"You know... The reason you can stay rational is because you absorbed the blood from my body... If you put that blood back..."
"I don't care about that! I only want you! I just want you to live..."
Medusa clutched Moran and sobbed uncontrollably.
Her dignified face was already soaked with tears.
"...Don't be so willful... I'm only a mortal... Really... I've been very satisfied with this life... Though there were still many things... I didn't get to experience..."
Moran felt no fear in the face of approaching death.
He gazed gently at Medusa.
"Twenty-five years... Medea and Atalanta... They must be really angry with me, huh... But... even so... I still wanted to save you..."
Moran handed over the magical disk.
As a goddess, Medusa could tell by instinct and understood the purpose of the spell engraved deep within it.
It was not as though he had accomplished nothing.
"At least... it can keep you from being consumed by your demonic nature... I wanted to make it better... There just wasn't enough time..."
Moran had studied magecraft under Medea.
Using his own blood as a foundation, he had researched with her, searching for every means to suppress the Gorgon's demonic nature.
This was merely an incomplete product.
But it could still barely function.
"But you'll..."
"The price of stopping your fall is my life.
There may be other costs I don't know about. As things stand, this is the only method I can offer..."
"Why...?! All I wanted... was to live an ordinary life on the island with you, Moran... and my sisters...!"
Medusa lowered her head, gritting her teeth in remorse.
Like a spoiled, willful child.
She loathed the demonic blood flowing through her body and hated the humans who had landed on the island seeking glory.
Footsteps came from nearby.
"Marching off to your death so self-righteously... You really do whatever you please... When you're nothing more than a toy I picked up..."
"Exactly! I've never seen such an unreasonable, incomprehensible idiot like you...!"
Stheno and Euryale had come as well.
Though their words were still somewhat harsh, they could not hide the sorrow spilling from their beautiful eyes.
Seeing her two sisters so out of character,
Moran wished they could act as they always had.
His unfocused gaze drifted toward the cold, beautiful face right before him, now entangled in grief.
The full moon hanging high in the sky was as lonely and clear as it had been more than a decade ago.
Back then, Medusa had sat in the forest, turned her head to look back, and extended her hand with a reassuring smile.
Incredible. It was as though he had returned to the past.
"Medusa, that sorrowful expression doesn't suit you. I still prefer seeing you smile... In my eyes... you were never a monster..."
Moran raised a hand and wiped the tears from her cheeks.
The temperature of his body was terrifyingly cold.
"Stheno... Euryale... Those sad expressions don't suit you either... It's fine to be a little sharp-tongued..."
"...I'm not!"
Stheno turned her head away, as if she could no longer bear to look at him.
She was afraid she would no longer be able to keep pretending.
"If I could... I really wanted to keep living carefree on the island with you... Just like before..."
"Who are you calling sharp-tongued?! If anyone is, it's obviously you—"
"..."
Euryale abruptly fell silent, as though choked by a sob.
She seemed to realize something.
Stheno struggled not to be overwhelmed by grief.
Medusa held Moran as she could no longer suppress her emotions, crystalline tears sliding down her face one after another.
The tears fell upon his cold, lifeless face.
There was no breathing, no reply, no movement.
It was an exceptionally peaceful death.
Moran was like a dying knight who had watched over the three sisters to the very end.
His soul was no longer here.
All that remained was the corpse of an Argo Hero of divine and demonic bloodline, once renowned throughout Greece.
PS: The simulation has ended. Death came so suddenly. The protagonist did everything he could to achieve his goal, proceeded carefully every step of the way, and used every ounce of his strength to avoid failure.
But the first time often ends in failure.
And it is precisely because of failure that success tastes sweet.
Everyone, look forward to the next simulation.
After this, the story will shift to what happens on the modern side after the simulation. Of course, that part will not be too long either.
Also, this is the sixth update. Shouldn't everyone send some flowers and monthly tickets to celebrate? Many hands make light work, after all~!
Simulation Ends, Skills Locked In—Please Send Flowers! Please Send Monthly Tickets!
The Lament of the Beast Goddess spread across the entire sea.
The new king of Iolcus and the heroes investigated the matter, using their prestige and achievements to dispel the old rumors.
Many people did not know the full story.
But they could still learn the outcome.
Once, a hero had offered his life for the woman he loved most.
So as not to betray him, the woman chose to accept everything he had left behind and accompany him forever in his slumber.
The man had chosen to surrender his future.
He had not given up until the very last moment.
Just as he had wished for her happiness, the woman also hoped that the man would find happiness after death.
Now, this tale was passed down through the ages.
The tragic love story between you and her spread throughout Greece. Countless men and women regarded it as a symbol of love, while the invisible island where the story began gradually became a sacred place for lovers to make vows.
Greek Heroic Mythology—
Simulation Ended
His consciousness seemed submerged in a pitch-black ocean.
Until a sliver of light tore through the darkness and arrived before him. The moment he reached out and grasped it,
his senses gradually returned.
Moran knew that he had exited the simulation.
Twenty-six years of memories flashed through his mind, and an exceedingly complicated emotion surged in his chest.
As a hero, he had defeated the Gorgon.
As a man, he had lost to love.
"Whew, no matter what, that was my life..."
Moran quickly absorbed twenty-six years of memories.
The intense emotions left his expression complicated.
Next, the Simulator's options panel floated before him, displaying the summary of this simulation.
Greek Heroic Mythology Simulation Rating: A Simulation ratings primarily consider the host's achievements, happiness, and satisfaction. Although you were very satisfied with this life, regrets concerning Medea, Atalanta, and others remained unresolved in the end. Use the next simulation to make up for every regret. That is the meaning behind this Simulator's existence. Because the overall rating reached A, congratulations: one skill lock slot has been added. You can now lock in three abilities and bring them into reality.
"Three... Was it originally two?"
Moran stroked his chin in thought.
During the first simulation, he had been able to bring three skills into the simulation, two of whose selection slots were lock slots.
The additional one was a simulation slot.
Only skills in the lock slots could be brought into reality.
"How can I increase the number of lock slots?"
Moran asked the crucial question.
The importance of simulation slots was certainly lower than that of lock slots.
Figuring this out was what mattered most.
After every simulation ends, the Simulator evaluates the host's performance in that simulation. An A rating and an EX rating can each add one lock slot. Each instance offers only two chances to obtain lock slot rewards. Rating system: E, D, C, B, A, EX
This was quite simple to understand.
The Greek Heroic Mythology instance had already received an A rating, leaving it with one remaining chance to add a lock slot.
Very soon, another window popped up in the Simulator.
Skills acquired in this simulation: The Possession of the Golden Fleece, Petrifying Magic Eye, Divinity, Favor of the Goddess, Blessing of the Great Sea, Demonic Bloodline, High-Speed Divine Words, Magic Resistance...
A string of skills and talents was listed in the blue frame.
Moran had acquired them during this Greek Age of Gods simulation.
Just looking at them made his eyes hurt.
To solve the Gorgon Sisters' problem, he had sought out many methods and learned all sorts of strange things.
Whether it was magecraft or martial arts, he had achieved considerable mastery.
The Simulator will randomly select seven talents and skills from them. The host may choose three to lock in each day. Please note: You may only lock in skills once per day. Locked talents may be changed on the day the number of uses refreshes. Please choose and retain them carefully. If no talent is locked in that day, the lock-in attempt will reset and cannot be saved.
"I see... What a pity..."
Moran spoke with some regret.
Skills could only be selected after a simulation was completed, and there was only one simulation opportunity each day.
It seemed this had been completely locked down.
His consciousness returned from the Simulator to the student dormitory.
Before you continue