Chapter 25 - The Fourth Option

Sensing Joren's troubles, Ness replied.

"Don't worry, Joren. I know how that feels."

Joren looked at Ness and was slightly surprised. He hoped that there's a more humane way. Even if he turns into a gangster at this rate, he wants to retain his humanity.

"I don't like raw eggs too so let Virena cook it for you, she's a good chef!"

Ness enthusiastically said as her mouth waters, destroying Joren's hope at the same time.

"Then.. isn't there any other way of revival?"

"You don't trust Virena's cooking skills?"

"No, I just feel like eating one's children is... I don't even want to think about it."

"What do you mean? I thought humans eat everything? I see tons of disgusting viral videos where you eat animals alive..."

Ness showed a face of disgust.

"Well, they're mad and I'm not."

"If that's so then I won't force you. There are still other methods but they are more complex and have higher difficulties."

"Tell me."

Joren's decisiveness really gets them every time and they don't hate it one bit. Though Virena could think of one exception and that was when Joren asked her to turn him into a vampire.

"Okay, your third option is to make a contract with the Devil. But I don't suggest that. Then there's going to the underworld yourself where you will do the job of retrieving half of your soul yourself."

"Oh... that sounds feasible." Joren nodded but this even made Ness sighed.

"You should understand the reason why I said that as a latter option than the first ones is that its difficulty is higher. Going to the underworld is hard in itself but once you're there, you may attract Niutuo and Mamian's attention."

"Who?"

"Ox-head and Horse-face." Ness giggled as she answered.

"... who?"

"I think you should attend school first." Virena intercepted.

"I like to hear all the methods first before I choose." Joren ignored Virena's remark and ask.

"Okay, this is the last method and the hardest. In this method, you will deal with a God. Even I don't have the power to have this deal."

Ness replied with a serious expression, making Joren gulped.

"Her name's Ammit and you could call her the Devourer of the Dead in Egyptian. I'll explain to you what to do if you chose this method."

"I want to hear it so that I can consider it."

"... okay, well, I say you have to deal with Ammit but actually, you have to deal with Anubis as well, another God... a God of Death in Egypt." Ness looked at Joren's face and since she didn't see any fear or hesitation.

'It's because he hasn't personally seen a God and that's why he didn't fear them.' she just thought, explaining Joren's fearlessness.

Thus, she continued explaining to him who those Gods are and what he needs to do. Afterward, she stayed silent, waiting for Joren to think about it.

After hearing all the methods, Joren began to understand why Ness said that the method of defeating a Grim Reaper is easy. Because the other four methods are just too difficult. There is one option that Ness has not gone into details though... contracting with the Devil.

Why is it the third option?

She intentionally skipped it but was willing to explain the fourth and the fifth option. Sensing the danger in this, Joren tried not to ask it. he was not unfamiliar with the concept of 'the Devil'

In exchange for something, he will surely give up another thing, like that, he was not sure but that should be the premise of it.

If hell's let loose, that's when he will try to consider that option. He had to carefully pick one of the options but none of them was a walk in the park. Hell! Even if he's a human and is twice stronger, he was sure he wouldn't be able to defeat the Grim Reaper. Being stupid is not the same as being brave. His decisiveness may just be impatience and inconsiderate of reality.

But still... being stupid is the only way he could be if he wants to save Scarlett.

"I think I'll pick the fourth option first. If that failed, I'll go with the fifth option."

Virena immediately facepalmed himself.

"Failure means death, Joren, are you sure?"

Ness asked as she tilted her head. If possible, she didn't want Joren to go and let himself get killed. How much does he feel responsible for that woman named Scarlett? Is she that special?

"I'm sure." Joren said without hesitation.

Maybe it's just stupidity. However, just the idea of saving someone he just met from one of the most powerful beings is already a mind-boggling stupidity. He could not fall deeper from this.

"So the fourth option, retrieving my own soul in the underworld. But it's not like it's official so I'll change my mind once I've learned more."

Joren said and stood up.

"Thank you very much. Even though I have very thick-skinned, you two helped me. If there's something you need from me, just ask!"

He smiled and made guts pose.

"..."

The two were dazed for a while, not expecting Joren to just go and say that.

"Hah, as if we need anything from you."

Virena turned her head around as she spoke.

"I agree with Virena but if you do succeed, surely, you have potential, right?" Ness smiled, "Then when that time comes, we will ask something from you!"

Joren responded with a thumbs up and walked away.

"It's not about potential but whether I will do it or not. I can do it as long as I want to! Well then, see you later."

With a cool goodbye, he opened the door to exit and-

"..."

There was an awkward silence before Joren turned around with darkened expression.

"Umm, can you help me get to the surface?"

"AHAHAHA!"

Ness dropped onto the ground, laughing.

"I already thought 'so cool' and then- AHAHAHA!"

"Let me get you up there." Virena said while smirking, holding herself from laughing.

"T-thanks."

A moment later, Joren was coughing and wheezing while his whole body was full of wounds.

"Here"

Virena offered her finger again. Since Ness was not there, she didn't feel that much embarrass now.

However, Joren put his hand up and declined.

"It's not that I don't want to owe you a favor but I, at least, can deal with this level of injuries."

"Don't act cool. You're just an immortal because your undead, but because you're a lesser undead, you also have lesser immortality. If you keep damaging your body it will rot so you need energy from your master. Also, I've already sliced my fingertip."

Virena pointed her finger up and showed the drop of blood. Joren's mouth immediately watered. He took her hand, startling her, before licking it.

A sweet taste engulfed the insides of his mouth. He gulped and slowly, the wounds of his body recovered.

Virena immediately pulled her finger away and wiped it.

"Joren, what you said is true earlier."

"..."

Joren was still numb from pleasure and was stopping himself from asking another drop of blood. But a moment later, he processed what she said but didn't know what she's talking about. He said a lot of things earlier.

"That you're think-skinned. You are very true with that."

"Huh..."

"You need to learn restraint but... there's no need to stop doing it. You can come and visit whenever you want." Virene paused, as if surprised by her own words, she whispered, "The principal said."

Joren smirked and didn't comment, instead, he just answered.

"Sure, next time, I'm here, I'm already human."

He said and when he walked away, Virena frowned.

"What a fool... does he mean he wouldn't come visit if he's yet to retain his humanity?"

She complained out of dissatisfaction before returning underwater. Once she was back, Ness asked.

"Did anything happen? You looked mad."

"Nothing, Principal."

"Now, we could finally relaxed."

It was as if Ness melted on her office chair.

"You're right. That guy, there's something wrong with him." Virena sat down as well.

"Wrong? Maybe there's a better word but I think so too. There's something about him that's scary and it's certainly not just his face. At first, he looked fine but the more I spent time with him... he's scarier than underworlders."

"You can't explain it too, Principal?"

"Un, but I think that his face is not natural. It was born from who he really is but I don't know. I just know that he's trustworthy."

"As for me, Principal... I think it's because he's always charging forward."

"Yeah, we just met him yesterday and he had already shown us most of his sides. I was even surprised when he's leaving, I thought he's going to sleep here."

"Don't joke like that, Principal, he's still a pervert."

"Is that so?... okay."

"What?"

"Nothing, also, it's been an entire day and we haven't done any work yet!"

Virena sighed since she knows Ness will just give assistance for a few minutes before she gets bored and do something else entirely.