(20) Loneliness and relationship

Unlike the central house, which was stopped right in the middle of the construction, the third house was already in the process of creating sidings and exteriors. 

Looking around the ground floor, which had a dampened atmosphere, thanks to the wet walls, Mangrel found the bricks stacked on the edges at the corner of the place. 

The bricks were placed so that they did not touch the wet wall, the floor was well-drained too. Though the level of civilization in this world was low, they were aware of the dos and don't.

Walking before the bricks, Mangrel picked up the one at the top, from both of his hands. 

Without wasting a second, Mangrel headed to the second floor. 

It took more than a minute just to reach his destination. Mangrel's breathing grew heavier too, already showing signs of exhaustion. Placing the brick upon the stacked bricks, present on the second floor, he climbed down to the ground floor. 

'...It's still heavier for this body. From the look of it, I will have to let my body rest periodically. I should be done with this task in four to five hours.' Mangrel contemplated. 

He looked at his palm, which was covered in hardened skin, made from hard work. 

'No danger of my palm bleeding.' Mangrel continued completing his task. 

Not long after, many kids, the same age as Mangrel filled the third floor. They all completed the task assigned to them, some with poor conditions could also be seen working. 

A beginner cultivator supervised the place, walking around the third building with leisure. 

In the area, only the sound of kids working could be heard. 

Taking a break of a few minutes after every four bricks, Mangrel steadily completed his task. His figure would get covered in sweat and become tired every time after picking four bricks. The reason he could transport four at once was because of his willpower. 

'But it's never good to overwork the body unnecessarily. Though I can try transporting more of them at once, I can only let my body rest.' Mangrel got up from the corner of the second floor and went to the ground floor. 

Willpower was not everything if the body didn't support it. Pushing through the limit would only make Mangrel fall into a predicament of being immobile.

After four and a half hours, Mangrel completed his task at last. At this point, his body was aching everywhere. 

The incanted item stuck at the back of Mangrel's palm also changed. The red dot grew dim, while the green dot glowed brighter. 

Not bothered by the pain, Mangrel made his way toward the central house, where food was distributed. His steps were shaky, but he did not lose balance and fall. 

A few of the kids and cultivators were surprised at Mangrel's fast completion. The tasks usually take dozens of hours to complete, and most people finish their tasks in the afternoon when the sun is in the middle of the sky. 

There was still around one to two hours for it to reach the specified time. 

Ignoring the scrutinizing gazes, Mangrel walked slowly, to steady his breathing. 

Arriving at the central building, Mangrel immediately went to the white tent and showed the incanted item on his palm. By then, he had calmed down his breathing and his body stabilized too. 

The man sitting leisurely on the table stared at Mangrel with annoyance. 

The man took off the sticker from Mangrel's palm and then walked towards a couple of bags, kept in the corner of the tent. 

Opening the bag, the man took out two breads and passed them on to Mangrel. Then he took a wooden cup beside the bags and filled it with water from the huge bucket. 

"...That's fast for a brat your size." The man said with a strange expression, giving the cup to Mangrel. 

Not saying anything, Mangrel took a sip of the water to wet his mouth and then chewed the bread. 

Finishing the water and one bread, Mangrel gave it back to the man and exited the tent while holding the bread in his hand. He made his way to the deeper part of the alley. 

....

Mars, who got up early today, finished his breakfast, eating the women's other thigh. 

While doing so, Mars couldn't help but remember Mangrel. As he had said, unlike in the past when the body rotted and became inedible. He found the body to be in an optimal stage. 

'That brother sure is amazing. If I knew this before, I could have eaten more and more.' An inexplicable glint appeared in Mars's eyes. 

People who have experienced the feeling of going hungry were different from others. The atmosphere around them appears detached from reality and distant.

More so, for people like Mars, who could overcome their consciousness and eat a fellow human. They had surpassed a limit set on them, it could be said that they moved on to the next level. 

Not just him, but anyone who has faced the cruelty of the world and overcomes the hardship presented, are different from common folks. If explained in modern words, it was called maturing, though in a different way. 

Mangrel was the same, however, no one could notice his true nature, because he perfectly hid it. The situation didn't allow him to move unrestrained yet. 

Mars got up, readying to look for a good corpse. The sun was reaching the middle of the sky, so he had to look for lunch.

The image of Mangrel's professional movement appeared in Mars' mind. He could tell at a glance that it was the movement of someone, who has done the same process numerous times. 

The feeling of kinship and admiration rose noticeably. Mars had been filled with a sense of emptiness in the past, and Mangrel made him feel alive again. 

Loneliness, it was nothing but a hurdle that has to be overcome someday. 

Everyone feels lonely at one point in their life, that was the reason humans sought after the warmth of a group. Every being was innately evasive to hardship, so this decision was predictable. 

They stuck to each other with flimsy concepts or relationships, such as friendship, love, hatred, interest, and kinship. 

To achieve that, they put on a mask, hiding their heart from everyone. In the end, they live their whole life mostly in falsehood. 

Pitiable. 

If the prize to live in society was to give up on one's true self, it was better to just kill themselves, instead of their mind.

Step!

Mars looked behind him hurriedly, seeing the familiar figure, his body relaxed. 

Mangrel stared at Mars with his dark eyes, which were like space itself. His face returned to a passive look, appearing like a doll with no emotion. 

To Mangrel, Mars was like crystal clear water, which could be looked through with a single glance.

'Just overcoming loneliness was not enough, we must learn to enjoy it. Seeking after human relations is only for the weak and muddle-headed!' 

As the saying goes — relationship is the enemy of every being. It was a proverb to make the younger generation not fall into the trap called relationship. At least, such a proverb was advocated in demonic sects.

Back on Earth, everyone had no choice but to suppress themselves and live on. However, in this world, there was hope of overcoming such a limit.