After confirming multiple times that Steven wasn't lying about the situation, Talulah had no choice but to accept it as fact.
This guy's strength was borderline absurd, wasn't it?
Hearing Steven casually describe how he effortlessly took down the Collapsal and then intimidated the Emperor's Blades into backing off, Talulah could only give him a couple of once-overs with an expression that resembled someone looking at a mythical creature.
No matter how she looked at it, this outcome was far beyond her expectations.
Talulah had initially thought that Steven must have teamed up with the Emperor's Blades to take down the Collapsal, or perhaps the Blades had killed the Collapsal first, and then Steven used his abilities to escape from them by the skin of his teeth.
But the reality? He single-handedly took out the Collapsal and then casually strolled away from five Emperor's Blades.
The only explanation more absurd than the situation itself was the possibility that the Blades thought even all five of them together wouldn't stand a chance against him.
"What method did you use to take down that Collapsal and make those Emperor's Blades so wary of you?"
"I just went in hard, what else? But honestly, the main reason they backed off was that I didn't want them pestering me, so I gave them a little scare. They cooperated pretty well. If only those Infected patrol squads were as reasonable, maybe this country would have some hope left."
Steven waved dismissively, not bothering to go into detail about how he managed it.
Even if he explained, Talulah wouldn't understand.
"Then tell me this—if it really came down to a fight, how many of those five could you take down?"
Talulah was already used to Steven being vague about his abilities, but this time, she cared about a different question.
If he could make the Emperor's Blades this wary, just how strong was this boy in front of her? She needed at least a rough idea.
"That question should probably be rephrased to 'How long could they last against me?' If I were to be generous, one punch per person—so, five punches in total? Honestly, I think they're decent folks. Why pick a fight with them at all?"
Steven scratched his chin, seriously answering her question.
Those five Emperor's Blades certainly looked strong and gave off a solid impression, but it all depended on who they were up against.
Even without activating any Mod, Steven felt he could handle them without breaking a sweat.
If he really wanted to be over the top, he wouldn't even need to throw a punch.
He could just read their names hovering above their heads, input a kill command, and be done with it.
But where was the fun in that?
"It's not about picking a fight with them," Talulah replied, taking a deep breath to steady herself. "To change the plight of the Infected, the Emperor's Blades are a hurdle that can't be avoided."
Hearing that, Steven rolled his eyes.
This was the first time Talulah had heard him openly admit his strength.
But hearing him casually say he could easily take down five Emperor's Blades—was that even something a human could do?
Even she wouldn't dare claim she could escape unscathed from an ambush by just two Emperor's Blades.
"Oh, so you're saying you want me to help you fight them, right? Well, forget it. That's not happening."
Steven shot her a glare.
All her probing was probably just to gauge how much help he could offer and how many Emperor's Blades he could fend off during critical moments.
It wasn't exactly exploitation, but the comparison still made him uncomfortable.
Why should a bystander like him get dragged into something as messy as saving the Infected? He wasn't infected with Oripathy, nor did he owe those people anything.
If it were about protecting Alina and Talulah, he'd help out without hesitation.
But as for everyone else?
Steven could only say: "Don't know them, so it depends on my mood."
Steven disliked how Talulah had presumptuously assumed he would align with her.
"But you're so strong... For someone like you, this kind of thing—"
"No, that's not right. This isn't something you should have to do. There's no rule that says the strong must save the weak. I've been too presumptuous. You have no obligation to help me."
Before Steven could rebuke her, Talulah pressed her hand to her forehead and started reflecting on her own.
She realized she had no right to demand anything of Steven just because he was strong.
To assume that his strength automatically obligated him to help her was utterly unreasonable.
Talulah's ability to reflect on her own thoughts and logic was exceptional.
She didn't need anyone else to point it out; she quickly recognized the flaw in her mindset and began reevaluating it.
It was precisely this quality that made Steven not see her as a troublesome or unreasonable woman.
Most people find it difficult to self-examine.
When they think or perceive things, their natural tendency is to lean toward self-interest.
The ability to catch oneself in such a bias and immediately reflect upon it was, in Steven's eyes, an exceedingly rare trait—perhaps even a sign of someone who was saint-like in their self-awareness.
