For several seconds, I stood between the absence of a duck and an improbable place.

A wisp of smoke curled up from mud where it had dramatically departed.

Taken at face value, the evidence pointed to my Kami had been a creature that once had stuck its head in mud. Or that this fantasy world included trickster magicians, who wandered around impersonating Kamis. Or, perhaps, there was a deeper cultural truth about tree-headed ducks that I missed-

Reel it back, Tallum. Even in the face of truth, leisure cannot waver.

Even if it was galling, the simplest answer was usually the correct one. I tried to rationalize. After all, a life-sucking blob like me could become a land developer. Why couldn’t a foolish duck become a Kami?

Just… now I understand why my Blessing is a bit…

The notification popped up in front of me that I had worked through the Chimera Core hibernation period, pulling some extra Anima out from my pool. Time had painted the mud and reeds with a thick layer of darkness. A low and luminous moon slouched against the horizon, radiating cool light across the river.

The moonlight at least outlined stack of bricks I had in front of me, as well as the shadowy walls of the in-progress temple.

I used my squirrel hands to slap my cheeks. Setting aside the… identity… of my Kami, the quest remained. Which would require, even with the spiderlings help, several hours of hard work. “Isn’t this the perfect sort of karma? It was exactly writing scenes like this that made my audience lose interest. Even if this is a fantasy world, things like this take time…! Invest in the present! I will not surrender!”

I knew I perhaps tiptoed a bit beyond the line of a leisurely life as I slid my tentacles underneath and hefted up bricks. But my stubbornness had kicked in. I swore vengeance against the coming dawn, that it would not find me unprepared.

Your Skill (Earned) Body Manipulation has grown to Level 24.

Your Skill (Earned) Body Manipulation has grown to Level 25.

Four hours later, as the shadows began to fade, I trembled and lifted the final piece.

After placing the (slightly soggy) brick up on top of the walls, I collapsed back and allowed my Interstitial Flesh to shift. When I couldn’t immediately experience the pure joy of seeping into an expanding puddle of jello, I tsk’d in irritation and used my Bloodsoaked Left Fang to carve up my flesh.

Will this sort of activity… become common…? I tried not to think about it. Self-mutilation, even for a Chimera Core, seemed a bit dangerous.

My viscous Chimera Core self pooled outward, the utmost display of relaxation. I looked up at the sinking moon and felt a trill of pleasure; although the last frantic few hours of effort were pretty far from leisurely, I had to admit that the sense of release I experienced now that the project was finished-

A clicking interrupted my euphoric thought.

My snake eyes spun slowly, looking through my lavender ooze toward one of the supervisor spiderlings holding a bark clipboard. It looked at me with such expectation I didn’t even need the bond through our Mana Cores to understand its thoughts. My subcontractors had shown up, expecting payroll to come through.

I heaved out a sigh and allowed my Interstitial Body Structure to flow back into place. My ooze break was over. My flesh knitted itself back into functioning muscle.

Your Skill (Species) Interstitial Body Structure has grown to Level 13.

Your Skill (Species) Interstitial Body Structure has grown to Level 14.

See, in my streamlined version of events, I might have skipped over some relevant details of the construction. For example, the door of the temple. I hadn’t noticed until I was very finished with the other three walls that my fourth wall was woefully inadequate. But around that same time, the spiderlings showed up, having excavated enough mud.

Turns out, their calculations were correct; although when I looked at the messy spider scribbles on their bark clips, I could not discern any sort of mathematics. We had exactly the correct number of bricks. At the time, I just decided my snake eyes really were bad at sensing minor details.

Besides, I was soon put to work hefting more bricks into place, to create the arched doorway the spiderlings had designed.

So is the way of all things, even land development. I thought sagely. Those that came before are quickly forgotten as a younger, faster, more efficient method is discovered…

Well, retirement can be very leisurely too, yes…?

Anyway, in the present, I activated my Blessing and began to heavily sweat (secrete).

Due to your actions, your Blessing Seep Blessed Oils has earned +5 Proficiency!

The spiderling mob happily picked up drops with their forelegs and marched away, leaving me as wrung dry and used up as a stained dish rag. Eventually, I hefted myself up on unsteady turtle legs and ambled back toward the stump. Before grabbing a quick ‘nap’, I stopped by the Rotfly Swarmer swamp and happily devoured my fill, pushing me back up to 250 Anima. Even at 1 Anima a pop, my actions basically had no effect on the mass of flies.

I considered the buzzing swarm. Perhaps… it’s time to revisit ranching as a career?

Then, to knock myself out, I turned my attention inward, toward my animating array. Instantly, I felt a difference; because of the incorporated heat sensitivity of my Python Baron eyes, the array possessed so much more… texture than I had noticed previously. Whereas the light and energy interactions had mixed into a blinding whirlpool on past examinations, now I could see the vaguest sense of their sequence.

I could sense the smallest distance between each of the layers. And with that little extra clarity, I could begin to make sense of the energy flow.

