What I said seemed to catch him by surprise, "Why would someone hunt for any other reason?"

"Do you see how you're growing both in body and spirit? Your thoughts are getting more complex, well some monsters or other creatures, in general, develop some unnatural desires and needs due to their weakness to deal with those emotions.

Like killing monsters so that they could use their bodies as decorations, or kill monsters for fun, or torture monsters to vent out their frustration over something that happened to them.

Imagine that when you almost died by that flower but managed to escape by chance. Due to your fear of close death and humiliation you'd also go find monsters weaker than you and start burying them alive to prove to yourself that you are indeed powerful unlike what that monster made you feel.", I paused for a second and put the wolf's body in my inventory and I continued, "I suppose to a certain extent from what I understand that is where true morality comes in. The monster I saved you from was not looking for food, but territory he might have grand ambitions of dominations or something like that, and you the weak monsters die by the droves in the pursuit of his ambition. However, this is just a mild form of unnatural desires after all the concept of territory is complex. But there are indeed more..."

He had an understanding look on his face as he said, "I think I understood, just like for example in my pursuit for something new I'd start killing monsters without eating them but just to feel that something new that I look for. For me to feel something for just a short while, someone's life just like me with his growth, dreams, and everything would die completely..."

I was stunned once again!

I really needed this experience with the gecko, the things it made me learn were immeasurable.

We did talk more about how he felt something when those deers who were supposedly dead ran away gleefully, and I painted for him a good image of the deers living a long life growing stronger getting more intelligent like him and they'd also embark on the path of saving other monsters because they were inspired by him.

Which I knew was wrong they were not able to even process what happened they just ran away scared out of their wits.

Then he asked another very good question!

"Why did you save those deers and killed the wolf if it is all-natural? I felt like we should not have gotten involved in the first place.", He spoke with a question marks all over his face.

"Very good question! Look at these trees," I started turning around while pointing towards all of the trees around us and spoke, "You see how every tree has hundreds of branches and every branch has dozens of other smaller branches which in turn have hundreds of leaves. Now imagine all of the leaves in all of the trees around us, a lot right?

As we are talking right now, that number of leaves is equal to the animals dying every minute in this forest and even more so in the whole world. Just the death through natural causes, being a part of the food chain.

The chances of us meeting that deer couple right then and there was something very rare and small compared to the numbers of the animals dying. As we are not omnipotent Gods and we're also part of this food chain it'd make more sense for us to do our best to help when possible. That's why I told you not to kill the wolves because they did nothing wrong and they'd go to kill many other animals to survive which we'd have no way of saving, so it is simply a dance of life and death.

We are all interconnected one way or the other way. It's like a conversation, one is obvious with words, whereas the other is subtle and worldless." Though I was convinced of what I said, I was not hung up on it, my concept of morality was being constantly refined day after day as with my body and I was still learning new things every single day.

He thought about it for a while and said that he understood some of it while others did not, and I only told him to think about it some other time.

Just as I thought that we finished talking and I'd go back he asked another even more unexpected question.

"Even though earlier I liked what I did, I kept feeling that if the deers stopped to thank me I'd have felt even more good.", with a smile he dropped another bombshell on me!

"Great question, you are very intelligent!" I paused after saying that to collect my breath then I continued, "You know how you've grown from being non-emotionally aware to what you are now.

I feel like there are also stages to growing and maturing emotionally.

First, you'd start giving more attention to the opinions of others and how they view you in this case you wanted the deers to thank you so that you'd see how great they think of you in their eyes and you'd feel good about yourself.

Second, you'd not need that much outside validation albeit a bit, but you'd be more concerned with your own opinion of yourself, as long as you did not do anything bad or against your sense of morals, you'd be at ease. No regret and have a peace of mind even if the whole world condemns you.

Another stage would be you'd not need either your or others' validation but the act itself will be enough, just knowing that deer is now alive and well regardless of how you feel. This one is more difficult because you start getting out from the limit of yourself and step into the selfless. There are other stages such as risking your life for others, doing things that would provide no emotional benefits, dying for others, and so on there could be even more realms of emotional maturity but I don't know about them", I spoke with an expression that said take what I said with a grain of salt and voiced my opinion about the matter.

His eyes seemed to somehow glow when he heard that, "There is still room for growth and even more new things..."

I added one last thing, "And of course, don't trust anything I said, until you fully experience and understand it yourself.", after seeing him nod I asked, "I will leave the forest tomorrow and go to a foreign place, there will be a big adventure waiting for you there and endless opportunities to grow and mature as a creature but to also grow stronger after all strength is still the most important without it you're just a passive dreamer."

"Okay take me with you!", he quickly uttered with an excited voice.

"However there is a condition, the place we will be going to will be very dangerous, if you accept going there you'd have no freedom to do what you want because that means death. You'd do every and anything I tell you to do, would you be able to do that?", At that point, I was directly in front of him and I used all of my Spirit to lock into him making him barely able to breathe.

