Chương 30: Unsurmountable Differences

As Maximus returned, Felix and Oscar had already gathered the corpses into a pile.

"Are you alright?" Felix asked.

"I will be. Damn them." Maximus frowned as his gaze fell upon the pile of bodies.

"Lunar Flare." He spoke coldly, and white flames descended, consuming the corpses.

"We found some staves, and a skill stone appeared when the blonde died," Felix said, handing it over. Oscar said nothing; he kept his mouth shut. He didn't like it when Maximus slipped into that cold, detached state; it unsettled him in a way he couldn't quite put into words.

"I also found a pouch of stones on her body," Maximus said simply as he took them out and began appraising them with a distant, indifferent expression. [Skill Stone: Poison Resistance (D)] [Skill Stone: Bite (F)] [Skill Stone: Clean Shot (E)] [Skill Stone: Savage Swing (F)] [Skill Stone: Enrage (E)] [Skill Stone: Magic Missile (F)]"I'll take Poison Resistance, if you don't mind. Felix, take this one, it's called Savage Swing, it should come in handy." Maximus explained.

"Oscar, apologies, there's nothing suitable for you," Maximus added.

"Don't you worry, I've got more than enough," Oscar muttered, his voice low.

"Did you… Did you have to finish them all off? They were only lasses, Max…" he asked, his face pale as a sheet.

"Gender has nothing to do with survival, Oscar, men, women, young, old… any of them can be the end of you if you're careless. They would have killed you even after you handed over everything you owned. They didn't value the lives of others, so how could I justify sparing them? How could we move forward if we constantly had to watch our backs? Tell me, Oscar?" Maximus's voice rose as he spoke, his irritation seeping through his words.

"Max, we're not like you. It's not easy to take lives, especially of our own kind." Felix cut in, trying to steady the situation.

"Do you think it's easy for me? Do you think I don't realize they could have been mothers, sisters, daughters? I am not a monster!" His voice cracked as he spoke.

"Then let me ask you this: what about goblins, kobolds, lizardmen, and the rest? Why are they worth less than humans? Is it easier to kill them simply because they're not your kin?!" Maximus exhaled sharply.

"You two need to understand this before it gets you killed somewhere out there. Life isn't simple enough for you to choose who deserves to live and who doesn't. Anyone, and I mean anyone, who tries to kill you once will try again. Leaving them alive is the same as marking yourself as prey for the rest of your life." Maximus shouted, a single tear slipping down his cheek as the image of Ariene flickered across his mind.

"The world isn't black and white, Max…" Felix muttered quietly.

"You know what, Felix? I wish it weren't. I wish our enemies could see reason and we could all walk forward together. But that… Is nothing more than a foolish dream." Maximus sighed, shaking his head, disappointment heavy in his expression.

"I just hope you never have to watch everything you love turn to dust. I hope your choices never lead you down that path." With that, he turned and walked back into the cavern.

"Mate… I'm gutted for starting this. I just couldn't stay quiet after watching him do those lasses in so cold-blooded like that." Oscar muttered.

"He's not wrong, you know. They would've burned us alive… But I still can't accept that killing was the only option. He could've restrained them; we could've taken them to a village… or something," Felix said, lowering his gaze.

"I don't know… I just know this whole thing is properly messed up." Oscar spat to the side as he sat down, staring at the darkened ground, his face still pale.

Maximus returned to the cavern, where Silex and the others tensed, ready to attack.

"It's me. Calm down." Maximus said, his voice colder than usual. Silex stared at him for a moment before snapping his jaws and gesturing toward him with a sharp motion.

"I am fine, buddy. The enemy is dead." Maximus replied simply, causing Silex to stare for another second before lashing his tail against the ground.

"You don't need to curse. There will be other battles for you." Maximus argued, somehow understanding, deep down, what the beast was trying to say. Embi and Sprout, on the other hand, climbed onto his shoulders and head, squealing and buzzing with concern.

"I am not upset… Just disappointed. The younglings do not understand what is necessary." He sighed deeply.

"I fear that it will cost them their lives one day." He lowered his gaze, exhaustion and frustration weighing on him.

"Fools…" he muttered quietly as he sat down and began recovering his energy. Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The remainder of the night and the following morning, Maximus spent absorbing spirit energy alongside Sprout, both growing stronger internally, while Embi and Silex stood guard. Silex, especially, had become aggressive towards Felix and Oscar, who were forced to sit farther away, both unwilling to approach Maximus for their own reasons. Once both his seed and Sprout reached Level 5, Maximus finally opened his eyes. There is no use wasting time here any longer.

I'll take a cluster or two with me, but we should start moving. He sighed inwardly as he stood up. After digging out a couple of the larger crystal clusters and storing them, he turned toward Oscar and Felix.

"Let's go. We've spent enough time here already," Maximus said simply. Though his tone was calm, he held no resentment toward them; he knew well that they were still young and inexperienced, and he would do what he could to protect them while he was still around.

"Aye, boss," Oscar muttered as he pushed himself to his feet.

"Max…" Felix began, but hesitated.

"It's alright. Let's move." Maximus said, not giving him room to continue. Felix nodded and followed, keeping his distance from Silex, who still seemed openly hostile toward the two. It was clear the beast did not take kindly to how they had spoken to his new friend. Even Sprout paid them little attention now, remaining close to Maximus, while only Embi floated innocently between Oscar and Silex, unaffected by the tension.

