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.
<WHY? How can they be so->
“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.”
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.
<Are you saying that they were right?>
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, judgement hall, and so on 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.
<I see…what would you have done if you were in my place>
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.”
<You’re rather violent>
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. And it turned out, they had no one but themselves to blame.
At the moment, 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.”
<I shall not disappoint you>
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.
…
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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.
<{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 casualties were 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 away 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 }>
Note: The generated authorities are permanent and they will be created with a fair evaluation. While you can not interfere in the process, you can ask for a desired direction for the authority.
Note: You have one chance to give the input. It is advised that you use this option carefully as giving unrelated directions would be futile.
The same words appeared in front of his eyes once again. As much as he liked having more skills and authorities, he knew from the start that there was a limit to it.
A single mastered skill was better than a bunch of random ones. There was a limit to the benefits provided by the system. The more skills one had, the harder it'd be to improve all of them.
Both skills and authorities could be fused/evolved with one another. There was a right time for everything.
The best time to learn new skills was in the first and second ring. Although the skills awarded by the system and the ones created by players in these short ten years were weak, they were perfect to lay down the foundation. How could one just learn a powerful skill without meeting the minimum requirement?
For example, even if a player obtained the scroll of the S rank skill related to archery, he wouldn’t be able to control it without any previous knowledge in the field. Class, race, and skills in possession were key factors in utilizing a high-rank skill.
However, such limitations didn’t apply in the starting levels. Players can learn the weak and generic versions of powerful skills, and improve them step by step after getting the blessing of order. Zyrus knew better than anyone that getting the blessing after ascending each ring was the most important aspect.
Zyrus was long since prepared for this. Starting from the third ring, his focus would be on finding more supportive skills like Eyes of Annihilation. As far as his combat system was concerned, he was confident in covering all aspects with the time he had left in the second ring.
<{Please think of the desired direction and place your finger under the empty space}>
There was no hesitation in his eyes as he thought about the input.
<{Desired Direction: Long Range}>
<{Analyzing….direction approved}>
<{Generating new authority…}>
Chapter 178: Advanced Invaders
8 min read