The three-headed Kami raised a wing with a flourish. From the tip of its pinion feather shot a spark. The spark hit the shadowy portion of the wall behind it and caused a ripple through the mud brick (perhaps also marble?) surface. The wall began to change and warp.

A clear sapphire line wound and branched across the wall, with assorted lime green and emerald portions drawn thickly in between. The spark pulsed inside this spreading painting, a luminous golden node from which all else sprung. Perhaps even literally; as the painting resolved itself into a near-perfect circle, I realized what I was looking at was a map of the nearby wetlands.

The golden node represented the temple I had constructed. Despite how obviously the kami had used god-magic to renovate my humble attempt, I still felt a thrill of pleasure at a job well done. My investment in the world had been made manifest. A few of my lingering fears and insecurities carried over from my human life finally eased.

I can live differently this time, yes. I can invest in the present. Other remnant worries lingered, sprung from the antagonism of my ‘allies’, but I raised my head with pride anyway. Because when I work… I can change the world.

Along with my fellows, I studied the details of the map.

The powerful blue of the river, at least the main portion, started in the bottom-left and curled steadily upward until it flowed almost to the North. At the sharpest point in the bend, the river split in three: our central fork, one that headed North earlier, and one that meandered East before turning South. On the right side of the map, I recognized the edge of the treeline where we had encountered the steroid squirrel and its little magic-spitting minions.

With the golden node, nestled in the slice of land between the middle and bottom fork.

The central head of our Kami opened its beak. “Due to the twisted storms darkening the Spine of Hubris, expansion in that direction is impossible. Also, such an expedition runs the risk of drawing the attention of the human gods. Instead, we should focus our efforts to the North, South, and East.”

The right beak opened. “The waters of the South run deep. The Seed of that Kami’s power is buried in the depths. We are pleased, Mookt. Your expansion in that direction has already begun. At sunset, return to see us and you will be rewarded with a powerful Blessing.”

The asshole catfish actually blushed next to me. Its weirdly damp bulk trembled as it flushed.

Such a kiss ass.

Next came the left beak, who decided to take an extra second to glare at me before speaking, as though it could hear my thoughts.

Wait, actually, wasn’t it proven they could, when I prayed?!? So this entire time-

“The mudfields to the North are unclaimed land; the previous Kami did not endure through the hibernation. As such, there is no Seed to claim, but the area needs to be subjugated. Genuine monsters roam the expanse. Takkle and Pukkle, that region will be left to you.”

The otters nodded. I tried to practice thought discipline. I would not think about the silliness of certain aquatic names.

Your Skill (Earned) Monster’s Wisdom has grown to Level 25(+6).

Keh, just wait System… I will not forget this slight…

“Finally, the East. The Chittering Woods,” The Central Head spoke once more. “My chosen and its companions have already encountered and defeated their champion, yet that will only make the chitterers cannier in the future. Their Kami begins to stir after the ripple of its chosen’s death. An expedition must be mounted, to the Eternal Oak sitting in the heart of the forest. The Mantle must be claimed before that Seed may take root. Violala, I hope you will assist my chosen and its fellows in this endeavor.”

With exaggerated slowness, the venom mantis bowed.

The central head turned to the owl standing in the back. “And you, Antaganath. I hope you will linger in the area and guard the seat of our power.”

“Heh. This old Anta will not let you down. Vermin… will be hunted.” The owl hooted softly.

The right head looked around, examining each of the gathered individuals in turn. “Our assemblage, when the sun sleeps, will no longer pause the cycles of life and death within our domain. We might be united in our greater purpose, yet rivers can take many paths to the same destination, depending on the terrain.”

The left head picked up the speech. “Strife breeds strength. Do not slow the viciousness of your current. Sharpen and bloody each other. Force your way through the growth thresholds. You all have a natural advantage, as we have been freed before all others. Yet that advantage will not last.”

