LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

As Lyerin stood amidst the chaos of the training session, his eyes surveyed the tribe members battling the monstrous creatures before them.

The air was thick with tension and the constant roars of beasts.

He could smell the earth as it churned under the heavy feet of his Pig Orcs, the scent of sweat, dirt, and blood filling the space around him.

His tribe was improving, albeit slowly, but they still hesitated when faced with creatures that were more terrifying in appearance than in strength.

Lyerin barked out orders, his voice cutting through the panic like a blade, urging them to act faster, to stop hesitating.

"That thing is weak!" Lyerin yelled, pointing at a beast that had the appearance of a gnarled, twisted mass of limbs and eyes but was no more dangerous than a deer. "Stop cowering! Strike it down!"

His words sent the tribe members into motion, though some of them still faltered, their fear of the unknown overriding their survival instincts.

Lyerin's smirk grew as he watched them struggle.

His eyes gleamed with both amusement and disappointment. They were learning, but far too slowly for his liking.

Suddenly, from the side, he caught sight of movement.

Gregor, the one-handed man, approached cautiously.

Lyerin watched him out of the corner of his eye, not bothering to turn fully.

He didn't need to; he knew exactly why Gregor was coming.

Gregor hesitated, then dropped to one knee in front of Lyerin. "Chief," he began, his voice strained and desperate. "Please... please, give me another chance. Let me train with the others. I—I know I failed before. I know I hesitated, but I won't anymore. I promise you!"

Lyerin's expression didn't change. He looked down at Gregor with cold, detached eyes, as if the man before him were little more than a piece of dirt.

"Failed?" Lyerin's voice was quiet, but it held a razor-sharp edge. "You lost your arm because you were too weak, too hesitant. Why should I waste my time on cowards who can't even stand in the face of danger?"

Gregor's one good hand clenched into a fist, his knuckles white as he shook his head frantically. "I'm not a coward!" he cried. "I was—I was scared, but I'll be better! I'll kill any beast you put in front of me. Just give me one more chance. Please!"

Lyerin snorted, a cruel smile curling at his lips. "You talk a big game for someone who couldn't even keep his arm attached. Words mean nothing to me. Actions do." He turned his back to Gregor as if the conversation were already over.

But Gregor wasn't done. He scrambled forward, grasping at the edge of Lyerin's cloak with his one remaining hand.

"Please!" he begged, his voice breaking. "I'll prove it. I'll kill any creature, no matter how terrifying. I'll do whatever you ask, just let me prove myself. I swear I won't hesitate this time."

Lyerin paused, feeling the desperate tug on his cloak.

He glanced down, his eyes narrowing.

The man's begging was pathetic, yet there was something entertaining about seeing someone grovel so low.

Still, his expression hardened, and he shook his head. "I don't need people who put on a show with their words, but fail when it counts. You hesitated once; you'll hesitate again. I have no use for you."

Gregor's breath hitched, and he lowered his head further, almost pressing his forehead to the ground. His voice was a whisper now, choked with emotion.

"Please, war chief... please... I'll give anything, do anything. I have nothing left but this tribe. Don't cast me out. I'll be loyal. I'll kill any beast you command me to. Please, I beg you."

Lyerin's cold gaze remained fixed on him, but before he could respond, a sudden notification flashed in his vision.

Ding!

[ Krisella's loyalty back down to level 20 from level 27. ]

His smile widened slightly.

So that was it.

This was why he was being so hard on Gregor.

It wasn't about Gregor's weakness or his hesitation—it was about Krisella.

Lyerin had noticed her loyalty wavering, and now it was dropping further, exactly as he had intended.

He wanted her loyalty to him to fall.

If Krisella's loyalty hit zero, then Lyerin wouldn't have to hold back anymore.

He could finally deal with her the way he wanted to.

Lyerin chuckled under his breath, though it was lost in the noise of the training yard. He looked down at Gregor, still groveling at his feet, and shook his head again. "Pathetic," he muttered.

Just as he was about to turn away, another notification appeared before him, bright and intrusive in his mind.

Ding!

[ A mission is available to recover Krisella's loyalty.

[ Would you like to take the mission? ]

Lyerin's smirk turned into a full grin.

The system, always so eager to give him an option, was offering him a way to salvage Krisella's loyalty.

It was amusing, really.

He could easily take the mission and restore her trust in him. But where was the fun in that?

Without a second thought, Lyerin dismissed the notification with a simple, "No." He had no interest in playing the system's game. He preferred to play his own.

Gregor, still kneeling, looked up at him, confusion and desperation etched into his face. "Chief, please..." he started again, his voice hoarse from pleading.

Lyerin's eyes flickered back to him, amusement dancing in his gaze. "You're still here?" he asked, as if genuinely surprised. "I already told you, Gregor. You're useless to me."

Gregor's face twisted with a mix of fear and determination. He swallowed hard, fighting back tears as he clenched his fist tighter. "I won't hesitate this time," he said, his voice low but firm. "I swear it. I'll kill any beast you put in front of me. Just let me train." Only on m v|le|mp|yr

Lyerin sighed, his amusement fading as his patience wore thin.

He stepped forward, looming over Gregor like a predator ready to strike.

"Do you think your begging will change my mind? Do you think I'll just forgive your weakness because you're groveling at my feet?" His voice was sharp, cutting through the air with deadly precision.

Gregor flinched, but he didn't back down. "No," he whispered, his voice trembling. "But I won't stop until you give me a chance."

Lyerin's eyes narrowed.

He could feel Krisella's loyalty slipping further, and that brought him a twisted sense of satisfaction.

He leaned down, grabbing Gregor by the collar and lifting him to his feet with ease.

"Fine," he hissed, his voice cold and merciless. "But if you fail me again, Gregor, you won't just lose your other arm. You'll lose everything."

Gregor nodded frantically, relief flooding his features. "I won't fail you," he promised, his voice shaking but resolute.

Lyerin let go of him, shoving him back with a sneer. "We'll see," he muttered. "Now get out of my sight."

As Gregor stumbled away, a nervous wreck but somehow still determined, Lyerin turned his attention back to the system notifications.

His eyes glinted with mischief. He could feel the threads of control tightening around his tribe.

Krisella's loyalty was hanging by a thread, just as he wanted.

One more push, and she would break completely.

He could almost taste the power he was gaining over them all.

The training continued, the air filled with the sounds of clashing steel, roaring beasts, and the shouts of his tribe members. But Lyerin's mind was elsewhere, focused on the grander game he was playing, a game that went far beyond simple survival.

Suddenly, another system screen flickered in his vision.

Ding!

[ Do you wish to reconsider?

[ You can recover Krisella's loyalty with one mission. ]

Lyerin's grin stretched wide. He didn't even hesitate this time. His voice was a low murmur, full of dark amusement. "No," he whispered again, before turning his gaze back to the battlefield in front of him.

He was done playing nice.

Soon, Krisella would fall for the sake of his fun.

Lyerin crossed his arms, watching as his Pig Orcs ruthlessly trained the tribe members, barking orders and ensuring no one hesitated.

Hesitation was weakness, and weakness had no place in his world.

Gregor's pleas still echoed faintly in the back of his mind, but Lyerin had already forgotten the man's desperation.

Gregor was just another pawn in his game, just like the rest of them.

And Lyerin was a master at playing games.

Suddenly, Krisella's image appeared in his mind again.

He would break her loyalty, one way or another.

Then, he could truly focus on what mattered: emotional torture!

With one final glance at his tribe, Lyerin smirked.