Walking freely with a set of lollipops in his mouth, Orion went back to his earlier considerations, attempting to organize his thoughts in a way that made sense to him so that he wouldn’t later regret his choice.

  Orion didn’t like, even despised the human species. He woke up dejected every day knowing he was one of them. That never changed, and his hardships only reinforced those feelings. Naturally, there were individuals for whom he had… positive feelings, but they were just exceptions to the rule.

  His approach had its reasons. One of them was that people were unpredictable. But if you think about it, it was merely the effect of something deeper. He wouldn’t mind if a person, for example, who was just passing by, suddenly spontaneously did the splits or decided that from now on, his favorite color would be gamboge. The point was that unforeseen behaviors could be aggressive or harmful.

  The very possibility of it made him, in the presence of another human being, never completely at peace. There was always the possibility in his mind that the person next to him would attack.

  The second reason was the lack of genuine altruism. You never know if once someone helps someone else, they’re not doing it for their benefit; maybe to boost their ego, or if they’re not expecting something in return. The problem was that it was simply impossible to disprove these theories unequivocally.

  People were deceitful, selfish, scheming, fraudulent, and treacherous. And he was one of them… Well, perhaps a little less now than before.

  Currently, however, he was faced with a dilemma, whether to gain strength alone, for himself and his own purposes, or in a sense, to oblige himself to helping people by joining The Adventurers Guild.

  First, he decided to consider the option of pursuing power on his own.

  Although he had already been helped at this point, those responsible claimed that they owed it to him. Still, Orion did not see it that way, and he knew that he would seek to repay them in some way.

  However, if independence and complete freedom of choice were his primary objectives, he would have to rely solely on the results of his efforts and the correctness of his decisions. In this world, as in most integrated worlds, even without an adventurer’s badge, one could hunt monsters or explore dungeons to sell the materials obtained this way.

  Nor was there anything strange about vigilante justice and getting into fights with other people, even without being any kind of law enforcer. Theoretically, if, say, he was mugged and forced to fight bandits to the death, killing them, he wouldn’t have committed a crime.

  When the murder was committed by guild members, it was viewed completely differently because of their oaths, as theoretically they could not kill innocent people. However, even an ordinary civilian could be found innocent after such an act, but they would have to clearly prove that they took action, for example, in self-defense or to protect others.

  Legal issues aside, if he chose this approach, he would have to acquire information about what he could and should hunt, as well as where to go to do so. Thinking about it, he realized he still felt relatively uneasy even considering the idea of himself as a hunter, even of aggressive monsters. Even though he had spent the last six months fighting the anomalies, now that he was outside, he felt as if those ordeals were simply less real. As if the place he was in before wasn’t even real life. A good reminder of this was the hesitation he experienced when he was bitten by the bald worm-sloth.

  However, he would have to force himself again, for he was now condemned to hunt the weakest beasts. Being at level one, his only way to get stronger was a skill that, after defeating a monster, only granted him a per mille of the prey’s highest stat. This meant that if he were hunting something with a maximum of ten points in a given stat, he would have to kill a hundred of these creatures to get just one point.

  And although it still sounded strange to him, he had to admit that the image of himself alone exploring mysterious lands, struggling to survive and in his spare time trying to unravel the secrets of magic somehow resonated with him.

  Orion sighed, realizing once again how much he had changed.

  It was quite upsetting, but he figured that his past self, seeing that he would end up killing others, whether beasts or monsters, to strengthen himself, would most likely spit on the current version of himself. Yet circumstances and his choices led him to it.

  Then he went on to consider the pros and cons of joining the Guild. Among other things, it could help him to gain strength and to take his first steps in this world.

  Zaiah told him the members treat each other like one big family. Of course, there are some fights and so-called black sheeps. It can always turn out that someone’s gotten in each other’s way or they just got off on the wrong foot, but usually they supported each other. Even people who had not yet been formally accepted but had volunteered could feel this treatment to some extent.

  Zaiah also explained to him why, especially in this world, there weren’t many willing to join this organization. Whereas in other worlds members could look forward to exciting opportunities, amazing stories, or a life full of great adventures, here it was quite different.

  Even in worlds where there were no demons, there were still instances when members had to do some grim job or risk their lives. However, these were unpleasant exceptions that made the Adventurers generally respected, and confronting such situations was often optional. After all, every assignment at the Guild had a description, and you decided whether you wanted to sign up. Even if the task was exceptionally important, and although refusing would result in a demotion, you still had that option.

  Here, however, assignments of this kind were commonplace. In this world, you joined The Adventurers Guild with full awareness that you would end up fighting demons or trying to rescue their victims. The adventures that on other worlds motivated people so much to join happened here only occasionally, especially for veterans.

