"Chapter 64: The End of the Losers' Group or How to Propose to a Goddess"

Alex sat in front of Dionysus, who was still in shock from what he had just witnessed. Right before his eyes, a god had died—not just died, but disappeared forever, with no chance of being reborn in the heavens. Indra had met the fate of total erasure—everything that made him who he was no longer existed. All that remained of Indra were the memories in the minds of those who knew him.

Alex observed Dionysus, whose gaze was fixed on the spot where Indra had been just moments ago. He couldn't tear his eyes away, as if hoping that it had all just been a nightmare.

"I see you're surprised… or rather, frightened, and that's causing your thoughts to become muddled," Alex said, watching as Dionysus ignored everything he was saying.

"Let me explain something to you. I think you'll find it interesting," Alex added, rising from his seat.

He walked over to a drawing board, turned it so the blank side faced Dionysus, and set it up so that he had a clear view.

"I'm not sure if you knew this, but when gods descend into the mortal world, they acquire a physical form," Alex began, watching as Dionysus's gaze slowly shifted to the board.

"What are you trying to say?" Freya asked, noticing that Alex had something in mind.

"My dear Freya, I'll explain everything in a moment," Alex replied with a smile.

"But what exactly are you trying to tell him?" Nyx interjected, eyeing Alex warily.

"Nyx, can you wait? Or do you only get brave when there aren't others around?" Alex asked, raising an eyebrow, to which Nyx merely huffed and turned away.

"Ah, where was I?" Alex mused as he lit a cigarette.

"You were talking about the physical form," Freya reminded him, noticing that Alex was starting to get tired and a bit distracted.

"Yes, that's right. So, when a god descends to the mortal world, their body becomes physical, like any human's, only much more resilient," Alex continued, noting that Dionysus was now looking at him instead of the board.

"And you're probably wondering why I'm telling you this. It's simple: in the world I come from, people have advanced so much in extracting information that it would surprise anyone," Alex said, exhaling smoke right into Dionysus's face.

"And the most interesting thing is that those from whom information was extracted usually remain alive, although with some minor health issues," he added with a smirk. "But I've always wondered: what would happen if you threw a god into the sun or out into space? Maybe you'll be the first volunteer?"

Alex's words caused a whirlwind of thoughts in Dionysus's mind. He couldn't understand what the mortal in front of him was talking about or why he wasn't just starting to ask questions. Dionysus was confident that he could endure any torture and had no intention of revealing Erebus's plans.

"Let me make it clear: I'm going to get the information from you one way or another. It's just that if I choose the simpler method, you'll end up like Indra… or even worse," Alex said, looking down at Dionysus.

"Then why don't you just do it and let us all go to sleep?" Nyx interrupted, not understanding why Alex was dragging things out.

"If I choose the simple method, Dionysus will eventually turn into a pathetic, drooling idiot. And how would you vent your anger on him then?" Alex raised an eyebrow, looking at Nyx, who seemed to realize her mistake.

"My dear, she's somewhat right. You also need to rest; you're starting to get distracted," Freya added, noticing how fatigue was beginning to take its toll on Alex.

"Or is this your clever plan to lure me into bed?" Alex teased, raising an eyebrow and casting a sly glance at Freya.

"Maybe," Freya replied with a smile.

"You two are flirting again! We have work to do, or have you forgotten?" Nyx interjected, unwilling to tolerate the romantic atmosphere any longer.

Alex looked at her and couldn't figure out what was going on in her head. One moment she was shy and withdrawn, and the next she acted like she had always been a part of this group.

"Alright, alright. So, where was I going with this? The human body has 206 bones, and if you break them all, it will inevitably lead to death. But there's a saying: 'beaten half to death.' Following that logic, I can easily break half of your bones, and you'll still be alive," Alex said with a slight smile, sending a chill down Dionysus's spine.

"So, be a good sport, answer my questions, and nothing will happen to you," Alex continued, watching Dionysus, whose face was now covered in sweat.

Dionysus sat trembling with fear. He avoided Alex's gaze, desperately trying to look anywhere but into his eyes.

"Do we have an agreement?" Alex asked, staring intently at his interlocutor, who was on the verge of panic. "Now, tell me, where is Erebus?"

