Species Name: Megnac Beetle (Megnacus loyalist)
Average Height: 1.5 inches
Average Weight: 0.3 ounces
Lifespan: Typically 2 years in the wild. Capable of hibernation for extended periods when conditions require.
Primary Attributes: Known for their resilience and adaptability.
Loyalty Index: Extremely high. Megnac Beetles are known for their unwavering loyalty to entities they identify as allies.
Habitat Preferences: Prefer moist, warm climates but can adapt to a variety of environments due to their robust nature.
Diet: Omnivorous with a preference for decaying organic matter, but can adapt dietary habits based on availability.
Reproductive Rate: Moderate; however, in the presence of abundant resources, their population can rapidly increase.
Unique Abilities:
Indefinite Hibernation: Can enter a state of hibernation for an unspecified duration, awakening when conditions are favorable.
Beetle Duplication Technique Affinity: Unusually responsive to magical influences that manipulate their biological state or behaviors.
Evolutionary Pathways:
Primary Evolution: The ‘Megnacus Guardus’, a humanoid form known for its exceptional strength and combat skills. This evolution is rare and typically triggered by specific environmental or magical conditions.
Secondary Evolution: Variants include ‘Megnacus Alatus’ (winged form) and ‘Megnacus Aquaticus’ (adapted for aquatic environments).
Known Weaknesses: Susceptible to certain magical frequencies and extreme cold temperatures.
Cultural Significance: In some realms, considered a symbol of endurance and loyalty.
This species, while a challenge for local ecosystems, presents remarkable opportunities for study due to its unique evolutionary potential and adaptability.
Karen, I told you not to use my Identify skill. I hate that skill. You’ve blinded me for like…hours. There’s still hundreds of pages of information about these damn beetles and I can’t see anything past these massive holographic blocks of text.
[732] pages, to be exact. I’ve never seen an Identify skill at this level, it is magnificent.
That’s it, I’m going to bed, and you’re going on a timeout.
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Kaito woke up in the middle of the night to pee and struck his toe really, really hard on a corner—his vision was still compromised.
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Kaito woke up with a smile and the sunlight from the first sun filtering through the window. He stretched comfortably under the covers, relieved that today his life could finally return to normal after the chaos of the megnac beetle invasion. But best of all, the endless stream of information about the creatures had stopped. Although waking up to learn that, under a full moon, the beetles’ carapaces shone approximately 0.003% brighter than on any other night—and that this phenomenon has no known impact on their behavior or reproductive cycles—helped him fall right back to sleep, he realized he needed to figure out a way to prevent his Identify skill from going off like that again. New world adjustments.
He threw off the blankets and sprang out of bed, excited to get back to his usual routine. A day filled with clerical work at the village office, kneading dough and baking fresh bread, Slimepool, and dinner with the boys down at the Soft Waffle. Calmo Village was peaceful once more, exactly how he liked it…
Perfect
‘Knock,’ ‘knock,’ ‘knock.’
Kaito turned his head to the insistent knocking at the front door. He shuffled to it, brow furrowed, as the rapping continued. Who could possibly be visiting at this early hour? Perhaps someone had gotten lost in the forest overnight. Or a village child dared by friends to bother the reclusive clerk. He took a deep breath, composing himself for whatever interruption stood between him and breakfast, and opened the door.
Well, almost perfect, he corrected himself, glancing over at the young…creature—man standing on his front porch.
Is he a lizardman? Immediately after he thought that, the AI let out a long, exaggerated sigh.
You are so racist! Mr. Kaito Smith, how dare you? That young man is a proud and noble dragonfolk. One of this world’s primal and most powerful races.
My apologies, Karen. Honest mistake, I meant no disrespect.
Ehhh, I don’t really care. Dragonfolk are overrated.
“Hi there, how may I help you?”
The young dragon gulped loudly, the lump in his throat visibly bobbing under the smooth scales of his neck before he spoke.
“Good morning, Sir. I, Jogid Ebonhart from the Fireclaw clan, I…I’ve come to apologize for all the trouble I’ve caused.”
“Trouble? I don’t think I follow.”
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At that, Jogid’s shoulders hunched inward, making him appear smaller. His tail continued lashing back and forth across the floor, and beads of sweat dripped down the scales on his forehead. He closed his eyes briefly, then responded.
“I’m the one who plagued this village with the megnac beetles. I didn’t mean it.”
Seeing the dragonfolk’s obvious distress, Kaito felt a pang of sympathy. It was clear how much effort it took for him to stand there and apologize. Kaito tried to arrange his face in a neutral but not unkind expression. He didn’t want to make this any harder for the poor dragonfolk.
“It’s alright, the issue’s been solved. I was about to have breakfast, you look hungry. Would you like some hell herbs and bread?”
“That’s…very kind of you. If you’re sure I won’t impose, I’ll accept.”
“Yeah, it’s no problem. Come on in.”
“Thank you, Master.”
Did he say Master? Kaito asked both himself and Karen for clarification.
Nah… He’s fine, you’re trippin. He said ‘thank you, mister.’
Jogid, the dragonfolk, devoured all of Kaito’s hell-herbs and bread in a matter of minutes, which was a significant problem since the dish was supposed to serve as Kaito’s breakfast all week.
And the dragon had, in fact, called him ‘Master’ earlier. The Nerve. The greatest insult to his cherished way of life, being called ‘Master’—a role he wanted nothing to do with.
