[I just received a message from Bill, he's ready to talk about those title problems. He added an emoji at the end of the message:" :^) "]
Tell him to beam me up, Zeri.
Everything went black, then white, cyan, purple, even? and cycled around a bit, but at that point, we all know what's coming.
"Hello, Mr. Quetchbury, happy to see you again, saw my new purple color upgrade? I sure worked a lot for it. The prices of the shop up here are extortionate, but it's the only shop, so it's not like I got any kind of choice."
"Bill. Are you the perpetrator behind all this title stuff?"
"Woah, a greeting would have been nice. I am sorry about that title, but once given I can't take it back. You are now the designated demon king, once summoned, not even I can change it anymore."
Zeri, tell him about that unique skill, I am missing, as well.
[...]
Zeri? Hello? I order you to answer me!
[...]
"What did you do this time, Bill? Where is Zeri?"
"Zeri? Sorry, I can't follow."
"Don't play dumb here, the thing I have been talking to all the time, my brother-in-arms."
"You mean the local reincarnation assistant?"
"What? I mean Zeri."
"Erm, we're currently in another dimension. He doesn't have access."
"Well, authorize him, then."
"I can't do that, he is no reincarnator."
"Ugh. You useless bureaucrats, will have to ask myself, then: Where is the unique skill, you promised?"
"Unique skill? Which unique skill, Demonic-Expansion?"
"Don't even start with that Demonic-Expansion bullshit, I can't even use it. Last time, you said, every demon king gets a unique skill, according to how they behaved."
"Ahh, let me just assign it to you, you will have access as soon as you're back on Gaiapan."
"And what about Demonic-Expansion? It told me to create a support-ticket?"
"What's wrong, is there some kind of problem?"
"I can't use it, it tells me, I don't have the right species, to use it."
"Yeah, of course, you're a bee..not a demon king."
"Why would I have it then?"
"You got the title."
"You see, something here doesn't make a whole lot of sense."
"Yeah, now that I'm thinking about it, it doesn't really work out, I will send an inquiry to the god, who created this skill. Any more questions?"
"So, you're not god?"
"No, of course not. I am just an extorted employee. You see, one day, I was minding my own business, get run over by a car, arrive here, this weird guy sitting in front of me, and giving me a choice. Either, I get resurrected as a spider, or I work for him eternally. Well, I have arachnophobia, a fear of spiders, so I really never had an option there. Just getting picked by this guy, killed off, then forced to work for him."
"Wow, sad story, Bill, just wow. What game are you playing, huh? Acting like the victim here? Last time I asked, you told me, you were god, so I figured, if I accept the demon king offer, you'll throw me into hell."
"What? That never happened."
"Yes, it did. I asked you, whether you were god, and you said no, but your eyes said yes."
"You're crazy, old man, so you declined all that stuff, because you thought I was god, and what?"
"Yes, you acted like you'd throw me into hell, if I accepted your demon-king-offer. You tricked me into becoming an useless insect, just to leave my only change for survival with hijacking some bear-train."
"Whew. I think I gotta make some changes to your unique skill now."
"Don't. You. Dare."
"Goodbye."
And before I could even answer, it began again: Black, white black, cyan, white, purple, black, cyan, black, white, white, white, brown fur.
This guy, worse than my son, worse than Zeri. Wait. Zeri? Hello? Did Bill kill you? Zeri? Are you alive?
[Yes, General, I am here.]
Phew. Soldier, what is your defense, this time?
[May I ask, what I am accused of?]
You're accused of desertion. You left me behind with Bill, I tried contacting, but you restrained from answering me, neglecting a direct command.
[Ehm, you were in another dimension, I can't follow you there.]
You can't, or you won't? I will add this to your list of infractions. Let's move on, how far to the lake?
[5 more minutes, at the current speed]
You acquired an unique skill: Wouldn't hurt an ant
Your unique skill: Wouldn't hurt an ant, was updated by Bill to: Would hurt an ant.
You lost the unique skill: Wouldn't hurt an ant and obtained a new unique skill: Would hurt an ant.
Bill? What the heck? Zeri, prepare a war declaration against Bill Munchgem.
[Whatever you say, general.]
Explain: Would hurt an ant.
Would hurt an ant: You and all your offspring gain the following skills, they will always have the same level, as this skill: Master-of-Warfare, Absence-of-Peace, Carnivore
Oh, ok, I won't complain, Zeri, you can delete the war declaration again.
[Ok, delete declaration of war. Doesn't work, try again, delete declaration of war. Erm, it doesn't work, it says: "This action is blocked by the absence of peace skill.]
What? Explain all "Would hurt an ant" subskills.
Master-of-Warfare: The wearer of this skill earns an additional amount of xp, while on a war-path.
