[NR] Yes, The Answer Is Yes - Chapter 547 (Patreon)

Jason shrugs, “Though that last one can already be done, just regulated by the System. I’m a good example of that, even if I went in the opposite direction. Like, there are probably people out there who have done the exact opposite of what I did.

“And in here? I’m sure someone native will have tried it. Though just as equally, I’m sure people using these methods will be looked down on. While some of these methods are just as valid as the more traditional, they tend to be seen as evil. It certainly doesn’t help that many of the methods come down to theft.”

Courtney, “So some don’t see them as evil? From what I’ve read, there are some very nasty methods of gaining power.”

Jason, “Is being a landlord evil?”

Courtney snorts, “Duh, we found that out the hard way.”

Jason nods, “True, and yet how long did landlords exist? Hell, I’m sure they still exist. You can think of some of those cultivation methods in the same way. Gussy them up and people even thank you. In fact, you could almost look at NeoRealm’s method of gaining power as demonic. After all, you gain power by killing things. How evil is that? The only reason it is so accepted is because we focus on non-sapient monsters that the System repeatedly shows are things it can just spawn in.”

Rosha, “But people wouldn’t exactly give up power.”

Jason nods, “And that’s the trick. You wouldn’t have to give up power, just the easy shortcut to it. After all, fighting isn’t the only way to gain power. There is the entire industry side of things which even has alternate bottleneck conditions. Plus, even within fighting, you don’t only gain experience from killing things.

“Something as simple as practice will give you a little. The problem comes not from a lack of paths to power. It comes from people wanting to gain power the easy way, that of killing some non-sapient critters.

“Other methods simply take too long, especially with how NeoRealm’s System forced method of gaining power doesn’t really do much for lifespan. Sure, they gain some time, especially on the high end. However, the easy to reach levels don’t do much at all, so you have some ancient beings of immense power, while everyone else is super young comparatively.

“If time wasn’t a limit, anyone could become immortal by simply saturating their body with power until they become some sort of energy-based being. It would take forever, but what does that matter if they already have forever? If anything, less people would likely cultivate if it wasn’t culturally important and they already weren’t going to die from old age.”

Rosha, “Huh, it almost seems like all methods of gaining power are evil.”

Courtney shakes her head, “What is important isn’t the method, but the way you put it into practice. No one cares if you go and kill a bunch of non-sapient goblin monsters to level up. If anything, it is a good thing for the environment to remove them. If instead you tried the same thing except with sapient goblins, then it becomes a problem. It is very much intent based.”

Jason, “I would debate that. While we can judge some things on intent, there are also some things that even the noblest of intentions will be corrupted if done. The ends do not justify the means. Both sides of that equation have to be justified separately. After all, you can commit evil for good reasons and do good for bad ones.”

Courtney, “And next are you going to go on about how power comes with responsibility? These things are a bit self evident, but I do still think intent matters. Because just as easily as an evil man can commit evil, a good one can be tricked into doing evil. Just look at the classic trolley problem.”

Jason shrugs, “I don’t know of anyone who has found some universal way of defining what is good or evil. If at some point we can find such a thing, we’ll settle the argument then. For now, we need to go over the fights. What can we do better?”

Courtney sighs, “I hope it is obvious to the both of you that we need better situational awareness. We should have realized something was up with that first wave.”

Rosha, “I feel some of the blame is on me there. My job was literally to keep an eye on things and yet here we are.”

Courtney, “Rosha, don’t make it sound like you’re some kind of failed hero. You figured out what was happening and relayed it to the rest of us. Could we have finished it faster if you had noticed faster? Sure, but we can’t dwell on what ifs. This happened and here we are because of it. Next time, we just need to be better prepared.”

Jason shrugs, “Any fight you can walk away from is a good one. Besides, the fact that only one thing went wrong is a near blessing. From everything I’ve read and Courtney has passed on to me, the Deep Wilds do not have something behind the curtains.

“With the System, you aren’t bubble wrapped, but with things like this an actual force with intent guides things along. Here? There are simply beasts and monsters being pulled in from an infinitely large forest to throw at us. What if instead of a weak mind control effect, another worse ability had popped up? We simply have no way to judge things as of yet.

“This could have been a simple fluke and we never see anything unusual like that again. It could also end up being the norm, with each subsequent wave we face having something like it. There is just no way of telling like there is with the System.”

Rosha, “Though speaking of subsequent waves, I need a better place to snipe from during them. Being wedged between two logs at the peak of the house is secure. However, it certainly limits my arc of fire and a few other important things.”