“Okay. What are we doing now?”

I asked between breaths. Fox looked at my face for several seconds before turning back and snapping her fingers. A fancy-looking throne appeared out of thin air and she sat down and crossed her legs.

“Showoff.”

Jaguar growled before leaping back to the rock he was sitting on when we arrived here.

“It is a shame that you are not at the level yet. But you are worthy enough to form an alliance.”

The word "alliance" caught my attention, and I straightened up despite my exhaustion. "An alliance?" I repeated, curiosity and caution mingling in my voice. They said that they weren’t interested in Aliera but they wanted to form an alliance with me. How could I even help them?

"Yes." Fox said, her gaze steady on me.

“We have observed your actions, your strength, and your character. While you are not yet at your full potential, we see the promise in you.”

Jaguar nodded, his usual playful demeanor replaced with seriousness.

“The world is about to enter an era of chaos and turmoil. We have seen it before. When the demons first emerged…”

He clenched his fist, his ears perking up.

“All parents care about their children. We too care about the life originated from us. To make sure they survive, we need allies.”

I took a deep breath, processing their words.

“Why me? You have Morrigan and Amaterasu, beastkin from your own blood. Why not give them your divine power and make them your champions?”

Fox leaned forward, her eyes sharp and piercing.

“We already have plans for them. However, we need every advantage we can gain to make sure our children don’t suffer.”

Basically, they were saying that this era of chaos would be so bad that their own strength wouldn’t be enough. To ensure their survival they needed outside help. I glanced at Morrigan, who gave me a supportive nod. "

Alright," I said, feeling a mix of trepidation and excitement. "What does this alliance entail?"

Fox smiled, a small, satisfied curve of her lips.

“Not more than what you have been doing until now. Continue to grow, protect those in need, and fight against the coming darkness. In return, we will grant you our blessings and guidance.”

Jaguar chimed in, his tone serious. “You’ll also gain the support of our kin. They will see you as an ally, someone who fights for their survival as much as they do.”

Hmm. Not many things would change besides my relationship with beastkin growing more formal. I already had the support of Morrigan and others since I helped beastkin. I also was going to fight against the dangers while growing stronger so I had nothing to lose from this alliance. This was just like my deal with the Mother Tree.

“Alright,” I said again, this time with more conviction. “I accept the alliance.”

Fox's smile widened, and Jaguar let out a satisfied growl.

“Every alliance must be sealed with a gift.”

Jaguar said with a grin though his smile oozed of mischief instead of wildness now.

“You already have the hand of Morrigan for marriage so don’t ask that.”

I sighed, shaking my head. Seriously? Even him? I glanced back to Morrigan who was red as a tomato but tried to maintain a stoic expression.

“Don’t tease the poor girl. You can ask for skills, weapons, or elixirs. As long as it is something we can give, we will give you.”

Fox leaned back in her throne, her expression turning thoughtful. Wow, they were pretty generous. I wish Aliera was like that too. Then again, I don’t think they showed the same generosity towards Morrigan. It was more about reeling me in by giving gifts.

“Are the deceased beastkin with you?”

I asked, trying to suppress the surge of hope. Fox's eyes narrowed slightly as she considered my question.

"The deceased? Yes, the souls of our kin return us. But.”

She raised her hand.

“We cannot return them back. The cycle of birth and death is not something that can and should be disturbed. Especially not in mass.”

Damn. She predicted what I was about to ask. Guess she was asked this question before. I also noted her words about the cycle of birth and death. I was dead once and got resurrected by Aliera. What has she done? I sighed, putting those thoughts to the side for another time. I looked back at Morrigan.

“Then is it possible for them to speak with their family members last time in a mindspace? Not just the ones who died in the invasion but others too.”

Fox leaned back, her expression thoughtful as she considered my request. "A final meeting in a mindspace," she mused. "It's not an unreasonable request. However, this is not a decision we can take by ourselves. We are not the only An-“

“Consider it done.”

The Jaguar cut off Fox. She glared back at him.

“You don’t know if others will allow it.”

First time since I got here, she showed an animalistic side and snarled towards Jaguar. He just shrugged.

“I’ll force them if I have to.”

She sighed, covering her face with her hands before looking back at me.

“Is this really what you want? This does not benefit you. Our treasures are boundless. We can give you an item worth a country.”

I took a deep breath and closed my eyes.

“I would be lying if I said I wasn’t tempted. Heh. I could even justify it by saying it would help me protect the weak more efficiently.”

