"This won't be as simple as I thought it would be. Get those brats over here White Snake!" A shaggy looking man in brown leather pants and jacket sat with a red iguana looking lizard on his laps on the hood of a truck as he looked at the well fortified shelter before him. He narrowed his eyes and let out a dissatisfied snort.
Initially he thought this would be an easy picking as the levels and equipment of the members of the hunting team he had observed outside so far although weren't too bad, was definitely not something people with this kind of fortifications should be using.
He had even captured two brats that were from this shelter and they had confirmed his thoughts. He even promised to spare their lives and add them to his crew as long as they led him to the shelter.
They indeed led him through a safe pathway, if he had to do it by himself he would have definitely suffered losses but as for if he ever intended to keep his side of the deal, the chances were already low at the beginning and with what he was seeing now if those two didn't have a good explanation they'd be the next snack he would be serving to Little Dragon.
"Here they are Zooman." A tall yet very lean figure with squinted eyes dragged two beaten up boys towards the shaggy man and threw them at his feet.
"I've told you I don't like that name. My name's Beast Keeper. Everyone calls me that."
"Keke everyone that needs to suck up to you that is. That's the last thing you'd ever hear me call you, Beast Keeper my ass. Right 9Lives?" The lanky figure laughed weirdly before looking towards an old man covered in a thick cloak who was sitting in the shotgun of the truck and seemed to be sleeping.
His eyes were still closed but his voice sounded out "Don't drag me into your squabbles. I only came to this backward place cause of the Dawn Flower being sighted in this area. Let's just get it and leave, the sooner the better. I don't want any unnecessary situations."
"Yeah yeah I heard ya. You sure you'd be able to complete your second evolution with the Dawn Flower? I thought it could only be used to give a chance to initiate the First evolution and was useless besides that?" Zooman was quite suspicious but all he got as a reply was a snort. His eyes flashed with anger but he didn't do anything in the end.
He was indeed quite resentful towards these two partners of his. Their raider group was very powerful even in the more resourceful areas as they had 2 members that had completed the 1st evolution and he that had completed the 2nd Evolution.
But even though he was the captain of the Raider Group,his ability didn't give him any direct combat ability, add on the fact that the gap between the initial three evolutions wasn't big, he wasn't able to completely suppress his partners who were already very formidable experts among 1st Evolution Evos. White Snake was known to have repeatedly killed 2nd Evolution Evos despite his ability being a trashy one that increases flexibility. However, when paired with a 3rd Class martial art inheritance he had gotten from an auction at a night market it surprisingly matched extremely well with his ability and allowed him to use it as though it were a 2nd Class technique.
As for 9lives he indeed did not have any combat ability but his ability was one of the reasons their raider group had been able to survive so long as well as prosper. His ability increased his 6th sense making him very sensitive to danger as well as opportunities. With his help, the Raider group and even zooman had benefited greatly.
His own ability focused on manipulating fierce beasts. He could directly control beasts lower than his evolution level and was capable of signing contracts with beasts at the same level of evolution and lower as long as the beast was willing. He could however force a contract as long as the beast was two evolution levels below him. As for the specific time and number of beasts he could control that depended on his mental prowess but unless a beast was contracted to him he couldn't maintain control over them for long and they would build resistance to his control the more times the ability was used on them.
The red lizard on his laps was as result of 9lives sensing a big opportunity for the Raider Group. It was extremely injured, on the verge of death and he was able to easily strike a contract with it albeit with strict conditions on his end to get it to act but it was still a big plus. A 2nd Evolution Evobeast was by far stronger than your average 2nd Evolution Evo.
9lives had again sensed an opportunity but this time it was for him. It was also the reason why a Raider Group of their strength was in this backwater region. Zooman was conflicted however, on one hand 9lives completing his 1st evolution and initiating his 2nd evolution would mean their Raider Group would be able to avert danger more easily as well as gain more fortuitous encounters. On the other hand, it would make the old fart more of a pain in the ass than he already was.
Letting out a sigh, he knew he could only go through with this even if he were unwilling. If the Raiders noticed he was purposely suppressing 9lives growth therefore suppressing the Raider Group's growth things would definitely not end well for him. He could only direct his anger to the two unfortunate lads before him.
Without saying anything he mashed them up a bit to vent and only stopped when White Snake let out a soft cough. If he continued, he could kill the lads. At that time who were they supposed to meet to clear their doubts.
"Take a fucking good look brats, does that look like the bullshit Shelter you described to us. This kinda shelter shouldn't even be in this kinda area. Were you trying to bluff us!!!"
