After Operation Avenger was done, Miles returned to Portal World. Now that he was in F-Circle, he had to return back to his own stronghold. At first, he wanted to stick around for a time until he was Form-Rank, and continue from there. But he had friends and a pet in G-Circle, so he had to go back and reunite with them.

Merlin was going to escort him to his stronghold. But in the fights against the criminal parties, he got a minor injury disallowing him to enter Portal World for the time being. At first, he wanted a battalion to accompany him, but Miles rejected.

He was confident of his abilities, and there wasn't that much of a distance from the stronghold to G-Circle. At best, he would encounter an F-Tier beast, and he was certain that he could escape with his life intact.

After his preparations were done, Miles left the stronghold and went into the opening. After making sure no one was there to spy on him with heat vision, he fished out the ivory orb and charged it to a car. He hopped on it and drove it according to the map he got from Merlin.

Merlin was a lot more resourceful than him. He was able to get the maps from that stronghold to Miles's previous, with a few words and promises. It would take Miles a fortune if he were to try himself. After all, people were endangering their lives to explore these uncharted areas. The monsters and supernatural powers enthralling these areas were unknown. So any person coming to draw a map would risk their lives. Of course, the fruits of their hard work were also expensive because of that.

Map trade was one of the most common occupations in Portal World. People with less strong powers would risk their lives to discover new places and sell them online. Because of the high rate of mortality, the prices of maps were extremely expensive. But Merlin was a known figure. His military exploits were enough to show his promising future. Gaining the favor of such a figure was a worthy deal. When Merlin first inquired that he wanted a map of the area, all Map Traders raced to be the ones who could sell the information.

“Coin, how far are we from the G-Circle?” Miles asked as he yawned lazily in the car.

“It shouldn’t take more than an hour.” Coin reported as lazily.

“Alright, I am gonna take a nap. Wake me if there is anything.” Miles said and lied down on the back seat.

“You know I cannot download and research anything while I am here. Why are you leaving me alone.” Coin sighed but didn’t wake Miles anyway. He took control of the car and drove into the forest.

***

“SCREEEEEECH!”

“CRASHH!”

“What the hell is going on?” Miles looked at the front shield of the car where he was lying. The previous crash threw him to the ground.

“Wake your lazy ass, a monster is following me, and I cannot lose it.” Coin shouted and the car went back with record speed. Coin adjusted the gear again and the ivory car leaped forward. Miles looked back and saw the monster chasing them. It was a ram with two giant horns. The body of the ram was as holy as it could be.

“Light element?” Miles looked at the ram in surprise.

“Yes, he is too fast. I cannot ditch him.” Coin said while maneuvering between dense trees. But the ram was faster and although it couldn’t dodge the trees, the horns were ramming them to the ground without any delay. From the look of it, the monster would be on them in a few seconds.

“Coin, go faster!” Miles shouted in panic. How could they encounter a light elemental beast? It was faster than any speed he could muster.

“What do you think I am doing, idiot. This is the maximum speed!” Coin rebuked. “We have to split up. You leave the car and go in another direction while I lure the beast away, and reunite with you.”

“As if I would do that.” Miles shook his head. If they were to split up, Coin was as good as dead. Miles at least had a shot to fight back.

“Miles, it is not time to be wishy-washy. You have the necklace, I will store my source code there and will keep only a little amount in this body. After I lure the beast away, I will self-explode this one. When you are back on Earth, you can always create a new body for me.” Coin said with resolution.

“I refuse,” Miles said without any delay with anger. “The fuck with new body and source code. As soon as you lose your main body, the little amount of source code in the necklace will not do any good. If I ever hear you sacrifice yourself, I will fucking leave you in the Unity for the rest of my life.”

“What the hell are you saying, idiot?”

“When we started this journey, I risked my life by using a Strengthening Serum with my mere mortal body. You also risked yourself by hacking in many places. Anything we did so far was defying the limitations placed on us. We did it because we promised each other to see through our dreams. So why are you now acting like a coward and want to give up halfway by self exploding yourself?”

“It is not that. I— I just don’t want you to die.”

“Good. I don’t want me to die, either. I also don’t want you to die. Without you as my companion, what is there to live, you moron.”