I use the [Golden Ticket]...

Emperor's Might (rank SS)

Allows user to execute an awesome feat of strength at a moderate MP cost (stamina in case of monsters). If used as explosive strength, works for only one action or attack. If used for continous exertion, has a time limit of minutes.

Multiplies physical strength value by 2* when active.

Cooldown 30 minutes.

Grants a correction of * 25% to Strength stat permanently.

I feel my muscles bulge, as the skill is imprinted on me. It burns. A few moments later, it is like I made a thousand bench press using a heavyweight barbell. I feel fine though. The floating head is happy. I check the skill's specs. Damage wise, it goes from 250% to 7,000% but it is a one-hit-wonder. I guess I have now to shave my head, dress in a yellow jumpsuit and wear a red cape. And go live in Z city. I won't change my name though.

"I am not going bald because of this skill, will I?"

"Oh, I do love Grendel's jokes the most. No, you won't go bald. I hope you enjoy it. It was not what I was expecting, but it is what fate gave you. Farewell. I expect you to go ~wild~ in this world."

It begins to vanish, when something comes to my mind... "Hey, have we met before?"

"Oh, is the seal breaking? What should I do..." and poof, its gone.

Seal? What the heck is it talking about? That deja vu, is it real? I can't remember anything from my previous life. Only the knowledge and personality remained. I can't remember my name. Not even what ethnic group I belonged to. Was I Japanese like several of those reincarnated guys in novels? Caucasian? African? I was definitely human though. There is no way I would remember playing games and other stuff from Earth if I were not a human. There is no other intelligent species there.

And now I am a troll. Without a bridge. Welp, time to make my own 'bridge'...

I stand up, and look around. There are around fifty monkeys here, including the 'pink burly' ones, and the 'just burly' ones. It seems the pink burly are being treated as leaders for some reason. The snake girl is still sleeping without a care in the world. But the bulge in her belly is smaler now. I think.

I want to test my new skill. I can extrapolate the damage, but I need to check the exaustion. If it leaves me panting and unable to keep fighting, it can only be a finisher. But if I am OK after using it, it can be an opening move. Looking around, I find another one of those hard trees I used to make my spear's shaft. I walk next to it, and then punch it with all my might, but without the skill. The tree shakes, but remains standing. It didn't bruise my fist either. Now a punch with the skill's effect. Level 1.

I focus, and invoke the skill as I punch the tree. "[Emperor's Might]!!!!"

It activates instantaneously. I feel my arm's muscles bulge and heat up. It makes my fist deviate to a side, and I graze the tree. Still, it rips the bark and the not-so-hard outer layer of the tree, and splinters shower the forest away from me. Instead of feeling tired, I feel my heart beat faster, and it is like I ran a quarter mile at full gas. I make some air boxing moves to check my endurance, and it is fine.

Skill Punching (rank G) level 1 acquired!!

I even got a celebratory skill up. I can use this thing as an opener. But half an hour of cooldown, it is harsh. I want to level the skill up, but I am saving Skill Points to up my [Skill Growth] to six. So it is time to level up.

I turn around, and the monkeys are awestruck. Oh, that tree is supposed to be hard, right? Don't go selling the splinters as a souvenir.

"Everyone, I am going to the slime area to train for a while. I will divide you in 3 groups. One group will stay here and guard Shraaizar and the wounded monkeys. Another group will patrol around, to make sure no other monsters come here. You are not to fight intruders. Come back here and sound an alarm. The third group will be led by Burly#4 there. You are to search and bring some goblins to me. Alive. And if you can get them without hurting them the better. But if the goblins resist too much you can beat them a little."

The monkeys begin to depart, then I remember one important thing. "If you find any orcs, call me immediately. Don't fight the orcs."

The monkeys do a "Ook Ook Hook" kind of salute, and disappear in the treetops. I know they can understand me. They just can't talk in a way I can understand. Oh, well. I pick up my spear, and head to the slime area.

I want to farm Exp and train my acid vulnerability. I wonder if it goes away once it reaches zero. I find a pink slime. Bouncy type. Ok an easy one. There is the sakura core. I thrust the spear. It misses the core, but gouges the slime body. Some fluid spills. I am not afraid of slimes, but I kite it back to the tree line anyway. They definitely dislike the syrup. Maybe I can make some syrup balls to use as projectiles.

I thrust the spear for a while, kiting the slime. If I focus, I can't be hit. Its movement pattern is easy to decypher.

Skill Long Spear Level 2 acquired.

I hit the slime's core, and it bursts. I want to train acid weakness, but I will avoid getting hurt if I can. I want to grind Exp more than that. Pemadra Obained and Eaten. +50 points.

I go find another one. I hope it is not a black one. A transparent type, it uses body slam. I've fought one with my crude axe before. I take two thrusts of my spear to hit its core. The skill aim correction is working miracles. I got splashed by some acid this time. The transparent is a stronger type than the pink, its burst is greater. 10% burn.

I walk a bit more, and there is a trench-like hole in the ground. Inside I hear the bouncing sounds of several slimes. I won't go near it. I will release an [Ferocious Roar] to taunt some slimes. They are immune to fear, but they should react to the sound or the vibrations.

A slime comes out, and it is a orange one. A new tipe. I back away without taking my eyes off the slime. It launches a pseudopod, I deflect it with the spear. The slime speeds up. It will be troublesome. I can feel it. I should get away from here.

The orange slime flings a pseudopod backwards, and I wonder why it is doing so. I'm over here. And then it pulls the pseudopod back fast releasing a gout of slimey tissue at me. Catapult? Slingshot? Dodge!!!!

