When Power had failed him, he disdained it, but now, when Intelligence did, it taught him a lesson instead.
║ Fair enough║
Turning away to look into the distance, there was nothing but the high-rising trees all around him.
"A forest...so weird." He muttered to himself.
This was Year 7005.
The World was more than advanced, and places with natural vegetation like this were something kids would go on excursions for.
Some city Nvidians never even get to see it until they die, and Everlearn has never planned on ever stepping into such a place.
But now that he thinks of it:
What better place to dispose of the corpses of illegally killed people than a place most never step into all their lives?
As much as he wanted to be out of here as soon as possible, he also knew the brutal reality:
Only mediocrity awaited him outside.
And if he was unlucky enough, he could even land back in the hands of the ones who had slain him.
And this time, there would be no second chances.
"Just one night, and I've grown my power by 2.5 times my previous self."
"Even amongst corers, I do not think this growth is normal," Everlearn mused.
"Staying will be dangerous, but the more time I spend completing missions and levelling up, the quicker I grow."
"And after some time, maybe strong enough to step out of this place, and start anew,"
With the conviction made, Everlearn set out to walk the path.
The system issued new missions once he completed the last, and he levelled up again and again, up until:
║They're finally here...║
=========================
VROOOM!
The silence of the forest broke as two sleek shapes rushed through, weaving low between the tall trees.
They looked like a mix between sleek sports cars and small spaceships, their smooth black and silvery bodies glowing faintly with neon crimson lights.
There were no wheels beneath them, yet they soared forward with ease, the leaves rustling below as if swept by an unseen current of air.
Soon, these flying pods came to a stop, exactly 30 meters away from a location where a pit could be seen.
In an instant, the engines went quiet, the ships settling gently onto the earth.
Their gleaming silver hatches parted, and they emerged.
There were a total of four, two from each pod, all dressed in cleaner outfits: matching jackets and trousers that gave them a sharp, unified look.
Two of them already wore large breathable masks tied to the back of their heads, while two of them held theirs in their hands instead.
In their hands, they held large dark bags as they inched closer to the pit.
All were men.
"Oh hell no, the smell's gotten even worse than the last time," one of the unmasked figures, a grey-haired man seemingly in his fifties, said, his nose wriggling in disgust as he hurriedly tried to wear the mask.
"Should have worn it before getting out at all,"
One from the other pod, a younger man about twenty-five, said, half his face hidden by the mask.
"Common sense, be so rare nowadays, man."
"Anyone with half a brain knows to do that; it's like Oran loses some of his fucking brain cells every time we take this side job."
Another man, the most burly of them, with eye-catching earrings that almost covered his entire left ear, spoke with obvious mockery in his tone.
"The old man just ain't cut for shit like this…"
The one who spoke this time was the second man, who wore no mask at all.
Even now, despite the horrible stench, he still wasn't wearing a mask, even as they drew closer to the pit."
"Y'all shut your bitch asses up!" Oran shut back at them.
"What type of motherfucker is cut out for disposing of unlucky brats' corpses!?"
Oran scoffed as they stepped closer to the pit, but the earring guy still responded.
"I don't know… maybe some big-balled motherfucker unafraid of getting his hands dirty for some quick cash."
They arrived around the pits, and the bags were dropped to the ground.
Pulling open the zipper, inside was another dark nylon bag, which they hauled out.
Turning it upside down, the content spilled out into the pit:
Various mangled human and beast body parts spilled out.
The features were twisted in horror, each drenched in its own blood as the nauseating smell increased by triple.
The men worked silently and quickly, tossing the corpses out bag by bag before zipping the nylon and packing them back into the bag.
"You see, Oran? Simple shit like this, and 2,000 Nvllars made. There ain't a much simpler job in the world," said the one man who remained unmasked, even as they dumped the corpses away.
Even though the smell was so nauseating that the others had to wear masks, he still laughed boisterously, his nose flaring as if he enjoyed the putrid stench.
"I don't know, Wyatt."
"I...I don't think I'm built for this; it gives me bloody nightmares for days after."
"But, on god though, the cash real good."
"Why you gon be getting nightmares?" Axl, ear-ringed guy, asked.
"Motherfucker, we ain't the ones who killed them."
"We're just helping dispose of their unlucky asses, giving them some peace in hell."
"I'd say we're doing the lord's job."
"Whatever. Let's get out of here already," Rollo, the youngest, said as they packed up the bags and turned to head back to the ship.
But then, they all came to a screeching stop.
Creeping slices settled into the forest air, broken only by the sound of two bags hitting the ground from shock.
"Psst, Wyatt," Oran whispered from the corner of his lips.
"Yeah?"
"Tell me I'm the only one seeing that dude resting on the ship."
"Nah, you ain't trippin',"