Class? What is a class?
[Similar to a job really, you know, Soldier, Farmer, Priest.]
Absence-of-Peace: The wearer of this skill doesn't value peace, every consecutive day without engaging in battle, the xp-gain is halved. When breaking a peace agreement with another species, your xp gained, fighting against them, is doubled for a period of time.
Carnivore: This skill turns the wearer into a carnivore, eating something other than meat will cause negative status effects.
I don't know whether I like that. This means basically, when I don't fight I die, right?
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
[And you're a lonely queen bee, I don't think you can really fight anything.]
And I can only use my stinger once, because then I die. Great.
[It was an honor serving you, at least we're at the lake now. Get off, and find a safe space to drink.]
I still don't have enough stamina, so I can't just do a fly-by. I really really don't want to walk the last few steps.
[Wait a second, choose a class, while the bear is drinking, should you encounter anything on the ground, you will at least have some means of retaliation.]
How do I choose a class?
[Just like opening your status, but instead of status think of a class-menu.]
"Class-menu, reveal yourself!"
[That works, I guess.]
You have three available path-options: 1. Soldier: With this path, you will obtain the following skills: March (uses less stamina, when marching), Nutrient-control (food needs less nutrients to survive), Recovery (your stamina recovers faster) 2. Commodore (added, because of behaviour): Bomber (enables the dropping of bee-poison-bombs), Flight (upgrade for your limited-flight-skill) 3. Demon Bee (added, because of title): Demonic-Aura (nearby life forms are continously damaged)
Marching? One is out already, I won't walk anywhere. Bombing sounds good, flight too. Demon Bee? Tempting, although it really depends on the range of the aura, whether this is useful.
[I advise to pick Commodore, it will make your flight-problems easier to solve, and even enable you to attack from height.]
Good point. I'll take number two.
You selected the war-path of "Commodore", using the associated skill, will cause it to level up.
Master-of-Warfare skill now active. Increased xp-gain for your selected path.
Your Limited-Flight skill was upgraded to Flight
----------------------------------------
►Lelantos Quetchbury | LVL 1 [8%] | 5/5 Health | 0/3 Stamina | 10/10 Mana◄
Title: Demon King | Class: Commodore | Species: Queen Bee
Strength: 1
Perception: 1
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 1
Active Skills: Demonic-Expansion: 1 | Flight: 1 | Crew-Assembly: 1 | Captain: 1 | Bomber: 1 | Oviposition: 1
Passive Skills: Would hurt an ant: 1 (Master-of-Warfare, Absence-of-Peace, Carnivore)
----------------------------------------
Oh, I am already at 8% of level 1, just by flying around. My stamina has still not regenerated.
[Bear moving, I repeat bear moving, get off now.]
I-II can't, I don't have any stamina to fly.
[Then jump, you got full health, the grass is gonna stop your fall.]
I don't have a parachute, I can't.
[You got wings, just spread them out, and there's your parachute.]
Your responsible, if this goes south. Wings spread, JUMP. I quickly accelerated downwards, but the wings slowed my fall a little bit. Crashed right into a flower. Without that carnivore skill, I would have had some nectar now, thanks Bill.
"Zeri, damage report."
[The two front legs, you caught yourself with, are slightly damaged, you lost 1 health, otherwise everything seems fine.]
Ok, that's acceptable, good thinking, soldier. Now, the March begins. Zeri, if there is anything you see or hear, you tell me immediately, do you understand? Here on the ground, I am not more than a free meal for whomever is hungry and looking for a snack.
[Yes commander, I understand what is on the line here. I will support you any way I can.]
One step at a time, stay calm me, you can do it.
"Zeri, I can't do it."
[Dude, just walk, it's not hard.]
Oh, sure, because you have so much experience with that. You have to understand, I never liked walking and now I am a bee on top of that.
[Come on, the distance you have to cross is shorter than the bear, we just rode here, is long.]
I'll give it a try, I am not like today's youth, after all.
[Is that so? Show me, show me, you're not like the youth.]
I know what you're trying to do, ok right front leg, right middle leg, right back leg, left front leg, left middle leg, left back left, right back leg, right mid-
[Do you really have to think of whatever you're doing with your legs?]
Sorry, Mr. Smart, you never even had a single body in thousands of years, while I'm currently on my second one, within less than a hundred.
[Trashed your first body so quick? And your luck got you a second one...]
No luck, importance to the world. Seems, I am a lot more important. Makes sense, when you think about it, I am the general, after all, while you're just some maggot-recruit, thinking he's the real deal, because he is an very old geezer.
[Stop talking and look. There's a group of three ants, coming straight at you, on your right.]
