"What was that, Cassian?" Lumine asked, her voice still shaky.
The massive ape-like monster, to their luck, hadn't noticed them. It continued on its way, still chewing on the mangled human bodies in its grasp. Even as it disappeared into the distance, they could still see its towering form moving through the trees, leaving behind nothing but a trail of blood and shattered remains.
Cassian exhaled slowly, stepping out of their hiding spot along with the others. His expression was grim as he muttered, "I don't know, and I don't care. That thing is not our problem."
He turned to Wanni and gave her a sharp nod. "Wanni, take Robert and the siblings. Spread the word about that monster to every defensive post on the way back to the main camp outside the jungle." Then, his gaze darkened as he continued, "Lumine and I will head toward the village that thing came from."
A heavy silence fell over the group. They all understood what he meant. If that beast had come from the village… then there was a good chance it had already turned everyone left there into its snacks.
Robert, however, stepped forward. "Let me come with you."
Cassian shook his head. "No. If things go south, I'm confident I can escape with one person, but not two." His voice was firm, leaving no room for debate.
"We won't be far behind you," he reassured, his tone steady despite the unease weighing on them all.
"Be safe, then..." Wanni said, her voice filled with concern.
Cassian gave a firm nod. "You too. If we're not at the camp, we'll be at one of the defensive posts, so don't worry."
With that, the group split up—Wanni, Robert, and the siblings heading back to warn the others, while Cassian and Lumine sprinted toward Phulket Village, the place that monster had come from.
There was little hope of finding survivors, but as the team assigned to rescue the villagers, it was still their duty to check. Cassian knew the chances were slim, but he had to look.
As they ran, Lumine suddenly spoke up, her voice hesitant. "Cass?"
He glanced at her, raising an eyebrow.
She hesitated for a second before continuing, "Don't you feel anything… after seeing that monster eat those people?"
Cassian didn't need to look at her to know that the sight had shaken her. The image of that monstrous ape devouring human corpses had clearly left a mark on her mind.
"Was that your first time seeing someone get eaten?" Cassian asked, his tone steady. Though it was his first time witnessing such a thing as well, he had seen enough corpses—and killed enough himself—that it didn't affect him much. His Killing Domain, when active, dulled his emotions almost entirely.
Lumine nodded, her expression still troubled. "I've seen people kill each other… I've seen my sister kill people… but I've never seen them get eaten."
Cassian sighed. "I don't know what to tell you, Lumine. It was my first time too." He paused before adding, "But that's just the way this world works. The weak become nourishment for the strong. It's the only truth I've seen in my life."
Lumine clenched her fists, frustration evident on her face. "I understand," she muttered, but her voice carried a bitter edge. "Still… doesn't it make you angry? Those people didn't deserve to be devoured like that. Why couldn't the strong ones save them? My sister could have taken that beast down easily—so why wasn't she sent here?"
Cassian agreed with her doubts, but he didn't have the answers. "Those are questions for someone in power…" he said, his voice calm yet distant.
As they crossed the river—now marred by a massive crater in the shape of the giant ape's foot—he added, "All I can say is, grow strong enough to ask that question to their faces… and make sure you get an answer."
Cassian wanted to ask those questions too—not just about the failures of those in power, but about the deeper mysteries of the warrior training system. Why were the cultist trio—the ones who had tortured him—so desperate to get their hands on it? What secrets did it hold?
But compared to Lumine's desire for justice, his own goals felt almost insignificant. She wanted fairness for the weak, to challenge the powerful who let tragedies happen. Cassian, on the other hand, wanted nothing for himself. No revenge, no grand purpose—just survival and an escape from pain. One of those desires had already been fulfilled. The other… he was still struggling to achieve.
But was that enough? Would simply surviving make him strong? Would it ever be enough to make him domain shaper?
He didn't think so. A warrior needed a strong conviction. Survival was a conviction, but even the weak managed to survive. Circle Warriors weren't weak. While the weak ran from battle to cling to life, warriors sought out fights to grow stronger.
And in a way, Cassian didn't run from fights—unless they were against an opponent so overwhelming that facing them was meaningless. Like that ape. Even if he slashed it a thousand times, he was sure he wouldn't leave a single wound.
But that wasn't the real issue. The real issue was that Cassian didn't have a strong enough conviction of his own.
Though… there was one thing he believed in—he didn't want to kill without reason. But those who inflicted unjust punishment, those who tortured and caused suffering—they deserved it.
Remembering that belief steadied his nerves, helping him move past the frustration of not being able to punish the ape that had devoured innocent people.
So, he made himself a promise. If that monster was still alive by the time he had grown strong enough to face it, he would make it feel the same pain—the pain of being devoured.
As Cassian resolved his small moral dilemma, they neared the village. The thick column of smoke rising above the treetops signaled their destination—a fire that massive could only mean an entire village was burning at once.
"Be careful," Lumine warned, her voice steady. "A lot of weaker monsters will be drawn here like vultures..."
It was a common sight in the jungle—once an apex predator had its fill, the scavengers would come to feast on whatever remained.