The Legendary Kraken Joins the Hero's Party

“The monster of legend in sailor lore. An atrocious creature who no man has ever seen up close and survived to tell the tale. With eight long winding limbs longer than a warship, and a sharp beak at it the base of the limbs capable of crushing a boulder in an instant.” The old man paused taking in the scared expressions of the children listening to him with undivided attention.



One child with curly auburn hair was an exception. His aquamarine eyes glitter with curiosity, and he tilts his head in confusion. “But mister, if no one’s survived seeing it, how do you know what it looks like?”



The other kids glare at him for interrupting. “Now, now, children. Young Ross asks an excellent question.” He smiles gently, and the children refocus on him, instantly calming down. “The answer is distance. Sailors on distant ships witnessed the monstrosity crushing whole ships, although they were too far away to get any detailed information on it. The legend says that these witnesses saw it on the horizon, and immediately changed their boat's direction to get as far away from it as quickly as possible.”



Ross nods slowly, processing the answer. “I guess that makes sense.” He pursed his lips in thought, clearly pondering another question. “Mister, what is this monster called?”



The elderly storyteller stands up from the tree stub he was sitting on in the middle of a small village. “The Kraken.” He says bluntly. “Whether it has a name or not has been lost to time. After all, the last sighting of it was several hundred years ago. But scholars are certain it did have a name, and was as intelligent as humans, if not smarter. After all, rumor has it that the Kraken was the leader of the demon’s navy.”



A rolling whisper passes through the midst of the children, fear engulfing them again. Demons had been becoming far more active recently, and the children were keen enough to notice how the adults in their quaint little village reacted whenever demons were mentioned. This caused the children to learn through observation to fear demons, even though the adults typically avoided mentioning them to the young ones.



The old man chuckles. “Worry not younglings. This village is in the center of human territory. Demons would have to go through several neighboring kingdoms before they could ever reach here. You are safe.” He adds to his words, realizing the children needed more comfort. “As for the Kraken, it is a monster that lives in the vast depths of the ocean. It would be impossible for it to even come here, where the only noticeable sources of water are several shallow streams that even children like you can’t swim in.”



The kids relax, the fright fading away. The storyteller notices that Ross is seemingly smirking, as though something is amusing. He watches the four-year-old boy waddle off, curiosity filling his mind. What a peculiar child. Nothing seems to scare him.



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This is the story of how the Kraken dies for mysterious reasons and reincarnates in a small village as a human. Although he keeps his past life a secret, he eventually finds it impossible to hide his super-strength. Rumors of his super strength spread far and wide. One day, a group of knights from the capital arrive with an ultimatum. Join the knights and train to one day be in the hero's party.