Like that, they moved through the woodland until the trees began to thin, eventually giving way once more to a wide, steppe-like region. As they made their way toward the last village before the Wildlands, Maximus took out the Poison Resistance skill stone and crushed it in his hand. A faint, transparent flash of light pulsed outward as the skill fused into his being. Skill Unlocked: [Poison Resistance (D)] Alert: Due to the nature of the skill, it will be converted into a Body Trait. Well…

This worked better than expected. It's so effective, and so simple; no wonder those monsters hunt others for skill stones. Maximus shook his head at the barbaric thought before pulling out another skill stone. Let's see if this works for my cat form. He crushed the Bite skill stone in his hand. Skill Unlocked: [Bite (F)] Alert: Appropriate category found for the skill. Feral tag applied. Poison Resistance (D) – Raises resistance to regular poisons by 20% up to D-Rank.

Resistance effectiveness against higher rarity toxins decreases by 15%. It can evolve further by surviving stronger poisons. Bite (F) Level 1 – Using the power of your feline jaw, rip into the bodies of your enemies. Damage dealt increased by 15%. If it strikes a vital point, the damage is doubled. Odd that I didn't unlock it naturally, but this works as well. Maximus noted as he read through the descriptions, then turned toward the duo walking behind him in silence.

"How long do you two plan on sulking? We don't have to share the same views to work together, you know." Maximus said simply.

"Aye… Easy for you to say, that," Oscar muttered under his breath.

"I will help you finish the first trial as promised. After that, if you find me repulsive, you don't have to speak to me again. Life is too short to spend it among those you dislike." Maximus said calmly as he turned away. And he meant it; he didn't feel insulted or slighted. He had known more companions than they could imagine, and he had seen most of them perish one way or another. Being troubled because someone disliked him was, to him, nothing short of absurd.

"We don't dislike you, Max. We just think there are other ways to resolve things than killing." Felix replied firmly.

"Aye, mate. You've done more for me than even my mum did, honest. It's just... Doing 'em all in like that, it's a bit over the top, isn't it?" Oscar said, clearly torn.

"I gave them a choice, didn't I? Leave or die. They chose to attack. That is the best I can offer." Maximus shrugged before adding, "You both are being rather hypocritical, you know. When I killed the necromancers, you stood by without complaint. Yet now that the genders are reversed, you begin to protest." He shook his head.

"It's different, alright? Just… Let us try first, something next time. If things get out of hand, then you do as you must." Felix offered. Maximus exhaled slowly.

"Fine."

"Sorted then! That's a deal!" Oscar said, a faint smile finally returning to his face.

They continued on their journey, following the map, and for some reason, nothing attacked them. At first, they spotted a few Hyena Dogs in the distance, but after that, there were no further signs of life until, finally, after five days, they reached the Bastion of Hope. Massive stone walls loomed in the distance like silent guardians. Every thirty meters, a watchtower stood, each manned by a vigilant ranged fighter.

The main gates were spiked, forged from a heavy metal alloy, and reinforced with a shimmering magical barrier. The entire structure radiated strength, and for the first time since his arrival, Maximus felt something akin to being back home. This place reminds me of the capital of the Barbaric Empire of Sailun. Was this also created by Astrae? Or was it taken from somewhere else and brought here? How curious…

Maximus thought as they approached the gates, just as hues of orange and gold spread across the sky, heralding the arrival of night.

"'Bout bloody time," Oscar muttered as they stopped before the massive, imposing gates. The gates trembled, chains screaming as they were raised, and two men clad in heavy armor stepped out to meet them.

"Entrance fee is 100 tokens, and we need to check your level before you enter. Only those above level 20 are allowed inside. We don't need any leeches around here," one of the guards said coldly.

"Makes sense." Maximus nodded and paid without hesitation.

"A hundred tokens?! You're having a laugh, aren't you? That's a proper rip-off!" Oscar barked.

"You can always sleep with the beasts outside." The guard scoffed.

"Ha! What beasts?! We haven't seen a single thing for five days straight!

'Leveling journey,' my foot!" Oscar shot back.

"Fool. The Blood King has been hunting this region for weeks. You're lucky you avoided him." The second guard said in a lowered voice.

"My good man, could you tell me who this Blood King is?" Maximus asked calmly.

"Some time ago, a pack of wolves left the Wildlands for unknown reasons. They are led by a red-furred beast, its coat the color of blood. That's why we call him the Blood King." The guard explained.

"They've been hunting everything in this region. We even lost a few good men a couple of days ago. Something must have stirred in the Wildlands to drive them out here." The other guard added with a heavy sigh.

"I see. Thank you." Maximus nodded before turning.

"Come on, you two, pay up. Let's enter already." Felix stepped forward and paid without argument, while Oscar grumbled under his breath as he handed over his tokens. They were about to pass through when one of the guards suddenly shouted, "Hey! What's with the beast?!" Only then did they notice Silex lurking in the tall, knee-high yellow grass further behind them, lounging lazily.

"He is my companion. I'm a Druid, he won't harm anyone." Maximus replied calmly.

"A Druid?! And you've survived this long?! Bloody hell… Go on, get inside." The guard waved them through, clearly impressed. Silex gave the man a disdainful glance before striding past him, Embi resting atop his head like a flickering crown of flame. Sprout, meanwhile, lay nestled on Maximus's shoulder, fast asleep and indistinguishable from a small decorative plant. ‎