Island God: Going From Level 1 To World Ruler-Chapter 58: Mosquito Mission (Episode 4)
’This... is fucking amazing. And did he say combustible? Hmm...’ Midas thought to himself as glee overfilled him. He paused, taking all of this in for a bit.
’It’s almost too good. I came here for hands of assistance in war, yet there seems to be much more than just a number force that makes the mosquitoes so threatening.’ Midas finally turned and faced Bzzrt and the others.
"Mosquitos, you have my utmost gratitude for showing me this. Clearly, this is a sign of your willingness to cooperate and work together, as well as your loyalty. Showing me the heart of your nation is something that I have great respect for, and I promise not to let you all down. Let us have a talk... we may find we have more goals in common than we realize." Midas stated in a mature tone.
After seeing all the bounty that he could fetch, he needed this plan to go as smoothly as possible. He even knew exactly what he wanted to say.
It wouldn’t be a threat of violence, nor a full-on peace treaty. It would be something in between that contained both.
Understanding Midas’s words, Bzzrt led the young man into a separate corridor within the large mud dome.
It led to an open room, holstered up by four large mud pillars. On the sides were sculptures of mosquitoes of the past.
Most likely, they were kings honored and memorialized through mud and clay.
At the center of the pillars was a single large table containing a map of what looked to be Demadur Island.
The map was three-dimensional, a carving sculpted out of mud. It showed ridges and valleys, even river systems and small, unique biomes.
"This is the closest replica of Demadur that we, the mosquitoes, have been able to represent over the many decades that the project has been ongoing. It is not made by assumptions, but rather, carved exactly to what the current island looks like." Bzzrt said as he and the other mosquitoes surrounded the table.
Midas had stopped at the entrance to gaze at the statues. Finally, he walked forward and observed the map on the table.
The mosquito soldiers all lined up beside Bzzrt on the opposite end of the table, leaving only Midas to remain on the other side.
"Wow..." Midas said under his breath in amazement as he saw the map, "You said this is modeled to the current state of the island?" Midas asked, slightly skeptical.
Just then, two smaller, normal sized giant mosquitoes flew forward and began sculpting the map with clay and sticks. They also used their hands, which were rigid and pointy themselves.
They went to where Midas’s old base location was on the map and carved out a large section. Within seconds, they made a crater in the ground that resembled the one that Midas had seen when they first returned to their original base.
Midas eyes widened, "So I guess it is modeled regularly..." He said.
"There is a few weeks of delay, but our men try to keep the map updated at all times. If you look closely, you will see that there are a few places that don’t represent the actual island. They are the marks of the leaders within the region." Bzzrt said, pointing over to where they currently stood.
"This is the Jzzri Mountain, where we giant mosquitoes have made our capital kingdom. Above this mountain range, there is the large head of a mosquito. This is our symbol... the symbol of mosquitoes."
"I see..." Midas replied, listening closely.
"To the north, an orc head with two large bottom canine fangs represents the symbol of orcs. To the east, a coiled serpent body represents the symbol of Sergalas." Bzzrt paused, glancing up at Midas, "Finally, in the south is where you remain. However, you do not have a mark yet. Usually, we give each leader their own mark. But since you are here, you can choose the mark you want to represent yourself."
Midas’s expression did not change as he gazed down at the map.
"A mark to represent myself? Hmm... that doesn’t require much thinking." He said, raising his right hand before pushing his palm and fingers into the southern part of the map--where his base currently was.
Seeing this, the mosquitoes looked to have shocked reactions. 𝐟𝐫𝕖𝗲𝘄𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝕧𝐞𝚕.𝕔𝕠𝐦
"There is nothing that I can think of that represents me more than my own hand. That should do the trick." Midas said with a smile.
"I-I see..." Bzzrt replied, "So be it then. Your handprint shall represent your region."
"Now... let’s get to talking," Midas said. His words immediately shifted the tone in the room.
Soldiers straightened their posture; Bzzrt assumed a more stern expression as the two sculptor mosquitoes exited the room.
"What exactly do you want from us, Lord Midas?" Bzzrt began the discussion with a question.
"As I said, I do not want war. However, that does not mean I want total peace either." Midas said.
Bzzrt metaphorically raised a brow with confusion, ’He doesn’t want peace?’ He worriedly thought.
"I’ll be frank with all of you. I have come to this world forcibly and have been given a task. I’m sure you all know what that task is yourselves, since the gods must have also informed you about this big game we are playing in." Midas said in a calm demeanor.
"Domination... that is what you desire, right?" Bzzrt asked, his tone low. He already knew that this was the answer.
"Indeed." Midas smirked slightly, "I want to rule this island, and eventually even this world. You can hear what I say, and take it to be nonsense. But that is your prerogative. For me, I have no other choice than to be victorious in my ambitions." He said.
A moment of silence fell over the room.
"Why have I come here, and what exactly do I want from you mosquitoes?" Midas asked in a rhetorical tone, "I ask for help. That’s all. I ask for you to give me a helping hand, and in return, I will promise you what you seek. Whether it be riches, success, popularity, or even plain, simple prosperity, I will give it to you."
This was a hefty promise.
Even though Midas wasn’t literally asking for a helping hand, the way in which he proposed his request made it seem like the mosquitoes had nothing to lose.
