Chương 21: Rakesh & Quests

Samira walked through the small, eerily quiet village. Only a handful of people were out, and their presence felt uneasy. She spotted a woman carrying a laundry basket and approached, intending to ask where Esha and Drishti had gone. But the moment their eyes met, the woman went stiff with fear.

"I don't know anything!" she stammered before bolting away. Samira's concern deepened. Something was very wrong. This place felt different from every village they had visited before. After five tense minutes of searching, she finally found Esha and Drishti emerging from a building. Esha's face was red with fury.

"Who is in charge here? Get them here now!" she barked at the woman who had been leading her around. The woman nodded frantically before scurrying away. Samira stepped beside her.

"What is going on?"

"This place is disgusting," Esha spat.

"Everyone is scared senseless. I don't even know how this village is still standing." She began pacing in frustration, her anger barely contained.

"I think we should tell Joe to come," Drishti suggested hesitantly.

"We might…"

"No," Esha cut in sharply.

"We can handle this. This is our country. We can't rely on him to solve every problem we encounter." Drishti nodded reluctantly. She knew Esha was right. They couldn't burden Joe more than they already had. Five more minutes passed. Esha's patience snapped. She stormed off in the direction the woman had run.

"Where the hell is she!" she shouted. Spotting another villager hurrying by, she grabbed her arm. The woman froze, looking like she instantly regretted leaving her house.

"Tell me where the person in charge is. Which house?" The woman shakily pointed toward the side of the village. Esha released her and stormed off.

"Esha, calm down. You don't need to scare everyone," Samira pleaded. But even she could feel anger bubbling inside her just from being in this village. Esha kicked open the door to the woman's indicated house and strode inside.

"Who is here?" she demanded. A shuffling noise came from the back room, followed by a yelp. Then, a huge man emerged. His eyes flickered between them. He stepped back when he saw the fury burning in Esha's gaze.

"I don't know why you're angry, but there seems to be a misunderstanding," the man said cautiously. Samira narrowed her eyes and identified him. Identify: Rakesh, Human level 45 He was a higher level than both her and Esha.

"There is no misunderstanding. Explain to me what is going on here!" Esha growled, her voice sharp with frustration.

"Now, now, Esha. Take it easy. Please sit down, and I will explain the situation. You have caught us at a bad moment, that's all." Rakesh said smoothly. Samira exchanged a wary glance with Drishti. The man's calm demeanour didn't sit right with her. There was something off, something hidden beneath his polished words.

"Esha, let me handle this," Samira said softly, placing a steadying hand on her friend's shoulder. Esha's jaw tightened, her fury barely contained, but she relented, stepping back to stand beside Drishti, her posture tense.

"I apologise for my companion's anger," Samira said, inclining her head slightly toward Rakesh.

"We are on a journey west of here, and we just stopped by to see if we could offer any help to those in need."

"We are doing fine," Rakesh replied with a too-easy smile that sent a chill down her spine. It was too practiced. Too empty.

"Our hunters are out currently, so we have managed to get what we need. Where are you from?"

"Damua," Samira answered, keeping her tone neutral.

"We recently came into good fortune, and our village has expanded; we have room for you all if you can make the journey there. It is much safer than here." Rakesh's smile didn't waver, but his eyes narrowed slightly.

"What kind of good fortune could you possibly have?" His tone was flat, dismissive.

"Everywhere is just as bad as here." Samira clenched her teeth. He was brushing her off, not even considering the offer.

"I can assure you, our village is much safer," she replied, keeping her voice steady.

"A Progenitor recently visited us and built up our defences." At the mention of Progenitor, Rakesh froze. His posture stiffened, and his expression shifted to something unreadable.

"Progenitor?" he repeated, his voice quieter yet sharp.

"Who is this Progenitor?"

"His name is Joe, and he is from…"

"A man!" Rakesh's shout cut through the room like a blade. His sudden outburst startled Samira, and his eyes darted around the space wildly. He's scared, she realized.

"Yes," she said cautiously.

"He's just outside the village. I can call him over: he would like…" She never got to finish. Rakesh lunged forward with terrifying speed, closing the distance between them in a heartbeat. Before she could react, his hand was around her neck, his grip like iron. Samira gasped, clawing at his arm as her vision blurred, black spots blooming at the edges.

