Pulling myself from my reverie and back into the present, I began to evaluate how I would be able to kill these Toothy Bullfrogs hopping around before me. There were only seven of them, so I wouldn’t be able to trigger an evolution through hunting each of them. Not that that was really an option. Regardless of everything else, I knew my limits. I wouldn’t be able to, on my lonesome, face and kill these massive frogs. But… did I need to be the sole creature that had participated in a hunt? I quickly looked to the [System]
[Evolutionary requirements for Young Keelish Bloodletter: Hunt and kill 10 creatures, possess Bloodlust Skill before 60 days pass. Progress: 1/10]
I already had the Skill, so did I need to kill the creatures all on my own, or could I just deal the final blow? Or did I just need to participate in the hunt? Or if I sent a subordinate to hunt, would that somehow count?
[In order to complete an evolutionary requirement, the System user must actively participate in the completion of said requirement. The System user need not be the sole participant in the completion of said requirement.]
So I just needed to participate. So long as I could work with the other spawnlings to hunt, I could make good progress here.
Immediately, I turned to the rest of the brood surrounding me. Since I’d grown after killing the other spawnling, I was among the largest of the brood, so I tried to look imposing yet inviting, and get them to work with me in this hunt, and they went quiet before me. Subconsciously, I felt a slight grin spread over my face, and I could remember a bit of my mother’s approach to leading–perhaps I did have the passion of Flamespeaking within me. Then, I realized. Not a single wretched spawnling was looking at me.
Instead, the full sixty or so of the spawnlings were looking at the female who had led us here. She stood, her figure an imperious and regal contrast to my skinny and gangly silhouette. I shrank down and retreated a step, then two, closer towards the body of spawnlings behind me. I swore I saw a smirk in the way that the female looked down on me.
“Now, newest members of the swarm, the time has come. You have been coddled and raised for now, but your days of being so many little parasites are through!” She paused, and I realized that there was no way the rest of these little creatures were going to understand this. Looking around, however, I noted that there were eight other heads that seemed to have perked up and were listening with attention. Competition for leadership?
“We realize that most of you will not truly understand what happens today. If you are intelligent enough to understand my words, even if you cannot yet express yourselves, you will have the opportunity to step into leadership among your fellow broodmates. Eventually, if you survive, you may become leaders among the swarm. The rest… are destined to become your followers. They’ll get smart enough to talk, eventually, but they’ll be too far behind at that point. Most of ‘em are happier that way anyways.” The large female flicked her tail in a way I instinctively understood to be a shrug.
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“Anyways. Break into at most five hunting packs. You’ll begin your first hunt soon.”
Before I could understand what had happened, the other eight had begun jockeying for followers, pulling in the other spawnlings to join their packs. Nearly unintelligible cries of “Me!” and “I Best” echoed from the center of the huddle of little bodies, and I could tell that the even more bestial of my fellow spawnlings were quickly persuaded. Snarling under my breath, I stepped closer to the other members of the brood, cursing my pride and unwillingness to mingle with the rest.
“Follow… Me!” I cried out, my words lilting and stumbling out my mouth with unfamiliar and uncomfortable squeaks and cracks. “I… Lead… and… Kill… prey!” A couple of the nearest spawnlings turned in response to my words, but stepped back cautiously once they recognized me for who, and what, I was.
“I… Stronger! I… help… win! We… hunt!” I posed as magnificently as I could, but still the spawnlings around me were cowed by my presence. My power. I felt a rage beginning to bubble up within me. Who were these NEWBORNS to disregard me? To forget about what I could do for them? To–
“You… strong. I… follow.” A male voice piped up as a smaller to average sized male pushed his way through the berth of spawnlings nearby. I realized that, in fact, there were only eight voices arguing their superiority, my own being one of them. I’d noticed eight heads other than my own understanding the unnamed adult female. This one was the eighth, or ninth, depending on how I was counting.
“You… follow… me?”
A flare of his frills that was a nod of assent. “Strong… with… me.”
I flared my frills back at him. “Who… follow… me? With… him.”
A large female, as large as me, approached, passed, and stood behind me in support. Behind her followed a small female and average sized male. Finally, another male followed behind and… that was it. Five of more than sixty. A pathetic showing, if I was to be honest with myself. Regardless, I would have the opportunity to hunt.
Finally truly looking at the rest of the hunting packs, I was initially and most surprised to notice that there was a “pack” of more than 20. There was a large male in charge, with two “intelligent” followers, both female. Then, there were four other packs, ranging in size from eight in number to twelve. None of them had more than their single “intelligent” leader, so while I was behind in numbers, I was ahead in that respect, at least, when not compared to the massive pack.
Still stewing over my own failure, the adult female keelish’s voice carried over and through the present spawnlings. “Look, that’s six packs. One too many. I’ll merge two of you smallest ones together.” Suns burn her, I was going to lose my followers before I gave my first command. But maybe, with my intelligent follower’s support maybe I could subdue whichever group I was forced to join, even if outnumbered.
“You, and you. You’re now one pack. Figure it out.” She pointed at two other packs, the smallest other than my own. Immediately, snarls of anger and attempted dominance broke out between the two leaders, and before long, the leader of the larger pack was decided to be the leader of the new and larger group.
“Now. You five will lead a hunt, and the fastest hunters will be allowed to hunt again. You–” She pointed at me, “will be our first to lead the hunt, given your history of desire for violence. Congratulations and good luck!”
Another inaugural hunt. And this time, I trusted my subordinates less than the one that had shot me in the back.