Strongest Hammer God

Chapter 1078: Dogs

"Your words paint a convenient picture for you, but one glance at the world disproves them," the Overseer stated. "When I look at the world, I see beastkind forced into a small forest from which they are not allowed to leave. Otherwise, humanity will kill them."

"Your double standard is not only inaccurate but in complete opposition to the truth," Swamp Dragon answered. "After you've killed every living being in the world, humanity achieved an unshakably dominant position in the world, and yet, beasts are still here."

"Because they need beasts," the Overseer said with disgust. "They're convenient resources to them."

"Let's switch the circumstances," Swamp Dragon said. "If every human were to die in this world, leaving only powerful beasts..."

"Would there be a place for humanity in this world?"

The Overseer snorted. "Humanity would find its place."

"Yes, but that is the inevitable outcome. That's not what the beasts would decide," Swamp Dragon answered. "The beasts would kill every human they could see. Humanity left a place for beastkind because it knows that allowing beasts to thrive is good for both sides. Beastkind will not let humanity thrive. You act like humans want to kill every beast, but that's factually untrue."

"This changes nothing," the Overseer answered coldly. "The truth is that beasts are not allowed to ascend. They are not allowed to grow any stronger. They want to grow stronger, but their choice is taken from them."

"Is that correct?" Swamp Dragon asked.

"Fine," Swamp Dragon answered calmly. "Why don't you let them decide for themselves, then?"

The Overseer furrowed her brows. "I am letting them decide for themselves."

"You're not," Swamp Dragon answered. "The Elemental Demons attacking the eastern World Wall. Why are they attacking it?"

"Because they want to grow stronger and recognize that the world is keeping them suppressed," the Overseer answered.

"Is that what they think, or is that what they have been told to believe?" Swamp Dragon asked.

"Both," the Overseer answered. "They wouldn't know that it's the World Wall if I hadn't told them. Now that they know, they will never stop attacking it."

"Is that so?" Swamp Dragon asked calmly. "Then, nothing should change if you told them one sentence."

"You are free to do whatever you want to do."

"Why don't you tell them that sentence?" Swamp Dragon asked.

The Overseer narrowed her eyes. Swamp Dragon's stubbornness in admitting when he was wrong infuriated her. She could see the world with her own eyes! She could see what was happening, and yet, Swamp Dragon kept denying reality!

"Fine," the Overseer said. "They already know their true enemy. They know the appearance of their cage, and they will not stop fighting."

Swamp Dragon didn't say anything.

The Overseer focused on the army of Elemental Demons that were attacking the World Wall.

She sent a simple concept transmission.

"You are free. You have power over your lives. You may do whatever you want to do."

The Elemental Demons received the concept transmission, and as expected, they kept attacking the World Wall. Naturally, she had known that nothing would change. The Demons knew their enemy, and they wouldn't stop until that enemy was defeated.

A small smirk appeared on the Overseer's face.

And then...

One Elemental Demon launched an attack at another Elemental Demon.

The other Elemental Demon fought back, and the two of them entered a True Battle.

Luckily, these were only outliers. The vast majority of Elemental Demons would still...

Another one entered battle.

Then, a fourth.

A fifth.

Ten.

Fifty.

250.

The Overseer watched as more and more battles broke out. Not all of them started fighting each other, but the ones that didn't enter battle also didn't keep attacking the World Wall.

Instead, they just scattered and flew in random directions.

The Overseer watched in silent horror as the winners of the battle started fighting each other.

There was nothing to be gained! They could not grow any stronger! Fighting to the death with each other only had risks without rewards!

Swamp Dragon saw the Overseer's crestfallen expression.

'That should make it easier for Fierce Breaker to access the Immortal Elements,' Swamp Dragon thought.

"Let me guess," Swamp Dragon said, "the majority started fighting, while the remainder just scattered."

The Overseer narrowed her eyes with hatred. "What did you do?!"

"I didn't do anything," Swamp Dragon said. "I can't even approach the Elemental Demons, and even if I could, would they listen to me? They are Divine Beasts. They are not going to listen to anyone weaker than them."

The Overseer gritted her teeth in anger and frustration. Why had they stopped attacking the World Wall?! They knew that it was their enemy!

"You told them that they can do whatever they want to do, correct?" Swamp Dragon asked. "It's a perfect order. If there were no orders, they would do whatever they wanted to do. If they consider it an order, they would still do whatever they wanted to do."

"This is what they want to do."

The Overseer remained silent, but she was seething inside. She had believed that the Demons would keep attacking the very thing that was suppressing them. They knew that it was suppressing them! They knew it was in their way!

So, why did they stop?!

Why?!

"Do you want to know why they didn't keep attacking the World Wall?" Swamp Dragon asked.

The Overseer didn't say anything. She just kept watching the Elemental Demons scattering across the Elemental Dimension.

"It's because you've got it backward," Swamp Dragon said.

She didn't answer.

"A beast's natural desires lead it down the path to power, but that does not mean that the beasts desire power. They want to fight. They want to learn about nature. They want to learn about their body. They want to mate. These are the four desires they have."

"They do not want to be powerful. They just want to have exciting and amazing battles. The other Elemental Demons are just as powerful as them, which means they offer the perfect battles."

"They do not want to ascend. They do not want to enter a new world. The World Wall does not offer an exciting battle, which is why they are not attacking it. They know the World Wall is stopping them from growing, but they don't care. They will do what they want. They will keep fighting until there is only a single one left, and that last one will keep roaming the Elemental Dimension until it finds another worthy opponent."

"Some of them will mate before that happens, but not many of the progeny will reach a sufficient level of power. In the end, only one Elemental Demon will remain."

"This is what they want. Are their decisions stopping them from having more and even better battles in the future? Yes, but they don't care. They don't care about the future. They care about the present."

"You and the humanoid Demons are the only ones that care about the future. You are the only ones that want to ascend."

"And why is that?"

"Because you're human."

The Overseer remained silent.

"You are a wolf that sees a dog with its owner and believes the dog is like it."

"You want to escape. Only you."

"Beasts are not oppressed."

"You are the only oppressed beast in this world. You're a wolf that is forced to live a dog's life."

The Overseer still tried to come to terms with this realization. She had believed that all of the beasts were on her side. Yet, as soon as they had received their freedom, they had abandoned her.

"You want to escape?" Swamp Dragon asked.

The Overseer looked at Swamp Dragon neutrally.

She didn't say anything.

Maybe...

Maybe she could at least listen to his suggestion.

Fierce Breaker tried his best to keep his expression under control.

As Swamp Dragon's lips moved, Fierce Breaker felt like he could see a poisonous miasma flowing out of them.

As he kept talking, the metaphorical miasma spread further and further until it enveloped everyone.

Nothing was spared.

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