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I thought back to my own family. I could barely remember what they looked like, how they sounded, and their personality. The last time I saw them I had no idea that would be the last time I would see them. I went out to hang with my friends and the Horde arrived out of nowhere and I didn’t even have a body to bury. I would have given all the things I owned if I could see them again, hold their hands, kiss them.

Guess people really gave out what they needed the most.

“But I am a warrior. I have been a warrior for a long time, out of my own will. I know what being a warrior entails. I know the difficulty and I know the sacrifice and I am ready to face it again regardless if I received a treasure or not. But those people were just trying to live their own lives. They weren’t ready for their loved ones to be taken without any warning.”

I looked down. Looking at their faces felt embarrassing.

“Death is inevitable. But that doesn’t mean that it should come like this. People deserve to say goodbyes. They deserve to look at their loved one’s faces once again. So, yeah. I am sure that’s what I want.”

I swallowed down the heavy feeling rising through my throat. I raised my head to look at the Ancestors.

“Hahahahah! That’s it!”

Jaguar clapped his hands together so hard that I thought it was thunder. He howled with laughter while Fox calmly observed him.

“Yes! Pride of a warrior! Confidence in your own power! That’s how a man should be!”

Jaguar's laughter reverberated through the mindspace, his approval clear. Fox, still seated on her ornate throne, watched me with an unreadable expression. She then slowly turned her head to Jaguar who was still laughing. She looked intently towards him but he didn’t seem to notice her. She narrowed her eyes and swung her arm into the air. Something invisible I couldn’t detect smacked into the back of Jaguar’s head.

“You could have just called out to me!”

He growled as he touched the back of his head.

“I am thinking of giving him “that”.”

Jaguar’s eyes widened with surprise. He then smiled.

“Heh. I thought you wanted to play by the book. Will it be okay?”

She slowly nodded. Both of them pointed their fingers towards me.

(Records are being transferred.)

(Records are not compatible with User’s race.)

(Searching for a compatible skill…)

(You acquired active personal skill Beastification.)

“Well, that’s it. Keep training and get a good sense of your own soul, kid. I want you to be strong enough to be worthy of putting my claws on when we meet again.”

I blinked repeatedly as I looked at the notifications.

(Unlike the Beastkin's Primal Evocation, which allows them to tap into their primal heritage to enhance their physical prowess, Beastification reflects the unique path of humanity. While humans have gained civilization, intellect, and culture over the millennia, they have lost touch with the raw, untamed power of their primal origins. Beastification bridges this gap, granting User access to a fraction of this ancient might.)

(You can transform your body to increase your physical capabilities and gain natural weaponry but doing that will consume great amounts of stamina.)

I wanted to ask about it but our surroundings started to fade away. I blinked rapidly as the mindspace dissolved around us, the tranquil forest clearing replaced by a blank whiteness. I turned back to Morrigan but she was gone too. The Jaguar also disappeared but Fox remained. I looked around, realizing I was fully alone with her.

“The bindings put on you can be lifted. Train yourself. Find and sense your soul. Do not trust them blindly.”

I tried to step forward to ask her what she exactly meant. But the ground beneath me disappeared and I opened my eyes with a gasp to find myself back at the beach.

Damn Gods and their inability to reveal everything. Morrigan’s eyes were still closed, probably in a mindspace to talk with her father. I sighed, turning around to face the sea.

I couldn’t let her alone so I decided to try out my new skill. I raised my right arm.

Closing my eyes, I took a deep breath and tried to connect with the primal energy within me, the ancient might that the skill promised. A surge of energy coursed through my veins, almost like electricity, but it was raw and untamed. My muscles tensed, and I could feel them growing, expanding with newfound strength.

“Grh!”

It was painful and how my arm looked reminded me of a goddamn werewolf transformation. My fingers elongated into sharp claws, and my skin took on a slightly rougher texture, almost like fur but not quite. I stood up and swung my arm around, trying to get a good sense of it.

“Ha, ha.”

I breathed heavily after moving for a while. Damn. This stamina drain is no joke. Even with my high Vitality stat, it was hard to maintain. The main problem felt like I wasn’t getting enough oxygen which made sense considering the muscles not only grew in size but also got stronger. Since it haven’t been long since I woke up from a month-long coma, I decided I didn’t want to push it further.

I lied down since I figured out Morrigan had a lot of things to say to her father.

The stars looked beautiful tonight.