By the crystal-clear stream, a piercing shriek shattered the silence of the forest.
"Aaaaaahhh! Help! Somebody, please help me!!!"
A young woman's cry echoed through the trees. Her body was bound to a massive boulder by heavy, glowing chains of enchanted iron. She struggled desperately, but the magical shackles held firm. Her eyes, wide with terror, were locked onto the horror slithering toward her.
It was a Basilisk—a monstrous serpent clad in emerald-green scales. Its amber-red eyes glared at the girl as if she were a gourmet feast, its bifurcated tongue flicking in and out to savor the scent of her fear. It crept closer, unhinging its jaws to reveal venomous fangs sharp enough to tear through steel.
But then, in a flash of blinding light—Ving!
A radiant golden aura erupted between the maiden and the beast. As the light dimmed, a tiny rooster with soft, primrose feathers stood there, surrounded by a majestic golden glow. It stood with poise on a single leg, the other tucked up elegantly, staring down the Basilisk with a look of utter disdain.
"Worms... nothing but worms everywhere!" A deep, authoritative, and impossibly arrogant voice vibrated from the small beak. "From this annoying, low-born human to this... genetic failure of a common snake! How dare you both disturb my scenic view!"
The girl's screams cut off abruptly. Her jaw dropped, her fear of the Basilisk momentarily eclipsed by sheer bewilderment. "Huh...? A chicken? A talking chicken? Am I... am I dreaming?"
The Basilisk cared little for her confusion. Enraged by the tiny creature blocking its path, it lunged, spitting a stream of dark green venom at the rooster. The toxin was so potent that the moment it hit the ground, the grass, the trees, and even the magical chains binding the girl began to liquefy. A thick, poisonous haze filled the air.
"Heh heh heh!" A mocking laugh rang out from the emerald fog.
As the smoke cleared, the woman gasped in disbelief. The rooster stood exactly where it had been, completely unscathed. Not a single feather was ruffled. It was as if the deadly venom had simply passed through him like a ghost.
"Hahaha! You fool!" The rooster laughed, flicking its wings with practiced flair. "You lowly serpent! How dare you think you could strike a God? The laws of this world are absolute: a bottomless creature like you has no right to even touch me! I stand above all things—all magic, all poisons! You are far too beneath me to even graze my skin!"
Infuriated, the Basilisk let out a deafening roar and swung its massive, armored tail. The force of the blow was cataclysmic; five ancient trees behind the rooster were sliced clean through as if by a giant razor, and boulders shattered into dust.
Yet, the tail passed straight through the rooster's body, striking nothing but air.
The girl stared, her mouth agape. "What... what on earth is that chicken?"
The rooster glanced back at the tail that had just phased through him. "Hmph... a decent effort... for a worm. But I grow bored of this game. It is time for your end. Behold: The Venom of Filth!"
With a sharp flick of its head, the rooster spat a glob of thick, pitch-black liquid at the Basilisk.
BOOM!
The "spit" wasn't merely liquid; it was a concentrated mass of destructive energy. The moment it touched the Basilisk's impenetrable scales, the monster began to melt like ice cast into a furnace. It shrieked in agonizing pain as its entire body dissolved. Within seconds, not even a carcass remained—only a pile of ash scattered by the wind.
The rooster shook its head, muttering under its breath. "Ugh... forced to use that 'Filthy' technique again. Disgusting! Now my beak feels tainted."
He preened his feathers back into place with haughty dignity before turning to the now-freed woman. "As for you, lowly human... you should feel honored to have witnessed a miracle from my divine self—"
But before he could finish his sentence...
"Kyaaaaaa! Such a cute little chickieeee!"
The girl, finally free from her chains, lunged forward and scooped the rooster into a crushing embrace. She rubbed her face against his soft feathers with manic glee, squeezing him so hard he could barely breathe.
"So cute, so cute! I've never seen a chicken with such soft feathers and a pretty glow! You're mine! This little chick is mine!"
"How... how dare you! Let go! You lowly creature!" the rooster struggled, but to no avail. Her human grip was somehow more terrifying than the Basilisk. "I am a God, damn it! Respect me! Keep your filthy face away from my divine plumage! Let go of me, I said!"
The situation had turned into utter chaos. The arrogant former God was about to be cuddled to death by a woman scarier than any monster.
Whoosh!
In a blur of motion, the rooster vanished from her arms, reappearing safely behind a large tree. The girl blinked at her empty hands, looking lost. "Eh? Little chickie? Where did you go?"
A second later, a young man stepped out from behind the trunk. He was stunningly handsome with shimmering golden hair, though he was dressed in tattered burlap rags. His face was twisted in a scowl of pure irritation.
He marched toward the girl, pointing an accusing finger. "Know your place, you lowly human! To lay hands on a God is a sin beyond measure!"
