Ogre Tyrant Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 74 – Power and privilege – Part One

Ogre Tyrant: Chapter 74 - Power and privilege - Part One

Just as Hana had predicted, most of the plants were too weak or were just outright unfortunate and failed to survive the Tribulation. Turned to ash and swept away by the wind despite the presence of the lightning rods. However, those that remained carried varying levels of Thunder-aligned energy.

While Zhu Min sought privacy to change her blackened and singed clothing behind a boulder, I took the opportunity to inspect the surviving plants more closely.

Compared to the hybrid plants grown within The Grove, these plants seed to contain between five to ten tis their counterparts' energy. Although it was sowhat difficult to calculate due to the surrounding stone radiating the sa energy.

Intended as a general experint, I located a portion of surviving moss and used the Plant Growth Spell to trigger new growth and spread the moss over the recently abandoned rocks nearby.

More or less as I had expected, the Thunder-aligned energy within had been diluted as it spread throughout the newly increased mass of the plant.

I decided to perform the sa experint with the peach tree Hana had planted in the centre of the Arrays.

Lacking Hana and the Daemons’ natural ability to ‘see’ the flows of mana and other energies, I simply allowed the tree to grow wild.

Minute by minute, the sapling grew into a young tree, forking a large branch toward each of the massive jade pillars that ford the anchor for the Arrays.

When my MP began running low, I decided to experint with feeding Chi into the tree instead. Contrary to my experience with Lurr, the tree drew in Chi like a sponge. Furthermore, it continued to grow at a rate roughly half as fast as it had when targeted by the Plant Growth Spell.

Carried away contributing to the explosive growth of the tree, I ca within a few breaths of depleting my available Chi before cancelling the transfer.

Against my expectations, I felt a vague sense of disappointnt, longing and regret emanate from the tree. This strongly suggests that the tree had so form of sentience that was otherwise absent in the plant life outside of the Arrays.

I was drawn away from my thoughts upon noticing I had kept Zhu Min waiting. She had made no attempts at actively seeking my attention, but the intense eagerness in her tense fra made it abundantly clear that it had taken a considerable degree of effort.

“You have decided on your reward?” I guessed, smiling slightly in amusent despite myself.

“Yes, Patriarch!” Zhu Min nodded emphatically while bowing slightly at the waist.

I motioned for her to continue.

“If the Patriarch will allow it...” Zhu Min montarily lost her nerve but pushed through with grim determination. As if she was facing down a powerful foe on the battlefield. “I would humbly ask for the guidance of a martial arts master!” Zhu Min bowed stiffly to the exact degree bordering on what I had forbidden, pressing her fists together so tightly that the cartilage in her joints popped like cracking bones.

Reflecting upon my established expectations, I realised that I had made a fundantal miscalculation in assuming a Cultivator’s requests would fall in line with a regular person’s.

Regardless, I had made a promise and intended to keep it.

“It may take so ti,” I cautioned, tempering her expectations. “However, I will keep to my word and find you a suitable teacher.”

Zhu Min raised her head slightly and I could see she was positively beaming with gratitude.

“Thank you, Patriarch!” Zhu Min exclaid fervently.

Studying Zhu Min’s face, the absence of anger and doubt in her response was rather confusing. After reflecting on my own behaviour leading up to my Tribulation, I had thought I had gained so insight into identifying signs of Heart Demons. Yet, I couldn’t see or sense any signs of their presence within Zhu Min.

Exercising my authority, I relocated us both to the otherwise isolated shrine.

“Zhu Min, are you familiar with the Ritual thod of removing Heart Demons?” I asked while directing her attention toward the entrance of the shrine.

Zhu Min nodded sowhat uncertainly.

“As a precaution, I would like you to perform the Ritual before returning to your grandfather,” I explained bluntly. “I have witnessed your control over the Gluttonous Soul and am impressed by your asure of mastery. However, pushing your Cultivation to the point of generating a Tribulation may have subtly altered your emotional receptivity, and by extension, your control. So please, allow this indulgence.” I motioned to the Shrine again, this ti more insistently.

Zhu Min nervously bowed her head, “I will do as you ask, Patriarch.”

Entering the shrine, I was pleased to find that Gric or Sebet had made another incense delivery during my absence.

Theoretically, Zhu Min would only require a handful of sticks at most, but having more on hand was reassuring.

