Arjun packed in silence.
Which didn't take long, because he owned very little now. Some spare clothes. Bread he hadn't asked for. A blanket he absolutely planned to keep.
"I'm leaving," he told the system.
[Clarification requested.]
"I'm retiring," Arjun said. "Somewhere quiet. No villages. No questions. Ideally no titles."
[You are aware attention tends to follow you.]
"That's not my fault."
[It may still occur.]
He slung the bundle over his shoulder and slipped out before sunrise.
No speeches. No announcements.
For the first time in days, no one was watching.
It felt incredible.
Chapter 32: The Forest That Was Too Helpful
The forest should have been dangerous.
Instead, it was… polite.
Branches bent away from his face. Thorns avoided his sleeves. When he tripped, the ground was soft in a very suspicious way.
Arjun stopped walking.
"…System."
[Yes.]
"Is the forest cooperating with me."
[Environmental alignment detected.]
"That's not a thing."
[It is becoming one.]
He sighed and kept going.
By sunset, he was tired.
He sat down.
A fallen log rolled slightly, positioning itself like a bench.
Arjun stared at it.
"…I didn't ask."
[You were uncomfortable.]
"That doesn't mean—"
[Comfort optimization in progress.]
He slept under a tree.
When he woke up, there was a shelter.
Not a good one.
But definitely a shelter.
Chapter 33: Retirement Lasts One Day
Arjun woke refreshed.
That alone should have been a warning.
Birds chirped. The air was cool. Nothing hurt.
"This is it," he said softly. "This is my life now."
Then he heard voices.
Human voices.
"…No."
He stepped outside.
A small group stood near the trees. Villagers. A few familiar faces.
Then the hero stepped forward.
"You chose exile," the hero said reverently.
"I chose peace," Arjun replied.
The villagers bowed.
"He withdrew to observe from afar," someone whispered.
Arjun felt something inside him break.
"I LEFT BECAUSE I WAS TIRED."
They nodded.
"Such clarity."
[Cult interpretation intensifying.]
"I hate this world."
Chapter 34: You Can't Retire From Being a Concept
They stayed.
Not close. Not invasive.
Just… present.
Watching. Waiting.
Arjun paced.
"Why are you here."
"To ensure you are undisturbed," the hero said earnestly.
"That's the opposite of what's happening."
The hero frowned. "We are protecting your stillness."
"I don't have stillness," Arjun snapped. "I have anxiety."
The hero bowed.
"An inner trial."
Arjun gave up and sat down.
[Symbolic role stabilizing.]
"Stop stabilizing me."
[Unable.]
Chapter 35: The Gods Try Again (Worse This Time)
That night, Arjun dreamed.
Not the normal kind.
This one had weight.
Shapes pressed in from the dark—vast, irritated.
"YOU CANNOT WITHDRAW."
Arjun yawned.
"I already did."
"YOU WILL ACT."
"No."
The pressure increased.
[System intrusion detected.]
"YOU WILL GUIDE."
"I'm lost," Arjun said honestly.
The dream fractured.
He woke up with the system already active.
[I blocked further access.]
"…Thanks."
[They were disrupting your rest.]
"That's… considerate."
[Conclusion: Your comfort remains priority.]
Arjun stared at the dark ceiling.
"…You're changing."
[So are you.]
He wasn't sure he liked that.