Alex removed the silencing spell from Dionysus, and he immediately started to speak: "I don't…" But before he could finish, Alex re-cast the spell, cutting off his attempt to avoid answering.

"I don't need your 'I don't know.' I want to hear what you truly know. Maybe you need a little reminder," Alex said as he took hold of Dionysus's index finger and broke it.

Dionysus's scream echoed through the room, and he began to thrash about, trying to escape the painful grip. Nyx, hearing the crack of the broken finger, flinched, mentally thanking the gods that she hadn't met the same fate. She even thanked herself for not doing anything that could have led her to such a fate.

"That should help you remember. And if you think it will end this easily, you're gravely mistaken. The human body is amazing: it's filled with nerves that help you feel everything through touch. And if you enhance that sensation with magic, even breathing will feel like hell. So, I suggest you answer the questions honestly, or I'll have to resort to more unpleasant methods," Alex said, his cold eyes causing Dionysus to shudder involuntarily.

Dionysus didn't understand most of what Alex was saying, but one thing he knew for sure: something terrible awaited him.

"I'll ask again: where is Erebus?" Alex repeated.

"I haven't seen him for a whole week," Dionysus replied in a trembling voice, clearly not wanting anything more dreadful to happen to him.

"What did you discuss a week ago before he disappeared?" Alex asked, writing down Dionysus's words on the board.

"He mentioned some grand plans," Dionysus quickly replied, fearing that another finger might be broken.

Alex shifted his gaze to Nyx, expecting her confirmation. She understood what he wanted and nodded, confirming Dionysus's words.

"What was your goal on Daedalus Street?" Alex asked, returning his attention to Dionysus. "And you'd better answer quickly, or I'll have to help you remember again."

"I was supposed to feed the Hydra with souls filled with fear," Dionysus blurted out, feeling Alex begin to bend his other finger.

"But why fear specifically?" Nyx asked in confusion.

"Fear is one of the seven emotional spectrums of power. It's an integral part of everything," Alex replied, glancing at Nyx, who only seemed more puzzled.

"Couldn't they have used another emotion?" Nyx continued to ask, not understanding the reasoning behind such complexity.

"In such situations, fear is the easiest to evoke. After all, we just watched a movie about a clown that fed on children's fears and only devoured them when they were really scared, " Freya interjected, nodding at Alex, who agreed with her words.

" She's right, but didn't mention that when a person dies with fear as their last emotion, it literally permeates their soul. This makes it a powerful source of energy for dark entities," Alex added, explaining the details. However, Nyx remained confused.

" I still don't understand," Nyx admitted with an embarrassed tone.

"Alright, I'll simplify it: when a person dies with a dark emotion, their soul absorbs it, becoming excellent nourishment for dark beings, " Alex simplified his explanation so even a five-year-old could understand.

" Well, now I understand a bit, " Nyx said shyly, not wanting to show how difficult the explanation was for her.

Alex looked at Nyx, realizing that this "stupid goddess" still didn't understand his explanations. He sighed heavily, acknowledging that not everyone could be intelligent, and decided to forgive her for this, considering she had spent most of her time alone. Her only interlocutor had been Erebus, who had now descended into madness.

"What's the emotional spectrum of power?" — Nyx asked again, prompting even Freya to sigh heavily, unwilling to continue the discussion.

"The main emotions are rage, greed, fear, will, hope, compassion, and love. Together, they form what's called the Emotional Spectrum, which emerged at the moment living beings appeared in the universe. Their thoughts and feelings were strong enough to create a whole range of energy," — Alex answered, studying Nyx and hoping that she understood at least something.

"And why these specific emotions?" — Nyx asked, putting Alex back in a difficult position.

"I don't know. Ask someone who knows more about it. I'm just saying what I know," — Alex replied, clearly tired of her endless questions, which resembled those of a small child.

Nyx could only hope that Alex would eventually answer her questions. She couldn't understand why he couldn't just give her a direct answer. Freya, observing this, was beginning to understand why Alex called Nyx stupid.

"What was the purpose of feeding the Hydra?" — Alex shifted the topic, turning to Dionysus.

