Monsters, beasts, and non-sapient organisms have shown a distinct difference in how they grow. Although the milestones remain identical, the stages at which they occurred was very different from how we viewed them. At level 20, beasts and monsters undergo a physical transformation, which is usually their adult form (or in rare cases, a variant/mutation) instead of classes. At level 50, they receive another evolution and a class, which is where sapient and non-sapient evolutions connect. The evolutions grant them greater base stats than sapient beings but less variety in their skills and classes. It is not unheard of for monsters at level 50 and above to display sapient intelligence, but it is not a common theme. Certain phenomena, such as the Otherworlder Reincarnation means that monsters with sapient intelligence are possible. Most of this information is supplied by friendly, sapient monsters who have reached their second evolution milestone. Monsters with the Otherworlder Reincarnation phenomena are several times stronger than a human at their level due to increased base stats, along with the awareness of their situation.

- Chapter 3 of The Curious Case of Sapience, by Nicholas Maxwell

It took over a week of travel to reach Stillwater. Their journey was filled with obstacles and monsters, but nothing noteworthy occurred other than the both of them levelling up. Even with the frightening amount of beasts they dealt with, Damien only leveled up twice and Chester once.

Chester hadn't maintained his facial hair and it resulted in significant growth during the week. His hair had grown as well, and he parted it down the middle in order to avoid obscuring his eyesight. The illusionist whistled as he swung his new weapon; the flail. The opalescent chain was attached to a similar spiked head. Using the hilt of his adamantine dagger as the base, it gave him more resources to lengthen the chain and to increase his range. It provided a slight breeze as he swung it in circles, counteracting the humid, summer air.

Damien remained relatively the same. He wore his dark, hooded robe despite the temperature. The boy swore upon the fact that it was actually cooling him even with the summer heat. Chester couldn't test this theory out as he was several sizes too large to fit inside. The vampire had equipped everything besides the boots, citing that they were too heavy to run in. He noticed how unstable it was running with his sword sheathed at his hip, and refashioned it into a back sheathe. It was secured with the modified belt, making sure that his sword didn't fall when they traveled at high speeds.

He found it much more practical. although he couldn't draw his sword from the sheathe as effectively.

"Do you think there's a dungeon here? I actually wanted to see if we could go to one."

The vampire looked at him as though he were stupid. “Of course not. There'd be an entire city here instead of a lone village. Those dungeons are an amazing source of resources. It wouldn't appear in an area with low mana levels like this.”

One of the many things Damien had taught the man was mana sensing. It was something he already had thanks to Mana Mastery, but Chester never tapped into it other than as a substitute for when he couldn't see. It wasn't highly refined either as he didn't practice it that often. He couldn't have it on passively in the same way the vampire seemed to do.

Mana sensing was an essential skill and the boy had done his best to explain its significance. Chester got a hold of it quickly, using it to scan the area for any presences and to measure the mana levels of certain areas and enemies. The boy explained that it’s a good indicator for hidden enemies or when his eyesight was compromised.

The duo noticed that the path leading towards the city was worn down. There were signs of battle everywhere, and the town looked beaten down.

The curly-haired man’s shoulders slumped slightly. “This place looks like a shithole. Even worse than Pesodonia.”

He despised small towns, even back when he was on Earth. It posed as a problem for him as there weren't any good marks to rob. Not to mention it wasn't as condensed as urban areas. Chester only stayed in towns for only as long as he needed to.

The townspeople seemed to rely on more primitive items for everyday life, and Chester could see just how thin and withered they looked. There were some farmland and domesticated animals milling around in fences, and even they looked famished. The man could hardly see any magical items. The light fixtures looked like regular oil lanterns, except they were inert.

A group of armored soldiers inched closer towards them, bearing the insignia of a white griffin on the center of their chest plates. The symbol of the Idil Empire. They didn't have their helmets on and showed their faces. None of them particularly stood out,

“Halt! State your allegiances, strangers.”

The two looked at each other and shrugged. Damien rummaged through his bag and handed them his adventurer's license. Upon confirming the identification, the soldier handed it back. It had nothing other than the date it was issued, and basic info listing Damien’s name and rank in the guild.

“We’re adventurers? We’re from Elway, just passing through.”

The soldier's face seemed to settle down, and his voice became a tad warmer.

“Very well, you may continue.”