A tremor went through my jelly, at the methodology and the warning. There it was, laid bare. The philosophy of my human life was so far from the way these monsters operated. The reason I felt uneasy… is because while I knew my mistakes in the past life, I didn’t quite yet understand how to not make a worse, moral blunder in this one.

The central head closed its eyes. In the next instant, my eyes widened and my concerns were pushed to the side..

Your Skill (Earned) Mana Sensitivity has grown to Level 20.

Your Skill (Earned) Detection has grown to Level 16.

Your Skill (Earned) Mana Sensitivity has grown to Level 21.

I could not see the will that precipitated it, but I felt the world change.

I had seen monsters using Mana to perform Blessings, but this was the first time I saw a Kami stir. My snake eyes were blinded by the surging wave of power that erupted from the ground. Suddenly, I understood why they were called Kami; they beckoned and the land answered, releasing a geyser of life that was Mana, but was also so much more than Mana. It was Mana speckled with a kaleidoscope of colored energies, different elements and possibilities existing within the reviving land.

Isn’t it quite lucky that I freed the Kami when I arrived…? Heh, even unconsciously, I have been laying the groundwork for a relaxed existence as a monster-

If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

…setting aside having just been assigned a mission to invade and conquer a nearby forest…

The central head opened its beady little eyes and continued to speak. “Our awakening has loosened the bonds on all. Some will be faster and slower, depending on their proximity and their individual luck, but by the end of the month, all of the Wildland Kamis will have cracked open the doors to their jail cells. At that time, we must settle and consolidate the lands over which we have gained dominion.”

All the animals bowed at the note of finality in the Kami’s voice. A half beat later, I followed suit. My squirrel fingers could flourish very charmingly during a bow. I peered sideways at Sage and twitched. As a former princess, does she think she shouldn’t need to bow? Or is this some sort of deliberate challenge of the Kami…?

Haah… is it weird her attitude is a comfort? All three of us siblings… we all don’t belong here, for various reasons. And maybe I like what we built here… but should it become necessary, we can just-

“Chosen.”

I straightened abruptly, my first fear that the Kami had something to say about my inner thoughts.

No actually, shouldn’t I be the angry one, for having my privacy violated?

The right head looked directly at me (although the left head followed up with a pointed look that implied something like ‘you no longer have any privacy, peon’). Noticing my awareness, the left head smirked and looked away.

The right cleared its throat. “Is there anything else that needs to be addressed?”

I blinked my snake eyes. Hmph, do you think I will be thrown by a supervisor’s attention? Obviously, I just need to delegate.

“Gathered… h-heroes.” I stumbled over the word, feeling that 'monsters' was a bit too informal, but that 'gentle-horrors' wouldn’t quite cut it. “The floor is open. Does anyone have any concerns?”

The central head looked at me and its voice rumbled in my head. It will be so. First the Mission. Then the Call.

I blinked. Uh, what?

“Actually, I do have an issue.” Obviously, Mookt wouldn’t miss the opportunity to hiss and complain. The catfish undulated around, giving me a short glance before looking directly at the Kami. “These three are a poison. They are beings of blight. Will not their touch bring death? Weaken us from within? You must have your reasons for selecting one as your chosen oh great Kami. And indeed they are… adaptable. They grow quickly. But exactly for that reason, they should be eliminated, before our expansion is threatened.”

So, even monsters are willing to go on crusades against blight creatures? I looked around at the rest of the assembled creatures, wondering how this news would go over. Both Antatoganath, or Old Anta, and Violala the Venom Mantis appeared perfectly inscrutable. The Jade-Hearted Otters Takkle and Pukkle appeared somewhat on the fence… but also from observing them, knew they would likely oppose any serious action just because Mookt was a huge, mud-sucking dick to them.

I relaxed. Or rather, I was already relaxed, because I was always relaxed, and just relaxed more. Without my interstitial body structure, I would have been a chill lavender puddle on the ground.

