Chapter 266: What It Means To Being A Monster
"How far is the distance between the bridge and that parameter..." Dhruv asked as he found every section of the dungeon being the same... wherever he looked, there was nothing but snow.
Even though everything looked the same, there was something that both of them had noticed—the number of monsters they had encountered after the ravine was so low compared to other places.
The number was so low that it almost seemed like someone had personally eradicated every monster from this side of the dungeon. And the only monster they had found in their few minutes of journey was a tier 1 monster who posed almost no threat to them or any other species.
"Huh! I couldn’t exactly guess the distance, but it shouldn’t be more than five kilometers..." Azarex muttered as he calculated the estimated distance between the bridge and that wall.
Because the vision wasn’t really continuous, he couldn’t put a proper number on the table. They had been only walking for a few minutes which puts the distance between them and the bridge less than a kilometer.
"Huh! Below five kilometers, then we can follow the eagle to find the shortest way to that area, right?" Dhruv asked with a strange expression all over his face.
"Yes, Master. We are exactly doing the same thing... uhh! From the looks of it, the messenger had slowed its speed... probably because it is about to reach the location." Azarex muttered after getting the feedback from his undead.
"Uhh! When they reach the location, use the eagle to find the perfect spot from where we could attack them..." Dhruv whispered as a word continued to get stuck in his mind.
’Huh! Attack... Attack them...’ he thought, a frown appearing over his face.
’Ahhh! Is it right to kill all of them... What am I thinking; of course it is right, after all, they are monsters, and I should do my duty of killing them...’ he was about to make up his mind when a realization struck him.
’What am I thinking... why am I judging them based on just being a monster? Aren’t I and the people of the island also monsters now... are we subjected to being killed as well.’ The frown on his face continued to grow as he began to get stuck in the web of morality.
’Ahhh! Who am I to decide to kill them just because they are monsters... I mean, simply calling them monsters even fair at this point after all they have enough intelligence to build... to reproduce? To create a society... and thus creating a complex network...’ Dhruv paused as a sentence continued to invade his mind.
’Are they even just monsters at this point...’
’Are they even just monsters at t...’
’Are they even just mons...’
’Are they even just...’
’....’
’....’
The frown on his face continued to get deeper as Dhruv found himself trapped in a web of complex thoughts. Finding it hard to get himself out of this trap he himself had created, Dhruv did something that every living being has the nature to do...
Blame someone else...
’Ahhhh! I don’t want to think about it... why do the cosmos have to create it like this... couldn’t they just give us normal monsters to kill and be happy with it... what could be its purpose in giving us this type of choice...’ At this point, Dhruv wasn’t even aware of what he was thinking...
...How he was thinking, and
... And Why he was even thinking about all this.
As Dhruv continued to dig deeper into these thoughts, the fire pillar around him fluctuated before dispersing altogether. Feeling a chill run down his spine, he quickly recollected his thoughts...
Manipulating his mana, he once again cast the same spell that had provided him with life... Fire pillar.
Wooosshh!
Once again surrounded by warmth, Dhruv thought, ’What had I been thinking about? Why am I making it complex... when it is all so simple? It’s not like I have another choice besides killing them... their death is something that is necessary to further stabilize my... our standing in the world that soon is about to turn into hell...’
After much thought, Dhruv had made the conclusion that the death of these monsters is absolutely necessary for progression... but is that really the case? Is it really necessary to kill them... couldn’t he achieve the same feat by killing the ones who don’t have their own consciousness?
’Yes! I made the right decision... there is no point in thinking about this any further..’ Dhruv thought as he forced his mind to focus elsewhere.
Even Dhruv knew that the thing he was thinking wasn’t right and is going against something that is still inside of him... he didn’t want to kill that last bit of that either... but alas he didn’t have any other choice..
While he was calmly traversing through the snow with his mana sense on... a sound disturbed him, "Master, they have reached the location."
"Huh! How is the inside of it..." Without even a second of delay, Dhruv asked with a hint of uncertainty.
Pausing for a second, Azarex began the explanation, "Everything is almost the same as we have seen in the vision of that monster... the only new thing I am finding is what’s on the backside of the area..."
Before he could even finish his words Dhruv interjected him, "What is it..."
"A big... very big palace... a big palace that is made from some sort of white marble. From looking at the area surrounding it and from my personal knowledge, I think this seems to be the place where the boss of the dungeon could be living..." Azarex muttered with a hint of jealousy and anger for the boss of the dungeon.
And how come he not be jealous when his own master is living in a simple house while the insignificant monster dares to live in this Palace?
’Ohhh! Good... there is no need for unnecessary killing... we can just go and kill the boss, and boom everything will be sorted out.’ he didn’t know why but while having this thought, a smile appeared on his face.
"Huh! The messenger monster has landed on the mansion... to not get noticed by them; I’m flying the undead quite a distance from the ground..." Azarex explained as he began to observe every action performed by the messenger monster.
’Hmmm! The bird is trying to say something—perhaps calling someone. Uhhh! A monster has come.’ Noticing some movement, Azarex stealthily controlled the undead to get a good view of the monster.
As the undead moved closer to the palace, Azarex noticed that the monster had begun to take the paper from the messenger. Taking the paper out from the messenger’s mouth, the monster began to read it right then and there.
After getting the perfect view of the monster, Azarex realized something—he found the monster somewhat familiar.
’Huh! Doesn’t that monster look like the same type we encountered during the third wave?’ Azarex thought as he controlled his undead to take a closer look at the monster. But this... this proved to be a fatal mistake.
"Shit... it noticed the eagle..." Thinking this, Azarex quickly tried to move the eagle away from the area, but all his tries proved to be for naught as the monster began to cast one spell after another toward the eagle.
"S-Damn! it." Controlling himself, Azarex cursed as the connection finally got cut. The eagle was killed by the monster without any mercy.
"What happened?" Hearing the worried tone coming from his second guardian, Dhruv asked.
"They killed the undead..." Azarex muttered.
"Shit... were you able to get any important information?" Dhruv asked as he looked dead in his eyes.
"Yes, I found something very crucial..." Azarex said with a straight face.
"What is it?"
"The monster who inhabited the palace is the same monster who tried to kill you in the third wave of the second quest..." Azarex proudly announced.
"Really..." Like a child who had found something interesting, Dhruv’s eyes lit up.
"U-uhh! Yes..." Azarex confirmed, not truly understanding where this excitement of his master is coming from.
’Uhhh! I don’t have to be so sad now.... Ahhhh! They are the ones who attacked us first... hehehe!’ Finding the perfect excuse that he could have asked for, Dhruv was happy to the point that he forgot a crucial point.
He forgot to think if it was even possible to defeat them. After all, they were going against someone with far more resources and fighters.
While he and Azarex were on one side, the other side was full of monsters at tier Ⅲ and tier Ⅳ... there could even be some tier Ⅴ for all he knows... he couldn’t even say that the number of monsters didn’t matter as they are mindless... but he clearly knows that isn’t the case...
Without thinking about anyone, he continued to move as the smile on his face began to broaden.
***
[Note: Read the author note..]
