The United Assembly of Balroon, Tenth of Avendair (June), Avelia
The United Assembly. Considered one of the Ten Great Powers of the world, it was a center of learning, cooperation, and insight. A place where all could find themselves a part of something greater... or at least that was the selling point, and perhaps had been truth, once long in the past. Now, it was merely a realm of decadence, arguing, and egotism, where blocks of self-important factions attempted to maneuver themselves to the top of the pile above the rest. The one given the unenviable task of managing this pack of lunatics? None other than High Principle Brodan.
Brodan was of the Leon Clan, a Beast-Type Faction who carried the power of the rulers of the mortal animals within their very veins. Proud, majestic, his lustrous mane was the envy of his Pride, who had celebrated his ascension to this most high of offices, confident that his role would see Beast-Types elevated. The reality... would most surely disappoint. Sighing wearily, Brodan slumped across the ornate desk that, alongside the cumbersome robes he wore, symbolized the power of his office; scattered before him was yet another motion pushed forth by one of the Guiding Districts, each the ruler of a given industry within the Assembly, meant to grant them the power to interfere with their rivals.
"Who so ever proclaimed this position an hour, may they entrails be torn out by the Great Hunt." Brodan groaned, delicately writing out his denial of the current motion so as to lay the blame at the feat of another District; a skill he had cultivated after one too many assassins dispatched by the Districts in order to 'make room for a more agreeable High Principle.' It was far easier to set them against one another then it honestly should be. "A testament to the unchecked power they have wielded in running roughshod over the office once meant to guide and corral them, undoubtedly."
Lost in thought of what his homeland had lost, he gazed out the crystal window (crystal! Not glass, oh no, the High Principle's office could never have such a "mundane display") to the sprawling city below him. A testament to the past, spires built to ever-reach onward to the heavens, an enteral search for greater unity among all, now nothing but a way for the wealthy and powerful to set themselves above those they saw as their pawns. A cynical chuckle spilled forth. "I could almost toast to the inevitable fall of this once glorious nation."
"HIGH PRINCIPLE!!" A thin, youthful voice cried out, drawing him from his exhausted feeling of defeat.
Arching an eyebrow, he turned to his entryway, wincing as a young Elf boy came barreling through the silk curtains, only to collide with one of the columns lining the room. He winced in sympathy. "I say, are you alright Lucent?"
"Y-Yes, I'm... I'm fine..." Lucent, his young Page, managed to wheeze out, even as he clutched at his midsection in pain. Nevertheless, the stubborn set of his jaw made it clear he would not respond to any attempt to point out the truth of his state, as always. The boy pulled himself up, clearly trying too hard to ignore his prior discomfort to appear in control; it was almost enough to make Brodan laugh a bit. Nevertheless, he settled back; for all his habit of trying to push too far beyond what he could handle, Lucent took his duties as Page quite seriously. "I am here to repeat- Report that there has been a disturbance in the Grand Repository, my High Principle. Inquisitives and Suppressors have been dispatched by the Media District and Constabulary District in order to determine the source... and have been prevented entry by the source of the disturbance, which they have refused to name."
THAT drew more than just a raised eyebrow from Brodan. A flash of fear filled him as he shot to his feet, rushing off, Lucent jogging to keep up with his long stride. This was a disaster; for all that the Districts played fast and loose with how much they obeyed his authority, anything capable of making them refuse to name or acknowledge a disturbance within the confines of the Central Domain was an indication of something they believed would grant them the power to dispose of the farce of obeying the seat of High Principle... and thus was something he absolutely could not allow them to gain control of. Narrowing his eyes, he slowed to a stop, allowing Lucent to bounce off of his back as he failed to slow in time. He shot the young boy a look out of the corner of his eye. "I'm afraid the coming battlefield is no place for you, young man."
"B-But, I am your Page! It is my duty to be at your side to relay any and all orders or messages from you to your forces!" Lucent protested, a hint of childish indecision coloring his tone; he knew it was too dangerous, but was torn between safety and his loyalty to Brodan. It was an admirable trait, if raw and unrefined; Brodan took a moment to take the measure of the boy before him. Gangly, not too much meat on his bones but a subtle definition that indicated the beginning of a runner's build, and a fierce loyalty burning within his eyes. He would have to see if he was interested in meeting Brodan's granddaughter if the boy stayed loyal as he grew; he was right in that age range where the Districts considered one to be too old to be molded into a tool, and too young to be a threat to subvert or remove. Brodan could swear he saw tears in the boy's eyes...
