I Reject Quests

'If I'm not mistaken,this should be the healing healing liquid that was sprinkled over me when I got injured in the Club.' Rewen observed the liquid once more and took some of the liquid in his hand and applied it in the back.

'It stings a bit but it should heal sooner. Hm… I wonder if I'll restore my stamina if I drink this? Nah, better not try it.' Keeping the bottle in his pocket, he thought about what he should do with the bloodied guy in front of him.

'Previously, I thought injuring him would be enough but I can't take the risk now. Since he has a bottle, the others must have had it too. I'm not sure about Banci though. I have to check. But the problem is, what should I do with him?' Three seconds later, he let out a sigh and took out his bottle from his pocket again.

Bending down, he saw Asen's terrified eyes. "Sorry dude, I gotta do it."

*Chop*

*Chop*

*Chop*

*Chop*

Before a scream can sound, Rewen inserted a rock inside his mouth. 

There laid Asen. His four limbs cut off. His eyes seemed dead. 'I… will die. I guess this is what Boss called the death of a cannibal. It's painful and hellish. Even so, I will finally die… so I… guess that's a good thing.' His blood was losing at an alarming rate. It's only a matter of time before he dies.

Asen's eyes were slowly closing. However, just before he could fully close his eyes, another pain inflicted him. It was the pain he was very familiar with. 'C-could it be?'

Rewen calmly poured some of the liquid over his limbs and got up. Looking at his opponent, he opened his mouth. "Good luck." 

Then, out of Asen's resentful and terrified eyes, he left.

'I have to take cruel measures or else, it will come to bite me later on.' Rewen wasn't really sad about what he did to Asen. 'This is what he should have expected when he opted to become a cannibal. I'm sure he is involved in cutting off limbs of humans every day. But… even so, is he really irredeemable? Both he and Banci were more or less following the orders and became the fucked up shits known as cannibals. In a way, everything they did was out of their own concern for survival. 

'They were normal humans who got twisted. No, they aren't twisted. They are also like normal people. They talk and act like normal people. However, their actions SHOULD make me feel like they are twisted. They are the definitions of psychopaths yet… Why am I feeling pity for them? Is it because their actions made sense when I came to know about their circumstances?'

Human feelings are mysterious. In one moment, he was cruel and disgusted by the cannibals' actions. In the next, he is thinking how their lives would have gone if fate didn't play a joke on them.

Rewen shook his head, putting the thoughts at the back of his head. 

After a few seconds, he reached the place he was hiding previously. Banci was still unconscious and the giant sword laid on the ground at the same place.

'There is no way I can fight one-on-one anymore. The remaining two members of the squad will come together. I have no choice but to fight them. Their strongest squad mate, who is at the Peak Rank 1 Mage, is still left. I definitely can't fight them head on. Will arrows work? Nope. Even if I catch the strongest off-guard, the arrow would still be dodged. Not to mention, there is also another guy who would be with him. 

'Think. What could I do in this situation?'

He went on to formulate a plan which has less than twenty percent chance of succeeding. 'That's the most I could do.' Smiling bitterly, he picked the unconscious Banci up but just as he picked him up, he heard a whisper.

***

"Boss, Asen has not returned yet." Muniba gulped a mouthful of air. 

The Boss looked straight ahead without a hint of emotion in his cold eyes. "Then it can only mean two things."

"Two? Ah. Impossible! Asen can't die. He… he was supposed to flee as soon he spotted the target. How can he get defeated?" Muniba's eyes shook as he couldn't begin to imagine the scenario.

"It's not certain. I said it meant two things. Asen could also be fighting with him right now."

"Yes. Shouldn't we move?" Muniba was getting more anxious every second.

The Boss looked at the bright sun. "Indeed. It's about time. Follow me."

***

Rewen wiped off the sweat from his forehead as he threw the person whom he carried on his shoulder.

"Ban- Banci? He's still alive!" A moderately short guy leaning on a tree with no limbs shouted out. With the help of his knees, he approached his squad mate but as he neared, he noticed a strange thing.

Not believing his eyes, he looked towards his enemy. "You… cut off his limbs as well…?" His voice was trembling. 

Rewen gave a light nod with an indifferent face and sat down on the same fallen tree. 

"Why?" Asen asked with an ashen face.

"Isn't it obvious?" Rewen didn't bother to give a complete answer.

Asen slumped on the tree near him blankly and started laughing foolishly. "Haha… this much was to be expected for a cannibal. GODDAMMIT! WHY DON'T YOU KILL ME!? I BEG YOU! I… beg of you… please…" By the end of his statement, tears started leaking from his eyes.

Rewen quietly listened to him while sharpening the giant sword with his dagger. 

"I… wanted to be… redeemed. Unfortunately, the laws of the society weren't to my taste. I don't want to rot in jail or die so young. I had special circumstances so I had expected for the law to show some lax but turns out I was wrong."

"Did you think you were the only one special? There are tens of thousands of people who were a victim of special circumstances-"

"AND I DON'T WANT THAT! Why won't they look at the pain and suffering when I asked that I wanted to be redeemed? Yes, till this point. I don't necessarily think that what I did was wrong. I did that only to survive."

"You sound entitled." Rewen let out a tired sigh. "Anyways, like I said, good luck. For your next life."

Asen fell quiet.

"Ha…? Where am I?" Banci's eyes opened. He raised his arm to rub his eyes to see clearer. "Ah!! Where is my hand!?" 

Shocked, he lifted his other hand and fell silent for a while. Soon, a face emerged above his own. "Asen? W-what's going on? Where are my hands?"

"Can you feel your legs?"

"..."

"The target did this."

Forcing himself to calm down, Banci opened his mouth. "Why didn't I die because of blood loss?"

"Because he healed you after cutting off your limbs."

It took a full minute for Banci to understand the entire situation. He looked towards the red-haired young man who was sharpening his own sword. "You are going to kill us today, right?"

Compared to Asen, Banci was much more calm towards the development. 

"How did you sleep?" Rewen dodged the question.

"You will likely not live past today. Unless you got something hidden." Banci was quite surprised at the courage of this young man. 

"Of course, I got something hidden." Rewen got up with the giant sword in his right hand and the dagger on his left. He then walked to Banci. "It's you."

"Me?" Banci didn't get what he was trying to say. His eyes moved around and all of a sudden, his face lit up.

"They came?" Rewen guessed seeing Banci's face.

Banci nodded without looking at him.

Rewen went on to pick him up which confused all of the squad.

"What are you planning to do?" Banci was enraged. 'Could he be planning to…'

"Boss, both of them are alive!" Muniba grinned widely.

The Boss, however, had a grim face.

Rewen looked towards the two new squad members and put his dagger around Banci's neck. "Take a single step and I'll kill him."

Muniba couldn't believe what was happening. He turned to the Boss. "B-Boss, what should I do?"

Asen was similarly shocked.

Contrary to everyone's expectations, the Boss started laughing. "HAHAHAHA! If you want to kill him, kill him. Do you think that we cannibals have human emotions? In fact, taking a hostage is the worst thing you could do when the squad is full of cannibals! I can't believe this stupidity."

Hearing that, Muniba got nervous but Asen's eyes brightened. Unlike the former, the latter can see the deeper side. 'We are already crippled. I don't think that there's any point in living any longer. Even if the Boss does save him, he wouldn't want to live."

Looking at the dagger near his neck, Banci gave a hollow laugh.