Ball of Nothing

Indeed, Truen was right about Zero. The doctor wasn't happy at all. He looked like he wanted to fire the commander bee and take over his job forcefully. If Zero was given more time to learn how to command bees, Truen had no doubt that Zero would do just that.

The adventurers were winning the battle against the bees and Zero took this distraction to get closer to the camp. The adventures might be faring well against the monsters but Zero was angry they didn't consider the wellbeing of the slave they brought with them. The poor mole beast folk girl was attacked through the bars of her cage and traumatised. There were already blisters appearing on her arm where the killer bees stung her. It was a good thing the stingers of those bees didn't have lethal venom.

Zero didn't know how dark his mind could become until now. He was slightly surprised by how he wanted to harvest the venom and force-feed these irresponsible and heartless adventurers who were massacring bees like no tomorrow. He also wanted to put them in the tiny cage that they kept the mole beast girl just to watch them cower in fear while the bees attacked them.

A certain archer still had his arrows nocked and his bowstring pulled taut as he aimed at the adventurers. Zero wasn't happy about the treatment of their slave and these adventurers screamed human scums to him. He wanted to release his hold on the mana arrows and let them pierce skulls but Zero hadn't given him any indication.

Instead, they waited. Zero couldn't rush out to save the poor girl but he did bring out his YY Tonfas to smash the ones that came close. The adventurers were still busy dealing with the swarm and Zero had figured out which bee was the commander.

"Truen?" Zero asked in the party call. "I think I've found the commander. What do I do now?"

Truen replied without missing a beat. "What do you want to do?" he asked.

For the first time in a while, Zero hesitated. He wanted to command those bees and goad the adventurers to death or at least near death because he was still a doctor. However, he knew that it would be unfair for him to do so. It was considered an abuse of power and Zero knew better than to stoop to their level. Hence, his priority now wasn't to take revenge but to save a life. These people will receive karma one day and Zero wasn't going to waste his mana on them to cast judgement again. He knew that Enma wouldn't let him down. Nobody would be fairer when it came to judging sins and Zero had all the time in the world to wait patiently for it to happen.

"I want to save this girl," he told Truen who smiled with resignation. Zero hadn't really changed and was still that kind naive brat.

"Although I also do wish them dead, but I know Enma will take good care of them in a few more years. As a doctor, my main aim is to save lives and not judge them. So I will let them suffer in the hands of En later and then let them pay their karma back in the abyss. I'm sure the Demon Lords will do a good job making their lives miserable."

That add-on by Zero almost made Truen let go of the notched arrow. He had to cancel the spell before he accidentally committed murder in front of Zero. He thought that only Zero's physical body had matured. He knew that his friend had grown tougher mentally and emotionally. His thinking was also more mature as seen by his actions of how he treated royalty. However, Truen didn't think that there would be such a dark side to such a sunny boy. On one hand, Truen felt like a proud parent but he was also slightly worried that Zero might be too tainted by the world already. They had only begun on their adventures and already Zero was learning how to be mean.

"I understand how you feel," Truen replied through the party call. "Let's save the girl then. Leave these fools to fate. We cannot linger for too long because I have a match coming up at the Dirt Ring but I think you can handle taking her back to our room alone."

Zero agreed. They quickly got into the position agreed on and Zero watched as Truen fired volley after volley of arrows. The adventurers were clearly startled by the sudden attack but after identifying that it was assistance and not a threat, they relaxed their guard.

Zero studied the adventurers with his appraisal skill and noticed that all of them were C rank and above. There was a rogue, a mage, an archer and a warrior. The party was well balanced and the leader looked experienced. He was the rogue and Zero felt an instinctive dislike for the slimeball who leered at the mage.

"Come on, I'm hurt!" The rogue exaggerated and asked for a heal spell while trying to cop a feel. Zero watched the disgusting man and shuddered. Thankfully, Truen made him transform into a weak-looking male elf instead of retaining his female elven healer form. Dorgon was a pervert but in the lawless zone, slimeballs were worse.

Truen timed his appearance and Zero followed closely behind, putting on the act of a weak younger brother like they agreed on. They had their hoods up so the adventurers couldn't see them.

"Oh, you must be the person who helped us earlier," the warrior smiled and thanked them.

Truen didn't speak much but Zero rejoiced at the blunt words. "I wasn't saving you. These bees fetch a good price. Finders keepers in this lawless zone. You're in the way."

Immediately the atmosphere shifted. Zero was on guard when they drew weapons and pointed them at Truen who had hidden his bow. Against such low lives, a weapon wasn't needed.

"What did you say?" the warrior growled and flipped the hood off. When the adventurers saw that their rude saviour was an elf, their discontent became worse. Humans and elves didn't have a good relationship to start with and getting dissed after getting saved by one made their fragile pride feel for the need to compensate.

Truen didn't speak more than needed. He looked over to the slave and the fallen bee corpses. Then, he looked at the warrior who had a sword to his throat in the eye.

"Move, you're in the way. Unless you have business to negotiate, I'm not interested. Also, that girl isn't a marked slave. Kidnapping is a crime."

The air froze and Zero's grip around his walking staff tightened. He knew Truen could easily knock out these adventurers but he had never seen such a bloodthirsty negotiation. It made him nervous.