The pack whose den we walked into was already at each other’s throats before we got there. A male and female were wrestling in the dirt, snarls and screeches echoing off the enclosed walls, and the rest of the pack simply watched as both sought to gain advantage over their foe. There was a certain level of control in the fight, and I could tell that there were no lives in danger, but blood was flowing freely from both of the two fighters. We watched for only a moment before I looked at Took, who stepped in and grabbed the closest keelish, the male as it happened to be, and bodily threw him back and against a wall.

Dirt began to trickle down from the ceiling as the female, seemingly uncaring as to the sudden attack her foe had sustained, leapt to continue her own attack. Took did not step aside as the other female lunged to press her advantage on the male who was still stunned from crashing into the hard wall. Instead, Took reared back with her head and smashed her head into the other female’s nose. The previously energetic female immediately dropped to the ground, insensate, and the fight was, at least for now, done.

I could see a little enjoyment appear on Took’s face as she looked down at the two groaning keelish before she stepped back to flank me. Though I hid it as well as I could, I also enjoyed seeing Took show how much better a khatif was than a keelish. Especially one that hadn’t yet decided to follow a khatif.

Sybil had explained that this pack’s Alpha had died on a hunt not too long ago, and the pack was now beginning to splinter under their current lack of leadership. Last she had heard, there were three possible new Alphas, but looking at it now, there were only two that were still in the fight for supremacy while the rest of the pack watched them fight. The two stunned keelish began to gather themselves, and the surrounding members of their pack continued to watch them with an obvious curiosity. Before the two squabbling fools could continue their now meaningless fight, I began to speak, my voice laced with power from [Debilitating Diatribe].

“You need an Alpha to lead you. Here I am. Follow me.” I didn’t speak any further, and between [True Dominance], [Debilitating Diatribe], [Imperial Bearing], and [Innate Leadership], I was sure all of the keelish spread out before me would immediately succumb to my words. I wasn’t far off, and some of the previously standoffish creatures began to approach me at my words. Everything about the keelish before me communicated willingness to follow, but it was interrupted by the male who’d been tossed aside by Took.

“You.. aren’t our… Alpha.” His words came in choppy sections, wheezing through his teeth as he tried to recover from the sudden attack he’d sustained at Took’s hands. Took herself turned to the male and leveled a threatening gaze at him, but I didn’t stop myself there. The absolute insolence and disrespect of this mere keelish to challenge my power? I began to stalk towards him, and the yet unnamed male could read my violent intent in my stride. He clambered to his feet and assumed a combat ready pose, but he was far from ready for a fight with me.

I feinted a strike at his head and he dodged low, but he couldn’t have been prepared for my knee strike that took him in the side of the jaw. A keelish’s upper body was almost entirely horizontal, so unless an opponent or prey was below you, your legs were only useful for keeping yourself up. A khatif, though, with our more upright torsos and adjusted forward balanced hips, could use them as weapons. My knee smashed into his jaw, and the crunch of bone on bone, as well as the hard clacking of fangs cracking on each other echoed in the den. He immediately crumpled to the ground, and I suspected that between the strength of my leg and the force of his dodge, I may well have broken his jaw. A part of me hoped I did.

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“Anyone else think that I’m not your Alpha?”

The silence followed by feet shuffling towards me was more than answer enough. “Took, make sure he’s not dead, and drag him along.” She nodded her head before leaning down and shaking the keelish laid wholly unconscious on the ground. Though he didn’t say anything, he did groan in pain, and Took unceremoniously hauled him up and wrapped her arm around his body, just under the arms. Then, she nodded, looked at me, and began to follow me out of the den, with Sybil and the rest of the newest members of my pack following close behind.

As we all walked out, I counted the number of the keelish who I’d forced to follow me. Sixteen. With them, my total number of followers would become 153 after they finally accepted me as their Alpha. I couldn’t say how long it would take to do so, but it wouldn’t be too–

I was shaken from my thoughts on completing my [Quest] by a sudden, swelling feeling of growth. Flashing in the corner of my eye, I noted the [System] notification.

[Quest completed. Growth achieved. Quest board updated. Status updated.]

[QUEST COMPLETE: Gain control of 15% of the entire swarm. Reward: Constitution, Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Magic +5. New Quest received.]

I’d never completed a [Quest] while simply walking around, or experienced this kind of growth while not exhausted, in the middle of combat, or while asleep. I hadn’t expected the sudden jolt to my step as my stats spiked in number, and I’d nearly lost my balance as my body changed without my assent or conscious thought. Quickly, I looked at what had changed.

[-Attain victory in combat against a foe numbering more than 50 adult combatants. Reward: Constitution, Strength +6 Agility +4 Intelligence, Magic +5.

…

Stats:

-Constitution: 73+5=78

-Strength: 84+5=89

-Agility: 88+5=93

-Intelligence: 73+5=78

-Magic: 74+5=79]

With the bonuses from this latest [Quest], my stats were growing ever closer to 100 each, and I felt like there must be something that the [System] would grant once I passed that baseline. I couldn’t say what it would be, maybe a [Skill] similar to [Exceptional Individual], but I couldn’t say. Either way, I didn’t care what exactly it would be, since even if I didn’t get any additional benefit from hitting that arbitrary landmark, I was excited to continue growing as I had been.

I was surprised, however, that enough of the pack had accepted me so quickly. With a glance backward, I saw blatant idol worship in the eyes of most of them, and while some didn’t look at me quite so adoringly, they still bowed their heads in respect once they noticed my attention. A warm glow of contentment grew inside of me at the thought, and it was solidified by a gentle, calm, warm feeling of approval from Nievtala.

Apparently, she was much more careful this time, since I didn’t feel any of the existential dread or knee-wobbling terror this time, only acceptance of my path, and a desire for me to continue successfully. Though keelish and khatif didn’t shed tears from emotion, I could feel a swelling in my chest that nearly had me short of breath, and was as near to the feeling that preceded the shedding of tears. Nearly immediately, the feeling faded, leaving only the sense of endorsement, or perhaps blessing, from the goddess that had decided to sponsor me. Though I didn’t really worship Nievtala, it felt good to have a divine being on my side, especially since the Administrator and Nievtala both seemed to think that there was another, different one whose plans would end in my own demise.

At the thought of a nearly omnipotent being plotting my death, I steeled myself and quashed the feeling of comfort and pleasure, focusing instead on continuing to strengthen myself and my pack. After all, I wouldn’t depend on a god for my safety, when I could continue to grow and evolve to provide safety to myself.