Alex therefore followed the direction the smog was thicker and it kept getting thicker and thicker until he could barely see his surroundings. He feels a bit grateful that he doesn't seem to get sick from the smog no matter how thick it got, probably a result of his physique.

After reaching a point where the smog could be almost be felt, Alex found himself in front of an ominous cave.

'No matter what there is beyond the entrance....I have to fight it, for the villagers, for the mother and her baby. I became the most revered and powerful being in this world upon coming here so the least I can do is help those who were not blessed with the same fortune' Alex isn't a justice freak, sure, he helps those in need, but he wouldn't call himself a hero. That sort of title not only is cringy and one-dimensional, but the expectations placed on a 'hero' are extremely high and he wouldn't be able to bear it.

Back when he was in middle school, a big fire occurred at his school and he was lucky to be far from the fire and was able to escape. While evacuating, he reached a classroom where the fires blazed and there were students screaming in there. Alex was only able to help one student as he evaluated he would either asphyxiate himself or get third-degree burns if he tried to help the others, a hero, on the other hand, would jump in regardless or risk, and save the students, Alex didn't have that kind of plot armour. Although he went to search for the nearest fire extinguisher, and when he found it and came back, firefighters, the real 'heros' of the day, fortunately put out the fires and saved all of the students who only had minor burns and wounds. Alex was even scolded by the firefighters for not evacuating to safety. Alex didn't care about his 'feats' being spread, he wasn't a hero after all. Nonetheless, later that day, the student he saved and their parents personally thanked him and he had to admit it felt good.

'Old times' Alex felt way too old and time had passed too fast. What seemed like just days ago he was still a high school student, studying for his big exams and caring for his younger brother. Now, he is already 23 years old, in the prime of his youth, in another world as a 'god'.

Putting aside his thoughts, Alex stepped in the cave with conviction and determination, determination that he would save them.

The cave was dark, with only a single light source. Alex felt goosebumps and chills on his back, looking to the source of light, it was a giant lizard, the size of a fridge, with glowing orbs on his head, sticking out on 2 antennae, similar to the terrifying deep-sea fish from his past world.

It looked like the lizard was the source of the problem. Strangely though, instead of attacking, the lizard mouthed something and he heard a deep voice, that no human could ever make.

"Here to fight me? I advise you not. You are going to die a painful death if you don't get as far as possible from me"

Alex was shocked senseless at the speaking monster, and even more so, at his words. A monster that could speak and form correct sentences, that meant that this monster was intelligent and conscious?

"I think this smog you're emitting is killing the villagers. If you could just stop emitting it or I think I'll have to deal with it another way" Seeing a conscious monster made him hesitant, but Alex steeled his resolve and awaited for the monster's response.

Seeing him unaffected by the smog, the lizard mouthed "You're not affected by my curse, I finally found someone who can survive it. I can't stop this curse. I've been born a few days ago and the smog keeps getting stronger and stronger and I know this kills almost every living thing in an area."

The lizard was right. In a few kilometers perimeter around the cave, every single fauna and flora has withered and met its demise. It was a very scary thing. Alex met its eyes and weirdly, felt like the creature was in immense pain. The 2 looked at each other, Alex thinking about what he has to do and the lizard thinking about its existence.

The lizard broke the silence first, and told him "When I was born, I wanted to love, to eat, to obey my instincts and lead an ordinary existence. But I was given a curse, that of killing everything in my surroundings, a curse that would progressively get stronger until every happy thing will end at my hands. I know, I have led but a miserable existence and I'd rather die at this point than live to see everything I could care about disappear"

It seemed to be more of a self-deprecating monologue than the lizard speaking to him, but Alex felt tears in his eyes at the words of the lizard.

When monsters are just being monsters, following their instincts and causing harm 'voluntarily', eliminating them is morally just and feels easy to do, but this monster in front of him, it has a consciousness, intelligence and knows its actions are bad, but cannot change them despite that. It's very confusing, even if the monster causes death and despair, it didn't choose to be this way.