Damien pocketed the license as the group continued their patrol. The illusionist imperceptibly relaxed, as he was always cautious when in close proximity with figures of authority. He continued to swing his flail, generating a cool breeze once more.

“The hell was that about? Is this their territory?”

Stillwater was a sad-looking village. Everything looked worn down, with signs of a battle having taken place in the streets. The amount of people walking around were few, and they always looked guarded or tired. Chester was reminded of those documentaries that depicted war-torn third world countries, seeing the dilapidated condition of the people and the buildings. After a few minutes of exploring, they came across an inn.

The man noted how cheap the rates were. Fifty bronze per day, and an extra ten to include the communal washing area during their stay.

They got what they paid for, as their room was dingy and old. Cobwebs could be seen on the corner of the room, and Damien made a noise of disapproval at seeing the singular bed with multiple stains. It smelled musty, and Chester could smell traces of urine.

“You can sleep on the bed, I’m okay with the floor.” The vampire said. Chester glared at him for making it sound like a favor.

They both agreed to not sleep on the bed. Damien was disappointed to see how crummy the place was, as the hope of securing some added supplies before their next trip to Welton’s Furnace was diminished. He had hoped to stock up on some more but quickly gave up on the hope.

Both of them opted to go outside and explore the city, unwilling to be cooped up in such a disgusting room.

It was the afternoon, and they searched for places to eat. The most they could find was a restaurant that offered a mediocre meat stew. It was salty and runny, some vegetables floated to the surface. Chester made a face, unhappy with the fact that this was his first warm meal in days.

Damien asked around for the Echo Guild branch office, and saw that it was almost empty. Even the receptionist was taking a nap, clearly not expecting any adventurers to walk in. Just like everything in the village, it was in poor shape. The urgent request board was empty, and the building itself was smaller than the one in Elway. It only had one floor.

“This place sucks.” Chester said bluntly.

Although Damien didn’t voice it, he agreed with his partner. Soldiers continuously patrolled the area, and they could see a cluster of tents further away in the outskirts of the city. The illusionist did his best to act natural, unsure if the soldiers in this area were informed about his role in the auction. He was perfectly content with not finding out.

Chester sardonically thought that the soldiers would rather camp out than stay in the inns available, making himself chuckle.

"Hey, what do you say to just sleeping in the instant cube? It's honestly a better spot. I'll just go take a quick shower at the inn."

Damien agreed, and the man made a commitment to get washed up before he turned in for the night. They continued exploring the town and found a church. It was noticeably higher quality than the other buildings, as it was made of stone and marginally cleaner than the rest of the village. With the sun beginning to set, the light from within provided a source of comfort in the dreary village.

There was activity inside, and the vampire was curious and wanted to confirm his budding hopes.

'If I'm right, then we should be able to restock over here.'

“Hey, you sure about this?”

Damien looked back on the illusionist, slightly confused. “What’s the problem?”

“Well, you’re a vampire right? Wouldn’t you burn up being somewhere holy?”

The boy wondered where he got such information. Damien had suffered through so many inane questions from the illusionist, having to confirm that he did indeed defecate, and that he wasn't averse to garlic. He shook off the man’s baseless worries and entered. Chester was nervous as he didn’t know how well religions worked or if gods were real in Aetheria. The criminal was not keen on being smited for his crimes.

Inside it was lavishly decorated. The pillars supporting the building had skeletons made of gold wrapped around them, mouth open wide in an unsightly manner facing the entrance. The stone walls were pristine, and unlike a regular church there was no seating. The floor was an open space and looked similar to a shelter for the homeless. Many of the villagers were praying, resting, or conversing between each other.

Several villagers waited as they went up in a single-file line. As they moved, a blonde man would raise his hand and a soft light would encase the person in front of him.

Chester watched as the tiredness from their face seemed to disappear, and other people wearing a similar uniform gave them a basket of supplies. There was a two-meter circle managed by two other deacons, glowing softly. People sat and rested, looking better by just standing inside its radius.

“Looks like the church of Pernatia is here for charity work. Great, we can use them for supplies.”

The illusionist was shocked to hear that. “Damien, I’m glad that you’ve turned to a life of crime, but isn’t this a bit much? We shouldn’t be stealing from people in poverty! Or a church!” He whispered harshly. Chester couldn't believe he had to reprimand the boy. He may have been a thief, but even he knew that robbing a place of worship was insensitive.

