For many gods, the children of Genkai defined the turning points in their divine lives.
The children of the lower world might be short-lived, flawed, driven by desire and ambition—flaws that gods can see at a glance.
But those same children possess something gods lack: the ability to change.
Gods, from the moment of their creation, are immutable beings. That's why, in the eyes of the divine, "change" is extraordinarily precious.
Many gods who descended to Genkai experienced transformations they had never known before, and among them, Loki was the most notable example.
In Tenkai, Loki had been a veritable demon king—bored, bloodthirsty, and always eager to stir up wars just to watch the gods tear each other apart. She'd laugh as divine blood was spilled.
But once she came to Genkai, met countless children, witnessed their struggles and aspirations—her personality underwent a complete transformation.
She stopped craving chaos and began to cherish the children she had gathered under her banner.
Her obsession with war faded, replaced by a passion for nurturing those children.
Anyone who knew Loki could attest to how much she had mellowed after coming to Genkai. It was no wonder so many gods had started teasing her about it.
But just because Loki had toned down didn't mean she'd abandoned her brutal and insane side entirely. It simply hadn't been triggered—until now.
These so-called "special" traits and "market value" were exactly what pushed Loki over the edge.
If she hadn't seen a newborn Xenos with her own eyes, she might not have reacted so intensely.
But she had seen them.
A newborn Xenos was no different from any ordinary child—pure, innocent. If not for their monstrous appearance, you'd think they were just a normal kid.
And now, someone had decided to turn such a child into a commodity. That infuriated Loki beyond reason.
"Which is why your stance, and the Guild's, are both critical here, Loki-sama."
Loki struggled to rein in her seething anger.
"Kill them. That's my stance."
"I believe you may have misunderstood me in your anger, Loki-sama. Please calm down."
Loki's fury paused for a moment as Hephaestus continued:
"What Bell meant is that this expedition might actually be a campaign against the Evilus—so your stance, and that of the Guild, will be essential."
Loki furrowed her brow and glanced at Bell, as if seeking confirmation.
"Are you saying those guys really are with the Evilus?"
But Bell realized Loki had misunderstood again.
"The ones hunting the Xenos definitely aren't the Evilus. They know better than to make a move at a time like this. They wouldn't risk drawing attention now."
"Besides, the Level 5 'Arachnia' was already captured alive. If the Evilus aren't even trying to rescue her, why would they bother going after the Xenos?"
"Good point."
After thinking it through, Loki had to agree.
If the Evilus were planning anything, they'd be trying to rescue 'Arachnia'—not going after the Xenos who had been hiding in the Dungeon all this time.
And using the Xenos as bait to divert the Guild's forces into the Dungeon? That didn't make sense either. As long as the Guild kept its involvement hidden, no one would suspect they were backing the Xenos.
So… this incident had nothing to do with the Evilus?
That was rare.
"Then why did you say there was a deal between them earlier?"
Bell didn't deny the implication—he had meant it. But what mattered more now was that the people targeting the Xenos were the real threat.
"Indeed, those people clearly have some kind of arrangement with the Evilus. But whether the ones targeting the Xenos are actually members of the Evilus isn't the main issue. What matters is that they share the same nature."
"Just get to the point. You're killing me here."
"They're all hiding in the Dungeon and have been staying there for years without being discovered. Yet somehow, they're always able to exploit the Xenos' weaknesses and go after them. It's very likely that these people operate under the same conditions as the Evilus."
That line finally made things click for Loki.
"In other words, if we capture the ones hunting the Xenos and figure out how they access their hideout, we can launch a war against the Evilus?"
"In theory, yes. As long as we get the key to that hidden space, we can initiate a formal assault on the Evilus."
That answer brought a sharp grin to Loki's face. Her smile twisted into something fierce—this time, she was ready to settle the score with those bastards once and for all.
"Then let's start by taking those guys down. Uncover the secrets they've buried in the Dungeon... and then, we move in on the Evilus."
For too long now, her children had been caught up in mess after mess with the Evilus. Right now, Loki was likely the god who despised them the most.
This time, she'd settle old debts and new grudges all at once. Before, it was just about her children. Now, it involved the Xenos too. The timing couldn't be better to end it all in one go.
"You... never mind. I'll handle this myself."
At first, Loki had considered sending Bell to speak with the Guild. But knowing the boy's personality, she decided it was more reliable to go herself.
"Loki-sama, this might actually be better handled by Ganesha-sama. Since this operation involves the Xenos, it needs to stay covert. The Loki Familia isn't suited for large-scale movement right now. I think just a few select participants should be enough."
Bell offered his suggestion, though he made it clear it was just that—a suggestion.
Loki considered it for a moment and decided to go with it.
Ganesha might be unreliable in many ways, but given his direct ties to the Xenos, there wouldn't be an issue getting him involved.
Even if this mess revolved around the Xenos, it wasn't fair to dump everything on her own children. If possible, Ganesha had to pull his weight too.
"Also, Hermes is skilled at gathering intel. If Hermes contributes, things should go even more smoothly."
"That messenger... well, this is the one thing he's actually good at."
Loki pouted but didn't protest the arrangement.
Getting Ganesha and Hermes involved would ease the burden on her end significantly.
'Alright, decision made—let's go find those two!'
...
For more chapters, feel free to follow me on P@treon.
(100 Chapters Ahead)
[email protected]/PinkSnake