I awoke to sharp pain.
It rang through my head, pulsing again and again—
like something was still trying to tear its way out from inside my skull.
My body ached.
Deep, structural pain.
Like I'd been ripped apart, stitched back together—
—and then ripped apart all over again.
I sucked in a sharp breath and jolted fully awake.
The sun was overhead.
Bright.
What… happened?
My vision swam as I looked around.
Movement.
Rats.
My body reacted before my mind caught up.
I tried to spring up, ready to fight—
—but the rats locked eyes with me and immediately scattered,
fleeing in every direction.
I froze.
…Why did they run?
They hadn't hesitated before.
They'd fought me head-on.
Confused, I looked again—
—and saw the alpha's body lying there, unmoving.
Something in my mind twisted.
A memory tried to force its way forward,
sharp enough to hurt.
Fragments slipped through.
My hand gripping the alpha's leg.
My body turning red.
The pain eased as the memory settled into place.
…What happened?
It felt like I'd blacked out.
And yet the alpha was dead.
Did I kill it?
How?
System.
How long was I unconscious?
3 hours.
My eyes widened.
I pushed past the limits of my body too much.
It was risky… but I guess it was necessary.
Then I swallowed and focused.
Turn notifications back on.
Yes.
I checked my status.
Level: 18
…Wow.
My throat tightened.
Did I kill the alpha?
Yes.
How?
You crushed and broke its leg, then destroyed its torso with a direct strike.
I stared at the corpse.
…That sounds brutal.
Blood Frenzy must've caused that
It's too risky to use
I can't even remember it happening
I exhaled and forced myself to focus.
Then I checked my full stats.
HP: 20 / 52
MP: 8 / 24
Attack: Lv.7
Defense: Lv.5
Speed: Lv.8
Vitality: Lv.5
Perception: Lv.6
Resolve: Lv.6
Defeating the alpha had helped a lot.
I am much stronger now.
Then I noticed something else.
A title, floating beneath my name.
Mimic Larva (Region Lord)
…Huh?
Region Lord?
What does that mean?
This is your new title.
My new title?
Why?
You defeated the alpha of this region.
I blinked.
…Does that title actually do anything?
Yes. You are now the lord of the territory previously ruled by the alpha.
…What?
Are you serious?
I'm some kind of king now?
Do not think too highly of yourself. You are the lowest tier of Monster Lord.
…Monster Lord, huh.
I didn't even know that existed.
Every region has a lord. Some are governed by extremely powerful monsters. Others are governed by the opposite—like you.
Wow. No need to be harsh.
Why didn't this region have a stronger lord?
Because this territory is close to human settlements. It is difficult to control. Humans invade frequently—and they are not weak.
My mind flashed back to fire, cages, hunters.
…Yeah.
I've seen that firsthand.
So do I have to protect this land now?
You may act as you see fit.
…Interesting.
However, be warned. You now have a bounty.
My stomach dropped.
…What?
Other Monster Lords seek to expand their territory. They will challenge you and attempt to conquer your land.
But why?
What do they gain?
Territory is to Monster Lords what land is to kings. Some seek peace. Others seek conquest. All are different.
This is… a lot.
I really hope they don't challenge me anytime soon.
I'm not ready.
Too late.
I am required to grant you a gift for becoming a Region Lord.
…Of course.
What kind of gift?
You have received a new ability.
Sovereign's Sight – Tier I
…What does that even mean?
Do not be lazy. Check your abilities.
The list appeared.
[Abilities List]
Mimic Copy (Innate – cannot be removed)
Sovereign's Sight (Tier I – cannot be removed)
Claw Slash
Blood Frenzy
I selected it.
Sovereign's Sight:
A perception ability granted to those recognized as lords.
Allows the user to perceive information about other creatures, scaling with rank and authority.
Sovereign's Sight – Tier I
Effect: You can see the Level of nearby creatures.
Notes:
– Requires line of sight
– Higher-level beings may feel harder to read
…So I can just see levels of monsters.
That's… really useful.
Not just monsters.
My eyes narrowed.
…Humans too?
That—
That changed everything.
I dragged in a slow breath.
Anything else you want to surprise me with after I nearly died?
Yes.
…What now?
The remaining time on Mimic Copy is ten minutes.
…Why would I—
My gaze dropped to the alpha's corpse.
…You're right.
I can't miss that.
But wait—didn't Blood Frenzy disable MP usage for a while?
Yes. That restriction has already expired. Over three hours have passed.
…That's very fortunate.
I checked Mimic Copy.
Cost: 8 MP
Then my MP.
MP: 8 / 24
…Perfect.
I walked over to the alpha's body.
Copy.
Light flared—
—but this time it wasn't violent.
A gray, mist-like strand flowed out of the alpha's corpse and drifted toward me,
sliding gently into the space between my eyes.
No pain.
No wrongness.
Just…
calm.
For the first time, copying didn't feel unstable.
Copy successful
Ability unlocked: Shadow Step
…Shadow Step.
I checked my abilities.
[Abilities List]
Mimic Copy (Innate – cannot be removed)
Sovereign's Sight (Tier I – cannot be removed)
Claw Slash
Blood Frenzy
Shadow Step
I opened it.
Shadow Step
A movement ability used by apex predators.
Allows the user to perform an instantaneous step that greatly exceeds normal movement speed.
…So that's how he disappeared.
That was a nightmare to fight against.
This is going to be useful.
Then I saw it.
Status: Locked
…What?
Why is it locked?
That's never happened before.
You do not meet the minimum requirements to use it.
I stared at the text.
…That makes sense.
That ability was powerful.
Fine. I'll be patient.
I finally took a deep breath.
One I felt like I'd been holding for days.
A bird passed overhead, gliding across the bright sky.
Before, that would've terrified me.
Now?
It felt… normal.
…I'm a Monster Lord now.
This is only going to get more difficult.
I looked out at the devastation left behind by the battle.
If a Region Lord was this strong…
I can't imagine what the others are like.
And they'd want to challenge me.
I'm a Mimic Larva, after all.
I swallowed.
…This isn't going to be fun.