The first light of dawn broke over the flower-draped hill, washing the land in hues of soft gold and rose. The familiar cry soon followed, a thunderous "KUUUU-KA-KIEAAA-KUUUU!" echoing across the valley.
As the echo faded, the proud rooster puffed his chest, feathers shining with dew. The air smelled fresh, filled with the faint fragrance of wild blossoms and mist. Satisfied with his performance, he turned his gaze to the center of the pond where his beloved hen sat, calm and regal.
With a delighted cluck, he hopped across, intent on giving his usual affectionate nuzzle. But before his beak could even graze her feathers, she deftly sidestepped, avoiding him with the grace of someone who'd already anticipated the attempt.
He froze mid-motion, beak hanging open.
A moment of silence stretched between them, awkward and chilly.
"…Good morning, slept well?" he clucked softly, his voice dropping to an almost sheepish tone.
Shivaya did not answer. She simply adjusted her posture, eyes still closed, feathers unruffled.
The rooster sighed inwardly, scratching the ground with one claw. 'It seems she's still mad…' he thought. He didn't know what exactly he'd done wrong, but experience had taught him that when a hen was angry, pushing her would only make things worse.
'I'll bring her some worms later,' he decided with determination. Worms always worked, the most exquisite delicacy any hen could ask for. He'd find her the fattest, juiciest ones he could dig up. That would surely win her over again.
With that comforting thought, he turned and strutted down the hill, his tail feathers swaying with dignified resolve.
...
At the base of the hill, a lazy black-scaled lizard dozed under a rock, its chest rising and falling in steady rhythm. The rooster stopped beside it, glaring down with his crimson eyes.
"LIZARD," he called, his tone firm.
The lizard's eyes snapped open, and it scrambled upright in panic. "Boss! I wasn't sleeping, I was…just resting my eyes!" it said quickly, its tail twitching guiltily.
The rooster gave it a long, unimpressed stare before sighing. "Never mind that. You're coming with me today."
"Eh?" The lizard blinked, surprised. "Coming… with you, boss?"
"Yes. Patrol."
"B-but what about guarding the hill? What if-"
"I said come." The rooster's tone left no room for argument.
The lizard gulped and nodded vigorously. "Right away, boss!"
And so, the two began their patrol, one strutting proudly through the tall grass, the other scurrying behind with short but hurried steps. The morning sun grew warmer as they walked, and birdsong filled the air. The tranquility would have been perfect… if not for the rooster's deep frown.
After a while, he slowed his pace. "Lizard," he said, glancing sideways. "What do you think of our territory?"
The question caught the lizard off guard. It tilted its head, blinking a few times before answering, "Hmm… it's the best, boss. There's food for everyone, no fighting, and peace all around. The rabbits, the chickens, even the snakes, everyone lives happily here."
It paused, then smiled earnestly. "It's all thanks to you, boss."
The rooster stopped walking, his talons sinking slightly into the soft earth. He looked ahead in silence for a moment before muttering, "Peace… yes, peace indeed."
The lizard almost bumped into him, stopping just in time. It tilted its head again. "Boss?"
The rooster's voice was quieter this time, almost grim. "Say, Lizard… what if I told you that peace won't last?"
The lizard froze. "Wha- what do you mean, boss? That can't be! As long as you're here, nobody would dare to cause trouble. You're the strongest!"
The rooster closed his eyes and exhaled slowly. "My strength alone might not be enough"
"Huh?"
He looked toward the horizon, where a faint shimmering light glowed around the distant novice village. "A few days ago… did you hear a voice in your head?"
The lizard blinked. "A voice? Oh! That strange voice? I heard it! It sounded important, but I couldn't understand a word of it." Then its eyes widened in realization. "Wait… boss, was that you speaking in my head!?"
The rooster's expression darkened. "No. It wasn't me."
The lizard's tail twitched nervously. "Then… what was it?"
"A warning." The rooster's tone carried a weight that made even the wind quiet. "That light over there, that's where they will descend. Otherworlders… They are not like us. When they come, this peace will vanish. Our home, our friends, everything we've built, all could be destroyed."
