Today was the day he was to sever the bonds that tied him to this team of failures. They only dragged him to the bottom; their minds were clouded by a greedy thirst for profit. None of them strove for perfection, none burned with the desire to become the best. So they were definitely not on the same path. Yes, he too descended into the dungeon for money, but he understood that it was only a means, not an end in itself, not a dream.
After tedious minutes of waiting, they finally showed up. As always, they swept him with an arrogant gaze, full of superiority. Gedo and Canoe approached, and Kopii, not wanting to drag things out, blurted out the prepared speech he had been rehearsing all night:
— I'm leaving the party.
In response to his words, silence reigned. Kopii noticed how anger flared in Canoe's eyes, but he quickly suppressed it, gesturing for Gedo to stay silent.
— Alright, Kopii, it's your choice, and we respect it. — Canoe said with a forced smile. — But before you go, let's go into the dungeon together today, one last time. Like old friends.
Kopii saw nothing wrong in this. It did not change his plans in any way, and he agreed:
— Why not.
He moved forward, trying not to notice the malicious gazes that Canoe and Gedo cast after him. At first, arrogance and anger could be read in their eyes, but then a predatory smirk flashed across their faces. And they followed Kopii into the Tower of Babel, and then into the gloomy depths of the dungeon.
As they descended into the dungeon, Kopii once again found himself behind them. Since the moment of their meeting, no one had uttered a word.
«Why? What made them fall silent?»
This silence was suspicious. Usually, over the two weeks they had worked together, they had not shut up for a minute. Having descended even lower, Canoe broke the silence:
— Why did you decide to leave, Kopii?
«Because you're a fat pig.»
He walked ahead, without even turning back to him.
But he said something entirely different.
— You know, Miach's pharmacy has only two workers — me and Naaza, — he began.
— Well.
— It's hard for her to manage alone, and I decided to help her for a while. It could take several months. That's why I decided to leave the party, to support my familia.
— I see. — Canoe answered dryly. During their short conversation, neither of them once glanced in his direction. And Gedo still remained silent, which made Kopii even more wary.
Time dragged painfully slowly. They descended to the seventh floor. They were attacked by killer ants. There were only a few of them, and they dealt with them rather quickly. When Kopii began collecting the magic stones, Gedo and Canoe simply watched him, as always.
Soon they encountered killer ants again, even fewer than the first time. After the victory, Kopii walked over to pick up the loot.
He bent down to take a magic stone, and out of the corner of his eye, he noticed Gedo swinging for a strike. Kopii managed to dodge, leaping aside. Gedo's sword whistled through the air, cutting the silence. Kopii sprang to his feet and looked at Gedo.
– You could have died quickly.
«Where is Canoe?» — a thought flashed. At that moment, he felt a blow to his head, which made him lose his balance. Everything swam before his eyes. Kopii staggered but remained standing. Turning around, he saw Canoe, smirking in his face. In his hand was a stone. Even in such a state, Kopii tried to jump back, but Gedo blocked his path.
He swiftly closed the distance and struck Kopii in the stomach with his fist. Kopii doubled over in pain, as if a dagger had pierced him. The air was knocked out of his lungs; he coughed, trying to breathe. His vision darkened, and the world around him spun. Gedo took advantage of his weakness, landing another blow, this time to the jaw. Kopii flew back, tripped over a stone, and collapsed to the ground.
«It hurts!!! Bastards!»
He tried to rise, but Gedo was already looming over him, raining down blows. Kopii covered himself with his arms, trying to defend himself, but the blows were too strong, and he felt his bones cracking under the onslaught. Canoe stood aside, watching what was happening with a cold, calculating smile on his face. Malice and satisfaction burned in his eyes.
Gedo pinned Kopii to the floor. He heard Canoe approaching him.
— Kopii, Kopii, do you want to fight to the end? — Canoe said mockingly, which only made Kopii's anger grow. — Ah-ha-ha, what a pitiful sight. Let's see how long you can resist. But first… what's hidden behind this mask?
