Summer vacation is coming up. I got an invitation from Alford to go visit some summer house of his. I've decided to decline the invitation. I need to train. If I can't even go up against some stuck up noble and her lackeys, how am I supposed to go after my parents' killers? I can't waste time hanging out with Alford when I need so much more strength. 

----

On the road back home, I decided to step off the main protected path. First I found a pygmy hyenacinth. I decapitated it and then cut off its vines. Next I found a corrupted konlanb. The corrupted kolanb lunges at me, only to land on my blade and be smited by poison curing magic. Next I found a hyenacinth majorus. Its neck(stem?) and vines were more durable, but it met the same end as it's smaller cousin. Next was a pack of hommoa. I cut off their useless wings and plucked each and every feather. Then I found a stray falongasaur. It's flames were not enough to scorch me. Finally I found a long blood stain. The centaklack took the rest of the day to kill. 

I slept in the centaklack's nest and repeated the process. New day, same monsters. I slew them all. I slew anything I could find, so the monsters got smarter. They started to hide, or maybe I killed all the ones that couldn't hide, doesn't matter. I honed my senses. I found more prey. I killed more prey. Prey. Kill. Prey. Kill. Prey. Kill. Prey. Kill. Prey. Kill. Kill. Kill. Kill...

A few days have passed, I think. I have no idea where I am. The surrounding nature has become silent. Everything has been dyed with the colors of the insides of monsters. The only smells are that of blood and rotting carcasses. There is no crickets chirping or frogs croaking. Corpses litter the wilderness. My stomach rumbles. When was the last time I ate? When was the last time I drank? I reach for my water pounch and find its not there. Must've lost it at some point. I stumble towards one of my kills. It's corpse so mangled that I don't even know what it is. I rip its flesh and force it down my gullet. I can't be assed to find water so I greedily suck the creatures blood. When I'm finished I lie on the ground and close my eyes. Not like there's anything left to get me. Alas sleep does come.

Did this make me stronger? Is it enough strength to avenge my parents? Do I have to create more of this silence? If so, how much more until I become strong enough? I feel like my mind has turned into a liquid and slipped out of my head. There is only one thought, one subject, left in my skull. I need more strength.

[You want power, yes?]

A sound where there should be none.

[Come to me and I shall grant you what you need.]

A noise means life and a life means another fight and another fight means an opportunity to grow stronger. I follow the sound.

[Yeah, just like that! Let us slick that thirst for blood together heheheh!]

Soon enough I reach a cave.

[Come in, come in! Make yourself at home, we have so much to discuss!]

I listen to the voice's suggestion and step in. Inside looks to be a horribly decayed shrine. I walk up its steps keeping my footsteps light as to not break the rotten planks. I find that the door of the shrine has a lock. Looks like I'll need to find a key if I want to continue.

[Nonsense. You're blade is sharp. Destroy the obstacles in your path.]

I unsheath the holy sword. One slice does the trick.

[Violence sure makes things easy, yeah? Well what are you waiting for? Come in.]

I reach or the doorknob, but I pause. I hear a sound behind me. I turn around.

[Oh yeah there's that thing. Its a worthless mound of flesh with no will of its own. Even now its trying to serve its long dead master. Do the universe a favor and cut it down. Consider it a test.]

The being drags its girthy mass over to me and raises its fist. Then the lump predictably slams it down. The fist is slow, but it's power is now joke. One direct hit and my death will be ensured. The best coarse of action would probably be to take advantage of its slow speed and strike someplace vital to end this quickly, but there in lies the question. Where are it's vitals? The creature is just a lump of flesh with an arm protruding out of it. It can't attack and move at the same time so I'll keep my distance and occasionally take pot shots. 

Slow. Far too slow. This enemy was easy to exploit, but it still took me ages to kill it. Is this truly the full extent of my power? I surely I can become much stronger, right?

[Of course you can grow much farther. You have sooooo much potential and the method of grasping that potential will be me.]

I enter the shrine. There sits a lone jagged sword upon an alter. It looks ancient with rust and chips resting upon its edge. It looks as if it should be completely unusable, and yet I can tell even from this distance, that the blade is impossibly sharp.

[Hahaha! Now that we've met in person, I believe introductions are due. Name's Lavalivarus, pleased to meetcha."

