The Monarch-Chapter 522: Übermensch

The first thought was admiration, but after a few seconds, it turned into fear. However, knowing Kayden and standing by his side buried that emotion. The final feeling that surfaced was sadness, a sort of depression. When we see a great strength, we aspire to reach it, to be on the same level. But when we encounter an insurmountable mountain, we’re left with a veiled sadness and acceptance that we may never conquer it.

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"Guide us to the next planet, Felix," Kayden said, wanting to leave this place as quickly as possible. He needed to cultivate, and every second was precious. The cat began teleporting, and it was amusing to see how, during all this time, Achilles had been subtly manipulating the threads of fate.

It took Kayden a while to notice. In truth, it wasn’t easy to detect. After a few minutes, Achilles spoke certain words to Felix that caused the cat a slight mental delay, seemingly insignificant. But when combined with dozens of others along the way, it led the cat to a completely different planet. This was indeed a unique ability capable of inspiring envy, even among the gods.

The planet Felix found was utterly immense—far too massive to sustain itself in the void, at least not without the presence of gods. However, Kayden soon discovered why. Dozens of ninth-realm kings resided in this world. For a moment, he was surprised, but he quickly understood that this was a gathering point. Additionally, there was a mana stone at the center of the world that elevated the mana here to an extraordinary level. There were also numerous runes and developed cities scattered across the planet.

"I’ll stay here. If you need me, just return to this spot," Kayden said. Once again, he chose a peaceful location to detach from reality. The two nodded in agreement and went off to pursue their training.

Kayden had already conducted a soul session with each of them upon arriving on the planet. Furthermore, he gave Achilles specific recommendations for his training. Beyond that, everything else would depend on him. Kayden wasn’t a hands-on teacher; his philosophy emphasized the independence of his students. Power, in his view, should be achieved through one’s efforts.

Time flew by once again. Kayden continued cultivating without interruption. His natural talent allowed him to divide his attention among many tasks. One of his favorite pastimes was observing the lives of ordinary people. Strangely, Kayden had become like an old man who spent his days watching grass grow in the summer—a behavior that only someone who had truly attained the highest level of inner peace could exhibit.

Mortals had individual lives, yet they were essentially identical to thousands of others. They were almost copies of people they would never meet in their lifetimes. Most pursued trivial goals, driven by arrogance and fame. Such behavior occurs everywhere on the planet. Only a minuscule fraction—less than 0.01% of 0.01%—aspired to something greater. Virtually everyone lived a mediocre life.

A long time ago, a man who transcended mediocrity and was labeled a madman documented these observations, ones Kayden now witnessed. This so-called madman referred to these people as the "last men," those who sought only immediate pleasures and happiness, content to live a mediocre life without striving to surpass their circumstances.

Unfortunately, these "last men" constituted 99% of all beings in the universe, and Kayden knew it. He saw how most thinking beings were satisfied with reaching superficial heights, living the rest of their lives as if they had reached the pinnacle as if they had achieved all they desired.

This mindset was so deeply ingrained that any individual attempting to rise above through unconventional means was harshly repressed and branded insane. A simple act like deleting all social media and living in seclusion was considered madness. Pursuing success above the pursuit of pleasures was also viewed as absurd by society. Fortunately, a select few still chased these loftier goals, though most would fail without any real chance of success.

One of the greatest hypocrisies Kayden had ever encountered was how these "last men" feared death. They dreaded the end of their lives and made extraordinary efforts to prolong them, even at the cost of time and energy disproportionate to what society deemed acceptable for other pursuits. Yet, for this particular goal, such effort was seen as perfectly reasonable.

To Kayden, it was absurd. Their souls died long before their bodies, and they were oblivious to it. Most lived lives devoid of meaning or genuine purpose, deluded by fantasies of power and wealth that lacked any real substance. This was true of every planet Kayden visited: rational beings were doomed to fail.

An absolute minority, however, fit the description of what the same "madman" Kayden referenced called the "overman" or Übermensch. These individuals truly understood how to live. They existed beyond societal norms and ethical values imposed by self-proclaimed arbiters of truth.

Ethics were invented by the first man who thought of something that pleased him and declared it a universal truth. Good and evil were merely the subjective preferences of someone differentiating between what they liked and disliked—nothing more than human constructs, devoid of absolute truth.

The Übermensch lived according to their values. They were not necessarily victors in life; they could lead seemingly ordinary lives. The difference was that this ordinary life was entirely their own choice, rooted in their unique thoughts rather than external influences.

In Kayden’s view, humanity could be divided into three categories. The first, representing 99% of the population, were the camels or beasts of burden. They were born to fulfill society’s basic functions. They would neither create nor challenge existing values; they would endure in silence, swallowing all the falsehoods presented to them.

The second group consisted of lions. These individuals could reject traditional values and impose their will, living according to their thoughts. However, lions were irrational beings, incapable of crafting their life philosophies. They possessed the strength to deny and choose their paths but lacked the wisdom to create their own.