"Who could have defeated the fourth guardian?" utz asked himself as his eyes squinted to look at the distance.


    He was damn sure from his intel that no one was supposed to defeat even so as a single golem this year. Was his information wrong all along? Or was it…


    "Is my interference causing changes in the course of time already?" utz whispered as he furrowed his brows.


    There could be no other exnation for this situation.


    utz had always intended for the interference to be minimal. He had done only what was needed to get stronger. If the interference were minimal then the effects on the future events would have been minimal.


    Having the knowledge of the future was utz greatest strength… his greatest card. If that vey future were to change that indeed would have been problematic for utz who was depending on it for his exponential growth.


    Of course he wanted to defeat the demons and change the future. But for the future to change so early in the course of events? He definitely didn''t want that. There are still decades before the great war!


    utz had always been cautious, always trying to not interfere with others in any way leading to his title of ''lone wolf''. No matter who died he never cared. He had just watched from the sideline as they died.


    utz could have saved them but that would disrupt the future more. He was ying a tricky game.


    What''s more? utz was a firm believer in self sufficiency. Why should he save them and how many times will he save? The dangers in hell are endless. Even if he saves them once they would die to the next danger thates their way. Why should utz risk his precious life for these people?


    Only by facing the dangers head on and arising victorious from them can one grow and hope to face the next challenge. Like the iron is molten in the hottest fire before beating it to the most beautiful swords, the humans too need to face danger and survive themselves to shine and arise.


    If utz were to save their sorry lives they would only grow dependent. Give them an inch and they will ask for a mile. Thus utz would only be harming them by interfering with their quests.


    But in the end, he had done all of this only to ensure that the future won''t change. But sdy fortune was not on his side. Even the small ripples he had caused in the course of events had already turned the wheels of time and the course of destiny.


    He sighed.


    "I guess that''s it," he said, his shoulders drooping. He has to now remain satisfied with 3 cores. 3 cores is good enough but 4 would obviously be better.


    From the very beginning, he was moving keeping in mind that he would have the golem cores to himself. He had set strict time constraints on himself because of that. But now what?


    There is not much in this stage other than those cores and the mad game of manhunt. It was just a killing ground with no other substantial prices to scrounge for.


    Wasn''t the only reason this stage was called a bonus were because of the two winning prizes?


    "What should I do now?" he whispered to himself. An unknown variable had once again interfered with his perfect quest.


    utz was thinking hard at what he should do now. Should he find the person who killed the golem and hunt him for the core? Or should he just wait for half a day for the first phase to be over?


    ''The next day… the next day at noon all the four inds would copse and the participants would be forcefully transported to the central ind.''


    utz wasn''t even sure if he could track that person who defeated thest golem. No one in the group had a tracking skill. Indeed, utz had some tricks up his sleeve but they were not a sure fire method in these situations.


    utz''s turmoil didn''t pass unnoticed to Verona.


    "Shh," she beckoned to Selena pointing towards utz. Verona could have asked utz himself but she thought that Selena being utz''s lover would be the best for this kind of job.


    "utz?" Selena hadn''t noticed before but now seeing him deep in thought Selena wondered what might have happened. Usually utz storms off to the portal at a moment''s notice not waiting and letting anyone wait. Recuperation was not in his dictionary.


    utz turned around as he saw Selena tilting her head to the side in confusion. Seeing her cute expression he couldn''t help but smirk. He realized there was no need to think so hard.


    ''Yes, I am not a ninja anymore. So I don''t have to be alone.''


    There was one thing that he could always do.


    ''I could always enjoy our time together,'' he couldn''t help but smirk. utz''s eyes traveled from her face to her breasts. Neither did he care of indecency nor did he care what anyone might think of him.


    *Gulp*


    With utz staring at her with his eyes filled with lust it wasn''t hard for Selena to figure out what he had on his mind… what he wanted. And Selena was very much prepared to give it to him. But she didn''t say anything. Everything was agreed as soon as his gaze turned naughty.


    utz got up smiling as he walked back into the forest. The portal that was just opened could only wait in solitude as no one wanted to enter it anymore.


    Verona with a woozy face wondered what sort of exchange did the two lovers had through their eyes alone?


    ''He looked so serious a moment ago and now he is smiling away.'' Verona thought.


    She shook her head as she chuckled.


    ''I guess I am too old to understand love.''


    ***


    Author:


    Creation is hard for authors. Cheer me up with your power stones!