Richard inhaled slowly.
Then exhaled even slower.
His feathers still faintly ruffled from the earlier battle and sorrow settled neatly against his body as the forest wind brushed past him. The towering black-scaled lizard in front of him, now standing almost at eye level with him, watched with a stiff posture.
Richard's expression, however, remained unreadably calm, as if his early emotional outburst was just an illusion.
On the inside?
Chaos. Absolute chaos.
But on the outside?
Just a dignified rooster boss addressing his subordinate.
"Good," Richard said quietly, stepping closer, voice low and stable. "You came at the right time. It's time to gather everyone."
The black lizard snapped to attention.
But before it could even spin around, Richard moved. One step. Then another. Circling the lizard. Examining him from every angle like a suspicious merchant checking a sketchy product.
"Before that…" Richard murmured darkly.
His eyes narrowed.
He leaned in.
He squinted up.
Then down.
Then up again.
'What the hell?!'
The lizard wasn't the smaller, smug black reptile from yesterday.
No.
This thing was a walking wall now, a scaled tank. A reptilian boulder with legs. Its torso had thickened, its tail bulked up like a biological mace, and its scales had deepened into a dark obsidian sheen. Smaller lizards had already started climbing on its back, staring with wide, worshipping eyes as their claws slid across tougher, denser scales.
Even rabbits and chickens gathered around like spectators at a circus show.
Richard cleared his throat and tapped the large lizard firmly with his wing.
"Explain."
The lizard lifted its chin with so much smug pride that the smaller lizard perched on its head nearly fell off.
"Boss," the lizard said, puffing out its chest, "I awakened."
Richard blinked once.
Twice.
Then exploded into an excited grin.
"Good! Good! GOOD!"
The creatures around them flinched at the triple-GOOD blast.
Richard hopped in place, feathers puffed.
"How did it happen? What's your talent?"
The lizard nodded vigorously like a chicken then with surprising restraint, began recounting everything in surprisingly orderly detail.
"And then I awakened Talent: Berserk. I'm still not sure what it does, but it should boost my power in battle!" it hissed, tail wiggling so violently that three lizards and a confused chicken were launched into the bushes.
Richard nodded with deep satisfaction.
This was perfect.
The Lizard had awakened at the ideal time.
"This will help a lot in the upcoming fight," he whispered, eyes glinting.
But then, as if remembering something.
The lizard abruptly perked up again.
"Oh! Boss! I awakened a bloodline too!"
Richard froze.
"…What?"
He stared.
And stared harder.
He took in the darkened, thicker scales.
The golden gleam in the lizard's pupils that radiated an eerie hunger.
Bloodline?
No.
No way.
No freaking way.
"You… YOU HAVE A BLOODLINE AWAKENING?!"
The lizard nodded with the self-satisfaction of a rooster who had just won a crowing contest.
"Yes, Boss! It's called Gloomwyrm!"
Richard's brain crashed.
Completely shut down.
'System!! Explain! Didn't you say awakening or developing a bloodline is extremely difficult?! Even I only have like a 13% chance in the NEXT evolution! And this lizard already awakened one?! And it's called Gloomwyrm? That sounds OP as hell!'
[Affirmative. Awakening a bloodline from scratch is extremely difficult.]
[However, it is different for a creature with a dormant trace of bloodline.]
[Conclusion: Gloomwyrm is a Rare Creature known for feeding on their own suffering to boost their combat power. Your subordinate's battle talent might have matched its nature and awakened the dormant bloodline fragment.]
Richard's beak dropped open.
So lucky? That lucky?! Why didn't I have some secret bloodline like that?! Huh?!
He rubbed his forehead with both wings, feathers quivering in existential crisis.
"What is this lizard… awakening a combat talent and a bloodline… Am I the protagonist or are you?!"
The lizard blinked cluelessly, thrilled by the "compliment."
Richard rapidly shook his head.
"No, no, no. Calm down. A subordinate's strength is your strength. This is a good thing. Good thing." He inhaled deeply and slapped the lizard's shoulder with a proud smile. "Good job, Lizard. You will be a great help in our next battle."
