Healing System

"Now why would I do that, Michael?" Freya said with a tilt of her head. "The only thing I gain by doing so is an even bigger enemy than I already have. His father is strict, and I would much rather you not agitate him."

"I won't. I just have some questions," Michael replied. "You refer to yourselves as gods, right? You seem strong."

"We are gods in the eyes of the people, but in reality, we are mere Tier 17 existences. If the higher powers wanted to wipe us out, they could. We are like marionettes to them," Freya said, shrugging.

The tension in the air was palpable, but in truth, Michael had no qualms with her.

If anything, he didn't want a fight to happen in the first place—since chances were, they'd destroy this earth in their first clash, and in the second, the entire galaxy.

Better yet, Hermes was here—the one responsible for this whole mess in the first place.

With that thought, Michael decided to do what he should have done a few hours ago.

Sending a wave of mana through Hermes's body, he was soon jolted awake, squirming inside Michael's arms, dazed.

"You're dead. This is hell. Welcome," Michael said in a deep voice, watching as the color drained from Hermes's face.

However, before he could play around further, Freya stepped in.

"Hermes, I need to take you back to your father this instant. You abandoned your post and—"

"So it wasn't because he was worried," Michael cut her off with a scoff.

"I—I don't want to!" Hermes replied with reluctance. "If I go back, he's going to banish my soul again!"

"You're acting like a kid again, Hermes," Freya said sternly. "You're nearly an eon old, and yet, here you are, right in front of your enemy."

"Wait." Something suddenly clicked in Michael's mind.

He hadn't noticed it before, but from the looks of things, the higher beings seemed to remember him.

Pardoth had remembered him, and from the looks of things, so did Freya.

"You remember me."

"We all do, and so should the others," Freya remarked. "When you finally unsealed yourself, the memories of the people who had come to know you underwent a sudden change. The ones responsible for your seals made it so that each and every single person had a different perception of you."

"So you're saying this is temporary?" Michael asked, puzzled.

And Freya merely nodded in response. "Exactly. In a few years, they'll come to remember you. Those who were stronger at the time of your unsealment will regain their memories of you first."

"I see..." Michael replied, his emotions in a bit of a stir.

Here he thought everyone had completely forgotten him and that it would stay that way.

After all, he had personally checked out the memories of his father as well as Keralt.

Keralt was a more thorough inspection, as he did not mind scrambling his brain, but in the end, there was nothing.

"By a few years, how many do you mean exactly?" Michael decided to ask just in case.

"Ten on the low end," Freya shrugged. "Those who are stronger, maybe five at most. It's hard to estimate, given how long has passed."

"Fair enough." Michael chuckled, a wave of relief washing over him.

If it was just ten years, then he could bear with it.

For a moment, he had thought the range would be in the hundreds, and only then would it become a problem.

But for now, he'd keep it as it was.

Of course, it didn't hurt to try. "Is there a way to speed it up?"

"No," Freya replied flatly before glancing at the hesitant Hermes. "Last chance. Come with me, or I'll take you by force."

Michael leaned in and whispered into Hermes's ear. If you don't want to go, then don't. But if the alternative is you going by force, then at least take me along.

"B-But..." Hermes trailed off. "Father is going to punish me again..."

"He won't. I'll make sure of it," Michael stated with determination.

If he wanted to hire a universal taxi, then it was best to cozy up to the father first.

Or something... Michael rolled his eyes and shot a smile toward Freya.

"We're going."

"He is going. You are not," she said adamantly, but he merely shook his head.

"It's not up for debate, Freya," Michael replied, a smug smile forming on his face. "After all, we don't exactly need you to head back now, do we?"
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As the last of Michael's words fell, Hermes's eyes suddenly turned golden, and in the very next moment, the two vanished.

It didn't take long to reappear, but Michael's senses were still slightly bamboozled.

However, as he glanced around a few times, he spotted a massive mountain in front of him—its peak beyond his perception.

Even more so, where he currently was could already be considered a mountain, as despite his strength, he felt his breath slightly halting.

The gravity had increased instead of decreasing as well, which was odd.

But if Michael's knowledge meant anything, then he could only assume this was Olympus, and on the very top of that mountain was the home of the Olympian gods.

"Hermes?" Michael turned to look around, only to spot Hermes crashed out near some kind of bird statue.

"Come on, man, keep it together..." Michael walked up to him with a sigh and swiftly jolted him awake again.

"Huh!? Oh... it's you." Hermes let out a relieved sigh before taking in the surroundings.

But of course, the shivering was clear to see.

"Don't be scared. While I understand Zeus is a tyrant and a playboy, I believe we can come to a mutual understanding," Michael assured before picking Hermes up by the collar.

And before he could even protest, Michael spread out his wings and suddenly shot off the ground.

He scaled the massive mountain in nearly an instant until finally, he arrived at the very top.

Just as he predicted, there was an entire kingdom in front of him.

But following that were also a lot of angry civilians—as well as the gods themselves.

—Intruder!

—Stop screaming! Just shoot the damn bolt already!

Michael merely twisted his body to the side, dodging an incoming ballista arrow as he proceeded to slowly glide downward.

The reception was obviously not great, but if anything, with Hermes by his side, he should have some degree of safety.

Or so he thought, but even as they noticed Hermes—who was being held by the collar—they didn't stop firing their magic ballistas.

If anything, the rate at which they were firing increased, making Michael raise a brow.

It seems like his relationship with the people wasn't the best... but why? Michael pondered.

Hermes, in mythology, was quite the honored lad—especially since he could travel between heaven and hell freely.

However, that same Hermes now had trash thrown at him.

But just as those thoughts fell, Michael came to an understanding.

Freya did mention Hermes being nearly an eon old, and from what he recalled, the actual Hermes was supposed to be many times older.

If anything, the current Hermes looked like a scrawny kid, reminding Michael of how he looked when he first entered the academy.

Nonetheless, Michael pushed past the rude civilians until eventually, he arrived before a pair of extremely strong individuals.

"Stop right there, please." A feminine voice rang out—it was a blue-haired girl.

Or since they were all gods, a woman.

"Yes, ma'am," Michael teased, which seemed to make her brows furrow.

"Don't call me that," she stated before turning to Hermes. "You're late, and you're in big trouble."

"He isn't," Michael cut her off. "If you are talking about the Garden of Souls, I was the one who broke in. If anything, place the blame on me."

The moment he said those words, the two gods in front of him immediately activated their mana, trying to trap Michael.

But instead of giving in, Michael flicked his hand at an immensely fast speed, causing the space to tear open—and each of their attacks to vanish into nothingness.

"Artemis, right?" Michael asked the blue-haired girl, earning a wary nod in response.

Michael turned toward the other god. "And Dionysus, I assume?"

With a single nod, his assumptions were deemed correct.

"I don't want to fight you here and now. Instead, take me to Zeus. I want to have a little chat," Michael said with a warm smile.

"You're bold, I'll give you that," Artemis commented with narrowed eyes before letting out an exhausted sigh. "Come. I'll lead you there. But don't expect to survive after you arrive. He is the strongest in Olympus for a reason."

"Oh, is he now?" Michael rolled his eyes. "I can feel his mana from all the way here, and I can tell he's dying."

The moment those words fell, the gods—as well as Hermes—all froze.

"Oh? Was it supposed to be hidden?" Michael grinned.

God, does it feel good to have leverage.