Chapter 114 - Monke And Battle Royales (25)

After getting called by Pilips, who was my momentary partner during out guard shifts (thank the heavens that it ain't Arekhus, I'm straight godamnit), we took our shifts atop the watch tower, with Pilips, the ever socially awkward Dungeon Master that he is, refusing to speak with me under any circumstances.

It wasn't a bad thing; in fact, it was ideal for allowing me to regulate my thoughts about the entire Dungeon Games shitfest. Was participating in this event worth it? Maybe. Did I make connections with other Dungeon Masters? Absolutely. Did I gain more enemies than allies? Probably.

The thing is, it's still too early in the games to determine whether or not I have amassed more pros than cons, and right now, I'm leading to having more pros than cons (if you disregard my mental sanity, that is).

Sighing as I scanned the area around the camp from atop the watch tower, I relaxed, the calm breeze blowing through my fur and skin, my Monkey King's Garb fluttering in the wind. Pilips noticed my relaxed state, and visibly calmed down as well, his fear of other people (I'm claiming it that, no way in hell that's normal social anxiety) turning down a notch as his shivering lessened, even if his shivering didn't completely disappear.

We both stayed like that in silence. Nothing dared to break the deafening silence that had engulfed us two introverts. We seldomly checked the ground and tree lines for any suspicious kind of movement with a critical eye, but nonetheless, once we were done with our observation, we went back to calming ourselves and relaxing without a care in the world.

'Aahhh… I could get used to this… A shame Domino isn't here… I'm pretty sure she would love this view, even if she showed her distaste towards the other Dungeon Masters.' The silence continued, until Pilips, the socially defunct man who I'm assuming has Anthrophobia, or social anxiety if you want a somewhat less cruel term, opened his mouth and began to speak.

"Wonderful view, isn't it?" He said it without a stutter, my eyes wide as I looked at the man who had had a stuttering problem ever since I met him (which was only a few days ago, but still!). "The randomly generated forest we are currently camping in now. Imagine, we have this kind of power at our fingertips, to mold our Dungeon into any type of paradise we want."

I listened closely, afraid that his sudden speech would be cut short and I would be left with less information about the socially inept man.

"Too bad that those who live outside of our domains only think about what kind of treasures are hidden deep within the recesses of our domain, or just how much of a threat we are to their very existence." Pilips sighed, his youthful face suddenly looking like he was an old man stuck in the body of a teenager, which I'm sure is not far from the truth. "The only people who understand our plight are those who are in similar situations as we are, and even then, they are afraid of those who are stronger than they are, and will also suppress those who are weaker than they are so that no one can rise up against their rule."

Pilips then looked at me, his face no longer holding that socially awkward vibe he had back in the Meeting Tent, or when he was just normally conversing with the other Dungeon Masters.

"Can I ask you a question, Jionni?" His eyes bore into my face as he scanned for anything that could tell him about my inner thoughts. "Is it possible for Dungeon Masters to co-exist with the other races not from the Dungeon?"

At his question, I grew silent, my mind grinding to a halt as I contemplated his question.

'Well, if my experience is anything to go by… It is possible, what with the Shaiydon's giving me some sort of respect when I first came to their doorstep… But…' I looked deeper into his eyes, my brain sending signals to my mouth to give him my answer.

"With a certain group, it is possible, but for the others, it is not." I gave him my two-cents and his face stayed the same, until a few moments later when he chuckled and gave me a warm smile.

"Hehe, you're completely right on that one." Pilips shrugged and he once again scanned the area around us for any potential threats, before looking back at me, a kind smile gracing his lips. "You know, Jionni. The reason I joined this group is because nobody here is violent towards newcomers, or members from other groups if they weren't given a reason to do so, unlike others where they kill first and ask questions later. Of course, these Dungeon Games are an exception, so if one of them dies to our hand, then they die, and we try to make amends so we don't piss them off even further."

"Like what you're about to do tomorrow." Pilips approached me and placed a hand on my shoulder. "Please, make amends with the group you've made a mistake on. Who knows, it might give you an opportunity for a new ally to come into your life."

The sound of someone coming up the stairs brought the two of us from our staring contest. A very skimpy maid's outfit came into view as a cheery grin hung on the face of the wearer.

"Lord Jionni-ta! Pilips-ta! Your shifts are over, it's our turn-ta!" From behind her, Keia arrived, her emo look hung loosely on her face as she ignored the both of us in favor of looking over the watch tower for any kind of suspicious material or signs of slacking.

"A-a-a-a-ah… Reia a-a-and Kei-i-ia… We w-w-were just about t-t-t-to leave…" Pilips quickly returned back to his usual stuttering self, his hand letting go of my shoulder as he released a squeak and I had to doublecheck whether his serious self, or this one right here was his true self…

'Actually, forget that shit… I have a very important mission tomorrow, and what Pilips said earlier was true, in all regards.' I nodded and bid the two maids and Pilips goodbye as I walked back down and into my tent to rest up for tomorrow. 'Make amends, huh…?'

I recalled Pilips' words about us having power over our domain like Gods would have in their own. That begs the question: Are Dungeon Masters a type of God? Or are they something like an infant God, where they would have to struggle and survive to even get noticed as a true God?

'Bah, too much thinking.. I'll leave that to future me…' I snorted and then laid on my side, my vision slowly darkening as I was whisked away one more time into dreamland.