"Esha!" she heard herself croak just before Esha's furious scream pierced the air. Rakesh's expression was a mask of cold anger as he turned and, with a brutal motion, hurled Samira into the nearest wall. The impact sent a wave of searing pain through her body as furniture exploded and the wall cracked. Darkness engulfed her as she crumpled to the ground, unconscious. __ Joe had just stepped into the village when Drishti's panicked message appeared in the chat. [Joe, help! He attacked Samira; he's a diver!] - Drishti. The words sent a jolt of adrenaline through him. He sprinted forward, his heart pounding in his chest. Their dots weren't on his mini-map; they had to be inside one of the houses. Kicking in a door, he scanned the room before moving on. Shit! Another empty house. His panic rose as he kicked down yet another door, only to find nothing. Turning a corner, he spotted a house with a smashed-open door. Esha's scream pierced the air from within.

Joe's stomach dropped as he bolted toward the sound, entering the building in a blur. The scene inside made his blood boil. Samira lay slumped against a wall, unconscious, with Drishti beside her, desperately trying to get her to swallow a healing pill. Across the room, a hulking man knelt over Esha, pinning her to the ground with one hand at her throat. His other fist raised, ready to strike her bloodied face again. Joe didn't think; he acted.

His body moved with blinding speed, and before the man could swing, his kick connected squarely across the man's body. The force of the blow snapped the arm holding Esha in place and sent the man flying backwards into the wall. He hit it with a sickening crunch, blood spurting from his mouth as he crumpled to the floor. Joe handed Esha a healing pill, his movement brisk but gentle.

"Take this," he said firmly before rising to his feet. His attention shifted to the man groaning on the ground. Crossing the room in a few strides, Joe grabbed him by the neck and hauled him into the air like a rag doll. The man tried to speak, but only blood gurgled from his mouth, his groans weak and pitiful. Joe stared at him, rage burning in his eyes, but the anger began to fade as he looked closer. Why? Why had this man attacked them? He activated Identify and saw his class, Level 45 Berserker.

Disgusted, Joe released his grip, letting the man drop to the floor with a thud. He turned back to the others. Drishti had gotten Samira to swallow a healing pill, and the colour slowly returned to her face. Relief washed over him, but the tension lingered. Esha stormed over to where Joe stood and began kicking Rakesh in the stomach, her strikes landing with brutal force.

"How dare you touch me!" She screamed, her voice shaking with rage. Joe didn't move to stop her. In his mind, Rakesh deserved every ounce of fury Esha directed at him. This wasn't his judgment to make; it was hers. He stood silently, his expression grim, as Esha vented her anger. Eventually, she stopped, her breath ragged as she looked down at the now-unconscious Rakesh. She spat a curse at him before turning away and rushing over to Samira. Dropping to her knees, she pulled her into a tight hug.

"Are you okay?" she asked softly, her voice filled with worry. Joe, meanwhile, approached Drishti.

"What happened here?" he asked, his tone low but urgent. Drishti quickly recounted the conversation and her growing suspicions about Rakesh's behaviour. Joe's stomach churned as he pieced together her assumptions.

"So, you think he's been…" His voice trailed off, unable to finish the thought. Esha finished it for him, her tone dripping with disgust, "He's been abusing these women. That's why they were so scared of you." A wave of nausea washed over Joe as he turned to look at the crumpled figure of Rakesh on the ground. His hands clenched into fists at his sides. The thought of what this man might have done, the pain and fear he could have inflicted, made his blood boil anew.

"I will agree with whatever you decide to do with him," he said truthfully, his voice cold and steady. As far as he was concerned, if their assumptions were right, the man was as good as dead. Joe had never killed anyone and had only seen a dead body once, but all his compassion went out the window. No man who did that deserved to live in his eyes.

"We should talk with the villagers first," Samira said firmly, her voice measured despite her weariness.

"We must find out exactly what's been happening here before making rash decisions." Drishti nodded in agreement.

"The women here deserve a chance to tell their story," she added softly. Joe glanced at Rakesh's limp form, his jaw tightening.

"I'll stay here and keep an eye on this guy," he said, dragging a chair across the room. He sat down heavily, his gaze fixed on the unconscious man. His anger simmering beneath the surface. Joe stared at the wall above Rakesh as the egg on his back pulsed angrily.

