"I Offer It."

“I offer it.”

There was no turning back now. As the boss of my crew, it would undermine my dignity.

This swamp ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠was teeming not just with monsters, but ordinary beasts and insects too. Blending in as one of them wouldn't be easy for me. It was all because of my scales, shining beautifully like crystals.

No choice—I rolled wildly in the mud. The muck would hide their gleam. Someday, I hope I can freely unleash myBlack Scaleskill. That would make things so much easier.

Coated in sticky mud, next I rolled over a pile of half-rotted leaves. Once they stuck to me, I became practically invisible if I stayed still. Natural ghillie suit: complete.

I crept forward cautiously. Of course, that alone wasn't enough to relax.

I erased my presence. No rustle of grass, no glint in my eyes from the shadows.

I delved deeper into the swamp. Maybe because I was moving so stealthily, grasshoppers crawled right over me. Not part of the insect king's horde, though—they were clustered deeper in, not wandering this area.

This was the zone where the primates gathered. That's why I was crawling here.

Thud! The clamor of the Insect King and Monkey Boss clashing echoed loudly.

I felt humbled. I'd lorded over the zoo monsters like a king. Even when surrounded in the monkeys' forest, I hadn't been this scared. It was like the pressure from my first encounter with the cockatrice.

I first eyed the Insect King crawling up from the swamp: Insect King Grand Riok.

A king of bugs had to be huge, right? Easily over 15 meters long. Comparable to a decent-sized villa, if I had to guess. And the weight? At least dozens of tons.

I knew the 'Riok' species. They were like giant crickets from tropical zones. Bugs from hot climates tend to be massive anyway. Brown, sturdy carapace, robust legs—not scrawny at all. Their leg and jaw strength were insane, and they had a notoriously ferocious temper. Famous for dominating those maniacal bug-fighting tournaments back on Earth. But comparing Earth's palm-sized bugs to this monster? No contest.

Usually submerged in the swamp to support ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠its bulk, its body was sopping wet. As it flapped, water sprayed up, painting rainbows in the sky.

The monster sank its jagged fangs into the silver chimpanzee. Kaaang!

But it was just an afterimage. The chimp was already atop Riok's back, dropping like a falling star onto the front leg joint with a hammer fist.

Krunch! The silverback was no slouch either. What martial arts master moved like that?

In the end, one of Riok's front legs tore clean off.

From what I could see, that chimp had worse matchup against me than Riok. Too nimble—I'd struggle to sink my fangs in. But a big lug like Riok? More manageable. If I could breach that tough carapace, like with the chimera, crawl inside and devour its heart...

Bug and mammal organs differ, sure, but every creature's got something heart-like.

But that was just fantasy. The moment the leg severed, tentacle-like things burst from Riok's torso cross-section.

Shrrrrr...

They shot out, grabbing the detached leg. Each one wriggled like a living thing...

I realized. 'Ugh.'

Those 'tentacles' were all parasites.

Seemingly symbiotic, the parasites reattached the leg. Crawling inside that body to eat the heart? Impossible. Each parasite was my size.

-Halt!

I froze, relaxing my body. Monkeys marched past: thud, thud.

Hulking monkeys wielding spear-like weapons. Their faces were a riot of colors, like masks. Looked strong—maybe the silverback's elite guard?

The monkeys weren't fighting the bugs. They were docile, spectating their boss's duel. Same for the insects. Like watching a duel between Lu Bu and Zhang Fei—everyone just watching.

Growling warily, but no all-out war like I'd hoped. Then I spotted why.

'That fruit.'

The primate elites and insect elites faced off over a tree root. At its tip hung a crimson fruit the size of an egg.

Too far and small to discern effects, but right now, the monkeys held the root, backs to it, encircling to block the bugs.

But they weren't plucking it.

-Because the bugs wouldn't stand for it.

So they waited for the bosses' duel to decide. But to me, neither seemed all-in.

-Really?

'Yeah.'

True pros recognize each other. Neither chimp nor bug was fighting full throttle. More like a probe, testing strengths.

Time to borrow something...!

