Lyerin took a deep breath and steadied himself. "I am Lyerin," he began, his voice steady. "I came here to report, sir."
The shadow seemed to waver, its form solidifying slightly as it spoke. "Why, of all the members of the Borgias Family, do you, Lyerin, disturb me?" The voice was cold, laced with curiosity and irritation.
Lyerin gathered his thoughts, ready to deliver the speech he had rehearsed in his mind. "The Devil Horned Tribe is on the verge of awakening an ancestral spirit," he began. "Their survival hinges on this spirit because they are facing annihilation from the Snow Leopard Tribe and the Hundred Bison Tribe. The Devil Horned Tribe's only hope lies in the power of this spirit."
The shadow listened in silence, its form flickering with the intensity of its focus. Lyerin continued, ensuring his voice conveyed the gravity of the situation.
"This spirit, if awakened, will pose a significant threat to the Borgias Family's infrastructure. The destruction it will bring is unimaginable. I've seen glimpses of what it can do, and it's far beyond anything we've encountered before."
The shadow's form solidified further, now resembling a tall, imposing figure with a piercing gaze. "This spirit you speak of... what proof do you have of its awakening?"
Lyerin suppressed a smile, recalling the devastation the spirit had wrought in his previous life. "The signs are all there," he said confidently. "The Devil Horned Tribe is performing rituals, calling upon their ancestors. They are desperate, and desperation breeds power. If we do not act swiftly, the Borgias Family will suffer immense losses."
The figure regarded him for a long moment before speaking. "It would indeed be a catastrophe if such a spirit were to awaken," it said. "Several key structures of the Borgias Family could be decimated."
Inside, Lyerin felt satisfaction. He knew this man, this shadow, was driven by self-preservation and the need to maintain power. If this man made another contribution, he would stay in power.
The shadow extended a hand, and a magical circle began to form in the air, glowing with an eerie light.
In an instant, the man stepped out from the circle, now his presence became real. He was tall, with an air of authority that was unmistakable.
"If you are lying," the man said, his voice low and menacing, "I will make your soul the subject of my experiments."
Although his voice was calm and simple, one could feel a claw coming out of anyone who hears them, ready to drag them to hell.
However, Lyerin met his gaze straight, unflinching. "I am not lying," he said, with his voice also firm.
The man's surprise to Lyerin's was reaction was evident, and he seemed to regard Lyerin with a seriousness.
The man began another incantation, and the sky above the Devil Horned Tribe darkened ominously.
The tribespeople, unaware of the brewing storm, continued their nightly activities, oblivious to the impending danger.
"It is true," the man finally said, his voice a mixture of awe and dread. "The spirit is awakening." He turned his piercing gaze back to Lyerin. "How did you come by this information?"
Lyerin remained silent, knowing that revealing too much could jeopardize his carefully laid plans.
The man studied him for a moment before nodding, as if understanding that some secrets were best kept.
"Alright," the man said, his voice cold and resolute. "I'm going to decimate this whole tribe." The words he let go of sounded simple, but it was a promise of impending doom for Lyerin.
Lyerin watched as the man prepared to unleash his power. He knew that this moment was critical. The fate of the Devil Horned Tribe, and his own future, depended on the next few actions.
With a deep breath, he stepped forward. "Before you proceed," he said, his voice calm but commanding, "consider the implications. The spirit's awakening is tied to the tribe's survival. Destroying them might not stop the spirit. It could, in fact, hasten its awakening and unleash an uncontrollable force."
The man paused, his eyes narrowing as he considered Lyerin's words. "What do you propose?" he asked, his tone skeptical.
"We need to approach this strategically," Lyerin replied. "By infiltrating the tribe, we can learn more about the rituals and find a way to prevent the spirit's awakening without triggering it. If we simply annihilate them, we risk unleashing a power that could be beyond even your control."
The man seemed to weigh this information, his gaze flickering between Lyerin and the darkened sky. Finally, he nodded slowly. "Very well," he said. "We will proceed with caution. But make no mistake, little Lyerin. If you fail, your fate will be far worse than you can imagine."
Although he appeared to agree to Lyerin's proposal, the tall man would suddenly smile and his sinister teeth could be seen. "Haha! I'll erase them all now," he mumbled, almost to himself. "I still have an experiment to test, not time for this shit…"
Lyerin pretended to be shocked, his face a mask of surprise. But inside, he was smiling. He knew this bastard's personality well. This was his plan all along: to eliminate the tribe so he could rebuild it from scratch. Plus, if Corora was killed, the curse or the accident of the leveling-up ability, the sense of ownership, would also disappear, and he would be free.
However, just as he thought he would be free it, a call echoed through the darkness. "Lyerin!" It was Corora, her voice trembling with fear and desperation.
Lyerin stood frozen, genuinely shocked for once.
Meanwhile, the tall man's eyes narrowed as he observed the scene. "Your companion?" he asked, a hint of curiosity in his voice.
Lyerin said nothing as Corora reached him, throwing herself into his arms. She hugged him tightly, her body shaking with sobs. "I was treated like an outsider when they found out about your no-core talent," she cried. "I hate them!"
The tall man's interest was piqued. "You have no core?" he asked, his tone a mix of amusement and pity.
Lyerin could only nod, holding Corora tightly. Inside, he felt damned. This girl would survive. But he composed himself and said, "Yes."
The tall man laughed, a cruel, mocking sound. "Ahahaha, a no-core man, forever a spearman in the front lines of wars, never able to learn magic. How pitiful!" He glanced at Lyerin with a sneer. "But little Lyerin, you're in luck. You won't end up as an experiment in my laboratories, haha!"
Hearing this, Lyerin was speechless. But he just nodded and thought to himself, we will see in the future.
With that, the man released a massive spell into the air, the magic forming a colossal circle above the Devil Horned Tribe.
The sky above them darkened, and the air crackled with energy.
Down in the tribe, several scenes played out.
In one hut, a group of tribal warriors sat around a fire, their conversation filled with laughter and camaraderie.
"Did you hear about the strongest recruit?" one of them said, a grin on his face. "No core at all! What a joke!"
"Yeah," another replied, chuckling. "All that talk about him being special, and he's got nothing."
A third warrior shook his head, smirking. "I knew he was too good to be true. No core means no magic. Although he is in peak now, he'll be stuck on that level forever."
In another part of the tribe, a shaman and her apprentices discussed the recent revelations. "I can't believe that shit has no core," one apprentice said, shaking her head. "I thought he was destined for greatness."
The shaman sighed, her eyes sad. "Without a core, he cannot learn our magic. It's a great loss."
A group of wildlings nearby shared a similar conversation. "I heard the strongest recruit's talent was all a lie," one of them said. "No core means no future."
"Poor guy," another wildling replied. "I almost feel bad for him. Almost."
As these conversations continued, a sense of unease began to spread through the tribe.
People felt the hairs on their bodies stand up as they sensed something in the air.
"What's going on?" someone asked, looking up at the sky.
"I don't know," another replied, eyes wide with fear. "But it doesn't feel right."
Back with Lyerin and Corora, the tall man's spell reached its peak.
The sky above the tribe was now a swirling vortex of dark energy, and the air was thick with anticipation.
The man's eyes gleamed with a malevolent light as he watched the spell unfold.
"Watch closely, little no core Lyerin," he said, his voice dripping with malice. "This is what happens to those who stand in my way, disturbing me when I am in the middle of my experiment."
Soon, the vortex of dark energy above the Tribe exploded, kaboom!