Ch. 92: Madame Perisa & The Three Big Shots
The sound of our glasses slamming onto the table echoed through the room, each one louder than the last. Laughter followed as we tried to outdrink each other, shot after shot of the strongest ambrosia this club had to offer. In my previous life, I wasn’t exactly a heavy drinker, but this Hades body seemed to have no such reservations. My throat burned, but I kept up— barely.
The lounge we were in wasn’t as rowdy as the other parts of the club. After all, this was the VIP section, a sanctuary for gods who preferred their decadence without too much company. The dim lighting cast flickering shadows over the room, and soft music played in the background. It was the calm before the storm of our usual chaos.
Zeus, ever the boisterous one, grinned widely, his eyes glinting with mischief. “Hahahaha, so listen to this.” His words slurred slightly, but his energy was contagious. “Do you know how tight a leash Hera has on me? That woman doesn’t trust me with another female in a five-mile radius. As if I’m meant to be with just one woman! I mean, come on, I’m Zeus! Am I not entitled to a few more wives?”
I couldn’t help but laugh, even if a part of me still couldn’t reconcile this jolly Zeus with the same one who had mercilessly killed Poseidon right in front of my eyes. It felt surreal to witness such joviality from someone who carried such darkness beneath the surface.
Poseidon, seated beside him, chuckled with a deep, rumbling voice. “Tell me about it. I have three wives, and the headaches are endless. Amphitrite loses her temper if I even glance at another woman! As if one woman could ever be enough for the god of the seas.” He ran a hand through his thick, green hair, a grin stretching across his face.
Their shared laughter filled the room, but soon enough, they both turned to me in unison, their gazes locking onto mine. I could feel the shift in the air. This wasn’t good.
“And you, big bro?” Zeus asked, a smug smile creeping onto his lips. “How many wives do you have?”
Shit. My mind raced for a response. “None?” I replied, trying to sound confident, though I could feel doubt creeping into my voice.
Poseidon’s eyes gleamed with amusement as he leaned in closer. “No wives? Surely you have a few concubines, then. Hades, the ruler of the Underworld, with no women? That doesn’t seem right.”
I swallowed hard. “I’ve been… busy with Underworld business. Haven’t had time for women.”
They erupted into laughter again, and I felt myself sinking deeper into my seat. My face flushed with embarrassment, though not intended. Zeus, sensing my discomfort, smirked even wider. “So, how many times have you even slept with a woman this month? Or in the past few years? Come on, tell us.”
“Shit,” I muttered under my breath, wishing I could disappear.
Why were they tormenting me like this?
Poseidon scratched his chin thoughtfully. “Hmm, I think I’ve had my fun at least fifty times this month. Not my best streak, but I try to keep up.”
Their bragging made my stomach churn. I was suddenly reminded of the countless debates my colleagues and I had in my past life. We had often wondered why Hades was such a solitary figure, never engaging in the promiscuity of the other gods. Was he cursed? Impotent, perhaps? At the time, it was the only logical conclusion we had come to.
And now, sitting here in Hades’ body, I was starting to believe we might have been right. Unlike Zeus, who was beloved by women despite his cruelty, or Poseidon, who radiated confidence and charm, I was a constant reminder of death. What woman would ever want me? The only kind I could think of was one who was already dead.
I reached for another shot, downing it quickly, the bitter liquid burning my throat like my wounded pride. Just as I slammed the glass back on the table, the air shifted again, this time with a much darker presence.
A voice, gravelly and ancient, cut through the air. “I see you three fools are still the same, discussing things that make my throat itch.” The room fell silent.
I turned toward the voice and immediately felt a chill run down my spine. She was a gorgon— a monstrous figure from the depths of Greek myth, but this one was far more terrifying in person. Her green-scaled body glistened under the dim light, her upper half draped in a flamboyant jacket, while her lower half slithered with the sleek, menacing grace of a snake. Her hair was a writhing mass of living snakes, their eyes glowing as they hissed softly. Her fangs protruded slightly from the corners of her blood-red lips, and her hands were bronze, shining like freshly minted metal.
Her ruby-red eyes, framed by glasses, pierced through us. “You three come into my club like you own the place. I don’t care how many times you’ve saved Olympus, but in here, I’m the one who holds the reins.”
Zeus, usually unshakable, chuckled nervously, scratching the back of his head. “Ah, Madame Perisa! Long time no see! You know us— your favorite customers.”
She slid into the seat across from us, her coils draping over the chair, her eyes narrowing dangerously. “Favorite customers? Hah! You three cause more damage than you’re worth. Every time you’re here, you act like gods— which you are, but not in my club. And let’s not even talk about how many times I’ve had to commission Hephaestus to fix the statue you lot keep breaking. That adoring replica of my adoring beauty.”
“More like a clump of vomit.” Zues muttered into my ears.
Poseidon, ever the charmer, leaned forward, his voice dripping with seductive undertones. “Come now, Madame. We are paying customers, after all. And as they say, the customer is always right.”
Her glare silenced him immediately. “Paying customers? You three pay in trouble, not money. I have had enough of your antics.” Her eyes then flicked to me, and I felt her gaze intensify as if she could see right through my skin. I held my breath, unsure of what she had seen.
Then, with a sudden gasp, she leaned closer, her eyes narrowing further. “There’s… two of you in there.”
A chill raced down my spine. Two of me? Did she already know I was an outsider in this body? Could she sense the otherworldly essence that clung to my soul?
Before I could even respond, Zeus interrupted, banging his fist on the table with a loud thud. “Hey, don’t be getting any ideas, Perisa! My big bro is not into older women, so why don’t you just back off, huh?”
Madame Perisa didn’t flinch at Zeus’s outburst. Instead, she kept her gaze locked on me for a moment longer, her eyes burning with ancient knowledge. Then, with a sneer, she leaned back into her seat. “Indeed,” she said softly, her voice dripping with venom. “This one will die a virgin if he’s not careful. You may not be as reckless as these two, but don’t think for a second that you’re beyond my sight, Hades. You have your own darkness, and it will swallow you whole if you let it.”
Her words hung heavy in the air, thick with warning. I tried to shake off the unease creeping up my spine, but it clung to me like a shroud. The others may have laughed off her insults, but I couldn’t. Something about the way she looked at me felt… final, like a judgment already passed.
Feeling Grateful To My Readers
If I revive a magic castle I will mass release 10 chapters
