After the Goddess... Nyx shoved a crimson teardrop into his body, Richard immediately fell into a coma.

In the darkness, he found a man bound in black chains. He was an unfamiliar face but his tan skin and burly body showed off a certain power that carried a divine aura that was equal to but slightly different from that of Nyx.

"You are? A descendant.., no- you’ve found my blood?"

The man raised his gaze towards Richard, obviously aware of his presence. Richard did not ask questions nor did he try to ignore the man as he answered plainly.

"Instead of finding it, some goddess shoved it into my dying body"

The man, upon hearing Richard’s words, laughed heartily. The chains that bound him shook and tightened as if trying to stop him but that did little to stop the man.

"It seems Nyx found a substitute!"

His declaration gave Richard a good understanding of the situation.

It seems that Nyx wanted to turn him into something, something that the man before him was unable to become.

"So, are you Hercules? Or some other hot God? Ares? Nah... Nyx won’t like a warmonger"

"True! Nyx killed them all!"

"Eh?"

Richard showed a look of extreme shock at the absurd revelation.

But, given the fact that most of the myths and legends were likely exaggerations and lies that made it to the modern era-

The fact that the goddess of the night Nyx, the primordial God whose name is infamously spoken continuously in online videos as "The Most Powerful Goddess that even Zeus Fears!".

Such a goddess, getting tired of the Olympians and committing genocide was not too far fethced of an idea.

Especially with how she dealt with Richard... the more he thought about it, the more Richard could accept that Nyx was really who she was and the words of the man before him were likely true.

Still, he can’t just believe him because of that right?

"Sounds like slander to me"

Richard replied to the man, if the internet taught Richard anything, it was the ability to be an eternal contrarian.

Ignoring facts and just speaking against someone to ragebait them or give out actual lies and pain them as truth...

That was a technique that any casual online sleuth would master.

Sarcasm is an excuse they use to say the most unhinged bullshit they can.

Many of the things spoken were extreme, more extreme than the ideals of the most extreme, extremist faction in the world!

Such was the ability of the online community to cause people to go into heart failure using a few simple words.

But-

"Bah! You think I would fall for such obvious tricks? I’ve conquered mystical lands across the world! I’ve faced my own fare share of idiots trying to drag me into unfavorable battles"

"So?"

"They were all crippled, lived their life under my control, unable to do anything but serve my everywhim! Every insult led to a thrust, delivered every night"

"So, you’re not only a genocidal monster, you are also a r*pist? Why would you force yourself on women when you already look good? No- scratch that, I’m pretty sure those women enjoyed your assault- is what you want me to say right?"

"Who said they were women?"

The man’s eyes glowed with a greedy light that sized up Richard’s own body-

’FUCK!’

He screamed in his mind as he covered his body with his hands.

It was one thing to get approached by a perverted man who swung away from women, but another thing if that man was a muscular hunk who looked like a fucking greek god!

"Hahaha!How weak have men become?! I could conquer the world with ease if the strongest men were as weak as you!"

The man’s words made him look and sound less like a monstrous conqueror and more like a sexual predator.

Richard began to wonder how such a man would be contracted by Nyx and then-

<Still the same as ever huh? It seems that you really won’t change>

"Shut it whore! Women like you are the reason I despite worthless lasses who chase after gold and power!"

<Shut up>

Nyx did not show anger, only apathy as black chains wrapped around the man squeezing him continuously but he didn’t show any sign of pain.

But Richard... upon seeing what was being done I had a foreboding feeling...

"You’re not gonna let me drink his blood or something would you?"

He asked the Goddess who had manifested next to him.

Her form had changed but she still had that mature gothic air around her.

Interestingly enough, her form had taken on the appearance that perfectly matched Richard’s "type".

If she wasn’t a primordial Goddess who manipulated people to become her boytoy, Richard would have tried to woo her.

Unfortunately, he could already tell what was happening but as he did-

"Shit... you’re hot and in my strike zone, I would have tried to bed you under normal circumstances- but don’t get the wrong idea! I won’t condone any acts of sexual violence!"

Richard knew she was able to read his mind so he declared as such in order to prevent any undue assault on his body! Yet the reaction from the Goddess was-

"Hm?"

She looked at Richard curiously as she explained with a laugh-

<Thanks for the compliment, unfortunately, I’ve lost the ability to read your mind>

"Eh?"

*SHATTER*

The sound of shattering glass echoed in the darkness, Richard could only see the burly man turn into countless specks of bright light before getting consumed by the darkness.

<The man you saw had the blood of a Nephilim, a special mystical entity and that allowed him freedom from the control of deities. If your ancestor was a genius that created ways for mankind to resist the mystical world, this man was one who was born for that very purpose. That means, the influence we have on humans would not work on him.>

The bright lights that were the remnants of the man appeared once more and gathered above Nyx’s hand.

<Now, you too will completely be like him>

"Huh?"

Richard felt his body turn hot, much like how he awakened to his blood as Merlin, the same thing was happening once more but now it was more brutal.

<You should start to feel worse pain than your previous awakening. While the first awakening was bringing out inherent traits hidden in your soul, this awakening is different, it mutates both your body and soul>

Richard could not speak, all he could do was desperately try to stop himself from letting out a pitiful voice but still-

"Guh... gaaaa–... a–.. Ug"

His body tried to scream out in pain by pure instinct, his sense were overwhelmed and all he could was squirm.

<After this, you and I will be under a true contract, while I can’t read your mind from now on, I could still cause you problems if you don’t abide by the pact>

Richard did not have the space in his mind to reply nor retort, all he could do was try desperately to blank out his mind through the pain.

<Richard Rex... would you be able to grant my wish?>

Nyx asked but she did not expect an answer nor did she speak of what her "wish" was. All she did was watch silently as Richard’s body changed in real time.