"Lucent." He stated, allowing a tiny fraction of the weight of his Class slip free, causing the young un-Classed boy to stand up straight, as if his spine had been replaced by steel. He eased back the pressure, the boy unconsciously relaxing. "I admire your dedication... but this old Cat has a few tricks up his sleeve to defend himself, tricks that one as young as you would not be able to endure being in range of. Please, for my sake, and your parents, stay back. Have faith I shall return."
A look of mulish stubbornness came to his face for a second, before it cleared. Lucent gave a miserable nod, and that was all Brodan needed. Allowing the full weight of a veteran Politician rise forth, he marched onward, fully prepared to use force if needed to break up the violence... only to blink in stunned surprise as he came to the site of the Grand Repository. It was... quiet. Eerily so. As his gaze roamed across the numerous Inquisitives and Suppressors present, some frozen in rictuses of anger as they fought, others in a position of demanding, and still others fleeing as fast as they could to report to their masters... he was utterly baffled at who could have done this.
Steeling himself, he gently pressed open the doors to the Repository, which had been left unlocked, something that was never to happen. Suddenly, he was awash with light, blinking up to the sight of the Repository bathed with illumination as an all too familiar jewel floated above, a small Fae communing with it. The gleaming green surface pulsing with a gentle light. A Core. A DUNGEON CORE had spawned within the City's limits! This was impossible, unprecedented! Cores appeared in wild, abandoned places where mortals no longer roamed, they did not take root in Cities, Cities built up around them. A pane he had thought to never see before snapped open before him, and he felt his confusion grow even stronger.
[Welcome to the Library! Home to the Library Core.
While within the Core's domain, all violence is prohibited outside of pre-defined combat scenarios to be determined by the will of the Core. As an acknowledged Visitor to the Library, you shall be issues a Library Crest; with the Crest, you are considered a Lender, and may pay Mana to access the assorted knowledge of the Library at your leisure. All Crests are subject to renewal every 12 Months. All knowledge borrowed from the Library is still regarded as Library Property, and must be returned at a set date to be determined upon borrowing. If the Lender fails to return Library Property, a Late Fee will be imposed, in which knowledge shall be collected from the Lender alongside Library Property. Lenders may also donate knowledge to the Library to gain rewards.
Thank you, and we hope you have a wonderful day!
Warning! All attempts to Claim the Core shall result in immediate suspension of all Library Privileges. Anything that follows will be... regrettable.]
Well... this would definitely change things.
----------------------------------------
Glowloom Forest, Sixth of Avendair (June), Avelia
"Go on. Do it. I can tell you want to." Rodney grumbled. It had all been going so well up until now! He'd been slowly mapping out his way through this surprisingly cool forest (he'd always been restricted in going into nature, even when the docs had said he could go outside regularly, much to his frustration), when he'd run into the first hurdle to his independence. Namely: he had exactly ZERO combat abilities.
"Do what? Whatever could you mean? Surely, this has absolutely nothing to do with your adamant refusal to adhere to even the most basic of Dungeon Logic!" Mimsi snarked, even as she struggled not to squeal in joy at the sight before her. What was this sight, you ask? Namely the impossibly adorable Fog Wolf pup currently gnawing on Rodney, treating him like a chew toy. If Fae had hearts in ways that most biological lifeforms did, she was certain it would have burst from the cuteness of the scene before her. "Besides, you are the mighty Rodney, Variant Core, who determined that he would upend everything Dungeons have ever stood for to blaze his own trail, are you not? Surely you can extricate yourself from a sweet widdle pup without any trouble?"
"I could totally get out whenever I wanted to!" Rodney bluffed, having absolutely no clue how to get this puppy off of him. It was WEIRD feeling a tongue across literally every aspect of his body, and while the pup wasn't biting hard enough for its teeth to cause any trouble, it still itched something fierce! "I just... don't want to hurt a small animal is all! There's nothing cool about picking on something or someone too young to know what they are getting into or who they are messing with, that's just being a fucking bully."
