Time began to pass, and the first revolutionary change arrived. In Glamoria, a true king of royal lineage was founded on knowledge and the ability to grant the necessary rituals to initiate warriors, promising the population the opportunity to attain greater powers and the ability to defend their interests.

Alex had made astonishing progress. Due to the fracture he caused in his own energy using the spectral form, he had no choice but to explore other options. In normal circumstances, one wouldn't have other options and would be condemned, but Alex had Forest's Sigh, an energy to which he had a fairly high affinity. Although he didn't have all the knowledge in his memory, his necklace served as a mentor, whispering different things to him, allowing him to rapidly advance his understanding of this type of energy.

Alex quickly began to master this energy and its basic applications. More importantly, it was not limited by species. For the first time, he had managed to initiate a Gnoll, allowing it to strengthen itself and the group. The news revolutionized everything, as Alex seemed to possess the same power that previously only the matriarchs had to perform rituals for initiation, albeit with a low success rate.

Now, the pressure increased on the matriarchs to ensure that the selected ones were from their clans. Even Lark was now seriously entering the game, as Alex's promises did not exclude the Resh, which was a sweet promise for them if true.

The town began a slow process of establishing its military presence, with patrols constantly fighting off goblin invaders with great success. This was mainly due to the high quality of the weapons wielded by the Gnolls, as well as an emerging improved chain of command and better disciplines.

"Gnolls have never been known for having great disciplines or chains of command," said Atasha.

Both matriarchs had reached an agreement to teach the young man about Gnoll culture and civilization, as well as aspects of their magic and other things for 30 minutes each day.

"And why, from what I've seen, are there more than enough aspects to develop solid institutions? The matriarchs have control and respect from their people and, over time, can develop into something bigger," said Alex, who had long wanted to know why the Gnolls did not have larger institutions but did not know how to approach the subject.

"I see you haven't heard anything about the great curse of the Gnolls," said Matriarch Atarra with sorrow.

"I haven't wanted to ask outside; I want to hear this for the first time from the matriarchs," Alex responded seriously.

"Wise attitude, young man. No one could know better than a matriarch about this curse, about the burden of the Gnolls," replied Atarra.

Silence descended on the study. Both matriarchs looked at each other, then at the magical marks on their skins, and then back at each other.

"Long ago, the Gnolls first entered this world. At that time, the war for domination was even more intense and bloody than it is now," Atarra began to narrate.

"Since ancient times, Sera has been unfortunate for the living, binding them to their pretensions of greatness," Alex asked.

"No, Sir Alex. According to the oral traditions of the matriarchs, it was not the Aspect Sera back then; others were fighting for supremacy for control of Glamoria. The difference between those times and ours is that the astral travel channels were not yet established, so this world fought savagely internally without knowing what awaited them," added Atasha.

"Astral travel, Eldritch," Alex murmured, realizing the tremendous impact the first invasion of this plane must have had on Glamoria.

"That's right. After bloody wars, many races were dissatisfied with the Aspects and hoped to defect from their control. However, they had ensured control over different species, and there was no way to separate from the Aspects without being massively weakened as a faction," continued Atarra.

"Species control? How is a species controlled?" Alex asked.

"In the same way it is governed now," Atasha replied.

"With rituals," Alex responded.

"That's right, with rituals and ascensions. The races that entered Glamoria for the first time had little knowledge of cultivation, and the great hostility of the environment, combined with the sweet promise of the Aspects, was more than enough for them to temporarily abandon their autonomy, gradually turning it into permanency. Each species had no choice but to accept the whims of the Aspects," Atasha said.

"Until?" Alex asked.

"Until the first species began to defect and discover their own rituals and cultivation methods," replied Atarra.

"Then the Aspects made an example of them," Alex asked.

"That's right. Several races were cursed. Over time, some managed to shake off their curses, but those were few and far between. Most simply disappeared or devolved to such an extent that they could hardly be considered intelligent races anymore," said Atarra.

Alex felt a shudder. The prospect of causing an entire race to devolve felt like a tyrannical power, like a force that should not exist.

"What were the curses? What is the Gnoll curse?" Alex asked, finally getting to the important part.

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"The Bottomless Hunger" Atarra replied.

"Every time a large number of Gnolls gather in one place or region, the curse slowly begins to build up, causing an uncontrollable hunger that gradually drives the Gnolls to madness. Impossible to satisfy, they end up destroying and devastating the environment in which they find themselves," explained Atasha.

"How bad can it get?" Alex asked, immediately regretting having asked such a question.

Under such great hunger, nothing makes sense. Gnolls start devouring anything they can digest, starting with other plants and animals, quickly attacking other intelligent species. When there is nothing left to attack, they resort to cannibalism until the numbers decrease enough for the curse to deactivate, and rationality returns," Atarra replied.

"That's terrible," Alex said with gasps. It was unimaginable for him, such wickedness and cruelty against an entire species. "And how did the Gnolls survive when other species could not?"

"After suffering the hardships of this curse for a long time, the Aspect that cursed us finally fell. Although the curses did not disappear with its fall, the Aspects that took its place were not as interested in continuing to pursue our species. This opened up some possibilities for the species that succeeded," Atasha responded.

