Lost Drop - Rise of the Penguin Guild

Rise of the Penguin Guild

This was a joke story I thought up based on a feature of Royal Road. If you go edit your profile, there’s a primary user group. I don’t really know what it was for, but I think it’s obsolete now. Regardless, everyone was part of the Penguin Guild. That birthed this idea and the amazing Lukheart III.

It was going to be an organization building story with an op arms dealing penguin. Said penguin is perfectly normal. It’s the world that’s strange.

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Chapter 1

Lukheart III had always known he was special. The hairless creatures, humans they called themselves, came and saw him by the thousands almost every single day since his birth. As an Emperor Penguin, it was only right the lowly creatures came to worship him. He was a superior breed, afterall.

He magnanimously allowed their praises, shouted exclamations, and occasional bits of food. The humans had a particular form of worship he especially liked. They would raise a special worship tool they never went without, flashing bright lights that only further exaggerated his beautiful feathers. Indeed, that's how Lukheart the Third spent most of his days, allowing the adoration of the masses.

Of course, there were other, lesser penguins that tried to steal his spotlight, but Lukheart was the wittiest and most sacred of all penguins. If one of his dastardly kind tried to steal his spot at the top of the iceberg? He’d learned there were ways to make them disappear. 

Fighting them off was simple, though he preferred a more devious method. It was funner, in a way. Making the weak, ummies take care of the trash was always such a joy. And sometimes he’d even get pats on the head, which he would never admit that he enjoyed. After all, what Emperor enjoyed being pet?

Why do the heavy lifting when he could get a weak human to do it for him? Let them show their worth before his majesty. It was the least they could do since he allowed them to bask in his presence free of charge. Not every ruler was as kind as Lukheart, nor as humble.

But of course, like all Empires, his started to fall. Through no fault of his own, emperor forbid the thought, he was deposed by the hateful Tyrone the Fourth. That bastard of a penguin always lurked under the waters of Lukheart’s glorious empire, just waiting for the right moment to strike. And when he did? Emperor Lukheart the Third fell. 

It was at that moment that Emperor Lukheart awakened to a truth that shook his entire world. Or rather, expanded his world. The hairless monkeys took him away from his majestic empire, deposing him so the hateful Tyrone could take over. His last view of his glorious iceberg palace was as the traitorous humans dragged him from it.

The ‘ummies weren’t truly loyal, but schemers lurking in the dark. He promised himself that day that he knew better. The next time he came to rule, he’d truly vet his followers before accepting them, removing the disloyal schemers who would weaken his rule. That he’d be on watch for traitors and sycophants alike.

Emperor Lukheart took the lessons, engraving them into his heart. During his times in a cage, awaiting his sentence, his looked inward. He simply wasn’t scheming enough. That was the issue! It wasn’t that Tyrone the Fourth was better- rather, it was that he hadn’t fully applied himself! That he hadn’t take the threat seriously!

By then though, the shift in paradigm was too late. They locked him in a cage as if he was merely part of the common rabberly and not a majestic Emperor Penguin ordained from birth to be a ruler. They took him far away from his empire, parading him around in metal beasts of burden.

And then they set him onto a great beast that rocked with the ocean’s waves. Months of captivity, of being deprived of his worshippers, passed. Everyday he’d watch the humans mess around, watch movies, and play video games as they drifted towards their destination. And then? The fallen Emperor was tossed out into the snow as if he was mere refuse, abandoned by his inferiors to the cold.

He stared out at sea, watching the massive beast of burden break ice as it abandoned him out here in the snow. He watched until he could see it no more, feeling even more despondent with each passing second. 

Lukheart had such great dreams! Such great power! Such wealth! And then it all came crashing down... The fallen Emperor grit his beak, rage flaring inside of him as he cursed Tyrone the Fourth viciously. A lonesome wail erupted from his avian throat, crying his woes to the sky. 

The fallen Emperor shifted from webbed foot to webbed foot, looking around his new environment as he calmed down. Although he’d been kept in a gilded palace all of his life, he recognized this place from the tales of other, lesser penguins. It was the Southern Wastes, a land abandoned by weaker species and the traditional homeland of most penguins.

It was also bare of all the things he’d come to enjoy in life- namely the peasantry he’d allowed to feed him. He also lacked his material wealth, particularly missing the gold that had adorned his place of worship and the cold-wind vents that were set up around it. Mostly though- mostly he missed his worshippers.

