Chapter 128 (Patreon)

My mind was finally recovering enough for me to really work through this new [Skill], as well as everything else that had changed. Firstly, I wanted to better understand this new [Skill] even better. Did [Imperial Bearing] mean that every one of my Sonilphon related [Skills] would be improved, except [Quaking Claw]?

[The Skills: Debilitating Diatribe, Innate Leadership, and Innervating Address are unconditionally improved and strengthened in every facet due to the user’s acquisition of the Skill: Imperial Bearing. The Skills: Adversary, Evolutionary Guide, Pack Tactics, and True Dominance are all conditionally improved and strengthened due to the user’s acquisition of the Skill: Imperial Bearing.]

I’d recovered back to normalcy, and quickly was able to put together the meaning behind the explanation that came to me. “Influences others” as had been stated in the general description of [Imperial Bearing] seemed to mean my interactions with other creatures. Thus, whether it was the direct effect of [Debilitating Diatribe] weakening the listeners or the indirect effect of [Pack Tactics] allowing me to better communicate the understanding of battle that came with the [Skill], both were affected. The conditionally improved [Skills] were ones that did not exclusively give effects in that social fashion.

As the breadth of the benefit given by this new [Skill] settled over me, I finally fully shook the fear and suppression that Nievtala’s brief words had instilled in me. Perhaps if I weren’t a leader of a communal species, then I’d have been disappointed, but with my goals, [Imperial Bearing] was a perfect [Skill]. Maybe it was a little bit of a pity that it couldn’t evolve further, but I got the feeling that it could progress, even if not through evolving. 

Moving past my newest [Skill], the new [Quest] might take quite a while to complete, since I couldn’t know when I was going to be able to Speak the final Words of Power. Beyond that, I had been led to believe that the only way I could guarantee that I speak the True Words of Nievtala was to go to Nievtra, a ruined city on the far side of the continent, a distance so far away and unfathomable to me that I couldn’t begin to understand when I would get there. To make it even more complicated than that, though, I hadn’t been guaranteed that information upon my arrival. Despite my attempts at calming myself, I could feel the stress rising as I thought about it, but quickly I tamped it down and focused on other things instead.

On the other, more positive hand, I could see that with fewer than ten more followers, I would finish the [Quest] for garnering more than 15% of the swarm in followers. Thus, I could continue stepping ever closer to taking down Redael. Redael, interestingly enough, had a different [Dominance] [Skill] than I did. I could remember the notification of [Absolute Dominance], not [True Dominance], so it could be that he had developed his in a different way, but I suspected that [Absolute Dominance] was a higher tier of the [Skill] than [True Dominance]. The updated [Skill]’s description was interesting, if wholly expected.

[Previous Skill: Dominance; a passive Skill granted to those who have demonstrated their ability to force others to obey them. This Skill grants an aura that incites loyalty, obedience, and fear in others. This aura allows the Skill holder to more easily dominate and subjugate others. This Skill can evolve. Skill Evolution requirements: Dominate and subjugate 100 creatures. Complete. Evolution to True Dominance complete.]

[Current Skill: True Dominance; a passive Skill granted to those who have demonstrated and begun to perfect the ability to force others to obey and submit to the Skill’s holder. Those who have gained this Skill are beginning to understand the path of the tyrant, and this Skill assists them in that path. This Skill grants an improved aura that incites loyalty, obedience, and fear in others. This aura begins to force even those with the strongest will to submit their will to the holder, and allows the holder to more easily dominate those who stand before them, even without violence. This Skill can evolve. Skill evolution requirements: assert and establish dominance over five leaders of groups of at least 100 individuals.]

So far as the description seemed to indicate, the new [Skill] was largely the same as before, simply strengthened. That, paired with [Imperial Bearing], I was ready to begin to use it to the best of my ability at every opportunity. It was time for the swarm to begin to acknowledge me. I could wait no longer, and would need to begin to take steps immediately to gather all the swarm under my leadership. A part of me tried to say that I needed to wait longer, to take my time, but I couldn’t stomach another day of letting Redael think himself above me. I was nearly convinced that I should stalk down to Redael’s den right this moment and force him to admit my superiority before his painful death, but I thought it would be more humiliating and effective to force him to try to bring a stop to my power as I took control over the swarm, one pack at a time.

The idea of no longer regarding the direct and veiled warnings about my attempts to grow my influence grew within me until I couldn’t help but decide that to be my next course of action. I would take control over whichever pack came near me, I would subjugate any keelish who saw my eyes, I would become the truest form of a swarm Alpha and would dominate and [Dominate] any creature that stood in my way. Deep within me, the voice crying for patience and a slow approach was stifled and smothered until it went silent, and I welcomed the calm, quiet ambition that replaced it.

As I joined with the rest of my pack, they looked at me, looking for direction and instruction, and I was struck with the sudden and absolute need to lead, to prove my leadership. We had allowed the humans to wreak their havoc among our number for too long, and I would bring the beginning of the end to it. As the thought settled over me, a cool intellect began to prevail over the heated, insensate pride that had slowly, quietly begun to prevail over my mind. I sighed and realized that there was another effect to this new [Skill] I’d been so excited to receive. 

Regardless of the influence of [Imperial Bearing], I did need to find the humans before they made any more progress on the culling of my swarm. Even if the swarm didn’t yet know that I was their leader, I would be, and the more of them there were, the stronger I would be by extension. In addition to that, I needed to talk with the humans. If I was going to be running away and out of the Martanimi jungles, I wanted to find Viilor before I left. After all, his back was ready and prepared for my claws to plunge into it, just as his arrows had mine. I didn’t let myself delay any longer. 

“Took, Treel, Foire, Vefir, Sybil, Shemira! We now go to the hunt!”