Shova, 4th, 10,391
Culture had such a profound effect on people.
A culture of violence and lawlessness led to warlords.
A culture of corruption led to unjust kings.
A culture of competition created winners and losers.
It molded people.
Culture turned humans from screeching primates into space-faring primates.
Culture made evil men fear hell.
It elevated a people.
Of course there were the rare individuals who could truly shrug off the pressure from their society and culture. Outliers. They were culture unto themselves.
There was no real culture here, only the broken shards of the Zleenish Empire that had been windswept against his mountain.
Six was to make a culture here and he took that very seriously. The dominant part of him, the true hedonistic Six who revelled in life and freedom, he wanted to leave it be. Hedonistic Six believed culture to be an organic expression of the people's right to freedom. Something to be lived by the mass of ‘us.’
The craftsman in him knew that to be an idealistic naivety. Something that would only work if we all abided the spirit of freedom. That was statistically speaking, simply impossible. Motes of psychos existed amongst us. Wolves amongst sheep.
Already there were others pushing and pulling at the fermenting culture of Mountain’s End and Six needed to begin work to overcome that.
To that end he was creating his current project.
He had spent the last six days preparing for this moment.
He’d dug a secret chamber under the townhall. This would be one of his most important assets and keeping right next to the trees and leyhall would just make defending all of them easier.
Six had the carcasses of the hunts brought to a secondary location where he transported them through the sewers to the sunken room he had dug.
He was sure he’d heard people shuffling off in front of him but he’d hadn’t seen anything. No one was supposed to be down in the sewers but that was just evidence that Six was making the right move with this next creation.
Blood, bone, and entrails gathered Six added some of his own then withdrew the One Million Egg Gland. He placed the gland atop the pile of biomass and looked down upon the mess.
The gland, a superior ranked reagent, to be used to alter a minor golem, preposterous. But Six didn’t trust himself to maintain control of a moderate ranked golem, especially one configured to be an intelligent blood golem. It was just too dangerous.
It could grow alongside him as his other golems were.
But to have the best potential to grow Six needed to spend resources to build its foundation.
Thus he drew upon a spoil he had been saving for such an investment.
He had spent three days altering the Superior Earth Core. Diluting the vast earth mana pool with blood mana was hard on his body and mind. It felt like trying to turn a fresh lake salty by crying into it. Impossible.
Six had chugged health potions, cast Vital Surge, and meditated under the aura of life golems. He poured his vitality into the core and through sheer grit shifted the affinity incrementally. Now he just had to maintain this exchange for as long as he could.
It was good training for Blood Casting though, and that skill rose significantly during those three days. His tolerance to the pain of Blood Casting also rose despite there not being a corresponding skill.
His body would always reject the pain but the total prolonged immersion of agony that was constant Blood Casting provided a level of understanding that allowed him to partially observe the pain rather than wholly experience it. That detached nature allowed him to observe much of his emotional state and while he couldn’t buck the influence of blood magic, he was at least more aware of its effect on his mental state.
Six found himself a tad possessive, a little crazy, but not to the degree he felt after a whole day of pumping blood into the stone.
Although his Meditation skill stubbornly remained at 19, his Mindfulness skill broke into 20 with this ‘training.’
Skill increase: Mindfulness - Apprentice - 20
Apprentice Skill Evolution triggered
Pillar: The mind faces outward, to better protect. Mindfulness now provides an increase of 2% mental resistance per skill level instead of 1%
Pool: The mind faces inward, to better detect. Mindfulness now provides an increase of 2% internal perception per skill level instead of 1%
Mind’s Edge: Grants the user combat dependent resistance The effects of Mindfulness quadruples during combat, falling off quickly during times of peace.
Unyielding Mind: Reclaim more time for the user. Reduces one’s need for sleep by 15%
Considered Charisma: Enhances users ability to choose and craft words to better suit the situation. Improves strength of personality by 1 % per level in skill.
% choices all pretty good.
