20 A Person Like Me

It's been a few weeks since I came across those unfortunate fools who found themselves stranded here and the river has been completely expanded to allow me to just barely fit through. Under my protection, the castaways have had very little trouble with the island's monsters while working for me and whenever some did come to bother them I got a free snack.

I haven't been holding on my end of the bargain though, I've been uprooting more trees and breaking them down for the ship those sailors want to build. Not that doing this is particularly hard or anything. But now the first phase of my plan is complete.

From now on those guys should be busy with building that ship of theirs and I'm supposed to go down the river to the ocean and scout out for the best time to leave so as to avoid Cetus. Not that I'm actually going to do that, but I'll come up with some excuse.

As it turns out I can move around in the shallows around the island... sometimes. When the tide is high I can move around most places without losing any health but during the low tide, I can only head to deeper water or retreat to the lake to avoid losing any health. And it is thanks to this high tide that I can move more freely, in comparison to before anyways, and as I'm circling the island I find that the water is unusually rough. Feeling a strange sensation spread throughout my body, I poke my head into the water to find a monster larger than even me. Although not as large as Cetus, it's acting in a similar manner as it's just staring me down from the far deep waters. A monster with the face of a walrus but the lower body of an octopus. After a couple of Analysis attempts, I hit the mark and find that it is the Ikuturso the castaways spoke of. Its stats are very similar to Cetus but with higher DEX, INT, and MND, along with lower HP, STR, and VIT. Thankfully much like Cetus, Ikuturso also stays away from the shallow waters and eventually left. With the Legendary Monster out of sight, I too decide to vacate the area and return to the lake, who knows what'll show up if I stick around for too long.

On my journey back to the lake, I once again felt that strange sensation. Looking around I cant seem to find anything other than a small and strange rabbit-like creature. It is small and has the body of a rabbit but it has antlers like that of a dear adorning its head, and a large pair of wings for its size on its back. Despite its rather cute appearance, it feels like it is intently watching every move I make. I'm probably just imagining things, what could something so small possibly do. A few minutes later I come across what is likely the same rabbit-like creature watching me from the forest. And once again I pay no mind and keep moving. But as is the case, history repeats and just as I turn the corner in the river the rabbit is standing before me on its two back legs. I can just write off a single appearance, twice a coincidence, but a third time means it is clearly following me. Perhaps a bit late but I try to use Analysis, and it fails... oh shit.

The rabbit opens its mouth and from it comes a hard and deep voice, completely out of place with the creatures visual appearance.

"About time you tried something. Had I been ignored a third time I would have killed you, now try again."

Caught off guard by the talking rabbit, I end up using Analysis again upon its suggestion and finally see what this creature is.

Name: Skvader

Race: Skvader

Tier: Legendary

Titles: Forest King, Monster of Folklore, Immortal

Level: 75(Max)

State: Healthy

HP: 1,081,105,463,300 / 1,081,105,463,300

MP: 2,162,210,926,600 / 2,162,210,926,600

SP: 1,351,381,829,125 / 1,351,381,829,125

STR: 1,092,457,070,665

VIT: 1,087,051,543,348

DEX: 1,675,713,468,115

INT: 1,925,178,553,771

WIS: 1,756,796,377,862

MND: 2,000,045,107,105

Details: One of the Four Legendary Monster of the Isle of Eon. The Wise King of the Forest, guardian of the lands of Eon. He roams the lands protecting his forest subjects from harm. Probably like carrots.

I knew it the moment my Analysis failed, and I'm not even surprised at this point. I'm more surprised that I find this normal than I am at another Legendary Monster showing itself.

"You do not seem to be very surprised at knowing my true strength."

"You get used to it. Running into things that are far beyond me happens a little too often to me."

"Well I saw you luck was really low, so I only suppose that is to be expected."

"So... am I going to die here?"

"Heavens, no, I'm not so barbaric to kill you without a second thought like those two in the ocean. I am only here to ask a simple question and depending on your answer, I will let off move on."

"But if you don't like the answers you're going to kill me right?"

"Guess, now then, you are the fourth to be questioned by me in the past ten thousand years, and the fourth to be a Seed of Calamity. Perhaps it is fate that leads all who hold the title here, yet only one has succeeded thus far, but if you have received the inheritance then the second will be coming soon. Tell me, young Dragon, do you intend to reach for the stars."

With my life on the line I need to be careful about how I answer his question, but I think I have a good idea of what his question is and how to correctly answer. I got plenty of hints. The Seed of Calamity is intrinsically linked to the Heralds and mention me being the fourth with only one to succeed. I remember the System saying a long time ago that there is currently only one Herald alive right now. If my guess is right then that should correlate to the line 'yet only one has succeeded'. reaching for the stars is probably an allegory for the Ouroboros who consumes the stars.

"Of course, I will and I don't intend to stop at the stars either."

"Good answer, had you lacked ambition you would have died before another second has passed. In recognition of your ambition, I shall bestow upon you some advice that I once gave to the other three, although the specifics differ. Facilitate the revival of the Dragons and wipe out an order of life. I'd recommend you stay away from the crocodilians and the sauropods due to their relation with the other Heralds."

"I can tell that you're not as kind as you let off. You give me a familiar feeling, similar to myself. Sneaky, lying, selfish, I person like me. Why are you just telling me all this?"

"You are the first to figure out my true intention, the other three were normal Elite Monsters, capable of true thought but they were still living true to their instincts, but it seems you're much different. As if I was speaking with man rather than monster. Very well, I shall grace you with the reason for helping the Seeds of Calamity. The four of us, Cetus, Ikuturso, Simurgh, and myself, are trapped and sealed on this island. The Lord of Knowledge deemed up too dangerous to be allowed to roam the world and decided to imprison us, but the creator left a behind a method to break free. Once the four Heralds walk the world, the seal will break letting us out into the world once more."

Claiming that I am currently not worthy to learn any more and should return once I have fulfilled more of my requirements, Skvader hops back to the forest, leaving me somewhat bewildered but thankful that I get to see another day. If he was more savage like Cetus or someone more righteous, I probably would have died. Resuming my journey back to the lake I contemplate over all the information I learned today and came up with a reasonable escape time for the castaways. I'll claim that at certain periods that Ikuturso and Cetus fight with each other and they can use that time to escape, of course, I don't actually know if they do fight each other or not but it won't matter. AH! Wait a moment, I just realised something. Skvader knew that I had a vendetta against the Imperatosuchus and that I was responsible for the extinction of the Ignisauros, just how long had that old rabbit been watching me!?