"It was supposed to evolve into a new, perfect being, according to Erebus," — Dionysus answered.

"Didn't it occur to you that the last thing the Hydra was supposed to consume might have been you?" — Alex asked with a raised eyebrow.

"No, I'm not like Nyx. My powers wouldn't have strengthened the Hydra; they would have only created an imbalance within it," — Dionysus replied, hinting at Nyx.

Nyx's eyes widened, and she was ready to lunge at Dionysus, but Freya gently placed a hand on her shoulder, shaking her head to indicate that it wasn't the right time. Alex, upon hearing Dionysus's answer, nodded, understanding that such an outcome was possible if the Hydra's base was indeed weak. However, once the Hydra had consumed enough souls, Dionysus would become its next victim. Erebus apparently decided to eliminate everyone connected to him.

"Do you know who is helping Erebus?" — Alex continued the interrogation.

"No," — Dionysus replied fearfully, looking at Alex in terror, afraid of having another finger broken.

"Did he say anything about where he gets all these crystals from?" — Alex continued, observing Dionysus's reaction to gauge if he was lying.

"He said he created them using his power," — Dionysus answered nervously.

"So, no mention of who is helping him, and he didn't talk about his plans to any of you?" — Alex began to get angry.

"He just told us what to do while he took care of his own business," — Dionysus averted his gaze, noticing Alex's growing irritation.

Alex sighed wearily and leaned back in his chair. He began to ponder what Erebus might be plotting and tried to understand what the god could want now that madness was starting to consume him. There was another possibility of what Erebus could be planning, but it would require the help of a being capable of hiding him. Alex stood up, rolled his board to the far corner of the room, and stared at it, lost in thought.

Freya, noticing his tension, decided to approach and find out what troubled him and why he was so irritated.

"Darling... " she called softly as she moved closer.

" Mmm? " Alex mumbled, turning to her.

" Did you figure something out? " Freya asked, watching as Alex continued to focus intently on the board.

" Dionysus is useless. I'll wait until Nyx is done with him and then extract his memories, " Alex replied calmly, turning to her.

" Perhaps Erebus just wants to implement his old plans, but in a more radical way?" Freya thought for a moment and suggested

Alex froze upon hearing her words, and his eyes widened as he realized he had missed the most obvious option. If Erebus wanted to cause chaos to make humanity start evolving, the only way to do it would be to become the enemy of the entire world, forcing it to unite against him.

" Freya, have I ever told you how much I love you? " Alex asked with a bright smile.

" Constantly, " she replied with a tender smile, looking at his joyful face.

" You have no idea how much I love you right now, " Alex said, lifting Freya and spinning her around.

" Darling, did you figure something out?" Freya asked as he continued to twirl her.

" When the "One-Eyed Dragon" appeared, all the adventurers united to fight against it, becoming stronger and creating more powerful weapons, " Alex explained, setting Freya back down on the floor.

" Yes, but they still lost... Or rather, Zeus and Hera lost, " Freya reminded him, placing her hands on his cheeks.

" The point is not that, but that they united and started progressing, " Alex continued, and Freya began to understand where he was going with this.

" Now imagine such a situation on a global scale, " he said, and Freya finally realized what Erebus was planning.

" You mean Erebus plans to control the dragon and thereby force the entire world to unite? " she clarified, wanting to confirm her guesses.

" Not control, but rather become the dragon. In many legends, dragons are stronger than gods. Now imagine a dragon with the power of a god, " Alex replied, and Freya's eyes widened with realization.

" Then it will be an extremely dangerous enemy, " Freya said, looking at him with concern.

" Exactly, and it will force all races to unite to defeat him, " Alex nodded, beginning to understand Erebus's plan.

" And what will you do? " Freya asked, watching as Alex gradually relaxed.

" What I always do: prepare to avoid unnecessary casualties, " he replied, heading to his desk.

" But not today. You need to rest, " Freya said, gently taking his hand.

Alex felt her touch and turned to see Freya, who was clearly indicating that she did not agree with his plans. He sighed, realizing that it would be better to deal with this with a fresh mind, and agreed with her suggestion. All that remained was to deal with Dionysus, and then he could go to bed.

