Greth squinted his eyes, trying to see what was happening after seeing the boy with a pair of silver eyes he beamed with a smile and said.


    "Asher, what'' are you doing here so late at night? I was really concerned you didn''t come back today at all."


    Greth''s smile was like his usual warm and mischievous demeanor as if this whole situation was not weird at all.


    Kalvus looked at Greth and gave him an annoyed look.


    "Your dear customer just killed your men Greth and that''s all you have to say."


    Greth as if finally understanding the situation looked around the hall and finally saw you two men lying on the ground with their throats cut off.


    "Hmm yes, that''s something to be concerned about."


    Greth said casually as he walked toward Kalvus.


    "Why?... Why are you talking like this." I asked my voice shaking so much that I couldn''t even understand what I was saying myself.


    Greth looked confused for a moment then chuckled. "But I always talk like this lad, what''s gotten into you today? And all of you lower your weapons, this boy is my favorite customer, how dare you scare him."


    ''What is he talking about? What''s happening here.''


    Unconsciously I also lowered my sword but didn’t let go of it.


    "So, you are going to let go of him just like that," Kalvus asked in a relaxed manner, unlike others who had followed Greth''s orders he didn''t let go of his sword and kept it at his shoulder.


    "Of course I will, those two guys were new anyway I have not even paid them yet. So no loss at all ....Instead I was planning to let Asher join us. He came from the factory route right, that means he fought all the monsters before coming here."


    Kalvus nodded and said in a tone of relief "So if he had killed the escaped beast I don''t need to kill it anymore..that''s good to hear."


    "See we both are on the same page.." Greth nodded enthusiastically and looked toward me. "So what do you say want to join us."


    My hands were shaking and my breathing was heavy but not from fear, it was a different sensation altogether, something that I had never felt before.


    The longer I heard their conversation the more my heart ached in pain. The pain felt so bad.. so overwhelming that I wanted nothing more than to rip my heart out of my chest.


    "You... You didn’t answer me Greth why are you here."


    Greth frowned but soon shook his head as if understanding something.


    "Oh?... I see it''s like that the shock was too much for this poor kid, don''t worry let me explain."


    Greth dramatically raised his hand to his sides and said.


    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    "I run this small business... this small family Asher. And I want you to be a part of it."


    I took a deep breath, Kairosflow has already started working making my thoughts accelerate.


    ''I don''t have much origin left, I had tried to save it as much as possible but even with that I only have about 45% left....''


    I closed my eyes for a moment completing my plan on what to do now.


    In a heavy voice, I asked. "Explain...everything"


    Greth once again smiled as he felt satisfied.


    "I knew it! I know you would understand Asher we both are so alike. Are you my long-lost son or something?"


    ''Alike? What kind of bulishit is this now.'' I almost cursed out loud, the situation was far too bad for me to do something stupid now.


    "Ah, looks like you are not aware yet,.. that''s even funnier"


    Seeing Greth laugh Kalvus just shook his head in disappointment, everyone present here also looked at Greth as if seeing a rare animal in a zoo.


    "Alright let me explain. Have you heard of this phrase before it''s called? "Murder becomes a habit." This phrase actually tells my whole life story in a way. ...Funny isn''t it."


    "What are you even talking about? I don''t understand anything at all! How are we even the same.!"


    I tried- I truly did but in the end, my anger got the better of me. I don''t know if it''s due to the negative effect of the artifact or directly myself.


    But I shouted and demanded my answers.


    Greth''s eyes widened in surprise at my sudden burst of anger. I could see a flicker of ....disappointment in his eyes. But he remained calm and told in a serene and gentle tone like always.


    "Let me explain. Your condition is even worse than mine it looks like. That phrase refers to someone who had once solved their problems through murder, when another problem arises they will again try to solve it through murder, by the time they realize what they had done it''s already too late...Actually it doesn''t need to be murder done by themselves if they had witnessed it that also makes them an undeniable murderer."


    Taking a deep breath he concluded. "That''s my life story, Asher, you can interpret it as you wish, now do you understand what I meant when I said we both are the same."


    The room was eerily silent, the only sound was of my heart thumping against my chest.


    Greth''s words echoed in my mind, ''Murder becomes a habit''. The phrase itself was a noose tightening around my throat, each syllable a heavy stone adding to its weight.


    "I don''t. How did I even become a murderer by your definition, all I did was kill monsters who tortured innocents."


    Greth sighed and rolled his eyes. "What a bullshit Asher let me ask you this... When you killed those men do you even know what kind of face you were making... your face and hands may look clean of blood but look down upon your steps."


    Following his words I looked down in confusion, only for my eyes to widen.


    It was true my hands were clean so was my face, no splashes of blood had reached me from the time I came here. But– My footsteps were bloody, I had made blood stain marks without even realizing it. My legs shook for a moment as I took a step back another blood imprinted on the floor.


    Kalvus mused at this situation he was enjoying this show. Greth was not strong he was the weakest here in terms of strength. Yet his words were sharper than any blades, he was poking at the right place at the right time.


    In a cruel twist of fate, he trying to break Asher by his words, to corrupt him into like himself. What a scary fellow.


    Everyone here was looking at Asher wobble at his own two feet. But Asher stood his ground not falling from the shock.


    Greth seeing this chuckled, he was enjoying this game as well.


    "Now let me ask you once again what kind of face e do you think you are making right now Asher."


    ''What kind of face? One of disgust maybe?''


    "You are ....smiling. You grinning like a madman." Greth said in a solemn tone.


    "Asher you clearly are insane yet you try to act like a man filled with a sense of justice. As your elder let me give you some advice. Don''t justify your acts always be sure of what you do..... And don’t regret those choices."


    My world seems to spin at those words. A grin? A smile? I couldn''t recall my expression. But the more I thought about it, the more it made sense. The way the pain in my heart grew stronger with every beat, was a feeling of exhilaration, a twisted satisfaction that I had never felt before. Was this what it felt like to be a monster?


    "Ha! What a load of bullshit." I scoffed out loud this time.


    Greth seeing this frowned and scratched his head.


    "Oops! Look like I said too much."