I Reject Quests

Rewen's words made Famin blank out for a while. "Fuck off. You don't know a thing about me." The latter shook his hands off his collar.

"Yeah, I don't know you personally but I do know that you are a fucking whiny coward."

"I'm not a coward!"

"In my dictionary, a person who can't face life is a coward. Enough of that, I'm not here to give you life lessons. Just answer my question, what are you going to do?"

Famin was enraged by his words. "Why do you care what I do?"

*Pah*

A backhand slap fell on his cheek. "Y-you…"

*Pah*

*Pah*

*Pah*

"I'll ask this again. What are you going to do?" Rewen's voice was cold. He wasn't going to entertain a foolish person. 

Famin was on the ground, his cheeks swollen. There were even tears on the corner of his eyes. It was humiliating for him. Rage boiled in his heart. 'It has always been like this!'

Indignation, rage, humiliation… were all things he had been very familiar with from his childhood.

'No matter where I go, there are always people who try to bring me down.'

'Why should I bow my head and listen to them?'

'Why should I not retaliate?'

He lifted one leg, then the other.

On his knees, he lowered his mouth with his hands straight.

"I'm… sorry…"

Rewen was shocked by the sudden apology that he can't muster up a single word in response.

Just then, he felt a hand on his shoulder.

"Rewen." The cop's expression was serious. "We, humans, aren't perfect. Does he look like he had a good life? While I don't necessarily disagree with your opinion, your way is not correct. Violence can make people submit but cannot make them understand."

The statement - "At a loss of words" - had never been truer for Rewen than today.

***

Famin felt dejected as he looked at the 'green path'.

"It's my fault." He said lightly. As he stared at the dark route, he felt a cold chill go down his spine. It gave him goosebumps. At the same time, the threat for his life made him have a flashback of his life.

Kicked. Spitted. Punched. Humiliation.

'Is there really all there is to my life?'

He wondered. 'I'll just die. What more could happen?'

All of a sudden, the threat he felt for his life vanished without a trace.

He took a single step in the path.

He didn't feel any different from usual.

One step.

Two steps.

Three steps.

[Ah… I have another visitor, it seems.]

An elderly voice sounded from the surroundings. The voice wasn't horrifying in any voice. It was gentle and has the dignity of befitting a respected senior. But that didn't stop from Famin to fall on his butt.

"W-who are you?"

[Hmm? Did you enter this [Heart Domain] without knowing me?]

Seeing that there were hostile intentions, Famin calmed down a bit and asked timidly. "M-may I ask if you are the Rank 3 Senior?"

[I am. Who are you? You don't look like my descendant. Answer me without shuttering.]

Famin was scared. Before he could even speak, his throat was dry. Taking a moment to calm himself down, he said in a low voice. "A thief carrying the [Heart Domain] was being chased by a cop. I got unintentionally involved with the affair."

[Who brought you here?]

Famin was about to answer that he doesn't know but then didn't want to offend the figure. 'If I'm not mistaken, what he means is that…'

[Yes, I'm talking about the one who activated this.]

"H-how?"

[You are literally in the [Heart Domain]. How can anything from the heart escape my notice. 

Answer my question.]

"I-It's the thief."

A snort came from the elderly voice.

[In that case, he ought to be my descendant. Laughable that he is called a thief when he is the rightful owner.]

"I-If I may ask, w-why are you…"

[I'm not alive. This is my soul remnant. Didn't you read story books? Young generations are so out of touch with the world.]

"..."

[What? Why are you looking dumb? Move along.]

"Yes, yes." Famin got up and started walking again.

After walking for about ten seconds, he felt that he saw a dead end. 

"Is that a dead end? It's really unusual. Let me take a closer look."

As soon as he took a single step, his whole body shook as if he had been electrocuted.

In front of him, approximately at a distance of ten meters, stood a giant red-skinned naked creature with robust arms and legs feeding on a boar. The boar perfectly fit in his large hands. It initially squirmed and screamed as its legs were slowly teared out. Just as the bear's last struggle fell, the creature pressed its stomach with its fingers, making the bear vomit blood along with intestines from both the upper and lower body.

The boar cried out on the top of its lungs while the red-skinned giant casually cleaned his fingers ingesting the raw organs as if it's honey. Slowly, the bear's final cry fell when the crunches came from the mouth of the giant.

Let alone Famin, even Rewen or the cop could look at this scene in horror. 

Famin's afternoon meal came right to his throat. 'No. No. No. I can't vomit at this time. It would attract the giant.' With eyes widened and his hand on his mouth, he gulped and turned around to run.

"Hng?" The giant made a sound.

'Shit.' Famin figured that he had been found out but all he could do is run.

When the giant got up, the ground trembled, making it difficult for him to continue running.

He tumbled against a stone and fell down.

"Why…? Why me?"

He felt a strong pain on his waist. He struggled to no avail.

The giant effortlessly picked him up with his two fingers. 

Famin finally got the chance to see the face of the giant. 

It was the literal representation of - 'monster'.

It's face was disfigured. It had four teeth bulging out.

'This seems to be the end…' Weirdly, Famin didn't feel anything while looking at the horrific face. He would normally get scared but currently, for some reason, he felt nothing. 

[What would you do if you had a second chance?]

At this moment, the sound of the elderly man entered his ears.

Famin's dim eyes lit up but he didn't answer.

[Would you be the same?]

'...'

[Or would you take revenge on all those who had belittled you?]

Famin was scarily quiet. He raised his head to look at the monster who seemed to be carefully inspecting him. 

'Second chance?'

'Who cares about that?'

'Why should I be entitled to have a second chance?'

'Is society really the blame for my incompetence?'

'I'm a student in one of two Special Classes. Despite a rocky start, I had a great opportunity in front of me. I… just didn't have the courage to grab it.'

'What do I do after I get out alive of this?'

'I might get an awesome second chance but did I earn it?'

'I might become a figure to be admired but will it be the result of my success?'

Famin broke down.