Alex approached Dionysus, who at that moment looked even more nervous, realizing that something awful awaited him.

" I haven't received any useful information from you, so you're useless to me, " Alex said, looking at Dionysus, who was growing even more anxious.

" So I'm going to give Nyx the chance to unleash her anger for everything you've said to her, " Alex continued, pointing to Nyx, who had approached Dionysus.

" But what should I hit him with? " Nyx asked, looking at Alex.

" Just look around. My workshop is literally filled with various items that can help you with that, " Alex said, gesturing to the numerous weapon racks.

" But if you don't want to kill him, just beat him up, I have something special, " Alex added with a sly smile, like an experienced salesman.

" And what might that be? " Nyx asked, looking at him.

" Follow me, my young Padawan, I'll show you everything you need to vent your anger, " Alex replied with a wide grin as he headed towards a cabinet labeled "For Idiots."

Nyx followed Alex, scrutinizing the cabinet with the label. She raised an eyebrow, puzzled as to why it was named that. It hadn't occurred to her that this cabinet was filled with various items intended to deal with troublesome individuals.

Alex opened the cabinet, revealing items Nyx had never seen before: clubs, strange black gloves with lightning symbols, an unusual staff with runes, and many other assorted objects.

" Choose whatever you want, " Alex said, stepping aside, " All this weaponry is non-lethal but can cause a lot of pain."

" What would you recommend for a fragile girl like me? " Nyx asked with an innocent smile.

" Hmm, I think this staff would suit you. It's lightweight and even with minimal effort, it has a significant impact, " Alex handed the staff to Nyx, who immediately felt how light it was.

Freya watched from the side, shaking her head. She understood that Nyx had easily fallen under Alex's influence, and if this wasn't stopped, she might end up emulating his behavior.

With a smile on her face, Nyx approached Dionysus, who, gripped by fear, was unsuccessfully trying to escape. She delivered the first blow with the staff to his abdomen, and Dionysus curled up in pain. Nyx felt something dark awakening within her but ignored it and continued to fiercely beat Dionysus. His screams were muffled — Alex had cast a silence spell to block out his cries.

Alex observed the scene, shuddering at how terrifying women could be, especially when seeking revenge. Freya shot him a dry look, understanding that he had once again swayed another person to his side. All the girls who had even a little contact with Alex or trained under his guidance became more ruthless towards their enemies.

When Nyx finally stopped beating Dionysus, she was breathing heavily, covered in sweat, but her face shone with a satisfied smile for having vented her anger. Alex shook his head as he watched her.

If Erebus had been in Dionysus's place, he would probably have ended up the same way. Familial love quickly fades when someone tries to sacrifice you to a strange entity.

" I see you feel better, " Alex said, wiping the sweat from Nyx's forehead.

" Yes, but it was very exhausting, " she replied in a tired tone.

" Then you'll also have to go through self-defense training like the other goddesses, " Alex remarked with a smile, causing Nyx to flinch.

" I'll think about it, " she said, turning away to hide her nervousness.

" Don't worry, I won't be harsh. You can ask the other goddesses about the training tomorrow morning; they'll tell you how it goes, " Alex assured her.

" He's right, " Freya interjected, " It's not difficult, just needs following the schedule and minor requirements, " she added, glancing at Dionysus, who had lost consciousness from the pain.

" I'll think about it, " Nyx replied, deciding to ask the other goddesses in the morning, but she still avoided interacting with Hestia out of fear.

" Since you're done, we can head to rest. By the way, Nyx, which room are you sleeping in? " Alex asked, looking at the tired goddess.

" With a girl named Haruhime. She offered me a room herself, " Nyx replied, glancing at Alex, who simply smiled.

" Haruhime is a nice girl; I think you'll get along. Your personalities are similar. You could call it a mission to find your first friend, " Alex said with a warm smile, hoping that Nyx and Haruhime would get along.

" What do you mean "similar"? " Nyx protested, not understanding why Alex said that.

" You both are a bit... foolish, " Alex answered with a light laugh.

"Hmph. I'm not talking to you anymore, " Nyx declared, turning away in annoyance.

