CHAPTER 63: STRONGEST DEMIGOD

Aaron turned his head, finally giving the young man beside him a proper look.

To be fair, the guy was handsome. Annoyingly so. The kind of face that might make girls glance twice in the hallway — sharp jawline, confident posture, an easy smile that said I’ve never once had to beg for attention.

Of course, he wasn’t that handsome. As far as Aaron was concerned, no one could top him. If looks were a competition, he was the undisputed champion and the rest were just competing for second place.

Still... this one wasn’t far behind.

"And you are?" Aaron asked, his tone casual but his eyes narrowed slightly, scanning him the way a merchant sizes up a potential customer.

"Michael. Your senior," the man replied with a smile, voice smooth enough to pass for a practiced charmer.

Aaron smirked. "Hah. Where are my manners? Senior, please don’t hold this against me and mark me for death during the event. I hope we can get along."

The words came out playful, almost innocent, but the way Aaron’s gaze swept over Michael was anything but. It was the same look a bandit might give a fat merchant wagon — a mix of appraisal and shameless greed.

Michael leaned back slightly, a low chuckle escaping him. "Hahaha... You’re quite the guy. To say something so shameless while your eyes are practically screaming I’m going to rob you... What a crazy guy you are."

Aaron didn’t bother denying it.

"Let’s be friends," Michael said suddenly, his tone genuine as he extended his hand across the small gap between them.

Aaron’s lips curled into a grin. "Will that be after you kick my ass? Or are you planning to do it for someone higher up?"

Michael’s brows lifted, impressed. "Ho? You’re quick on the uptake. Cool."

"Just asked around a bit," Aaron replied lazily. "Found out the villa I’m staying in usually belongs to the student council president. Honestly, even I’d be pissed if it got handed to some random nobody who just started at the school. But you can tell your president it’s not just any nobody who has the villa now..." His grin widened into something dangerously self-assured. "...It’s someone better than him. So the villa’s in safe hands."

Michael threw his head back and laughed, the sound ringing with genuine amusement. "Hahahaha... The audacity. You’re even worse than I was as a fresher."

"You just have to be my friend," Michael said at last, still chuckling as he once again extended his hand. "I mean it. I like you."

Aaron shrugged, finally clasping his hand. "I’ll never say no to having new friends." He shifted slightly, adjusting the small creature curled comfortably on his lap — Flameborn’s soft feathers warming his hands.

Michael’s gaze flicked to the griffin. "Is that your pet? Cute. And a griffin, no less... You must be smart enough to spend your parents’ money the right way. Don’t let some old men decide for you just because they’re powerful and older." His voice was half-advice, half-warning.

Aaron rolled his eyes. "Of course not. There’s no way I’m not going to enjoy my parents’ wealth, you know."

Finally — someone who understood.

Michael leaned forward slightly, his smile turning knowing. "I did my research on the person I was meant to deal with. Alice Frost and Aaron Highborn. Between the two, you seemed far more interesting. Bullied by your school after your parents’ death, unawakened at the ceremony, disrespected publicly. Then your fiancée breaks off the engagement..." He shook his head. "Bummer for her. Now you can put all that energy into chasing Alice — or maybe a beautiful senior instead."

Aaron’s eyebrow twitched but he didn’t interrupt.

"You shocked everyone," Michael continued, "started fighting back against oppression. Pulled the funding your parents had been giving the school. Then, in the examination, you defeated the blessed Alice. Should I give you a rundown on blessings and how they work? As someone with a blessing myself, I can give you information worth hearing — if you promise to shake off any bad blood after our little clash during the event and actually be friends with me."

Michael wasn’t hiding it — he liked people who didn’t bow to stronger opponents. He’d always been drawn to that kind of fearlessness.

Aaron smirked. "Sure, man. As long as you can stay cool after losing to me, I’ve got no problem with it." Truth be told, he was more than a little curious about this whole ’blessing’ thing.

"Well, the basics you probably know," Michael began, leaning back comfortably. "The world didn’t use to have dungeons. Just a few supernaturals here and there. Blessings from the universe were rare — maybe one per generation, and usually low-grade ones at that."

He paused, his expression shifting slightly. "But everything changed when the first dungeon appeared — the Abyssal Dungeon. Not many know the details. It was hidden from the public, and by the time it was discovered, it was already too strong to be destroyed. Even Dream, the strongest and oldest demigod in the world, couldn’t handle it."

Aaron leaned forward slightly, listening.

"The Abyssal Dungeon..." Michael’s voice dropped. "Last we heard — from your parents, actually, when they were mad enough to attempt a raid on it two decades ago — it was ruled by an Abyssal Queen named Mediaeval. She kept the dungeon’s inhabitants from spilling into our world, trapping them in their territory. But she wasn’t naive — in case she was dethroned, she gave the Abyssal Key to your parents for safekeeping. Without that key, the demigods and higher powerhouses inside can’t leave. It’s the dungeon’s core — no key, no escape."

He gave Aaron a significant look. "Your parents also discovered something else. Every dungeon is basically a prison for conquered races from other worlds. The reason dungeons are appearing here? We’re next on the list. The ones planning to conquer us... demons. Harbingers of destruction in the universe."

Aaron’s eyes narrowed.

"Ever since dungeons appeared, the universe’s will has been trying to help our world fight back," Michael continued. "It boosts our latent potential, makes more people able to awaken, and grants blessings to certain individuals with unique physiques. There are twelve blessed in our world right now. Our federation — strongest country on Blue Star — has four. Alice Frost, me, Nathan the weirdo, and... Dream."

Aaron blinked. "Dream has a blessing?"

Michael smirked. "Bro, she’s not the strongest demigod for no reason. Here’s a secret not many know — she has what it takes to become a god. Could do it tomorrow if she wanted, but she’s holding back, tempering her foundation. Says she wants to bypass the racial limit and become a god whose race surpasses humans. No idea what that means... but whatever it is, Dream isn’t someone you mess with. No demigod wants to fight her as long as she stays neutral. And the craziest part? No one knows her blessing. She’s never used it once."

He grinned. "Pretty crazy, right?"