Peter the druid was enjoying a bit of fishing. He had to admit that it was becoming a favorite hobby of his. It was such a relaxing pastime, and it rewarded him with food.

  If Peter was being honest, he was so happy he had decided to join that original risky expedition. Ever since his first day here, the amount and variety of food had vastly expanded. Peter felt like he was discovering new flavors every day.

  "This place truly is paradise," he mused to himself.

  He felt a nibble on his line and began reeling it in. With his magically reinforced rod and line, the fish stood no chance against his vastly expanded stats. He was even feeling sporting enough not to use his magic to manipulate the water and simply scoop his catch out. There was just something thrilling about feeling the resistance on the rod as he reeled in a catch. It stirred something within him.

  The fish he pulled out of the water was another one he did not recognize.

  "That makes six," he mused as he added it to his bucket. "That should be plenty to eat for tonight."

  As he bent to pick up his bucket of fish, he noticed a roiling in the water. It was a ways off, but it was also a massive amount of turbulence.

  A massive crustacean burst from the depths, grappling with an equally massive dragon turtle. Peter panicked and fired off the firework spell he had been taught for emergencies. He watched in equal parts fascination and horror as the two massive titans fought.

  The crustacean looked like two crabs connected by a chitinous tube, with two massive tentacles protruding from it. It was covered in barnacles of all sizes. The dragon turtle it fought was a massive specimen. If Peter was being honest, he was pretty sure the turtle outweighed the crustacean, but the fight was close. The turtle kept ripping chunks out of the crustacean, only for it to regenerate the damage moments later.

  The tide shifted as the turtle vindictively bit down on one of the tentacles. Instead of ripping it off, it merely stretched. Then both tentacles wrapped around the turtle’s head as the claws came up and began wrenching at its neck. The turtle was a sturdy creature and resisted long enough that the crustacean began foaming at the mouth in rage.

  Eventually, the head did come free from the rest of the body. The crustacean cried its victory to the sky before tossing the head aside and heading toward the shoreline.

  People were now fleeing the dock all around Peter, but he was transfixed. His eyes fell upon the massive coral structure in the middle of the bay as a fissure burst down one side. The crustacean paused as it, too, noticed.

  With a cry of dominance, the Primeval Hydra burst out from where it had been resting, straight at the massive crustacean. The two titans clashed hard enough to create massive waves.

  People were still running, so Peter reached out with his magic and calmed the waters. This also let him watch the fight without the waves getting in the way.

  The two creatures tore into each other with abandon. Neither seemed to care about how much damage they took, as they simply healed or calcified from it. Chunks of meat, bone, and chitin flew in every direction. The crustacean began to hiss as the ocean began to boil, the hydra’s blood vastly increasing the acidity of the water.

  Peter could almost see the thoughts running through its alien mind. It needed to get out of the water, but it could not leave with the hydra there. Yet if it fought the hydra, the water would only become even more acidic. Peter could see the executive dysfunction settle in as it seemed of two minds. It kept trying to push past the hydra to reach the shore, only to be forced to injure it to make the many mouths let go without ripping even more chunks out of itself.

  Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

  Peter saw the moment something settled within the crustacean’s abyssal eyes. It began ripping into the hydra like a cornered beast. Its massive claws sliced and tore out heads as fast as it could. The hydra, for its part, also redoubled its efforts. The haze of acid burning through biological matter began to obscure Peter’s vision, and he almost missed it when the crustacean shoved its claws deep into the hydra’s chest and began to pry.

  For the first time, the hydra looked panicked in its remaining heads. It screamed in pain as the crustacean ripped it in half, bathing itself in acidic blood.

  The crustacean cried out in pain as its body was corroded by the acid, even as its regeneration tried to put it back together. The acidic blood also seemed to melt all the barnacles off it.

  Peter finally turned to run as the monster tried to drag itself to shore. Then he saw a child. The child looked around in terror, unable to find anyone they knew. They were so afraid they did not even cry out. They simply cowered.

  Hardening his resolve, Peter turned back toward the ocean.

  "I am Peter, first druid of this land!" he cried as he summoned his magic. "I cannot allow you to defile these lands any further!"

  With an effort of will, he summoned a massive spike of stone and skewered the crustacean. Its one remaining eye locked onto him. Endless anger burned in its abyssal depths as it hissed in pain. The acidic blood and water were still eating away at it. Peter just needed to hold it there for a while. He could feel it trying to break the stone spear or pull itself free.

  With another effort of will, Peter caused the spike to grow barbs that curved backward, hooking into more flesh as the creature tried to pull itself off. The crustacean cried out in greater pain as its regeneration fought itself, inflicting even more damage in its attempts to escape.

  Then the spike snapped, and the crustacean began dragging itself forward again, still impaled and still being eaten by acid.

  Peter willed a riptide into existence, forcing the monster to scrabble for footing as the current tried to drag it back out to sea. To complement this, he turned the sand beneath its feet into silt, leaving nothing solid to hold onto. It began sliding backward until it hit firmer ground again, jostling the stone spike still lodged in its body.

  The crustacean hissed and foamed at the mouth as it struggled for forward momentum once more.

  Peter was growing tired, his mana running low. The crustacean, by contrast, seemed to have an endless well of stamina. Then Peter looked over and saw the child again. They were watching him now. They were no longer afraid. There was hope in their eyes.

  Peter looked back at the crustacean. It was nearly upon him. He had only seconds left.

  "My blood for this land," he muttered.

  He felt the skill take hold. Power welled up within him, and he forced it outward as fast as it rose.

  Blood ran from his eyes as the roots of Vitalmire surged up to meet the crustacean’s charge. Peter grinned wickedly as the monster slammed headfirst into them.

  There was a loud crunch as hundreds of roots pierced the beast. Peter kept pushing power into the spell, burning life and will alike. The roots began to grow into the monster even as they coiled around its body.

  The crustacean thrashed and lashed out with its claws, but more and more wood wrapped around it.

  "This place is a crucible," Peter declared, his voice hoarse and blood dripping from his lips. "Even the trees struggle."

  Peter fell to his knees with a grin as he looked up at the trapped beast. He had burned a dangerous amount of his vitality for this, but he had done it. The crustacean could not move. The roots had grown through most of its body and wrapped around the rest.

  Peter chuckled as his vision began to darken. He looked to where the child had been. They were gone. Peter closed his eyes, feeling content. He had done his duty. He could die in his chosen land.

  Then a hand landed on his shoulder, and vitality slammed into him. It felt like lightning and coffee mixed together in his veins.

  "You did well, little druid," came a familiar voice. "Now get up. We have a crab to finish off."

  "Do you think it will taste good?" Peter rasped. Even as life slowly seeped back into his body, food was still his top priority.

  The man who had healed Peter laughed heartily as he helped him to his feet.

  "I don't think so," Matthias admitted. "That is a Demon King, after all."