Alex teased her a little more by calling her foolish, then turned his attention to Dionysus, who was unconscious and sitting there. He pondered what to do with him next. Alex decided not to waste any more time and simply kill him. But first, he needed to extract his memories.

Alex extracted Dionysus's memories and shook his head in disappointment. As expected, Dionysus proved to be utterly useless. All he did was try to prove that gods shouldn't interact with mortals, and that mortals should crawl at their feet like in the old days. Alex sighed, realizing he was dealing with another god who saw himself as superior, took matters into his own hands, and failed.

Freya asked what Alex had learned from Dionysus's memories. He explained Dionysus's goals, and Freya also shook her head, realizing how absurd his plan was. Even she understood that not all gods wanted mortals to fear them and grovel before them. Nyx merely scowled, not offering any comments.

After killing Dionysus, Alex and the two goddesses went upstairs to finally rest. Alex showed Nyx where Haruhime's room was so she wouldn't get lost. Then he and Freya went to his room to go to bed.

Alex entered the room, quickly changed into his night clothes, and collapsed onto the couch like a corpse. Turning onto his back, he closed his eyes, ready to finally rest. Freya, with a gentle smile, took out her nightgown from her bag and began changing.

It was a special transparent dress, as if she had prepared for this moment in advance. Approaching Alex, who was already lying on the bed, Freya quietly climbed onto him and lay on top of him, pressing her body against his.

Alex felt Freya lying on him and, without opening his eyes, simply embraced her, enjoying the warmth of her body. Freya, feeling his embrace, pressed even closer to him.

She brought her face close to his to kiss him and make him open his eyes. Alex felt the tender, warm touch on his lips and opened his eyes, meeting her beautiful violet eyes.

"You wanted me to rest, didn't you? " Alex said, raising an eyebrow after the kiss.

" Yes, but I didn't say how you would rest, " Freya replied with a sweet smile and initiated another kiss.

Alex and Freya continued kissing, forgetting everything that was happening around them. All worries faded into the background — they were focused only on each other.

After the kiss, Freya laid her head on his chest to listen to his heartbeat, and she enjoyed what she heard: Alex's heart was beating quickly, signaling that he felt the same way she did.

" Dear, what do you think lies ahead for us? " Freya asked, lifting her head and gazing into his eyes.

" I don't know what the future holds for us, but I know one thing: we will be together, " Alex replied with a gentle smile.

" That sounds like a marriage proposal, " Freya said with a light laugh.

" You could say that. I'm not the most romantic person, " Alex admitted, causing Freya's eyes to widen. She wanted to make sure she hadn't misheard.

" Are you proposing to me? " she asked in surprise, looking at Alex, who awkwardly looked away.

" I told you I'm not the most romantic person, but I did prepare something for you, " Alex said, pulling a small box from his pocket.

" Really... " Freya said in amazement.

" Yes. Freya, I can't say many romantic words, but I want you to always be by my side. Will you stay with me forever? " Alex asked, opening the box to reveal its contents. Inside was a silver ring with a purple gem resembling Freya's eyes.

Freya was taken aback by the sudden proposal, but seeing Alex's hopeful gaze, she quickly made up her mind and beamed a bright smile, lighting up the dark room where they were.

" Yes, I agree, " she said, extending her hand.

" Now you definitely won't run away from me, " Alex said, slipping the ring onto her finger.

" Those are my words. For we have eternity together, " Freya replied, leaping onto him and continuing to shower him with kisses.

What happened next is hard to put into words. But the next morning, Alex descended into the dining hall with a bright smile on his face, while Freya was practically glowing with happiness, showcasing her superiority over the other goddesses. They didn't yet understand what had happened, but upon seeing the ring on her finger, their gazes instantly turned to Alex.

He choked under their intense scrutiny, realizing there was no escaping. Accepting his fate as a man, Alex informed the girls that he had prepared rings for them as well; they just needed to wait for a special moment. Only then did everyone relax and start having breakfast. Only Hestia sulked because she wasn't the first to receive a ring.

To be continued...

(I'll say right away that I won't be writing scenes in the bedroom or elsewhere because I feel uncomfortable even just reading them. I apologize to those who were expecting lemons. If you want something like that, it's better to watch a video with such content—it's much more interesting.)