Your Skill (Earned) Mana Sensitivity has grown to Level 19.

Your Skill (Earned) Detection has grown to Level 15.

I could see the constellation of interlocking nexi. The whole arrangement pivoted across several blazing axises of energy. Yet the broad shape came into focus, even as I reached my limits. As my awareness began to grow fuzzy, I realized the anchors holding the whole of the complex array together were little Mana nodes, rotating rapidly-

Your Skill (Species) Lesser Array Knowledge has grown to Level 2.

You have understood a new array! [Boundary Array]

…

…

…eventually, I was shaken away by a firm hand. I blinked at the warm sun shining on my face and tried to get my bearings. Which, obviously, was when I realized it wasn’t a hand that had shaken me awake, but a prehensile tail.

Sage looked at me with all the seriousness that she could manage. “The promised time is nigh, brother. From the corners of the wetlands, the others have begun to arrive..”

…your official sounding message is somewhat undercut by the rest of your tails wagging like a golden retriever, but okay, at least you got me up on time.

I straightened and stood, ignoring the pounding of my headache; whatever amount of time I had in a coma, it wasn’t enough to quite recover from staring at my own core array. Then the last notification I remembered popped into my mind.

Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

“Just a moment.”

Sage began hopping back and forth, the excitement of the day necessitating movement for the former princess. Meanwhile, I walked over to the area by my rotfly swamp. I accessed my Lesser Array Knowledge and thought about the Boundary Array. Instantly, my mood soured.

This… this isn’t anything! It’s an array that has no effect! It’s simply the method to create and connect the Mana nodes I noticed- Hah, hah, take a breath, Tallum. All growth is gradual. Impatience is a seductive saboteur, but do not allow him to corrupt your life of relaxation…!

Still, I was curious about the process, so I quickly condensed a Boundary Array line around the whole of my little swamp. I had an instinctual knack for the distance required before another Mana node and quickly used a dozen to surround the swamp. Each little Mana node cost about five Mana, but my unconsciousness period had been long enough to recover sufficient Mana.

Your Skill (Species) Lesser Array Knowledge has grown to Level 3.

When all the pieces had been put in place. The array activated. And did nothing. A vague and meaningless screen of Mana surrounded the swamp.

Your Skill (Species) Lesser Array Knowledge has grown to Level 4.

I prodded the edge with my squirrel hands, just to see if I felt anything different, but the screen did not stop my body. Tch, such a petty System. Well, at least this is method of raising my Lesser Array Knowledge without giving me such a hangover…

I went to join Sage with perfect timing; as I did so, Nightshade swaggered out of the nearby reeds. I took in the blood spatters on his body without missing a beat, but Sage bounded over to him and jabbed at him with her tails. “You foolish brother. Today of all days-- you know the rule, no life may be lost!”

“I am not so foolish to have defied the Kami,” Nightshade said. “These crimson trophies are remnants of last night’s revelry.

If anything, that just made it worse. We should speak about your basic hygiene…

After staring at him for another long moment, Sage spun away. “Just… don’t forget your behavior reflects back on us, as your siblings. Let’s go, brother Tallum! By your will, the summit will commence. What an honor it must be, to be the Kami’s chosen representative.”

…eh? In all the stress to try and accomplish the Special Quest in time-

I never considered what would happen on the day of the meeting. Should I have prepared a speech?

Obviously, I was too stunned to move. And just as obviously, this slowed Sage down not at all. One of her tails curled around my torso and I was dragged along behind her as she bounded forward.

Ahem ahem. Friends, monsters, kami-men. Welcome to the first annual To and Fro Leadership and Wellness retreat-

No, no…

Yak, yak, yak, what’s the deal about crayfish anyway?

Ick… how about…

Webster’s Dictionary defines ‘leisure’ as--

Bah, I don’t want to be one of those people who can’t stop talking about their latest fad-

Oh my god. I am totally one of those people…

My depression passed quickly because we passed through the reeds and into the shadow of the temple I had made. Or rather, a sized-up version of the one I had made. I froze and stared upward at the sizable building, fully three times the size I had constructed. In addition… weren’t the bricks that made the heavy stone walls marble and not just dried mud…?

“Brother Tallum, I have no idea how you accomplished this, considering our limited resources.” Sage looked at me with sparkling eyes. “I demand you create a similar palatial dwelling as a gift for me, when I reach Level 25 and pass the next growth threshold. In exchange, I will lay the entire world at your feet within a year.”

The reason you can’t believe comprehend my methods is because I didn’t do it…

Your Skill (Earned) Monster’s Wisdom has grown to Level 25(+5).

Okay, System, no need to be petty.

The temple was massive but by the standard of our bodies. Its true size would likely be compared to a human shed, but I still couldn’t believe the shift. The more I learned about the Kami, the more mysterious it became.

Perhaps we need to revisit the trickster duck theory?

