Reincarnated as a Duck: A beast progression litrpg isekai-Chapter 291 Book Six Interlude: The Mother

Book Six Interlude: The Mother

Radagan was a stunning yet infamously dangerous land in the Battleworld. It was valid to call it the most charming continent in its current arrangement, although history was and always will be expansive. So much so that what was stunning was subject to the ever-present evolution of celestial bodies, energies, or living beings and perspectives across eras.

This land was about one sole, very important planet.

Living beings on the shores of Radagan thought of it as home, prison, or an entire dungeon, scattering goods from lows and deeps, but it was the surface that was the vastest. Gods thought of it as something else, while Hell had vastly different desires from other counterparts, often hiding under the shadows because the surface was unsafe.

Radagan wasn't as pretty or as overwhelming as the haughty great cities of the continent of Zeanor, whose cultures set them apart across all five continents. Radagan was the wildest one out of them, filled with biological consequences, laws that had ruled this place since time immemorial, and enduring evolutions. It had large plateaus, ridiculous forests, jungles teeming with fauna, and millions of difficult, crazy species.

Tribes, packs, nests, hills, trees, caves, and so much more served as homes to countless beasts, making up the majority of the population, while the remainder consisted of various demonic creatures and humanoid races.

Radagan was never concerned about face or the value of creativity. In a broad sense, it was its own world, like the rest of the continents, because travel wasn't open, optimal, or marked by its species and races. It simply allowed lives to thrive, and not just because of the Old World or endless tirades of creativity.

Still, many concepts were prevalent and wild for a reason, firmer for a cause, or more prominent. Since new eras always started, the Will of the Battleworld had a limited vividness and authority in this place. It wasn't a problem, however.

Though limited, it still had its places and rules to settle, so many beasts still thought of it as a useful tool, mainly for the evolutions, clarity of the bloodlines, and stability. In that sense, these aspects were much more elevated than others, and calling it a primordial land from the perspective of Endless Skies wasn't misinterpreted or wrong.

Here, even Blessed could get lost because of the sheer size and craze of the beasts, whose place in this land could eclipse and wreck Somalis if it weren't for the gaps and terrifying currents between them.

Vast was one word that lucky sailors or powerhouses from the Somalis continent proclaimed when they saw Radagan for the first time. Most died during such voyages or travels, so very few returned because the place was cautious and sensitive to any travelers.

But many beings, mainly due to the workings of gods, trades, and delving, were tolerable thanks to regulated trading routes. Not because of Chaos Space, of course. Such a thing was impossible simply because of the unstable space between the continents and violent storms.

Those seas hid dangers unseen by men, and even the Gods were careful about them. Countless Extremes perished in the storms, or the lightning, and prevailing flux of planetary flow, mana, current, and intensity that most lands couldn't even imagine.

And if those Extremes wouldn't die because of them, then the creatures hiding in the unique depths below finished the job.

Including visitors and rare marks of travel, the wild politics made of tribal powers and intelligent beasts created obscure wonders.

Thus, it was no wonder that numerous Gods tried to reach out there, until they realized it wasn't so easy. They were hesitant about whether it was truly wise to adjust, accept, or take these lands by force or reason.

Out of every continent, it had the fewest churches and active Gods on the Surface.

Of course, the Hell was an exception to the rule and a truly devious land because not every God was silly enough to broaden their agendas. Many were fine with hitting the fray and doing whatever the hell they wanted.

It wasn't because of a lack of rules but because power was the Law of the Jungle, and in Radagan, it was truer than the suns and grunts of angry beasts.

The jungle made up more than half of the landmass. The other half was full of lakes, mountains, and occasional grasslands the size of nations.

And now, not in these jungles, but not that far away from them, in the landscape called Tzar Mountains, a rather weird and ridiculous deviation from the norm has been happening for the past few years.

A couple of anomalies met, both nasty beasts, and both were arguing because of their different ideologies, leaving the Radagans' political landscape less than divided. The reason wasn't public. It was typical, albeit for the true peak of this continent alone.