The two boys quickly rushed to speak. They had since been confused when they saw how much change had come to the shelter but it didn't take them long to figure out the reason. Although they hated to admit it, that shedevil was definitely the reason the shelter was able to experience so much good fortune recently.
After hearing their explanation before Zooman could let all hell loose on the brats for not saying anything about this before now the old man in the truck had rushed towards those youths with great vigour that even made White Snake raise a brow.
"Are you sure of what you just said lads. That girl isn't an expert yet as soon as she came your shelter started experiencing bouts of fortune??"
At this point if the other two couldn't figure something was up, they would have lived their lives in vain. Although their strengths weren't much different, 9lives was said to be an exile from a Union Dome and he wasn't a small level figure.
He had a lot of knowledge about things they knew and still had lots of knowledge about things they didn't. Seeing him like this and hearing his rushed breaths, they realised they may have struck a windfall.
The two of them were happy but the old man was ecstatic. Initially after seeing the Dawn Flower missing and tracking it down to this shelter he was already vexed as he knew as long as the Shelter's leader had a good head on his shoulders he would definitely have it used immediately.
He had even lost the connection towards that opportunity and at this point he was just going through a last ditch effort.
"HAHAHAHAHAHAHAH WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT? WHO WOULD HAVE THOUGHT WE WOULD FIND SOMEONE WITH A GIFT HERE...HAHAHAHAHAHA!!!" The old man even did a little dance much to the amusement of the others.
"I say old man don't be happy alone. Let us in on it too, what's so special about this girl." Naturally White Snake had already pinned the mysterious girl of fortune as the target of the old man's joy and was instead looking for the hidden meaning.
"Hmph. Illiterate bunch, listen up...." After 9 Lives finished explaining the value of the girl even White Snake was looking at the Shelter with red eyes.
Gifts were different from abilities granted by evolving. Gifts were innate and were awakened by chance. It was easy to see people with similar abilities but nigh impossible to see people with the same gifts. Gifts could also be for simple things like dancing, cooking and even sleeping etc or for more valued things like sword talent, marksmanship, scholar talent etc.
Gifts were unique and it was known that they wasn't such a thing as a useless gift. Each one could be used in a unique way to bring out their strengths and as long their wielders could grasp such a method they would become extremely formidable experts. True experts and not like the ramblings the unevolved people thought evolved people to be.
As such people who wielded Gifts were extremely valued by powerful organisations. A Raider Group, no matter how strong, didn't normally even have the right to have such a talent. They would be quickly snatched up by those big organisations.
As for the Girl, the old man wasn't delirious enough to believe they could or even should keep her. They definitely wouldn't be able to nurture such an expert, the best thing would be to wrap her up and send her to one of those big organisations for a hefty price. Those guys had their prestige to keep up and as long as the goods were good they won't staunt on the money. If all went well and this lass' ability was what this brats described it to be then this could be enough to make their Raider Group go legit.
However 9lives wasn't about the payout, they could instead take a smarter move by using her and going under one of the bosses wings.
There is a world of difference between a Raiders Group backed up by big organisations and one that wasn't. If they had a big wigs support and as long as they worked hard then forget 2nd evolution, even a 3rd and maybe if they were lucky a 4th evolution was possible.
To Evos, nothing was more important than their own evolution. It granted them longer lifespans as well as gave them power. A 4th Evolution Evo was a big boss even in the Union and in the Outland especially their side of the Outland they would be Kings and who knows if they were talented enough their journey might take them even beyond that.
As their thoughts came to this, all ideas of backing out where thrown out the window. They could only leave here with this girl and not without. However they couldn't also let the Northwind Shelter know the girls worth or else if they had their new expert lead her away and took the rewards instead they wouldn't be able to cry enough.
"I know we have our issues gentlemen but it's different this time. If we mess this up then we may...no we will never catch such a chance again. We cannot afford to fail, we will try a peaceful way to get the girl first. If we use violence we may get an unexpected outcome, if the girl gets killed in the middle of everything then it will all be for naught. However that doesn't mean we need to play nice, as long as we can get the girl alive anything goes. As for if she's willing that's not our problem. Gentlemen the time is now, if we can do this right then forget just being overlords in the Outland even getting into a Union Dome won't be just a dream...."
White Snake and Zooman knew 9Lives was egging them on but this time even they couldn't say no. Getting into a Dome....White Snake opened his squinted eyes and his gaze fixed on the shelter as he licked his lips. Zooman let out a boisterous laughter and gave a pat to 9lives back.
"Don't worry old man. How can I let the food get away when it's already in my mouth. This girl....our Horde Raider's we'll have her..." Zooman said with a ferocious glint in his eyes.