"Let's see, where can I find some food?"
I went out, finally searching for something to eat since a girl's starving out here! I had no idea where my mom ran off to, but during our last talk, she said she'd be back.
"Maybe berries or something? Do they even have those in swamps?"
I left Anurael back home in the nest since he was still a baby, and would definitely get in the way if I came across something like, I dunno, a freaking alligator! While yes, I was still a few days old, I had some pretty overpowered skills that could help me along the way.
There was nothing for me to worry about, or so I thought. "Crap!" I could hear a snake hissing at me, which made me hiss back in retaliation.
It was a freaking rattlesnake, no doubt about it. Those things are poisonous, I could die—oh wait a second, I'm practically immune to poison, aren't I?
[[Name: Unnamed
Titles: Otherworlder, King of the Swamp
Race: Beast—Black Cat
LVL: 5/10
Strength: F+ Rank
Stamina: F+ Rank
Agility: F+ Rank
Intrinsic Skills: Purr-suasion (LV: 2), Night Vision (LV: 2), Silent Steps (LV: 2), Keen Senses (LV: 2)
Special Skills: Ninefold Rebirth (LV: 1), Lucky Dodge (LV: 1), Bad Omen (LV: 1)
Epic Skills: Phantom Claw (LV: 2)
Resistances: Disease (LV: 2), Decay (LV: 2), Curse (LV: 1), Luck (LV: 1), Poison (LV: 5)]]
[Holy hell, five levels of poison resistance! I forgot about that Venomous Blessing skill. Heck yeah, this'll be a walk in the park!]]
I took a feline fighting stance and extended my claws.
"Get ready for a world of pain! I'm not playing around, buddy!"
As soon as I was about to pounce on the rattlesnake, it did something that caught me off guard.
"Eh?"
The rattlesnake was hissing, but not at me. Its head wasn't even pointed in my direction anymore as it slithered forward, rushing past me.
"What the? Are you scared to fight or something?"
Then, out of nowhere, I could feel a cold shiver shoot down my spine. You know that creeping feeling of being watched? Yeah, it was that.
As I turned my head just a little, my eyes narrowed as the air behind me seemed to bend out of proportion like something invisible was there.
But the longer I stared, the clearer it became, thanks to my Keen Senses skill being level 2.
I could see the outline of claws and a reptilian body.
[An invisible lizard? Seriously?]
Before I could react, the rattlesnake lunged at the thing as if it was trying to protect me.
I watched its venomous fangs sink into the air, or rather, into the thing standing right behind me.
The invisible creature let out a snarl as its camouflage disappeared, revealing its large scaly mass.
[[Notice. King of the Swamp title is passive. Any and all swamps recognize you as their sovereign—all creatures and elements within swamps shall instinctively acknowledge your presence as superior, making them protect you at all costs.]]
[Oh right, my title, I almost forgot about that! Well, if this whole swamp belongs to me, then I might as well make use of what I got!"]
I was about to do something stupid—but it was worth a try. Taking a stance, similar to an alpha wolf, I arched my head to the sky and released a high-pitched meow, but to my surprise, my voice resonated across the entire swamp biome, loud enough to reach every animal, insect, and creature nearby.
"Whoa, my voice just now... I never knew I could do that!"
With my King of the Swamp title, I was practically unbeatable in this environment.
Out of nowhere, I heard rustling, splashing, croaking, and high screeching. The whole swamp was... moving toward my location?! From every direction, creatures started to emerge from various sizes.
Frogs the size of barrels leapt out to my aid, croaking in unison like a battle chant, a dozen snakes slithered through the mud, and even the insects; swarms of dragonflies and fireflies, began circling overhead like an entire freaking army.
The rattlesnake hissed beside me, lifting its head proudly, as if waiting for my command.
"Holy hell..." I said in disbelief. "This is so cool! Is this what titles are capable of?"
The invisible lizard, now fully revealed, ran away in panic, realizing the shift in power.
While it tried to escape, the ground around it erupted in like an explosion, and out came turtles, salamanders, and serpents surrounding it together.
"Go get 'em!" I shouted, and that was all it took.
Every creature lunged at once; the frogs spat balls of poison. Snakes moved forward to curl around its limbs, crocodiles burst from the water with their jaws snapping on its hips, and the insects swarmed its eyes, blinding it completely.
The lizard was screeching in pain, whipping its tail around, but it was of no use. The swamp itself was fighting back.
[This is insane! Who would've thought I had this kind of power? It makes me wonder if that Boss Frog could've used this on me if he got the chance...]