After all, these beings didn't need to ask for any sort of permission. Why would they? It was reasonable to be angry when the name of this very continent was violated and struck out of the blue sky, yet they also knew when to shut up.

It was also fair from the memory, moral, and power standpoint, to just not give a shit about any reasons or excuses whatsoever.

Tzar Mountain was known for one thing among the general population. It was a sacred land, better not taken lightly, so few could visit it on a whim. Not because of a God, of course. There was no God who could be tolerated and called the embodiment of this continent.

The Tzar Mountains had a share of issues, battles, and arguments. Two beasts had been chatting for a hot year, their powers shaking mountains and moving rivers; each was unwilling to compromise. One was scrutinizing the encroaching state of efforts, blood, and selfishness, but both were helpless and aware that something had to be done with the other.

Why? Because the status quo changed because of one of them, while the other thought the other was the one who was wrong, or got it wrong.

A monumental shift happened, moving against an important, sacred figure. He was a god to many, in fact, and a being thought to be dead a long time ago, living against all sorts of odds, but he sure as hell wasn't a God.

Beasts couldn't become the Gods with Divinity and powers to affect the mortal grounds of faith and karma. They were more selfish, affected by the Divides in ways that few could comprehend. It marked them, chained them, but also gave them options and the gruesome power of the wilderness.

It grounded them with chains of their very existence, and that affected how much, how well, and how far they could rise and live for. They had their weight, vigilance, and history. A couple of them might not be special, as every race had its specialty, so why not the beast and their species?

Most wanted to be special. It felt proper, if not etched into their well-being.

The Tzar Mountains were home to a certain Radagan, the Dragon of Eternity. A selected one of the few special beasts that had been serving this planet since its inception. This dragon even survived the tales of the Old World, remembered it, and became the namesake of one of the five continents.

He was old, yet still powerful in terms of history, for this place needed his name and called him sacred and definitive.

Nobody should refute him, let alone fight him.

Usually.

There were always sickos who would do it in a heartbeat, or intentionally, because his position was quite important, thus exposing him to vast reputational risks or outright collapse.

He lived through many ages, and for what? To see the former world turn into a mass of intentions that new Gods crafted and forced on everyone? It was a good method. He had to give it to them, yet it was also forceful.

He acknowledged the validity of the claims of power and knew the progressive nature of Divides was inevitable. Putting planets through vicious trials and extinctions was a simply great way to grow. Some of them could go for hundreds of iterations, or through infinitum, since there was no way to estimate what could be perfect.

But here? Under Radagan's watch?

He failed and then failed some more. Many times, he tried to stop it. He began to acknowledge the futility of his actions. He couldn't refute the bigger picture of this planet or what became of it.

But this incident? He was still a firm guardian of this land, and he shouldn't betray his people.

He didn't like Gods, but he was a beast, so what was there to like, hate, or tolerate, if not a wise or condemning reality of his world? Those liked by the Divides of this universe did not like him. That alone had countless setbacks depending on the qualities of beasts and what they meant in the grand scheme of the universe.

It worked for eternity, meant to go even harder against the Divides. Out of spite, it felt weird when one knew that beasts and demons were closer to Origin than anything else. Or was it because their bodies deviated from the expected norm?

What was forced and elevated by lofty ass-pulls, forgery of heavens, and aspects of Epochs?

Once again, Radagan didn't like it.

What was normal and groomed as fitting in this universe, let alone this planet, was subjective.

In history and power, the Divides cared for one another, and nothing prepared rulers besides those who were at the top of their game long enough.

Radagan wasn't there for those games, even if others thought he was. He had to stick to what he was and bear who he had become.

In his home, the size of a kingdom, his nest wobbled thanks to an invader who came here three years ago. It was a little beast with a Heart the size of his body, which was nothing crazy if he considered the attitude of this Ender.

Radagan was as much a part of the Tzar Mountains as the mountains themselves. His scales were large and thick, glinting under the sunlight unless his wings stretched upward, shrouding entire mountain ranges.

