Deviant: No Longer Human

"Who is this 'she' now?" Wang Xiao asked, an amused glint in his eyes.

The others, still in slight shock from Athene's appearance, exchanged glances.

Most of them had never seen her before, except for Wenxi and Yue, who were silently watching the exchange.

They didn't say they were disappointed, though. Athene was exactly what they had imagined—cold as ice and as emotionally engaging as a rock.

Athene's eyes narrowed slightly. "Yuriko. She's the only one capable of manipulating fate in such a way. But your constant cursing has been disturbing her mental state."

Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow, looking thoroughly unimpressed. "I didn't realize my casual remarks could mess someone up that badly."

Athene's face twitched, the closest thing to an eye-roll she would allow herself.

Talking to Wang Xiao was like arguing with a mountain—an immovable force of arrogance and obstinance.

Of course, he was doing it on purpose.

In his mind, she and her kind were beneath him, nothing more than pests he tolerated because Aurora asked him to.

If it weren't for Aurora's request to spare these "creatures," the world would've already been drenched in blood by now, courtesy of his impatience.

"For once," Athene began, her voice tight with exasperation, "respect your status as a Transcendent. Your words carry more weight than you think."

Wang Xiao scoffed, crossing his arms. "I am respecting it. I'm simply using it as I see fit."

Being a Transcendent wasn't just about living forever.

It was about being woven into the very fabric of the cosmos itself.

If Wang Xiao cursed someone long enough—and bothered to actually care—he could warp their fate, sending waves of misfortune crashing down upon them.

Their lives would worsen, bad luck hounding them like a shadow until they found themselves facing an inevitable and untimely death.

Of course, Wang Xiao had never really bothered to look into that side of his powers.

Cursing people just wasn't that interesting to him.

But Yuriko, the one Athene mentioned, seemed to have reached a Quasi-Transcendent state where she understood the subtle art of fate manipulation—and apparently, Wang Xiao's careless words were messing with her enough to cough up blood.

Some time ago, Wang Xiao had asked Athene to help him curse someone's luck—'Just for fun', really.

Athene, being the dutiful go-between, asked Yuriko for assistance.

But lately, Yuriko had been suffering thanks to Wang Xiao's constant and unintended curses.

Sometimes, she'd be minding her own business and suddenly find herself coughing up blood, as if fate itself had slapped her across the face.

Athene sighed. "She's been suffering because of your little curses," she continued, her tone flat. "So she's willing to help you—if you stop cursing her. Apparently, she'd like to survive."

Wang Xiao chuckled, clearly enjoying himself. "If she can't handle a few careless words, maybe she's not fit to deal with fate after all." He glanced at Athene, his smirk widening. "But fine, I'll stop—for now. I can't be bothered with such weaklings."

Athene's lips thinned, trying and failing to suppress her annoyance.

Wang Xiao's gaze flicked toward Athene, roaming slowly down to her waist, his mind wandering into mischievous thoughts.

'Would she moan or scream in bed?' Not that he had any real interest in keeping her.

No, this was more about torturing her a 'little', playing with the prey he almost captured last time—if not for her narrow escape.

Athene had learned to be wary of him, and now, she didn't dare send her real body anymore.

Her caution was amusing.

"Hey," Wang Xiao began, his voice dripping with amusement, "weren't you some sort of goddess in the past? What was your role? Grumpy old woman, perhaps?" His eyes sparkled with mischief as he openly provoked her.

Athene's frown deepened, clearly unimpressed by his provocation.

But Wang Xiao wasn't finished. "Why don't you set up a meeting between me and Yuriko? Maybe I could get some 'guidance' from her," he said, barely containing his grin.

Athene almost coughed blood, her composure faltering for a split second.

'Guidance?' Him?

More like he wanted to torment the poor girl.

She couldn't believe his words—he truly thought too highly of himself.

"Don't flatter yourself," Athene snapped, trying to regain her balance. "Yuriko is the first witch of the world. This is her 999th reincarnation, and she will reach perfection in her 1000th. When that happens, even you might not be able to defeat her."

Wang Xiao's eyes gleamed with amusement, though inwardly he thought she was an idiot for revealing such information.

If Yuriko could one day pose a threat to him, shouldn't she have kept that little detail to herself?

Now that he knew, he could just eliminate Yuriko before she reached that all-important final form.

"This Yuriko... why did she imprison Aurora? Shouldn't you all be friends, at least?" Wang Xiao asked, his tone deceptively casual, but his sharp eyes never left Athene.

Athene's expression darkened at the question. "Yuriko is no friend of ours. The first-generation Yuriko was the one we knew, but she cast a spell upon herself to reincarnate a thousand times. Each new version is completely different from the last, and each one grows stronger. She only remembers us as distant memories now. She's not the same person."

Wang Xiao's eyes flickered with suprise.

That made sense.

Athene continued, her tone growing more serious. "And your precious Aurora? She's no saint, no matter how she presents herself. There have been many geniuses far greater than her in the world. You shouldn't underestimate anyone—least of all that 'innocent-looking' woman. She's sent more people to the graveyard than you can count, and not just enemies—anyone who posed even a potential threat."

Wang Xiao was stunned, momentarily speechless.

His innocent, sweet wife, being 'slandered' like this?

Absolutely unacceptable!

He had always been curious about Aurora's past, though, and despite his indignation, he gestured for Athene to continue.

Athene snorted, crossing her arms. "Ask the daughter of that Skyfather. He was one of the many who died thanks to your Aurora. She befriended the killer of her own kin. You think she's pure? Hah!"

Wang Xiao's face twitched, a mixture of confusion and frustration.

His beloved wife... a little 'murder witch'?

This... this needed further investigation.

"??"

Wang Xiao noticed Athene's subtle look of disgust aimed at Eveline, and Eveline, usually composed, was visibly flustered.

For a moment, Wang Xiao was confused, then the realization dawned on him.

"So that's it…" he muttered under his breath.

Eveline's face flushed a rare shade of red, her eyes darting away in embarrassment before she frowned and shot back at Athene, "He would have raped me if it weren't for Hes—Aurora who saved me! Unlike you who just—"

Eveline cut herself off as Athene's glare sharpened over her.

Wang Xiao, however, felt like he'd gathered a lot of information today.

No wonder Eveline was so sensitive about his relationship with his daughters, always prepared to offer them up to him if he so much as hinted at it.

There were layers to this situation he hadn't even considered.

Part of him wanted to let these creatures continue arguing and spilling more secrets, but unfortunately, neither of them spoke again.

Breaking the silence, Wang Xiao asked, "Did Aurora really kill Zeus?" His tone was casual, but the curiosity in his eyes was unmistakable.

Athene's lips curled into a cryptic smile, as if she were talking about a cunning villain, not his supposedly innocent wife. "Not just him… Aurora couldn't tolerate the existence of any geniuses who threatened her."

Wang Xiao raised an eyebrow and turned to Eveline, seeking confirmation.