"Jory, why do you think they brought so many of us?" Robin asked a question that had been eating away at his brain for a long time.
"Isn't it to increase the rate of success?" She asked, not understanding the meaning behind her brother's words.
"No… from the way we are being led there, it doesn't seem to increase our rate of success."
Robin looked at all corners of his group and all he saw was that all of them were surrounded by security.
This felt suffocating to him. These securities felt more like a cage and from the way they shoved some children who got out of line, he understood that whatever these people have in mind is not good.
But he still has to move forward, because he knew for sure that in the end, there was a chance to obtain the strength and respect that he so desired in his life.
And for that to happen, he might even need to fight the kids that walk along with him and he will do it. With the only exception being his little sister.
'I need to save her somehow.' The young boy promised. He had to do this, she was the only one to ever support him during his hard times, he had to support her in the same way, or he had no right to be the older of the two.
"We are here." Announced Natak Restvil, the mayor of Goldfern city.
*****
Girium was thinking about the suggestion of Risa.
'Speak more to prevent misunderstandings?'
This was a valid point, he knows how a disconnection during the exchange of information can harm people.
But he also knows how speaking more than needed can be dangerous.
This was why he practiced speaking as well as he could. The once bright and talkative boy had turned into a stoic and silent man. He became this way due to his experience in the past.
'But is a single event enough for me to change my habit for?' Girium questioned. His silence was his weapon and it has shown its usefulness on multiple occasions.
So, was it that important to even question this habit, to begin with?
"Girium, it's ready." Teerath, who had been called from his after the last fiasco informed Girium.
He didn't like the fact that he was called here. But a job was a job, and they can't afford another stupid mistake like this from happening.
And from the Experience of Risa, Teerath is the only one who can think clearly while standing next to this giant.
"Hmm." Girium nodded, before saying ."Thank you."
He thought it would be bad to be a bit more outgoing and thanked these people for fulfilling the request.
"Please, lead me to it." Girium requested, but it felt more like an order due to his tone. A tone that Teerath was used to.
"Then follow me," Teerath said while staring at Girium's figure who was struggling to stand properly. "Can you walk with that?"
"I walked to the door before," Girium replied, mentioning the time he scared the poor watchman named Stephen outside.
"The walk is a long one," Teerath explained, even speaking about the stairs as the elevator to the ground floor never worked.
Well in truth, they never bothered to fix it.
"Just lead me." Giriam was patient with these inquiries, but he also knew his limit.
He was not someone with a long life or someone who had the support of a God Construct, he was just a human who had broken his limits.
"If you wish to." Teerath started walking side by side to Girium, albeit at a slow pace. He didn't wish for Girium to overexert himself and damage his leg muscles further.
"Why do you wish for a pool in this condition?" Teerath asked, ignoring the glaring eyes of the gang members they met on the way.
"For healing." GIrium knew that it was impossible to hide this fact any longer. The moment he is done, this will be exposed to the people anyway, so there was no point in hiding this point.
"Healing?... In water?... Just simple water?" Teerath asked, confused at Girium's claims.
He knows that Girium has never asked for medicinal bathwater in that pool, it was the common supply of water that filled that giant chemical tub through a pipe.
There was nothing special about it.
Which would mean the only thing that would heal his body would be Girium himself and the pool itself.
And Teerath was on point.
The water truly was just a catalyst for Girium to obtain that certain state of mind.
"You can see." But GIrium said only this much. Because even with eyes, one can't mimic what he was going to do.
It was the secret to this inhuman strength, the reason why an iron spear showed so many transcendent features.
So Girium planned to expose this to these people.
Not like they can steal his techniques.
"Is it really alright?" Teerath asked, knowing full well the kind of chance Girium was giving him.
Though the only answer he got in response was a long yard stare.
Even if Risa has pointed out one of his flaws, he wasn't going to change so easily.
*****
The underground was dirty as he expected, with lots of rusted machines and equipment from the heydays of this factory thrown in the corners chaotically.
After reaching the other end of the building closer to what looked like an inventory area, Girium saw the pool he had requested.
It was not hard to find as the people were kind enough to light up the underground with fluorescent lights.
And, even if the pool looked dirty, GIirum knew that the water itself was clear, it was the pool walls that had been sullied due to all the chemicals it used to hold in the past.
"They have done a good job." Girium appreciated the hard work that went into creating this instant pool. He knows it must be hard to clean this stuff, as, in the rest of the pool, the dirt and old factory equipment were still filled to the brim.
But Teerath was not that proud of Girium's admiration. Instead, he just answered the reason directly. "They were scared of you." And scared they were, of not just him but of their Boss Risa as well.
"Oh, I didn't mean that.' Girium found it amusing, how in the village, even the kids had the gals throw rocks at him but in this place filled with dangerous men, they acted more scared than a kid in front of him.
"Just stay there and watch," Girium said before slowly stepping into the water, sullying it with blood.
Like Teerath had said before, the stairs were truly a challenge for Girium, a challenge that he completely ignored and walked with bleeding legs.
'Cold." A perfect temperature for him. The hotter the water, the more time it will take his mind to go numb. So this was the perfect situation for him.
He slowly stepped into the water and before being fully submerged, he took a big breath.
While on the side, Teerath just watched the scene.
And it was not just Teerath seeing this, there was a certain camera recording every detail of the happenings in that pool.
"What does he intend to do?" Sia asked, curious about Girium's actions.
"I don't know for sure. I asked and he didn't answer at that time." Risa recalled the nonchalant Girium and how it frustrated her. But through his personality, she knew that whatever reason he requested the pool to be made, it had nothing to do with taking a bath or a light dip into the water to relieve some stress.
Something was going on and she was going to find out what it was.
"Teerath probably knows." With the recent events, she had memorized the name of this small member of their group.
Because it was him that had the best relationship with Girium and also him who originally found him.
"And we will know too." Sia refuted. I Want to understand Girium's purpose.
Their offense against the DragonStar will start soon and she doesn't wish for an accident to happen while she is away.
On the other hand, after entering the cold water pool and sitting with crossed legs, Girium started his meditation.
And yes, meditation it was. Nothing fancier or dangerous than that.
But to Girium, it was the accumulation of hard work. It was the thing that made him who he was today.
And now after a long while, he was doing the same.
Sitting in the pool bed, the movement in his entire body went mute. And as time went on, his heart rate dropped bit by bit.
At a particular point, the only thing he could even hear was his heartbeat which was trying its hardest to function in absence of oxygen.
But he still didn't move, not a single blob of air left his nose nor his mouth. And if he didn't move much, he would eventually die.
Or so Teerath thought.
But knowing his place and how Girium was doing all of this on his own, he didn't plan to disturb him.
He can still see clearly that Girium was very much alive and biding his time, almost as if waiting for something.
And then it happened.
A ripple from the middle of the pool.
A small ripple, almost unnoticeable, unless someone was looking hard enough.
Which Teerath was doing.
And following that small ripple, came the second, the third.
And it kept on increasing until the whole pool started to boil
But there was no heat in this pool, only a stable figure meditating inside it.