Chapter 66: Eye-Opener

132-X tried to contain his frustration and confusion as much as he could, but even that had its limits. After being forcefully confronted with the truth, the child broke down, unable to withstand the goddess words.

Oyue took no pity on him. She bombarded her with truths that shook-up the reality he once knew. The goddess pitied her for everything that his been through, but she wanted him to know those things. The real things, the truth to get him out completely from his oblivious reality.

"You cannot save everyone, Adlaw-on." Oyue spoke, "Unless, you have the capability to save yourself."

132-X didn't seem to care of what he just heard. He stared blankly at the growing vegetation on the ground. He tried to reach for a blooming flower on the ground, but his hand only phased out of it. He really didn't care anymore at that point. To him, everything was nothing but lies.

The moon goddess didn't even bother to call his attention, she snapped her fingers to set the images to motion once again. Oyue stood beside him as he stared endlessly at the flower dancing on the soft breeze.

"Arellin, wait up!" One of his mimic's companion called out. "The black marsh is too deep and hard for us to move!"

"Nonsense!" the mimic replied. "You have been blessed by the gods that brought me here! You shall make it through!"

His companions' eyes rolled in silence as they continued to walk on the densely black waters of the marsh.

"Do not be afraid," the mimic said enthusiastically. "I have scanned the marsh for possible threats…and there is none!"

The mimic cruised the dark and heavy water without any problems. Why would he? He had a strength beyond the inhabitants of that world could ever have. Unfortunately for him, he was still very oblivious with the complaints of his comrades who sank neck deep while treading the swamp.

"What took you so long, Faranel?" He asked his dragonkin companion.

"M-my, A-arellin…we were sinking while treading that death pit!" He exclaimed in frustration while washing off the muck from the swamp.

The mimic looked at him and smiled, "You're fine! Look at you! You're blessed by the gods; a little hardship won't be that bad!" He fondly smacked his shoulder.

"One…two…where is Sherve?" Another companion asked. "W-where is that…Oh no! Sherve!"

Sherve of the Anglunrborns had been treading along with them, but because of her stature, she had a difficult time wading the weighing waters of the black marsh. She was last at the line and now she's gone.

"By the great gods! She sunk!" Faranel ran back towards the swamp.

The mimic caught him by the arm, "Let me do it, my friend!" He smiled.

He pushed the dragonkin to the side and waded back to the waters. Not a second past and the mimic held the poor Anglonborn in his arms, coughing from the vile waters. He laid her on the ground and perform his healing magic on her.

She coughed and vomited the black water she drank as she sunk down the swamp.

132-X's mimic smiled and tried to assure the damsel that everything will be alright. "Fear not Sherve, for I wi—"

Before the mimic could finish what he was saying, Sherve, went on and greeted his face with a powerful slap. The sound echoed across the swamp making a flock of swamp fowl fly away from the reeds. Most importantly, it silenced the entire party.

Faranel and the rest stood with a wide-open jaw. It was also the first time that Arellin failed with his Silver Tongue ability, and that baffled him. He tried to speak but the words can't seem to go out from his mouth.

The sound of the slap also caught 132-X's attention. He finally snapped back to reality and remembered this very moment.

"Y-you!" Sherve yank the mimic's sleeve so she could try and get the tall hero down to her face. Alas, she wasn't strong enough to yank him down. Instead of that she opted to point at him and spit on his face.

"You! Yes, you Mr. Hero!" She started. "Why did you have to take this road?"

As 132-X recalled, she got no answer from him. He remembered staring at her in shock with what he just witnessed. He was in a state of disbelief. For the first time, someone resisted his skill and shockingly, it was a girl! It was not a king, not a noble knight, not a priest, not the evil sorcerer nor the Necron King but a girl. A pint-sized human filled with attitude to match the skills his former self had at that point. She was a little warrior with guts enough to make any man tremble before her.

"Oy! Are you even listening?!" She slapped him again. "Why are you being too inconsiderate about us, huh? Do you what's the difference between a 30-day journey from a 10-day journey?"

The mimic touched his face still shock from the slap. He tried to compose himself. He cleared his throat to speak but the raging little firecracker told him to keep silent.

"You don't have to answer that!" She said. "Lemme get that one for you! THE DIFFERENCE IS SAFETY! WHAT STARTED AS A FIVE MAN JOURNEY MAY END UP WITH ONLY A FEW OF US SURVIVING! And for what? Because you wanted to finish the quest as quickly as possible! YOU SELFISH PIECE OF—"

"That's enough,Lady Sherve!" Faranel butted in and stopped the enraged girl's ramblings. "Arellin, it's been a long day for us, I think we should camp here."

The mimic nodded as the dragonkin dragged Sherve into a far corner while still firing curses at him.

132-X suddenly broke a sad smile, "Sherve…" he sighed.

Oyue glanced at him and asked, "Are you okay now?"

132-X nodded silently. He still couldn't believe everything that happened. It's still all too new for him. His mind cannot comprehend the truth presented to him by the goddess and until now, it still made no sense to him.

But somehow, Sherve's voice got him out of the despair he slowly sank into. The sound of her slap made him realized something the same way that he did on that fateful day. He began to see his companions not just as means towards the goal, but also as something else entirely.

He didn't know it at that time, and he didn't understand what it was up until this point. They journeyed for another nine days and during that time, it became apparent to him that he was certainly in love with her.

Following the incident, he remembered him becoming mellow towards his party members, showing them his caring side and making sure they weren't in any inconvenience as they moved along the forest. It was also that time he wanted to get close with the Anglonborn. It took him a few days to do it.

First it was the awkward dialogue here and there until sometime later, on the fourth day of their journey, they became close with each other. Just as he was getting closer to her, 132-X knew that it won't be long when this little happiness would end… And end it did!

While crossing another swampy territory, they came across a serpent like monster that came close to obliterating their party, if it wasn't for his timely intervention. It was the first time he ever did it. He never was the type of person to save someone during the heat battle.

During his previous incarnations, his comrades fell or died for him. But this time, he went on died for them. With Sherve almost close to dying, he immediately sprung into action and performed an elemental spell that unfortunately, didn't worked on the beast.

He used his shield to cover them both from the incoming fang, but the mystical creature was proven to strong to the magic he used at that time. 132-X saw how his mimic fell, as the fang pierce through his armor and stabbed him in the heart.

He yelled at them asking them to leave him. Faranel and the others obliged, but not before dragging Sherve away from him as she reluctantly wanted to leave his side. It was the last time he would ever saw her face. His mimic died shortly after they left but not before giving the nasty serpent a blind eye with his sword.

"See, I died!" 132-X sighed. "Are you happy now?"

"You still missed the point, have you?" Oyue asked.

"Did you know how much scolding and reprimand I got for dying before my time came to pass?" He asked the goddess while crossing his arms. "A lot! Not just that, they took away my Silver Tongue ability along with it! You know why? Because I DIED before the planned time."

"They never taught you anything, have they?" Oyue took a deep breath while shrugging her shoulders. "What you did was a feat of sacrifice that the gods didn't expect from you!"

"And how is that supposed to be something I should…care about?" He raised his eyebrow.

"Well, it should—" Oyue snapped her fingers again.

132-X looked around as the scene abruptly changed. "Oh wonderful! This scene? Seriously?!"

"I want to make you understand something,"Oyue answered. "I want you to see things in a totally different perspective. Away from these gods' point of view."