“Phew! Finally, I have done my work.”

Near the exit, Pat was the first one who reached there. Stretching his boney back, he looked at the ring on his hands containing the weapons he could contain with a skelly smile on his face.

“Having a storage ring sure is a good thing. No wonder considering how much money vice guild leader had.”

Remembering the time when Mrit showered the gold coins in the room, he realized where the guild funds were going to. He had nothing but enmity for Ashv.

“Good thing he died, but…”

Looking back, he found his dead guild members who were alive just yesterday, lying around the base. Though at first, he felt bad and had a thought of getting revenge for the guild, but as thing unfolded in front of his eyes, he understood that the Boulders have went too far to be spared.

“I guess this is what is called punishment. Even though we didn’t know were at the other end, using the same money earned from harming others, we still were part of it.”

Pat looked at his hands, now all bones. But now, there was not a speck of doubt in his hollow eyes sockets as he clenched his fist.

“If by death, I and Rick can achieve what we wanted to, then so be it. And seeing Sir’s past, I have confident now that my imagination will come true.”

While Pat was having a self-motivation session, Rick who completed storing other things also reached the exit and overheard Pat.

‘Guess he is just as motivated as me.’

Though one cannot see their expression, both Rick and Pat shared the same emotion. Both from the childhood wanted to become stronger, but fate didn’t let them to. So now having a chance in hand, Rick felt that this time, their dream might come true.

‘If it’s him… then it surely will.’

Rick thought of Mrit. He found a ray of hope for him and Pat in Mrit that can help them achieve their dreams.

"Pat, all done?"

After that, Rick suddenly called Pat, scaring for a second.

Pat, startled, suddenly turned back and found Rick along with Gan. Embarrassed, he looked flustered and seeing him like this, Rick chuckled a little.

"Don't worry. I know what you were thinking and I am also thinking the same."

Both of them looked at each other as they shared their feeling with one another.

"He is the only one who can make us stronger. We have to prove that sage's words. So don't think about the death of people we just shared some space with."

"You are right."

Gan, who was fastened by Rick's waist spoke, attracting both of their attention.

"I was a fool to think that young master Ashv can ever walk in right path. And just because I was blinded by emotion doesn't mean the people who were lying here were."

Within a big organization, it was not just a single person who holds the power.

Similarly, just because Gan had administrative position doesn't mean he could control everyone.

"They might have been lured by young master to join him. And probably someone among them would have also passed the funds too. I was too naive."

“No, you were plain blinded."

While the three were talking among themselves, Mrit appeared. He outright refuted Gan on his face.

"Your soft spot for both the brother were your weakness. And Ashv used it very well and you, who knew it, never tried to stop him. Even in the dream I showed you, you acted like that before you saw the version of Ashv according to me."

Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author's consent. Report any sightings.

To his reply, Gan stayed silent. No words were enough to refute Mrit as he too knew that Mrit is correct. Even in the dream, he always thought of ways he could help Ashv become a better human. But with that thinking, he just delayed the inevitable.

"Now is not the time to think about the past. For now, our destination would be the town inside, near the borders of the holy kingdom."

Looking towards the direction of the town, Mrit spoke, telling the three of them about their destination.

"Rick, Pat, have you prepared everything I asked?"

Turning around, he asked after which he received the storage ring from them, filled with everything that might come in handy for them in their journey.

After having everything done, the four of them exited the village.

After 20 minutes of walk, Mrit suddenly turned around and looked towards the direction of the village they just left.

Without saying a word, he then picked out a bow from the storage and an arrow and aim at the direction he was looking.

“W-What, an enemy?"

Alerted, both Pat and Rick suddenly took out weapons from the ring and took stance and prepared to face the enemy just when Mrit said this.

"Lower your weapons and be ready."

Without explaining much, he aimed the bow at the direction of the village following which a massive explosion occurred at the village.

*BOOOOM!!*

“Wha-”

"What the.. .!!"

Left startled, Pat, Rick and Gan readied themselves for the shock, but before they could face the shock, they were absorbed by the shadow of Mrit.

"Stay in the shadow. I would need you later to pick me up."

With that, the three disappeared in the shadow. Mrit then looked up in the sky, more particularly at a small black dot as he aimed at the dot.

"TOTOPA, BE SAFE!!”

With his whole strength, he pulled the string of the bow and let it go as the arrow left the bow and at an incredible speed, it travelled towards dot which was in the sky.

The bow in Mrit's hand which got overused broke down. Throwing away the bow, Mrit closed his eyes and remembered what he talked with Totopa in the room.

"Totopa, it is time for us to part our ways."

Holding Totopa, Mrit said following which Totopa tilted his head in a cute manner, thinking that Mrit is playing pranks on him. But as time passed and not a single hint of laughter or prank got reflected on Mrit’s face, Totopa realized that Mrit is serious.

“Topa!! Topa Topa?!”

“No Totopa, you didn’t do anything.”

In a frantic way, Totopa asked Mrit if he did something that upset him. Putting Totopa down on the table, Mrit then stated his reason to part ways with him.

"I know I told you in the jungle that we both are same and that I am glad that I have you as my friend but there are certain things we have to face.”

"You are way too powerful.”

Tilting his head, Totopa looked at Mrit as he found his answer weird. These words coming from a literal God felt rather weird and hypocritical to him but even Mrit knew that his answer would led Totopa to think like that.

"I know that something like coming from me doesn't really add up. But think about it. You already have bounty on you and if I were to bring you with me, all the heroes and the knights will come after me."

"Toppa?! Topa Topa!

Punching in the air, Totopa indicated that no matter how much enemies come, he will defeat them before they can reach Mrit.

"No, that's not how it works. Though I do not want to part ways with you but I have to. You will become an obstacle for me in my journey to get stronger. I will depend on you, who is way much higher level than me and with that, my own growth will stall.”

“And there is one request only you can do Totopa."

"Topaa!!”

"Please, do not make me feel bad for my decision and just-"

Holding hands, Mrit bowed to him as his forehead touched Totopa’s small hands. Totopa’s seemed like he was on the verge of breaking down. Mrit also knew this and too was controlling himself for not showing any emotions, but Totopa’s voice forced him to.

"Please fulfil this request of mine as my first friend in this world."

"...Topa."

Seeing Mrit bowing to him, Totopa had no choice left and finally gave in.

"That's how it went. I don't even know if my decision was right or not. but…”

Seeing the shockwave from the blast coming towards him, Mrit did nothing as he knew that it was too late to hide. He cannot even hid within the shadows as it is housing Pat, Rick and Gan.

“Let’s just get out this somehow. Totopa, I hope you protect it, I know you can.”

With this his last words, the shockwave struck him, making him unconscious, sending him further into the forest along with many tree and rubble as the unconscious Mrit struck several trees and rock on his way till his momentum died down.

*BANG!*

With a loud noise, Mrit, like a rag doll got bashed onto a giant’s tree trunk and dropped to the ground like a bag of rice, making him conscious again.

“F-Fuck. All…my bone’s …gone*cough!*”

Lying on the ground, Mrit rolled around and looked up at the sky as his vision started to get blurred.

“I.. hope… you will rescue me, Pat, Rick.”

With that, the last of the energy within Mrit got exhausted and he closed his eyes as the shadow below him started to wriggle.

***