CHAPTER 40: THE CHANGE

"Tch. Even after killing so many level 12 wolves, I couldn't reach level 11"

"Hmm... No other go it's the side effect of absorbing God's blood. I need to gather double the amount of experience than the normal person for each level up"

Talking to himself, Taylor dissected all wolves that died in his hands neatly and gather all the valuable resources, "Seven demonic beasts core, it will fetch a good price to buy the things I want"

Remembering the sorry being in the corner of the cave, he shouted, "just how long are you gonna weep sitting there"

Michelle reclaiming her sanity shouted,

"Until Pam and others come here"

"It will take at least an hour, so why don't you dissect all these wolves you killed"

She looked at the three wolves with a burnt hole on their head, "I don't know how to do. You are proficient so help me"

"Hey, you know how I work", Taylor rubbed his hands.

She pointed at the wolves,

"You can take your pick"

He looked at her like an idiot,

"Nah... The most valuable part of demonic beasts is their core and you have already damaged all their core, so what's the use for me"

"You are the one who said that their head is the weak spot"

"Yes! But I didn't tell you to shoot at their demonic core. Look, you have perfectly hit all the cores"

Show threw a coin pouch at him,

"How about 50 Gold coins"

"You sure are rich, but what I want is valuables, not money.", he threw the pouch back at her, "How about that longbow?"

She hugged the longbow tightly,

"No way, it's a gift from my big brother"

He waved his hands, "Then we don't have a deal"

"How about I let you pick two things from the Boss"

Taylor lost his cool, "Really! Are you sure?"

"Of course. I don't lie"

"Okay", Taylor readily agreed because Zeraf is a level 18 warrior. And with him on their side, killing the boss would be easy. He can profit without even lifting his finger as long as he stayed with Michelle.

Rounding up the three wolves he gave the beast parts to Michelle who stores away them in her storage ring.

They both waited for about twenty minutes are so and Taylor started to become bored, so he called out to her,

"Miche! Miche!"

Not getting any response, he called her again, "Hey, pussy cat"

Michelle flipped out, "Don't keep weird names for me"

She was still referring to the moment she invited Taylor to join their party.

Making her calm down, he asked eagerly,

"Okay! I won't. So how about we rush into the next cave"

She stood up alarmed, "What are you? a fool. I'm already shivering from the sheer thought of battling with 10, level 12 wolves independently. Now you want to challenge level 13 wolves are you mad"

Not waiting for his reply she walked out to the tunnel, "No this won't do, im going back"

"What do you mean battling alone, I was there with you", hearing him, she stopped his steps and looked back and shouted,

"That's the thing that frightened me the most"

"It's boring. I'm going in, you stay put here until everyone comes here", saying that Taylor walked towards the tunnel, "But for the record, if some wolf escaped and rushed here while I was battling, be alert. They will rush this way, and it will find you before you reach, Pam and others"

"What! Joker! you demon! stop! Don't go! Please wait for me", knowing full well the danger she ran behind Taylor because he is powerful, "Damn, Pam and that old man"

"Hachum", a sneezing sound echoed the empty cave, Taylor and Michelle just left, " he did the opposite of what I asked him too. But that attack is powerful than what they teach in the palace"

Michelle catching up to Taylor asked,

"Are you sure you can kill them?"

Taylor smiled, "Didn't you brag to me that you were level 12 and I'm just level 10? So show some backbone"

"This isn't about the backbone. These beasts are a level above me"

"Yesterday, you didn't flinch when two-level 10 warriors died and gave orders boldly. Now you stand like a chicken"

"Chicken!", she felt her life burn away the more she talks with Taylor, "I was taught that way. I can command people to battle for the victory, but no one ever said about me standing in the front line"

"So that's the problem. You think being a strategist means you won't be staining your hands with blood and the people who die are for the greater cause of you, top peoples.", he became irritated, "Let me tell you, your hands are stained already with the blood of two who died yesterday"

"Why are saying it like im the bad guy!", the guilt she felt yesterday whined up her more as he told it directly, "In war dead is inevitable. If you wanna win a war, you have to sacrifice some of your forces"

"Who is the one that taught you about war and strategies?"

"Well, my brother and my teachers. They are people proficient in war tactics. They have won countless battles for peace of our country and people"

"By sacrificing people, you won the peace", the thing Taylor hates the most is war.

"Don't point the fingers at me. You were standing still behind me yesterday if you had this much power couldn't you have saved them", Michelle lost her composure, "You say we are bad guys, then what about you, hypocrite"

"Chicken finally talks", commenting her Taylor started to talk, but then he stooped.

"Well, what you say is absolutely correct. But why didn't I save them," this question struck Taylor himself anew, many questions started to bundle upon his head,

'Is it because I don't care whether they live or die'

'Is it because I know I can escape this dungeon even if I was left alone'

'Is it because I have the power to look down on others'

'Is it because I thought it's her responsibility to protect the people she brought into the dungeon'

'Is it because I don't want to create any more butterfly effects, maybe I don't want to change the things randomly and crumble the plan I'm creating in my mind'

'Is it because I became numb of deaths after all the deaths I saw in my past'

"I'm a hypocrite", Taylor stood straight from the place they hid outside the cave.

Noticing that Taylor's eyes behind the mask turn red, Michelle tried to calm him down, "Joker, I just said that in a spur of the moment. Don't take it to your heart"

"No, what you said is correct. I have changed a lot", shaking his head Taylor shifted his eyes to the wolves inside the cave, "This is something I should have realized faster. I lost myself. I forget why I'm even existing"

"To change"

A great amount of power enveloped Taylor as black smoke started appearing around his mask and warblade.

"Stop! What are you doing?", she was worried the wolves would sense their presence.

Not hearing her shout, Taylor started to walk into the cave,

"That's right I have changed"

"I became numb of blood and death"

Horns started to grow on the skull mask on his face, "I came back to change things, yet I'm afraid of change. I wanted things to go on like the past so that I can easily attain victory"

"So childish of me"

Zing...

Taylor draw his warblade from its scabbard sheath, the warblade was completely shrouded by black mana, even the demonic wolves inside the cave started to move back in fear,

"I have to change everything and wreak havoc so none of the past repeats itself"