I jump to the side, but the gout hits the ground next to me. Its membrane bursts open, and releases a jelly like material all around. Some of it sticks to my legs. The jelly also ignites as it touches the air. Like the wuss I am, I turn tail and run, but I don't drop my spear. My legs are on fire. If I could take a picture, it would be on some metal band album cover. 25% burn and counting.

Another gout hits my back as I reach the tree line. We are back to the "Grendel's most awesome booboos" show. Featuring orange napalm slime. 50% burn. My legs give in as I cross the tree line, and I roll like a judo roll. Then I look at my legs, and there is almost no flesh on my shins. My feet are all gross and bubbly too. Please someone put mosaics on them.

I crawl on the ground. While I still have knees i can crawl like a pro. A paintball pro. Oh, I just remembered something good. Golden eagle paintball gun. I had one. Shiny. This is good. Let's try to remember lots of things, to break this seal. But right now, i have to survive.

Skill Fire Vulnerability (innate) decreased to Level 1.

It paid off. It seems that negative skills difficulty to decrease is the inverse of a normal skill. So to get from 2 to 1 starting from 5, it is as hard as going from 3 to 4. While I distract myself with stupid paintball guns and skill math, another gout hits a tree next to me. Syrup comes out, and some fumes spread around from the melting syrup. Good, no splash on me. But the goo burning my back have almost reached my lungs. It is hard to breathe right now, and I think speaking is out of the question. I hide behind a tree. I don't think it will shoot without a line of sight.

Some monkeys from the patrol group come to me. I point at the slime, and then hand them goblin toothpicks. They seem to understand, they went to battle the slime. I roll around, and try to scrape the napalm from my back. It keeps burning for quite some time, and I almost faint at 70% burn. The monkeys finished the now christened "Napalm (orange) Slime", and I earn the laurels of my pain.

Skill HP Restoration Level 5 acquired. Skill Fire Vulnerability (innate)decreased to Level 0. Skill Sleep Resistance Level 2 acquired. Grendel has Level Up.

5 skill points added. Title Enemy of Monkeys has changed to Monkey Count

Some monkeys come to pick me up, and take me to the clearing we are using as base. I am brought next to Shraaizar. She is awake, and giving me a scolding gaze. Her belly is almost normal now.

"I see you are back to your old antics. Who gave you the right to kill yourself to some stupid slime before I can envenom you to death?"

Boy, she is mad. Her tail tip is rattling like its going to fall off. If only she had a rattle. I don't know what she is thinking, but from my human senses, it seems like a stern mom scalding a kid that just trashed the yard.

"Oh, how could I know that a slime even worse than the black one would appear?"

"If this sorry excuse of a troll is a rank B monster, I weep for the rest of us." I think she is trying to attack my pride. It is not effective.

"I'm sorry. Do you want to bite me now?" Grendel uses Salesman Smile. It fails.

"There is no honor in killing you in such a weakened state."

Then she casts some healing spells on me. Her proficiency is astonishing. Is she a caster-type monster? Snakes are the symbol of medicine, i guess.

Looking at my legs, there is some muscles and tendons are already wrapped around the bone. Status... 34% burn. 100% HP. HP Restoration, do your magic. There is one thing worth of concern here... The vulnerability skill is stuck at zero. 0% bonus damage from fire. So why isn't it gone? What is the point of having a vulnerability level zero? Like protesting at the world will change something. I take a deep breath and calm down. Time to check my other skills and status info. I see the reason for a zero now: [Troll Regeneration] won't work on innate vulnerability typed damage. This is why I still have a zero vulnerability. Because it still hinders regeneration.

The monkeys bring me the pemadra from the orange slime. It is still hot. I eat it, it slightly burns my tongue. +480 points. It is ranked higher than the black slime and red streak. Maybe a C rank? I'm B, given my noobness and the damage compatibility, it is not an unexpected outcome: Utter defeat, the troll crying mommy. I'll not spend these points right now. Maybe get some equipment crates. With my luck, I can get some bikini armor. Troll sized bikini armor. Is fireproof armor or a Hazmat suit out of question?

And I notice I also leveled up. I have 10 Skill Points now to spend. Six points will go to Skill Growth level 6. This cheat skill has only one drawback: It can only affect the growth of other skills up to its own level. So unless I make it level 10, I won't be able to easily master out all the others. Every skill point invested in this is a hundredfold benefit. I can save the other points until the next level, or I can boost Emperor's Might to level 2. The damage boost will go from 250% to 600%. Then I'll have 2 SP left, with the five from the next level, it will be enough for Skill Growth 7 with zero left. But If I level this skill from the bottom with SP, then it won't grow on its own.

I will rest, but will punch that steelwood tree every half hour. I spend most of the night felling trees. Dawn comes, two trees are down. Maybe I’ll make something from them. And then I realized that SS rank skills take forever to level up. It must be something related to the rank of the skill. Stupid low rank skills grow really fast. Or maybe [Skill Growth] can’t affect SS skills.

I think it is time for plan B. Raise Emperor’s Might with Skill Points. I’ll increase it. And to my surprise, it costs double to raise. Current Skill Points: zero.

Tomorrow I'll continue training at the slime area. I need to lower my acid vulnerability to zero too.

Title Info:

Enemy of Monkeys

Those that slaughtered over half a band of demon monkeys.

Grants 50% more damage dealt and effectiveness of fear effects increase by one step.

Monkey Count

Those that earned the service of more than two bands of monkey monsters.

Grants the power to rule over willing monkey monsters, and a chance to convert others.

Emperor's Might Damage / carrying capacity per Level Chart

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 250% 600% 1,050% 1,600% 2,250% 3,000% 3,850% 4,800% 5,850% 7,000%