Rise of the Eromancer

Chapter 324 Welcome to The Real World, Rhys Wilder

"...Eros is the only god who did not lay his seed a thousand years ago."

Joseph took in a very long and deep breath as he uttered those words — he stared at nothing in particular, almost as if the memory was still quite fresh in his mind, and since he had lived for an eon, it probably truly was one of his recent memories.

"Wait, if that's true…" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at his hands, "...Then how come I'm here?"

"How come, indeed?" Joseph smiled as he sat back on his desk while looking at Rhys from head to toe, "Eros was my only ally—no. That is not right either…

…Eros was everyone's ally, but at the same time, he was friends with no one. Eros, you see, out of all the gods, was the one who valued freedom above anything. After all, love should be a freeing thing — at least that is what he told me. When he knew and realized what I had achieved and done with the Underworld, he was the only one who welcomed it.

He welcomed the change wholeheartedly, he even cried when he saw that the humans were finally free to love and multiply themselves…

…Eros, he represented the best of us. Unfortunately, my brothers did not like that at all — I do not exactly know what happened since my influence is trapped here in the Underworld, but what I do know is that he was cast out — here, right here. But his presence was too weak, it was extremely weak to the point that he was not even a god anymore.

My brothers stripped him of everything that made him so."

"...Are you saying that Eros himself is my father?" Rhys squinted his eyes.

"No," Joseph answered without any hesitation, "As I said, I do not know, Rhys Wilder — but it could very well be that your father is the son of Eros and… something else, perhaps something not of this world at all."

Joseph then stared at Rhys's right arm for a few seconds before just shaking his head, "But as I said, I do not know — Eros has completely disappeared from the face of existence…

…and you are the only trace, my boy. It was fate that led me to finding you when that horrible incident happened."

"...You're telling me to search for my father," Rhys then took in a deep breath before looking Joseph in the eyes again.

"Yes," Joseph nodded.

"...And then what?" Rhys sighed while shaking his head, "What exactly is the purpose of that? What will it change?"

"Do you not want to meet your father?" Joseph hummed.

"Why would I want to meet the man who abandoned us and let my mother die brutally?" Rhys's eyebrows lowered.

"Revenge?"

"He's not the one who killed her," Rhys shook his head.

"Why are you here, Rhys Wilder?"

"..." Rhys could not really answer Joseph's question as he just looked at his right arm.

"Are you just running away because you hurt one of the people you love?" Joseph let out a very long and deep breath as he once again stood up from his desk, "If so, then that is alright too — you need somewhere to run to, and I need someone to search for your father, who might very well have the answers I need. It is not you that is special, Rhys Wilder…

…It is your father."

"Hm…"

"Do you not want to find out about what happened to your arm?" A small smile crawled on Joseph's face, "After all, that is the reason why you are here, Rhys Wilder…

…to find out what is preventing you from being with the people you love, to find out what hurt them — and your father would have that answer. And perhaps…

…he could remove it too."

"You can just say no, Rhys," Hannah broke her silence as she popped her gum, "He's obviously manipulating you to do his dirty work, he is using you."

"Oh, I know," Rhys did not hesitate to answer while shaking his head, "But I won't necessarily say he is using me — I owe your father a lot, Ma'am. This is just me repaying all of it."

"Again with the 'Ma'am'?" Hannah rolled her eyes, "I'm not talking with you anymore."

"I'll take that as you agreeing to my request?" Joseph smiled as he clapped his hands.

"Sure," Rhys sighed and nodded, "I also do want to meet the guy who abandoned me and my mother. Where and when did you last see him?"

"You should ask her," Joseph then turned to look at Maria, who was just quietly standing on the side with her back to the wall.

"...You know where my father is?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he also looked at Maria.

"No," Maria quickly shook her head, "I did search for him, but I found no traces of him at all. No photos, no certificates, no IDs, no history, nothing — I do not even know his face, it is as if he doesn't exist at all."

"What…?" Rhys turned to look at Joseph again, "How am I going to find someone like that?"

"Ahem…" Joseph cleared his throat, "...Let's just say that your father doesn't really live around here."

"...So, you know where he is?" Rhys stood up and squinted his eyes.

"Not exactly."

"What?" Rhys sighed, "Can you please stop beating around the bush and just tell me?"

"He is on the other side, Rhys Wilder," Joseph breathed out, "You would need to pass through Helios."

"I told you, Hero," Margryth joined in the conversation, "There is a chance that you may never return…

…and you have to go in alone."

"Alone?" Rhys blinked a couple of times as he looked at Edissa, Malenia, and Maria, who also seemed confused with Margryth's words, "But then why'd you ask me to bring them here?"

"So that someone could tell your story, Rhys Wilder," Joseph closed his eyes and shook his head, "Of how the brave Rhys Wilder accepted a task from the gods — Malenia will tell her people, Edissa will tell her people, and Maria will tell her people. So, that they would all know that they were not abandoned — that is the Hero's journey, it is tradition."

"That doesn't make sense at all," Maria took a step forward, "I am here because I'm going with him."

And it wasn't only her, both Edissa and Malenia also stood their ground as they realized what was happening.

"I am afraid not," Margryth shook her head, "The gods would feel it if more than one who was born in the Underworld passes through Helios."

"Then are you the one going with him?" Maria stared at Margryth.

"No," Margryth shook her head, "Like all of you, I was born in the Underworld…

…I am afraid that Rhys would have to go through Helios alone. You need to forget about everything, Rhys. About explorers, about your ambition, about everything…

…Do you still want to accept this labor?"

"Well…" Rhys let out a small but very deep sigh as he once again stared at his arm,

"...I might as well get this over with so I can return faster."

"Ho…" A small smile crawled on Joseph's face as he looked at Rhys, "...Now, that's the spirit."

"So, when do I leave?" Rhys then turned to look at Joseph, only to find that he was no longer there… but behind him — holding him by the top of his head, "What are you—!!!"

And before Rhys could even finish his words, the floor beneath him opened up — and all of a sudden, he found himself falling several floors until he was ultimately swallowed up by a Hole that was already waiting for him on the ground.

Rhys was used to falling down, but not this fast — not this fast at all with Joseph holding him by the head. And in just a couple of seconds, he was already in the Underworld…

…but they did not stop at all even with the gravity shift, and Rhys just found himself floating in the air with the view of the Underworld beneath him.

"Well, boy…" Joseph then grabbed him by the torso, "...Don't forget to write us a letter."

"Wh—"

And before Rhys could even say another word, Joseph just threw him straight toward Helios. The only thing that Rhys could really do was grit his teeth as the orange sun slowly filled his entire vision — he thought it would be hot, but not at all.

Or perhaps everything was just happening so fast that he did not have time to process it at all — he didn't want to close his eyes at all, but the light was getting too bright for him to keep them open, leaving him no choice but to surrender.

"What… have I gotten myself into now?" — were his last words before he just felt himself surrounded by a cold feeling.

He opened his eyes, only to find himself truly surrounded by water — there was even a whale looking at him. It was… surreal. Unfortunately for Rhys, it was very real.

He quickly swam up, letting his breaths just escape his mouth as soon as his head was out of the water. It did not really make any difference, however…

…as there was still nothing but endless water on the horizon.

"Couldn't… you have dropped me in a town?" Rhys whispered out as he looked at the sky, only to see what seemed to be two suns hanging above the clouds, "Well…

…welcome to the real world, Rhys."