Kopii could do nothing; he could only helplessly watch as Canoe's hand reached for his face to tear off the mask. But no sooner had a moment passed than Canoe kicked him in the head with all his might. Kopii felt blood gushing from his nose, his head spinning.
Before he could come to his senses, someone grabbed him by the hair, and the next blow to his face followed.
«It hurts, it hurts!» — Kopii thought, and tears began to gather in his eyes, ready to pour out in a stream. Through the pain, Kopii heard Canoe's furious tirade:
— How dare you lie to me, you worthless piece of trash?! — Canoe grabbed Kopii by the hair and, without pause, kneed him in the face, repeating the same thing over and over:
— You're garbage.
Blow.
– Gr...
Blow.
But before he could finish, another blow came.
— You're a pathetic parody of an adventurer.
Blow.
— You'll learn on your own skin that you lied to the wrong person. Was it fun for you, deceiving us?
Canoe was about to continue the beating, but Gedo stopped him.
Canoe stopped and looked at Gedo, his face asking what the matter was.
Kopii, through tears and blurred eyes, looked at Gedo with hope.
— You'll kill him that way… that would be too merciful for him.
But his hope quickly collapsed, replaced by despair.
— Yes, Gedo, you're right. How could I not have thought of that.
Both smiled predatorily. Kopii did not hear what they were saying; in his head, only pain pulsed. His entire face had turned into a bloody mess, tears streamed from his eyes, which he could no longer hold back.
«Why, why, why?» — Kopii did not understand what he had done to deserve this. He just wanted to earn money and become stronger. He had never wished harm on anyone.
He had not even been able to fight back. All his training had proved useless, and the realization of this washed over him with a new wave of despair. All his experience was nothing.
— A-A-A! — Kopii screamed in pain as they began to break his leg. He breathed heavily, choking on tears.
— STOP, PLEASE, PLEASE! — Kopii begged.
But they did not stop; they continued.
— A-a-a-a-a-a! IT HURTS SO MUCH, STOP!
— Shut up! — Gedo barked, striking him in the face with such force that Kopii's teeth flew out. Through the pain and tears, Kopii spoke:
— Why… ah… — It was hard for him to speak, but Kopii continued. — What did I ever do to you...
In response, he heard only their laughter, a horrifying and disgusting laughter; his eyes widened in understanding. He understood that they needed no reason.
— WHY?! A-A-A-A-A! — Kopii could not finish, as Canoe struck his broken leg again. His leg had turned into a piece of useless flesh. They continued to mock and laugh at Kopii, but then Canoe spoke:
— You ungrateful wretch! We accepted you into the party, helped you, and you rejected that and even dared to lie to us! You know, Kopii, no one would have accepted you into a party if it weren't for us. Who needs such a worthless nobody, and from the pathetic Miach Familia at that? Miach is just a loser. I understand why everyone left him, because he's a trash god. Ah-ha-ha-ha, he's just like you, a failure. How's that captain of yours doing, that trash of the familia? Oh, right, I remember — Naaza! Do you know why she hasn't left? Simply because she's a stinking whore. She was probably glowing with happiness when Miach took on the debt for her. She was probably beaming with joy that someone paid attention to her, like the whores who are glad that someone sees a person in them. — Canoe grabbed Kopii by the hair, lifted his head, and whispered in his ear: — But she will always remain a whore, whom they will use as a cum dump, and she will be glad for it. Ah-ha-ha-ha!
He threw Kopii to the dungeon floor.
Kopii did not want to hear them insult his family, those who believed in him, who gave him a home he had never had, those he could call family. But however angry Kopii was at these words, he could do nothing. His nose and leg were broken. In Kopii's head, besides the pain, there was only one thing.
«Help, please, anyone, help, help. I don't want to die. I don't want to... please.»