👀 Kael's POV 👀
Happiness! Joy!
Words can't express how happy I am to see the inhabitants of Liam's nation jubilating. They were feasting on the cooked carcass of the Direbrinbares I brought back from the war front. I was not left behind; I ate to my fill and was retiring to the inn.
Most of the buildings were destroyed, so the only suitable place to sleep was the inn. Tyran was now asleep, while Mitsuri was nowhere to be found.
The only person left with me was Liam. He was munching hard on the bones of the higher-level animal. I think he loves the meal.
"I want to retire to the inn," I told him. If there's one thing I understand, it's the fact that I respect Liam a lot. His legacy is far beyond what I can achieve.
"So soon? There's still more to enjoy," he replied, squinting his eyes. Sometimes, I wonder how all these monstrous creatures are able to speak. Though, Liam wasn't a monster. He was indeed a human before being reincarnated.
"I've eaten my fill and besides, I have to set out by dawn, so I need to retire early," I added, picking my teeth with my fingers. Something inside me was screaming that wasn't right, but I seemed to enjoy it.
"Where are you heading to? You can stay here with me. We are going to lead the village together," he said, and I couldn't help but laugh. It was when my laughter died down that I realized he was serious.
"I would love to stay, Liam, but I have something to do. You see, you told me that we came to this world for a purpose. I think you've found your purpose, but mine is still in the cotton."
"I can help you with that. I can help you discover yourself," he added, and I exhaled loudly.
"You don't have to worry about me, Liam. You have 200 lives in your care. I can't be a burden to you."
"You aren't a bur—"
"Liam. Your nation comes first. I'm not a soothsayer, but I see a bright future ahead. Those Elves, Wolves, Dwarves, they all look up to you."
"So what's your next move?"
"I can't say, but I'm heading south. The Lord shall direct."
"The Lord. That's the saying of the holy church. Oh, I forgot you're from Earth. Which part are you from?" he rushed his question, and I was thinking about what he said. "The Lord." It just sparked in my brain. I don't know where I've heard it from, but how does he expect me to know which part I came from?
"Oh, my bad. I totally forgot." He chuckled, and I chuckled, grabbing the mug of wine.
"So what's the Elvarin Kingdom like?" he asked, and I arched a brow.
"I don't know what to compare it to, but it's like a big ancient city in a text."
"Like Babylon."
"Yeah, just like Babylon," I replied. The word sounded familiar to me, though I couldn't recall where I'd heard it from.
"The Elves that are under your care..."
"Most are runaways while some were banished from the Elvarin Kingdom. The Goblins are the real owners of this village. Their clan stood against the new leader of the Goblin Kingdom and were exiled. They were forced to this wide forest where they've been living hand to mouth before I met them, protecting them from the wild, unintelligent monsters in the forest. The Elves also came for food, and since then, we have been coexisting."
"Wow. So you're the Lord of monsters," I complemented, and he gnashed his teeth. Something then occurred to me. Apart from Tyran and Mitsuri, I've not heard him call the name of anyone in the village.
Even the Goblin leader, the one that attacked me earlier, his name was hidden from me.
"What's the name of that Goblin? The one that attacked me earlier?" I asked, and Liam squinted his eyes. I wondered why he did that often.
"You mean the Goblin leader. He doesn't have a name," he said, shocking the hell out of me.
"Why doesn't he have a name?" I asked, and he gave me a weird look.
"They're generally known as Goblins. A lion is always a lion, the name can't change. That's how it is in our world. Monsters don't have personal names," he explained, shoving another mouthful of meat.
It sounded reasonable, but come to think of it, the Elves have personal names. But they're not monsters; they have humanoid forms, just their ears make them different.
And I'm pretty much sure that their females are more well-endowed than those of humans. But Mitsuri, he has horns on his forehead.
"What about Mitsuri?" I suddenly asked.
"Mitsuri is an Uruk whose village was massacred by the Dark Demonic Elves. He has been bearing Mitsuri from the village," Liam replied, still chewing another piece of meat.
I'm sure he must have eaten a whole Direbrinbare. I wonder if he doesn't get tired.
And he said something about the Dark Demonic Elves. Is he talking about Lord Arctic?
I wanted to ask when we heard a commotion outside. Our gaze met each other, and then Mitsuri came into the room.
"What's happening, Mitsuri?" Liam asked, panicking. The fear for the villagers had gripped him.
"The Trollocs. They're here for the spoils of war," he trembled on his feet.
The name 'Trolloc' seemed to cause tension in the room as Liam's forelimbs started shaking.
Apart from the Direbrinbare, the Trollocs were also gruesome creatures.
"Don't panic. I shall handle them," I said, getting to my feet. I've faced a couple of Trollocs; handling them shouldn't be that hard.