He scanned her from head to toe with a calculating gaze. "But fine... seeing as I (unintentionally) saved you... and you look like you might actually have some coin... tell me your name! And prepare to compensate me for the damage you've done to my feathers!"
The girl, who had been pouting over her lost "chickie," looked up. As she listened to the man's arrogant rambling, her expression shifted from sadness to sharp, mounting fury.
WHACK!
She lunged to her feet and swung her wooden staff, cracking it against the rooster-man's head with a resounding thud.
"How dare you!" she screamed at the top of her lungs. "Who gave you permission to speak to me with such a big mouth!?"
The "God," clutching his throbbing head, could only stare in shock..."Ow! Dammit, that hurts! You lowly human!" Rooster hissed, clutching the growing lump on his head and baring his teeth at the girl. "I told you, I didn't eat that chicken! Why would I eat myself... I mean, why would a supreme being like me eat a common bird!"
"Liar! You totally ate him!" The girl, whose name was Ceylon, stood with her hands on her hips, huffing in indignation. "That adorable little chick vanished the exact moment you appeared. Besides, you're dressed in those raggedy clothes like some wandering rogue mage. Tell me where you used your warp magic to hide my chickie right now!"
Rooster clicked his tongue in irritation. "Hmph! I had no intention of eating it to begin with... even if I was originally looking to buy some roast chicken for lunch..."
Whack!
"Aha! A confession! You heartless sinner!" Ceylon landed another blow precisely on the same spot, sending the young man face-first toward the dirt.
"Aggh! Stop hitting my head! It's not a temple bell!" Rooster pushed himself up, his face flushed with fury, a golden aura nearly erupting from his skin. "Fine! Consider it a profound mercy that I shall allow a lowly human like you to hear my divine name... My name is Rooster! The true ruler of—"
"Rooster? That's just the word for a male chicken," Ceylon interrupted with a deadpan expression. "And the way you talk... do you honestly think you're some god trapped in a fairy tale? How delusional."
"You... you...!" Rooster trembled with rage. He was on the verge of casting a hex to turn her into a grain of paddy, but he checked his power, remembering he was currently in a human form that lacked his full divinity. "Fine! Believe what you want! And who are you anyway? You look like you have some noble blood, yet here you were, chained up as snake bait."
Ceylon lifted her chin slightly, despite the dirt smudging her face. "I am Ceylon, Princess of the Antaurus Kingdom... though, my father has officially kicked me out of the realm."
Hearing this, Rooster erupted into a fit of laughter that echoed through the woods. "Hahahaha! You foolish human! What on earth did you do to get kicked out by your own father? You must be so stubborn that even a mule would take lessons from you!"
Ceylon's face turned a deep shade of crimson, a mix of embarrassment and anger. "I was only slightly rebellious! All I did was burn a few boring history scrolls and secretly let the warhorses out for a little run through the city streets!"
"Heh... typical. Humans are nothing but trouble," Rooster muttered, shaking his head as he began to lead the way out.
As they emerged from the Malay Forest, a vast expanse of lush green meadow stretched out before them. A cool breeze swept across the plains, making the tall grass dance. In the distance stood the majestic high walls of the Antaurus Kingdom, and not far beyond the city lay a daunting, dark silhouette—the Redwood Forest, home to giant trees so tall their peaks were lost in the clouds.
[The Adventurers' Guild, Antaurus Kingdom]
Slam!!!
The sound of a hand hitting the table made the ale mugs rattle. "What did you say?! That Infernal Fire Dragon was killed by a... a chicken? What kind of Rank A adventurers are you supposed to be!"
The voice belonged to Daki, the Guildmaster, whose face was marked by a prominent scar. He glared at Lucas's party, who had returned battered and broken. Miel sat pale-faced against the wall, her left shoulder heavily bandaged where her arm had been severed.
"It's true, Boss... as insane as it sounds, that Rank S Dragon was pecked and punched to death by a chicken with a golden aura," Lucas said, his voice trembling. "I saw it with my own eyes... it was faster than lightning, possessing a power we couldn't even fathom."
Klass nodded in grim confirmation. "It could talk too, Boss... it claimed to be a God."
Daki let out a long sigh, rubbing his chin thoughtfully. "A chicken surrounded by a golden aura... Hmph! If what you say is true, it's likely to show its face again very soon."
"Why is that, Boss?" Lucas asked curiously.
Daki unfurled a large map onto the table, pointing to a deep crimson blotch in the heart of the giant trees. "Intelligence reports suggest that the Titan Dragon—a beast larger than a mountain—is about to awaken in the Redwood Forest. It's sensing a massive surge of energy, similar to when the Hero Izel arrived in this kingdom two years ago..."
He looked up at Lucas with a grim, serious stare.
"We are fortunate that the Hero Izel is still within the kingdom, so we can breathe a little easier. But I have a feeling... that chicken is going to show up."