Mimsi stared at him, a red jewel currently locked between the jaws of a tiny puppy with fur colored a weird blue-ish grey. Slowly, she released a long, tired sigh. "Rodney, I'll be blunt. I have absolutely no idea how to help. Literally EVERYTHING I know is stuff meant to aid a normal, non-Variant, Dungeon Core that is system-bound to obey Dungeon Logic, and follow Dungeon Rules. Not... whatever you are trying to become. Even then, normal Dungeon Cores rely on manipulating their environment if forced into a situation where they have to defend themselves personally."
"Environment manipulation! Great! How do I do that!?" Rodney yelped, internally shivering as the pup gave his body another long, slow lick. Mimsi gave him an expectant, smug look. "...I can't, can I?"
"Not even a little!" She cheerfully replied. In a flash, she was hovering above the pup, cuddling against its soft fur. "Ahh... this is the life."
"For you! I am NOT getting stuck here being some wolf's toy for another six hours!" Rodney shouted back, frustration boiling as the past hour of him being stuck in this thing's jaws flashed before his mind.
[Current Traits: Wandering,
Calculating...
Trait: Beast Friend accepted. Accept "Pack Core" designation?
Y/N]
Growling, he mentally slammed the "N" option as hard as he could. Growling, he tried to figure out a way out of this predicament. Hopefully without hurting the pup too bad; as annoyed as he was, he meant it when he said he didn't want to hurt the little nuisance. Steadying himself, he mentally 'inhaled' in a mimicry of his anger management tricks... and nearly fell over, if not for being locked in the pup's jaws, at the absolute RUSH of energy flying into him! Reflexively, he completed the second-half of the trick, and 'exhaled,' causing most, but not all, of the flood of energy to push outward, radiating around him in a wide, scarlet aura.
Mimsi's eyes snapped open as she felt the surge of Mana about them, rolling over and off the pup's back as she stared in shock at the haze of brilliant red clouding over the area... and how it seemed to settle into the pup. "What did you just do!?"
"The hell if I know! All I was doing was trying to copy one of my anger management skills, and then all this weird shadowy stuff around us just flooded in, and then I let it back out!" Rodney babbled, utterly confused and maybe just a bit high from the influx of pure, undiluted Shadow Mana that had just saturated his Core.
"I don't mean the Mana, Rodney!" Mimsi bit out, cradling her face in her hands as she helplessly pointed at the pup. "I meant THAT."
Rodney, confused, shifted his focus so that his point of view was floating above himself and the wolf... and if he still eyes they would've widened by now at the sight of the pup panting and huffing like crazy, almost obsessed with inhaling more and more of the aura, the blue tint of its fur slowly shifting to a more purple tone as it absorbed Rodney's altered Mana as if its life depended on it. "What the heck is happening to it?!"
"Congratulations, you just mutated this poor thing. If we're lucky, its parents won't think its a stranger and kill it." Mimsi crossly replied, arms folded in an effort to hide her fears. Call her a bleeding heart all you liked, she didn't like needless death or cruelty, and there was a very large chance this cute little fellow was going to suffer from Rodney's unwitting recklessness. Perhaps it was harsh to blame him for something he clearly didn't know he could do and that, by all rights, Mimsi should've informed him about... but given his adamant stance the other day and this morning on figuring it out himself whenever possible, she felt a petty part of herself feel vindicated at his screw-up... and remorse that she hadn't headed this off by refusing to indulge his whims.
To both their shock, a familiar pane snapped open.
[Congratulations! First Minion Obtained, First Core Level Obtained!
Skills Mana Absorption, Mana Alteration, Mana Projection obtained, and cataloged.
Error, Core Level suspended until Designation and Classification are officialized.
Core Level: 1 (Effective Level: 0).
Territory: 0.
Minions/Units: 1.
You have acquired "Juvenile Fog Wolf, Fighter Class!"
Calculating...
Trait: Enhancement has been accepted. Trait is not capable of supporting Core Classification, and has been cataloged.
If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it's taken without permission from the author. Report it.
Thank you, and good day!]
The two stared as the pane closed as suddenly as it had opened, giving way to the image of the Wolf pup cheerfully frolicking about the area, filled with an untamed degree of energy after having absorbed the deluge of power Rodney had unwittingly released. "...Huh. So... at least it released me, right?"
