CHAPTER 98: CHAPTER 97: FIRST MERGER

Gillian led Carl up the beach their house was built on, it was a cold night and the lack of bitterness that they felt was a reminder of how far they had come.

The mist on the horizon threatening to foreshadow the mood.

"So Carl, you’re going to go pick a fight aren’t you?" Gillian asked the question the moment that they had left the System display room.

"Yes, those bastards with the committee definitely saw it all, they sat back and didn’t attempt to even send a slate message to us." Carl’s eyes had turned wild the moment he was away from everyone else, the thin veil of calm practically burnt away by the fire burning inside of him.

"Well luckily for you, you’re favourite lycan’s here to save you from yourself. Happy to follow a script at least?"

"Depends, how diplomatic is it?"

"A three? Maybe two?"

"Sounds good, shoot."

"I want you to go in there with Aegis, find this mysterious tenth member and the first person that tries to stop you gets there head slammed into that nice table they like to sit around."

"Sounds good, what happens next?"

"Immediately call in Tiamutael, Equinox and a new friend I’m about to suggest..."

"Gillian, if you pause for effect one more time, I’m going to slap you."

"I want you to make a chimera out of a Gluttonous-slimedra, All-seeing leviathan, dive viper and jelly spirit; A focus on mental and system infiltration, physiological diagnosis, perception blocking and size manipulation.

I want to make this clear Carl, I’m asking you to make a creature to be left behind to gather information and evaluate the health of the variants. I also want all five of those merger slots filled before you go... Even if it means you go grab the dragon that just showed up, Aegis and go hunting yourself."

"I hate to admit it, but it’s a good plan, anything else I’m trying to do?"

"Make it clear that any interaction with vampires, will be a declaration of war and Leanna is clearly not as valuable as they claimed if they were willing to let her get killed... I know, she is going to be furious, I’ll take the heat."

"No, she won’t kill me at least. Now what else did you want to talk about?"

"I need you to have dinner with me and Scylla, she is pissed she still hasn’t been introduced to, and I quote, "the man in my life". I also don’t think Kitsunoko is helping that."

"Dude, just bring her to dinner. I know we talk about stuff, but it ain’t like we keep secrets."

"Nope, just us two and the girls, but yeah after that then sure."

"What’s going on Gil?"

"She wants to see the leader in private, she wants to see if you’re strong enough to lead. I believe you would call it "lycan nonsense", just switch on the aura and snap her out of it."

"Yeah, you were right, lycan nonsense." Carl gave him a sideways glance as Gillian patted him on the back and nodded.

Carl then told him he was off to check things off the to-do list.

"By the way... Why are you letting me go so heated?"

"You aren’t the only one pissed about your mum, Leanna helped every hybrid in committee territory... If you happen to get smash a head into the table, don’t be afraid to go lethal."

Carl nodded and continued on his way.

When he arrived at the house, the atmosphere was more hostile than he expected.

"Sorry... Did I interrupt something? How’s Mum doing?"

"No, this is your home dear, you didn’t interrupt anything. Leanna is doing fine, thanks to the efforts of Lydia, Kyubi and Bahamut for the most part. Healy done well, but something made it hard for their healing to do much." Alisha answered, throwing a glare at the other two for making him feel out of place in his own home.

"That would be the Law of Death Dracula sowed into the wound. I’m amazed that any of you were able to do so much... Carl, I sense a great deal of hostility in you still, I hope you haven’t asked me to take you to finish Dracula off."

"No, I’m done with that parasite for now. I’m wanting you to help me with a hunting trip for some creatures.

I won’t ever force you to fight a battle you want to sit out and I’ll stop anyone that tries to shame you for choosing pacifism over violence. I’m not very happy about them forcing you to join us, I’m selfishly ignoring it because you can heal my mum."

"What exactly are we hunting?"

Carl called for Aegis and explained the plan, then Aegis listed all the prime choices that had been shortlisted and the necessary components.