The penguin’s head fell slightly, lost in thought as he remembered those he’d never see again. Surely, he thought, they’d be sad without him there? Their lives weren’t worth living now that he was no longer around. How he’d miss them… he should’ve appreciated them more when he could. 

Unfortunately, it was too late for regrets now. He could only move on- could only try to find new imperial lands.

And so he did.

For months he traveled the Southern Wastes, running into several waddles of lesser penguins as he went. He was large though, well fed from his time as Emperor, so he had no issues intimidating his lessers. He rarely stuck around for more than a day or two though, so he didn’t fight as much as he momentarily joined.

Fallen Emperor Lukheart traveled ever southward, intent on reaching the fabled South Pole he’d heard the ‘ummies mention. He traveled and traveled, facing many hardships and beasts on his journey. Eventually though, he found it- or at least he thought he found it when he stumbled across a massive ‘ummie complex.

The large Emperor Penguin approached the place, staring at a sign just outside the base. If he could read, he’d realize it said ‘Southern Research Base - Keep Out’. He had no time for such- such lesser skills though, so he continued on, sliding across the snow on his belly. 

He sped along the snowfields surrounding the fabled South Pole, intent on reaching the literal legendary pole that was said to stick out of the ice. He ignored the shouts of his lessers, pushing and sliding around the base till he finally saw it. The pole!

It rose out of the surrounding fields, seemingly warping space with its majesty. If he just touched it- just caressed the metal with his flippers- why, surely he’d be made Emperor once more? Coming into a legendary object such as this wasn’t something just any being could do, after all.

The ummies all around seemed to shout and cheer for him as he pushed his way forward. Some even running to congratulate and worship him, no doubt. He had little time for such pleasantries though, as much as he would enjoy seeing his fans once more.

He slid forward reaching out to touch the pole as its aura seemed to press down on him. Had he been in the right mind and not starved for months, his survival instincts would’ve kept him away. Unfortunately for dear Lukheart the Third, he was. Indeed not in his right mind.

His flipper reached out as pain saturated his body. Indeed, this was a relic of legends! Capable of suppressing him just by drawing near! With one final push, he finally reached the pole, his flipper caressing it as his world went white.

The humans all around could only watch in surprise as the weak looking penguin vanished from their sight. Immediately, researchers came running, screaming and shouting in surprise.

Up above, in a command tower overlooking the research base, a report almost immediately hit the table. ‘On Animal Interactions With Spatial Anomaly A-1, 3’

But of course, Emperor Lukheart the Third knew none of what his disappearance signified for his world. Instead? Instead he was too busy waking up in an ice cave, his head stinging with confusion as a screen popped into view. It looked similar to the ones the ummies like to look at.

[Welcome to Polas, wanderer from another world! Please wait as you are integrated into the system!]

His world went black as immense pain lit up every fiber of his being.

Chapter 2

Emperor Penguin Lukheart the third awoke with a throbbing headache. A light flashed in front of his eyes as he shoved in the ice cave, confusion wreaking havoc on his mind as he stared at the weird words in front of his eyes. Confused as he was, he could still read and understand what the screen said. 

[Name: Lukheart III

Race: Lesser Emperor Penguin

Class: N/A

Title: Wanderer

Skills: Armory(Innate), All-Speech(Title), Indomitable(20 Willpower)

Body: 2 (-10, Malnourished)

• Strength: 1

• Agility: 3

• Endurance: 2

Mind: 26 (-10, Insanity)

• Intelligence: 1

• Willpower: 60

• Charisma: 19

Luck: 3.14]

This- this- Incomprehensible! How dare this- this lowly system call him a lesser being! Did it even know who he was? The Emperor Lukheart, not some lesser being. He had millions- nay, even billions of worshippers! Could a lesser being do that? 

And calling him insane! He’ll show this stupid system the definition of insanity! He reached out a flipper, ready to rip and tear the blinking screen into no existence- only for his hand to phase right through it. He tried again and again to no result, eventually deciding to put his noble endeavor on hold.

The Emperor flipped it the bird—a move ummies seemed to really like—and growled at it. With a deep breathe, the Emperor Penguin regained his self-control. The system may have won this battle, but it was only a matter of time till he found out how to grab a hold of it- and when he did? He’d tear it to pieces! 

