Vile Evil Hides Under The Veil

Eren needed more information like this. He needed to know more about these things so that he could tread carefully in the future. The more he knew, the better it would be for his path as a ranker.

The butcher also realized that he was being made aware of these things by Baran because he had won over him as an orc. He wouldn't have divulged what the monster had been treating as an open secret to him otherwise.

"So what do you remember about the monster continent when you receive this clarity? And do all monsters get their clarity as they walk the path of their evolution? Or is there any special condition that needs to be met?"

Eren asked while looking at the bright moon outside. He could see the waning crescent moon but his mind was trying to picture something else. Something unknown that he hadn't seen yet. There was something in the butcher's mind that was waiting for the information from Baran to come through.

Baran looked behind him and saw the faces of Orcinas and Raadoo. He only got blank stares in response. These orcs also didn't know what they were supposed to do when such questions were asked by their new chieftain, who wasn't exactly one of them.

"My liege, everyone awakens a different part of these memories. But before you understand when the clarity hits monsters, you need to understand why it isn't present from the moment of the monsters' birth.

This continent is called the land of the faithless. It is isolated from the rest of the continents by something that even we don't know.

What you call monsters are in fact the denizens of different continents. And yet the denizens of the other continents are seen occupying the Badlands. Some of them are born on this continent. But some denizens come here from their mother continent. Do you realize what it means?"

Baran decided to trust his future with his new monster. He had decided to provide as much information as he knew to his new master.

A sudden realization dawned on the butcher as he understood what Baran was trying to say.

"If this continent is isolated, and there are instances of new monsters from different continents appearing, then it can only be that the other side is using some kind of back door to send their denizens to this place.

Am I correct?"

Baran nodded before verbally affirming Eren's conjecture.

"That's right. Even though most of us are born here on this continent, there are cases of original denizens of that continent appearing here. If my guess is correct, Kilaba is one of them.

When the original inhabitants of the continent enter this isolated continent, they are robbed of most of their memories and sanity. They turn to their primitive instincts and act as the monsters that you know of.

Gaining clarity grants us monsters these realizations.

The most easily available cure to getting these blood memories and gaining clarity is walking steadfastly on our evolutionary path. It is available to all monsters, of any race, of any kind.

With each evolution, we unlock more memories of the continent we originated from, whether we were born here or traveled here. With progress in evolution, we gain more clarity. Our way of the elements gets enhanced because of it. And with each evolution, we stray further from the image of the so-called monsters humans often see us as."

Eren raised his eyebrows when he heard Baran's explanation up to this point. There was something about the Oni dungeon that bugged him. So he couldn't help but ask.

"You know the stages humans use to categorize monster evolutions, right? When do you guys start getting clarity normally? What is the earliest evolutionary rank for it according to you?

And is evolution the only way to receive clarity?"

Baran didn't take long to answer.

"There's no one size fits all for this thing. Ultimately it all boils down to the aptitude of the so-called "monster". Some monsters can gain their clarity when they evolve into a Monster Lord. Some gain them when they become Monster Overlord.

The earliest time for most monsters would be when they become Monster Leaders. These Orcinas have all received their clarity. The monsters who receive their clarity when they are Monster Leaders are considered to be prodigies among us.

But evolution isn't the only way to get clarity back. There are other factors such as life and death struggles, emotional highs, or the external influence of artifacts or potions that may bring clarity to the denizens of the different continents.

Those born here have it easy, since even without their clarity, they can work as tribe members for the monsters who have already received theirs.

But I believe that the original denizens of the monster continent who use the back door and enter the land of the faithless get the biggest backlash for doing so. To the point that they turn savage and become berserk as soon as they take their first step here."

Baran said while sorting through his thoughts in his head. He knew that only a few humans with deep backgrounds would be privy to such information.

That's because he had captured a lot of human rankers and had interrogated them when he had received his clarity. None of them knew of something like this.

'Hmm. So the Oni dungeon has something that can give clarity to almost all the monsters it houses. Almost all of the monsters behaved uncharacteristically for monsters.

If this clarity is as difficult to get as Baran claims to be, then the population of the Oni dungeon doesn't follow the norm. Too bad I couldn't interrogate Sharog or those Orcs twins much because of the restrictions placed on them by "that" entity. Otherwise, I would have been privy to this knowledge much sooner.'

Eren thought to himself and turned back. A smile on his face. Onlookers couldn't figure out whether the kind of smile they saw was good or bad for them.

"Baran, you still didn't tell me about the memories you had gained of the monster continent.

How can all the monsters have inherited memories?

And why are the denizens of that continent sending their populace here where they would be robbed of their memories and a lot more?

I want to know everything."