  The Guild naturally tried to encourage people, so it was decided that at the beginning of membership, the dreariest jobs would be pushed as far as possible on the more experienced and hardened members. You could still insist on this kind of assignment, but it was discouraged not only because of the risk of death but also because of the possibility that the events you encounter might make you not come back the same. Apparently, psychological counseling and trauma centers were very popular in this world, and for good reason.

  However, it was a good opportunity for Orion to see what kind of man he really was. To prove to himself that he really, despite everything that has happened, is going to try to help others, even at the expense of himself. He could prove to himself that despite the defects in people and in himself, he could still behave as a human without typical human flaws. And at that moment, he remembered his earlier thoughts about the lack of true altruism. Proving himself would be a reward here, which would be a boost to his ego.

  With hands in his pockets, he walked leisurely through the city. In order not to be distracted from his thoughts by new sights, he focused on the sky, which looked the same as when he first saw it in this world.

  Although subtle clouds traveled through it, neither Taulos nor the smaller planets in the sky changed their position in the slightest. Despite his efforts, his attention was briefly focused on the sounds he heard. From somewhere in the distance, a song and a barely perceptible melody reached his ears. Curious, he decided to head for the source, continuing his reflections.

  While he was in quarantine, he decided to get revenge for what they did to Martha and Byton. That he’d be stronger to protect his family. Being a member of the Guild and taking an oath, he could not act as he pleased and harm innocent civilians. But that would not be a hindrance to him, for the people who did this were far from innocent.

  Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

  “You can’t forget what was done to you either. That too must be paid back.” she said.

  “Mhm.”

  The oath in question was the reason the Adventurers, when they came to this planet after the process of assimilation, gave up so quickly. They knew they could win, but they would hurt innocent people, simply misled and deceived. In making it, you promised; and keeping your word was ensured by the System itself; that you would be guided by a moral compass, not just your own, but one that would be generally considered correct.

  It prevented people from, for example, killing someone for a ‘higher purpose’, if that higher purpose was, say, the profit of a particular Adventurer, no matter how much a person believed it. Even if you convinced yourself of certain ‘truths’, before breaking an oath, you would clearly feel that you were going in the wrong direction.

  And even though The Adventurers Guild was largely accepted by the System, and contracts or oaths were enforced by this entity, that didn’t mean it was responsible for the operations and various machinations there. This organization was still run by humans, which meant the possibility of corruption or simple carelessness. Zaiah strongly opposed the idea that the Guild authorities could act to harm humans, but, not surprisingly, Orion found it rather difficult to believe.

  In deciding to join, he would have to place his fate in the hands of the officials of that organization. And he would have to force himself to believe that the people associated with his affairs are acting as they should, not as they feel comfortable acting.

  Another big downside in his opinion, was that the Guild in this world required the formation of a team. This had to be done immediately after a person was formally accepted as a member, and refusal resulted in suspension of membership. This incomprehensible requirement was explained to him again by the presence of demons and the need to watch one another.

  That single condition, while logical from the perspective of the local people, definitely made joining the Guild a lost cause in Orion’s eyes. It is one thing to roam a purgatory-like world with one person who wouldn’t benefit from stabbing him in the back, than it is to rely on strangers in a demon-possessed world. And that while being a kind of interesting research subject as a person from a new universe, no less.

  With that thought in mind, Orion paused and came to an open square from which sounds had probably come before. Although no melody had reached him for some time, on a small stage he saw objects that must have been the local equivalents of the instruments. As he stood on elevated ground, he could comfortably watch the entire event, leaning against the white, polished barriers.

  Dozens of people gathered below, now divided into smaller groups. Some sat around a burning campfire, others talked while drinking, and some enjoyed various foods served at long, arched tables.

  Although he was too far away to distinguish words or observe individual people in detail, he found the atmosphere rather peculiar. Time and again, he heard laughter that seemed unnaturally suppressed and lasted a bit shorter than normal.

  Nor did he notice any overly lively conversations, which, with so many people, should take place in smaller groups. The very fact that there was a campfire in the middle of the square was quite strange, giving the impression that it was more important than, say, the stage. Additionally, it may not have been the very center of the city, but it was still in a rather crowded part, and judging by the appearance of the participants, the event looked like it was meant for family and friends.

  Focusing on the people sitting around the fire, he saw a silently weeping, middle-aged human woman, staring melancholically into the flames. Opposite, on the other side of the campfire, was a bearded man. With a smile that didn’t reach his ears, he held his hand on the shoulder of a sitting younger man who looked as if he were dozing in the middle of it all.

  “Uhm… He’s not sleeping.” she spoke again.

  Looking more closely, Orion saw a pale complexion and a complete absence of movement.

