The mountain hike takes Cru less time than he expects. The spiders reported there were multiple mountains they needed to climb, each of them steep and treacherous. It would have taken several days if it weren't for the spiders persisting he ride on their backs. Now, he is about to summit the last peak.
Deciding to live a new life with others on the other side of the mountain took longer than the hike. All things pushed him to join the tuskless orc and his group. The man had even called him a friend and gave him some of the best food he'd ever eaten. It was just a lot of insecurities that held him back from joining. Life with others was miserable. He never got spit upon, ordered around, or beaten down on his own. He was safe on his own, and he could trust that. With others… he just wasn't sure. He was hoping it would be different. He needed it to be different.
The spiders aren't bad company; sometimes, he even has a simple sentence with the heralds before they return to worship. He never knew being a god was so lonely.
Their mountain trek isn't as smooth as planned despite their hiking speed. As they set out, they encounter a small army of bugbears executing goblins and kobolds. A part of him feels like ignoring the problem. It isn't his problem, but then he discovered one of his fellow runts was a part of the group. Gara isn't his friend, but she wasn't ever mean to him. Cru was even happy for her when she earned her name.
His spiders quickly descend on the bugbears, attacking with passionate aggression. He has a few casualties; the skilled bugbears warriors rapidly react to the ambush. Cru has a significant numbers advantage, though. The spiders quickly destroy the strong force without him or his heralds intervening.
The goblins and kobolds are freed without Cru lowering himself from his mount. The shock in Gara's facial expression when she recognizes him almost breaks him out of his stoic image. It feels so good to be on this side of the power scale. Without saying a word, he turns his back to the rescued soldiers. Adding emphasis to his power, he resurrects his fallen worshipers as he walks toward his new life and away from his old.
The swarm of spiders are all bound to his soul. They are a part of him. It didn't make sense how it happened. In fact, he's not even sure he understands how it did happen. All Cru knows is that he has way more familiars than possible. The most he had ever heard about someone having was twelve. According to the stories, the summoners had many power items and a strong cultivation technique.
Cru nearly has two thousand familiars. Only some of them have been named. He is taking his time with the process, ensuring the correct name is given to the right spider. Receiving a name is a life-changing experience, and he doesn't want to ruin it for his loyal subjects.
Strider, for example, was given to the spider he predominantly rides upon. She was the most zealous for the position and ministered hard to keep her calling as much as possible. He gave her the name based on her fast, efficient, and smooth strides. Once the name was given, Strider took on a new form allowing the spider to travel with Cru several times better. Now, there are no longer crusades for the coveted position.
Cru allows his body to relax atop Strider. They clear the last of the intense cliffs, and now it is a steady incline to the top. Once there, he will send out some scouts and find his friend… the word feels weird to him… maybe acquaintance is better for now.
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****
Roxi had never felt as impressed with herself as she is now. Everything has fallen into place. Of course, she's had a hundred years to plan. Still, she never expected her execution to be so flawless, and it all started when she was bound to a tree in this realm.
Usurping the Hangorian clan and claiming the role of monarch was so sweet. Mainly because it was her own rotten family that she got to topple to steal the crown. Now her sisters and mom were buried, and she never felt happier. Then she punched her ex — square in the mouth — and robbed him of precious treasures. Sometimes being blatant is better than being subtle.
Draxxo never even questioned why she was in his castle after she punched him. He figured he was a piece of shit and deserved it. He is right, of course. That was not the only reason why she was there. To lead an army, she needed power. She had power on her own. It was not enough. She needed artifacts and weapons. With riches in hand, clans, beasts, and tribes couldn't refuse her call for power.
Now her army is chasing down some new threat, all in the name of distraction, while she steals the last beacon of power. Though technically it isn't stealing, the golden tree isn't owned by anyone, and she is more claiming it through a bond than stealing it.
The relic of a tree, a well of mana and power, is all she needs to conquer the island. The land should have been hers, to begin with. It was only fitting she was making her claim. The black dragon by her side fed her full of confidence to complete her plan without her army guarding her. Fury's power alone could stop armies. Fury is an army.
Her sense stretched far just in case. The fortress built by the shadow shaman is in ruins a few miles south. The queen, her servant, and the plaything have already fled, and the rest are all trying to prepare for the next attack. No matter what they do, they won't be ready. Feeling completely safe, Roxi steps out of her old shell and begins bonding with the golden mana tree.
The rare tree is a nation's worth of treasure. The fruit alone can push cultivators through unbreakable barriers in progression. The leaves can be used as pills to train your spirit. And then there is the bark; only a few are brave enough to peel the bark from a golden tree, lest they damage it permanently and lose out on the fruit. Those that do find incredible power in the form of weapons and gear.
Above all else, Golden trees are the anchor of mana. The trees supply a significant mana source and regulate the energy, keeping it balanced. An environment such as this couldn't exist without a golden tree. Now the tree is all hers.
The so-called 'Shadow Queen' didn't even know the tree existed on her island for a hundred years. Hiding the sapling in plain sight might have been her best idea yet. Though this current plan is right there next to it. Stealing a dragon, bonding a mighty tree, and destroying a rival all in one day is quite the feat. The sweet pill of victory is almost enough for her to choke on.
Her spirit form steps into the tree. Mana ignites, and she feels herself beginning to burn away. Her soul wretches under the intensity of power. Her mind is losing sentience, and she is on the edge of losing herself to the tree.
Just as she is about to slip away, the pill she swallowed before, a remedy she stole from Draxxo's stash in his roost, activates. Her mana burns brightly, refusing to diminish. Her mind sparks, and her sluggish thoughts are no more. Gritting her teeth, she fights the immense pain and cultivates the golden tree's mana.
Despite the fiery passion of her mana, the tree's mana is too powerful; she will never be able to overcome it on her own. That isn't her plan, though. Instead, she doesn't fight the mana with her own but learns to be compatible with it. Slowly, she learns how to reduce the energy-burning away at her soul. She continues to cultivate as her earth mana takes on a new shape. She feels weak and ragged, but in a few hours, she will have done what no other ever dreamed… or could have.