"You gave it a Class." Mimsi numbly stated, a dead, confused look in her eyes. "How?"
"I... don't... know?" Rodney said slowly, unsure and growing nervous at Mimsi's reaction. "I'm guessing that's a big deal?"
"IT IS A HUGE DEAL!!" Mimsi shouted, unconcerned with the flinch of the pup, which had been slowly creeping closer. "Rodney, Classes are the Domain of higher Races, such as Humanity, Elves, Orcs, Beastfolk, you know, Sapient Life! Not-not some random animal in the middle of the woods!! It should be outright IMPOSSIBLE!! None of this makes any sense! You make zero sense! I have no clue what I'm doing, and I'm utterly terrified that somehow you are going to break some other fact of life I've taken for granted and end up unleashing something never before seen, and then I'll end up in a world of trouble when someone comes looking for who to blame and decide taking it out on the poor defenseless little Fae who is just trying to keep her Core safe and I don't know what to do!!!"
It was at this point that Mimsi lost all control, collapsing sobbing against a tree at the unfairness of it all. She didn't really blame Rodney, she was just utterly and entirely overwhelmed by it all. She forced herself to calm down, turning back to Rodney. "I-I'm sorry, that was unfair. I just... never expected my life to turn out like this, you know? But it isn't fair to take it out on y-"
She froze. Eye twitching as she watched the little pup, tail wagging, run off into distance, Rodney clutched once again in its little jaws. "COME BACK HERE PUP!!"
...
Rodney P.O.V.
"Okay, however I expected my life to turn out, this was definitely not it." Rodney dryly remarked, still locked tight in the jaws of the energetic wolf pup he had unwittingly altered. "So, uh, where are you taking me?"
The pup didn't respond. Which Rodney expected, it was just an animal, and a young one at that. Still, he wondered how long it would take for Mimsi to cool down and catch up to them, despite having wings, her flight speed wasn't necessarily that high, and on top of that she was just plain SMALL. Still, it shouldn't be too long, so he might as well wait to see what the fuss was with the pup.
Racing through the looming, shady trees, the pup and Core soon found themselves in a clearing, where Rodney quickly took stock of the other Wolves milling about. The majority were young, but two, most likely the parents, stood out for their sheer size and powerful frames, slowly walking over as they began sniffing about the pup. Rodney felt a deep nervousness well up inside him as they inspected their child; he really, REALLY hope Mimsi's fears were unfounded and they accepted the pup... and to his relief, that seemed to be the case as mother and father gave their child comforting licks atop its head, nuzzling against it.
"Wait, are you a boy or a girl?" Rodney wondered, pondering for the first time the gender of the pup who had been using him as its personal toy for the better part of two hours by now. Either way, it didn't seem to matter as the pup proudly walked into the center of the clearing and dropped him, barking for the others attentions.
Within moments, the other pups gathered around, staring at him curiously as the first pup began rolling him around with its head and paws, kicking it over to one of its siblings... who immediately began gnawing on it. "Seriously? Again?"
And so it kept up like this, Rodney finding himself bounced every which way as the pups enjoyed the Core that they had collectively decided was the most fun toy ever, their parents watching indulgently off to the side. All the while, Rodney slowly 'inhaled,' but neglected to 'exhale,' Mana welling up within him. Needless to say, he did NOT appreciate being a toy, but didn't want to accidentally hurt any of the others just because of his bad temper.
Suddenly, the parents began growling, slow and low, a soft whining in the back of their throats. As one, the pups' ears folded back as they retreated deeper into the clearing, hiding in the shadows as something lumbered through the trees in their direction. Well... all but ONE pup, that is. Swaggering forth with a cheerful fearlessness, the pup that Rodney had accidentally filled with Mana let out a challenging bark, uncaring of the warning growls its parents sent forth. The beast in the words let out a deep, ground-shaking rasp of a roar in return. The sounds of trees breaking and rocks being crushed underfoot increased as the mother(?) quickly ran up to the side of the defiant pup, and began trying to drag it back into the cave.
"Hey... whatever you are, leave these wolves alone, got it!?" Rodney projected outward, away from the wolves. He had no clue if whatever it was could even understand him... but one thing remained true in this life that it did back then; he LOATHED bullies, and whatever this thing was? It was massively bigger than any of the Wolves present, big enough to knock over trees and break stone, and that meant it had no business coming for them in his book.
