Evolving Classes In The Apocalypse-Chapter 46: The Smell of Entitlement

It had been a full day walking around with a single eye, and I had to say, I’d almost forgotten how amazing it felt to have two. I’d adapted easily to using one because of the nature of my perception. Honestly, perception things weren’t too difficult. Even if both of my eyes were out, I don’t think I would have found movement so hard with a hundred perception points.

But now, I could see with both eyes thanks to Marcel. I touched my left eye and the scar was completely gone. It was almost as if Marcel had reversed the wound, but he said he’d simply guided the flow. A Defined body was more durable than a normal human’s and was, to an extent, auto-healing. But that was also very dependent on one’s rank.

So it was easy for Marcel to guide the flow of the wounds that were slowly stitching themselves, hastening the process until the healing happened in minutes instead of days.

At least, that was how he had explained it while he was doing it.

And thanks to him, I could now see clearly.

My two eyes glowed with a cold, electric blue light, the air around me crackling faintly with static. I blinked a few times just because I could.

"We shall come back to Ysoriel when we finish this hunt."

I nodded and looked at Marcel.

"So what’s this about this Undefined?"

Marcel smiled.

"Right to business. I like that."

I shrugged.

He turned to the brown-haired man at his side.

"Truman, can you please help explain to Axel?"

Truman wore a calm face, but something told me the face was only a facade. I didn’t know exactly what reasons he had, but he was burning with intense indignation towards me. And that indignation seemed to have been fueled even more by Marcel accepting me into this group.

But he hid it perfectly. Just explained to me like he was reading from a report.

"It’s a Twisted Flesh, based on our observation of it over the past few weeks. Sedentary ambush hunter. A few times we almost fell into its traps." He paused, glancing at Marcel as if confirming he should continue. "Our encounters with it recently made us determined that it’s becoming too much of a danger to the settlement. And as if that’s not enough, it’s slowly getting closer to the ridgeline of the Stone Valley. That’s why taking it out is important."

I tried to follow as he spoke, thinking to myself.

’Twisted rank, Flesh affliction. That is certainly something we need a Master for, or at least a team of three to four Adepts. And yet they’re going to go in with just Marcel?’

Of course, the whole thing changed if it turned out that Marcel was a Master. Plus, he’d had five years to grow experienced.

’Alright. Not my place to judge their lack of caution.’

"And what are the behaviors of this Twisted Flesh?"

Truman lingered for a moment but answered.

"It coils in one place and stays perfectly still for a long time. Looks like an exposed bone from a distance." His jaw tightened, and I caught the faintest trace of something raw underneath the composed exterior. "When anything approaches, the thing suddenly uncoils in a sequence that doesn’t track and lunges within a certain distance to catch whatever triggered it. However, I think our advantage is that it doesn’t have eyes. Whatever it uses to detect movement can be easily deceived. That’s how we’ve survived so far."

I rolled what he had said over in my head.

"A Twisted rank Undefined is the third on the strength classification of Undefined that we know. And there are ranks of Defined designated to handle each rank. A Frayed Undefined is best taken care of by a Novice, a Warped Undefined is best taken care of by an Adept, and a Twisted rank is best taken care of by a Master." I looked around the group. "There are also alternatives, but all of you are Undefined, so I’m guessing that doesn’t count here. Which means Marcel is actually the one being endangered."

"Hey... we are endangering our lives too! We will never let Marcy carry all the burden alone."

I stared at Henry.

"I am not even throwing accusations here. Just stating fact. Since you are throwing words like ’this is why we need to take it out of the way,’ yada yada ya, like you’ll be the one taking it out of the way."

I stood arms akimbo.

"Goodness! Poor Marcel."

Yes.

It was a rage bait.

Truman was getting too calm and composed for my liking. I could almost be deceived that he truly had no animosity for me. I needed to remind him that he did, in case he went and forgot in the past few minutes.

But then again, I had never actually known when not to say my mind. Who was I if I couldn’t put in my two cents every now and then?

I turned to Marcel.

"You’re okay with hunting a Twisted Undefined?"

Marcel was smiling.

"What can I do? What needs to be done should be done. Besides, what’s the worst a little twist in the composition of reality could do to me?"

I looked at him with shock and disbelief. He really shouldn’t have said that.

"You’d be surprised! Hmph!"

I took a moment to look at all their faces and said.

"Well, then let’s go hunt this dreadful creature."

I said that... but all of them were still standing there.

That had actually caused me to look at them with a strange expression.

’Don’t tell me...’

The blonde-haired guy was the one that spoke, Orion.

"Since Lord Marcel is the only one capable of all of us, he is usually the one that goes in alone to fight the Undefined."

When he saw the look in my eyes, he added: "we do a great work of studying the Undefined so it’ll be an easy work for Lord Marcel."

It was unbelievable.

’He really had been singlehandedlly protecting this place for over five years.’

There was no point nagging about the unfairness now. In an unfair world, the least we could do was be empathetic. But these people, their weaknesses aside, all I could smell from them were selfishness and entitlement.

I looked at Marcel who was smiling like none of this concerned him.

"Well, lead the way."

We headed beyond the valleys, descending towards the outer valley.

I took a moment to look at all their faces and said,

"Well then, let’s go hunt this dreadful creature."

But none of them moved.

I looked from one face to the next. Not a single person had shifted their weight. They just stood there, watching me like I’d said something strange.

’Don’t tell me...’

Orion was the one that spoke.

"Since Lord Marcel is the only one capable among all of us, he is usually the one that goes in alone to fight the Undefined."

When he saw the look in my eyes, he quickly added, "We do the important work of studying the Undefined so it’ll be easier for Lord Marcel."

I almost laughed.

’He really had been singlehandedly protecting this place for over five years.’

Five years. Alone against creatures that were classified as threats requiring a Master ranked Defined, while the people he protected stood at a safe distance and called it "important work."

There was no point nagging about the unfairness now. In an unfair world, the least we could do was be empathetic. But these people, their weaknesses aside, all I could smell from them was selfishness and entitlement. They spoke of Marcel’s burden like it was simply how things worked. Like it was natural.

I looked at Marcel, who was smiling like none of this concerned him.

"Well, lead the way."

We headed beyond the valleys, descending towards the outer valley.