Weirdly, it was the left head, who had made its distaste for me the most obvious, that spoke. “We are cognizant of your worry. However…”

The right head followed up. “Our sensitivities to the energies of the land are without peer. And as of yet, we have not felt any downward pressure emanating from these Chimera Cores. They are yet young. As you have no doubt heard from your ancestors, the Second Growth Threshold is the most transformative. But we owe the Chimera Cores a debt. Exactly because of their blight, they could corrode our bonds early. They precipitated your growth in power, Mookt. Without them-”

“For now, they remain.” The central head cut the other off for the first time; I understood why. Toward the end of the right head’s little monologue, the flush had returned to Mookt’s body. But I could feel rage radiating from the catfish, not pleasure.

What was the head about to say? Without us… what?

Who knew I would be so weak to hot monster goss…

After a few seconds of silence, I started and spoke, remembering my role. “Are there any other issues?”

Old Anta shook his feathered head. Takkle and Pukkle looked at each other for a long moment, communicating with only their eyes, but they also shook their heads. Mookt still trembled, in the grips of its throes of rage. Yet Violala the Venom Mantis raised a delicate and wickedly sharp leg. “This one craves a boon, Kami.

“Down the river has flowed… drops of an unusual liquid. Our matriarch, too old and wounded to move, experienced a small amount of peace after supping upon this liquid. Perchance, does the Kami know the source of this liquid?”

I felt a horrible prickling sensation up and down my spineless ooze. This… surely… not another sweat-thirsty sicko…

But from the smirk on the left head’s face, I knew my worst fears were confirmed. The central head inclined its head. “It is known to us. Speak with our Chosen later, for more information. If there is nothing else…”

The Kami pivoted. All the monsters followed suit. Sage, not very discretely at all, used a tail to give me a thumbs up.

The attention pressed against my shoulders. I thought for a minute. How would events like this go on Earth? Then something occurred to me. I opened my mouth, reconsidered how much time the preparations would take, then shifted the timeline.

“I would ask everyone to remain for a banquet. After sunset. If we are to work together-” Well, trustfalls seem a bit dubious with this group… “-we should at least know a little about one another.”

“The guarantee of peace will have expired,” Takkle (or perhaps Pukkle?) observed.

I hadn’t even thought of that. But before I could respond, Mookt hissed. “Are you not confident enough to remain? Heh.”

Pukkle (or Takkle) glared at the catfish and I knew that the otters would refuse to back down.

The Kami began to glow, not with Mana, but with that kaleidoscope of color it released embedded within Mana. “And so, with Mission,”

“Call,”

“And Feast,” the three heads each took their turn to speak. The last line they delivered in unison.

“This summit is completed. May our Seed spring never wane.”

With a clap of noise and Mana, the Kami vanished. Some of the… holiness vanished from the building around us (the bricks losing some of their luster and appearing closer to the base mud from which they had been fashioned). But the map remained at the wall, centered around the golden seed, a living testament to the Kami’s power.

Perhaps even literally, this place had become its core. Or rather, based on the mission we were given, that would be the Kami’s ‘Seed’.

My shoulders hunched slightly, considering the mission to invade the forest-

“Chosen, continue about your business,” The Kami, abruptly reappeared, right next to me, causing me to jump. From the way the left head flicked its tongue at me, it might have just undercut its own dramatic exit in order to scare me. The central head spoke in an imperious tone. “There are some particulars of the mission I only need to discuss with the others before they depart.”

I took one glance around the room, looking at the monsters eyeing each other, pivoted on my heel, and exited the temple. However… I didn’t miss the difference in the Mana flowing around this body than the one manifested previously.

Could it be, that wasn’t its actual body, but an avatar of energy? And then its actual body walked in from the back while we were distracted?

Okay, anyway, new hobby, being a leisurely caterer, I thought to myself. Then a slight hiccup occurred to me. How am I going to throw together a feast in the next few hours…?

Halfway across the threshold, I froze. Without being able to kill anything?