Damien fought the urge to kick the man in the shins. “Idiot. We can buy it off them for a price. Pernatia’s churches double as supply shops as well. Are you really that clueless?”

The vampire was truly beginning to believe that the man had been raised in the forest. He always had to fill in the most basic concepts for Chester, and although he was tutored by instructors Damien knew that some of the things he explained were common knowledge even to peasants.

They joined the line, waiting for their turn as the blonde priest continued his healing process. All of the villagers inclined their heads and gave him thanks, to which he responded with a soft nod and a blessing.

“May your gold ever flow.” He said softly.

Damien and Chester were next in line, and the priest gave them a critical eye. He raised his brow, before talking in a neutral and diplomatic voice.

“Unfortunately, this service is only free for the townspeople. You will have to pay a fee.”

The vampire shook his head. “We’re not here for that. We’d like to buy some supplies?”

He turned to one of the workers, and the nondescript man inclined his head. Damien followed them to look at their wares. Crates filled with a variety of goods were opened before the group of holy men. Chester followed behind, admiring the architecture of the building. He stood behind Damien, closer towards the priest who watched on quietly who had no villagers to attend to.

“So…How’s business?” He asked the priest. The man decided to make conversation and learn about the religious organization. Chester’s only memories of churches was when he was a homeless youth.

As he grew older he avoided them entirely. The illusionist didn’t believe in religion, but recognized them as a service to take advantage of when he was a teenager. Once Chester gathered enough funds from his thievery, he left and never looked back. Out of respect, he never took advantage of their kindness, and occasionally donated his illegal earnings towards them.

The last time he entered one was over a decade ago.

“It is well. We have been here for quite a long time, trying to help the villagers get back on their feet.”

The man was several years older than Chester. There were lines around his face, and it gave his face a stern feature. His hair was flat and straight, styled in a combover.

“Oh? Is there any reason why this village is so…” The brown-haired man tried to find an appropriate word. “..shabby?”

The priest chuckled. “Being invaded by enemies so often does that. The Idil Empire and Ailach Kingdom have been fighting over Stillwater for three years now. We are doing our best to alleviate the townspeople’s suffering.”

Chester grew alarmed at the news. “Isn’t this place dangerous then? Why are you staying in a warzone?”

“The conflict’s almost at its end. Ailach’s been driven away thanks to the new general who took over the operation. Besides, attacking us would mean that Pernatia would withdraw from their territories. Leader enforces that rule very harshly, as long as we remain neutral.”

They had a pleasant chat for twenty minutes. The illusionist quickly learned that the church would take a portion of the villagers' profits once they were in a financially stable position. The services they provided weren't free. Although they were far from selfless, the man thought that a religion with a skull for its symbol would’ve been far more sinister. But like the churches from his childhood, they seemed as accommodating as their mundane counterparts. They were very transparent about their business model.

"It's getting a bit hectic nowadays. Idil's expansion efforts are intensifying over the past few years, and I fear that their next target is to take over Ailach."

Chester wondered why the Idil Empire was so aggressive. The knight he had fought was unrelenting, and refused to listen to compromise. The illusionist wanted to avoid the Idil soldiers here, fearing that they would apprehend him. He knew that without that timely intervention he would've been captured or killed.

'Maybe it was that old guy? He looked like the type to have some light powers like that.' He remembered the intimidating sorcerer with pure-white eyes. Chester could clearly remember the stifling amount of power that the man possessed, to the point that his poor mana sensing skills picked it up. It was suffocating and made it hard for him to breathe.

His mind drifted towards Cerebella; the young, knowledgeable mage he had conversed with. He wondered if she was powerful like that. Perhaps an apprentice to the older man? He wanted to thank her for teaching him the Dream spell. It took some time, but now he was able to learn the spell. Honing his illusions and using them repeatedly pushed him over the threshold and granted him Advanced Illusion Mastery.

Dream (Level 1)

Control the subconscious to conjure powerful imagery. Targets experience a slower perception of time under the spell's radius and are subject to the laws and rules imposed by the user. Being touched in the physical plane will interrupt the spell. Those with mental fortitude (MNT = (END+INT)/2) surpassing the user's can resist the spell.

- Maximum time elapsed in spell: 12 hours

- Activation: 30 seconds, -250 MP.

