Chapter 23: An Appropriate Answer

"What do you want with me?" Nio asks Ryu, who has led her to a secluded spot. Though cautious, Nio isn’t overly worried about Ryu, who doesn’t pose much of a threat.

"I could tell you’re strong, so I thought it best to get you away from the civilians... you’re suspicious. I know Stelaria well, and she’s not the type to move everything this fast just to legitimize you. What did you do?" Ryu stands facing Nio, questioning her.

’Sharp... of course some people would be suspicious of her behavior, but without proof, I’m innocent...’

"I don’t know, I didn’t do anything. Besides, if you brought me all the way out here, you’re assuming we’re going to fight. As a paladin, or whatever you are, should you really be attacking a saint?"

"You’re not the saint I serve. You’re just a stranger who showed up with a lot of holy power, but who hasn’t yet done anything good or befitting a saint." Ryu’s analysis is thoroughly rational.

"Also, why did you leave? Why did you leave that sort of ’copy’ on stage? If you respected our religion, you would have stayed there out of respect."

"...Respect religion? Or attract money? Please, tell me." At Nio’s question, Ryu gives a restrained smile.

"The reason doesn’t matter. Your lack of commitment isn’t very good for a saint, is it?"

"Come on, ’Ryu,’ if you want a fight, just say so. You don’t need to try to find a reason to fight."

"Hahaha, you think you can beat me? You with that scrawny little body? Beating a Chief Paladin?" Nio finishes sizing up Ryu, realizing that even if she had equipment, none of it would be high-level.

’I think I understand... from everything I’ve seen... there are no people capable of crafting high-level items, so the highest-level things come from the remnants of players who’ve already passed through this world...’ Nio’s analysis over the past few days leads her to extremely cold thoughts.

When someone realizes that nothing is as great a threat as they once imagined, defenses and caution fall away. Nio knows there may be dangerous people — this paladin before her even has a decent level — but she doesn’t come close to the threat Nio had anticipated from people at level 100 or with power beyond that.

’It seems I’ll have to look at the monsters instead of the humans. If a high elf could only reach level 68, that already makes it clear that humans will barely surpass 50, and long-lived races will reach 80...’ Nio knows that level 80 is a hard ceiling to break through.

Because starting at level 80, you can only level up by killing things of equal or greater strength — it stops being about killing lower-level things in mass.

"I’m sorry your brain is so limited. Make up your mind — do you want to fight? Or shall we drop this? Be quick, because I want to explore the theocracy a little." Nio’s condescending tone is the spark that breaks Ryu’s patience.

"Perfect, then..." Ryu closes in, throwing a quick punch at Nio, who catches it with an eye roll. Even though Nio currently has no equipment equipped, no "battle suit," and none of her relics, she has still consumed many permanent buff items.

It means an ordinary level 100 is nothing compared to Nio — unequipped, Nio would still defeat them because of the numerous buffs she already has, and that is the difference between top-tier players and the more casual, ordinary ones.

"!!!" Ryu is shocked by someone so casually stopping her punch, but before she can react, Nio throws a punch that pierces through her chest from one side to the other, grabbing her heart.

"..." For an instant, Ryu is merely in a paralyzed state of shock as blood sprays from her body onto Nio’s impassive face, who treats it all as nothing more than a test.

’My physical strength is... excellent, as expected... but I still feel nothing...’ Nio has already run every test — killing from a distance in the village, killing with magic in the prison, and now killing directly with her hands. She finds it strange that she feels nothing. She wants to feel something. She would rather feel doubt and hesitation to prove she is "human," but she can’t.

"U-Urgh..." Ryu stops moving, beginning to die as Nio pulls her arm out, holding Ryu’s heart in her hand.

"You know why I showed you my strength? Because you, as chief paladin, are probably near the top or at the top of power in this place... but from what I saw of your attitude, what matters to you isn’t the theocracy — it’s Stelaria." Nio’s player-like perception quickly deduces that Ryu only cares about Stelaria.

"I’m going to heal you. You’ll survive, don’t worry. But know that you can’t protect Stelaria from me. I actually kind of like her — Stelaria is interesting — so don’t irritate me if you don’t want bad things to fall on her. Understood? It’s better to have me as an ally than as an enemy."

"If you understand, nod your head. If your pride is too great, then die in this empty alley. Stelaria won’t care about your death." Despite the bold statement, Nio could easily make Stelaria stop caring thanks to what she did to her brain.

"...Hgmmm..." Ryu coughs blood, collapsing to the ground unable to move. Level doesn’t matter in the face of such a fatal wound on a body, even if it’s an elf’s.

"..." With one last shred of strength, Ryu pulls a sword from an artifact and attacks Nio, but the sword aimed at Nio’s chest strikes her skin and rebounds backward as if it had hit a solid wall.

"..." Nio crushes the heart in her hand and tosses it aside, uninterested.

"M-Monster..." For the first time, something catches Nio’s attention — the label of monster. Nio realizes that yes, in the game she was a monster, in the Lore she was also a monster, and now in reality she continues to be a monster.

"You’re absolutely right. I am a monster." Nio pulls one of her healing potions from her inventory and throws it on the ground. The vial shatters, spreading a blood-red liquid that mixes with Ryu’s own blood.

"This will heal you. Drink... dogs that bite their owners must eat from the ground like animals to remember that receiving affection and comfort does not make them equals to the hands that feed them."

"..." Ryu, understanding she won’t make it out of this alive if she’s prideful, drags herself to the potion, licking the ground for the chance of perhaps surviving, even though she doesn’t trust Nio.

With the potion ingested, Ryu’s body regenerates at an absurdly fast pace, even catching Nio by surprise. The wound closes, with the only proof of the attack being the hole in her clothes.

"Well, it seems you have everything you need, don’t you? Are you going to tell Stelaria about this?"

"...No..."

"Good. I don’t care if you reveal to her that I’m a dragon, but everything that happened between us dies here. And I suggest you start sucking up to me. I can be an adorable little sister, or the cruelest of demons, depending on the side you choose." Nio uses magic to clean the blood and smell from her body, beginning to walk away while Ryu, still on the ground, slowly recovers from the near-death experience.

"Oh... and don’t think I won’t do anything. Be very careful with your words. I only need to be good as long as everyone believes I’m good." Nio makes it clear — if she is "exposed" as something negative, there will be no reason to act like a good girl. And so she continues on her way through the streets, not caring about what Ryu will do.