Galaxy's First Ruler

Titles, an irrefutable necessity for any Dreamer. Only one word could do justice in describing it, advantage.

Unlike Skills and Items which targeted only a particular aspect of Dreamer. The Titles improved a Dreamer's capabilities in its entirety. There was neither limit on their equipment nor there was an issue of being Passive or Active. And that's why every Title was a prized possession of any Dreamer.

*

One of Aldrich's goals in selecting this Dungeon was the data that showed the spawning of hordes of any type of Crawlers. Aldrich couldn't find any better way to at least achieve his first Title within the shortest time.

Putting on his gas mask, Aldrich dashed towards the lone Crawler. The sadness tried to become a hindrance, but couldn't even make him flinch. By the time the Crawler sensed something wrong, Aldrich was already over its head in the air. One could see a pair of black daggers, with shadowy vapor rising from them, in his hands.

BULCHH!!!

UuuuAAAA!!!

[…

You have killed 1 Common Squonk

ExPs obtained: 1250

You have leveled up

…]

The disgusting creature wasn't strong at all, but it's newborn-like cry in the moment of its death had teased its brethren to their core. The smooth wave of rising fog out of the holes became turbulent, and the earth beneath Aldrich's and Boomie's feet quaked with increasing intensity.

UuuuuuAAAAAAAA!!!

An even more loud and terrifying cry of dozens of similar Crawlers resonated with each other. Aldrich saw Boomie putting his hands over his ears and, just for a moment, he had a vision of his parents waiting for him in front of their shop.

CONTAGIOUS MISERY!

Over 30 Squonks crawled out of the holes. Aldrich and Boomie stood shoulder to shoulder as they saw a fog, or the fart, in the air churned and gathered towards the grouped Crawlers. Warts and moles pulsed in and out as the foul gas entered within their body. Aldrich's grip on the daggers tightened, seeing the throbbing muscles on the pig-like beasts.

"What is happening?" asked Boomie.

"It must be a group's buff," replied Aldrich vaguely.

Just as Aldrich had uttered the words, the Crawlers inflated to half of their original size, like a balloon on the verge of bursting out.

DROVE's BUFF!

Aldrich and Boomie looked at each other and ran in opposite directions. More than half of the Crawlers separated themselves from the entire horde to chase Aldrich, while the rest targeted Boomie. Aldrich felt the vibrations coursing through his legs by the stampeding Crawlers behind him. The constant sound of weeping and the aura of sadness had already engulfed him.

TRAMPLING CHARGE!

It wasn't a wonder that even at RARE rank, the Party of Dreamers had faced difficulty in handling the Common Crawlers. But Aldrich and Boomie differed from such Parties, in both strength and wits. Just as the Crawlers were about to trample the puny Dreamer, a horrifying Divine Sense covered them entirely.

INTIMIDATION!

The Crawlers' eyes rolled back into their head, the weeping halted, and their legs buckled. The Squonk's Skill that could have crushed a boulder, now crushed the back of their own. One upon one, the Crawlers in the front had their spine broken with crunching noises as the beasts behind them came crashing onto their backs.

What Aldrich had left to do was to carry out a slaughter.

"Change."

[…

Strength: 128 (+90 +3)

Perception: 90 (-90)

…]

Hundreds of black blur ravaged the Crawlers like a skilled butcher handling a pig. By the time Aldrich's image resurfaced into existence, the last Squonk had already crumbled into dust. The only thing they had left behind as proof of their existence was a bunch of Mana Cores.

[…

You have killed 1 Common Squonk

You have killed 1 Common Squonk

…

You have leveled up

…

…]

Within the first hour of their arrival, Aldrich had regained his lost levels and had even gone beyond that. The thing that had terrified others became a mere tool for farming ExPs for Aldrich. Aldrich turned around to look towards Boomie and found an even amazing scene.

A long wooden pole had impaled all the Crawlers, and Boomie was swinging the pole around like a child's toy. The whimpering sound of some ten Squonks with their overgrown size and short legs turned into nothing but a comical sight from afar. Aldrich knew that even if there were hundreds of Crawlers, the result would have been the same. This was the terror of Title One against Hundred.

With a sudden flash, a notification materialized in front of Aldrich's eyes.

[…

You have completed the Title Quest: Kill 100 Common Ranked Crawlers

Title Reward: Enemy of Crawlers

…

Title: Enemy of Crawlers

Description: 10% increase in all Attributes while facing all Non-Boss Crawlers

…]

"Simple enough," said Aldrich, with a slight grin on his face.

This was the beauty of the Titles. They were direct and had almost no limit or warnings about them.

"ALDRICH!"

Aldrich was about to cancel the Skill when a shout from Boomie made him snap his head in Boomie's direction. Aldrich saw the previously impaled Crawlers had changed. Not only did the volume of tears coming out of their eyes had increased, but tears were also coming out of their all pores. The pole in Boomie's hand suddenly became a fountain as all the Squonks burst out like a watered balloon. But this wasn't the end.

Aldrich dashed towards Boomie as he saw the dense liquid on the ashy ground squirmed and gathered at a single spot. The liquid got reassembled in the shape of a Squonk but even bigger than all of them combined. The 15 ft tall and fat Crawler slammed his legs on the ground and let out a sorrowful cry of despair.

WuuuuAAAAA!!!

TEARS DISSOLUTION!

Aldrich saw Boomie's skin gaining a red tinge and his veins squirming like tiny snakes. Boomie pounced at the humongous Crawler and he couldn't seem to bear the vision's agony that must have surfaced because of the enlarged Squonk's Skill. But before Boomie could reach the Crawler, which was charging towards him, Aldrich tackled him midair and took him out of the creature's path.

A sharp gust of wind came out of nowhere, blasting Aldrich's face with pounds of ash and dust. Through the squeezed eyes, Aldrich saw a winged creature swooping down and wrapping its claws onto the enormous Squonk. But despite the difference in their size, the bird-like Crawler easily lifted it and took it to air.

Aldrich and the calmed down Boomie took in the baffling event. The newly arrived Crawler dropped the Squonk from the height. The fat beast had been farting uncontrollably in fear. But before it could reach the ground, two more flying Crawlers penetrated its body with their sharp beaks.

Bits and pieces of the enlarged Squonk came raining down on the ashy earth. And the flock of winged Crawlers looked at the pair of Dreamers lying flat on the ground. Aldrich narrowed his eyes, seeing the Stats hovering on their head.

"What are the chances?" said Boomie, flicking away the ash on his clothes.

Aldrich saw the red steel-like feathers and their serpentine tail. The winged beast had only one eye in the middle of its forehead, and its beak had a metallic shine. But even more bizarre were the dozens of sleek tentacles hanging down from its mouth like octopus's arms.

"A flock of Rare Snallygasters!"