A bunch of mud started splattering across my fur, and I hopped onto a flat rock to watch as my new 'army' overwhelmed the intruder.
It didn't take long before the lizard was dead, now sinking into the swamp waters with a defeated groan. And soon after, silence followed before all the creatures turned their eyes to me.
Every frog, snake, bug, and insect just stared at me, though I blinked in confusion, staring right back at them.
"Um... hi?"
They didn't say anything but just bowed their heads in respect. Even the rattlesnake lowered its head before slithering toward me, curling protectively around the stone where I stood.
"Master!" All of a sudden, a large turtle approached me before bowing its head. "We are sorry for being a few seconds late. You may punish us accordingly."
I widened my eyes, realizing we could talk to each other. Wait, isn't this a big deal?! WE CAN FREAKING COMMUNICATE?!
"Uhhh..." I didn't know what to say but just stared at them and gave a shy chuckle. "Ahaha, n-no, it's fine! It's not a big deal, seriously!"
The turtle lowered its head even deeper.
"No, master, we are deserving of death!"
The other creatures seemed to agree with the turtle as they averted their eyes, visibly ashamed.
These guys were for real, what the heck?!
"No one's deserving of death just because you were a few seconds late, bro."
From my comment alone, they gazed at me in unison, evidently surprised. But it's not like I said anything crazy. What was the big deal with these guys?
"But... It's the law of the swamp." Said the turtle.
"Eh? Law of the swamp?" I asked, confused.
"Yes." He nodded. "Our previous King, Lord Croak'mar, created laws for the swamp that must be obeyed at all costs. If they're disobeyed, the punishment is death."
[Lord Croak'mar? Wait a second, are they talking about that Boss Frog I defeated? No way I can let this slide.]
"It is the law to always aid the king as soon as possible. If we're late, even by a few seconds after their calling, we must be put to death. Traitors, thieves, and those who do not do what the king asks will also be executed."
[What the hell? That frog was a total jackass! What sort of crappy laws are these?]
I shook my head and took a step forward on the rock, frowning as much as a cat could frown.
"Alright, listen up!" I said before flicking my tail side to side as I tried my best to look royal. "Those laws? Yeah, we're not doing that anymore."
The entire swamp went quiet. You could even hear a mosquito land on a lily pad from how silent it got. Every creature's eyes, perhaps hundreds of them, focused on me like I had just declared war on common sense.
"W-what do you mean... not doing that anymore, Master?" Asked the turtle.
"I mean exactly what I said!" I puffed up my chest. "No more death punishments. Nobody's dying over being late or making mistakes, okay? We're changing how things work around here."
They looked at each other, confused. The snakes hissed quietly, and a few frogs croaked nervously, as if waiting for me to shout 'just kidding', or something, but I sighed and continued.
"Look, Lord Croak'mar might've been the old king, but I'm not him. Things are gonna be different under my rule. From now on, no one dies for something so dumb! Got it?"
A smaller frog hopped forward timidly, bowing its head.
"B-but, your Majesty... if there are no punishments, how will order be kept?"
I tilted my head, thinking for a second.
"Uhh, I dunno, maybe we try this crazy idea called, uh, not being jerks?"
A few insects buzzed at each other uncertainly, but I could tell they were listening.
"Let me put it this way..." I said, stepping off the rock and onto the muddy ground. "We should learn to help each other because we want to, not because we're afraid of dying if we don't!"
The large turtle slowly raised its head, staring at me in disbelief.
"Are you certain, your majesty?"
"Yeah." I nodded with a smile. "And as your new King, uh, Queen, whatever, I'll protect this swamp and everyone in it. Just no more dumb rules, please!"
"Y-Your Majesty..." The turtle said with a trembling voice. "You are... merciful. The swamp has not known mercy in ages!"
[[Notice. All swamp creatures have taken a liking to you and no longer serve out of fear. The King of the Swamp title has leveled up. (LV: 2)]]
[Huhh?! Since when were there levels to titles?!]
[[Answer. All titles are maxed at level 3. Each time a title increases in level, you will receive a Special Skill.]]
[I-I see, well that makes things a lot more complicated...]
[[Notice. Special Skill Unlocked. Benevolent Sovereign — All swamp creatures fighting in your name receive a significant increase to all stats and regenerate from fatal wounds.]]
[Oh, heck yeah!] I grinned, feeling this new power swirl within me. [I can't believe this is happening right now, it feels so unreal!]