LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

The air crackled with anticipation as Lord Victor turned his attention to the fallen members of the Hundred Bison Tribe and Snow Leopard Tribe.

Immediately, he knelt beside one of the bison warriors, his hands glowing with a faint, eerie light as he began to test the blood. His movements were methodical, precise, as he drew out the crimson liquid and examined it under a shimmering magical lens.

The blood swirled and shifted, revealing patterns and essences that only someone of Victor's immense power could decipher. He murmured to himself, noting the subtle qualities and energies. "Fascinating," he said, his voice low and thoughtful. "There is a certain power here, but it is diluted, not as concentrated as the Devil Horned Tribe's blood."

He moved on to the Snow Leopard warriors, repeating the process with the same meticulous care. The blood here, too, showed promise but lacked the potent core he had hoped to find. "It's there," he muttered, "but not enough."

Rising to his full height, he turned to Lyerin, who watched with a mix of apprehension and curiosity. "Lyerin," Victor began, "do you think you can recreate a tribe with the same attributes as the Devil Horned Tribe?"

Lyerin's eyes widened in shock. "I... I can try," he stammered, though in his mind, he was thinking about how this could be.

Victor's eyes narrowed, and a knowing smile played at his lips. "You can do more than try. I can feel it within you. The same spirit that lingered in the Devil Horned Tribe, albeit not as pure."

Lyerin's heart started to pump fast with blood as Victor continued. "It's obvious, Lyerin. The magical essence within you and the spirit I destroyed earlier are connected. You hold a fragment of that power, even if it's not fully realized."

Swallowing hard, Lyerin nodded. "I will do my best."

Victor's smile turned menacing. "I know what you're doing, Lyerin. Your desire to create a powerful tribe to strengthen your army is clear. I had comrades who attempted similar feats in the past."

Victor's eyes grew distant as he recounted tales of his comrades. "There was Eldric, who sought to harness the strength of a mountain tribe, only to be consumed by the very power he sought to control. And then there was Morwenna, who delved into the dark arts to create a tribe of shadow warriors, but her ambition led to her downfall when her creations turned on her."

His gaze snapped back to Lyerin, piercing and intense. "You must learn from their mistakes. The two tribes that opposed the Devil Horned Tribe—Snow Leopard and Hundred Bison—are formidable, but I can help you deal with them. However, I won't wipe them out entirely."

Lyerin understood.

The Borgias Family, known for their assassin prowess, trained their young by targeting higher-realmed individuals, but not too high. It was a delicate balance, a way to hone their skills without inviting total destruction.

Victor continued, "The Borgias Family needs their enemies to be strengthened. I'll handle the high-ranking members of those tribes, but you'll need to prove your worth by dealing with the rest."

Victor's voice took on a pragmatic tone. "As for resources, I won't hand them to you. You'll need to acquire them yourself. Here." He tossed something to Lyerin, who caught it instinctively.

Lyerin's eyes widened in surprise when he saw the coin.

Victor's expression remained stern. "This is a very high-level coin.. They grant you access to dungeons controlled by the Borgias Family. Inside, you'll find magical resources, weapons, and more. In the real world, these coins can get you advanced weaponry to deal with those real world threats. Its limited but that would be enough…"

Lyerin was stunned.

The value of this coin was immense. He looked at Victor with an expression of shock, who then continued, "Use them wisely. Rebuild your tribe, make it strong. But remember, this is a test as much as it is an opportunity."

With a final, appraising look, Victor bid them farewell. "Good luck, little Lyerin. The future of your tribe—and perhaps my experiments on this tribe you are going to create—rests on your shoulders."

As Victor disappeared into a dark portal, Lyerin stood in the aftermath, contemplating the daunting task that was given to him. He glanced at Corora, who looked equally overwhelmed.

Lyerin stared at the coin in his hand, marveling at its intricacies.

Unlike the previous coin he had received, this one was entirely black, with a silver emblem of the Borgias Family—a fierce panther in mid-leap, its eyes seemingly alive with a predatory glint.