His tail had seen better years, as it was wounded, worn, and hard to think of as majestic. But it was thick and sturdy, like his life force, size, and overall splendor.

And his head? Eyes? Breath? Dragons were dragons no matter what, and his eyes were like his breath and scales. He had seen a lot, yet few things before his eyes could comprehend what the fuck was happening anymore.

His head was straight and willing to finish what it started.

With his moves, mountains trembled, triggering earthquakes. For a battle to occur, he had to maintain reason over his lands.

It was his home, after all. One should care for it.

Yet the reason had been developing for no logical reason, albeit with a weird origin. Three years. He had been on it for that little time, and what did he do, or what was going to happen?

He didn't care about time, since this one felt longer than a cycle.

He was dealing with an angry mother. Just that. Nothing else. It was never a good thing to think about it, yet here she was, glamorous, glorious, and standing before Radagan without a shred of shame.

Like an ant that wasn't an ant. They weren't fighting for a while, thanks to events developing over the last few days. A brief stalemate was acceptable since they knew it was about to stop. Both of them realized a couple of cracks in their statements and frames.

Mainly, it was the Mother who sounded furious, aware, and grown far more in her vividness and craziness than this ancient dragon. Radagan wasn't fine with that; he didn't want this battle to begin with, but this Mother was demanding and brutal, as her kind usually were.

Shrouded in shadows because of Radagan's size, she interrupted his gaze with her Presence and gazed at him with snowy and glinting white eyes.

Her size was ridiculous for any sort of statement, yet Radagan was unable to win this contest. He figured out it had changed at last, and there was no way to let this travesty continue any longer. Three years wasted, and for what? It was bad to crash it away, yet it continued until it was truly out of order.

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"You've sensed something important, right?" A thunderous voice carrying Eternal Will and tremors told. Massive quakes followed, yet they couldn't shake a little duck standing before the Dragon Eternal!

The Mother didn't even make up for his single scale. She was an ant in comparison, yet that ant was an angry mother.

And this ant was contesting against this massive dragon for the past few years without suffering a single meaningful loss.

That fact was vicious and a testament to a large anomaly. Radagan felt he was the one being tested since he knew she came here for irrefutably good causes, yet he couldn't give it away.

Something this neglected, and part of this continent for a very long time, had to remain, and then the Mother was another problem elsewhere, even when she hadn't been here for a long time. No longer on other continents, yet that point wasn't his problem. It was her problem and a godly problem.

Yet here he was, basking in the spotlight, seen by many Gods and contested by none.

She was the demanding one and acting unreasonably because of his plain ol' refusal. Radagan was furious because of it, as well as helplessly furious because he felt his wings had been chained for far too long. His acts were cleansed by lava from the dying Star, yet the price of his acts didn't come in clutch.

"Sense..." A voice echoed, carrying soft hues, forceful sharpness, and tunes that slowed Radagan's trembling voice.

The mountains moved, and Radagan eyed this Mother. His long neck had countless scales and old healed wounds, while his head showed age and ancient eras. He let his wings aside, angled his massive head down, and shrouded the Mother even further in his darkness.

"You see," he started on a softer note, "this had been unreasonable from the get-go. You shouldn't go this far with me just because of the chance made up by the others. It isn't bad, but you know the rules and consequences of these actions. You are sick in your head."

A single step echoed. A flat foot moved, and a fluttering, haggard dress made of lines of fabrics flicked in the breath of fresh air that could shatter the forests.

She was indifferent to this dragon.

Why?

At last, after years of effort, she sensed her Child! And when? How? WHY!? How could it not work earlier, or when did it stop working? The last year was hard for her because of it, but the one before her was for something else, or… well, not for her. Not for her child. For the greater grace of time, she was here and lost the certifications to act like a Mother.

Roughly a year ago, she sensed the birth of her Child, yet didn't make it better than a smidge of existential links before it dissipated like a lie. If it hadn't been for her already experienced heart, she would have taken it for a joke.

But it wasn't a joke, and she believed her ancient egg had finally hatched. A new Anatidae was born into this world, and she was its Mother!

