Crushing waves left a mark on Ben's mood.

'This never gets old,' he thought.

The freedom Ben gained from Ginn's help finally allowed him to spend more time developing his knowledge.

So while he still took naps, it wasn't dreadful ones.

And by not drowning in despair, Ben focused his time on investigating his limits more carefully again.

However, that wasn't what truly allowed Ben to move to protect the world. The < Dragons > merely had left plenty of tools for Ben to use, hidden deep below their faction's Ancestry Ground.

So, Ben decided to act as long as he had those riches to burn.

But he wasn't blind, so he was still preparing for the eventual dry-out. Physical objects could only last so long. And he still had his weird limits in place.

Nonetheless, today was still one of those days Ben could be wasteful.

So, he smiled, walking down deep into an apex monster home ground.

Striding forward, Ben carried a small hand-held lantern he had retrieved from Sunset City before coming here.

He wasn't hiding his identity, either. His skin had those full marks, conveying his peculiar achievements.

Walking into the City, Ben harmonized with the artifact so people couldn't see him. At least, no one below the apex.

A few at the top still noticed the invader, walking so fearless into their home.

And Ben's carelessness felt insane in their eyes since they could feel his strength. And while he was odd, he was by no means above them.

However, the artifact in his hand did send shivers down their spine. So, they acted carefully.

By guessing his aim correctly, this faction waited for Ben in the center of their defensive formation.

...

"Brother, please!"

"Oh, come on. Calm your damn worried asses. If we die today, so be it. Stop fucking yelling like a lost chick."

"Prepare!"

"What can we do? Someone dressed as Death is at our door and will be here in a few minutes. What else can we do?"

"But the lantern!"

"It's Mack's legacy. So what? I don't think I'm that far behind even one of Ginn's bitch."

"This dreadful feeling."

"You weren't that worried by the dreadful shriekers from our food. Don't be such a hypocrite. Are you afraid? So what? Don't be such a bitch! If you don't shut your fucking mouth, I'll kill you before he can."

The apex cultivator sighed.

"You're such a mood pooper. Shut up, go back into your position. And whatever happens, happens."

A dreadful silence returned to the room as the man ate small fruits in the head seat on this luxury table.

...

Outside, Ben slowly walked down the hall into the open door of this grand hall.

Inside, he saw a selection of strong cultivators surrounding this man, who fearlessly ate while he had his feet up on the table.

"That's quite the boring entrance," the man said between his bites.

"A boring entrance for a boring reception."

"Fair enough. But anyway, I'm surprised you're this fearless even after my last breakthrough."

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But Ben merely remained silent while he looked around.

There was no menacing look nor energy movement as if preparing for an attack. Ben only glanced at everyone's faces as if trying to burn their images in his head.

"Let's first take care of the worthless," Ben talked to the strongest in the room.

But when he moved to try to reach for the lantern, everyone around him jumped in a unified attack.

The man sitting was the first to reach Ben, despite the laziness he showed.

The city and its formation also moved into pinning down the invader.

Yet, despite being poked all over by swords and hit by a wave of incredible attacks, Ben stayed calm.

And he didn't even try to reach for the artifact anymore since it acted on its own once the apex cultivator was closer to it.

Ben instead only focused on keeping his body together as the flame from within the lantern melted the glass window and flowed outside while trying to eat everything.

In an instant, the lantern flames overtook the hall, and the people inside couldn't even react.

It kept growing, spreading through the castle, the city, and even the surrounding forest, consuming everything in its wake.

When they noticed the intruder, they didn't try to run. Instead, those cultivators brought Ben here due to their confidence in their city formation and defenders, what others knew as their iron defense. But how could they've guessed that their best efforts wouldn't trouble the small flame inside the lantern at all?

...

"As heartless," the burned man whispered within the flames.

The flames had carried his body a few steps from Ben, who remained standing and staring at the apex figure.

"Am I just another frog in a well?"

"Aren't we all?" Ben replied.

After a few breaths, Ben slowly controlled the surrounding fire.

"I don't understand how Ginn's bitch was this strong."

"Comparing yourself to Ginn or his people is meaningless. This world bent to his will."

"Do you think you're smart being his bitch, too?"

"Pointless snarks."

"A worthless puppet left behind."

"Well, don't move."

Ben controlled the fire masterfully.

He pinned the man to the ground and began burning him from inside, slowly etching a complex structure underneath his burned skin.

Ben ensured the guy couldn't fight before finally moving toward him.

"Am I not at the top of the world?"

Despite the brutal invasion into his body, the apex cultivator still could talk.

"You are. But so what?"

"The world still has people like you to protect it? That can burn everything so effortlessly."

"Nah. It doesn't matter. The world is falling apart, but it wouldn't be your time. If you clashed with everyone else and a few with similar talent and heartlessness were born in the next one hundred thousand years, then maybe the world could end."

"Hah. They don't seem that incredible."

"They aren't, but they can hold their grounds for a little while."

"Refinement is inevitable. There is no other way up."

"Sure," Ben said, smiling.

He then sunk his hand deep into this man's chest and removed his heart.

However, the man ended up surprised he didn't die.

"People might conclude that, but that doesn't mean they'll succeed. I'm here. The world might end, but you ain't chomping on it."

"If you're that determined, why don't you finish this."

The heart in Ben's hand kept beating fanatically.

"There is too much stuff rotten inside my grave. And who said I would eat it?"

"You don't want it, but neither do you want anyone else to have it?"

"I don't think I damaged your brain yet. You've been feasting on it, so you should know it, too. It's bad, but not because it crossed some vague moral line. Instead, it's because it's inherently bad for you. It's addicting, but that's it. By being so rotten, you can only root away miserably."

"Liar!"

"So poetically. Beautifully so. But if you think about it, it makes sense. If we could merely embrace gluttony, then would it ever be our turn? We aren't that incredible."

The man wanted to scream again, but he knew it too. Once he consumed too much, that path became a hindrance. The more he ate, the more he chained himself. And as if strings solidified from his back, he didn't feel like his old self.

"It does give you a bit of speed. But wouldn't you eventually reach this point anyway? Maybe even further? You weren't only burning other people's futures or nature's ability to heal. You were burning your future, too."

"What are you doing to me?"

"I need a puppet. A mindless soldier to gain us time as madness takes over."

"A fitting end."

Ben looked at those clear eyes and saw no regret. And he feared he would begin seeing more people like this.

The people the world controlled so strongly had become aimless once the strings became loose.

As the force that shaped the world dissipated, people began seeing through the cracks, even if only subconsciously.

"Strangely enough, Ginn would've liked you," Ben whispered as he clutched the heart into a viscous matter.

He then calmly dripped that into the apex cultivator's eyes.

With the help of the flame, Ben forged a unique artifact out of the body of this soul eater.

While using the < Dragons > knowledge gained from using his own body as a compass to finding world eater anchors as a base, Ben developed this technique.

It was a similar structure, but it could move on its own.

However, it wasn't an easy project, though. So, after stabilizing the body's condition, Ben began to move out while carrying it.

He would go into seclusion until he could process the artifact into a workable condition.

---

"Yes! Yes! Yes! The iron defense burned!"

"I told you, Lua. There was no need to worry. We have such a master with us."

"But he's not hopeful about the future, either."

"But there is still a future, for now. So, let's keep going."

---

Most people eventually forgot the details of such a tragedy once a century passed.

However, the victims' peers stayed apprehensive.

And their fear wasn't unfounded since once they got news of their friend again, it was in the form of a mindless hunting machine.