The lizard stared blankly in the direction of the village, the meaning slowly sinking in.
Silence hung between them for a long while. The only sound was the rustle of the wind and the faint chirping of crickets hidden in the grass.
Then, finally, the rooster spoke again. "Do you know why I'm telling you this?"
The lizard looked down, deep in thought. Then, lifting its head, it asked solemnly, "Boss… are you asking me to fight?"
The rooster turned his head slightly, one eye glinting. "Would you?"
"Of course!" The lizard straightened, its scales bristling. "If anyone dares to harm this land, they'll have to step over my corpse first!"
For a moment, the old fire returned, the fierce warrior that once fought for its kin's survival. Its aura flared, fierce and wild. But then its expression softened, and it asked hesitantly, "Still… boss, if they're stronger than even you… wouldn't it be better to run? We could find another place, right?"
The rooster's gaze grew distant. "Run?" he repeated quietly. "That would be the last resort."
He turned back to face the lizard, his tone steady and resolute. "If we run, we'll only delay the inevitable. These otherworlders grow stronger by the day. Sooner or later, they'll find us again and then we'll have no chance to fight back. Only by becoming stronger while keeping them in check when they are still weak can we have any hope of surviving."
The lizard was silent for a long while. Then, finally, it nodded, eyes burning with determination. "Then what do you want me to do, boss?"
The rooster's beak tilted upward slightly, a faint smirk curling his beak. "Good question."
He leaned closer, lowering his voice as though sharing a secret. "Tell me, Lizard… do you want to get stronger than you are now?"
The lizard blinked, then nodded so hard its head bobbed. "Yes! Of course, boss!"
"Then listen carefully," the rooster said, his tone suddenly serious again. "I'll teach you something"
The lizard swallowed hard, sensing the gravity in its leader's words.
"Call upon your status panel," the rooster commanded.
"Call upon my… what now?"
The rooster blinked. "Your status panel."
The lizard scratched its head in confusion. "Uh… never heard of it, boss."
The rooster groaned softly, pressing a claw against his forehead. "Fine. Call upon the glowing thing that sometimes appears in front of your eyes." he clarified.
"Oh! You mean that thing!" The lizard's eyes brightened. "Right, right, I can do that!" The lizard nodded eagerly and focused. A faint shimmer appeared before its eyes, a floating panel of runes and strange symbols it could never understand. Still staring at it, the lizard tilted its head. "But boss… how's this supposed to make me stronger? It's just a bunch of shiny markings that don't do anything."
As the strange transparent screen flickered into view before its eyes, the lizard looked at it curiously, while the rooster watched, feathers ruffling with anticipation.
The rooster tilted his head in return, his crimson comb twitching with amusement. "Can you understand what's written on it?"
The lizard shook its head.
"As expected," the rooster murmured under his breath. "It was the same for me once."
Then, with measured movements, the rooster began scratching the same symbols into the dirt with his claw. Each stroke was confident and deliberate. "Look here," he explained. "These are the sections that describe you: your name, title, race, tier, body, mind, and soul. Each number and letter represents your growth. You can also ask the panel questions directly; it will teach you what you need to know. Try asking it how to increase your stats, you should understand the answer by instinct. If you ask how to get stronger, the talent and path section will pop up."
The lizard obeyed, watching as the shimmering runes rearranged themselves. Understanding slowly dawned on its reptilian face as instinctual knowledge surged into its head. "So… this thing wasn't just for decoration?"
"Obviously," the rooster clucked. "It's a tool, a mirror that shows your potential. Now, tell me what it says."
The lizard blinked, squinted, and began writing the symbols down on the ground with its paw
Name: None
Title: The Ferocious Lizard
Race: Black Scaled Lizard
Tier: Early Stage Common Creature
Body: E-
Mind: E-
Soul: F+
Path: None
Talent: Yet to Awaken (95.5%)
The rooster froze mid reading. "Ninety-five point five percent!?" he exclaimed, feathers fluffing in shock. "You're that close to awakening!?"
