LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Lyerin watched with a smirk as the man hesitated, his steps faltering under the pressure of the task before him.

Krisella had told him to be careful, but now that Lyerin was in control, he decided it was time to push things a bit.

With a mocking tone, he sneered at the man, his voice dripping with condescension.

"Go on, why are you hesitating? Are you really that weak mentally?"

Lyerin taunted, his arms crossed, leaning casually against the massive Pig Orc standing behind him.

The others watched in silence, unsure whether to intervene or stay quiet, but they all felt the tension mounting.

The man, visibly nervous, cast a glance at Krisella, who gave him a sharp look, her eyes filled with anger toward Lyerin.

She knew this was all a game to him, a way to show his dominance. But despite her glare, she remained silent, her hands clenched into fists.

Lyerin chuckled darkly, his voice cutting through the still air.

"We're not here all day waiting for your cowardice. There are others braver than you, waiting to take your place. Hurry up, or are you that afraid of dying?"

The man, hearing the mockery in Lyerin's tone, felt a sudden surge of frustration.

Somehow, despite Lyerin's cruelty, the words lit a fire in him.

He wanted to prove himself, to show that he wasn't the coward Lyerin was making him out to be.

With a renewed sense of determination, he nodded to himself and took a deep breath.

"Fine," the man muttered under his breath. "I'll do it."

Lyerin spat on the ground dismissively, his expression cold and unimpressed. "Too corny. You sure you call yourself a man?"

Ignoring the insult, the man—Gregor, as Lyerin would soon learn—began his charge toward the massive, grotesque hippopotamus-like creature. Only on m v|le|mp|yr

His muscles tensed as he raised his weapon, preparing for the strike. His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline coursing through his veins.

He was going to do it.

He was going to prove to everyone—especially Lyerin—that he wasn't weak.

But Lyerin had other plans.

With a subtle shift of his feet, Lyerin channeled a strange, invisible Eldren aura, manipulating the earth beneath Gregor just as he sprinted forward.

The ground trembled slightly, unnoticed by anyone else, but it was enough to throw Gregor off balance.

His foot caught in the shifting dirt, and before he could react, his body lurched forward.

"BANG!"

Gregor hit the ground hard, his face slamming into the earth with a sickening thud.

He groaned, momentarily disoriented, struggling to push himself back up. But it was too late.

The sudden disturbance had awakened the hippopotamus-like creature.

Its massive, bloodshot eyes snapped open, glaring down at Gregor with a hunger that sent chills down the spines of everyone watching.

The creature's jaws moved with terrifying speed.

"CHOMP!"

The sound was horrifying—a wet, crunching noise as the creature's jaws clamped down on Gregor's arm, severing it clean from his body.

Blood spurted from the stump where his arm had been, painting the ground in dark crimson.

Gregor's scream echoed through the streets, "AAAAAAAAARRGHHH!!" a high-pitched, agonized wail that sent shockwaves of fear through the other members of the tribe.

Lyerin, standing idly by, didn't flinch. He barely moved. But with a small flick of his fingers, he summoned a strange brown energy from the earth, channeling it into a powerful force that erupted next to the hippopotamus creature.

"KABAM!"

The energy exploded with immense power, sending the creature flying across the street, slamming into a nearby building with enough force to crack the walls.

Dust and debris rained down from the impact, and the creature groaned as it lay slumped, injured but still alive.

However, despite Lyerin's intervention, the damage had been done.

Gregor lay on the ground, clutching the stump where his left arm used to be, blood oozing between his fingers.

His face was pale, with a mix of shock and pain written across his features.

Lyerin walked over to him, standing above the trembling man with cold, emotionless eyes.

"What's your name?" Lyerin asked calmly, his voice devoid of any warmth.

Gregor, barely conscious, blinked up at him in confusion. "M-my name? It's... it's Gregor..."

Lyerin scoffed, his lips curling into a cruel smirk. "Gregor, huh? You're useless."

Gregor's eyes widened, his face twisting in a mix of shock and shame.

The tribe members watching recoiled, some glancing at each other in disbelief, but none dared to speak against Lyerin.

Lyerin stepped back, raising his voice so everyone could hear.

"NEXT!" he shouted, his tone harsh, commanding.

He didn't care about Gregor.

To him, this was all a test—those who couldn't survive had no place in his tribe.

His eyes scanned the group, waiting for the next fool brave—or desperate—enough to step forward.

And as the crowd stood in stunned silence, Gregor's blood continued to pool at Lyerin's feet.

