Level Is Everything

Monster and Human

「Let's do this! I have nothing to lose anyway. If I died I will only lose a level. Okay! 」

Ryou decided to enter the cave and meet with Yaga. The wolves are following closely behind him but they stopped as soon as Ryou reached the cave entrance. It seemed that the cave was a restricted area for them as it was the dwelling of Yaga.

The cave itself was pretty dark and it is certainly bigger than what Ryou predicted. He already walked inside for five minutes but he hasn't see the ends. The size of the cave itself are pretty big since it was around five meters wide and ten meters tall. It was like going inside the earth. Ryou however have no choice but to keep moving forward. He is also curious to see what kind of monster is Yaga. To be recorded in the history of the beginner's village, he surely is no normal monster.

Ryou walked further and the size of the cave got bigger the further he walks. Finally, he arrived at a spacious room inside the cave and there's a big figure in the middle of it. Lying down on the floor, Yaga seemed to be sleeping but his eyes are open. Ryou examined Yaga and he is terrified. Yaga is like a small mountain lying down there. No wonder that the cave entrance was so big, it was to accommodate Yaga's size. Yaga himself was covered in white thick fur. Ryou know for sure that his arrow has no way to damage him, not to mention pierce Yaga's skin; even just to pass through that thick fur, his attack was insufficient. The top of the spacious room of the cave's space is open. Ryou can also see the sky through it if he looks upwards. That is also why he can clearly see Yaga. He can only describe Yaga in a few words, a big Yeti.

"Young'un, why are you looking at me like that?"

Finally, Ryou realized that he has been staring at Yaga from earlier and it wasn't something appropriate.

"Sorry."

Ryou apologized and this time it was Yaga who is looking at Ryou intensely. After a while Yaga seemed to disbelief what he saw and tried to examined Ryou again.

"This is strange. Young'un, you don't have the "fortune in misfortune" skill. If I remember correctly, only someone who have that skill will be able to receive the quest from the village chief. I guess you are here because of his request right?"

"Indeed. I am here because of the village chief request and I don't have the "fortune in misfortune" skill but one of my party member does."

"Ah, so that's the case. So young'un, are you going to go back to the village and make a report to the village chief?"

Hearing Yaga's question Ryou is now confused. It seemed to him that Yaga was of course a very high levelled monster and there was no doubt that he will cause a calamity if he ever decided to go out and wreck the beginner's village. But, Ryou have a feeling that there's more than what meets the eye. Yaga doesn't look like someone that is full of malice. Just from earlier when Yaga saved him, he already started to have good impression about Yaga.

Seeing that Ryou isn't giving him any reply, Yaga continue to ask.

"Young'un, do you care to listen to my story?"

Knowing that there's no harm in listening, Ryou complied. "Please."

"It was said that in the beginner's village there's a record about me destroying the village around the forest. Was that true?"

Ryou nodded and Yaga continued his story.

"But, do you know why I did that?"

Hearing that question, Ryou start to think. From what he sees, Yaga wasn't such an unreasonable monster that can't be asked to compromise or be invited to sit down and talk.

「Yeah, I didn't know why Yaga was described as such. There must be a reason to it. 」

"Young'un do you think that we monster are dangerous?"

Ryou didn't know where this conversation is headed but he nodded his head.

"Then, don't you think that we monster consider humans are dangerous?"

This one question from Yaga immediately makes Ryou pondering about it.

「We humans are killing the monster because we think that monster are dangerous. Then is it wrong if the monster start killing the human if they consider human is dangerous? 」

"You know, back then I have a child. My child always stays near the forest area and never wander far. He never even killed a monster. Since his mother is far away, I was the one tasked to raise him up. One day, he told me that he met a strange creature that walk on two feet and can speak. I guess he met a human from what he describes to me. I already told him not to get near with the human but he pays no heed to my warning. Because of that, he keeps on meeting with the human. Every time, I followed my child whenever he met with the human. The human seemed harmless so I let my guard down. One day my child was meeting with the human, but he never returned. I searched for him everywhere and what I found only some bloodstain and some fur left of my child."

Hearing the story, Ryou guess that is the reason for Yaga's rampage.

"In search of my child, I turned the nearby village upside down but I never found him. I didn't even found the human that is tricking my child. Because of that I was blinded by hatred and I started to kill any humans that I can find."

Hearing Yaga's tone, he can feel the pain, agony, and hatred that he bears. Is Yaga wrong to do all of that? Or is it the human's fault? Ryou can't tell which one because truthfully, human can do anything to get what they want and that can turn them into a monster.

"Until one day, I met a human which bears the skill "fortune in misfortune". When I attacked her village, she survived the attack but her family was killed in the process. She was there crying holding half of her son's body. She didn't even notice I was standing right in front of her. When I saw her I realized that even though I have lost my family, she has lost her family too. If I was claiming I am taking revenge for my child, then one day there will be someone who is strong enough to take revenge at me. The human which I called monster killed my child, but what's the difference I was from them? Because of that the woman with the skill "fortune in misfortune" is the one who stopped me. Though I can't tell is she really fortunate to survive."

Ryou knows, the cycle of revenge will never end if Yaga continued his rampage, so he decided to stop and go back to his hiding place. Indeed, there isn't anyone that is able to kill Yaga back then, but what about now? When the level of player increased, there will be a way for them to go back from the world map of Aaru to the beginner's village. For instance, a special quest which needs them to kill Yaga in case Yaga really destroyed the village now and goes on a rampage.

Yaga looked at Ryou and asked again: "So, do you think that 'monster' are the monsters, or human are the monster?"

Ryou remembered again his relatives that wanted to take him in, in the first place after his parents got into the accident. They act nice at first but then they throw him away when they know that Ryou's inheritance can only be claimed by him. It seems that monster is hunted by the humans because it was their fate, that's what they are designed for. However, there are really monster that is disguising themselves using 'human skin'.

「Ah, there's half human half monster too. Sakura. I hope she won't turn into a full monster later on. 」

"There are indeed some human that acts like monster, but not all of them. I can't say who's right or wrong but I think we're all the same. For on my way here I saw some monsters that act like human, living in a pack, raising their child, in the first place we're all just trying to live. Although I don't want to be heard siding with the human, there must be a reason why the friend of your son do that in the first place."

Hearing Ryou's reply, Yaga is surprised. He knows that Ryou isn't lying when answering that and it gives a good impression to him.

"Hahaha, I like you young'un. Now, are you willing to help me?"