Deviant: No Longer Human

Wang Xiao smirked, glancing down at the sword in his hand. "Alright," he said finally, offering her a sliver of mercy. "But let me play with it a bit first."

"What?" Wenxi's heart nearly stopped.

'Play with it?'

Wasn't that just another way of saying he'd break it?

Her eyes widened in panic, her voice trembling, but she couldn't get the words out fast enough.

In a swift, fluid motion, Wang Xiao gripped the blade and moved gracefully through the air with it.

Whooosh!

The next second, the entire icy blade ignited with shimmering blue flames, casting an ethereal glow across the room.

The cold, crystalline sword now burned with a fire that defied its icy nature.

"How...?" Wenxi gasped, her eyes wide with disbelief.

How did he do that?

Swish! Swish!

Wang Xiao swung the sword effortlessly a few more times, the blue flames dancing along the blade, giving it an otherworldly aura.

He then ran his hand along the length of the sword, and in an instant, the flames vanished, leaving the blade pristine, untouched by even a trace of damage.

A satisfied smile tugged at Wang Xiao's lips. "It's good enough to take down a few great-grandmasters," he said, admiring the craftsmanship.

Wenxi looked at him in sheer astonishment. "How did you set it on fire without melting the ice?" she blurted out. "And since when do you use a sword?"

She had never known him to wield any weapon, let alone something as contradictory as fire and ice.

And yet, here he was, effortlessly making her hard-won creation look like an old toy in his hands.

Wang Xiao chuckled, his eyes gleaming with amusement. "Just some basic physics, Quantum freezing field, similar to Bose-Einstein condensate effect," he said, as if it were the simplest thing in the world. "If I really used a sword, your master would fall in a single strike. She hasn't even taught you the basics, has she?

Why don't you just abandon her and come learn from me?" He raised an eyebrow playfully, poaching like a shameless boss.

Wenxi's lips pressed into a pout, her delicate features full of silent protest.

'Teach her?' As if.

She knew him too well—he'd probably just mess with her the entire time, dragging out her lessons for fun.

That was why she had turned to Athene in the first place.

Her father was far too petty when it came to teaching her anything.

She cast a sideways glance at him, her pout deepening.

"I have no problem with that..."

Suddenly, a soft mist gathered in the corner of the balcony, and from it emerged a figure cloaked in black.

Her presence was subtle, yet commanding, and her voice—though feminine—was flat, devoid of warmth or coldness, but oddly pleasing to the ear.

"Athene!" Wenxi gasped, eyes widening in surprise.

How had she appeared here so suddenly?

But as usual, Athene was unreadable, her face hidden beneath the dark hood.

She didn't seem particularly bothered by the idea of Wang Xiao teaching Wenxi—if he could, that is.

She doubted he had much to offer when it came to swordsmanship.

However, the air shifted dangerously.

Whoosh!

Without warning, Wang Xiao's gaze darkened, his eyes turning ice-cold.

In a flash, his figure blurred, flipping through the air like a shadow, and before anyone could react, the sword in his hand was slashing directly toward Athene's neck.

"!!"

Puchi!

The blade cut through her neck effortlessly, severing it cleanly.

"..."

"..."

"..."

Everyone froze, stunned by the sudden brutality.

The calm air of mere moments ago had turned violent in an instant.

Why had Wang Xiao become so ferocious so quickly?

But Wang Xiao only laughed, the coldness in his eyes replaced by a mocking smile. "You can't even show yourself in front of me now? Hiding behind avatars..."

His voice was laced with disdain, aimed at the illusion of Athene.

The blade had passed through her neck as if slicing through air.

She was nothing more than an incorporeal form, a mere projection.

The room fell silent, every eye on Wang Xiao in disbelief.

They hadn't even realized it was an illusion, but Wang Xiao had seen through it in an instant, as if the trick was beneath him.

Wenxi blinked in astonishment, her thoughts filled with surprise. 'He... really is on a completely different level.'

Athene snorted. If she showed up in her real body, she would be a fool—especially when he only wanted to fight her for no reason.

She finally removed her dark robe.

Beneath the flowing shadows, her form emerged, elegant yet ethereal, exuding a presence that chilled the room.

Her long, raven-black hair cascaded down her back, barely contained by the intricately designed silver hairpiece that glimmered faintly.

The hairpiece, woven with delicate strands of metal resembling ancient vines and thorns, caught the flickering flames of her aura, casting fleeting shadows across her pale, flawless white skin.

Her eyes, cold yet clear as glass, held the wisdom of millennia, devoid of warmth but captivating, with a hint of something far too ancient to fully comprehend.

A faint glow emitted from the sigil etched onto her forehead, resembling a pair of wings, as though they belonged to some forgotten deity.

Despite her seemingly indifferent demeanor, there was a fragile beauty in her features—sharp and delicate, yet with an underlying strength that made her beauty appear untouchable.

Her robe, once covering her entire form, now revealed a figure that balanced grace with the dangerous charm of power.

The dress beneath, made of flowing black silk that hugged to her slender frame, was woven from the threads of night itself, giving her an almost unreal aura.

Around her, small flickers of energy danced like fireflies, casting a faint glow on her shoulders, and the fabric seemed to shimmer with a life of its own.

But what stood out most was the ethereal grace that moved with her—each gesture was precise, every step as silent as falling snow.

"I spoke with someone regarding your idea," she began, her voice as smooth as water flowing over stones, devoid of emotion but commanding attention. "She is willing to help, as long as you stop cursing her every day. It unsettles her spirit..."

Her words were straightforward, but the slight tightening of her lips hinted at her disapproval.

Even the gods, it seemed, found Wang Xiao's arrogance exhausting at times.