Alex felt his resolve break down and immense pity and distress that someone could be born, a danger to everyone and one that needed to be eliminated simply because of its birth circumstances, not its will.

In that sense, what makes a monster, a monster?

Alex felt like he had to think about it later, but his onslaught of thoughts was interrupted by a notice on his retina.

________________________________________________

(Requirements met for a new function, Creature Appraisal)

(Creature Appraisal awakening in process)

(Creature Appraisal awakened)

(Undergoing Creature Appraisal...)

Name: Unnamed

Species: Nightmare Lizard

State of Existence: Mortal God

Notes: A king of poisonous reptiles born once every few hundred years. If it isn't eliminated when it's still young, its poison can spread very far and kill everything in the area of its smog. Nightmare Lizards are usually unintelligent and unconscious, but this one was born with high intelligence.

__________________________________________________

Alex was surprised at the new function, appraising living beings and giving him comprehensive data on them but trying out the new function would have to wait.

The information provided just proved that he'd have to eliminate it.

'The poor creature...For it, being granted intelligence was more of a curse than a blessing' thought Alex to himself.

If the creature could just go to sleep, that would make his job much easier.

Miraculously, the lizard started looking drowsy and then collapsed its heavy body in response to his demand. Alex was surprised at this.

Though a quick glance at the (Attributes) tab of his system would answer him. Under the specialties related to the Essence of Hermes, two new ones were added

-Attunement to sleep inducing and dream mastery.

-Attunement to soul guiding.

Alex then remembered that in his past life, Hermes would often be portrayed as being able to put any creature to sleep and enter their dreams, sending message through their dreams and also guiding dead souls to the Underworld.

Whatever it was, this was helpful to Alex as he wouldn't feel as guilty.

But.....He couldn't move. He simply couldn't bring himself to attack it and end its misery. He was not brave enough and got scared of the complex thoughts he'd get at killing an intelligent creature.

'I'm a coward, aren't I?' Alex smiled sadly.

He then remembered something and took out a letter from his pouch, it was the letter given to him by Dionysus, the god of wine and, most relevantly, the medium between the dead and the living.

Yes, Alex planned to invoke the Styx river like Dionysus had done beforehand and ask the boatman to end the creature's life and take it to the Underworld.

Before doing that though, he decided to give the lizard a name, he was going to name it "Lucky" so if there was such a thing as reincarnation in this world, he would be granted the luck to be reincarnated as the being he desires to be.

_____________________________________________

(Name the Nightmare Lizard 'Lucky'?)

(Understood)

(Awaiting the Nightmare Lizard's consent)

(Successfully named the Nightmare Lizard "Lucky")

____________________________________________

Now that that is out of the way, he opens the letter and in hopes of a response, screams "Styx river!"

Accordingly, a blood-red river would appear and the mysterious boatman with it too, paddling his way towards me. When he reached me, he turned around and looked at me, seemingly awaiting a request.

"Can you put an end to that poor creature's life? And, if the words of a god like me even matter to the masters of the Underworld, could they judge it fairly? It has never done any bad of its ow-" As he was speaking, the boatman interrupted him by putting out his ghastly fingers, turned around and took out his paddle from the water, the latter which turned out to actually be a sharp scythe.

The scythe then lightly touched the lizard, and his throbbing body turned still, seemingly dead. The boatman then put the lizard on his boat and started paddling away, although a shrill voice, that seemed to be his, rang out.

"Charooon, caaaall me Charon" The boatman called 'Charon' had a ghastly voice, and after speaking these short words, the boat disappeared and along with it, the blood-red river.

The smog produced by Lucky, which was previously suffocating this place, started dissipating and thinning out, and Alex was left in a silent cave.

It was a success.

He had used the invaluable letter from Dionysus in the process, but that was a small price for saving the village and potentially a whole lot more people, who would have either died from the smog directly or from famine caused by the ravaged farmland and vegetation.

Alex would have a lot to think about in the future, but he'd remember today's events and through them, understand his own morality and actions.

He thus made his way back to the now clear-to-see village.