Promise

The next day when I woke up, I was feeling considerably better.

There was still a 'Heavily Injured Penalty' in the stat screen and my stats had only recovered up to 11.1 stat point but I was feeling better now.

I got out of the bed and realized that it was around noon outside.

'That meant I must slept for more than 14-18 hours.' I thought with a grimace.

Netra was no where to be seen. But she was a strong person so I was not worried about her.

I searched around in my spatial ring and found the defensive suit in there.

There were still two large holes in the leg in the defensive suit and thousands of tiny little holes in every other part so I had to spend 400 white coins to repair it after which it seemed to become a good as new.

I removed the bandages from the body and realized that even though I had gained a bit of my muscles back, I was nowhere near as good enough as I was before the accident.

"It would take you a few more days to get back to full strength." A voice came from behind me and turned to find Netra crouching on top of a hut in her usual short skirt and white top.

But I was more concerned about the fact that she was able to sneak up behind me without me even realizing.

'Seems like she is much more stronger than I had previously assumed.' I thought as I smiled at her.

If she was a stranger then I would be very cautious of her. But as it stood, she had already save my life once and even gifted me 4th tier mutant beast meat.

I would foolish to not consider her an ally.

"I can see that." I said and pointed at my skinny hands with a helpless smile.

She jumped down from the hut and stopped in front of me. Then she sniffed my body a few times before she frowned and said "You stink."

I snorted at her words "Yeah well. That's what happens when a person don't bathe for many days and sweat a lot."

"There's a small pond down near the river." She said "There are no high tier mutant fish there so feel free to take a bath there."

"You're not gonna peek on me are you?" I asked with a chuckle.

"Hn." She snorted. "As if."

She really was different from how she was when I caught her consuming the mutant meat.

'Does people really treat Fiends that badly?' I thought as I took off all the bandages and entered the pond.

'Perhaps you should ask her at some later point in time.' Lily said.

'I'll do that.' I replied.

—————

When I came back, Netra had already secured a 3rd tier mutant beast for me. I looked at her for a moment and seeing her nod, I started eating.

I knew that if she wanted, she could hunt 4th tier mutant beasts as well, but I did not wanted to rely on her too much.

After I heal properly, I would hunt for myself.

'Wait! I forgot to tell Rahul and Neha about myself. They must be worried sick about me.' I thought and frantically searched for the walkie talkie in my spatial ring.

It was not there.

Then I remembered that I was wearing it in my utility belt when I jumped into the river.

'I must have lost it back there.' I thought with a sigh.

"What are you searching for?" Netra asked as she came and sat on the ground in front of me.

"My walkie talkie." I replied.

"What do you need that for?"

I looked at her incredulously. "To contact my family of course."

Even a child would have noticed the way she stiffened at my words.

'Did her family betray her after she became a Fiend. Is there another story to it.' I thought as her expression became sad and forlorn.

"You're going to leave me too, aren't you?" she asked in such a low voice that if my senses were not enhanced so many times, I would have missed her.

And then I realized what I was doing.

I don't know if she's a 2nd timer or has lived even more lives. Judging by her strength, she has probably lived more.

And I am probably the first person who ever accepted her.

And on I'm talking about my own family.

Of course she'll be sad and think that I'll leave her.

Which I will.

If there's a choice between going to my family and remaining with her, I would choose my family every single time.

But that doesn't mean I don't feel bad about it.

She saved my life when she could have just stood and watched.

She healed my wounds.

She gave me food.

She has helped me more than any other stranger in my life. And I owe her.

I can't just leave her.

I gently placed a hand on her shoulder and ignored the way she flinched at my touch. "I won't leave you." I said and she looked at my eyes.

I could see that her eyes were becoming moist and her voice hitched a little as she asked "P… Promise?"

I looked deeply in her eyes and said a single word "Promise."