"They will not be easy prey, some of those are naturally hostile creatures, how has your aura control come along?"

"Mastered directional and intensity control, it is now an extension of my will rather than just one of attraction and I can form a rather weak aura barrier around myself, but Klaire is better at that."

"That should be plenty, we should go immediately, whilst everyone is still in dismay. If we don’t, immortals may come and impede us and I’d rather them not have this version of you as their first impression."

"Master, would you prefer I stay here or come with you?"

"Stay for now, I’ll have Tiamutael send you over if needed." Aegis bowed respectfully then asked Lydia and Alisha if they would like any refreshments.

Bahamut opened a portal and stepped through, then Carl followed and found himself in a dense jungle.

Bahamut explained that the realm they were in was the property of something known as an aspect.

"Carl, whilst we hunt, I want you to keep a barrier up as much as possible."

"Why? Like I said, I’m not very good at it and it might draw more attention."

"That is why, if they know you can move freely between realms, they won’t risk guerilla tactics." Carl nodded as he saw the sense behind the suggestion and formed the barrier.

As it first formed it was one of the most solid Bahamut had ever seen, but cracks quickly formed and pieces soon broke free, floating around him in a kind of regular orbit.

"Hmmm, I see the issue, it cracks under its own strength; like gritting your teeth so hard they shatter. Try reducing the strength of the barrier, then forming multiple layers of them and compiling them."

Carl nodded and tried following his advice, after the first few attempts, Bahamut told him to keep trying as they moved.

He didn’t voice it, but was internally a bit glad that Carl didn’t simply master every skill instantly.

With the speed the two of them could move at, it didn’t take long to find the first few beasts. As Carl subjugated the fourth, he knelt down to stroke the creature, which was a small fluffy creature with floppy ears, dominant hind legs and small pink nose and four beady black eyes.

"You mentioned an aspect..."

"Remember I’m not technically part of your faction yet, but yes. Before you ask, an aspect is the sentient form of a law’s passage.

The owner of this place is an aspect of nature, of the law of Life. They are usually peaceful, but their temper is far from predictable and mercilessly violent when lost, her name is Fadal."

The moment he stopped speaking, he cocked his head to one side as he pricked his left ear and then opened a portal and jumped through it with Carl and the four-eyed jackalope.

Carl wasted no time mixing the four he had gathered with Bahamut’s platinum fire and the celestial feathers as well as his own divinity and Klaire’s soul which he logged when he made Aegis.

[ Sis notice: Want me to automatically create the creature to Mine and Aegis’ specifications and merge it with you?" ]

"Please Sis, I want to keep moving forward, feel free to name them all by the way."

[ MERGER COMPLETE ]

[ VIT RAISED BY 60,000 ]

[ DEF RAISED BY 10,000 ]

[ INT RAISED BY 30,000 ]

[ DEX RAISED BY 98,000 ]

[ CHA RAISED BY 50,000 ]

[ JACKALOPE’S ROAR = THE LESS IMPOSING YOUR APPEARANCE, THE MORE INTIMIDATING YOUR VOICE. ]

[ CREATOR CULTIVATION = 50/50 ]

[ YOU HAVE LEVELLED UP. ]

"Sis, Aegis, are you trying to say I’m so not intimidating and this power will make me unbeatable?"

"Yes. In the eyes of most immortals your about as intimidating as a small animal."

"You’re my baby bro, all I can see is the adorable little baby I was implanted into."

"Do you even remember what I looked like?"

"No, I wasn’t aware until I awoke a couple of days ago. According to what I’ve learned from Alisha though, you were an adorable baby and that is exactly how they will see you; Harmless, just like the other humans."

Carl groaned, then looked over to Bahamut. "Did Ishtar give all her creations a sister to embarrass and annoy them?"

"I think that privilege was reserved most specifically for us." Bahamut chuckled.