With a huff and a hiss, he barely had time to process as a massive reptilian tail swung into view, the force enough to send an ENTIRE TREE flying into the clearing, the wolf parents desperately dodging as it sailed past, barking in alarm as it just missed crashing into the hiding place of the pups. With a rumbling hiss that almost sounded like a laugh, the beast dragged itself into view.
Rodney had already accepted that this world ran on fantasy logic. He had braced himself for fantasy-esque staples such as elves, goblins, dragons, and what not. But the THING currently dragging itself into view? It was something he had no frame of reference for. Sitting into a sunken, crooked brow, a single massive eye burned a sickly yellow, a rotten pair of jaws drooling a disgusting grime from its maw as the beast yanked itself ever forward, its distended, angry form a lumbering mass of scales, muscle, and fat. The sheer weight of its attempts to pry itself forward on eerily human forelimbs caused the ground to shake as a twin pair of tails lashed about behind it in place of legs, each one a powerful trunk capable of smashing trees and pulverizing stone into dirt.
The beast gave a wordless echoing scream, the force of its shout pinning the two adult wolves in place as it glared down at the pack before it. Growling, it slowly drew closer, its sole eye gleaming with almost sadistic delight as the two parents tried to shield their children from view. Rodney had seen enough.
"HEY! UGLY!!" He shouted, projecting his voice as hard and as loud as he could at the beast, gambling that it was intelligent enough to understand at least the general intent of his thoughts. Vibrating as hard as he could, he pried himself free of the pups, rolling forward at his top speed to whirl about to the side. If his gamble paid off, the beast would lash out at him and be pointed away from the clearing, giving the wolves a chance to get free. The Beast's eye narrowed at the small Core before it, visibly debating turning away from its meal to deal with the pest. Rodney refused to let its attention leave him. "Yeah, I'm talking to you! Why don't you stop picking on kids and go find something your own size to munch on, huh!?" He rattled in place, 'inhaling' harder and faster than before as his Core practically vibrated with Mana. "I bet your just too much of a coward to fight something you know can fight back! That's all bullies like you can do, isn't it!? Look at you, attacking a family in their den? Oh boy, you must think this makes you real big and strong, fighting two parents who can't fight back without letting you get a shot at their kids. Hey, hey, everyone! Come take a look at the big, strong beast here, picking a fight with a pack one tenth its size!"
Unbeknownst to Rodney, his mocking taunts had contained a slim sliver of his Mana, extending his shout far and wide as the call to come wiggled its way into the brains of surrounding animals that had hunkered down, hoping to avoid The Beast's hunger. From birds of various sizes, to humble rabbits, to wildcats and even a bear or two, they all made their way to the clearing... some faster than others. The call couldn't override individual will, or things like distance and physical ability. Yet still, they came, answering the siren call of a Core. Needless to say, Rodney did not give a damn about that. Not when he was slowly losing himself to his anger as The Beast finally deigned to turn his way, fury burning in its gaze as it glared down at him (which was honestly impressive, with the whole "one eye" thing).
Hissing, an odd gurgling sound built up in the back of The Beast's throat... and a chunk of something steaming and vile flew outward. Unable to hold back a yelp, Rodney gave a light 'exhale,' and a rippling wave of Mana burst forth, scattering the slime around him, the ground crumbling slightly where it touched. "Heh heh, yeah, you don't like it when I call you on your shit, do ya, ugly!?" Rodney crowed, now confident he had the irate Beast's full attention. It roared angrily, its tails lashing out to try and smash the red jewel before it. Rotating at top speed, he deftly dodged, rolling circles around it as he rammed against it, keeping it too angry to focus on the wolves, who were slowly pulling back into the tree line with the gradually gathering crowd of animals... all but the pup Rodney had gifted his power to. "What even are you? Some kind of discount Dragon or something? Pfft, nah, not even a knock-off Dragon would have a mug that rotten. Here... lemme FIX IT!!"
With a roar of will, Rodney focused his Mana down as narrow as possible, and sent it flying forth, cracking like a whip. Howling, The Beast recoiled as the Mana Whip snapped against its eye, fury and pain coursing through its mind as it desperately lashed out the pitiful GNAT that dared to challenge it.