The weight of the coin felt significant, as though it carried not just material worth but the weight of his ambitions and dreams.

In his past life, obtaining such a coin had been an unattainable dream. He had sacrificed so much, enduring countless trials and tribulations.

Nights without sleep, endless battles, and relentless training had been his companions. But no matter how hard he tried, without a Mana core, it had all been in vain.

It was akin to dreaming of becoming a boxer but only having one foot. He had fought for a chance to get this coin, but the absence of a Mana core had always held him back, filling him with despair of never hoping to get it.

"Even in the past, I lost hope," Lyerin whispered to himself, but now, he now had this in his hand

Suddenly, a smile crept across his face, a genuine expression of joy and triumph that he hadn't felt in a long time.

Corora, standing nearby, looked at him with surprise. It was a rare sight to see Lyerin smiling, and it caught her off guard.

Lyerin turned to Corora, his eyes twinkling mischievously. "Hey, Corora," he called out, a playful tone in his voice. "Do you remember when we first met?"

Corora blinked, her surprise turning into curiosity, but soon she blushed. "I do," she replied meekly as she remembered how she had given herself to him.

Lyerin laughed, a sound that felt foreign yet liberating. "What's wrong? Are you embarrassed now? I know you were just trying to figure out how to survive without getting harmed, but you made the right choice."

Corora couldn't look him in the eyes, but there was a small smile playing on her lips. "Thank you for saving me. I will always remember that, and I promise I will stay with you and be of use to you in anything."

Lyerin's grin widened. And then he teased her again, "What is that reply? Don't tell me, you didn't catch feelings for me like I have caught feelings for you, and you just feel like you had to do this because you felt like you needed to get back on me saving you?"

Corora tilted her head, her eyes became panicked. "I-" she stuttered, "I like you a lot too—"

Lyerin wouldn't give up. "Really? Tell me, what do you like about me?"

Corora's cheeks flushed slightly, and she looked away, embarrassed. She didn't know what to reply. "I- Uhmm."

She didn't know what to say, making Lyerin tease her more. "Aww, she looked away, she felt guilty. I am hurt, I am the only one who caught feelings, I feel pain."

But then, Corora panicked even further and hugged him tightly, saying, "I-" she stuttered, "I like you a lot because I feel comfortable with you. You always know what to do, but you- you- I- you- you're also considerate of my feelings whenever you do something…"

Lyerin felt satisfied with that reply.

They continued their playful banter, the

tension of the past few days melting away. Lyerin found himself genuinely enjoying the moment, something he hadn't allowed himself to do in a long time. But as the laughter died down, a shadow crossed his face.

Realizing what he had done, Lyerin felt a pang of disgust. The sense of ownership he felt over Corora was a side effect of his actions now, and it repulsed him. He had to deal with it, and fast.

He looked back at the coin in his hand, its weight feeling even heavier now. "This coin," he muttered, "it's our ticket to something bigger. The dungeons grant access to hold the resources we need to expand the tribe."

Lyerin's mind began to think of what to do as he thought about the dungeons, filled with magical artifacts and untold treasures. He could see the potential, the way forward. "And then there's the real world," he said, almost to himself. "The girls... I thought I'd have to wait months to bring them into this ruined magical world and force them to join the tribe."

His thoughts lingered on the possibilities. The coin was more than just a key to dungeons; it was a symbol of hope, a chance to build something new from the ashes of the old tribe.

Turning to Corora, Lyerin took a deep breath. "Corora," he said, his voice steady. "Will you come with me? We have a lot to do, and I can't do it alone."

Corora looked at him, her eyes filled with determination. "Uhmm…"

With a nod, Lyerin clenched the coin tightly in his hand, time to gather supplies on dungeons, rebuild the tribe, go back to the real world and make the girls out there enter the ruined magical world to strengthen his Tribe that he was planning to create in the real world.