I staggered out of the room while Liam and Mitsuri followed from behind. The cool breeze touched my skin, and I felt relaxed as I belched out loudly.
It was nightfall, and the moon shone brightly. The marching sound of the Trollocs could be heard as they proceeded while I staggered to the fence prepared by the villagers prior to the Direbrinbares attack.
I wasn't even in the mood to fight. I had eaten my fill and felt sleepy, but I still managed to get to the other side of the fence, standing face to face with the Trollocs who looked surprised.
They were surprised that everyone was still alive in the village, so there were no spoils of war.
"Hear me, monster," I began, shouting at the top of my voice. "We won the war against the Direbrinbares, those wild creatures. There are no casualties on our side. There are no spoils of war. So please turn back or face my wrath."
I almost slapped myself for using the word 'please.' That speech was way too polite.
They were grumbling and muttering among themselves while I stared at them. They should just retreat and maybe come back in the morning. I'm not in the mood to fight.
"You dare compare us with those lowly creatures? You shall pay," said the leader of the Trollocs, and he charged at me without wasting time. The thumping sounds of his feet filled the air.
I wanted to show them seniority. I wanted to boast of my skill. Alexa knew what to do.
[Notice. Activating The Mimic Trolloc Ability.]
I heard her voice, and I could feel my bones cracking as purple smoke enveloped me while he launched a punch at me. I caught his punch effortlessly, my big hand covering his fist. I had now taken the form of a Trolloc, shocking everyone present, even me.
"Alexa, how come I'm this big?" I asked while holding the leader of the Trollocs, who threw another fist, and I caught it and smashed him to the ground. I wasn't just big but much stronger.
[You Are Now In Rank One Of Radiant Adept.]
Wow. I've upgraded, and I wasn't aware of it. I jumped all the way from a celestial novice to a Radiant Adept.
[You Are A Special Being, Master Kael. It's Rare To Find A Being Like You. I Only Know Of A Few Whose Rank Boosts By Killing.]
"Wow, Alexa, is that a compliment?" I muttered as my opponent got to his feet. Though I didn't really understand what she meant, I knew she was praising me, and it made my head swell.
A blow landed on my face, causing me to stagger back. I had forgotten that I was in a war front.
Since I'm not in the mood to fight, let me just end this once and for all.
"Ultimate Predator Skill: Devourer." I chanted, pouring out purple smoke from my mouth, which enveloped the Trolloc and vanished back into my mouth like it was never there.
I turned to the other Trolloc members. They were just looking at me. They were astonished. The fact that I announced we won a war against a Direbrinbare was still a shocker to them, and now I exterminated their leader without stressing myself.
"As you can see, your leader is dead. So surrender your weapons and retreat," I said to them. Only a few of them were holding weapons; they didn't really come for war. They came for the spoils.
But Trollocs are gruesome creatures; I don't really fancy them.
They were still staring at me, not retreating. No signs of killer intent. I wondered what they wanted now.
I looked back to see Liam, Mitsuri, and the others. They were ready to charge.
"If you don't retreat now, we will be forced to charge at you," I managed to say, my voice cracking.
Then the one standing in front of them suddenly dropped his weapon and went to his knees, and the rest did the same, shocking the hell out of me.
What the hell are they doing? They should just go.
"You spared our lives even though we wished you dead. No one has ever shown us monsters such affection. We owe you, Master. We owe you our lives."
I couldn't believe my ears, but my eyes widened when they all bowed before me. It seemed my Trolloc form was deceiving them. I returned to my normal state and walked up to them.
"What is it you want?" I asked, my eyes already feeling dizzy.
"We have been roaming from one destination to another looking for green pastures. We want a home, Master. We want to serve you, Master. We owe you our lives."
Everything was happening so suddenly. I turned back to see the villagers also on their knees. It was then I realized I was releasing too much essence. My aura was oppressing the area.
The Trollocs must have noticed this and submitted to me, but I'm not the owner of this village and can't permit them. I turned and took a look at Liam, who nodded, and I smiled.
Such a fool. He's ready to welcome every creature into his kingdom.
"You're free to join our kingdom," I said to them, and they all growled happily.
"Thank you, Master. We are going to serve you with all our lives," said the leader, and I nodded, beckoning them to rise.
"Come join the feast... Tomorrow, everything will be set," I said, retiring to the inn. I patted Liam's shoulder and whispered into his ear.
"Lord of Monsters." He gnashed his teeth and escorted me back to the inn. I'm sure he isn't satisfied yet; he's going to eat to his fill.
I could feel a lot of eyes burning into me. Many questions different individuals wanted to ask, but I was already in a state of exhaustion.
I don't even know what I'm doing currently, but all I know is that I have to leave this village tomorrow or I'll end up raping Tyran.
The spirit lady is so well-endowed...