A bird’s-eye view and a conversation with one of the Renegades gave Adam a much better understanding of how things stood in the Tarnished Lands.

Ever since his journey to Izardo and the events at the Forgotten Mills, Adam had known that the Renegades generally did not interfere in others’ affairs. They acted only when necessary, when a threat arose that could destabilize the situation throughout the entire region.

Laroza’s duties were not much different from those of the other Renegades. She monitored the territories and essentially served as a judge for any conflict that became serious enough to warrant her intervention.

However, the monsters tried not to let conflicts escalate to that point. When one of the Renegades intervenes, the outcome becomes unpredictable.

"Is it time to go back?" Laroza glanced at Adam. "If you want, we can stay here a little longer and enjoy the view."

"Haven’t you seen it a thousand times?" Adam asked.

Laroza nodded deeply.

"Sure. But it’s your first time here."

"Hah, thanks, but I think I’ve seen enough. I’d like to get down to business and..." Adam turned toward the Blind Eye Tower. "I won’t lie, I’m curious to see what your base looks like."

A slight smirk appeared on Laroza’s face.

"I see. In that case, let me show you everything."

Clutch.

Just like last time, Laroza gripped Adam’s shoulder firmly before taking a step forward.

In the blink of an eye, they crossed hundreds of meters and found themselves right in front of her tower at the edge of the slope. The gates to her tower were open. Laroza wasn’t expecting guests, but she had no one to fear.

"Is this your home?" Adam looked around. There was nothing near the Blind Eye Tower, just a rocky field and a view of Tooth Lake. 𝐟𝗿𝐞𝚎𝚠𝐞𝚋𝕟𝐨𝚟𝐞𝕝.𝕔𝕠𝚖

Laroza waved her hand.

"Yeah, you could say that. Come on in, we need to talk."

As soon as they stepped inside, Laroza walked into a hall where a massive stone block stood against the wall, which was actually a chest, or perhaps even a fridge.

Crackle.

Laroza lifted the stone lid as frosty steam poured out, making her smile.

To Adam’s surprise, inside were numerous bottles that, in color and shape, suspiciously resembled a certain well-known drink at the Citadel. At the very bottom of the stone block were many frost crystals that acted like ice and kept the temperature constantly low.

"Is this... Is this beer?" Adam raised an eyebrow, uncertainly.

"Huh, you recognized it?" Laroza chuckled before taking one bottle for herself and tossing a second one to Adam.

Adam deftly caught it before looking at the front. The bottle even had a label. Sure, it wasn’t factory-made with a unique design like the ones at the Citadel, but it was a piece of paper with the name written in red letters and a distinctive logo representing the brand.

"Damn, I didn’t think Varreyn was such a developed city. This definitely isn’t something custom-made just for you, you just bought it from a vendor, right?" Adam asked, slowly twirling the bottle in his hand.

"Yeah, although if I need to, they can make something special just for me. Varreyn is a city with great possibilities, they make not only beer but lots of other things too."

Click.

Laroza opened the bottle and took a loud gulp before flopping down on the couch and propping her heavy boots up on the table.

"Maybe monsters don’t have high technology as humans do, but if it were necessary, we’d have no problem copying something from you. It’s just that most monsters are used to a completely different way of life." Laroza shrugged before taking another sip.

At times like these, Adam always thought of one monster, Norax.

Even though Norax was one of the strongest monsters Adam had ever encountered, he was also the most carefree. Instead of conquering territories and fighting in bloody battles, he spent all his time playing games on his console.

"Tsk, I know that, but still, as a human, I find it strange that monsters know about our technology but don’t try to copy it. Of all the monsters I’ve encountered, only Norax took an interest in it, but he didn’t try to make anything himself, he just ordered it from the Citadel."

Laroza waved her hand.

"Look, it’s not as simple as it seems. Even if there are monsters in Varreyn who understand how human cities work, the other monsters need to have the desire and understanding of why it’s necessary, as well as their support. Without that, no one will do anything."

Gulp!

"Unlike humans, monsters don’t need technology or cities to survive, that’s also an important factor. I mean, when you can get stronger just by absorbing energy, and you don’t have to worry about food or water, there’s no incentive to figure out electricity and infrastructure."

Click.

Adam opened his bottle, watching the cold vapor escape.

"Still, you won’t find a brewery in the middle of the wastelands, but in Varreyn it’s entirely possible, isn’t it?"

Laroza spread her arms wide.

"What can I say? It’s a big city, and when so many resources and monsters, most of them Awakened Ones, are concentrated in such a small place, entrepreneurs have more opportunities to create something. In that respect, monsters and humans are quite similar."

Laroza was right. Monsters didn’t do many things because they didn’t face the same survival challenges as humans, but both races shared a common desire to create something new and experiment.

If the creator of this beer had ended up at the Citadel and no one had known it was a monster, that monster would have made beer too, or even something greater.

"Huh, you know, this makes me wonder what monsters and humans could have achieved if they had worked together instead of fighting in an endless cycle for survival."

Adam chuckled before taking a sip. A pleasant, powerful aroma emerged along with a deep, bitter taste.

"Ah..." Adam sighed. "That’s some good stuff. Too bad I had to go through all that trouble just to try it."

Then, his gaze drifted into the distance, lost in thought.

’Is there really nothing we can do to change this world, or... has no one simply had enough power yet?’