What, where? I can't see them
[DON'T LOOK, RUN!]
Calm down, you just told me to look. Where to? Where do I run?
[Diagonal, away from them, but still to the lake.]
Ah, I see them now, they're gaining on us, and I still don't have stamina for my flight.
[Throw your bomb.]
What, are you mental, I'm not resistant to that poison, or did you see a resistance skill somwhere?
[No. Then climb up the tallest blade of grass you can find, when they try to follow, shoot.]
Sounds like a plan, preparing for climb. There, just a few more seconds.
[Faster FASTER, you don't have a few more seconds, just take any grass.]
This one looks good. Gogogogoggoo. Uppupuuppupp. Use "Bomber"-skill. How much xp do you think three ants gets me?
[Probably quite a good amount, maybe even enough for level two. aaaand Impact. Wait, nothing happened? You're so bad, you didn't hit a single one. Look they're all still standing.
Yeah, that's what a poison bomb does, it takes some time for it to take effect.
[So, they can still climb up?]
Ahhh, yes, theoretically? Just wanna remind everyone, whose plan this was, yours.
[Without me, you'd still talk about your two bodies. Go up as far as you can. Just a game of time now.]
New Challenge: Survive the ants! Goal: Survive, until your poison does the work optional: Get stamina to fly away optional: Stay there for the food
Wow, Challenges? That's new.
[Of course, duh.]
Do I get any rewards?
[If no reward is indicated, you'll get extra xp. Meaning, the challenge-xp + ant-kill-xp will get you level 2, guaranteed. So, survive.]
The ants have recovered from the surprise attack and are starting to move around my blade of grass. One of them is running against it, trying to move it, so I fall off. It doesn't work. Seeing that, as well, one of the others stops him and carefully starts his climb. It is already half way there and the poison still doesn't seem to be showing any effect.
Zeri, what do we do?
[As long as it is only a one versus one situation, you still stand a chance. Just take care to dodge its mandibles, and try to poke it with your stinger.]
Sure, "Just" and what? I will die, if I use my stinger?
[Not always, if stinging mammals or other animals with thick skin, your stinger will get stuck, due to its barbed hooks, and when you try to pull it out, it will break off and kill you. This ant, however, has a hard carapace, so you will not get stuck, but instead, with enough power, crack the defense.]
Seems reasonable. Prepare to get stingered, little ant, muahahahhahaha. The ant came closer and closer, the other two still at the ground, it clacked the mandibles a few times, menacingly, as I readied my stinger. Suddenly, it rushed forward, grasping one of my, already damaged, front legs and click-clacked it off. Just soon enough, to see my stinger, flying through the air, straight onto her head.
Ant killed. Experience gained.
The other two ants, seeing my hurt leg, decide to play cleaning crew on me, and start their advance.
[STAMINA?]
No, still don't have any. The two ants rushing towards me, I go back as far, as I possibly can, the grass already bending a little beneath my weight. Where is the stamina? The ants are now in engagement distance, clacking their mandibles, like the first one. One of the two dashes forward, my second front leg in its grasp. Just as she closes her mandibles, the hilt of grass curves down even further, causing it to loose balance, my leg, unhurt.
[Just one now, you can do this. One good stinger, you win.]
And one good mandible, I loose... . I didn't leave any time to the second ant, engaging immediately, stinger prepared. The ant reacted, immediately, dodging my first thrust, and preparing for a click-clack. From below, the second ant is already on it's way, I lost my chance. Stamina? Still no. I was staring at it 0/3 Stamina, come on, just one. It must be seconds, I look back at the ant, next to me. Suddenly, its legs begin shaking, antennae trembling, turning, searching, like a satellite-dish gone mad. My stinger, already in the air, it falls off, before I can hit it.
[The poison, your bomb.]
The other one stopped walking, as well. There must be a good show running today, as she too was searching a new program with the antennae.
Ant killed. Experience gained.
Ant killed. Experience gained.
Challenge completed: You were rewarded experience, you completed one optional goal and killed all ants, you gained additional experience.
Level up! Level 2 reached. All health, stamina, and mana restored.
Your "Bomber" skill reached level two.
----------------------------------------
►Lelantos Quetchbury | LVL 2 [39%] | 5/5 Health | 3/3 Stamina | 10/10 Mana◄
Title: Demon King | Class: None | Species: Queen Bee
Strength: 1
Perception: 1
Agility: 1
Intelligence: 1
Active Skills: Demonic-Expansion: 1 | Flight: 1 | Crew-Assembly: 1 | Captain: 1 | Bomber: 2 | Oviposition: 1
Passive Skills: Would hurt an ant: 1 (Master-of-Warfare, Absence-of-Peace, Carnivore)
----------------------------------------