Chapter 34:Maya Confession
Ank spent the entire month training and strangely spending time with Maya.
He couldn't understand what was happening to him. Why was he wasting his precious time with her? His mind kept telling him that every moment should be devoted to training that Arthur implemented in his every cell, to quests that will unseal his cage and free him from the path of conquests , to power that will give him option so he can choose peace and no one can disturb him. But his body… his heart… sometimes betrayed him, pulling him closer to her.
Every morning, Ank woke before dawn. He stretched, pushed his body to its limit with exercise, then dashed straight into the mountains to kill monsters.
He had a mission to kill 10,000 monsters. Failure wasn't an option for him ,he had a golden chance and he didn't want to waste it.
He wants to finish 10000 killing monsters quickly so when the princess arrives he will be ready to enter in revenge story and protect every one here and there.
He was very angry because of the quest he was now becoming bodyguard and fight with kings and kingdoms.
He knew the future would give him so much trouble and unnecessary fight which contradicts his aim to achieve peace.
But he had no option; he had to do whatever he liked or not.
Now he was in the mountain ,this mountain was 120 min away from the village but when Ank was at his full speed he needed only 2 min to reach and this mountain had become his second home for Ank . And there, he wasn't alone. He often met the his companions that he had made forcefully Horskey and Earth Spider
First then he returns from the village after telling Arthur all the story and wants to test his new sword move .Best way to test his new move was to fight and best pratice companion for Ank was Horskey and Earth spider , so they once again fight and slowly Ank make them as friends.
And now they sparred together like old friends,Regularly blades and claws striking against one another before joining forces to hunt.
Thanks to the system, even the monsters they killed were counted toward his quest. Slowly, steadily, he was now close to completing these quests and he was enjoying every fight wherever opponent was weak or strong .
He knew he wanted peace but he also knew in universe peace was just imaginary that no one achieved and to achieve peace he wanted strength and for strength he had to fight.
And one thing Ak was most confused at the moment was ,no matter how much he liked to fight, every evening Ank returned to the village to meet Maya.
Together, they walked through the village marketplace, visited small attractions, and shared meals. She would point out little things he never cared about before: the way the lanterns lit up the night market, the laughter of children running by, the taste of sweets. Things that had nothing to do with strength, or magic, or survival. Things that were just… human for Ank.
And at night, before dinner after returning from the walk, Ank went to train once again. The system restricted his magic, so he pushed his body to its limits. Sweat covered all his body, his bones ached, but he endured. Strength was only he could rely now and to achieve he had to work hard.
Day after day, Night after night.
In this way, a month passed.
Finally, the moment came. In the mountains, the 10,000th monster fell. The quest was complete.
But there was no reward for this quest but at least the task was completed Ank thought in his mind.
He said goodbye to Horskey and Earth Spider and returned home. he was now covered in blood. Every time he left the mountain he clean his body that cover in blood of monster but this time due to excitement he forgot and left in hurry.
And there, at the doorway, stood Maya.
She had been waiting for him.
Maya's POV
For Maya, the month had been like a dream.
Every day with Ank was precious. She had trained herself , steeled her heart, but nothing had prepared her for the warmth she felt just being beside him.
She watched his smile when he actually enjoyed food, the way his eyes softened when he wasn't thinking about training, the rare moments when he laughed. To her, those were treasures more valuable than any precious object or title.
But she had been a coward. Day after day, she swallowed her feelings, too afraid to speak.
Now, a month had passed. If she didn't speak now, she might never have the chance.
So she made her decision.
When she saw Ank approaching the house, covered in blood and smiling, her heart skipped. She smiled brightly, unable to hide her joy.She knew the moment had arrived ,Ank was smiling ,this was the moment she was waiting for and if she lose this moment thai chance will never come again.
After Ank greeted her, they stepped inside together.
He opened his mouth first, his voice calm but serious. "Maya, I—"
But she interrupted, her voice trembling. "Ank, I have to tell you something very important."
He frowned slightly. "What is it?"
She drew in a deep breath, preparing her courage—
BOOM!
The ground shook. A deafening roar tore through the village.
Maya froze. Ank's expression hardened instantly. A monster attack.
"I'll deal with it," he said firmly, already heading for the door. "Wait for me. I'll come back quickly."
Before she could protest, he was gone.
It was a B-Rank monster, massive and hungry, stomping through the village fields.
Because of Ank's hunts, the mountain population had thinned. The balance was broken. Monsters that once fed on each other had started to starve.but after sometime they start eating corpse of monster that Ank killed
But this one was stubborn. Unlike others, it refused to eat corpses. It wanted fresh food, and the village was the easiest target.
Ank appeared in front of it like a shadow.
One strike. That was all it took. The monster collapsed with a thunderous crash.
The villagers cheered, but Ank didn't stay to bask in their gratitude. His mind was elsewhere. He turned and ran back to the house.
When he entered, Maya was still standing where he had left her, her fists clenched at her sides.
"So," Ank said, his voice softer now. "What were you going to say?"
Her heart raced. She forced herself to look into his eyes. For once, she refused to run from her feelings.
"I like you, Ank." Her voice cracked, but the words were clear. "You don't have to answer me."
And before he could react, she turned and rushed toward her room, slamming the door behind her.
Ank stood frozen, the echo of her words lingering in the silence.
He had faced monsters, death, and impossible things without fear. But at that moment… he was completely confused.
He was lost in thought and what he will do after this.