"Don't worry; Esha will decide what to do," he said, to which the egg pulsed once in agreement. It was a little odd talking to an egg, but then the whole world was odd now. After about ten minutes, the man stirred, coughing weakly as blood dribbled from his lips. His gaze eventually landed on Joe, who was sitting across the room, silently watching him. The man didn't move, his body still as if a predator were assessing its prey.

"Are you the progenitor?" Rakesh asked after several minutes of tense silence. Joe didn't respond. The audacity. This man thought he could casually talk to him after what he might have done. Without a word, Joe let his Aura loose for the first time since Drishti had taught him how to suppress it. The sheer force of his overwhelming strength filled the room, heavy and suffocating. Rakesh's eyes widened in terror, his breath hitching as Joe's Aura crashed over him like a tidal wave.

Joe said nothing, his piercing gaze fixed on the man, his silence louder than any words could be. Rakesh trembled. He didn't dare speak again. The silence was broken as Esha appeared, pausing in the doorway. Joe withdrew his Aura and gestured for her to come in.

"Everything okay?" He asked, his tone neutral. Esha nodded curtly, but her sharp gaze shifted to Rakesh. The man's breathing quickened, his fear escalating into a panic as she approached. His wide eyes darted between her and Joe, realizing too late that his fate had already been sealed. Without a word, Esha pulled a knife from her belt and drove it into the man's neck with unflinching precision. A gurgling sound escaped his throat as blood poured from the wound.

The life drained from him quickly, and the tension in the room lifted with his final breath. Esha pulled the knife free, wiped the blood clean on Rakesh's clothes, and turned to Joe.

"Let's go," she said, her voice steady. She strode out of the house without looking back. Joe stood, casting one last glance at the lifeless body on the floor. He followed Esha outside, the cool air hitting him as he put all thoughts of what had just happened to the back of his mind. Joe sat just south of the village for a few hours, using Nature's Flourish to grow fruit-bearing plants. Occasionally, he had to kill the Beasts that wandered too close, but otherwise, he remained focused on his task.

His presence wasn't needed inside the village. The women were still in shock over Rakesh's death, and another man around only made them more uneasy. Joe trusted his companions to handle the aftermath. His role was simple, make pills, grow food, and cook. Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator. He handed some freshly cooked meat to Drishti, who smiled before taking it back to feed the villagers.

Every so often, she returned to check on him, updating him on their plans to relocate the women to the previous village. Joe simply nodded. Whatever they wanted, he would go along with it. Thirty minutes later, Esha sent a message. [We're coming out.] Joe got moving. He cleared the way of any wandering Beasts, staying out of sight of the villagers. The journey to the previous village took only an hour, thanks to the boost in energy the villagers had after their first proper meal in months.

Soon, Drishti bid farewell to the last villager before rejoining Esha, Samira, and Joe as they continued westward. For the rest of the day, conversations were muted, filled with quiet reflection. Nightfall - Tapi River, North of Ratnapur. As night settled, they made camp on the northern banks of the Tapi River. Joe took the first watch, ignoring the protests of his companions and forcing them to rest. Eventually, exhaustion won out, and the three drifted into deep sleep.

It had been a long, emotionally draining day. Joe had also started noticing something strange, he no longer needed as much sleep. Two hours a day now felt enough for him. So he spent most of the night working. With a fire burning low, he sat by the river, performing Alchemy and crafting pills. After six hours, Esha woke up and forced him to nap. He didn't argue; he simply lay down and closed his eyes. Two hours later, as the first light of dawn crept across the horizon, he awoke. Rested.

Revitalized and ready for the next day of their journey. [Are you ever going to tell us your class?] - Esha. [Okay, fine, but all of you are sworn to secrecy. You must all swear on your lives not to tell anyone.] - Joe. Joe had been dreading this moment. He knew what was coming. [My class is… Farmer.] - Joe. Silence. They all just kept running. Joe blinked. Was that it? No reaction? Was he worried about nothing… With a loud crash, Esha suddenly tripped over her own feet, hitting the ground hard.

She didn't get up. Instead, she rolled around, laughing so hard it echoed through the open fields. The loudest laugh Joe had ever heard. Joe regretted ever coming to India. A few hours later… Joe sat in the middle of a village, his head in his hands.

"Who is that man?" a villager asked, pointing at him.

"Oh, him? He's just a homeless farmer we picked up along the way. Ignore him," Esha said, waving the villagers along. This was the fourth village today. And every. Single. Time. All three had done nothing but introduce him as some homeless farmer. Joe wondered if he could somehow grow poisonous mushrooms. By midday, the group was running just south of the city of Dhule. They had passed the halfway point, and everything was going as planned. If they kept this pace, they could reach Mumbai by morning.