He didn't know whether mental fortitude should be calculated that way. Chester honestly didn't know how they would even quantify such a thing, but he had adjusted to it. After all, the system had managed to quantify his charisma as well.

Damien got his attention, telling him that he finished buying all they needed. He turned to the priest and bid him farewell.

“Well, it was nice meeting you. I’m Chester, by the way.”

He offered a handshake, and the man took it with a small smile on his face. The priest's arms were actually well-defined and he gripped the illusionist's hand with surprising strength.

“Pleasure. I’m Christopher Engel. I pray for your good health.”

They walked out of the church, and the illusionist asked him what he had bought.

“Just some more food and water. They even offered cleaning services, so I had all our laundry cleaned. See?”

He took out one of the shirts, and the man could see that it was significantly cleaner than he had last seen. Chester rejoiced at having clean clothes again. The service and supplies cost about a total of twenty silver. Pricy, but it was inevitable. Damien bought more food and replenished their water supply.

At this point in time, the pair were not hurting for funds. They had enough funds to coast through the rest of the journey, but Chester wanted more so he could afford good armor. He was so focused on the idea of saving enough funds that he skimped out on a set during their stint in Elway.

He regretted the fact that he didn’t buy any in Elway, but from Damien’s knowledge he was happy to hear that Welton’s Furnace was renowned for their craftsmanship, and he was definitely going to find a great set of armor there.

Although now he was calculating how to get the right amount of money. For a moment, he considered getting the funds through honest, hard work and going on quests with his vampire sidekick.

‘Nah.’

Not only did he despise the idea, he hated it. Chester wanted to explore the world on his own terms. Working to complete tasks on behalf of others didn't sit right with him. Being paid to kill monsters seemed far too much of a drag, and he would rather make easy money the way he’s always done. Cheating, stealing, and conning others. It was easy work, and far less dangerous than fighting to the death against magical monsters. Dealing with humans was far easier than bloodthirsty monsters after all. Chester was not interested in staying here longer than necessary without any potential targets.

As they made their way back, Damien’s ears twitched as he heard a strange noise coming from the alleys. His ears twitched and his eyes narrowed looking at the dark, hidden passageway.

“Damien? What’re you doing?”

He watched as the boy got closer to the source of the noise. Slipping into the darkness, Chester followed in pursuit.

Damien’s hands balled up into fists upon seeing the source of the noise. One of the Idil soldiers was kicking a prone body on the ground. The armored man didn’t have a helmet on, and had a sick smile on his face as his boot made contact with flesh. He muttered out curses in a drunken manner, but could hear the footsteps behind him. The soldier saw a small boy with a dark look on his face.

“Get th’ fuck out of here. You didn’t see anything.” He grumbled with a nasty glare on his face. His face was flushed, and the beady eyes turned back to its original target.

The vampire ran towards him, unsheathing the blade from his back in an instant. Sensing danger, the man responded by drawing his. Damien’s blade clashed with the soldiers, and he took that chance to kick the soldier away. He stumbled over the prone body and fell flat on his bum, enraged.

“Chester, give me a hand!”

With minimal light, the soldier couldn’t make out their features. He saw the boy kneeling beside the unconscious body, but couldn’t identify the second person that he called out towards.

The enraged man clutched the sword in his hand even tighter, deciding that enough was enough. Mana covered his body, imbuing his weapon with energy.

“You disrespectful fuckers are going to-”

Before he could raise his sword, a staggering impact displaced his steel breastplate. The clanging noise reverberated throughout his entire body. He fell to the floor, struggling to breathe as his armor worked against him. The sword clattered harmlessly onto the floor and he struggled to take off his equipment which prohibited him from breathing. A figure faded into existence right in front of the injured fighter.

Chester watched as the man fell, and gave him a kick to the chin, scattering the soldier's teeth in the process. He turned to Damien with the flail in his hand.

“Give me a healing potion.” Damien said urgently. The man grumbled at being ordered around, but picked up a bottle from his bag and handed it to the boy.

Unlike the man, Damien’s eyes were suited for darkness. He could see that the child in his hands was in horrible shape, suffering from several large bruises and a myriad of injuries. Their lips and eyes were swollen and bleeding, and he was hardly able to tell what their gender was.

Fearing the worst, he slowly slipped the bright red potion into their mouths. He was glad to see that some of the swelling began to die down. It meant that they were still alive and could be healed.