My long-coveted Borrowing Horn skill hummed eagerly. I'd even stolen a hero's lightning skill before. Sure, Heavenly Thunder Command was still lv0, needed Leap Horn to use, but still.

I focused. Prime target: that white monkey.

Ugh, glimpses now. But real-time mental drain. As taxing as scanning Gunter. Lv129—terrifying. First three-digit level I'd seen.

Skills...?

Nosebleed. Hard to pierce. Didn't want Monkey Decapitation ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠or Silver Fur Hide—no furry snake for me. Hand Blade Strike? No hands, probably useless.

-Sensing others' skills and traits is absurd to begin with. Don't push it—your mind will break.

Pellelian warned gravely. Peering into others was for the elite: dragons, apostles of gods. Even with my Mental Strength 20, time to pause.

Skip monkey, check gross bug.

Ah, easier. Still tough, but less drain than monkey. Strength and scannability not perfectly linked. Maybe higher intelligence makes it harder? Then Gunter's as smart as a monkey? Nah.

Key: Borrowable skills?

Ugh, lame skills for a bug. High levels, but basic. High Jump was basically my Quick Crawl.

Pellelian explained: -Inefficient evolutions include skills. You're seeing a haphazard evolver. Impressively strong, though.

Not all bad.

Aaagh! Breed parasites inside to boost power. Versatile: inject foes, sacrifice for heals. But no. Absolutely not.

Back to monkeys... 'Wait.'

Sudden realization. Only skills borrowable here? My eyes locked on that distant red fruit.

Monkeys circled protectively. Even with ghillie and Stealth, infiltrating? Impossible. Caught before I got close.

Less guarded than bugs' side—no burrowing monkeys. One subordinate had a useful skill: only Burrow Escape from 'Pointy-Nosed Mole Rat lv10'. Borrowed its Burrow lv3. Got me out of monkey forest.

Instantly, Chimera Pafnacha-level burrowing prowess. Thanks, mole rat!

Scrabble-scrabble-scrabble!

* * *

“Keke...”

The Crimson Teeth Great Centipede eyed her king. Insect King Grand Riok. No bond there. But no choice. Alone, fine—but she had younglings.

So she joined the insect legion. Riok and Silverback Akimus: monstrously strong. If she evolved someday, could she match them? Unknown.

“Kekeke.”

Kkubugi acted cute on her back. At least once these kids became fine king centipedes, she could evolve.

Centipedes' vision sucks normally. But as a monster king centipede, hers was hawk-sharp from birth.

Suspicious sight in her view.

'Kehe?'

The root monkeys held. Ground beside it ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠bulged.

A bug burrowing? No. Familiar face peeked: small white snake.

It peeked eyes-up. Monkeys oblivious. Crimson fruit atop shook.

'Kekeke! (Transparent Hand!)'

White snake friend cast weird magic. Clearly to pluck fruit.

As legion member, yell alert? Nah, zero urge.

Fruit dropped. Snake snatched, vanished in puff.

As Great Centipede dazed: “The swamp monster and silver monkey... no intent to settle, I see.”

She nearly spasmed. Spider—rival—spoke.

“Fruit seems monkeys' claim.”

Belly-face smirked. Asking her take. She replied coldly: “Kehe.”

“...!”

Human-Faced Spider scowled. 'Rude bitch. How long you keep that up?'

Then, a hatchling on her back piped: “Ke...”

“Snap!” She bellowed; it cowered.

Irked spider. 'Keep acting cocky. Soon wipe you all.'

Black heart: soon purge all bugs but spiders. Legion too vast. XP split, fruit divvied badly.

Spider glanced at fruit—

“...Huh, gone?”

Vanished. Monkeys snatched? When?!

“Seize it—the fruit's stolen—!”

Spider's eyes bloodshot. Riok-Akimus duel halted.

“Take it back...!”

Monkey and bug roars erupted.

* * *

I'm a genius! Nailed it.

Back atop cliff, fruit in mouth.

Subordinates blinked awake, welcoming boss's return.

Fruit heist: success. Tiny, vivid red.

Name...?

A fruit demanding tribute of something precious right now.