After referencing the manual for instructions, Zhu Min set about placing the incense bowls round about herself with ticulous care. After fussing for fifteen minutes, she carefully lit the incense sticks and settled into a ditative pose on the floor.

Standing outside of the shrine, the extre contrast in the lighting made it difficult to see what was happening within. Or rather, it did, until I cast the Keen Senses Spell on myself.

With my sight magically augnted, the sunlight was reduced considerably, allowing to see the inside of the shrine in great detail. However, it took several monts for to properly understand what I was looking at.

Zhu Min appeared to be sweating a dark ink-like liquid which stained her clothes before slowly pooling on the floor.

Without warning, Zhu Min leaned forward and violently expelled a torrent of black liquid across the floor.

Unlike the comparatively thin substance shed from her skin, the black vomit had a thick tar-like consistency. Furthermore, it appeared to be moving of its own accord.

Little by little, the tar drew itself together and began taking on a vaguely humanoid form. After completing its transformation, it bore a rough resemblance to Zhu Min herself. Albeit, naked and bearing fangs, claws and a thin whip-like tail.

As if sensing my presence, the creature spun about and charged toward the entrance of the shrine.

The instant it crossed the threshold, its body collapsed into inert material and began rapidly disintegrating.

The creature, as short-lived as it had proven to be, reminded of the dark reflection I had faced when performing the Ritual. Except the battle that had followed had taken place entirely within my mind. Furthermore, if a creature had appeared in the shrine, Gric would have told .

Knowing full well I was jumping to conclusions, I suspected the creature was probably created due to Zhu Min being a Daemonic Cultivator. Besides the shared naming sche with Heart Demons, there had been a decidedly demonic appearance to the creature.

In the handful of minutes I spent thinking about the problem, the thinner ink-like substance had evaporated and Zhu Min had begun to stir.

Opening her eyes, Zhu Min smiled happily and appeared pleasantly surprised and refreshed. Rising to her feet and smiling all the while, she spent a few minutes stretching her arms and legs. Throwing an experintal punch, Zhu Min quickly followed it up with a rising kick, upsetting one of the incense bowls in the process.

Squeaking in alarm and surprise, Zhu Min leapt after the bowl, diving and intercepting it before it could crash into the wall. Incidentally, she covered herself in the disturbed ash and sand in the process.

Objectively, I could understand her cause for alarm. While the bowls were entirely replaceable, they were made from high-purity jade. Which made them incredibly valuable. The fact that Gric, or Ochram could effortlessly repair or outright reform the bowl was largely beside the point. Especially since Zhu Min was not privy to those particular facts.

Zhu Min Seed determined to ignore my presence until all five bowls were returned to the storage alcove and the floor was ticulously swept clean.

“I am sorry for my clumsiness, Patriarch...” Zhu Min apologised, blushing intensely with embarrassnt.

“It’s fine,” I reassured her. “When you return to your grandfather, inform him that I require a dedicated staff to maintain the shrine and ensure the Ritual is conducted correctly.”

“Of course! Patriarch!” Zhu Min agreed hurriedly, only too eager to obey.

“Thank you, Zhu Min. I will send for you when I have found a suitable instructor,” I promised and then used my authority to send her ho.

Returning to the mountaintop, I used my authority to transport Lurr from the hospital and then laid him down beneath the peach tree at the centre of the Arrays.

Drawing on the ambient Thunder-aligned energy, I took Lurr’s hand and began the gruelling cycle of injecting Chi into his body.

After an hour of cycling, Lurr began to stir and I felt a great weight lift off of my shoulders. Even if he required my direct intervention, Lurr would live.

Soti later, Lurr opened his eyes and stiffly rose off of the ground. “Where?” His one remaining eye darted inquisitively over our surroundings.

“We are within my realm,” I replied, regretting the unintentional vagueness almost imdiately. “A large tract of territories currently held separate from Sanctuary,” I added for necessary context.

Lurr slowly nodded in understanding, accepting the situation at face value.

“You don’t have any other questions?” I asked, sowhat perturbed by how readily Lurr’s curiosity had been quenched.

Lurr shook his head.

“How do you feel?” I pressed, shifting the subject to what I hoped would prove to be more fertile ground.

Lurr frowned and grew contemplative. Without warning, electricity arced over his hands and forearms. “This is?...” He looked up at in what I could best interpret as a ‘mild sense of alarm’.