"Huh? Wh-What was that? I couldn't hear ya!" Rodney challenged, each strike of his makeshift attack leaving a stinging speck on The Beast's bulk. With a grunt of effort, a second whip took form, keeping the harassment going strong. "Come on, your a big boy, ain'tcha? Surely you can take on a little Core like ME!!"
The Beast backed away, trying to put distance between itself and the stinging whips that hurt far worse than they had any right to for their size, anger and pain surging in tandem too quickly for The Beast to focus, to think of a way to crush this foe and get back to its yearly meal. Wait... crushing... with a delighted hiss, The Beast slunk forward, and with a burst of speed and power that it's rotund form disguised, it raised one of its forelimbs and brought it down as hard as it could, attempting to smash the puny Core outright.
Shocked, Rodney barely had enough time to dissolve his whips before forming a crude barrier of Mana in front of him, visibly trembling under the sheer, unstoppable weight of The Beast. He snarled, utterly pissed off. "Wow, you must feel REAL smart, huh!? Using that big brain to figure out how to step on someone so much smaller than you. Not like I wasn't asking for it, going up against you. But GUESS WHAT!?"
The clearing grew still, Mimsi included as she drew present, a hand covering her mouth as she took in the situation before her. The animals were restless, the Mana-laced words of the Core touching something within their minds, a well of potential normally left untapped by beings of their nature. A gift of life by beings far beyond their understanding, so that all could take a stand... and become more.
"I! DON'T! PLAY! DEFENSE!!!" Rodney screamed, barrier bubbling and raging with the force of his shout, The Beast almost stumbling as the sheer anger hit the small instinctual part of its brain that still remembered what it was like to be small, urging it to flee... only to crush the urge, redoubling its press, hatred gleaming within it. A reptilian smirk slowly formed as cracks begin to appear. "All my life, I've been the little guy!! Sickly and weak!!"
The rabbits felt their feet begin to thump, a steady rhythm echoing about.
"People tried to keep me locked up and alone, because it was the only way I could live!!"
Songbirds began letting loose a long, slow melody.
"AND I HATED EVERY SECOND OF IT!! I hated being WEAK!!"
Foxes, badgers, coyotes and more began scratching at the ground, growling, as some ancient indignation began to respond.
"But I got better. I got STRONGER!! I was able to run out, and enjoy the sun against my face, the rain on my cheeks, the wind in my hair!"
Hawks, Eagles, Falcons, and other large, predatory birds began beating their wings, slowly, but building up faster and angrier. The Barrier repaired itself, and pressed back against The Beast.
"But people like you, creatures like you!? They are the one thing I hate MORE than being weak! You... You are STRONG! THE STRONGEST IN THIS ENTIRE FUCKING FOREST!! AND YOU WASTE IT ON THIS!!"
The noise fell silent, the animals stunned, The Beast included. It shook off the unsettling aura, the palpable HATE for it this little Core felt, and began attacking anew, sending its tails to try and weaken the barrier so that its weight could finally shatter this nuisance once and for all. As if answering a signal, the animals began raising their racket again, louder and stronger than before!
"You could be doing ANYTHING with your strength, and no one could stop you alone. Why would they even try!? That's what they feel... that's always how they feel. Like there's no point, because no one will stand up for them, to show them how THEY can be strong themselves!!"
Boar, deer, and moose alike all began joining the rabbits in their ruckus, crying out and slamming against the ground in a frenzy of emotion.
"YOU WANNA TRAMPLE ME!? GO AHEAD AND TRY!! I'LL TRAMPLE YOU BACK!!"
Mountain lions and Lynxes added their roars to the chorus. The forest was alive with the anger of the animals, sick and tired of this interloper that had oppressed them for so long.
"CRUSH ME! STRIKE ME! DROWN ME! WHO CARES WHAT YOU TRY!! AS LONG AS I LIVE, I'LL NEVER LET BULLIES LIKE YOU GO UNANSWERED!! " A Wave of force came forth, sending The Beast stumbling, the barrier swelling as two utterly massive Mana Whips formed, lashing out once more as The Beast tried to grapple against them. "I'M SICK OF STANDING ON THE SIDELINES! I'M TIRED OF BEING SMALL! IF BULLIES LIKE YOU THINK THEY CAN DO WHATEVER THEY WANT, THEN I'LL BE A LIVING REMINDER WHY THAT'S A LOAD OF SHIT!!! COME ON, FIGHT BACK FOR REAL!! WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR!?"
