trash.
Athena looked up, furious.
Athena: —"Don't say that about me, you don't even know me!" (Judgments from an Immortal… so limited.)
—If intelligence makes you feel superior, then it turns out you're only wise in your own opinion.
Athena: —"You're no different from me. Haven't you seen what you've done?"
—Who said I'm better than you?
Athena: —"Your actions speak for themselves. Don't you think you're better by imposing your morality?"
—I follow… the law of the absolute.
Athena: —"What law? Traditions? Stereotypes? Who gave you the right to judge?" (I must admit… his mind is brilliant, but he's still human.)
—Natural law… it's not the survival of the fittest… it's something deeper than simply existing.
Athena: —"What nonsense are you saying?" (He's finally gone insane.)
—If intelligence makes me insensitive, I'd rather remain a damn monkey. If we base life only on survival… we're already animals.
Athena: —"Have you gone mad?" (This boy… turned out to be a romantic.)
—Mad or not… you must be punished.
He stepped toward her, his shadow covering the white marble. Hera intervened.
Hera: —"Didn't you say you wouldn't harm her?"
—You know… people who take advantage of those who follow ideals just to play the victim… they're the worst kind of trash.
Athena: —"You want to punish me because you couldn't impose your reasoning?"
—That's not it. If I wanted to, I would… but you'll never admit your mistake, because you hate losing.
Athena: —"Admit you couldn't beat me."
—Heartless trash… you don't deserve compassion. You're a goddess of garbage. If your intelligence were as beautiful as your appearance, you'd be the most beautiful of all.
Athena: —"T-that's none of your concern." (Why… am I blushing?)
—It is. I thought that being the most intelligent, you'd understand my words… but you only remembered my tragic fate.
Athena: —"And what fate is that?"
—Knowing I was born to prove something to everyone… (but it condemns me to be alone… damn it. I need to leave soon… I don't have much time.)
Lilith: —"Prove what?"
Sam smiled—sadly, with a calm that hurt.
—I've decided your punishment: she will become my slave.
Athena: —"You're not going to kill me?" (Me… a mortal's slave? Never.)
—No… I won't harm you. My goal is to influence your personality. (Besides, she has to apologize to Melissa and break the curse. That's the bare minimum.)
Athena: —"That's a very naive hope." (I'll escape before he can touch me.)
—Naive or not… that's my choice.