There were a lot fewer inhabited villages between them and Mumbai. People were choosing to live as far away from the Boss Beast's territory as possible. [Heads up,] - Esha warned, spotting a group heading toward them. Joe glanced at his mini-map, and four new dots appeared, moving straight for them. As the figures drew closer, he used Identify. Identify: Kabir, Human, Soldier level 49; Inaya, Human, Pugilist level 48; Deepak, Human, Assassin level 48; Fatima, Human, Arsonist level 48 Joe blinked. An assassin?

An Arsonist? This has to be the most suspicious group of people we've met so far, he thought. He almost wondered if this was some kind of prank by the system. Really system? Am I not supposed to be completely, absolutely, and entirely suspicious right now? [Soldier, Pugilist, Assassin, Arsonist,] - Joe. To their credit, his companions barely reacted, just a slight widening of the eyes as the group approached. [You can see classes?] - Samira. [Oh, right, yeah, I can. I forgot to mention.] - Joe.

Samira's silence was loud. Esha stepped forward as the strangers came within range.

"Hello." The frontman smiled.

"Hello, travellers. We are defenders from Malegaon; we came to check if everything was okay."

"Malegaon, huh? We are fine. There's no need to bother with us, we'll be on our way," Esha said, turning to leave. Joe and the others followed her lead. With his Progenitor title turned off, the newcomers barely glanced at him before focusing on Esha, clearly assuming she was in charge.

"Sorry. If you could wait a moment," Kabir, the highest level of the group, continued smoothly.

"We just had a few questions and wanted to share information."

"We're in a rush, and we don't know anything," Esha replied flatly.

"So we'll be on our way." She picked up the pace, jogging ahead. Then, Inaya, the woman at the rear of the other group, stepped forward, blocking Esha's path. A huge mistake. Esha punched her in the face. Inaya went flying to the side. Esha smiled and kept walking as if nothing had happened.

"You bitch!" Inaya snarled, scrambling to her feet, fury blazing in her eyes. She looked ready to lunge at any moment.

"Ladies, please!" Kabir interjected, his voice rising as he tried to diffuse the situation. He turned to Esha, raising his hands in a placating gesture.

"Just wait a moment; we only want to share information. There is no need to fight." His tone was calm, his stance non-threatening, but Joe's sharp eyes caught something suspicious. The Assassin accompanying Kabir had begun to fade, his form blurring until he vanished entirely. Joe moved on instinct. Activating Nature's Step, he disappeared in a blur, reappearing just behind where the Assassin had been. He swung his fist at the seemingly empty air.

His punch landed true with a sickening crunch, followed by a scream of pain as the man reappeared, clutching his now broken arm in agony. The sudden movement was all the signal Esha needed. Seizing the opportunity, she darted toward the second woman, the Arsonist. Her fist connected with the woman's face in a brutal punch, sending her sprawling to the ground. The Arsonist's body became an unintentional barricade, halting Inaya's charge.

But Inaya wasn't deterred; she leapt over her fallen comrade, her eyes fixed on Esha with unrelenting anger. She had, however, underestimated Esha's speed. In a fluid motion, Esha met Inaya mid-air with a powerful kick to her torso. The impact knocked the air from Inaya's lungs, and she crashed to the ground, clutching her midsection, gasping for breath. At that exact moment, Samira and Drishti moved in unison, lunging at Kabir. Samira swept at his legs, forcing him to jump to avoid the attack.

But his manoeuvre exposed him; he couldn't dodge the magic bolt fired by Drishti. The glowing projectile struck him square in the face, snapping his head back. All of this happened in a blur, the chaos unfolding in about three seconds. Joe stepped forward and grabbed the Assassin, who was still writhing from his broken arm. With a sharp motion, he slammed him into the ground, leaving the man groaning in pain. Samira, meanwhile, planted her boot firmly on Kabir's throat, pinning him in place.

Her voice was calm but laced with menace as she spoke.

"Now that greetings have been exchanged, what do you want with us? And let me be clear: if you tell one more lie, my foot will have a meeting with your face." Kabir stared up at her, blood dripping steadily from his broken nose. His breathing was laboured, but he forced out a response.

"This is… just a misunderstanding," he said, his voice strained and weak.

