Extra's Death: I Am the Son of Hades - Chapter 703: New Quest

Chapter 703: New Quest

He pushed the thoughts aside.

For now, he simply wanted to be with her.

Neo opened the cupboards and checked what was there.

The basics were stocked: rice, eggs, vegetables, dried meat, and a few spices. It wasn’t much, but it was enough.

He rolled up his sleeves and started preparing.

He rinsed the rice and set it to cook, then moved to the vegetables.

The knife moved steadily in his hand as he cut onions, peppers, and carrots into even slices.

He set them aside and cracked a few eggs into a bowl, whisking them until the mixture turned smooth.

The pan heated, oil sizzling faintly as he poured the eggs in first. He scrambled them lightly, then added the vegetables and diced meat.

The fragrance filled the small kitchen, warm and homely. When the rice finished cooking, he mixed everything together into a simple fried rice.

He didn’t need to make anything extravagant. Simple food was enough to fill the stomach and calm the mind.

Neo set the table.

Two plates of fried rice, with extra egg on the side, and a small pot of tea he found tucked away in one of the cupboards.

He placed cutlery by each plate, then carried everything to the table in the living room.

Moraine glanced at the food but didn’t say anything. Her eyes were still red, and her face was still damp from tears.

“Eat,” Neo said quietly, setting her plate in front of her.

She hesitated, but after a long pause, she picked up the cutlery.

Neo sat across from her.

He didn’t push her to speak.

He didn’t force a conversation.

He simply ate, steady and calm, waiting for her to eat as well.

For a while, the only sound in the room was the quiet clink of cutlery against the plates.

When they finished, Neo stood up.

He picked up the empty utensils and carried them to the sink.

He could have used a spell to clean them in an instant, but that would have given him no reason to remain in the room with her.

So he washed them slowly, letting the water run and the sound fill the air.

After he was done, he wiped his hands and looked outside through the window. The sky had already darkened. It was night.

“It’s getting late,” Neo said as he turned back. “I’ll come back tomorrow, and—”

He stopped mid-sentence.

Moraine had grabbed his sleeve.

She was staring at him.

Her golden eyes were steady, but her lips trembled as she opened her mouth. No words came.

She closed her mouth, then tried again, but still nothing left her throat.

Neo didn’t need her to speak. He could already tell what she wanted to say.

“I can’t sleep here. We can’t—”

“Just for today,” she whispered, tightening her grip. “I’m not asking for anything else. Just stay with me.”

He struggled inwardly. His mind told him to refuse, to set a clear line, but his heart refused to follow.

In the end, he nodded.

“…Alright.”

Her hand loosened slightly, but she didn’t let go until he moved closer.

They entered her bedroom together.

It was simple but warm, with a wide bed and a small couch in the corner. Neo glanced around once before speaking.

“You should sleep on the bed. I’ll take the couch.”

Moraine looked like she wanted to argue, her lips parting as if to object. But then she hesitated. Her eyes softened, and she lowered her gaze.

“…Okay.”

It didn’t feel good to see Moraine, who always acted like a spoiled princess, showing so much restraint.

Neo turned his head away.

The couch wasn’t the most comfortable place.

It was narrow and stiff compared to the bed. But it didn’t matter.

For Neo, this was his first sleep in thousands of years.

He fell asleep as soon his he laid down.

And to his surprise, he dreamed.

He didn’t remember the details when he woke, but the sensation of it lingered.

Warmth, peace, a sense of something lost and found again.

When his eyes opened, he felt refreshed.

The headache that had plagued him since returning was gone.

He could feel Obitus’ mood improving, seeing his condition.

He sat up slowly.

The room was quiet.

The early light spilled faintly through the curtains.

He turned his head. Moraine was still asleep on the bed. Her breathing was steady, and her hair was spread across the pillow.

Neo had half-expected her to move to the couch after he fell asleep.

But she hadn’t done that.

She had stayed where she was.

Rising quietly, he crossed the room and opened the window.

Cool air brushed against his skin, carrying the faint scent of morning dew. The sky outside was clear, painted in soft blues and golds.

“Huu…” He exhaled, long and slow.

For the first time since returning, he felt calm.

A warmth nestled quietly inside him.

Maybe it was a good choice to come back home.

Despite everything that had happened yesterday, he couldn’t deny that being here with Moraine helped him.

It steadied him.

It kept him from falling into the abyss that was drowning him in despair.

If only things could stay like this.

But he shook his head. Peace never lasted. He had too much to do. A mountain of tasks waited for him.

Just then, a system screen appeared before his eyes.

[Quest: Bare Heart]

[Objective: Establish a friendly relationship with Amelia de Beaufort, and eliminate her hostility towards you.]

[Reward: Location of Demon of Ruin, Vornaz.]

[Failure: Ire of Amelia de Beaufort increases.]

[Time Limit: 1 week]

Neo’s eyes narrowed.

“Vornaz…” he muttered.

The demon’s authority would let him locate anyone, be it in past, present, or future.

That power would let him search for Elizabeth, and Vivi.

But the condition…

“Establishing a friendly relationship with Amelia…”

He rubbed his temple.

“Easier said than done.”

Amelia was out for his blood.

And Amelia wasn’t the only one he needed to speak with.

Jack. He needed to know what was going on between him and Layla. Something about them felt wrong.

Layla herself. He had avoided that conversation long enough.

Hades and his mother in the Cosmos.

Felix had a Dragon Mark, if that was what it was called. He couldn’t ignore that tattoo, not after the way it resonated with him.

Arthur. Whatever he was planning with Zeus had to be confronted.

Zeus…

Neo’s jaw tightened.

His emotions flared.

That man had killed all the gods—friends—Neo had made in the Age of Gods.

All lives that Neo and Daniel saved by sacrificing everything were erased by him.