At least, Steven knew he himself wasn't capable of doing such a thing.
He couldn't help but wonder how Talulah had developed this personality.
Her character was undeniably compelling and attractive in its own way.
"I'm sorry. I oversimplified things and didn't consider your perspective."
After sorting through her thoughts, Talulah sincerely apologized to Steven.
"You didn't just oversimplify it; you also made it overly idealistic," Steven responded, accepting her apology without hesitation or formality.
If Talulah weren't the person she was—someone who could acknowledge her own faults—Steven probably wouldn't even bother engaging with her.
Now that she'd admitted her mistake, Steven thought it might be a good opportunity to tell her something important.
Not to change her entirely, but to at least crack open the defenses of her idealism and encourage her to see the harsh reality of the world with her own eyes.
This world, one that could metaphorically and literally "eat people alive," had frustrated even him, someone who wasn't much of an idealist.
For someone like Talulah, who was so driven by her ideals, it would undoubtedly hit even harder.
"What is it? Can I listen too?"
Alina walked over with a handmade denim jacket she'd sewn for Steven.
Sitting down beside Talulah, she placed a comforting hand on her friend's and looked at Steven with a playful wink.
"Stop coddling her like this. What happens when you're not around one day? You think she won't go astray?"
Steven rolled his eyes. He could tell Alina was worried about the potential blow Talulah might take from his words.
But in a way, her protectiveness was enabling Talulah.
Many idealists can't wake up from the dream of their ideals without taking a hard hit from the cold reality of the world.
That's just how it is.
"Really? I just thought I'd listen along, share some thoughts, and gently guide any friends who might end up overthinking things," Alina said with a playful smile, giving her reasoning without directly countering Steven's words.
"Hey, don't treat me like some fragile kid, okay? I'm not that easily shaken. Just say whatever you want to say. I doubt there's anything that could truly rattle me," Talulah finally spoke up, unable to sit still any longer.
The way the two of them treated her like she was some overly sensitive child was frustrating.
Talulah believed her mental defenses weren't that easily breached. Were they seriously underestimating her this much?
At the same time, her curiosity about what Steven wanted to share only grew.
For him to approach this so seriously, it had to be something significant.
"Alright, but you said it yourself. Just remember, this is something that already happened, so just treat it like a story. Don't get too emotionally invested. If it upsets you, you can't blame me," Steven warned her again before sighing.
He then began recounting what he had seen in that strange village while tracking the Collapsal.
Midway through the story, Talulah's previously confident demeanor was gone.
Her expression turned grim as her fists clenched tightly, though it was unclear what exactly she was thinking.
Steven could even feel the Originium energy radiating from her body, causing the room's temperature to rise noticeably.
There was no helping it.
The events of the story clashed completely with her ideals.
It was as if reality itself was mocking her beliefs, telling her that what she wanted to do—what she wanted to change—was ultimately meaningless.
Thankfully, Alina was there.
Though her own eyes carried a hint of confusion and sorrow, she gently patted Talulah's tightly clenched fists, trying to soothe her emotions.
In the end, Steven didn't describe the villagers' final fate in detail.
He stopped the story at the point where he sat in the grain storage.
"—That's about it. There's not much else to say, really. I just wanted you to write a few hundred words reflecting on it. Do you get what I mean?"
Having finished the story, Steven casually took a bottle of water from his inventory, boiled it, and jokingly suggested the idea to lighten the mood.
But Talulah clearly wasn't in the mood for jokes.
Her gaze was vacant, and she seemed lost in thought.
After replaying the entire story in her mind, she eventually looked up, her silver-gray eyes locking onto Steven's.
"What was the fate of those villagers in the end?"
She was hoping Steven would give her an answer, something she could use as a reference.
She wanted to know what Steven had chosen to do in such a situation.
"They all died. Every single one—men, women, the old, the young. Not a single person was spared. They were all wiped out," Steven said as he sipped his tea, his tone as casual as if he were discussing something trivial.
"It wasn't me who killed them. But even if I had left that grain storage earlier, the result wouldn't have changed."
<+>
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