He picked the frail child up in a princess carry, feeling that they were unnaturally light even by regular standards. Damien tilted his head to glare at the soldier who had caused all this damage, bleeding slightly from the mouth.

“Disgusting.”

The man hadn’t seen the vampire so incensed. He always exuded a calm aura, aside from the times that Chester made him explode from irritation. But this time, his rage was icy. So cold that it could freeze hell over. Chester hadn't seen this frosty expression on his face since their first time meeting each other.

He could see the boy’s eyes slowly turning red. The illusionist didn’t give him any grief over causing such a commotion. His brown eyes turned to look at the injured soldier, eyeing the massive dent at the center of his chest. Blood trickled down his mouth, and his eyes were glassy.

You have slain Human (Level 15)

“...” Chester stayed silent upon reading the notification. Taking a life felt oddly numb, but the criminal figured that it was well-deserved in this case.

The duo returned to their inn with little trouble. The streets were nearly empty; and few people even bothered to look at the two carrying an unconscious body. Townspeople seemed accustomed to avoiding eye-contact, almost as if they were afraid of being targeted.

Going to their room, Damien laid the small body onto the dirty mattress. He used an additional potion and their wounds healed further, but they were still unresponsive. He opened up their pack and wrapped the child's injured leg, which looked like it had been broken during the beating. They could see that the child was actually a girl. The feminine features were much more prominent without the swelling and bruising covering their face.

"Give me that." Chester said, seeing that the vampire wasn't experienced with wrapping broken bones. He snapped off the planks from the wooden room and carefully set their leg between the makeshift splints. The illusionist wrapped the gauze around the limb, safe and secure.

Although their clothes were caked in blood and dirt, Damien was uncomfortable with the idea of undressing another person. He did his best to wipe down their visible skin with some water from their pack, rubbing away to prevent any infections.

“We could’ve just-you know, taken them back to the church. Honestly, we don’t need to be involved in all this.” Chester said. He figured that the church was more equipped to care for injured youths. The man knew that his makeshift treatment wouldn't do much in the long term, and that there was a chance of the bone healing improperly.

“How can you say that? Have you no heart?” The vampire said. He furrowed his brows at the man for wanting to do the bare minimum. “Let’s wait for them to wake up first. Then we can decide on what to do. There’s no guarantee that those soldiers would just let this kid go unharmed. Especially when the church is so close to their camp.”

Damien was unaware of the situation, but he figured that putting them in close proximity to the soldier’s camps would spell trouble.

Chester threw his hands up in the air. “Hey man, just a suggestion. We’ll have to skedaddle the fuck out of here if they suspect us. I don’t think there’s a lot of outsiders passing by this area.”

The vampire acknowledged that his emotions got the better of him, but he refused to apologize for his actions. The idea of not acting when something was happening in front of him didn’t register. Seeing someone his age being so helplessly beaten made a lump in his throat form.

As they quietly sat, the child began to stir. Their hazel eyes inspected their surroundings, noting that they were no longer outside. Small groans of pain escaped their lips.

“Are you alright? Do you mind telling us what happened?”

The girl began to rise, pulling down the blanket slightly. Her eyes were uncertain, and she flinched slightly upon seeing the boy inch closer. Damien stopped immediately and gave the child some space.

She looked even younger than Damien, likely younger than ten years old. Seeing the way she reacted to them made the vampire’s heart sink.

“I…I got grabbed by the guard, and…Wait, who are you people?”

“Just bystanders that want to help. What’s your name? Do you have a family we can take you to?”

“My name’s Lily. Um, I think I can find my way back home. But…” She looked afraid, and her tiny arms trembled slightly as she went silent. Lily looked at her injured leg and tried to move it, before wincing in pain.

The two (Damien) decided to escort her back to her family. It was already late at night, and a few Idil soldiers were still patrolling the streets. For a tense moment, the vampire readied himself for a fight. The small girl trembled at the sight of them, being carried upon the vampire's back. Chester watched the group of men as he carried the vampire's sheath on his back.

But with a disinterested glance, the soldiers ignored them and went on their way. Chester guessed that they haven't found the body yet. With a small sigh of relief they continued on, with the girl leading the way towards their home.

It was deeper in town, away from the main streets where the guards patrolled. Close to the farmlands, they traversed through the less populated area and landed themselves in front of a small cabin. It was dimly lit and shoddily made. The duo watched as Lily knocked on the wooden door.