( Leo's POV )
On his second day of returning to train the little frog, Leo was surprised to see that Dumpy looked slightly larger than yesterday.
After attaining the title of 'Master' warrior, Leo's memory and perception had sharpened considerably, and while an ordinary person might have missed Dumpy's growth, to Leo it was as clear as day.
Dumpy had grown about 20-30% larger since the previous day, its size now being roughly the same as half a palm.
"Bloody hell…. Your head is bigger than it was yesterday" Leo noted, as Dumpy blinked at him with now larger eyes.
"Are you going to grow rapidly on me? Is this what the system meant by 30 days of rapid growth?" Leo asked, as he scratched his chin in confusion.
Naturally, as always, Dumpy only blinked in response as eventually Leo just let out a deep sigh and began Dumpy's training for the day.
"Yesterday, I told you the story of the wolves, but today I will tell you the story of what I did after killing those wolves.
The story of the adventure I undertook, leaving my birthplace and venturing out into the whole big world, and how it took me just one glance at a moving wild gazelle to understand and copy its 'feint' move.
You see, I was somewhat a born genius! One glance at a move and I could replicate it.
Even today I'm the same.
Of Course I don't expect you to be as good as me, because there can be no-one who is as good as me, but just try your best to be as much like me as you can" Leo said, as he flicked his hair back in pride, revealing his proud full hairline to Dumpy.
"So the story goes like….." Leo began, as over the next two hours he recounted the tale of him leaving his starter town and moving towards the Royal Capital, as he exaggerated everything that he encountered in between.
He made it seem like there was no greater warrior in the history of the Empire who was born with as much potential as him, and Dumpy absorbed it all with a look of genuine awe on his face.
For Dumpy the ability of his Lord Father to copy any move that he saw just once was beyond legendary, and he hoped that someday it would gain similar abilities.
"So… Do you understand just how amazing I am, little frog? Do you understand how powerful I was when I was your age?" Leo asked at the end as the Dumpy blinked excitedly in response.
"Other adventurers went out of their starter towns in packs.
But do you know who travels in packs?
Wolves!
But we are lions!
Lions walk alone, Dumpy.
And you have to become a Lion!
Do you understand? You have to become a Lion!!!!" Leo said, flipping a few documents off his desk as he got completely riled up.
"Roar for me Dumpy! RAWRRR" Leo said, mimicking his best roar before remembering that he had a frog in front of him and not a lion cub.
" *Ribbit* " Dumpy said, trying its best lion roar, however, unfortunately in the end it was still a frog and could only croak.
"Hahaha, that's right Dumpy, that's the spirit. Now come show me that spirit against a King Cobra.
It's twice the size of the snake that you fought yesterday, but I know you can handle it.
Why? Because you're a lion!
Come jump on my shoulder" Leo said pointing towards his shoulder as Dumpy immediately obliged.
Internally, Dumpy felt roaring with motivation as it wanted to absolutely eviscerate the King Cobra that his master was taking him to face.
*******
(In the manor's garden)
This time around, Leo did not place Dumpy in a cage against a snake and instead let both the snake and Dumpy into the open grass.
To the king cobra, Dumpy looked like a tasty afternoon meal rather than a powerful foe, as it made the same mistake as the small snake before him and viewed Dumpy to be a meal.
*Hisssss!*
The King Cobra slithered forward, its forked tongue flicking out, clearly expecting an easy meal.
To the snake, Dumpy was nothing more than a chubby green snack sitting on the grass, completely at its mercy.
But Dumpy… Dumpy had other plans.
Leo stood on the sidelines, arms crossed, watching with a mix of curiosity and misplaced pride. "Go for it, Dumpy! Kill that snake! You're a lion, remember?"
Dumpy's little heart swelled at his Lord Father's words. 'A lion… Lord Father has called me a lion!' With every ounce of determination, Dumpy lunged forward, his tiny legs springing off the ground in what could only be described as the world's smallest but most determined leap.
The cobra, amused by the little frog's sudden movement, hissed and reared its head back, preparing to strike. Its eyes locked onto Dumpy, ready to snap down and swallow him whole.
But Dumpy was quick—quicker than the snake anticipated. With a speed that defied his small size, Dumpy dodged to the side, avoiding the snake's first strike with a flawless hop.
Leo's jaw dropped.
"He dodged it again… how? That movement was clearly deliberate…. But it's so fast, not even I can move that fast" Leo questioned as he felt his eyes twitch.
Dumpy, however, wasn't just interested in dodging. No, this time he wanted to show Lord Father that he was worthy of being a lion.
The King Cobra, momentarily stunned by the miss, didn't see Dumpy's next move coming.
*Ribbit*
With a determined ribbit, Dumpy launched himself into the air once more, this time aiming directly for the snake's head.
In his mind, the cobra wasn't just any snake—it was a mighty wolf, and he was about to deliver the final blow, just like Lord Father had done so many times before.
Leo, watching in stunned silence, could barely believe what was happening. "Is he… is he going for the head?!"
With a mighty thud, Dumpy's tiny frog legs smashed into the cobra's skull. The snake recoiled, clearly not expecting the force behind the attack. But Dumpy wasn't finished. Just like with the smaller snake from the day before, Dumpy began stomping. And stomping. And stomping.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The cobra twisted and writhed, but Dumpy was relentless, his tiny legs moving with the ferocity of a creature ten times his size. Each stomp was delivered with precision, determination, and the unwavering desire to make Lord Father proud.
Leo's hands shot up in the air. "Oh my god, he's doing it again! Dumpy, stop! You're going to break your legs!"
The memory of yesterday's panic surged through Leo's mind.
'Not again!' he thought, as he could already see it—his frog, crippled and helpless, all because he pushed it too hard.
"No, Dumpy! You're a lion, not a self-destructive maniac!" Leo shouted out to it, but the little one was too focused now to hear his voice of reason.
In the end, Dumpy didn't stop. No, Dumpy had something to prove and hence he kept going on until he delivered the one final stomp that landed with an unexpectedly loud crunch, and the King Cobra went limp beneath him.
Panting, Dumpy stood on top of the defeated snake, his wide eyes looking straight at Leo with a mixture of pride and expectation.
Leo blinked, unable to process what he had just witnessed. "No… way…" he muttered, walking closer to the scene. "Did… did you actually… defeat that thing? Again?"
Dumpy, still perched triumphantly on the snake's head, blinked back at Leo. 'Lord Father, are you impressed? I fought like a lion!'
Leo knelt beside the now-lifeless snake, poking it cautiously with a stick to make sure it was really dead. Sure enough, the King Cobra lay still, completely defeated by the tiny green warrior sitting proudly on its head.
Leo rubbed his temples, utterly bewildered. "How… how are you still in one piece? I thought you'd be crippled for sure…"
Dumpy puffed out his little chest, a silent ribbit escaping him, as if to say, 'Of course, Lord Father. I am strong because I am your frog.'
Leo stood up, crossing his arms, staring at Dumpy with newfound suspicion. "Okay… this is getting weird. First, you kill a snake yesterday. Now, you take down a King Cobra twice your size?" He scratched his chin, a look of disbelief still etched on his face. "There's no way that's normal."
But Dumpy didn't care. To him, he had proven himself once again. He hopped down from the snake's head, sitting proudly before Leo, awaiting praise, his wide eyes blinking in eager anticipation.
Leo, still reeling from the absurdity of the situation, knelt down, staring into Dumpy's innocent face. "Are you… actually strong, or is this just more weird luck?"
Dumpy blinked, his heart swelling with hope. 'I am strong because of you, Lord Father. Please… be proud of me.'