Ren was sitting on his bed after the conversation with Daniel and Rose. He pondered on what he could even do. Should he run away, or should he stay where he was with Rose?
"Sure, you can just go and toss your life away fighting monsters in an environment that can kill you as easily as everything else here."
Ren lay on his bed. He did not know what he felt, but it could all be summed up to one thing—disappointment. Ren was disappointed in himself, in how weak he was, how useless he was, and mainly how cowardly he was.
"Ken… do you think I can change… I don't want to see Rose die."
"Well, idiot, answer me this. What do you think needs to change, your body, your mind, or simply your values?"
"I think it's them all."
"Well, looks like the idiot can think. You're right, you're severely lacking in all three, but the main one is rather your approach to the situation. You believe that if you just wait for it, the opportunity will just appear, but you're wrong. Those types of opportunities are rare and slim to grasp. What you should do is rather create them, so answer me this, Ren Jacklen, how do you create an opportunity where you'll be able to grow?"
"…by putting yourself in a spot where a major event is happening…"
"So what's about to happen to this village is a chance to grow?"
"Exactly. No matter how immoral it sounds, the monster raid that's going to happen would be a great chance for the survivors to grow. Those who died deserved to die because they were weak."
"But… but…"
"But what? The weak deserve to live and drag the strong down? Why should the strong carry dead weight? Why do you think the capital didn't send enough soldiers to defend this lonely village? It's because it's now useless to them."
Ren's face had turned pale. His mouth wanted to retort, but the logic of what Ken said made complete sense.
'Why did they only send a few soldiers to come defend the village if they didn't need it? The few soldiers must be a front… so they were willing to sacrifice these people's lives just because… what type of person is that, let alone a king?'
"Ken… what would be the best way to grow stronger as a person and protect those who are even the slightest bit close to me?"
Ken knew he was talking about Rose, but it would have been futile to point it out because right now their minds were pumping.
"Well, well, I think it's about time you woke up and realized what hell we live in, but before we go any further I have one final question for you, Ren. Would you prefer to live a simple life where you'll most likely settle down with a random woman, or would you risk your life every day living in reality?"
"…well, in order to live peacefully in hell, the only choice is to make hell freeze over."
"Well, well, then I'll tell you something, specifically the vow I made, it is that I can't tell you or alter your choices in whether what you want to do in life, so your life is your life to live and no matter what I have no choice but to let you live it even if it means it would lead to your death."
"Huh…"
"Wait, so you're telling me that you being unable to tell me your real name was a LIE!"
"Whoopsies…"
***
Outside of Ren's door stood Rose. She was knocking on the door, and yet there was no answer—no noise of chaos from within, no shouting, not even the small snores that Rose noticed from the last time.
'Should I open the door… no, he probably ran away like the coward he is… well, is he a coward? He probably had a cushy upbringing, so I guess it's not really his fault, but still…'
No matter how much she knocked on the door, it still remained closed, with nothing new happening.
"Maybe he really did leave."
'Still nothing? I guess Daniel really has given up on making me leave. Yay!! Wait, no, no, calm down, he might force me to go with the baker lady down the road… mmm, the bread there is amazing, but still…'
Rose started walking around. She turned back, almost expecting a half-tired Ren to walk out, mumbling and shouting to a random direction as if someone was there.
'Weird, I didn't actually think he would leave.'
***
High above the village, on a snow-covered ridge overlooking the forest, two figures crouched in silence as the wind howled past them. Ren's breathing was uneven, his body still not fully recovered, yet his eyes were focused far ahead where shadows moved between the trees.
Ken hovered beside him, his gaze sharp as he observed the shifting patterns of movement below. "Pay attention to how they move and how they spread out, because that will determine whether you live or die when you're down there. These aren't mindless beasts, and if you treat them like they are, you'll end up as nothing more than food."
Ren swallowed as he tried to follow Ken's instructions, his eyes straining to make sense of the chaos unfolding below. "They're not just wandering… they're grouping up, and some of them are circling outward like they're searching for something."
