Renegade's Dominion

[Notice! Due to the individual's action, you have acquired the Extra Skill: Aura Control.]

"More skills, huh?!"

Ty grinned widely. He welcomed every opportunity to gain new abilities, especially ones like this. With just a simple act of trying to suppress his energy, he'd unknowingly triggered the awakening of not one, but two new extra skills, each distinct, each promising.

The first:

Aura Perception: Grants the ability to detect and interpret the aura of others, allowing the user to gauge the rough strength of an assessed target.

And the second:

Aura Control: Enables the user to release their aura at will, using it as a psychological weapon to instill fear, awe, or intimidation in those with lesser spiritual pressure.

"So the first skill's like a personal radar," Ty mused aloud, eyes alight with curiosity. "Helps me figure out if I'm picking a fight I can win or otherwise. Nice."

The second, though... it intrigued him on a much deeper level.

To shake someone's will without even lifting a hand? That was powerful. Terrifying, even. He could already envision the possibilities of a single step forward, eyes narrowed, aura flaring, and an enemy backing down without a word exchanged. Of course, logic followed that this would only affect individuals with weaker spiritual strength than his. Anyone with a stronger aura would flip the script on him instantly, crushing him under their invisible might.

Still, Ty couldn't help but feel thrilled. This wasn't just some utility trick, it was dominance embodied. No need for polite demonstrations of power or drawn-out conflicts. Just a look... and pressure. That was enough.

He yawned, both arms stretching high over his head as his muscles relaxed. The day had been long. Too long. Rest was calling to him like a long-lost friend, and he decided to heed its invitation, to finally give his body the rest it deserved, not merely what it required.

Or so he thought.

Before he could even lie down, fate or rather, Bertha intervened.

The large wolf burst into his shelter like a gust of wind, her sudden arrival sending a jolt through Ty's spine. He scrambled upright, heart thudding with panic.

"What the hell, Bertha?!"

The snarling beast prowled inside the shelter, her hackles raised and growls rumbling from deep within. She didn't calm until her eyes met his, wide, startled, and still trying to piece together what had just happened. Only then did her posture soften.

With a low whine, she padded over to him, rubbing her thick fur against his leg. The gesture, oddly gentle for a creature her size, was her way of grounding herself, releasing the lingering agitation still coursing through her body.

Ty crouched, reaching out to pet her head. "You were scared because my presence just... vanished?"

He didn't know it yet, but his earlier attempt and success to contain his aura had gone beyond mere suppression. He had, without realizing, erased his presence entirely. It was a perfect cloaking effect rendering him undetectable not just through normal means but even by abilities linked to perception or sensory detection.

And that absence had struck fear into Bertha's heart. She had felt his energy fade, as if snuffed out in an instant, and panicked. The result? Her storming into his space without hesitation, driven by the fear that something dreadful had occurred.

And she wasn't the only one.

"You're telling me the Goblins thought something happened, too?" Ty asked, his brows lifting in surprise.

Bertha's soft growl confirmed it. Ty sighed, rising to his feet and moving toward the shelter's entrance.

"I'd better explain myself before they assume I've been devoured or something."

Stepping outside, Ty was met with the worried eyes of the remaining Goblins in the settlement. They had paused their ongoing construction to gather before his shelter, uncertainty etched across their green faces. Unlike Bertha, they hadn't dared to rush into his space, partly out of respect, but mostly because they feared whatever force might have erased Ty from existence.

To them, it looked like the strong protector they had just aligned themselves with had been taken out without so much as a warning sign.

"Oh great one, you are well?! Then... as I feared, does this disappearance relate to the matter I discussed with you earlier?"

The Elder Goblin stepped forward, his voice filled with concern and relief all at once.

Ty blinked. 'Wait... they left their work just because they thought something happened to me?' A flush of humility settled in. He hadn't expected such loyalty or worry.

"Yes, Elder," he said, addressing the elder Goblin directly. "I was experimenting with what you told me regarding aura control. I didn't expect it to work so quickly... or so effectively."

Their concern was touching, but honestly, it was also overwhelming. He wasn't used to people or creatures worrying over him. The weight of it pressed at his chest, a mixture of gratitude and guilt.

"I apologize if I caused any of you unnecessary stress," he added, bowing his head slightly.

Of course they had every right to worry. It hadn't been long since they pledged themselves under his protection. For their new guardian to simply vanish without explanation? That would rattle anyone. Especially when trust was still fresh and bonds barely formed.

Ty looked over the gathered Goblins, noting their eyes wide with fear, now softening with relief. His heart tugged again. Whether he liked it or not, his actions now carried responsibilities far beyond himself.

Up until now, he had reveled in freedom, his ability to move as he pleased, unbound by duty or expectation. But things were changing. Quickly.

He wasn't alone anymore.

The wolves had come first, choosing to remain by his side. Now the Goblins had joined, offering their allegiance. It wasn't just about him anymore. Every action he took would ripple outward, affecting others, shaping their futures, influencing their fears and hopes alike.

It was sobering.

"Guess I really need to think things through from now on," Ty muttered to himself, glancing at the worried faces before him. "Can't keep making decisions like I'm the only one who has to deal with the fallout."

The irony stung. Wasn't the whole point of his journey to live without chains, without responsibility? To exist beyond the grasp of society's expectations?

And yet... here he was.

Heaving a quiet sigh, Ty looked back at Bertha, who now sat beside the Goblins, calm, yet alert. Another reminder that his choices echoed louder than before.

Freedom, it seemed, had started to come with a cost.