"I will do my best, Boss!" The lizard saluted with exaggerated sharpness.
Finally, Richard exhaled fully, feathers smoothing.
"Then first, let's gather everyone. After that, we return to the flower field to rest before the battle."
Because according to his Talent…
The next battle would be at night.
They still had time.
They needed to recover.
But…
Richard turned slowly toward a figure curled up beside the bloodstained rock.
The snake.
Its coils were stiff, its eyes blank, its tongue barely flicking. It looked like a statue carved from grief.
Richard stepped closer, voice soft and steady.
"You."
The snake didn't move.
Richard's throat tightened. He understood this feeling too well.
A leader who lost someone under their watch.
A mistake that would rot under the scales if not handled properly.
But he didn't comfort it right away.
He didn't tell it it wasn't its fault.
No.
Let this be a whetstone.
"What about the rabbit body?" Richard asked quietly. "We can't leave them to rot here. Bring it. We'll return it to the flower field."
The snake finally stirred.
Slowly.
Hesitantly.
It shifted once.
Then again.
"Hiss."
"Hiss hiss."
"Hissssss…"
Richard's eyes narrowed trying to grasp the intent the creepy snake is trying to convey.
"…Vanished?"
The snake nodded vigorously.
"Hiss!"
"What do you mean vanished? As in… dragged away?!"
The snake shook its head so violently it looked dizzy.
"Hiss! Hiss hiss!"
Richard frowned harder.
"So… you mean it disappeared on its own?"
The snake bobbed its head again.
Richard stared.
'Dead bodies didn't disappear. They weren't players. Unless the rabbit suddenly unlocked teleportation which judging by how far away most of them were to awakening it was statistically improbable'.
He rubbed his beak.
"Are you sure?…Maybe some creature sneaked up and stole it?"
The snake opened its mouth as if to protest but then slowly closed it again.
Doubt and guilt tangled in its expression.
Richard clucked sharply and turned away.
"It can't be helped. If we can't recover it, we can't recover it."
He turned, gaze sharp and unmoving.
"We have an important battle ahead. So instead of feeling guilty about it, why not focus on that? There will be an opportunity for you to avenge it. "
The snake straightened instantly.
"Hiss. Hiss. Hiss. Hissssss!"
Good.
They couldn't afford to dwell on this mystery right now.
Not when his army was exhausted.
Not when danger still loomed.
He raised his head and crowed sharply.
"Everyone! Gather up! We move!"
The command cut through the clearing like a blade.
Creatures scrambled.
Snakes slithered down trees.
Chickens tucked their wings neatly.
Rabbits hopped into clean rows.
And the lizards both large and small lined up proudly.
Richard nodded once in approval.
Then pointed.
"Lizard, lead them first. I need to confirm something."
The lizard puffed up like a general and strutted forward, leading a river of creatures toward the others still guarding the points
…
The forest trembled.
Rustling leaves.
Soft thumps of many paws.
Slithering whispers.
Dozens, no, thousands of creatures merging into one mobile army.
Richard took his place at the front as they rejoined.
And finally.
As the last of his subordinates gathered and the last trace of danger note disappeared.
A soft chime echoed in the depths of his mind.
A panel floated before him.
[You have taken part in a small-scale battle against the otherworlders and achieved overwhelming victory.]
[Your achievement has been recognized.]
Richard paused mid-step.
So did dozens behind him.
Nothing physically changed.
No feathers puffed uncontrollably,
No sudden surge in strength,
No dramatic light beams shooting from the heavens.
But something inside them shifted.
A faint warmth.
A gentle strengthening of the soul itself like a tiny spark of sunlight sinking into the deepest parts of their being.
His army stirred uncertainly.
The lizard blinked.
The snake twisted its coils.
Rabbits tilted their heads in confusion.
Chickens ruffled their feathers with excited little chirps.
Richard recognized it instantly.