Considered Charisma was immediately rejected as Six was not doing a charisma build.
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Unyielding Mind while an attractive pick was also rejected, If there was a potential to improve his defenses he had to take it. This would allow him to progress faster but he was sure there would be old monsters aplenty at every stage. He needed to be stronger when he got there.
Pillar and Pool were simple and effective increases. Solid choices.
But, Mind’s Edge was too good to pass up.
One could argue that it was during peaceful moments Six should have his guard highest against mental manipulations. He imagined it was subtle and insidious, not something usually seen on the battlefield.
But Six could also envision psychic tactics and strategies being used on the battlefield. Hallucinations, emotional tampering, motor control interference were all something Six could encounter on the battlefield. He needed to be able to act during combat at all times. Having four times the boost to resist any intrusions would be powerful indeed.
He selected Mind’s Edge.
Evolution choice imprinted: Mind’s Edge
Technique choice awarded.
You gained 100 experience points for reaching Apprentice status in Mindfulness.
He drew ever closer to entering level 15.
He was offered a selection of techniques, but none were as good as Empathy,
Technique: Empathy
Rank: Minor
Cooldown: 1 hour
Range: 10 m
Performance Time: Instant
Duration: Instant
Mana Cost: 65
Effect: User increases their ability to comprehend the emotional state of another’s aura. This allows an emotional state to be discerned regardless of outward appearances.
Dope.
Three days of burning his blood into mana. Three days of blood washing away land. Pouring blood until the core was a sea of blood. Then he inscribed the core with a configuration that would create sentience. Even more foolishness.
Now he was alone within the secret chamber beneath the leyhall. No one should know where this golem lay.
It would be utterly helpless to defend itself. All mind configurations were hopelessly weak in every other area than cognition, a severe weakness of that type. Kytaligan’s knowledge indicated that Six should use something like the Demon Mind Singularity or Kytaligan’s Soul Core to create a thinking golem, but only one reagent could be used and Six was set on gambling on the transmutive properties of the One Million Egg Gland to produce the effects he wanted.
He had a good gut feeling about this.
You are attempting to enchant a Superior Configured Blood Core into a Minor Blood Golem. This will require 486 mana and five Mundane Common Mana Core to complete and will take materials from the most suitable nearby source. One Million Egg Gland reagent detected. Would you like to begin this enchantment now? Yes/No?
Six breathed deep and steadied himself.
Yes.
Six radiated his mana forth and immediately the bloody pile of butchered flesh began to writhe. The meat danced to Six’s power that tore from his pores in streams of red. His heart ached as the spike of land heart throbbed, the pain exuded outwards and he growled as he wrestled with the higher order magic.
He had submerged himself in the pain and influence of blood magic these past few days.
This was nothing.
The Superior Blood Core he held whipped from his hand and imbedded itself in the carnage with a wet plop, the pulsating mass responded by throbbing faster and faster, folds of flesh turning in on itself over and over again. Ridges formed and the pile halved into two lobes, the meat shaping itself into a parody of a brain.
Then the legs burst from the side of the golem. Multiple sets of legs, like a centipede. They were tipped with hands or hooves, they clattered and clapped the floor in rhythmic sequence as it came to spasmodic life.
The One Million Egg Gland rode this flesh wave but was eventually consumed, lost between the crevasse between the two lobes. Six could see the effects immediately as eggs and insects began to grow and move beneath the exterior membrane of the blood golem.
It was perfect, now to push that perfection to the limit.
He wasn’t thinking clearly but his control was absolute and he pushed this creation to the climax.
Then it was over and he ended the ritual before it broke.
Enchantment Successful.
You have successfully enchanted a Superior Configured Blood Core, achieving an efficiency rating of 74% creating a Minor Blood Golem.
- Blood Golem -
Level: 9
Rank: Enhanced
Rarity: Unusual
Weight: 718 KG
Durability: 180/180
Traits: Minor Telepathy, Hive Host
A grand creation. The giant brain golem stood shakily upon its hordes of legs and slowly turned to regard its creator. It had no eyes but Six was certain it was observing him and through that observation Six reached out and made a connection with it.
