Chapter 149 (2/2)

“But you would always just be a man who plays at using the spear. If that destiny is satisfactory… you do not need me. But this chance is just tonight. If you do not leave… I will consider you bound to me. We cannot turn back.”

Randidly looked into the fire for a long time. Then he produced a knife and sliced off long chunks of the pig’s flesh, added some of the vegetables, and wordlessly handed it to Shal. After sniffing it, Shal nibbled on the edge of some, then rapidly began devouring the rest of his plate.

After serving himself, Randidly sat down. He was tempted by what Shal offered. His insight and training had helped him improve immensely. Setting aside that Randidly wasn’t sure how to leave this planet, he considered the hard truth; was he alright with killing people to find power?

Then he remembered the words of the Path of Carnage, and shivered. Perhaps he should have taken them more seriously. But Randidly couldn’t deny how badly he wanted the power. It was what drove him to practically torture himself every day, pushing himself to the limit. That sense of loss and hopelessness. That frustration and confusion as he wanted to find his friends, but could find no methods to do so…

He craved power to overcome those emotions. To protect his small village. To resist the system that had invaded his world and killed many of the people he had known.

He had been callous in the past. He had allowed monster hordes to rage without assisting, and many people had died do to it. He didn’t assist with whatever problems Donnyton had with its sister village. Death had resulted from his inaction.

Which was different from what would happen now.

Randidly ate more slowly than Shal, who finished, then belched, and lay on the ground in a leisurely manner, relaxing. After he had eaten his fill, Randidly looked at the boar, which was barely even dented, and then looked at the hungry and predatory looks around them. Randidly stepped forward and began to gather the food into his spatial ring, when someone spoke.

“Hey now, you have so much… why not share with your big brother here? Believe me, this will go much easier if you stay on my good side.” A few men stepped forward, all holding large spears.

Randidly just stayed still, but a small fire was lit in his gut. The men smiled cruelly and approached.

“Hehe, that’s more like it, be good and we won’t- fucking shit, poison?!?” The man said, his eyes widening as he stumbled, and he quickly produced a potion and gulped it down. Randidly shrugged, but didn’t stop Pollen of the Rafflesia.

Their gazes were tinged with fear now, but that was quickly overwhelmed by anger.

“This isn’t your lucky day kid.” The first man, who had an ugly scar down his cheek, said. Then he gestured to another of the men. “My mate has a poison resistance over 30. Weaklings like you who can be countered so easily deserve to die.”

Something snapped in Randidly then. But he didn’t move. He simply smiled.

Spearing roots ripped up through the second man, boring holes in his stomach. He whimpered, his eyes wide, and the rest of the men froze. The first man seemed to be rather brave, and vindictive, because rather than run, he spun and leapt towards Randidly, his spear slashing forward.

He could almost hear Shal whispering in his ear; these weaklings did not deserve to die by the spear. So Randidly stepped forward and knocked the spear to the side with his hand, and delivered a Roundhouse Kick to the side of the man’s knee.

That man was far, far weaker than Shal, and even weaker than the average participant in the qualifier. After all, he was not valued enough to even be enrolled in a Style. So his knee cracked and popped, and he fell to the ground screaming.

Randidly had forgotten that this was not Earth. Here, strength was everything. People would kill for a scrap of food. With the anger hot in his belly, Randidly stepped forward with fire in his eyes. Life was not an incredibly precious thing. It was worth less than a slab of bacon.

That was what the system did. It transformed you. It transformed your world into a place where you either killed for strength or died to someone who wanted it more than you. Just like Randidly’s strength was rising, so was the strength of the System aiming against them. Shal spoke of Calamities. Raid Bosses were growing in strength. Eventually, the walls of the Zone Donnyton was in would come down.

If Randidly had insufficient strength at that point… he would never have another shot. He was already taking enough of a risk by refusing to capitulate to the system and receive a class, for now at least. As such…

...He needed to seize every opportunity presented to him. Or he would inevitably die.