He had felt it countless times in his early days fighting to become overlord of the flower field.
He hadn't understood it then.
He did now.
A soul growth.
Not strong enough for his soul tier to raise.
But for his subordinates, whose souls were still weak, it was a valuable gift.
Richard nodded, satisfied.
"Good," he murmured.
Then lifted his wing.
And marched forward.
…
The return journey was just as loud as their march to battle.
"RICH-ARD! RICH-ARD! RICH-ARD!"
The chant thundered behind him like war drums played by extremely enthusiastic, feathered maniacs.
Richard, while also shouting his own name out of instinct did so absently this time. His mind was running at full speed trying to figure out the reason why his subordinate had died.
Even though he followed the best path.
A heavy silence settled in his heart.
Then like lightning striking the crown of his head.
A terrible realization hit him.
Richard's eyes widened as he looked inward at the floating script of his Talent.
[Talent: The Path]
[Description: Reveals the roads your desires may take. Your wish is my command.]
His feet almost stopped.
"…No way, right?" Richard whispered, voice trembling at the edges.
He stared at the description again.
Your desires may take…
Your wish is my command…
"Does that mean… my desire… was wrong from the start?"
He closed his eyes.
And with a heavy heart, spoke again in the depths of his mind.
[Talent: The Path - Activated]
'Show me… the path where none of my subordinates would have to die.'
At once, the darkness behind his eyelids burst into a galaxy of thin, shimmering filaments roads stretching infinitely in all directions.
Richard focused on one.
Then another.
Then another.
And his breath caught.
There were fewer red nodes.
Fewer danger points.
No four major choke points like before.
Only two.
With this configuration he would have more troops at both points making it safer..but there was no way to perfectly keep all otherworlders out of the novice village with this strategy.
There were no such roads where every subordinate lived and every invader died.
No perfect solution.
His chest tightened.
"…So it was true," he whispered bitterly. "My desire did cause this."
By focusing solely on blocking the otherworlders, his Talent had shown him the most efficient, most ruthless, most strategically flawless route.
But not the safest one.
He squeezed his eyes shut.
If he had known this, would he still go with it and trade the lives of his subordinates for an easier future?
The answer burst out instantly.
"No."
Never.
His entire reason for becoming overlord of the flower field…
His entire pride…
His entire identity was built on protecting them.
He would rather suffer a thousand difficulties than sacrifice one of his own.
But he also understood the truth.
Death was inevitable in war.
He was not strong enough to stop it completely yet.
Still he was not a chicken who would choose the easy road at the cost of those who followed him.
If the future must be harder, then so be it.
A harder future did not mean a doomed one.
He trusted his subordinates.
They trusted him.
And together there was no hardship they couldn't overcome.
He couldn't change the past.
But the future?
The future was still in his wings.
With determination hardening his heartbeat, Richard activated his talent again.
[Talent: The Path - Activated]
This time, his desire was firm and clear.
Countless filaments appeared once more.
But among them, one shone brightest.
Gold, warm and alive.
Richard reached for it in his mind.
And the path it revealed, It was nothing like the crimson route he had followed before.
This one was… complex, indirect, strange and risky.
But it is possible.
And it protected his subordinates.
He breathed out softly.
"…Alright."
His path was set.
…
The forest gradually opened, the scent of flowers drifting into the air.
The familiar hill, the sea of color, the warmth of home.
All of it came into view beneath the glowing orange of the setting sun.
Finally, Richard stopped and looked back at his ragtag army.
"Alright everyone," he said, voice gentle. "Rest, eat, and drink to your hearts' content. There's an important battle ahead of us. I will call for you when it is time. Dismiss."
The crowd dispersed like exhausted soldiers returning from war, muttering softly among themselves.
Richard slowly ascended the hill at the center of the flower field.
The heart of his home.
He stood at the slope for a moment, watching the sun dip low behind the trees, the golden light bathing his feathers as the wind carried the scent of blossoms.
Tonight will be difficult and dangerous.
But… he would walk a path he chose with his own heart.