"We mean you no harm. We only wanted to ask you a few questions." Joe glanced at his mini-map, his eyes narrowing as three new dots appeared, heading straight toward them. [Three more heading this way to the west.] - Joe. Esha's gaze followed his, spotting the group rapidly closing in. [They look angry or worried; I can't tell. Joe?] - Esha. Joe didn't respond immediately. Instead, he leaned down and slapped the Assassin across the face a few times until the man fell unconscious. [I got them. Someone make sure this guy doesn't go invisible again.] - Joe sent before focusing on the incoming group. Activating Nature's Step, he appeared directly before the three newcomers. His sudden arrival caused them to skid to a halt, their expressions a mix of shock and alarm. Joe didn't waste any time.

"You with them?" He asked coldly, letting a fraction of his Aura seep out. The lead woman, a stern-faced figure with sharp eyes, immediately raised her hands.

"No!" she shouted.

"We came to warn you, but we were too late. You can't trust anything they say!" Her voice was desperate, but her words carried conviction. Joe stared at the woman, his brow furrowing in confusion.

"Explain quickly," he said curtly, glancing back over his shoulder to check on the others. [They say they aren't with them; they came here to warn us.] - Joe.

"We received a quest," the woman said urgently.

"To help the Progenitor heading to Mumbai. That group," She pointed at the four lying on the ground.

"They have a quest to stop you." Joe's mind processed her words. Quests? One to stop, one to help? He swore internally, the idea gnawing at his nerves. [She claims they got a quest to help us, and the four we beat up got a quest to stop us. Thoughts?] - Joe.. The woman opened her mouth to continue, but Joe raised a hand to silence her.

"One moment, we are discussing," he said flatly, offering no further explanation. Drishti was the first to respond. [Weird things have been happening since you arrived.] [But a quest to stop us? That doesn't sound like something that could happen.] - Samira. [Actually, I get weird quests like that all the time.] - Joe. [I don't think this lady is lying.] [So this is your fault?] - Esha. [Yeah, most likely.] - Joe.

"Farmers!" Esha shouted. __ Kabir sat bound tightly in vines alongside his three comrades. The vines felt stronger than steel, rendering even the slightest movement impossible. Their plan had unravelled in mere seconds. Why were these people so untrusting? They hadn't even managed to say a word to lower their guard. Frustration simmered within him as he silently cursed the system for giving them this absurd quest. What had been the point of it all?

Kabir had always considered himself strong, perhaps the strongest in all of India. But that High Human, the Progenitor, was on an entirely different level. How he dealt with Deepak was almost humiliating, as though he were toying with a child. And when he had tied them up, that strange power he released… Kabir shuddered at the memory. It had left him paralyzed with fear, teetering on the edge of passing out. Never again, he vowed. He would never accept another quest involving a Progenitor.

__ Nithya nodded as she carefully listened to Esha's instructions.

"With me on point. Ravindra will take my left, Hema my right, and Nithya will run support from the rear. Stay within thirty meters from my position at all times, understand?" Esha's tone was sharp.

"Yes, we understand," Nithya replied, masking her irritation.

"Good. Be thankful Farmer Joe allowed you to tag along. If the choice were mine, I'd have left you behind." Esha added curtly, turning on her heel.

"We leave in ten minutes. Be ready." Nithya watched the woman stride away, her back rigid with authority. Where had it all gone wrong? She had been doing perfectly fine before this. Then the system dropped this quest into her lap, and now she was stuck taking orders from a basic class holder, a lower-level one, no less. It made her want to scream.

"It's just for one day," she muttered, ensuring no one could hear her. Just one day, and she'd have a shiny, new, legendary skill book. Surely, it was worth putting up with this insufferable woman. Her gaze shifted to the Progenitor, the Englishman. He spoke Hindi fluently, though his accent was unusual, and his sense of fashion… she struggled to keep a straight face. A fur cloak, sunglasses covered in what looked like spider silk, and was that a giant red egg strapped to his back? She sighed.

Today couldn't possibly get any stranger. __ Joe stepped out of the last village for the day, the sun casting long shadows as the now seven-person group moved toward the final stretch of their journey. By this time tomorrow, they'd reach Mumbai. He glanced at Esha, who was already barking orders at her disgruntled recruits to deal with a group of four Cocodines blocking their path. Joe couldn't help but feel a twinge of sympathy for them, but only a twinge.