His words were never meant for the forest as a whole. He never meant to allow himself to lose himself to his anger and passion so completely. But as far as the forest was concerned, he was speaking to them. ALL of them. It started with a familiar pup, hurtling itself across the field with a rage bellying its small size. Crashing into The Beast with more force than its form should hold, it was like a damn had broken. Each punishing lash of Mana by the Core keeping it too preoccupied to defend itself as what felt like the entirety of the forest fell upon The Beast en mass. Predators dove for its fat-laden flanks, tearing and ripping with all they had to get at the vulnerable organs beneath. Songbird and Hunting Bird alike united in fury as they dove for its singular eye, pecking and gouging with all they had to blind The Beast. Rabbits, Moles, Rats, and Mice, all the vermin present united to dive for The Beast's throat, digging against the thick skin with all they had, their teeth punching deeper and deeper into muscle and fat until they found a vein pumping full of thick, rich blood. Predator and Prey alike, united in their desire to finally kill their tormentor, once and for all.
No matter how The Beast attempted to defend itself, the Mana Whips intervened, their force and strength increasing with each animal that joined the assault, until even their glancing strikes broke bones. It was intoxicating. It was horrific. As one the horde of animals moved, attacking and assaulting with all they had. Organs were torn free and torn open, acids and undigested food spilling forth. Lungs were punctured, gasping for air. An eyeball plucked, leaving only a bleeding empty socket behind. A throat ripped open, watering the trees with brilliant red water. With a last pitiful gasp, The Tyrant Monitor perished, unable to ever harm this forest or its inhabitants again.
"YAAAAHHH!!" Rodney cried, still lost to his frenzy as his whips chopped up and sliced the corpse apart, the horde of animals joining in as they eagerly feasted on their kill, even those normally unwilling to eat meat now filled with the urge as the overflow of Raging Mana inflamed the passion within them. A banquet of blood and meat, a unification of predator and prey against a common foe. In that moment, Rodney knew his path.
"Rodney!!" Mimsi cried, flying into the clearing as the feast ended, the animals collapsing as one in the clearing, sharing it in their unusual camaraderie. "That... that was..."
"Freaky?" Rodney offered, still stunned by what had happened, his anger finally spent. Honestly, it was a first for him; he was normally knocked out cold or forced away from a fight long before he managed to stop being angry. "I don't know what happened, honest! I just... I just saw the way it looked at those wolves... and I lost it."
"Freaky? Rodney, you were incredible!" Mimsi cheered, and for the first time Rodney noticed the blood smearing her face and dress. Apparently, she had dived through the remains before reaching him. "You just, you just CALLED all these animals to you! You rallied them around you! You, for just a short time, gave them the ability to think beyond their instincts, and helped them take down a Monster-Class beast that should've slaughtered all of them without trouble! Rodney, it was one of the most scary things I have ever seen, and I LOVED IT!! You are the best Core, and I am going to make sure the whole world knows it!!"
"Heh, not bad for a guy who doesn't know the rules, eh?" Rodney nervously chuckled, genuinely shocked at her quick turnaround towards his dismissal of the "normal way of doing things."
Mimsi snorted, doing her best to hug Rodney with all she had. "Oh, forget the rules. I never wanted to be a Companion, but I gave it my all. And now I'm gonna give YOU my all. Who cares whether you follow the rules." She pulled away to give him a beaming smile. "You're gonna be making your own."
[Greetings Core!
Calculating...
Skill: Mana Construct obtained and cataloged.
Ability: Mana Whip created and cataloged.
Ability: Incite created and cataloged.
Trait: Horde accepted! Trait: Fury accepted! Traits: Beast Friend, Wandering, and Enhancement detected! Synergy between Traits confirmed! Accept "Raid Core" Classification?
Y/N ]
Without a thought, Rodney accepted. "Raid Core"... it spoke to him, on a deep, personal level. Overlooking the animals before him, he knew they'd most likely devolve back into fighting and fleeing the second they woke up... but with this? This could change everything.