Ruler Of Iron And Flesh

Inian landed with a thud on the open and rocky terrain of the monster lands. He used his ability to sense monsters around him but could only detect a couple of mid-tier monsters and some low-tier ones.

'They aren't going to help me get stronger.' He thought to himself. He sat down on a rock and tried to think about what to do.

He's been stuck at the high-tier stage for about a year now, and no number of powers he's acquired has let him pass that.

'Maybe it'll take a certain amount of danger first.'

When Inian had gone up to the high-tier stage, he had fought Tecale to get an understanding of what the high-tier was. But he had first arrived at the high-tier stage through the connection with his mind and heart.

'I remember Kraque telling me that the more I resonate with my heart, the stronger I will become.'

Inian went into a meditative position. He focused on the terrain around him, and his breathing and pounding within his c.h.e.s.t.

He sat for the entire day and...nothing.

He stood up, g.r.o.a.n.e.d in frustration. Suddenly, his mind clicked to a location towards the southern part of the monster lands.

There was a bog there, and when he was in the monster lands last time, he heard rumors of a powerful monster that ruled over the area.

'That's where I'll go,' he thought to himself.

He opened his wings back up and launched into the air. It only took half the night for him to land on the soft ground of the bog.

"Gross," he muttered as his foot sank into some mud.

The air was heavy and humid in the bog. The stench smelled like rotting wood and feces. Inian pinched his nose shut.

He used his ability to detect monsters and found one mid-tier monster nearby. Creeping, he called out to the beast.

The monster looked at him and bowed low. It was a fat boar with long legs to help it move through the deep parts of the bog.

Its gravelly voice rumbled, "what can I do for you, your highness?"

Inian sighed with relief when he discovered it was a monster that served the king.

"Are there any powerful high-tier monsters in this swamp? Or even a Titan level monster?"

The monster answered, "there is one powerful monster here that rules these lands. I cannot be sure if it is a high-tier or Titan level monster, however. I am far too low on the totem pole to tell the difference."

Inian nodded, "Thank you. Which way?"

The boar monster waved its head in a specific direction, "Its that way. Every monster knows where it lives; they don't go in that direction."

The monster moved on while Inian moved in the direction that the boar monster nodded.

The bog was already dark from nightfall, but Inian could see a certain distance with his improved vision.

He passed through dense brush and deep parts of mud until he got to this large pond.

The water was still and had moss floating on top of it. Inian felt a very dangerous presence lurking in the water. He reached out to touch the edge of the pond, and that sent ripples across it.

Suddenly, hundreds of vines reached out and grabbed Inian. He would break out of a dozen vines at a time but hundreds more replaced them.

A gurgling voice came from the water, "This is my bog, young boy! Everything in it is mine to control! You do not have the power here that you would outside. So, what brings you here?"

Inian struggled to reply through the tangled vines, "I'm not...here...to fight...you!"

A monster rose from the water. It was such a tangle of wood, moss, and vines that one couldn't tell where the front of the beast was or the back.

"Really? Not here to challenge my authority?" It asked.

"NO!"

"Fine then, I shall put you down." The bog monster willed the vines to place Inian down on a stable patch of ground.

Inian brushed himself off, "I wish to learn how to become stronger. I am the monster king, but I am only at the high-tier stage. I came to you hoping to learn oh great one."

Inian bowed to the Titan level monster.

The monster seemed flattered, "oh, well...I can't refuse a questioning soul my answers now can I?"

The mass of moss and vines came closer to Inian. "Like most monsters, I have always been at the level I'm at, but it's different for the king and a select few others hmmm?"

Suddenly, the mass of moss and vines fell away to reveal a small rodent-like creature standing up on its hind legs.

It raised its arms, "behold a Titan level monster!"

Inian had the strongest d.e.s.i.r.e to laugh, seeing that the Titan level monster in the bog was a small rodent. But he suppressed that urge, knowing that the rodent could kill him at any time.

"You are as magnificent as the rumors have said!" Inian said as he bowed low.

The rodent seemed to snicker, "of course I am. Now, your question was how you could reach the Titan level?"

Inian nodded vigorously.

"Easy enough, then. First, I will tell you about my power, and that power is that I can control everything within this bog. So I am only a Titan level beast as long as I am in this bog if I am outside it, I become a low-tier monster, can you believe that?"

"That is unbelievable!"

The rodent closed its eyes and nodded its head, "I know — such a sad thing for my grandeur to possibly be considered a low-tier. Anyway, my ability makes me the absolute ruler in this bog. I believe it and accept it. This allows me to move things as I will. Now, do you understand how to become a Titan level?"

Inian cautiously answered, "it's not completely clear, more specifically, what do I need to accomplish?"

A branch rose nearby, and it led straight to Inian's head. It stopped right in front of him, and the rodent moved up to his head and grabbed it between its tiny paws.

"What you need to do is accept the fact that you are an absolute ruler! That is what will bring you to the Titan level! That's what I think anyway, I can't really know if anything else is required."

Inian nodded, "thank you, great one. I will put this wisdom to good use."

The rodent smirked, "of course you should. Now, don't hesitate to come back if you need to look at my grandeur again."

The rodent then retreated, and mounds of earth, moss, vines, and anything else in the vicinity encircled it, creating the mass that surrounds it, and then it sank once more into the pond.

Inian was sweating, 'that was far too nervewracking. I see what the power of a Titan level monster means now.'

He slowly moved back out the way he came, and when the canopy above was clear enough, he jumped into the air soaring across the sky once more.

'Its time for an upgrade.'