It was tough, but all of our lives were on the line the last thing I wanted was some unpredictable emotional variable who looked for shiny new things.

"I understand, you had already saved my life so going forward everything I do would be tied to you.", He also stood up and his previous goofy look was no more all I could see was a monster who meant every word thet said, with a smile he continued, "Thank you for giving me not just a new chance to live but a shot at a new and not boring life."

Was he feeling grateful and felt indebted to me? I did not know but with how intelligent he was it was very likely.

We looked at each for a while, then we both smiled at the same time.

[You've unlocked a new System function.]

[Party is now Available]

What?!

When I heard the notification sound and I saw the ancient-looking golden words in front of me, I was shocked!

I did not expect that this would unlock my party function at all, because I had already tried the most obvious one, to invite people just like when I invited Cai Yi to work for me or when I invited Ashe but when it did not work I thought it was a matter of loyalty, but I doubt the gecko had complete loyalty towards me just because we talked, we did share a certain bond and similar ideals to a certain extent, though his were still just budding.

But...

'System what was the condition to unlock the party function?'

[For both the host and the other party to believe in each other and the cause.]

I could understand the first condition because I could tell how the gecko was seriously taking this and most of all he was very passionate about it all just like I was. but the second?

'What cause?'

Since when did I have a cause? I was not even aware of it.

[Whatever the host makes it out to be.]

If there was indeed a cause or a goal for me it was not solely about saving people, it was the last thing I mentioned to the gecko.

To grow as a person, to keep endlessly learning seeing your shortcomings, and going above them to see the limit and at the same time make other people's lives just a tad bit easier and pain-free.

It was a growth that was both inward and outward.

It was to live in this world with the least bit of damage possible but even more so to leave a positive impact on the people you happened to cross paths with.

I did not have any grand ambitions of changing the world, just like I did not have any grand ambitions of turning this whole forest vegetarian or something.

But, the people that would cross my path would be a part of my destiny, and in that minute of space and time in which my destiny and another are interconnected for just a short while I wanted it to be poetic, passionate, and beautiful.

Just like all of the people I crossed paths with so far Ashe, Kali, the tigers, Jia, Cai Yi, the women, the gecko, the dozen monster quests and finally the deer couple just a while ago.

It was to simply live my life and give others a chance to live theirs as well.

I smiled and opened the party option.

I only found one column, on the left side was an image of the leopard gecko just as imposing as he was. Pitch black, white spots, grey dark eyes with vertical black slits. Just beside it, was the name of its species and next to it were two blank boxes.

'System what are the advantages of the party function?'

[As of now, party members can share one skill, of course since the host is the one with the system he's the one responsible for assigning that. You can also sense the general direction of your party, and they can complete Quests on their own.]

BOOM!

I was mind blown! I always had high hopes for the party function since it was the most mysterious and elusive.

The others were pretty intuitive, if you see a map, shop, or inventory you'd get the gist of their functionalities.

Party, however, had endless possibilities even more so when the system said 'As of now' implying room for growth!

I could share one of my skills while I also had the ability to choose one of their own. I remembered the gecko's arrow-like skill, but I had something I needed to do to solidify this union before choosing the skill.

I had to give my first party member the biggest surprise and incentive to be even more convinced of his decision to join me.

"So what is your name?", I just remembered that I did not know his name.

"What's a name?" He seemed confused by such a strange new concept...

Oh yeah, He never made any contact with anyone so not having a name was a given.

"A name is something that is given to someone to show their uniqueness and to tell them apart from others. You are no longer a beast merely driven by instinct, you are a self-aware unique individual, no one in this whole wide world is like you. so you need a name.", I replied.

"Can you give me one? and what is your name?", he asked with anticipation written all over his face.

"My name is Zed! Hmm... a name I should choose something that fits you",... after thinking long and hard about it I suddenly got it, "From now on, your name is Shams"

"Shams huh... I like it, what does it mean?", he wondered with a smile.

I explained to him the origin of the name and the person behind it. Shams was an Arabic word for The Sun, I named him after Shams Of Tabrizi a wandering mystic who lived in the 13th century. He was the reason the famous Sufi poet Rumi transformed from a rigid scholar who only followed the scriptures and traditions to a poet of love, passion, and truth unbound by any human shackles such as religion, sect, or nationality. I gave him that name simply because he had that desire for growth and getting outside of his comfort zone to look for new challenges and constantly challenge himself.

"Shams I want you to be the first person to join an Order I'm creating called the Trial of the Acorn. Are you willing?"

"What's an order?" Shams asked puzzled.

"It's when two or more people gather together to help each in one common goal," I stated.

"What is the goal?"

"In simpler words, the goal is to simply live and let live. Hence the name. There is a very famous tree called the oak tree, this tree is way bigger than these trees it's beautiful ancient and wonderful! and this tree has thousands of seeds called Acorns which are very small and insignificant compared to it. Which is better The oak or the acorn?", I asked.

"The oak tree definitely.", he replied.