He needed to do something about it. Fast. Or else, he would end up training Jogid, only for him to become unimaginably powerful, ultimately challenging Kaito for supremacy or unwittingly unleashing a catastrophic event that Kaito would inevitably have to resolve.
It was also very likely that Jogid would drop a tragic backstory on him at any moment. If that happened, all would be lost; Kaito would be enslaved to seeing Jogid’s journey through to its conclusion.
“No! It will not happen!” he told himself a little louder than intended.
“Master Kaito, I await your instruction,” Jogid said, standing from the table and bowing his head. “Also, would you spare some more bread for this one?”
Kaito sighed. “Jogid, there’s no more bread,” he said calmly. “And honestly, you don’t need to call me ‘Master’. I’m just Kaito, your... temporary host.”
Jogid’s scaly obsidian tail stopped swishing left and right, and he looked up. “But Master Kaito, your wisdom and strength are unparalleled. I saw how you defeated the megnac swarm that terrorized this village—my carelessness brought them here. And then, you even fed me. I must learn from you, and I owe you a debt tenfold.”
“Don’t worry about it, consider the debt settled.”
Kaito stood up, collecting his things for work
“Jogid, my ‘wisdom’ is knowing when to work and when to relax. It’s time for me to head to the office, and for you, to carve your own path. You’re free of the megnac beetle now. Calmo Village is safe, and so are you. It’s time to go home, or find a new adventure, one that doesn’t involve being my apprentice.”
As he headed for the door, Kaito patted Jogid’s shoulder in a friendly, reassuring manner. “You’ll do great things, Jogid. Just remember, not all strength comes from a master. Much of it,” he pointed to Jogid’s heart, “comes from within.”
I worried there for a second, but that came out perfectly!
Oh yes, that was smooth.
He opened the door with one snappy motion, then looked back before stepping through it. “Jogid, your destiny awaits... far, far away from Calmo Village. I expect great things from you. Farewell, my friend.”
Kaito walked away with a grin, having successfully averted being entangled in a cliché student-master trope. And so, he marched on to village hall with renewed hope.
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Jogid’s heart thundered in his chest as Master Kaito’s words echoed in his mind.
This was a test. It had to be.
Why else would the Great Master dismiss him so callously after saving his life? After showing him power the likes of which he had never witnessed?
And for what other possible reason would he have left him in his home, unsupervised?
Yes, Master Kaito was testing his resolve. Testing his dedication as a magic student. Jogid would not falter. He would prove himself worthy of being his disciple.
He inspected the simple dwelling. The quaint home had a thatched roof and walls of weathered timber.
Inside, the single room contained only the bare essentials—a straw bed, wooden table and chairs, and a hearth for cooking.
His Master was so humble. So pure. So powerful. Without a doubt, that was where he needed to be.
He’d been born with untamed IDM. A moment of carelessness had cost him his place within his clan, and later, he nearly caused the downfall of this poor village. He vowed to gain control of his powers so no one would suffer again from his mistakes. To that end, mastery over his chaotic magic was paramount.
So, Jogid surveyed the modest dwelling with a single question in his mind: how to prove himself worthy of Master Kaito’s tutelage.
Wisdom is knowing when to work and when to relax, he pondered on his teacher’s first lesson.
Jogid scratched the scales on the top of his head. It wasn’t the perfect answer, he recognized, but to think he had been planning to take up the Master’s time without considering its value. It shamed him.
Maybe if Kaito’s home was in perfect order, then and only then he could allow his Master to consider providing a small amount of instruction. Therefore, without wasting any more time, he got to work.
Once cluttered and unkempt, the dwelling was now orderly and clean thanks to his efforts this past hour. He had scrubbed every inch, repaired every loose board and leaky patch on the roof. The simple clay oven next to the hearth had been crumbling and inefficient. Jogid reinforced it with fresh clay and stone and optimized the shape of the flue to retain more heat. Now it could truly bake worthy creations with the skill of the Great Master. Satisfied with his work, Jogid nodded firmly. This was but the first step in proving his dedication.
But it was not enough. More could be done to ease Master Kaito’s burden, to show his devotion as a disciple.
Jogid strode outside, his slitted crimson eyes scanning the surroundings. Time to work. He removed the top half of his robe, exposing his scaly chest. Arcane symbols glowed along his arms as he channeled his mana to grasp a massive boulder near the edge of the property. With a levitation spell, he lifted the tremendous weight overhead before hurling it far into the distance. The ground quaked from the impact. Yes, his arcane power, which had been drained dry by those wretched insects, was returning.
Next, he set to work on a small, long-neglected garden in front of the house. His claws rent massive furrows into the earth as he uprooted brush and stones. The sun beat down on his ebony hide, but he did not tire. Master Kaito deserved a proper garden befitting his greatness. Jogid would see it done.
By mid-afternoon, orderly rows of rich soil awaited tilling and seed. Jogid rubbed the soil between his claws, imagining the bounty it could produce.
A soft smile crossed his snout. Visions filled his mind—of his mother working their garden, humming gently as she tended the vibrant flowers and succulent fire-berries that sustained their village. Those halcyon days before the beetles came, before the clan elders blamed him, and exiled him for the infestation. Before he lost everything.
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Damn it, he’s still here.
Although…that vegetable garden looks kinda nice.