Even if this world is not in a state of emergency, invaded by those monsters. Sooner or later, this world will eventually meet its demise through humans.

Don't they see? How wrecked this earth is? 

many trees were cut down, hills were levelled, smoke from the factory contributes to globalisation and many other things. The count of terror that humans do to mother earth can't even be numbered.

The cost of their inhuman activity isn't just affecting human life, even animals were involved.

Can't they see how miserable those animals are? their home is gone!!

"So why should I save them!?"

(...because you're a human too.)

haa*

I snort at Affa's answer. My eyes rolled to the side but I didn't retort back.

Cause I know that what he says was right.

I admit that I was one of that humans. Perhaps there are things that I did that led to it too.

However, isn't it enough now? Why must we keep going destroying everything?

When we think like this, isn't it better for me to refuse this? So that I will no longer contribute to this mess.

(but... isn't that just your selfish desire to not be involved in this? so that you won't have to save the world?)

"That might be right too."

I admitted. There's nothing wrong with Affa's accusation. Even so,

"Because like you say... I'm just a human, no, I'm half-human, right? It's not my responsibility to save them, especially when I'm no longer living there and not even a 'human'."

Affa went quiet to my answer. He might find my response quite right. 

As someone who is no longer bound to that world, it indeed sounds unreasonable for me to get involved. Especially when in that old world, there's still a hunter that capable than me.

I was just one of the billions of them. Where is my power to save them?

(...but... isn't your dream to be a hero?)

Affa reminded me again of my old dream.

A hero. Right.

I used to have that dream.

Become a hero in a world full of monsters. I wish to protect the earth with my power.

That's what I held onto myself as I step inside the hunter association to try to awaken myself.

Even so, that dream shatter the moment I was told the truth that I can't be one.

It took me a while to get back up from that shock and when I can make sense of everything afterwards, with that thought, I choose to be a teacher.

In hope of helping the world thru my teaching and with it, I paint my dream on my student. Rise them to be a hero.

"right, I once had that dream... but Affa... It's all in the past now."

(....)

Hero? Dream?

All that is just a bullsh*t and it's not even feeding me.

I can throw all of that in a trash can.

"Time can change people, system."

With buried dreams and me who is struggling between dreams and life. It's not taken me that long to realise how far that thing is, like trying to touch a star in the night sky.

35 years. It's not a short time at all.

For the first 10 years, yes, I still hold a dream like that and I'm satisfied with only seeing my student reach the sky.

"but dude... just be in place... stay there for 5 more years then...the reality will hit you hard!!"

That's what happens to me.

With adding just 5 more years, the last light of my dream quickly diminish.

And I no longer held on to it.

Seeing all those superhumans makes me feel pathetic.

Yes, it might be because I felt inferior. Even so, can you blame me?

Could you really feel nothing among them?

The answer is, I can't. It's impossible and keeps adding to my stress and all.

After that, another 20 years passed at the academy.

The burning passion and desire of youth?

All are now lost with time. I'm getting old, no, I am old.

My body is not what it used to be. I felt sick with every step I took and everything in the world just felt useless, and less interesting.

I no longer have the enthusiasm and excitement that those young people would have.

"20 years... perhaps if you just find me 20 years earlier... things might work out..."

However now, it's no use.

"What i wish to do now is just rest."

Do you know why I retire?

Is it because my time had come for it?

No, that's not it. The headmaster already begs me to stay and even make raise higher my salary. 

But still, I choose to retire. And if you ask me why.

"it's because I'm tired."

I already work for decades. While doing so, I never had a chance to rest properly. I didn't even go dating.

I'm a bachelor at the age of 60. Can you imagine it?

It's not like I don't have face or money. I am just busy.

Do you think the work of the teacher is that easy? It's not.

Many things need to be prepared before class and if we had a trip outside, the safety of students and all. We need to care for so many students. It's like you're a parent with 70 of child's at once.

Every child even had their personality and temperamental. Even their age is different.

Now you understand why my life is such hectic and doesn't have time to enjoy it, right?

"Even if my outside is young now, Affa... and system... my inside is still old. Like the saying that the shell may change but not the inside, I am like that too... so, I'm sorry... but I won't do it."

[....]

(....)

The system and Affa were both silent to the outpouring of my heart. No words of agreement are clearer than keeping quiet.

Something that comes straight from inside human emotion is not that easy to refute. And even more so with the evidence of time coming from my age. They can't help but understand me.

'do they fall for it?'

However, I do have another plan for this quest. 

'could the system catch it? or the universe?'

Cause there's no way I would just let this quest fail. But, it also doesn't mean that I would just be a meat shield in the front or a freakin hero.

Isn't it too cruel to send such an old man like me to die like that?

'so bite... bite my bait now system.'

My thought ends there, waiting for their response. I didn't rush in to urge them to answer. Cause I know. Even while I keep quiet, right now in their head,

'what should we do!??'

'do we just let this world perish!??'

'think something guys!! we need to convince him!!.'

Affa, the system and even that higher-ups, that Universe thing, might work out their brain engine just to make sure that I will still help them.

It was shown just now when I threatened them to tell me the truth. That they are desperate. Not me.

So now, the one with the upper hand is me, not them.

'let's see how they get out of this.'

Ding*

[With the authority of the Universe.]

[The details of the 'Save the Worlds' quest will now be adjusted to suit the UnEd Soul bearer.]

'oho, so they play that card.'

Another message window then comes out. 

[Quest 'Save The Worlds']

I click on it and witness a little change in the quest details, although the other things stay the same.

First of all, on this part,

[Your task is to level up to the point you were able to wield the ultimate power and with it, save the worlds!!!]

It's all now changed to,

[Your job is to guide your students to greater heights and together, save the world!!!]

Not to mention, for the quest clear requirement, it's changed from [Level Max, World Save] to [Fight Along Student, World Save].

It's quite an improvement considering I had to fight alone before. And this kind of requirement is actually quite tricky.

It didn't elaborate more on what they mean by 'fight along student'. Whether I need to truly fight together with them or I can just be a commander that commands them.

'Either way could work out in this situation.'

So if I felt not in the mood for battle, this means, I can use this opportunity to just command and watch from the sideline.

kekeke*

my evil laugh then almost comes out the moment I reach that thought. However, quickly, I hold back before exposing myself to them around me. I then fake a cough before speaking,

"ehem...well... if you go this far just to convince me... then... I guess... it couldn't be helped. I should just play along with it."

Faking me, looking like I couldn't help it before giving them a side glance.

From the corner of my eyes, I could see Affa's expression then brighten and even the system exclaimed.

[!!!]

Seeing them like that, I felt stabbed in my guilty conscience.

Although it was not my original intention to force the system to change the quest details and what I told them was certainly not a lie and I was really thinking of giving up and just resting in peace. The look on Affa's face, who was really happy to hear my answer, still made me feel bad.

And it also makes me think,

'why did this guy change so quickly from being so cheeky to be so innocent in such a short time? is my Asura finger flick that powerful? to the point of changing someone's personality?

I seriously wonder about it.

****************

To be continued.