Lyerin's eyes gleamed with dark amusement as he stood over the injured Gregor, his gaze sweeping across the rest of the tribe members who stood frozen in place.

His voice, sharp and cold, cut through the tension like a blade.

"It seems," Lyerin said with a mocking tone, "I already know who will be the first to leave willingly."

He smirked as he glanced at Gregor, whose eyes widened in fear.

Gregor's breathing became shallow, his remaining hand trembling as he clutched at his wounded arm, trying to stop the bleeding.

Panic spread across his face as Lyerin's words sunk in.

Gregor's panic was palpable.

Lyerin could see that leveling up the loyalty, including this Gregor guy, was taking effect.

They aren't considered a member of his tribe yet, he's already acting like he's not going to leave.

Meanwhile, Gregor knew what that meant—he was considered weak, useless. And in Lyerin's tribe, that meant one thing: he was expendable.

His mind raced, but before he could say anything, another member of the tribe stepped forward, breaking the uneasy silence.

"I'll do it," a voice called out, strong and resolute.

Everyone turned toward the source of the voice.

A tall, broad-shouldered man—one of the newer recruits who had kept to himself thus far—stepped up with a determined expression.

His hands gripped the weapon tightly, his muscles taut with anticipation.

Unlike Gregor, there was no hesitation in his stride.

He moved forward with purpose, his eyes locked on the still-lurking hippopotamus-like creature.

Lyerin raised an eyebrow, intrigued. He hadn't expected anyone to step up so quickly after the mess with Gregor.

The tribe members watched in tense silence, many of them exchanging nervous glances.

They had just witnessed the terrifying power of the creature, and Gregor's failure had only amplified their fear. But now, this new man—someone they barely knew—was stepping up to face the same threat.

The air was thick with anticipation as the man approached the creature, which was still slumped against the building from Lyerin's earlier attack.

Its massive, bloodshot eyes blinked slowly, as if it was struggling to regain its senses.

The man raised his weapon, his grip steady, his breathing calm.

For a moment, everything seemed to slow down.

The tribe members held their breath, waiting for what was to come.

And then, without warning, the man lunged forward, his weapon swinging in a powerful arc.

There was no hesitation in his movements, no fear in his stance.

He moved with precision and deadly intent, and in one swift, smooth motion, he brought the weapon crashing down onto the creature's skull.

"THWACK!"

To everyone's shock, the blow landed perfectly.

The sound of the impact echoed through the street, and in an instant, the massive creature's head caved in under the force of the strike.

Its body twitches violently before collapsing into a heap on the ground.

Dust and debris were kicked up as its massive form hit the earth with a dull thud.

Silence.

The tribe members stood in stunned disbelief, their eyes wide as they took in the scene.

The creature, which had seemed so terrifying and unstoppable moments ago, lay destroyed before them.

Lyerin, who had been watching with his usual smug expression, let out a slow, appreciative whistle.

"Well, well," he said, his voice filled with amusement. "I didn't expect that."

The man—still standing over the fallen creature—breathed heavily, but his expression remained calm.

He wiped the sweat from his brow, his gaze never leaving the dead beast at his feet.

The rest of the tribe murmured among themselves, their fear and anxiety slowly giving way to awe and relief.

They couldn't believe what they had just witnessed. The man had done what Gregor couldn't—he had taken down the creature in a single blow.

Lyerin's smirk widened as he approached the man. "Impressive," he said, his tone dripping with approval. "Perhaps you're not as useless as I thought."

The man looked up at Lyerin, a mixture of pride and caution in his eyes. He nodded silently, still catching his breath.

Lyerin turned back to the rest of the tribe, his voice booming.

"See? That's what I expect from my people. Strength, courage, and the will to fight!"

He gestured to the fallen creature, its massive form now lifeless on the ground.

"This is what happens when you stop hesitating. When you stop being cowards."

The tribe members shuffled nervously, still processing what had just happened.

Some of them looked at the man with newfound respect, while others remained uncertain, their fear of Lyerin still outweighing their trust in him.

Lyerin crossed his arms, his eyes scanning the group. "Alright," he said, his voice cold and commanding. "You've seen what happens when you act. Now, let's see if the rest of you can step up when it's your turn."

With a final glance at Gregor, who was still trembling on the ground, Lyerin turned to the man who had slain the creature. "What's your name?" he asked, his tone more serious now.

The man straightened, meeting Lyerin's gaze. "My name is Kade," he replied, his voice steady.

Lyerin nodded slowly. "Well, Kade, you just earned yourself a place in my tribe."

He then turned to the rest of the group, his eyes gleaming with a mixture of satisfaction and challenge. "Next!"