I Hate Systems

"Go away!"

"You traitor!"

"Never return here!"

"Get lost!"

A string of curses flowed into his ears as items of various types slammed onto his back, injuring him. If he riled up his mana, defending against these utensils would have been child's play.

But Gilthru didn't do that, as a sort of atonement as he stood at the same spot as before, carrying his mother's corpse as his expression was blank.

The women that were attacking him were weak, so weak they neither had the strength nor the aim to target him properly. But when a utensil approached him, a wind altered its course, causing it to slam into his back with greater force.

And any flying his mother's way was redirected onto his back. Moreover, a layer of metallic sheen formed on it as the Metal Mana turned the utensils more dangerous, causing them to slam into his back harder.

He himself was doing this, inflicting self-harm, hoping that at least this would make him atone for his sins a little.

Every time he arrived at the village to visit the people that he cared about, he would be abused with a string of curses and a hail of items. And every single time, he ensured that the thrown items slammed into him harder.

After all, the women barely had any strength to throw with force, considering how they lived every day while waiting for their deaths.

He visited them whenever a chance presented just to be abused, so that this made them livelier, which it in fact did. Otherwise, the majority of the women might have died by now, lacking the strength to persist. At least, due to him, they lived thanks to anger.

But, he had never expected his mother to resolutely commit suicide, the shock paralysing his emotions. He didn't even know what to do, staring blankly as he carried his mother's corpse with him, not knowing what he had to do.

"Pfft!" Suddenly, the laughter sound of someone resounded before they controlled themselves. It originated from a Demon. Gilthru didn't seem to have heard anything, but when he exited the village, all the Demons stationed here as caretakers collapsed to the ground, having been turned into metal sculptures.

Gilthru made his way through a forest, walking at the same pace as anyone that came close to him collapsed to the ground, either shredded into a paste by wind or turned into a metal statue.

The news soon reached Daka Felera who made her return quickly after, noticing from high up in the air of Gilthru's figure slowly making his way towards his home, the village where he grew up. She didn't interfere but commanded a couple of orcs to near him.

The moment they did so, the two orcs turned into metal statues as Gilthru continued to walk.

Daka Felera focused on their bond, sensing that currently, Gilthru's mind was calm. No, more than calm, it was just blank as not even a single thought resounded.

Instead, there was just one emotion there—sadness.

He felt as if his heart had turned to stone, locked in a cage of metal. And this was what he expressed in reality, turning everyone near him into metal.

And slowly, his Metal Mana spilled out of his body, affecting his surroundings as the path he treaded upon turned into a road of metal, beginning from the forest where it started, all the way to his home village where he stopped.

Rubble, overgrown weed, and broken bones scattered everywhere; that was the state of his home village as Gilthru arrived at his home, entering the collapsed building to gently place the corpse of his mother there. He stared at her corpse, asking, "Mom, what should I do now?"

"I'm alone…"

There was no reply to his question as Gilthru stared blankly until it was nighttime. He kneeled before her, turning her body into metal as he buried it under his house in a metal coffin before covering up the hole.

He then stood up and turned around, only now noticing Daka Felera standing there, arms crossed, staring at him.

He stared at her, stating with a blank tone, lacking any emotion, "Please don't remove this enslavement on me if you don't wish for the annihilation of the Demon Race."

"Once my slave, always my slave." Daka Felera motioned for him to follow her as they exited the house, "You needn't worry."

A flying type Magic Beast was waiting there as she climbed on it, taking a seat on the throne harnessed there while Gilthru kneeled behind her, grabbing hold of a rope to keep himself steady.

"I have a mission for you." Daka Felera said while they were in the air.

"I'll do it." Gilthru didn't even bat an eye to respond.

"You'll infiltrate the Hemish Empire and assassinate both Zaira and her bodyguard, Arnark." She said, handing him a badge, "This is something my dad conjured. It's a powerful curse that would activate once you place this on the forehead of the target."

"As for the effects…" She dragged before choosing to not reveal it, "Well, you'll see it when you use it."

"There's only one?" Gilthru held the badge, frowning in response, "Don't I have two targets?"

"Activating this on even one is considered a success. Anything beyond that is just icing on the cake." Daka Felera said as she caused the flying type Magic beast to stop before a group of her tamed beasts.

"All of them would accompany you on this mission to assist you. Use them as you please." She said, pointing at the group of humans before her, "Their appearance has been changed by a Pseudo-Saint Mermen that my uncle has enslaved. So, they'll be able to assist you freely in the human empire."

"Then, what about me?" Gilthru pointed at himself, "Both the targets have seen my appearance already. Shouldn't I also change my appearance?"

"No, that won't be necessary." Daka Felera smirked as all the changed humans jumped onto the back of the Magic Beast that took off to the air as her voice resounded, "I'll drop them at another location where they'll make their way to Eonk City. Try to reach there within a month, alright?"

Roar!

Hundreds of orcs rushed out of the forest as they charged at Gilthru with killing intent. "You know the means to portray a talented damsel in distress, right?"

"Survive until you chance upon some human nobles that rescue you." Saying so, the Magic Beast vanished as Gilthru turned around and began to run without hesitation.

And behind him, orcs chased in a frenzy, mostly Novices with some Experts strewn around. But their numbers were scary, especially since he was injured from the self-harm session, not to mention running low on mana as he had metallicized everything along his path.

Due to her orders, he couldn't commit suicide even if he wanted to. And hence, Gilthru began to run for his life.