Motherly instincts got hold of her for years, and that alone made her the most insidious Anatidae walking and lurking around Radagan.

The worst thing was that it kept mixing and changing from time to time, clashing with her feelings and knowledge. Then, it felt wrong, huffed, and chained while she was in the middle of an argument with Radagan. Since then, she couldn't step away.

Until one fateful exchange, fear stemming from her Bloodline took effect. She noticed the chain reaction grinding against the chains, while the calling of the bloodline and that evil Resonance latched onto her Child.

Her Child was the cause, a door, and the reason for her existence. Fear, anger, and hope finally became real. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

And it sure as hell wasn't in Radagan.

It was ridiculous and furious, and these grew further until they were so deep, she vented it on this dragon.

Radagan was fed up with it and decided to talk it out with her after a while without talking. Before any of this, he hated familial drama and didn't take it personally.

However, it was also important to take her for who she was and could be, even though she was an unhinged disaster walking on two feet. Now, it was a family drama, and that was beneath him after it became obvious.

It was no longer about fun and playing around.

Talking worked; the Mother calmed down after he acknowledged how their affectionate battle no longer made sense, and no longer required concealed thoughts. Not that she had to conceal anything. For years, she never once considered that it netted her a couple of positives.

Well, apart from her Child, whose location had been found by her careful privy power, and there was nothing Radagan could do about this Mother knowing about it.

After all, that shouldn't have happened.

"You've stopped my thoughts a year ago," the Mother argued, angrily looking at Radagan's lofty chin.

"No." Radagan glanced away, clearly lying. "You are in my territory. A King has his duty. I do too."

"King?!" the little duck laughed, churning a laugh that sent a chill down Radagan's spine. It was a thick spine, bigger than a World Snake's downsized body.

Still, he had to reconcile and deal with this, even though it wasn't his problem from the very beginning. Now, it seemed to involve him as well because of her, but that was false. He didn't care for what was about to happen. He just cared for the betterment of what this Mother wanted, feared, and hoped for.

That couldn't wait anymore, though Radagan feared the time of fairness was fine to cease once more.

She had found out about a supposed hidden and sacred lie.

"You are being ridiculous, big lizard," she taunted the King of Dragons, yet Radagan had nothing to show for it, let alone tell it to her. Sense of justice or words he could tell would shatter, thanks to this single, small existence.

Where was justice in this universe, if this little beast had power equal to his? Well, that was up for debate.

At a certain point in the beastly powers, there was a point where killing became painful, and survivability and compromises had to be clear. That followed aspects of bloodlines, history, primordials, time, and the origins of all beasts.

Of course, that wasn't a concern for those with ridiculous killing potential or with Bloodlines rightfully at the apex from the start.

Dragons were supposed to be the greatest! It was in their literal blood!

Radagan turned back to her. "You see, there is a point in this time of ours. You went to me first for something, haven't you? Then, it turned sour, to this, and then to what? How come it is so complicated, yet obnoxious? Your Child has nothing to do with me?!"

"Because I didn't know about it!?" the Mother went and smacked the ground with her feet, before pointing at him with her surprisingly pretty and long feathered left wing. "You played your part in this, I bet. In senseless justice that went against this motherly norm, motherly love, and my instincts, I demand justice and justification. How come my Child is kicking and walking somewhere, but without a Mother?! What sort of evil is that? It shall be served to me, so who is to blame? You! You are the first, so kindly stick your neck out for me, so I live and breathe once more!"

"That's… Lordis... my dear," Radagan revealed his truth. "Have my apologies, but we have been arguing for years. Then, you suddenly stopped and took your mind elsewhere, and… well, things changed, and it isn't shameful to stop this. I stop this. It has to stop, so let's stop and talk about this."

The Mother nearly went into yet another rampage, but clapped her feet and reminded herself to get this over with. For her own sake, she shook her little head with glistering and ethereal beak and glanced at him again.

