Ashlani’s Reincarnation

As the Misti Hawar retreated and the thrashing shadow beasts were beaten down and shredded to pieces, I first checked if the shadow beast I’d slain counted as a creature to the System in terms of progressing my Quest. It did count, and that was how I learned it was called a “Great Hunter’s spawn”. I’d heard about “the Great Hunter,” being the title for the god that the Misti Hawar worshipped, but I’d never have guessed that the god would be some writhing mass of shadow and tentacles.

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Nievtala spoke, her voice filling my mind. The more exposed to her I became, the less her presence changed my mood, though I couldn’t tell if that was because I’d become accustomed to her occasional intrusion into my mind or if it was because I’d been changed by being her Voice and feeling her overwhelming existence so much. The reminders of how her satisfaction with me had been, for lack of a better way to put it, nearly orgasmic at first but were now a mere pleasant warmth that quickly faded was enough of a reminder to how things had changed. She didn’t comment on that change at all, but the goddess obviously knew what I was thinking, given her intimate knowledge of my thoughts.

Instead of mentioning this latest worry of mine, I decided to tease the goddess. “We already knew that I’m better looking than you are, so I guess I can expect the Great Hunter to look like an octopus? Or is he uglier?”

Nievtala laughed at me, and the emotion was more potent than I was used to. It was a mix of genuine amusement as well as a hint of regal, divine anger. The few times I’d experienced a shard of her rage, it had clouded my mind, darkened my vision, and forced adrenaline to fill my body. That rage had nearly forced me to throw myself headlong into battle, so I knew that, though this anger filled my mind and pushed me, it wasn’t a true rage. Even before Nievtala’s response came, I reminded myself that, though I had developed a good relationship with the goddess that called me “little fang,” she was a goddess and Administrator, and I was only a Keel.

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“My apologies, my goddess,” I repented, though I deliberately retained a measure of my tongue in cheek attitude. I suspected there was some measure of amusement she took at my less than reverent attitude towards her, given the way we’d initially come in contact as a mysterious voice in my head during evolution, but more and more, she remembered her place as a goddess and my place as her worshipper.

I wanted to rush out into the forest and shred the spawn that dwelled there, hearing the dangers they could pose with greater time to recover, but doing so would become more costly the deeper into the forest and darkness my people went. With a gnashing of my fangs, I decided to push that idea away and, without further ado, I refocused on my Status and brought up the two changes I had been looking forward to for so long.

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Skill: Pack Tactics has evolved to Skill: Horde Coordination. Evolution of Pack Tactics Skill has granted +10 to Intelligence.

Skill: Horde Coordination; a passive and active Skill granted to exemplary leaders who have learned the path to guide their people from mere beasts to soldiers. Instead of small packs, those with Horde Coordination are leaders of companies, and they can delegate to their subordinates. Those who follow the commands of one who holds Horde Coordination will react more quickly to the commands given while also being granted a 10% increase in all their stats while under the Skill holder’s command. This Skill can evolve. Requirements: Command a force of 200 in a battle leading to complete success in five battles. Progress: 0/5

Skill: Innervating Address; a Skill granted to those whose mastery of sonic magic has grown to allow them to use their words laced with magic to grant greater energy and confidence in the listener. Once a Skill holder holds both the Skill Debilitating Diatribe and Innervating Address, the holder can discern which individual listening to give either effect. This Skill can evolve. Requirements: Use Innervating Address to significantly raise morale of a force of at least 200 while in battle. Progress: 1/1

Skill: Innervating Address has evolved to Skill: Overwhelming Address.

Skill: Overwhelming Address; a Skill granted to those who have long since mastered the use of their sonic magic to drive their people to victory and beyond. Under the influence of this Skill, courage is instilled in the listener while any magic used to sap battle intent or morale is overwhelmed. The listener to this Skill will also be granted a greater reservoir of strength and confidence in the Skill holder. This Skill cannot evolve.

The boost to my intelligence took it to 340, but I hadn’t felt much of a change in that as I’d gained more and more to the stat. When I was a hatchling, I’d felt the change as I became more of a person with the intelligence gain, but now, I couldn’t say that I had any clue what the growths did for me. Perhaps it had something to do with the rate my sonilphon refilled itself? But I couldn’t be sure, because it was an organ, not some sort of holistic reservoir.

It was a disappointment that Pack Tactics didn’t evolve to Swarm Superiority, but that evolution was nigh at hand, given that I needed only command five battles successfully now and, more importantly, with it would come the long-awaited upgrade to Combatant’s Bloodlust. I couldn’t begin to guess what would happen there, but I’d already felt how Victor’s Spoils healed the small scrapes and cuts I sustained in my one-sided beatdown of the spawn. As a Skill which healed me according to the damage I dealt, I knew it would see frequent use as this war became bloodier. I hadn’t had high hopes for this war becoming a difficult one, but it was obvious that I was going to be proven wrong about the strength that our enemies had to bring to bear, and soon.

Regardless, this night was won, and I wouldn’t borrow trouble by thinking too hard about what Nievtala had said about the surviving spawn growing stronger the longer they survived.

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