What the hell? Where am I?
Kethis blinked rapidly, his vision blurry, only the distinct crimson sky visible as he lay sprawled helplessly on his back. Everything else was a haze of confusion and redness.
Suddenly, something painfully tugged at his ears.
"Ow! Ow! Who the heck—Let go!"
As his vision cleared, a giant face loomed over him—deep, menacing red eyes, a pair of imposing horns, and ash-grey skin.
"Kethis," the deep voice boomed dramatically, "that shall be your name."
A massive finger stretched toward him, its grey tip glistening ominously with a shining drop of blood. Before Kethis could react, the blood splashed onto his tongue.
Gulp.
Heat surged through his belly, along with words, concepts, and oddly specific instructions.
Yur Ashkavaal—So that's my Master? His mind filled with a terrifying image of the man's overwhelming power.
"Kethis, protect this tree from all demons—or else."
The grip vanished abruptly, but the relief was short-lived, as Kethis realized he was now hurtling through the air.
"What the—Master, wait, I'm still processing things!" He desperately flapped his stubby wings, but instead of soaring majestically, he discovered his tragic flaw—he was simply too chubby. "Ahhh! Too fat to fly! Too fat to fly!"
BAM!
His face smacked into the ground, nearly cracking his nose. Tears welled in his eyes as he sat up, rubbing his aching face. "Son of a…" he whimpered softly.
A shadow fell over him, followed by Yur's ominous voice. "If anything happens to that tree, your experience will be worse, got it?!"
Kethis shivered, instantly dropping to his knees. "Y-yes, yes!"
Rising shakily, Kethis noticed he was surrounded by creatures much larger than him, each one seemingly ignoring his existence.
Rude.
Feeling a sudden pang of loneliness, he looked up at the enormous tree he'd been tasked to protect. Its white trunk stretched into the heavens, black leaves whispering mockingly at his tiny stature.
"Oh great," Kethis groaned sarcastically. "What could possibly go wrong?"
[Loading...]
[Hello Kethis!]
"Who's there?!" He spun around, flapping his useless wings once more. But he was alone, completely and utterly alone.
[Kethis, my name is Zul. I'm your system!]
"System? What's that?" He tilted his head, thoroughly confused.
[Your master, Yur Ashkavaal, assigned me to assist you in getting stronger, protecting important trees, and generally keeping you alive.]
Kethis gulped. "Alive sounds good. I like being alive. How exactly am I supposed to protect a tree that's like a million times my size? And what am I protecting it from?"
[In the Ashkavaal Territory, something called Mother Trees produce demons constantly. Your job is to prevent them from damaging this tree!]
He squinted into the distance and nearly fainted. Flying creatures. An army of them. And here he was, a chubby imp incapable of flight.
"Wait, Zul! Those things have wings! I barely have functioning arms!"
[A difficult task, but it's try or die!]
"So… basically die. Great pep talk, Zul."
[Master Yur promises a fate worse than death if you fail, so, you know, good luck!]
Kethis wiped a dramatic tear from his cheek, giving a tragic, trembling smile. "Alright, death it is then."
[Don't be dramatic!]
As he panicked internally, a window appeared before him:
|—————————————|
True Name: ⨵⨈⨦⨎⨐⨤
Demon Name: Kethis
Age: 0
Demon Cultivation: Morruk
Rank Up: 0/5
Bloodline: Chittering Host
Abilities
Scuttling Horde
Hive Mind Screech
|—————————————|
Kethis stared, blinking twice. "That's… me? Huh, kinda cute, actually." He pinched his belly, proud of his adorable chubbiness.
[ALERT! ALERT!]
The sudden alarm startled him, causing him to tumble onto his well-cushioned behind. "Gah! Wh-what is it now, Zul?!"
[An Army of Imps approaches! Protect the Asheseed Relic!]
"Already?!" He scrambled upright, panting as he waddled frantically toward the enormous tree. "I'm coming, tree! Stay alive!"
Closer now, he saw the incoming threat clearly: dozens of hideous imps crawling and hopping toward his precious charge. Yet strangely, they seemed almost pitiful.
He squinted, noting an unfortunate resemblance.
[These imps are your lesser brethren. You're basically a better version.]
"Wait...I'm related to those ugly things?!" Another tear slid down his cheek dramatically as he stretched his arms wide. "My brothers! Your handsome sibling has arrived!"
With questionable bravery, he charged into the fray, shoving fat imps aside. "Haha, you guys are way too slow—"
He glanced backward, only to collide face-first into something soft, squishy, and entirely inappropriate. His sharp nose sank into a disturbingly warm, dark "cave."
"What the—ugh, soft! Why's it so soft!?" He pushed himself free with chubby hands, shuddering. "Why did it feel kinda good?"
Looking up, he saw an imp staring down at him with a shy, awkward grin… was it blushing?
"Wait—no, no, you're my brother!" He frantically pushed the imp, who toppled onto its veiny face with a pathetic squeak. Wiping his nose, he muttered, "What the heck was that?!"
Ignoring the bashful imp, Kethis pressed on, dodging imps carefully to avoid any more unforgettable encounters.
"Hey, brothers, listen to your handsome sibling and stop right there!" he yelled authoritatively.
"Shut up, ugly imp!" one retorted fiercely. "You're clearly the ugliest here. Stop pretending you're handsome! Bitch."
"Whoa, hold up!" Kethis rolled up his imaginary sleeves, stomping over. "Say that again—I dare you!"
"Bitch! Bitch! Biiitch!" the imp mocked, giggling obnoxiously.
"Alright, that's it!" Kethis shoved the imp onto its jiggly back, enjoying its panicked flailing. "Let's see you get up now!"
"Unfair! This is physical violence! You can't do this!"
Grinning mischievously, Kethis gave it one last playful kick before rushing towards the tree again. "Damn imps. So freaking weird!"
He finally reached the front, staring at the imps slowly crawling forward at a pace so mind-numbingly slow he wanted to cry.
"Alright, guys. Why are you even coming here?" He asked the closest one, baffled.
"I don't know. Just smells nice." The imp groaned, its stomach jiggling as it dragged itself forward.
"Brother, go find something else. Do you even know this is Master's tree?"
"I don't see his name on it!" the imp retorted with a frown. "Now move, I want it!"
"Wait up. What exactly are you gonna do once you get here? Your fat ass can't even climb!" Kethis snorted. "This is a complete waste of time."
The imp paused, looked at the towering tree, then down at its own stubby hands. Finally, it sighed. "Damn… you're right." Lifting one of its tissue-like fingers, it gave Kethis a knowing nod, tapping its own head. "You got me there."
Turning to the other imps, it declared, "Alright, boys! This place is a no-go. Let's head back."
"No way!"
"It took me five days to get here!"
"I rolled so far!"
"That ugly bastard stole my innocence!"
[Mission Complete!]
[Good Job, Kethis!