I look around for the person speaking, but the only things in the room are me and the sword.

[Surprised? I'm the sword and I think you'll make for a wonderful user.]

"Ok? How will you make me stronger?"

[Oh finally! I never thought you'd ask, the answer is so very simple. You see I believe in a logic, no THE logic. The logic that is the reason for everything.]

The sword sounds like its trying to sell me on its religion, but I can't help but be curious as to what it has say.

[Most people look at me like I'm insane when I try to explain this to them, but I feel like you'll get it so here goes nothing. Lets say hypothetically there are three kingdoms each ruled by a king. One king writes a giant book of law and his rule is fair. Justice and peace is upheld in his lands. Another king is an architect. He builds beautiful complex buildings and many intricately carved statues for his people to admire. The final king builds a massive army. To which king does the future go?]

What does that question even mean? What exactly is claiming the future? 

"I guess the one with the army?"

[Hahaha correct! Even if you don't understand the reasoning you still perfectly practice the logic. Allow me to clarify, the universe desires death. It wants you to kill. This is the simple truth behind everything in life. It may seem cruel, but returning to the story of kings, the king with the army easily conquers the other two kingdoms who don't fight back. Soon his kingdom is the only one left.]

"That makes no sense, every kingdom has an army."

[And that is because of the logic. You see, that scenario of the three kings was how human civilization started on this island. There were three kingdoms that rose before humans discovered violence. The kingdom who discovered violence first won the universe's favor and gained power. Other nations tried to rise with armies of their own, but the original finder of violence, Esu, won because it had gone to war before and survived. Soon there was only one human nation on the island. We have reached a point where if any nation wants to rise it would have to do so with the consent of Esu, or get cut down. Esu has become an ultimate existence that decides whether or not any other nation thrives or dies.]

"..."

[A similar thing happened with the reptile tribes. Once there were many different kind of reptile folk, but after violence occurred there was only one winner, the snake tribes. Killing makes you strong. Being strong is winning. Thus killing is winning.]

"..."

[What still don't believe me? I know deep down you do, but I'll continue anyway. Why did humans develop intelligence and make tools? Simple because it helped them survive the wild. Intelligence allowed them to outwit and kill their predators. Humans went from scavengers barely scraping by to the top of the food chain, by developing what other creatures didn't have. Oh, but they didn't stop there, they still yet sharpened themselves. They went from simple sticks and rocks to swords and bows. They grew so strong that they only need to say a killing word and reality bends to their will. Its why I appreciate them so much and yet how they have fallen! Notions such as peace are a fools errand! No matter how hard they toil it will all tumble down.]

"Is peace really that far fetched of an idea?"

The sword somehow scoffs, even without the body parts to do so.

[Oh don't tell me you've been indoctrinated with that nonsense, too! It's that false prince isn't it. Haaaah... Alright Alright, let me tell you why peace is dumb using the three kingdoms I mentioned before. Lets say they all three work together, the legal one makes the rule just, the architect builds a wall around the country, and the one with an army protects that wall, all is well and good, yeah? WRONG! That country would be in an incredibly precarious position. Just because a few nations decided to ignore the universal rule, doesn't mean every other nation that pops up will also ignore it. It only takes the mere threat of a nation breaking that little pact for war to break out. Sure there may be no war for a time, but its only so long before someone gets greedy or feels wronged or, heavens forbid, actually realizes what it is the universe wants. That's the problem with complex things, if one little thing gets thrown off, the whole system falls apart.]

I think back to a few conversations I had with Alford. He'd fit the archetype of the just ruler. I'm reminded of how he looked weak...

[Esu has gotten complacent with all this peace. A false king sits on the throne spouting useless words, while the real royal lineage almost gets wiped out under their noses. How sickening.]

"What's this about the real royal lineage?"

[Oh did you not know? You're royalty. I can smell it on you... yes it's just like my first host, the one who cut down the other nations. Let us form a bond together like I once did with your ancestor before!]

I grab onto the ancient sword's handle.

[From this moment onward I swear that I'll grant you strength and see your revenge through.]

"From this moment onward I swear that I'll uphold the logic of the sword and see the weak culled."

[Our pact is sealed. I look foward to working with you, Host.]

"As do I."