"No. No. This isn't something silly or simple, dear Rad. No one stops my bliss from me! Nobody, do you hear me?! "

"Then come back to your senses and get it back," Radagan suggested. "I don't care, frankly. Your business with me is over. I refused it, and you should get it into your head. Mind you, the moment it goes that way, there will be more of those who will try to stop you."

"Why?"

"Don't ask me," Radagan flinched his head again. "Your Child seems to be special. Ravine was kind of concerned about it, you see. Don't ask why. I don't care about that spirit's well-being, but each of his messages is a trick on its own side, with evil aside. Even in the current stress that has been over the globe, it is meaningless to me."

"Why wouldn't my Child be special?!" the Mother argued after hearing what she wanted to hear and stepped forward again.

At some point, she appeared before Radagan's feet and smacked it really fucking hard with a bunch of powerful slaps made by her wings. "It is my Child! My responsibility! My...."

She kept pounding, shaking the scales, a mountain of a leg, and gave it thorough attention.

Radagan was unconcerned by her little venting. But if it had more weight and... her weight, it would hurt. "May I suggest something?" he asked.

She stopped pounding and glanced upwards, scanning a mountain with two eyes and a sorry smile full of dreadful Ends and sharp edges. It was a wonder where this dragon began, but his Bloodline wasn't the deepest in terms of dragons. Very few things came close to this in this Sky, yet she couldn't know about it.

Still, her heart advised her the peak was impossible and that there were shadows and secrets lurking ahead. Where? How? She didn't know, but she comprehended these primordial feelings for many years.

Radagan cleared his throat, leaving sparks of flame shooting into his mountainous nests.

"There is a point in no return. You have your authority and privileges, yet the world and universe are against it. Now, Gods do it too, even if they shouldn't, but it is not that deep. It is a wicked reality, and I recommend you a good spirit, and see the end of this hatred. It is not a bad grudge, however. Don't be mistaken; I don't give a wing to any of those Gods. You should think about it further. What is that Child? What had you felt? Why have you yelled across the seas like a hysterical mother catching a child fucking a pigeon?"

Those were all wonderful questions, and without too many false assumptions.

The Mother thought of them quickly, and she knew her truth.

Her Bloodline resonated. Her Child was there, walking alone for the past months without her. His birth and actual Cracking were supposed to be two separate events marked by her people.

She knew of the first but not the last. But so much time passed, there was no point in doubting her Child's survival. She hoped she was wrong, but there was no way her feelings would betray her.

She hoped nobody would hunt it and kill it before it was too late. She wasn't in the picture, let alone allowed to think and retreat and get lost.

Anatidaes have it tough. The Mother knew of it before the start, and after her child was born, things escalated rapidly and continued doing so. Then, it all stopped, and she couldn't sense it, while knowing this world was probably making a new kind of move, or… someone else did it.

Who? She didn't give a single feather about any possible or impossible candidate of her wrath. How? She cared even less about their methods. It went against her, so that was it.

Her mind had been tarnished, and her anger validated. Pissing her off more was still possible, however.

And her time with Radagan wasn't over. He still kept her busy, even if he didn't want it.

After she sensed her gratifying pity and the dreadful reality of her Child, the sense of the Resonance of the Lightbright Realm seemed powerful and prominent! It was alive... not dead, but progressing and doing very evil injustice.

That was terrible. She warned her Child not to go that far, yet it went for it anyway. Thus, her venting on Radagan was more than justified, and her mood doomed her steps.

Now, when she calmed down slightly, perhaps she was overreacting.

"No! I am not wrong!" She smacked the enormous feet again and flinched Radagan with her beak, going deep and leaving a couple of cracks on his scales.

The ground moved, and mountains swayed. Radagan had had enough of this. He forced her away in a large tide of wind when he stood and went to the sky.

He hovered there, swinging his majestic wings and leaving large sections of the Radagan continent full of storms and raging weather. He was a disaster, but also a protector.

His Tzar Mountain also protected him and those beyond.

Nobody will stop him.

His large body stayed in place, his wings spread wide, and his head glanced down in all of his glory. "URA!" He shouted, unleashing wind and flameless breath down, which crashed mountains and left the Mother breathless for a second.

