Sitting alone on the steps of a destroyed house. Girium closed his eyes, ignoring the cries and begging of those around him.
What has happened can't be overturned. The dead won't come back, nor could a mere mortal like him heal the injuries of the injured.
He did what he could and now it was his time to rest.
The damage he sustained in the previous battle was immense, his skin was burned while his internal organs suffered some light injuries.
But for this to happen by fighting an underpowered God construct without any user to wield it. Girium understood that the goal he is pursuing is a hard one.
He will probably die if he keeps following this crazy goal. But he won't stop.
He can't stop.
Looking at the children who were the primary survivor of this tragedy. Girium understood how it would twist the young mind of these.
Some might even dream to pursue the same goal as he did. But eventually, they would stop and forget about the sad past.
A luxury he can't afford. His sole reason for living is destroying the accursed weapons that plague this world.
"He is a monster," Teerath warned the remaining members of the group. "So don't mess with him." He continued.
Only he understood the legendary event that happened today. It was a well-known fact that the weapons left by gods were indestructible.
Every thousand years, they awaken. Giving the chance to chosen few who would obtain unimaginable power and extended life span.
And since the last twenty years, these god constructs have started to show their true colors. Causing many who dream of long life or power, to pursue them.
But throughout history, there hasn't been a precedent of a god construct being destroyed.
Not to mention, the thing that destroyed that dagger was none other than a crudely made pig iron spear.
Or so it looked from the outside.
But Teerath has never seen a spear capable of destruction of this scale.
Hence the man who wielded that spear was even more bizarre.
"Don't worry Boss. He saved our lives. We won't even think about harming him." The younger of the group said, while barely able to stand up.
His right leg was crushed under the grip of Girium. Though he was not angry over it. Instead, he felt lucky.
He has seen what has happened to those that were present in the village.
Not even 60% of their group survived. While most who did were injured and some might not even survive a trip to the hospital.
It wasn't long before the support that was called by Teerath arrived at the place. With an army of hundred pouring into the destroyed village.
Went around, searching for the dead and survivors. While some led the remaining kids towards a van.
The kids followed the orders to point. Their minds were still shellshocked and some were still looking for their parents.
Hoping that they were alive.
While this was happening, Girium stayed silent. Watched the proceedings carefully. His eyes stayed on the departing figures of the children.
He already had an idea of what the future will hold for them.
If he didn't think wrong. These kids will be sponsored by these men in black while in an orphanage and the future, they will join the group as well.
The orphans were the best commodity in these trying times.
But Girium knew that it was not his right to stop them from going with these men. Stopping these kids would mean taking responsibility. And he was not someone to do this.
The path he wished to walk will always remain a lonely one.
He will not live for long.
And if he did take any of the kids, it would be hypocrisy on his part.
As he always had the chance to destroy the artifact. But he never acted until the disaster had already struck the village.
So these deaths, in a way, were in his hands.
"Is that him?"
Teerath, who was getting bandaged by the new arrivals. Looked up and found a figure he could only look at from far.
"Yes, that's him," Teerath said, curious how this man he once looked up to, would react in the presence of someone like the giant with a metal spear.
Zig was unlike others in the gang. He was a genuine transcendent being who was capable of using a God construct.
Originally the gang Teerath was part of, searching far and wide for an unawakened god construct. And they found many potential points where they might be hidden.
Even the village he came to today was on the list. As for whether they would find it here. Teerath was not sure. He had already done so in two other places. One of which was an abandoned temple among the farms and the other one was used as a coat hanger in the homes of a school teacher. Who gladly accepted the money in exchange for the useless coat hanger.
But he failed both times.
It was only now did he actually find an actual god construct.
And then it was destroyed by a complete stranger. A vagrant who used to live on the hill not so far from the village.
If not for that man standing in front of Zig at this very moment. He would have thought that the words that Teerath spoke over the phone were just lies to cover up his failure on his mission.
Something he would understand as a normal mortal couldn't hold their sense of self in front of a God construct. And hence, a person is prone to mistakes during that time.
"Did you destroy it?"
Zig asked, wondering if it was truly all a lie.
There was a chance that this man in front of him just swiped the god construct for himself and created an explosion to fake out a scenario that was impossible to happen.
But this thought disappeared from his mind instantly.
For in front of him was a man that was probably taller than him with burn marks all over his skin. His eyes were closed, but Zig could feel a pressure that he had felt only once in his life.
And it was when he stood in front of his boss who was a wielder of God Construct as well.
"The parts are right there. You can look for yourself." Girium pointed to the middle of the village where some men in black were picking up parts of the destroyed God Construct. "It seems you already saw it."
"That I have seen. But you should understand where I am coming from. It's impossible to destroy it. Never in the hist…"
"If you can't do it, then it doesn't mean I can't." Then Girium held his hand forward. "Give me another one. And I will show you the proof."
Looking at the unkind eyes of Girium, Zig understood that the man in front of him was not joking.
'Crazy.' He thought. He had never seen a man like this ever in his life. He was not scared about being surrounded by multiple people carrying guns and himself who was a transcendent being.
'That spear is just made of pig iron.' He even saw the spear that Teerath had claimed to outlast the durability of a God Construct.
Zig was not able to sense even a little bit of divinity from it. The crude artisanship and the impurities were noticeable on the whole body of the spear. It was impossible for something like this to destroy the Storm dagger.
"That… I don't have one." Zig felt the pressure. The whole presence of this man felt absurd to him. And he knows that he stood no chance against this man.
The only one even capable of defeating him might be his boss.
"But didn't you ask our boss?" Zig asked.
"Hmm…" Taking his hand back, Girium looked at Zig curiously. Which placed Zig under more pressure.
"He has one… how about we set up a meeting with him."
Zig didn't understand the goal of Girium, but what he did understand was that the person in front of him wanted to destroy the God Construct for some reason. Or that's the play he was doing to obtain more of those.
Either way, he had to take this man to his boss. Besides, he doesn't seem like a violent man, and from the events recalled by Teerath, this man has even spared the lives of someone that shot at him.
Which was a rare thing to see. The nature of this might be stoic. But he was not a bad person.
"Ok!" Girium nodded, happy to learn that his earlier suspicion came true.
The leader of these men in black truly holds a God Construct.
And either the owner of that wants it or not. He will destroy it just like he did before.
This was the goal of his life. And he will stop at nothing to achieve it.