  “He’s dead.” he agreed.

  “It’s a funeral.”

  “Mhm.”

  “One last joyful time with everyone before saying goodbye. The last moments together.”

  “I wish I could’ve conducted something like this for you.”

  She didn’t respond.

  After a few moments of quiet contemplation, he was ready to leave the place, not wanting to impose himself any longer. But before he left, he noticed a movement. The musicians, after their break, started to come back onto the stage. There was no applause. It wasn’t for them that the audience was here, and knowing that, they took their seats in silence.

  Then they began to play.

  Orion never liked music. After repeatedly trying to explain it to the people he was talking to, he gave up and at some point started making up that he listens to classical music. Nobody believed how you could not like something like that. ‘It’s like not liking food.’ they said.

  And yet, he had always believed that music was just fodder for the brain. A cheap filler that was bombarded from all sides, and that, by delivering dopamine and endorphins, rewarded the mind as if it were solving the great mystery of each new sound. This, in his opinion, subtly but constantly dulled, like only presenting the simplest tasks to a child.

  And now he was standing there with his mouth open, hypnotized. Starting from the fact that he was once again expecting more analog solutions, the music currently being played resembled more of an electronic genre. Sounds cutting through the air gently penetrated his body. Each tone was not only thought out, but also modified in some unfamiliar way, making it seem as if instruments were arranged around him rather than on a distant stage.

  Trying to figure out what was going on, he noticed a singing, blue-skinned woman without even realizing when she had started. Now, a distinct vocal was born from the previously existing tune resembling the sound of a violin so smoothly that he didn’t notice the transition.

  The crowd also began to concentrate on the performance. The family around the campfire became closer to the person they were bidding goodbye to.

  The singer, even without using words, was telling a complex story in her song. Harmonizing with the rhythm, she once giggled melodically, and moments later, in full seriousness, she performed the operatic vibrato. Once she whispered, as if revealing intimate secrets, and moments later she cried out in grief, then softened it with an uplifting melody. The musicians who played the instruments made each additional sound a necessary companion on the journey, not just a complementary one.

  Despite the lack of words, Orion felt he had just gotten to know the person for whom this funeral was organized a little better.

  Surprised by the abrupt ending, he realized he had listened to the entire song even though he was about to leave. If it weren’t for the obvious taboo of this world, he’d think there was some kind of soul magic woven into the melody. He certainly felt at some point during that performance as if something inside him had broken. Something’s changed. Taking advantage of the silence, he turned and walked away to finish his thoughts.

  Walking at a rather hurried pace to avoid being caught in the melody’s trap again, he returned to making his decision. Orion’s feet were once again leading him toward a specified destination.

  As mentioned earlier, joining the Guild also meant making a commitment to help people. The question was, was it worth it?

  Even as a child, Orion tried to help people. He always felt bad knowing that someone, somewhere, had it worse, until at some point he simply got used to it.

  But he still remembered the occasional time he tried to lend a hand.

  He remembered how he once gave the money he was supposed to buy clothes with, to a homeless person so they could eat. The next day, he saw him drunk and unconscious.

  He remembered how, seeing a boy being bullied, he made a loud scene and chased away the hooligans. Sometime later, he saw him and his fellows assaulting a defenseless elderly woman.

  He remembered how after several years of systematically transferring a portion of his salary, he found out that the foundation was doing all its activities for show. A journalist showed the world that the animals they were supposed to care for were living in far worse conditions than the ones they were taken from.

  His steps sped up even more. Seeing the distinctive building, he clenched his fists, his face turning disgusted.

  Of course, he remembered when he finally decided to devote himself to the realization of his idea that would make life easier for the masses. It was, among other things, this decision that brought him here.

  Then why would he commit to helping others despite previous attempts and what came of them? There was a term for people who kept doing the same thing despite repeated bad results. So logically, when asked if it was worth it, the answer was: no.

  The pushed door made a soft creaking sound. As he entered, he noticed a few people busy with their affairs. The counter was on the other side of the room. A rather young receptionist was standing behind it. No queues.

  As he approached, Orion noticed the girl straighten up, most likely in response to his tense expression. Her worried face was adorned with subtle freckles. She had brown hair tied back and bright, green eyes. Despite her small stature, she emitted competence but also something friendly, inviting.

  “Hello.”

  “Ah… hello. What can I do for you, sir?”

  “I’d like to join the Guild.” Orion muttered through clenched teeth. “I’m so fuckin’ stupid.” he added to himself in a whisper.

  Thanks for reading the chapter!

  I would also like to sincerely thank everyone who liked the story and added it to their favorites. I can’t even describe how much this means to me. You’re damn awesome ?