Ken gave a slight nod, his expression growing more serious. "Good, you're finally starting to notice, which means your brain isn't completely useless after all. Now get ready, because one of them is about to catch your scent if you don't move soon."
Ren's body tensed immediately, his instincts kicking in faster than his thoughts could catch up. He scrambled backward, careful not to make too much noise, his heart pounding as he followed Ken's direction without hesitation.
"Move left and stay low, because if you stand up right now you're going to silhouette yourself against the snow and make it easier for them to spot you," Ken added, his tone calm but precise as if he had done this countless times before.
Ren adjusted quickly, his movements clumsy but improving, as he followed Ken along the ridge. "This feels less like studying and more like trying not to die every second."
Ken let out a quiet chuckle, though his eyes never left the forest below. "That's because in this world, learning and surviving are the same thing, and the faster you understand that, the longer you'll last."
They continued moving until the sounds below grew distant, the tension easing slightly as they reached a safer position further along the mountain. Ren collapsed briefly against a rock, his body aching from the strain.
"Don't get comfortable," Ken said as he turned back toward the forest, his tone shifting again. "We're moving again, because staying in one place too long makes you predictable, and predictable things die quickly."
Ren pushed himself up with a groan, his legs protesting every movement, but he didn't argue. "At this point, I'm starting to think you just enjoy watching me suffer."
Ken smirked faintly as he floated ahead. "If I wanted to watch you suffer, I wouldn't be helping you survive, so try to keep up."
They moved again, this time descending slightly into a denser part of the mountain, where the trees provided better cover. From there, they continued observing, marking patterns, watching routes, and learning how the monsters shifted as time passed.
Hours went by before things changed.
A distant roar echoed through the forest, deeper and heavier than anything they had heard before, and the ground itself seemed to tremble faintly in response. Ren froze, his instincts screaming at him before his mind could even process it.
Ken's expression darkened immediately. "We're leaving, and we're leaving now, because whatever made that sound is not something you're ready to even look at, let alone understand."
Ren didn't hesitate this time, turning and running as fast as his body allowed. His legs burned, his lungs screamed, but he didn't stop, because the tone in Ken's voice told him everything he needed to know.
They didn't stop until they reached a lower hill overlooking the village, the night now fully settled around them. Ren bent over, gasping for air, while Ken hovered silently, watching the distant lights below.
From their position, the village looked almost peaceful, a stark contrast to everything they had just witnessed. Small lights flickered between buildings, and faint movement could be seen along the perimeter.
Ren's eyes searched instinctively, scanning for one figure in particular. "Do you see her anywhere… or is it too far to tell from here?"
Ken crossed his arms slightly, his gaze narrowing as he focused. "I can see movement near the outer edge of the village, and some of it looks organized, which means she's probably out there with them. If she's as stubborn as she seems, then there's no way she stayed inside."
Ren stayed silent, his eyes lingering on the distant lights for a moment longer before he turned away. "Then she's still alive… for now."
Ken didn't respond immediately, but his expression said enough. "For now is all you can hope for, so don't waste time standing here when you should be preparing."
They moved again, this time heading deeper into the forest until they reached a small cave hidden between jagged rocks. The entrance was partially covered in snow, making it difficult to notice unless you knew where to look.
Inside, the air was colder but still, and near the back of the cave sat a small pile of ash, long since burned out. Beside it was a worn backpack, stained dark in places, and next to it lay a knife covered in dried blood.
A pile of meat rested nearby, roughly cut and left behind as if whoever owned it had no time to return.
Ren stepped closer slowly, his eyes scanning everything with unease. "Someone was here… and not too long ago either, which means this place isn't as empty as it looks."
Ken's gaze hardened slightly as he examined the scene. "Or it means they didn't get the chance to come back, which is a lot more likely given where we are. Either way, this place is useful, so we'll use it while we can."
Ren nodded slowly, though the unease didn't leave him. He could feel it in the silence, in the stillness of the cave, as if something about this place wasn't entirely right.