Chapter 3
Kai Louvan had experienced many confusing moments in his life.
The day his potato crop died even though he watered it three times.
The day a chicken chased him across the settlement because he accidentally stepped on its egg.
The day old farmer Brant tried to teach him irrigation systems and ended up yelling for two straight hours.
But none of those moments compared to what was happening right now.
Kai stood in the muddy center of Rustland Settlement staring at the enormous creature walking through the broken gate.
The Titan Gorger.
It was bigger than the Ironfang Alpha.
Much bigger.
The wolf had been terrifying.
This thing looked like a moving mountain.
Kai slowly rubbed his face.
"…I quit."
The blue system window flickered calmly in front of his eyes.
Host resignation request denied.
Kai pointed angrily at the floating screen.
"I wasn't asking for permission!"
The Titan Gorger stepped forward.
The ground trembled under its weight.
Every step made the nearby wooden buildings creak.
Its body was covered in thick gray armor plates that looked like cracked stone cliffs stacked on top of each other. Dust and small pebbles fell from its shell every time it moved.
Its massive claws dug deep into the dirt.
And its glowing yellow eyes were fixed on Kai.
Kai slowly pointed at himself again.
"…Why does everything keep looking at me?"
The system responded instantly.
Host currently classified as the most visible and weakest target.
Kai blinked.
"That is extremely rude."
Accuracy prioritized over politeness.
Kai sighed.
"Of course it is."
Behind him the settlement had erupted into controlled panic.
People rushed toward the underground shelters built beneath the storage hall.
Guards shouted instructions.
Hunters dragged injured villagers away from the gate.
Old farmer Brant appeared again, grabbing Kai's shoulder.
"KAI!"
Kai jumped.
"What?!"
"RUN!"
Kai glanced at the Titan Gorger again.
Then back at Brant.
"…That sounds reasonable."
Brant shoved him.
"MOVE!"
Kai turned and took two steps.
Then Kroko glowed.
The tiny caterpillar on his shoulder pulsed with soft green light.
Kai froze mid-step.
"…You're glowing again."
"Kro."
Kai slowly turned back.
The Titan Gorger had stopped moving.
Completely.
The massive creature froze in place just inside the broken gate.
Kai frowned.
"…That's new."
The Titan Gorger lowered its enormous head slightly.
Its glowing eyes shifted.
Not toward Kai.
Toward Kroko.
The entire settlement square went silent.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Kai blinked slowly.
"…Why is it looking at you?"
Kroko tilted its tiny head.
"Kro."
The Titan Gorger released a deep rumbling sound.
But it wasn't a roar.
It sounded uncertain.
Kai stared.
"…Did the giant monster just hesitate?"
The system flickered.
Behavior anomaly detected.
The Titan Gorger stepped closer.
Kai braced himself.
"Okay, now it's definitely eating me."
But it didn't.
Instead the creature stopped directly in front of him.
Close enough that Kai could see the rough layers of its stone-like armor and the faint glowing cracks beneath them.
Kai swallowed.
"…Hello."
The monster didn't attack.
It simply stared.
At Kroko.
The caterpillar crawled slowly from Kai's shoulder onto the end of the bent shovel he was holding.
Kai raised the shovel slightly.
"Please don't bite this one."
Kroko lifted its head.
The green glow intensified.
"Kro."
The Titan Gorger suddenly lowered its head.
Kai's eyes widened.
"…Did it just bow?"
The system flashed again.
Unknown dominance signal detected.
Kai pointed at Kroko.
"You didn't tell me you were royalty."
"Kro."
Kai sighed.
"Of course you didn't."
The Titan Gorger slowly stepped backward.
The massive creature moved away from the settlement entrance.
Kai stared in disbelief.
"…Wait."
The monster wasn't attacking.
It wasn't roaring.
It wasn't destroying buildings.
It was retreating.
Kai scratched his head.
"…Did we just scare off a mountain?"
The system paused.
Conclusion unclear.
Kai looked down at Kroko.
"You bit a wolf and scared a Titan monster."
"Kro."
"Are you secretly terrifying?"
"Kro."
Kai nodded slowly.
"That's concerning."
Then—
a distant roar echoed across the wasteland.
Kai turned toward the broken highway outside the settlement.
Dust clouds were rising in the distance.
Large shapes moved within the haze.
Many shapes.
Kai squinted.
"…System?"
Yes, host.
"How many monsters are out there?"
There was a short pause.
Then the answer appeared.
Estimated count:
47.
Kai stared.
"…Forty-seven."
Minimum estimate.
Kai rubbed his face slowly.
"This day is terrible."
The Titan Gorger turned toward the approaching dust cloud.
It roared.
The sound rolled across the wasteland like thunder.
Kai flinched.
The approaching monsters slowed.
Several Ironfang wolves skidded to a stop.
Mutated hyenas snarled but hesitated.
Kai blinked.
"…They're afraid."
The system responded.
Confirmed.
Titan Gorger classified as dominant predator.
Kai looked at the giant creature again.
"So that thing is protecting us?"
The Titan Gorger stood between the settlement and the approaching swarm.
Like a massive living wall.
Kai scratched his head again.
"I dropped a water tower on a wolf earlier."
Correct.
"Does that make me a monster tamer now?"
Highly unlikely.
Kai shrugged.
"I'll take partial credit."
The dust cloud outside thickened.
More glowing eyes appeared.
Ironfang wolves.
Mutated lizards.
Spine-backed beasts.
Rustland Settlement had never seen this many monsters at once.
Kai swallowed.
"…System."
Yes.
"Be honest."
The system paused.
Then responded.
Settlement destruction probability:
89%.
Kai sighed.
"Great."
Kroko suddenly glowed brighter.
The green light pulsed slowly.
Once.
Twice.
Then—
a wave of energy spread outward.
The ground trembled.
Every monster outside the settlement froze.
The Titan Gorger froze.
Even the wind seemed to stop.
Kai blinked.
"…What did you just do?"
The system flickered wildly.
Unknown signal detected.
Kai slowly looked down at the tiny caterpillar.
"Kroko?"
"Kro."
The monster swarm outside the gate slowly lowered their heads.
One by one.
Like soldiers hearing a command.
Kai stared.
"…What."
The Titan Gorger lowered its head again.
Fully.
As if kneeling.
The system displayed new text.
Companion classification updated:
Origin Evolution Entity.
Kai stared.
"…You're telling me my caterpillar is important?"
The system responded quietly.
Very.
Then the ground began shaking again.
Heavier.
Slower.
Something enormous was approaching through the dust cloud.
Kai squinted toward the wasteland.
A massive figure slowly emerged.
Taller than the Titan Gorger.
Covered in black armor plates.
Glowing crimson cracks ran across its body like molten lava beneath stone.
Its eyes burned like fire.
The system flashed red.
ALERT
High-Level Entity Detected.
Kai swallowed.
"What is that?"
The system answered calmly.
Designation:
Ironfang Warlord.
The giant creature stepped forward.
The monster swarm parted around it.
And its glowing eyes locked directly onto Kai.
Kai tightened his grip on the bent shovel.
"…I really hate this day."
The Ironfang Warlord smiled.
Then it spoke.
Its voice rolled across the battlefield like distant thunder.
"Host."
Kai blinked.
"…The monster just talked."
The system replied quietly.
Yes.
Situation has escalated.
Kai sighed.
"Of course it has."