I Am Tired Of Being A Hero-Chapter 271: Revealing his identity

The house was very quiet. They had a very rowdy day today. Boxes, clothes, snacks, they had shopped for some many things. In the evening, Arlen had clocked off and had come over to join them buy some things for the cruise. He kept on saying that they would stop at various harbors in order to buy more things but the thing about shopping was that it was very addictive, once you start; it is just very difficult to stop.

Ravi threaded his fingers through Arlen’s soft hair. Arlen moved closer and his lips curled into a smile.

He was so handsome. How could someone be so handsome even when they wrre exhausted. By the time they returned, almost everyone was too exhausted to even do anything else but take a bath and jump on their bed. Ravi smiled before looking at the veranda.

He picked up the shirt that was casually tossed when he had cuddled with Arlen and buttoned it properly. Heading to the veranda, he bent over and saw a lone figure sitting on the fence of the neighboring house.

Ravi sighed and appeared next to him.

Malik was sitting calmly, his eyes closed and his brows relaxed. Ravi wondered whether he should have brought a keg of wine that he had buried in his garden.

"Where should I even start from?"

"You. Who are you? Where did you come from? In addition, who asked to watch over me? Ravi, I need to know everything so I can make an informed decision."

Ravi took a deep breath, "Well, I am a Sentinel. Sentinels are well...I was an orphan just like I told you during our sessions. Many Sentinels are orphans or they were abusive homes. When we die and we die young, we reincarnate as Sentinels. We take on tasks like repairing worlds, killing aboriginals or slaying demons. They are creatures of pure evil from a world called Hell. When we complete a task, we get points, which we could use to make ourselves stronger and take more tasks. Moreover, when we are killed, we reincarnate as a human and then die to become a Sentinel again. My name is really Ravi West and I am currently the number one ranked Sentinel."

There was a loud silence between the two of them. Compared to Arlen’s shock, Malik did not have any expression. If there were any expression, it would be as expected.

"I knew you were a solider. That punishment..."

"Punishment." Ravi was confused; he did not say anything about a punishment. Then the shock that had been absent from Malik’s face finally returned.

"You...You don’t think that is normal. A life without family or any karmic connection then you die to serve a universe that would never any thanks to you, when you die, you return to a miserable life. Only to continue the cycle again and again and again for eternity. That kind of punishment..." Malik’s lips curled into a smile and the knowledge hit Ravi like a trunk.

"Is the kind of punishment you like..." He took several deep breaths and completely faced Malik. His heart was thundering so much that he could hear it and he was sure Malik could do too, "Malik thinksm, why you punish someone like that?" Ravi was not sure how to phrase the question to get the kind of answer he wanted. His tongue suddenly went dry and he wished on heaven above that he had gotten some wine.

Malik cocked his head and changed his position on the fence to sit cross-legged, "That is quite a good punishment for soldiers."

"Soldiers?" Ravi did not follow along.

Malik shrugged, "Deserters or maybe knights. People who swore an oath to protect and broke it out of greed. It is almost poetic." He felt the emotions from Ravi and coughed, "That is just me, why are you taking it so seriously?"

It was because it was him that Ravi was taking it that seriously. It did not take long for Ravi to become disillusioned with the term, Heroes. Nobody saw them as a hero aside from themselves. The word was like an extra chain around their throat, tightening with each heroic feat they performed.

"And what such...sinners what would they do to be forgiven?"

The moment the word sinners left Ravi’s mouth, Malik could feel a strong sense of dislike. It was as if he hated sinners with every fiber of his being. He took a deep breath, easily punishing down those emotions.

It was not like he was righteous either.

"I don’t know." How could he know? Malik had always derived pleasure in punishing people but he was still new to the art of forgiveness.

"Ravi, who am I?"

Ravi felt the slight hope that rose disintegrate into nothing and he looked at Malik, "I told you about Sentinels and demons and the fact that there are many, many worlds. Above all these worlds, on the highest plane is a world called Heaven where Immortals live. They cultivate there, absorbing spiritual energy in order to prolong their lives. They manage the mandate of heaven and the destinies of all living beings. Below all the myriad worlds, on the lowest plane is a world called the Netherworld."

Thump! Thump!

Malik’s heart started to race as a sense of rightness filled him. The night air was cold and he was wearing very thin pajamas, yet for the first time, he felt that the cold was indeed welcoming.

"The Netherworld manages the destinies of all beings that have passed. They are in charge of judgment and reincarnation."

"I am from the Netherworld?"

"You are saying it so simply. In the Netherworld, you are above all others and below one. You have had millions of names across the years so nobody knows your real name. Everyone addresses you as King Yama. You are the first of ten kings, the King of Qin. You are also the final judge on the destination of the soul."

Malik listened to him and feeling the cautious emotions directed at him, he sighed, "That truly seems bothersome. One man, all these responsibilities, isn’t the Netherworld afraid of working this King Yama to death."