“Electricity...but that’s not what you wanted to know...” I sat myself down next to him and willed the sa electrical discharge to play over my hands as well. “The new energy inside of you, It’s like mana...Except it has ‘this’ connected to it.”

“Mana,” Lurr’s mild concern evaporated and was replaced with one of undeserved confidence.

I wasn’t sure how to break the news, so I decided to go with my tried and true thod of just blundering straight through it. “Your old mana is gone, replaced by, this-” I wiggled my fingers for emphasis, causing the electricity to crackle ominously. “-and unfortunately, this mana isn’t regenerating on its own...”

Lurr nodded sombrely, showing he had followed everything thus far and appreciated the danger he was in.

“I created this place to gather the special mana you need,” I motioned to the pillars and the peach tree. “You can probably feel it?” I asked optimistically.

Lurr nodded and glanced at the tree.

“That’s good,” I insisted, feeling a profound sense of relief. “We can work with that.”

“Can’t leave?” Lurr asked, catching off guard.

“I...I don’t know yet,” I admitted honestly. “This is new ground, Lurr. Frankly, I’m surprised you're even alive...”

Lurr lowered his eyes and nodded. “Was dead...” He grunted quietly.

“You rember?” I asked, surprised at the implications.

Lurr shook his head, “No...Hear voices. Voices say, was dead...” He stared up at with near fanatical devotion, “Say, Tyrant, bring back.”

“That's...Not entirely wrong...” I couldn’t deny my involvent but wasn’t comfortable with what Lurr was implying.

“This-” Lurr motioned to the surrounding area, “-good. Am alive. Different, not bad,” the wrinkles around his eyes gathered as his lips were drawn into a wide smile. “Am old, life changes,” he shrugged.

“You’re taking it all far better than I would have,” I comnted with a deep sigh. “I’ll make arrangents so you can have visitors,” I promised. “Just, make sure not to touch anyone or imrse yourself in water just yet, alright?”

Lurr nodded obediently, “Will obey.”

Offering my forearm, I recruited Lurr for the second ti. After conjuring so basic supplies, I left Lurr alone so he could acclimate to his new life.

Reviewing Lurr’s information while sitting at the bottom of the lake, I felt a rising sense of confidence that Lurr would be able to live a relatively normal life. That is, according to Orc standards.

So far as I could tell, Lurr’s stats and Species were the sa as they had been before his untily demise. He had lost his Class and Racial Abilities, but had taken on the Thunder Affinity and gained a handful of ranks in the Eternal Tao instead.

Lurr had also gained a Cultivation Inheritance. However, I strongly suspected that it was at least partially responsible for his underlying condition.

Storm Heart.

An Inheritance that would make him imnsely powerful so long as he had Thunder-aligned Chi in the tank. However, he would need to chase the storms to stay alive. Or, have the storms brought to him. Just as I had feared, Lurr would die if he was deprived of Thunder-aligned energy. On the upside, he would be allowed to leave the mountain. Just not for long periods of ti.

Of course, this ant that Lurr would need to learn a breathing Technique so he could accelerate his recovery. That, and extend the ti he could spend away from the mountain before falling into a coma.

Of course, now that I had confird Lurr was under the banner of the Cultivation system, there was a possibility that Gric or Sebet could artificially apply a second Inheritance.

I didn’t have enough of a comparison to know if Daemonic Veins would be of any benefit. But it was worth looking into.

On that train of thought, I had a promise to keep and needed to contact Yi Gim.

As distasteful as it was, I needed to inquire about the going rate of buying a human being...

It ca as little surprise that Yi Gim was far less squeamish than I was. While he was by no ans particularly enthusiastic, he was open to discussion.

I repeated,

Yi Gim interjected, repeating the most demanding of my conditions. There was a lengthy pause.

I replied sincerely while suppressing my hesitation.

Yi Gim replied happily. He suggested sowhat slyly.

I replied after considering the potential risks. I took care not to make the question an outright demand. As allies, it would only serve to sour our relationship if one of us attempted to dominate the other. Inequalities in trade were one thing. The value being entirely subjective in nature. Outright treating the other as subordinate in what was intended as a partnership, was just asking for trouble and resentnt.

Yi Gim answered sowhat distractedly, no doubt relaying an estimate from one of his subordinates.

I was confident that Gric and Sebet would be able to root out any spies. Especially if submitting themselves to an inspection was a requirent to accept the position. So I was reasonably confident that the risks would be minimal.

I agreed.