LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Soon after the shaman's words, the tension in the air escalated sharply.

The shaman, with a swift gesture, called out again to his warriors. "I said, seize him!" he commanded.

One by one, the warriors moved towards Lyerin, their expressions grim and determined.

They grabbed him, forcing him to the ground with a heavy thud.

Lyerin's face pressed into the dirt, and he felt the weight of their contempt bearing down on him.

The shaman stepped closer, looking down at Lyerin with a mixture of disdain and curiosity. "I commend you for your cleverness," he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. "Trying to fool us, to gain our trust, join the tribe as a spy, and to get your hands on the transformation scroll to go back being human again all at the same time. Isn't that a smart move for a kid? Really impressive!"

Lyerin could feel the shaman's eyes boring into him, as if trying to uncover every secret he held. "But," the shaman continued, "I am far too old to be deceived by such childish tricks. It was incredibly obvious, after threatening us, you want to join us? Isn't that obvious? You still have a lot to learn kiddo. I like your spirit, and since you really want to join our tribe, very well.

But know this, you will be tested. Truly tested."

There was a malevolent glint in the shaman's eyes, a promise of trials and tribulations that lay ahead.

The warriors' leader stepped forward, a cruel smile spreading across his face. "Congratulations, human named Lyerin," he sneered. "Oh, not human any more, you are one of us now, welcome to our tribe. I hope you enjoy your stay."

The other warriors joined in, their voices filled with mockery and derision. "Oh, yes, welcome fellow Demon Ibex named Lyerin!" One of them also taunted Lyerin. "We're so thrilled to have you with us. I'm sure you'll fit right in."

"Enjoy your new life," another chimed in, laughing harshly. "You've earned it, after all."

As the insults continued to rain down, Lyerin's face remained pressed against the ground. But within him, a different reaction was brewing.

A smirk slowly formed on his lips, unseen by the shaman and his warriors. He quickly suppressed it, knowing now was not the time to reveal his hand.

His mind was racing, not with thoughts of fear or anger, but with something else entirely in front of him.

A system notification appeared before his eyes, clear and undeniable:

[ Ding!

[ Someone has acknowledged your spirit's desire to become a human again.

[ You have shown your spirit greatly. 𝚏𝕣𝕖𝚎𝚠𝚎𝚋𝚗𝐨𝐯𝕖𝕝.𝕔𝐨𝕞

[ Congratulations on gaining 5,000 exp. ]

Earlier, when his leveling ability affected the scroll, Lyerin chose to level it up, but he leveled it up to remove the defect. And his mission? It was to show a spirit that he wanted to become a human again.

The reward of experience points would depend on how well his performance was.

So, how did Lyerin show that he wanted to be human again?

Suicide like others?

No.

What he did was act like he wanted to join them and make an obvious scheme to get his hands on the scroll.

In short, ever since Lyerin got his hands on the Leveling ability, he manipulated everything by acting crazy to get his hands on the scroll. He knew his leveling up ability would affect or work on the scroll, and boom—He got it!

The only thing he didn't expect was to have only thirty minutes left in this world before he goes back to Earth, but it's not much of a problem since he had already predicted everything.

As for joining the tribe?

Lyerin knew this tribe wouldn't let him in easily. And provoking them enough was the only solution he could think of, and the problem was, he would surely face a lot of trials. But with his leveling ability, it doesn't really matter.

Why would he be scared of some small tribe's hardship if he had this overpowered ability?

Suddenly, while still being pressed on the ground by the warriors, Lyerin acted again. With a trembling hand, he reached out toward the scroll that had been tossed aside. His voice came out in weak stutters, "M-my scroll... my scroll... let me have my scroll."

The leader of the Ibex tribe warriors, a towering figure with a smirk of disdain, watched him with amusement.

Without realizing they were being played, he scoffed and picked up the scroll, tossing it carelessly to Lyerin. "Here, take it. I thought you wanted to become part of our tribe? Why do you want to be human again?"

The leader's voice dripped with mockery. "You already know that you will become disfigured if you use this scroll to become human. Why do you insist on becoming a human again?"

Ignoring the leader's derisive tone, Lyerin grabbed the scroll with desperation. His grip tightened around it as if it were his lifeline. "I don't care if I become disfigured!" he shouted, his voice breaking with emotion. "I will become human again! I will become human again!"

Tears welled up in his eyes as he spoke, his voice rising with a mix of anger and longing. "You don't understand what it's like to lose your humanity, to be stripped of your identity! Being human means everything to me. It's not just about appearance; it's about who I am, my soul, my essence!"

The warriors laughed at him, their voices filled with cruel amusement. "Good luck coming back to your precious human race," one of them sneered. "We hope you make it!"

Their sarcasm cut through the air like a knife, but Lyerin's determination didn't waver. He clutched the scroll to his chest, his heart pounding with a mix of fear and hope.

The shaman, observing the scene with a calm, sardonic smile, added, "If you are not accepted by your human race, you can always come back to our tribe. But next time, we will make sure it will be even harder for you to join us. After all, you still insist on clinging to your human identity, it hurts our feelings deeply that he doesn't have that much of a choice."

His words were calm but laced with a subtle menace, underscoring the difficulty of Lyerin's predicament.

The warriors began to leave, their laughter echoing in the air as they walked away, leaving Lyerin behind in the dust.

Lyerin watched them go, his body trembling with a mix of exhaustion and determination.

Sensing that they left already, and alone now, he sat up slowly, the scroll still clutched tightly in his hands.

The world around him seemed to blur as his thoughts focused on it. But then, Lyerin would raise his left hand and spoke, "profile…"

[ Ding!

[ Name: Lyerin Borgias.

[ Level: 5 (+6)

[ Age: 15.

[ Gender: Male.

[ Forms: Demonic beast Ibex transformation - Active (+ 6 all stats)

[ Abilities: Level Cycle (0/1) ]

Lyerin would stare at it and nodded. And soon, he would mumble, "this should be enough, it's time to go back to the real world."