Pugalo and Zyrus stared at one another in an empty space. Both of them needed some time to think things over.
The remaining half of Pugalo’s sentence didn’t need to be said. Either it’d submit to Zyrus or both would perish together.
‘Of course, the latter wouldn’t happen as long as I have the cube…’
Zyrus was quite sure of his assumption. Wouldn’t it be a joke if he died by someone invading his will while he was the one who’d initiated the contact?
Regardless of that, his goal was to convince Pugalo and get the scarecrow field boss as a subordinate. It was a crucial piece in the next part of his plan.
‘Two options. Either I speak what it wants to hear, or the truth.’
The answer was obvious. He wouldn’t stoop so low as to betray his own thoughts and deceive someone to become his subordinate. A husk of Pugalo was better than the living one who didn’t have the guts to accept the reality.
“Haa…whatever. If you want to hear my thoughts, then so be it.”
“I’m sure you’re expecting someone to condemn your choice or perhaps seek justice on behalf of the ones you’ve killed?”
<…>
“Before I continue, be honest. What are your own thoughts on the matter? What do you want to hear?”
Zyrus’s words proved that he didn’t care what Pugalo thought either way. He was simply curious.
Pugalo’s answer was blatantly suggestive. It wanted someone who could lift the guilt and burden on its heart.
This was yet another test.
But, it was a pity that Zyrus wasn’t exactly a nice guy.
“You’re thinking too highly of yourself. You’re strong, but when it comes down to it, you’re nothing but a dumbass. Maybe even worse.”
Pugalo didn’t know how to feel after being called out like that. He expected something like a devil or a heartless monster, but this…
“Just to be clear, I’m not saying this to affect your emotions. It’s the plain hard truth no matter how you look at it. You think they didn’t know what the ‘ore’ was? No one knew the so-called earth spirits were about to be born? What a joke.”
Pugalo was deeply unsettled by his remark. Zyrus’s words were shaking the very foundation of its existence.
“I’ve seen the past with your eyes, and I can tell that you’re taking their intelligence for granted. Perhaps they didn’t know about the impending birth of the spirits, but what about after figuring out the purpose of the ‘ore’- or in your words, the hearts?”
“Why did they kill knowing all that? Heh, why wouldn’t they? An unknown species stronger than them was about to be born, right under their asses. What do you think they’d do? Negotiate? Subjugation? Peaceful cooperation? Too many risks. Any half-competent ruler wouldn’t take the risk.”
Pugalo was shocked to the core once again. It always believed that the ignorant people did the atrocious things without knowing anything better, that was the reason he felt some guilt towards their later generation.
From their perspective, he was the one who was really cruel.
But after hearing Zyrus, Pugalo felt even more enraged as the last bits of guilt and sympathy vanished from its conscience.
“Cruel? Heartless? Rulers are like that. It’s not always flowers and sunshine for the one sitting on the throne. Who would take the blame if the spirits grew up and decided to fight against the natives? Who would bear the weight of countless lives that’d be lost in a potential conflict? The burden of that is much less than making a preemptive attack.”
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Zyrus knew better than anyone what it felt like to hold the fate of your entire species in your hand. It felt grand being hailed as a monarch and an emperor, but it wasn’t without a cost. A ruffian or a tribal chief could wage war in a moment of impulse- they could act with emotions and do as their heart desired.
But a true ruler didn’t have that luxury. Pity on the enemy meant accepting the burden for the rebellion they could cause in the future. Being ruthless on the enemy meant that the moment you lost the war, your people would face the same cruelty.
Both paths were filled with thorns.
Rather than being angry, Pugalo just felt listless. It didn’t expect to learn the whole truth after all these years.
“Right or Wrong, it's subjective. What matters is something much more simple– Power. You were forced to watch the spirits die because you were weaker than the attackers. Their civilization was destroyed because they were weaker than you. It’s that simple. Is there a need to know who’s right or wrong?”
A heavy silence ensued after his words. As much as Pugalo wanted to refute Zyrus’s words, it couldn’t find the reason to do so. Justice was nothing but a farce without the methods to implement it.
Why did the governing system like courts exist in the first place? It was to remove the notion that strength ruled above all. This was the foundation of peace and development for any thriving civilization.
Pugalo asked with a defeated yet relieved expression. It was clear that it had accepted Zyrus’s proposal.
“I’d rather strike them first than seek revenge. Even if I do seek it, I’d just destroy the whole damn planet and be done with it.”
Zyrus simply shrugged at its response. There was no way to explain how he and the rest of humanity felt when they were forced to survive in a lawless place.
‘But all of that’s in the past…’
Neither Zyrus nor anyone else had the strength to create a stable civilization. No matter how grand and vast the Sanctuary and Streit bastion were, they were nothing but army camps in essence.
“Let’s head back. I look forward to seeing your might as a watcher of the second zone.”
Pugalo knelt on one knee and accepted his authority. As for listening to how it ended up in the sanctuary…it was better to leave it after the raid was over.
…
Zyrus was welcomed by the cheering crowd of players and a non-stop flash of system messages. Barely any time had passed from the moment he destroyed the whirlpool.
“Distribute the loot.”
“All hail his majesty!”
“All hail his majesty!”
The players jumped at the piled-up loot from the field boss raid. Although they could touch nothing except what the system gave them as a reward, the action itself was satisfying.
Zyrus was in no rush to collect his loot and post-raid analysis. He plopped on the ground which was already regaining its original color and checked the tabs one by one.
[Congratulations! You have defeated the guardian of the Farmlands: Pugalo]
[Congratulations! You have earned the achievement: He who slays the Fallen (A)]
[SP +7, Increased Slash Resistance against boss monsters]
[You have dealt the most damage to the field boss!]
[You have dealt the final blow to the field boss!]
[SP +3, When fighting against a boss level monster, Critical rate +5%, Critical damage +10%]
The rewards were below average for what he’d accomplished so far. But considering that the biggest gain was Pugalo itself, Zyrus was more than satisfied with the outcome.
He glanced over the complimentary equipment given to the raid participants and focused on the last few messages.
‘What matters right now are the rewards from the flag march,’
<{Congratulations! You have conquered one of the islands of Pisces archipelago}>
<{All stats +15, HP + 100, MP + 20, Stamina + 30, on conquered territory}>
<{No roaming monsters would attack the conquered territory}>
The fish tide had retreated long before the players received the message. Thanks to the advantage given by the weapons of war, the player’s casualty was kept at a minimum.
Just as everyone was done collecting their spoils, another round of notifications rang out along with beautiful fireworks.
*Boom*
*Crackle*
Vibrant flowers of red, green, and blue blossomed in the dark sky. What they had achieved was no small feat, and the sanctuary didn’t shy off from giving them the rewards and recognition they had earned.
|---| You have conquered two of the three Zones of Pisces archipelago! |---|
|---| Additional Rewards will be given to the Mighty Conquerors! |---|
And for the third time since the start of the flag march, a world announcement was made across the second ring.
[|] World announcement! Players have conquered the second zone beyond the continent of Kyros [|]
[Maps have been updated]
The crowd erupted in another round of cheers and celebration. The night of victory belonged to them.
<{Buffs will be increased by 20% in the conquered Zone}>
<{Hostile monsters and players will have their stats reduced by 20% in the conquered Zone}>
<{Exp gain will increase by 15% in the conquered zone}>
[You have gained the Motif: Advanced Invaders]
[Effect: Firepower of the weapons of war will be increased when invading a force with an inferior technological level]
At last, what Zyrus was most eager for appeared on a golden screen.
<{ You have met the conditions to create a unique authority }>
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