Deviant: No Longer Human

Eveline hesitated before frowning and nodding reluctantly. "Zeus was a genius. He was the pinnacle of his era."

"He singlehandedly brought an entire era of Titans to an end. His brute strength was unmatched—he was clever, but relied on his sheer power to break free of any situation. Dumb schemes couldn't hold him for long because of his raw might."

Eveline continued, her expression a mixture of admiration and something more distant. "He slept with hundreds of women in a week, drank like a god, lived as if nothing could touch him. He was unparalleled. In my time, he was the peak of what it meant to be a man."

Wang Xiao internally winced.

Fucking rocks doesn't make you 'the peak of man,'

He thought, holding his tongue for the sake of gathering more information.

Eveline's eyes darkened as she spoke, "But it was Aurora who feared Zeus might achieve true immortality. He was the youngest to form a soul core and had begun to understand rebirth on his own. He even used Tartarus to refine souls—both those who worshipped them and their enemies—granting immortality and endless life to all the Olympians."

Athene cut in with a smile that barely concealed her amusement. "Your wife, Aurora, felt Zeus was too dangerous to the rest of us—the remaining Pangeans. She allowed him to run wild, only to trap him in her schemes. She turned nearly everyone against him, effectively making him an enemy of the world. That's how she managed to cast him into the graveyard of gods, ensuring his death."

Wang Xiao's brows furrowed as Eveline nodded in agreement. "That's why he suddenly disappeared from history. The era of Titans ended, and with Zeus gone, so did ours."

Wang Xiao was stunned.

His innocent Aurora, who he had always seen as a sweet, pure wife, had orchestrated the downfall of one of the most powerful beings in history.

It was hard to reconcile the image of the loving woman he knew with the ruthless tactician they were describing.

But even so, Wang Xiao found a small smirk tugging at his lips. 'Maybe my little trophy wife is more wicked than I thought.'

Athene continued, her voice calm but laced with accusation. "That era's Yuriko couldn't interfere. The entire world wanted Zeus dead—he had caused more destruction than good. But all of that? It was guided by your 'innocent' wife, who ensured his downfall."

Wang Xiao's face lit up with awe rather than concern, clearly impressed by Aurora's cunning.

Athene sighed, shaking her head. 'Instead of being worried, this man's actually impressed,' she thought.

Determined to make him see the full picture, Athene pressed further. "You should know, that wasn't the first time Aurora orchestrated someone's demise. Sooner or later, she will face retribution for all she's done. She's the sole reason no one on this earth has ever achieved true immortality like us. Every genius who came close?

She manipulated them, snuffed them out before they could reach their prime. If history is filled with darkness, your wife is the one who painted it."

Wang Xiao's expression shifted slightly, though he quickly sneered. "You're trying to frame my wife and sow discord between us."

Of course, Wang Xiao didn't think Aurora was as innocent as she appeared—she was clever, dangerous even, and that's exactly what made her appealing to him.

So what if she manipulated people?

It was only natural for someone as powerful as her to get rid of potential threats.

It was a game of survival, and she played it masterfully.

Athene smiled thinly. "You don't understand, do you? Not only did she not stop you, but she actively sent you to the graveyard of gods. Are you sure she wasn't planning to kill you too? After all, she has a history of killing geniuses."

Wang Xiao's eyes widened slightly at the suggestion, but he quickly suppressed his surprise.

Aurora, wanting to kill him?

It seemed unlikely, but still, the idea glared at him.

He couldn't shake the feeling that something wasn't right, but he couldn't quite put his finger on it.

Athene's smile deepened as she continued. "Yuriko sacrificed herself to maintain balance in the world. She's always been the force keeping things in check. But you? You're the one who broke that balance. And if you can reach these heights after returning from the graveyard of gods, imagine what level Zeus has reached by now."

Wang Xiao frowned.

If Zeus had been a quasi-Immortal before he was sent to the graveyard, on the very brink of true immortality, then logically, his current power could be beyond anything he'd faced before.

If Zeus had survived.

But Wang Xiao's confidence remained unshaken. "Zeus is dead," he said firmly.

Both Athene and Eveline frowned, exchanging glances.

Why wasn't he listening to them?

Wang Xiao simply could not believe Zeus was alive.

He had seen his lifeless body, a mere shell with no soul left in it.

He wasn't just confident; he was sure of it.

How could anyone return from that?

It was impossible.

At that moment, chaos erupted in the banquet hall.

One of the elderly men at the far end of the room suddenly began to convulse, his body swelling.

His skin turned bronze, bulging as if his muscles were trying to rip through it.

His head inflated, growing larger and more monstrous by the second, twisting into an ugly, distorted version of itself.

"Ahhhhh!" His scream echoed, piercing through the hall.

Panic spread like wildfire as guests scrambled to get away.

Soldiers grouped together, trying to contain the situation, but the bronze-skinned man had already gone berserk, swatting them away like insects.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

Bodies hit the ground, but not because of the rampaging bronze-skinned man.

Another figure had transformed, adding to the chaos, killing from behind.

The crowd erupted into further panic, and soldiers struggled to contain the growing madness.

Athene's expression shifted from cold detachment to surprise.

She glanced at Wang Xiao bitterly, as if casting him a glance of pity. "Someone is indeed trying to force your hand, to drag you into this," she murmured.

Wang Xiao only nodded, his eyes gleaming with dark amusement.

"I knew it..." He had intended to crash this marriage himself, not let it proceed smoothly.

But someone else had beaten him to it, creating this chaos as a deliberate attempt to lure him out.

When Wang Xiao had mentioned to Athene that even the last beast outbreak was part of a carefully orchestrated plan, she had dismissed it at the time.

But when the beast attacks spread worldwide the very next day, her doubts began to fade.

It had all been a smokescreen.

Wang Xiao's lips curled into a dangerous smile. "If someone's trying to lure me out, let him come and face me." His confidence was absolute.

Turning to Wenxi, who was clutching the sword like it was her most prized possession, he held out his hand.

She pouted slightly, hugging it tighter as if protecting her own child.

She had cleaned it meticulously after the last time he used it, but with a resigned sigh, she handed it over obediently.

"Don't break it," she grumbled, her pout deepening.

Wang Xiao chuckled.

Despite how protective she was, Wenxi knew when to play and when to step aside.

She understood the stakes—now wasn't the time to be stubborn.

She could feel the bloodlust radiating from her father, and she wasn't about to get in the way.

Wang Xiao turned to Athene, his gaze sharp and mocking. "Athene, you're always going on about how I have tremendous power with no control, right?" His voice dropped, a dangerous warning creeping into it, "Today, I'll show you the 'true' meaning of control. Watch closely—keep both eyes intact, unless you want me to pluck them out the next time you bring it up."

Without waiting for a reply, he placed a hand on the sword. Instantly, the entire blade ignited in a blaze of blue flames, flickering like a wild inferno.

Whooosh!

He jumped from the balcony, restricting his power to the level of a mere grandmaster.

As he fell through the air, his figure shifted.

His robe turned a deep crimson, his face obscured by an ethereal black mask, the very image of a death god descending onto the battlefield.