"In the case of the Gnolls, the greatest women of our clans who had mystical knowledge formed a pact with a Dark Deity, thus obtaining the rites and magics necessary to form an organization," added Atarra.

"So, they formed the matriarchy of the Gnolls?" Alex said.

"Indeed, there are vague records of what they sacrificed back then, but the matriarchs are much more resistant to the curse. This allows us to maintain our serenity even under the effects of hunger. Moreover, through rituals, we can continue to exercise authority over our clans as long as hunger can be kept at bay," said Atasha.

"So, what is the supposed limit, when can I expect to face the curse?" Alex asked uncertainly.

Both matriarchs looked at each other severely and then said at the same time, "It has already begun."

Alex's face turned grim. Facing an ancestral curse that had destroyed an entire race was no laughing matter.

"Earlier, Atasha told me that the Gnolls were coming here from many parts, that this was their promised land. What's that about?" Alex asked.

Atarra looked at the other matriarch with a stern expression.

"For centuries, the matriarchs have pleaded with the gods for a way to rid ourselves of the curse. Now, finally, after a long time, we have dreamed of these lands. Many matriarchs believe that the answer lies here," Atarra responded.

"Don't you believe it?" Alex asked Atarra.

"Although it may not seem like it, I am one of the oldest matriarchs. I have witnessed events like this before, and believe me when I say it did not end well," Atarra replied with a sorrow that cut through the anger she felt.

Atasha seemed to have something to say but ultimately decided to remain silent. Both matriarchs observed the young man; this was the decisive moment. After learning about his curse, no one else would be willing to ally with them. They would lose all contact with other civilizations and be treated as pariahs.

Both held their breath before a meditative young man. For both, time stood still, and at times, an oppressive force seemed to grasp their chests mercilessly.

Although Atarra denied it, she also saw in Alex a possibility, a small ray of light, insignificant like a moth in a storm. It was the first time since becoming a matriarch that she felt this way and did not want to let go of such a feeling.

Both matriarchs clung to the idea that Alex would help the Gnolls, as if it were a burning nail. Unaware of what was going through Alex's mind, both matriarchs waited while watching.

In his place, Alex was initially thinking for himself, almost panicking at the prospect of losing everything and having nothing to move forward with. However, something strange was happening in his mind. There was something that made him lose focus, as if someone were calling him. Slowly, he closed his eyes and began to delve into the depths of his mind.

Slowly, he began to visualize himself until he felt land on a small island of his consciousness. Here, there was nothing more than two structures.

On one side, there was a large shield crossed by a two-handed sword. On the shield, four pairs of wings were depicted, giving the impression that the sword had wings. These were enclosed in a double concentric circle between which was written "Scutum humanitatis, praevia iustis."

"Shield of humanity, vanguard of the just," Alex murmured upon seeing the giant statue. In front of him was the symbol of the Ashen Knights, the same one that was drawn on his metallic pin that never left his chest no matter what he did or how he dressed.

In front of the ashes symbol was a large tree. On a stone platform that also seemed to be a shield was a large stone tree that seemed to be multiple trees intertwined. In the center, towards the lower part, there was a kind of red orb with a metal casing that rotated constantly and drew arcane circles.

Up in the canopy, the tree seemed to form a fierce face that seemed to change with the natural agitation of the tree, as if the wind were blowing. Towards the sides, the branches took on shapes that constantly changed between wings, claws, and hands.

The roots of the tree penetrated the shield at specific points, forming magical circles on it and combining with the strange symbols drawn on it. Although they looked like runes at first glance, Alex knew that this was just how his mind interpreted a magic he did not know.

This great tree represented his knowledge of the forest's energy, the Forest's Sigh.

Alex sat on a small rock on the edge of the space at an equidistant distance from both structures. He knew this was his mind, and both parts represented his duality. On one side was his humanity, the energy of the ashes, and the promise he made to protect humanity against all danger. Behind the stone symbol, an image of human villages, castles, and villages filled with people who worshiped him as their sole king emerged, prospering under his rule.

On the opposite side rose a lush forest and all its creatures, living and thriving under his gaze, standing proudly in his presence. However, both aspects did not mix and maintained a delicate balance.

From behind the tree emerged a being, a young man. Alex could distinguish in his sweet facial features his British appearance, his own appearance since the child represented him in a much younger version, but with many differences from his past self. His lower body was that of a beast, specifically a wolf, while his upper body was that of a gorilla, and on his back, he had the shell of a turtle.

Like the tree behind him, the parts of the young man seemed to change periodically to represent other animals. Alex understood that this aspect represented the ever-changing forest, its seasons, and different biomes.

On the other side came a young adult, dressed completely in Ashen Knight armor but without his helmet, showing a face covered in scars.

The knight's armor itself was genuinely cracked, and soon Alex noticed something he had missed before. The ashes statue was completely cracked, and pieces of it periodically fell off. Although it tried to self-repair on one side, another part fell apart.

"We paid a great price," Alex said suddenly.

"It was a fair price to expel the Evil," replied the specter.

The contrast between the constant change and adaptability of the child to the constancy and permanence of the young adult made Alex better understand some of his characteristics and somehow gave him a small insight into his own nature.