As Aeren stood before two creatures ten times taller and broader than himself, they looked down at him with grins on their monstrous faces. Yet they merely grinned, taking no action. Aeren observed them and noticed the massive gate behind them. He felt confused—it had appeared small from a distance, but now it loomed as an enormous door beside these massive, towering beasts.
As Aeren studied them, he could hear human screams echoing from beyond the gate, though he never cared about such trivial human cries. After seeing these monsters, Aeren thought that humans deserved to be consumed by these creatures like ants accidentally crushed by humans—without people understanding the vast difference in scale between these monsters and humanity, much like the disparity between humans and insects.
Aeren couldn't determine whether these beings could speak, but he understood one thing: they had placed illusion magic here as bait for humans to perceive a small, harmless village. People would approach without fear, and foolish humans didn't think critically before being captured, imprisoned, and becoming the monsters' meal. This is quite fascinating—monsters possess this kind of observation and learning ability like human beings. Perhaps someone taught them by chance, or maybe there are deeper truths I don't know. Should I join the human livestock or simply slaughter them? I've already erased two illusion-like realities without entertaining myself, but I could allow myself a bit of amusement, couldn't I?
Aeren was contemplating his entertainment when he heard the monsters' voices. They were conversing with each other and no longer looking at Aeren, but he could understand their language—it seemed someone was deliberately using magic that allowed him to comprehend their speech effortlessly.
The monsters' eyes returned to Aeren. He stared at them expressionlessly. "Human, you come with us or die here," one of the monsters spoke to Aeren. Confused by their communication ability, he stared at them with bewilderment. He had thought someone might be secretly helping him translate, but it appeared the monsters possessed magic that humans could understand, and humans could comprehend them in return.
"Fascinating—you can communicate with me," Aeren spoke with surprised eyes, and an unconscious smile emerged. He continued staring in amazement, but the monsters looked at each other with confusion as anger began stirring within them.
"AROOOOOOAAAAARRRRR... COME WITH US, YOU COCKROACH, OR THERE'S NO SECOND WARNING!" the second monster bellowed at Aeren. His breath nearly knocked Aeren backward, but he stood his ground, heard the shout, and watched them as he perceived their fury without giving it much thought.
"Very well, I'll follow behind you. Lead the way," Aeren commanded as he agreed to their terms, wanting to experience whatever entertainment this might offer. Though Aeren knew they likely couldn't entertain him much, he also understood that no one truly could.
The monsters' rage doubled at his response. They considered killing him instantly, but their focus remained on other potential prey. They could tell he wasn't alone, and if they killed him, the other bait wouldn't follow behind him, reducing their potential ransom more than their uncontrolled rage was worth.
As they glared at Aeren with fury but took no action, one turned to address his companion, controlling all his rage internally.
"Take him," one monster spoke to the other in their language, not allowing Aeren to understand the meaning behind their words.
Aeren could perceive their rage and watched their control over their anger, which gave him a curious sensation—it somehow felt satisfying. This was what he had wanted to witness from the beginning. As he felt this sensation, he grew calm the next moment.
The second monster withdrew a human-sized box-like iron prison from his pocket along with several chains. Seeing this, Aeren could sense what it meant to be living livestock for these creatures—the chains appeared heavy and resembled anti-magic restraints.
"WEAR ALL THE CHAINS!" the second monster commanded, glaring at Aeren. He could see the chains looked massive and heavy, while the iron prison appeared stronger than what a human mage could break through their power alone.
"Why are you giving me these? I can walk on my own," Aeren questioned with confusion as he observed the chains. He had always despised being restrained, and somehow this made him feel irritated. Watching himself about to be chained in human form—when he already felt confined by this mortal vessel—could only bring him frustration.
"WEAR IT, OR I'LL FORCE YOU TO WEAR IT!" The second monster's rage intensified at his questions, and he nearly forgot about the bait behind Aeren. He looked deadly serious, his eyes bearing down on Aeren while Aeren stared back.
Aeren regarded him and began thinking: Does entertainment matter to me? No, I've always sought to witness my final form of freedom or dissolve into that liberation. I don't need to be constrained by chains, and it's my decision whether I wear them or not.
"I won't wear this garbage," Aeren declared his final answer, and as he finished speaking, a monster's slap came his way like someone swatting a mosquito.
BOOM
"AHHHH, roa...r..." The monster's palm was destroyed, and blood began spreading everywhere. Crimson fluid spilled from his appendage, shocking the other monster who sensed danger emanating from Aeren. He decided to inform the others through his horn, but before he could sound the alarm throughout the entire village, Aeren leaped onto his head.
BAM
His jaw began bleeding from the punch, though neither died. "You worthless monsters, how dare you attempt to restrain me with chains?" Aeren's frigid tone reached those creatures. While one knelt and the other had already healed his palm, seeing an opportunity as Aeren addressed the first monster, he also recognized the threat. He, too, reached for his horn. Aeren reacted immediately, and this time before the monster could grasp his warning device—
BOOM
Aeren obliterated his entire head. "You fool—at least pay attention to your surroundings," Aeren spoke to the dead body and noticed the last monster kneeling behind him, barely conscious.
Aeren felt nothing about the situation as he observed them. He could still enter the village without anyone realizing his presence because he was ant-sized in comparison, which is why they would barely notice his passage. They couldn't sense him either since Aeren possessed no magic within himself. As Aeren confirmed everything was prepared, he stared at the monster who was repeatedly opening and closing his eyes, but could do nothing about his predicament. "If you had simply escorted me peacefully, I might have spared you. But you attempted something I've always wanted to escape from, yet have found no way to do so."
Aeren walked closer to the monster as he spoke, though the creature couldn't hear him. He still voiced his thoughts before finishing: "You're useless now."
BOOM
Aeren struck him, and his entire head exploded instantly. Red blood splattered all over Aeren's body, covering him in gore once again. He looked down at himself. "It reeks."
He smelled the blood and observed the massive gate before him. The structure appeared to reach toward heaven, though Aeren could perceive its true height.
"Perhaps I should find water inside the village, or this stench will persist," Aeren murmured to himself as he began walking toward the enormous gate to join the monsters' celebration feast.