She glanced up in the middle of the destruction, not concerned about his shout, and accepted her vigor and goal. "You want to go at it again?! No! I know where my Child is! Somalis! It is there. In some Depths! Screwed in the Resonance! It didn't listen! Cheeky brat."

Radagan got yet another headache. Dealing with this family was far too much of a hassle, yet after hearing how much she knew, every attempt to talk sounded spiteful.

Thus, Radagan landed once again, resting his body between a dozen mountains, and looking kind of natural on them.

"Fine... Leave me be... You have made my time and forgotten yourself for far too long. You are also crazy. What would others think? We went crazy, I tell you that much. And for what? To have a chance? To grow? To let some races rise again?"

The Mother glanced at him deeply, meeting those large, red eyes with her white, snowy glow. "Chance. Hope. Time. Three things that not everyone has. They were my initial proposal. Yet this world and souls around it do take it differently, while you refuse me, and… my prospects altered."

"I have the privilege of doing that. Don't forget it."

"Radagan, you are an old fool, as well as someone who lived through more than I could ever imagine, yet you are complacent and dull over nothing. It is due to the spine of the issue. You should leave this planet. Go home! That is what I suggest."

"Home?!" Radagan raised his head, pressed his body down, and crashed a bunch of mountains under his frontal legs when his regal and ancient temper returned. He didn't like this idea.

Feeling the chains, he tried to get it right, only to fail at every turn. He tended to say he knew much better, while knowing that he didn't want to return. Why would he? This continent was rich! It was his home, overseeing his rise, faith, and guardianship.

For what would he willingly leave? To be ridiculed by silly gods or worse, he didn't acknowledge this.

Yet, to be ridiculed by this... duck. That sounded wrong in a different kind of language. He was too old for this bullshit, though consent and ideas went behind the scenes, and he had to adapt and do what he thought was right.

Stopping this Mother from meeting her Child was one part of the issue that he discovered mid-way through their arguments. Ravine had his ideas as well, though it wasn't ideal or simple.

Why? Radagan shivered when he heard Ravine's whispers, which included very interesting news, propositions, and an acceptable level of problems.

The overall headache was still world-shaking and most likely capable of breaking anything.

The Old One was here. On this very planet. Grown and born into a Bloodline of this very Mother, who forced her beak to him many times.

Radagan huffed smoke from his nostrils and eyed her again. "Seriously. Whatever will come out of it, don't come to me for help or regret. I am not one to talk about such things when your needs are yours. I won't budge. I don't want to help you. Not this time. Not at all. Now, go away. Shoo!"

He swung his wing dismissively, thinking he would smack her far away, if not even out of the entire Radagan. Hordes of tornadoes rampaged for a while, shaking mountains like trees wobbling against a storm.

The plains around these mountains weathered this storm and adjusted to these crazy conditions and tendencies. Someone else did as well, notably by two gleaming white revolving holes that looked at Radagan at his equal height.

It was sacred land for a reason, so he calmed down, realizing she hadn't said a thing. "What... are you planning? I see that on your head and mind and… Please... don't go that far. No!"

She attacked him again. This time, not out of spite or anger, but because he knew more than she had assumed and feared.

How much she was played with wasn't a question. It was her reality, and she planned to beat the living shit out of that reality. She would make him talk, realize the consequences of her motherly anger, and the pain of being a lazy son of a dragon.

He knew of her Child! Few details. The whispers of a certain spirit must know of her Child, since every egg was far from being simple. Then, there was the Mother, further Bloodline, and that dying wish.

The one forced away from her for unknown reasons was still a Child, but in a sense, no longer a Seedling—which pissed her off more than any heavenly light. A soul bearing this level of madness, blood, and body wasn't meant to be normal and fine.

Like the mother, like the child.

While the hidden answers were lurking ahead, the Mother wasn't willing to forget her ways. She never wanted to hide, and she won't stop until she gets what came out of her sacred egg.

Then, an awful choice will come to her, or her motherly instincts will break her completely.