Sam looked at them with that never fading smirk which kind of triggered them even more. They felt like they had an upper hand at Sam since he has been defensive for quite a while.
But they didn't think that smirk would still be there.
The same smirk that stayed there when he was facing hundreds of enemies until this point is still there. He is not feeling any pressure that within their set rules in this battle, the trio would be any threat to Sam.
This is something they wanted to breach.
They wanted to get past that smirk and make him understand that they can follow him, stay with him and still grow.
To put it bluntly, the four of them don't have any other people in the world. The Evergreen family in the Star wood city is just a family of people that sheltered Philip for the sake of a transaction. He was never a part of that family, they are at most his benefactors.
Jack lost his father at a very young age and his mother died when he has barely awakened hi spiritual core.
Watt didn't even know his parents.
Everyone knows about Sam's situation. The four of them stuck together not just because there is no one else to look for or not just because there is nowhere else to go. It is because they couldn't go anywhere. Every major power would have taken them with open arms and focused on them so much.
They didn't even know an outside world exists, so they would have easily satisfied with the amount of success they would get at a major power back on the desolate planet.
They stayed together because they find each other as support. They developed a bond over days and years that made them stick together. With Sam's cold behavior he wouldn't be able to make friends in most normal circumstances.
In fact, he wouldn't even try to make friends in general. The most human relationship he would be in is a business relationship.
They became friends in an unnatural manner. The most normal friend Sam had would be Jack. In Philip's case, he pestered Sam because he was curious about a person who can have such a cold exterior. It is like he is living his whole life fighting a war without any peace.
He didn't even have a single positive approach towards people and their characters.
The only thing he views positively about people is that he can use their character, emotions, and behavior against them or to his advantage in conducting business, killing them or destroying them, or something way bigger than all three that are above.
He was curious just how such a human being was made, just what he had to go through.
And when he understood that Sam has no problem making friends, he just didn't find a need to. He has too high standards on an emotional level and also his secrets and abilities are not supposed to be shared with any guy that can be called friends that just met him with a smile.
There was a lot of effort from both sides.
As for Watt, he started as a subordinate if it was said in a respectable way, or a slave if it was said bluntly.
He did what Sam said, at some point in the journey if Sam had said to Watt to kill himself, he would have done that. He didn't have any other life other than obeying Sam and killing people.
But because of his change and evolution within himself and developing a bit of individuality along with the loyalty, Sam has opened his ice-cold exterior to become friends with him and Watt who is disappointed at the world also let Sam be his friend and at the same time guide showed what he is truly worth.
When Sam suggested their separation they are afraid, that they will become lonely once again. They are afraid that they would drift apart from each other. But Sam is adamant about that decision.
In short, all three of them are insecure guys that are afraid that they would lose the stability they achieved. After all, Philip and Jack are done with their life goals. They lived for revenge and they kind of joined Sam in this journey to take that revenge which in itself is a selfish reason.
They could have had an easier time if they left him after that.
But now they are just afraid and insecure.
While the three of them are having all kinds of thoughts and insecurities screaming in their heads, Sam just kept that smirk and defended.
All three of them lost their sanity a bit and forgot the whole physical and mental training they went through all these years. They are just focused on causing more damage and making Sam submit.
For once they desired more power, more strength and for once they felt bad about the gap between them and Sam.
But as it went on, they are not exactly helping themselves. The more they lost their sanity, the easier it is for Sam to defend, after some time he completely gave up on attacking. All he did was defend stably without even moving from his spot.
The damage is increasing in the surroundings and soon the forest area was on fire or cut down. Many citizens that came for hunting are all attracted to them and there are spectators around them. But nobody dared to interfere.
Some of them recognized the four of them, these are the new guys that entered the town and some powerful guys are coming to meet them. They didn't want to interfere.
The fight went on and on and soon the trio lost its strength.
Sam had several wounds on his body. His coat was a bit messed up here and there. The moment they lost the systematic attack patterns Sam lost any chance of getting critically injured. He is just too familiar with their instincts.
After they all fell down on their knees with no strength to move, Sam who is also extremely exhausted sat down with them.
He looked around and said.
"Leave us alone. It is just a friendly spar."
The group looked at them with weird expressions and didn't say anything. They did have some opinions and thought to themselves though.
After everyone left, Sam took out the heavenly wine and took a huge swig before throwing the gourd to Watt who is nearest to him.
Watt also took a swig and passed it to Jack and he did the same before passing it to Philip.
For the next half an hour, they just drank the wine calmly.
Their emotions are a bit more stable and their wounds are healing.
Sam looked at them and said.
"I know what you are afraid of. You are thinking that we might drift away. We are simply four orphans who formed a weird bond of friendship and I know it would be hard for you guys to just leave the stability and security that you have even though every journey you have with me is life-threatening.
It is a conflicting decision.
Trust me, I might be a cold person and might even have a rock for a heart, but I really did think this through. I am not sending you away because you are burden to me.
I would rather have you guys beside me than all the power this world could ever offer. But I genuinely think that you guys deserve a life better than being second fiddle to me.
Move out of my shadow, walk your own path, fight your own battles, talk to women and find your soul mate. Just explore the world and the opportunities.
If we are still on the desolate planet, you wouldn't be able to get these opportunities, the whole world and the universe have so many things to offer other than just being a friend of mine.
I would love to have you guys be a part of my legacy, but I would love it even more if I am also part of yours.
I will never forgive myself in the future if all your legacy and journey is influenced and probably filled with me in it.
Don't waste this chance.
Have faith in me, have faith in our friendship. One day we will meet again and start our journey together.
Who knows what you might encounter in this journey? You might get the greatest of legacies that are suitable for you, you might meet a woman that is worth you destroying the world over, you might meet an adventure that could change the way you think.
Why are you giving up all of it just to be with a cold man who lost faith in everything? Don't fall into the hell hole I am staying in."
The three of them just looked down without saying anything.
Sam sighed and said.
"I hope you go on this journey."
With those words, he just left them alone to contemplate themselves.