The lizard blinked, tilting its head. "Is that… good?"
"Good?" the rooster squawked. "It's excellent! I only reached that number yesterday!" Then he paused, beak clicking thoughtfully. "Although, considering how much you sleep, that makes sense…"
The lizard chuckled awkwardly, scratching its neck. "So… does this mean I'm strong now?"
"Not yet," the rooster said, his eyes gleaming with determination. "But you can become strong. I'll work with you for that. Still-"
His tone abruptly shifted to something grave, almost commanding. "Before anything else, there's something important we must do."
The sudden seriousness made the lizard tense up. "What is it, boss?" it asked, lowering its body instinctively.
Without answering, the rooster closed his eyes and let out a low cluck. A moment later, a group of small white rabbits hopped out from the tall grass, forming a neat little line before him.
The lizard blinked again. "Uh… boss? We are not about to fight these little guys right?"
Ignoring the question, the rooster pointed his beak toward a patch of soft soil nearby. "Dig."
The rabbits saluted with their floppy ears a well-trained squad and began digging furiously. The lizard crouched beside them, ready for whatever "important" thing was about to emerge.
Moments later, the ground trembled. Fat, juicy worms started wriggling to the surface.
The rooster's eyes sparkled. "Excellent." Without hesitation, he began pecking and pulling them from the dirt, gobbling several at once.
The lizard just stared. "…Boss?"
The rooster continued eating happily.
"Boss," the lizard tried again, "I thought we were doing something serious."
"This is serious," the rooster said through a mouthful of worms. "You can't think or train on an empty stomach."
The lizard sighed deeply, its tail slapping the ground in exasperation. "Boss, sometimes… I really don't understand you."
"Of course you don't," the rooster said proudly. "That's why I'm the boss."
Once the worms were neatly collected with some generously left uneaten the rooster fluffed his feathers and gestured with his wing. "Alright. Let's go."
The lizard, still trying to figure out what just happened, followed alongside the rabbits as they made their way back to the hill.
When they reached the foot of the hill, the rooster turned to his followers. "Wait here," he said firmly.
With a confident hop, he ascended the hill, his silhouette framed by the rising sun. Near the top, by the pond, sat Shivaya the hen in her usual strange meditative position.
The rooster approached quietly, setting down the pile of fresh worms beside her. "For you," he said in a soft cluck. His tone was warm, patient hopeful, even.
Shivaya opened one of her sapphire eyes, her gaze flicking from him to the worms. For a moment, her eyes lingered far too long on the wriggling delicacies. Then, with visible effort, she closed them again and resumed her serene pose.
The rooster merely clucked, not disappointed this time. He'd half-expected that reaction anyway. Without another word, he turned around and walked to the edge of the hill.
He took a deep breath, his chest puffing out as his voice rose like a trumpet across the valley.
"EVERYONE, RALLY UP!"
The sound of his crow echoed through the flower field below, rolling like thunder across the hills. Every creature lifted its head, rabbits, lizards, and snakes immediately began to move toward the source. The earth itself seemed to stir as hundreds of little footsteps rushed through the grass.
As the rooster descended the hill with deliberate steps, his sharp eyes swept over the gathering crowd. His heart pounded, not from fear but from a fierce sense of purpose.
'This is it,' he thought. 'Our first step to prepare for the otherworlders'
…
Meanwhile, at the top of the hill, Shivaya cracked open one eye again wondering what that rooster was up to, before her eyes started to wander towards the pile of worms left beside her.
She swallowed, hard.
'This stupid body…' she grumbled internally, fighting against her instincts. The smell was maddening, rich and sweet in the morning breeze. She turned her head away, only for her stomach to betray her with a loud growl.
Her feathers bristled in embarrassment as she glared at the worms as though they were the enemy. "…This is all for survival," she whispered under her breath.
Then, with the quiet dignity of a fallen goddess forced into humiliation, she leaned down and started eating.