The system screen shook in terror of his majestic might, moments later changing its display entirely.

[Name: Lukheart III, Majestic Emperor of All

Race: Stage 1 Emperor Penguin

Class: N/A

Title: Wanderer, Emperor of All(Self-Imposed)

Skills: Armory(Innate), All-Speech(Title), Indomitable(20 Willpower)

Body: 2 (-10, Malnourished)

• Strength: 1

• Agility: 3

• Endurance: 2

Mind: 26 (-10)

• Intelligence: 1

• Willpower: 61

• Charisma: 19

Luck: 3.14]

That’s right! Hmm… maybe he won’t shred it. Such a servant could be useful in the days ahead. He had to start from somewhere if he wanted to rebuild his empire, after all.

Lukheart backed away, settling himself down as he pondered the deeper implications of the system. Although it may be wrong in some regards, at least it admitted he was quite charming. 

A one in must be quite high for his Strength rating to be set at it, so that meant he was nineteen times as beautiful and majestic as he was strong. At least it can appreciate some things. And he was very charming, as any of his worshippers could attest. 

His mind caught on the Malnourished modifier. Was he malnourished? Sure, he hadn’t been eating much on account of his noble journey to the South Pole, but so what? The Southern Wastes weren’t exactly hospitable. That didn’t mean he was malnourished though…

Then again, he was looking a little thin these days. His feathers were indeed less plump as he caressed them with his flipper. He’d have to feast soon, to celebrate his noble self for arriving in this- this Polas place.

And what’s with these Skills? As if responding to his thoughts, as all things should, the screen shifted. 

[Armory : Summon any weapon or tool familiar to you

• Innate personal Skill]

[All Speech: Communicate with All lesser beings.

• Wanderer Title]

[Indomitable: Your willpower doesn’t know how to falter! Stand strong in the face of any mental affect or adversity. 

• 20 Willpower Reward]

How- how intriguing. The Emperor had never seen such an odd thing. He focused his mind, thinking through the large list of equipment he knew off. The ummies, although a lesser species, were quite capable at creating and inventing new things. As a noble lord, he knew how to appreciate such a quality in his subordinates.

With thought, a Glock appeared out of thin air. A wave of weakness washed over the Penguin, but he who’d been starved for weeks wouldn’t be stopped by a mere wave of weakness. If anyone else of this world had seen him, they’d recognize it as a symptom of magic exhaustion. But that was for another time and another place.

The Emperor tightly gripped it in his hands, feeling the cold metal as he excitedly caressed it. He’d seen this device just outside of his palace one time. A uniformed man in a badge had used it to put down another man in a blinking vest from afar.

He thought back to how he’d seen the unformed man use it, wrapping his flippers around the pistol. Information filled his mind as he instantly understood not only how to use it, but how to fire it too.

And as he impossibly wrapped his flippers around the trigger, he squeezed the trigger. Had anyone seen such a feat, they would’ve felt it was only natural. His Willpower was high enough to cause minor reality distortions, so firing a glock would’ve been seen as perfectly fine and not impossible as it first seemed. 

In fact, it was perfectly fine.

A bullet fired out from the gun, shattering a section of ice in the cave as a blast of heat erupted from the barrel. The kick was strong, nearly making the gun slip out of his flippers. His strength was only a one, so even holding on was impressive. 

Emperor Lukheart froze in place, feeling his heart thud in his chest excitedly. This was the first time he ever experienced it himself, but suddenly he could see why the ummies loved these things so much. And explosions too! Although it was only a small one, it sent a thrill down his spine.

He thought back to his time in the palace. Occasionally, he’d be brought away for medical examinations. The doctor’s kid always hung around, playing shooters of various kinds. He finally saw why- it was so exciting! Guns! Power! Explosion!!! His mind raced with a thousand possibilities of what he could summon.

But first, he should move on. He should get out of this cave. He dropped the glock, then with a wave of his flipper, it dissolve into nothingness. As one of his weapons, of course he had the right to get rid of it at will.

He took a breath and started to strut out of the cave.

— — —

AN: I liked Lukheart, but I’ll probably never write this one again. It’s up for adoption, I guess. I just lost interest in the whole project and forgot about it.