Zen couldn't understand how a human could be so cruel.
Killing… he could accept that, to some extent.
People killed for survival, for power, for gain. It was ugly—but it made sense.
But this?
This wasn't necessity. This wasn't survival.
Why would someone choose cruelty… when they didn't need to?
"I don't understand it…" Zen murmured.
Was it pleasure?
If it was, then why this kind of pleasure? There were easier ways. Normal ways.
If someone sought desire, they could find it without destroying another person.
So why force it?
Was it because it was forbidden?
Because it was wrong?
Did the act itself matter…
or was it the fact that it shouldn't be done?
Zen's thoughts slowed.
If such things were considered normal… would they still do it?
…Or was the cruelty the point?
He exhaled quietly.
"I won't understand," he said to himself.
Not unless I walk their path.
And I won't.
So I'll never know.
We're all pathetic here… I'm acting like some saint. How laughable.
Zen let out a slow chuckle to himself.
Not because it was funny.
Because it wasn't.
In some sense… I'm no better than them.
Didn't I kill someone for money?
Even if they were bandits… didn't I steal from them too?
No—
Zen's thoughts paused.
Am I just justifying them because they were bandits… because that label makes it acceptable?
Who decided they were villains in the first place?
Aren't they just… people surviving in their own way?
Here's the funniest thing…
If I had the power to protect that woman…
Yes, of course I would say yes.
But the real question is—would I actually do it?
Then fine… I would help her.
And what about the others? Could I help them too?
Yes… the answer is still yes.
But truthfully…
I wouldn't.
I wouldn't care for others.
And I will never care.
I could call this cruelty… but even that feels too simple.
Because when we actually have the power to change things… we get distracted by everything else.
It all passes like a breeze.
And once it's gone… we don't look back.
We don't question it.
The funny thing is… if cruelty wasn't considered wrong, wouldn't I just go along with it?
Wouldn't I just take an eye for an eye… and call it normal?
So maybe what I call "justice"… is just cruelty with permission.
But here comes the principle.
I have my own set of principles.
If there is no absolute good or bad… then I will set my own rules to follow.
They won't be absolute.
They won't be perfect.
But they will keep me from becoming a madman.
"Even if my principles are wrong… they are still mine."
If others condemn me for them, I won't care.
In this world, there is no absolute good or bad.
But my principles are mine alone.
If someone says something is good, I won't accept it just because they say so.
And if I choose to do something, it won't be because it is "good"—
It will be because it fits within my principles.
Because if there is no proper foundation… the entire structure collapses.
So I will keep clean lines.
So I don't collapse.
"If truth cannot hold me together, I will hold myself together."
So Zen decided…
There is no borrowed morality here.
No good. No evil. No permission. No condemnation.
Only decision.
If he chooses to act, he will act completely.
If he chooses not to, he will not interfere at all.
No hesitation. No fragments. No pretending.
Because half-action… is nothing but disguised cowardice.
Zen stood up.
He knew the news would reach the duchy—or at least the nearby town—sooner or later.
And they would surely send people to investigate.
If they did, he would be the most suspicious presence there.
He didn't think of going any deeper into it.
Not tonight.
Zen made his decision.
He would leave the town.
Return.
Sleep.
And deal with everything later—if there was anything left to deal with.
So Zen began to walk.
The weight of the night still clung to him—unseen, but present.
He exhaled slowly.
But before that, he needed to clean himself and change into fresh clothes.
Thankfully, thanks to his system, he had a spare set ready.
It was a new morning. Last night, after cleaning himself, he had gone straight to sleep.
But the weight of yesterday's ordeal still clung to him.
Zen sat in silence for a while.
He decided not to dwell on it too much… but he wouldn't forget it either.
It had given him something.
Lessons.
And that alone was enough reason not to let it fade away.
But first—he couldn't afford to waste any more time.
He needed power.
More of it.
Zen freshened up and joined the others for breakfast.
They all sat together in silence for a while.
Zaki seemed… different.
Her behavior was slightly off today—uneasy, distracted.
Maybe yesterday's ordeal was still lingering in her mind.
She wasn't speaking much.
And when she did, her words felt distant.
Zen noticed it, but said nothing.
He simply ate.
They decided to take another route—to bypass the town entirely. There was no way they could go in there now.
So they changed direction toward the next town instead.
Zen needed to reach the capital of the duchy. Only there could he use teleportation.
That would allow him to reach one of the beast zones… known as the Swamp of Beasts.
So he could grind for battle essence there, allowing him to level up much faster.
But the cost was high.
He would have to kill countless beasts—possibly thousands… even up to ten thousand.
Yes… it's quite a large number.
But there isn't any other option.
It might look like I'm benefiting from it… but I doubt it's that simple.
The system is only compensating me based on the amount of work I put in.
But who was he fooling?
In a way, he was still at an advantage.
He could allocate all his stats freely and evenly.
And killing beasts would also grant him beast cores.
Those cores would increase his mana directly.
And so, the journey toward the capital began.