After all, they had brought this upon themselves by accepting some random system quest. Nithya, in a moment of poor judgment, had let slip that their quest reward was contingent on their arriving in Mumbai before late afternoon tomorrow. Esha had wasted no time capitalizing on this information, promptly threatening to extend their stay in the nearest town unless Nithya agreed to her terms. Joe watched the party chat flow in dismay. [Whatever rewards they receive tomorrow, I'm going to take.] - Esha. [Esha! You can't rob them; they came to help us.] - Drishti. [It's not robbery; they won't even get a reward if we stop and choose to arrive in the evening. So if we get there on time, it's our reward, not theirs.] - Esha. [That is the most roundabout way of robbing someone I have ever heard of.] - Joe. [Shut up, Farmer. The Women are having a discussion.] - Esha. Joe looked up from the party chat just in time to see Esha glance over her shoulder and wink at him.

He rolled his eyes, deciding then and there that he wanted absolutely no part in whatever scheme they were concocting. That night, Joe sat at the small camp they had made, taking the first watch as usual. Esha, Drishti, and Samira were sound asleep nearby. This time, however, he had company. Nithya, a level 46 Arcanist, had taken the first watch for her group. She was the highest level among the three who had come to their aid.

She watched in quiet curiosity as Joe completed another Mana Pill, then tossed it over to her. She caught it effortlessly and examined it. Item: Common Mana Pill. Restores some mana Joe could now make common-grade pills. They took a little longer to make, but restored more than triple the amount compared to the basic ones.

"So you can make these using your profession? The same one that makes everything around us grow?" Nithya asked.

"Yep, pretty handy," Joe replied.

"Though it's hard to keep a low profile when people can just follow the trail of fresh grass and trees pointing straight to me like an arrow." Nithya nodded, her expression thoughtful. She still wasn't sure what to make of him. Joe could tell. But she was easy to talk to. She gave off a calm and knowledgeable air, that of someone who knew what they were doing.

"So, what was it like inside a tutorial gate?" Joe asked. Nithya's expression darkened.

"It was the most horrible experience of my life." She didn't hesitate or sugarcoat her words.

"The first few days were simple enough; this little fairy whizzed around teaching us about the system, skills, stats, and classes. But when we got our first quests… That's when people started dying." Joe listened in silence.

"The beasts were all level twenty-five, and we were only level one; it was a complete slaughter. The fairy kept screaming that this was wrong! Why were the beasts level twenty-five? But it couldn't do anything. It couldn't stop almost everyone from dying." She fell silent for a moment.

"A few of us escaped and hid. Days passed, weeks. Then, finally, the system opened up the exits for us, and we ran for our lives. Only to find out later that the beasts started to follow." She fell silent. A small fire crackled between them, the weight of her words lingering in the air. Joe shook his head. What kind of hell tutorial gate was that? No wonder they all failed to clear any. For the first time, he felt grateful, grateful that he had only been tortured for two months.

At least he hadn't been thrown into an unwinnable scenario like everyone else.

"I'm sorry," he said, voice low, sincere.

"That sounds truly horrific."

"I take it you didn't enter a tutorial gate?" she asked. Her eyes narrowed slightly.

"How did you become a Progenitor?"

"I got stuck somewhere for a year and a half. That's all I can tell you," he said. He didn't feel like explaining any more than that. She nodded and accepted his words.

"Are you going to fight the Alpha Snake?" She asked, her voice tinged with curiosity.

"Did you just say snake?" He asked in surprise.

"Yes. It's called an Alpha Constetippon. But it is a giant snake."

"I probably should have asked. Then again, I bet Esha wanted to see my surprised face when I first saw it." Joe replied, rubbing his temples. Nithya rolled her eyes.

"How do you even tolerate that woman?" Joe chuckled softly.

"She's only like that to strangers. Once you get to know her, she's… tolerable." He hesitated, as though even he wasn't entirely convinced by his words.

"I'd rather finish this quest and never see her again," Nithya said bluntly, folding her arms. Joe didn't reply, letting the silence hang between them. He knew Esha and Samira's plan to rob Nithya and her group wasn't exactly a nice thing to do, but he also wasn't about to intervene. They had made their choices, just like Nithya had made hers. Still, chatting longer with someone he was about to rob felt a tad backstabby. He looked up at the sky, now streaked with the last hues of twilight.

Tomorrow was going to be an interesting day.