The Great Grim Reaper

Shaya raised an eyebrow, and at some point, a stranger had sat down opposite him.

Black hair, black eyes, a Greek nose; his appearance and demeanor were anything but ordinary.

Honestly, if this were another world, and a stranger suddenly approached him speaking like an acquaintance, Shaya would usually assume it was a new type of scam.

But clearly, the mysterious language the person had just spoken was enough to prove he wasn't an ordinary person.

Shaya knew very few people in this world.

He knew even fewer people who truly possessed special powers.

That old man counted as one, Sebas counted as another, and the Wilderness Witch barely counted as a third.

His network was simple, which made sorting things out easier.

The reason this person with special powers mistook him for someone else.

After thinking it over, it seemed to only be related to the old man.

Shaya had taken the old man's place, so being mistaken for him was quite reasonable.

Moreover, as he had said, he was younger than anyone he had met before, which further supported this guess.

The person before him should be an acquaintance of the old man, but likely not a close one, otherwise, they wouldn't have made such a mistake.

In this era of magic's decline, there shouldn't be many mages or similar individuals without formal organizations, excluding the influence of Destiny.

Shaya leaned more towards the person before him coming from a formal organization, perhaps something related to the Underworld.

And someone who could communicate with "Destiny" in such a manner should, by all accounts, be a divine being.

Therefore, the person before him was either the true Grim Reaper, or the Sleep God.

In fact, this was indeed the case. If Sebas were here, he might have recognized the person before him as the great Death God, Thanatos, whom he had met before.

Shaya silently picked up the tea in front of him, took a sip, and chuckled.

"Sir, have you mistaken me for someone else?"

He gazed at Shaya, and at the same time, raised his hand.

Hart slowly appeared beside them, but his eyes were vacant, as if he had lost consciousness.

"He's fine. Once I leave, he'll regain his senses," Thanatos said, seeing Shaya examining Hart.

"I found your appearance and name in his memories. The Book of the Dead doesn't list your existence. If you're not him, then who are you?"

So, it was because of Hart, Shaya thought.

He mentioned the Book of the Dead, and Shaya officially confirmed his identity.

It was likely because of the destiny he bestowed that Hart had altered his predetermined death, and as the god of death, Thanatos would naturally have noticed.

Although this was due to his lack of information regarding the Book of the Dead, it was also his miscalculation; he hadn't intended to expose himself to certain perspectives so soon.

"If you wanted to hide, no one would be able to find you," Thanatos continued. "You were waiting for me here on purpose, weren't you?"

No, I just wanted to have lunch here, Shaya thought.

But Shaya clearly couldn't say that.

Although the god before him always tried to communicate as an equal, Shaya could still detect a hint of apprehension, even fear, in his tone.

This apprehension clearly stemmed from the old man.

If he were to say he wasn't the person Thanatos thought he was, this apprehension might turn into something less friendly.

After all, in reality, Shaya wasn't strong right now, at least not by divine standards; he was very weak.

"I never wait for anyone on purpose," Shaya said with a smile. "It's Destiny that brought us here."

Ambiguous words could give Shaya a lot of leverage.

Thanatos remained silent. He raised his hand, and a scythe-like key appeared in it. He tossed the key to Shaya.

"I have already issued a decree: ignore all matters concerning the alteration of the Book of the Dead. From now on, no Grim Reaper will disturb you. This key will grant you free passage to the Underworld. If you wish to find me, use this to summon me."

He paused, then added, "From now on, do not call me by my true name again."

Although both methods could summon him, they felt entirely different to Thanatos.

Imagine he was sleeping in a room with the door closed; this key was like knocking on his door to wake him up. He would simply respond and come out.

But Shaya calling his true name was like barging into the room violently and kicking him awake.

The most crucial point was that he couldn't determine where Shaya was when he called his true name. It was like kicking him awake and then disappearing, leaving Thanatos to guess why he was woken up.

Shaya took the small scythe-shaped key and examined it carefully, nodding in approval.

"It's very exquisitely made."

Thanatos gazed at Shaya. "You haven't appeared for thousands of years. I don't know why you've shown up now, nor do I wish to know.

But I want you to know that no matter what you intend to do, the Underworld can cooperate."

Shaya continued to take a sip of his tea.

This great Grim Reaper seemed to have no idea about his true identity, or rather, "their" true identity. Otherwise, He wouldn't have said such a thing.

Because no one could easily defy Destiny. Even the variable was, in a sense, part of Destiny itself. There was no such thing as "cooperation" or "non-cooperation." The moment Destiny's gears began to turn, everyone had no choice.

"You seem to be overthinking things," Shaya said with a smile. "I'm just having lunch here, nothing more. As for what the future holds, I believe Destiny will provide the answer, won't it?"

After a pause, Shaya looked up at him. "Would you like to stay for lunch? I can order another portion for you."

Thanatos quietly stared at him, remaining silent. He slowly rose and then vanished in a wisp of black smoke.

Watching the spot where the great Grim Reaper disappeared, Shaya raised his eyebrows and placed his teacup on the table.

At first, he thought the Grim Reaper had come to question him about interfering with death. But he later realized that it was less of a questioning and more of a declaration of loyalty. Deep down, He possessed the pride of a god, the pride of being a Son of Nyx, one of the primordial gods, and an untamable nature like a wolf. But before him now, He acted like a domesticated wolf.

Of course, Shaya knew it wasn't him who had tamed Him, but his predecessor. He couldn't help but wonder what that old man had done to the Grim Reaper to make Him so reverent towards him. But clearly, he couldn't find out now.

He held the small scythe in his hand, idly playing with it. He hadn't expected to gain a summon just by coming out for lunch. Of course, he couldn't summon this summon easily, as the more he summoned, the more likely it was for his true nature to be discovered. But until he could fully control the power that old man had given him, it would be a good trump card if utilized in the right way.

As the great Grim Reaper departed, Hart, who had lost consciousness, slowly regained the light in his eyes. While he was still confused about why he was there, he saw Shaya.