He checked its stat sheet.
Name: — Level: 9 (Mortal) Experience:36500
Race: Blood Golem Fame: 0 (Unknown) Clout: 0 (Insignificant)
Heath: 410 Endurance: 220 Mana: 80
Strength:10 Dexterity:10 Constitution:41
Intelligence:8 Wisdom:8 Charisma:10
Endurance:22
Traits:
Minor Telepathy:
The golem is capable of reaching out with its mind and communicating telepathically with those who are willing within 200 meters.
Hive Host:
The golem serves as a hive mind for a swarm of smaller constructs. These constructs can range out to distance of 2km from the hive before losing connection.
There were also a few skill increases,
Skill Increase: Blood Casting - Initiate - 17
Skill Increase: Blood Magic - Initiate - 15
Now to test it and there was no better way than to have a little chat.
“Hello,” Six called out gently.
Hello, an echoing feminine voice came to his mind. She sounded friendly enough.
“How are you feeling?” Six had never interacted with such a being before and his knowledge of how to make one had not prepared him for this moment. Being gentle as he learned more was the best exploratory method.
Confused. She offered simply.
“Oh? Confused about what?”
Where am I? Why am I? How did I come to be?
The golem was jumping right into the existential questions and Six wasn’t sure if that was the best place to start their relationship or her education but didn’t want to snatch control away so early. “If you wish, I can answer those questions for you.”
The brain rippled in anticipation. I would know.
He listed off the answers. “You are in a chamber I created for you. In a village named Mountain’s End. Amongst your people. Why you are here is because I have need of your help.Lastly, I created you through magic to assist me.” Six allowed her to slowly internalize that before he asked. “How does that make you feel?”
I find that distressing and most of my confusion still remains
Six grunted and nodded in agreement. “I'd imagine I'd feel the same, eh.”
“Then why did you tell me?”
“It's the truth.”
She was quiet.
“You know the truth?”
I know.
Six shrugged, “I'm sorry if it ain't good enough.”
“I don’t know if it's good enough. I know things but I also know I don’t know things. I lack… experience.”
“You might find it enjoyable.”
And if I don't?
“You can help our tribe in a different way, or freely leave to find wherever you belong.”
And if I find nothing good?
“Well then I'm sorry. You could always come back and I would take care of you.”
Take care of me?
“I brought you into existence. I will always try to take care of you.”
Thank you… What am I helping with?
Six smiled. It seemed she agreed to help him. “You are part of a family that needs to be watched and cared for. I plan for you to watch over everyone, to observe and report. There are things that people are allowed to do and things they are not allowed to do.
I need you to tell me who is doing wrong.”
With that, bugs erupted from the exterior membrane of the golem. Piercing their way out, covered in blood but folding out gossamer wings and taking flight. They looked like large mosquitoes, with dark segmental eyes and barbed proboscis’.
Six could feel her gaze come from the swarm of them.
I can keep careful watch... Master?
Six chuckled. “I don’t believe in slaves and you’re not apprenticed to me. Also, I think you would hate calling me that.
You are right, I don’t like saying it. I don’t know why.
“Because you are of blood. But you need to know, I am the boss of these lands, I make the rules.”
Yes, yes, rules! But what should I call you?
“My name is Six.”
Six… Do I have a name?
“I have one I’d like to give you but you are welcome to choose your own.”
No. Give me my name.
Six smiled, he was building something with this new golem. He couldn’t believe he considered forcing his will upon such an intelligent creature. Of course a moderate ranked mind golem would fight for its freedom.
Six walked closer and laid a hand upon its ridged pulsating flesh. Warm. It was a hideous monstrosity but he felt no danger. He spoke.
“You will be an important part of our family, our tribe, our nation. You will be the true judge of us, the impartial eye. I would like to call you,
Big Sister.”