Chapter 41: Beacon
"Sir Pen... Do you mind me asking a question?"
"[What is it, Sera?]"
"The Alpha earlier, she sounded like she was mourning. Did she really understand what we were talking about?"
Elian remained silent. It was Ryner who answered instead.
"There have long been papers proposing that a social hierarchy exists among the monsters. The lowest being little more than beasts. But at some point, they begin to manifest some sort of sentience. I belong to those who believe said possibility is tied to the INT stat."
As a former student, Elian knew a bit of what Ryner spoke of. It was an entire branch of study dedicated solely to dungeons and their denizens. But knowing what he knew now, he wasn't sure what to believe anymore.
Humans still see them as monsters. I did too—until today. They think. They feel. They remember. So how are they any different from us?
The screams of the Red Swarm Tyrant echoed in Elian's mind.
"Black Demon, you picked the wrong opponent! I am not a maggot who has yet to learn how to fight! I will kill you and eat your core! Then I will grow stronger!"
"ALL GONE! SILENT! MY FAMILY, MY WORLD ALL GONE. UNFORGIVABLE! I DIE, YOU TOO!"
"How? I... suppose to rule... the Celestial Crucible. I... chosen. Yet... I... die... in..."