The Chimera Core posse moved through the cavernous front archway of the temple. Originally, my small building would maybe have been able to house ten or so Chimera Core sized monsters. However, this building could fit almost fifty, albeit with a slight amount of crowding. Truly, this location could easily host a summit.

The biggest change other than the size was the floor; part of the reason I had opted for the more modest size was the amount of tiles I could snap off from the turtle shell. However, those tiles had been duplicated and refined until the ground glittered beneath our feet in mesmerizing patterns, like we walked across a night sky filled with constellations.

Light spilled out from the narrow, slit window on the far wall and revealed that the temple was already mostly full… with creatures much larger than Chimera Cores.

I felt my restless discomfort of this life finally unveiling its true form. Walking into that temple, I could not avoid one simple truth: I stood in a den of monsters, in every sense of the word.

Well, animal-shaped monsters, but they are practically dripping with bloodthirst, even now.

In the far corner, an owl with droopy eyebrows regarded me with an inscrutable expression. I could see rust-colored stains on its long talons.

Wetland Glider Lvl 22

Nearest to the door, two otters shifted from their patty-cake game and regarded me with glassy eyes. Their sharp teeth glittered, even in the half-light of the interior.

Jade-Hearted Otter Lvl 21

Jade-Hearted Otter Lvl 20

Rather small compared to the other animals, a venom mantic almost sensually rubbed its two serrated forelegs together. I couldn’t help but feel a twinge of envy as I looked at those potent forelegs.

I tried not to think about all the monsters I had killed with a leg just like those.

Venom Mantis High Leader Level 21

Curled up to my right was a massive catfish, which rolled on its side and regarded me with dead eyes. I might not be able to smell with this body, but as it regarded me, and its lips curled back, I could see the rotting flesh stuck around the base of its needle-thin and yellowed teeth.

Deviant Mudsucker Lvl 24

Between them all, Indigo strode forward with his multiple snake and mantis heads, seeming completely at least being only half or a third of the size of the other monsters called by the Kami. Or perhaps the fleshy pillar of his right arm, decorated with poorly sewn-on squirrel heads, gave them pause.

Seeing Indigo’s similarly monstrous form encouraged two other anxieties.. Will it become a political issue that Indigo will steal the heads of our neighbor's progeny…?

…in retrospect, this is really my sibling? He looks the most monstrous of them all…

“You are the Kami’s chosen one?” The catfish mudsucker spoke, its voice almost a hiss next to me. But due to the difference in size, my inner jelly quivered from the deep sibilance of its voice.

I tried to imitate Indigo’s relaxed posture. Even if I hadn’t asked for this responsibility, I wasn’t someone who shirked the roles I had been given. “I am.”

“As expected from a blighted container… you halt the cycle of life and death on a whim,” the Mudsucker harrumphed. “An unnatural existence… this bodes ill for the region.”

On the far side of the temple, one of the otters chirped. “How else could we leave our own territories and meet, Mookt? A guarantee of good faith was needed.”

“Is the Kami’s presence not sufficient?” Mookt the catfish loosed another hiss. Then it regarded the otter and its fleshy lip curled even further. “Besides, the guarantee is only needed for those too weak to defend their own lives.”

“All cycles ebb and flow-ow-ow.” The owl glider spoke in a breathy voice. “Aggression toward each other is not the goal. Precisely because of the guarantee, outward expansion will be launched with a firm foundation. Peace now will give us that much more of an advantage. Kehe.”

Despite the intercession of the owl, the otters and the catfish still glared at one another. After a few more seconds of tense silence, the catfish closed its eyes. “One day, I will devour you and your kin.”

Weirdly, it was the owl who answered. “Such is the way of the world.”

Okay, Nightshade truly fits right into this council of monsters.

The venom mantis remained aloof, watching all of the assembled beings with sharp eyes. Another awkward silence seized the room, leaving me shocked that Nightshade and Sage were being so well-behaved, until Nightshade straightened and pivoted to me. “So, Brother Tallum, what is next? How do we begin?”

“Uh, well-”

Do I look like I have been provided an itinerary?!?

But just as I was scrambling to figure out what to say, a whole sheet of notifications popped up in front of me.

A (Special Quest) Notable Achievement: For completing the temple to To and Fro the River Wanders within seven days, you have earned +20 Mana.

You have made the pilgrimage to meet your Kami in person! You have received your Second Blessing: (Basic) Spray Mud (0/50).

An Interesting Achievement: For receiving your Second Blessing, +5 Mana and +5 Wisdom.

You have received a new Quest! Interesting(x3): Upgrade your Second Blessing.

While I was distracted a new figure manifested directly opposite the entranceway, its feathers glossy and blinding as sunlight streamed through the thin window. Three duck heads rose slowly upward and regarded the assembled monsters.

“To and fro…”

“We have wandered.”

The left and the right heads spoke. Then the central head smirked. The eyes of all three glittered. “Now, we flow outward, seeking new lands to claim.”