Chapter 131: Alpha Gene
The wind whistled softly through the glowing leaves as Aamir walked across the moss-covered roots of an enormous tree. His feet barely made a sound on the forest floor. Birds with crystal wings fluttered from branch to branch overhead, and somewhere in the distance, a beast let out a low, rumbling growl before fading into silence again.
This had become his routine.
Every morning — or whatever "morning" meant in this sunless, glowing realm — Aamir would set out from the small home base he’d built with Hornhead and patrol the surrounding forest. The area was slowly becoming more familiar, even though the terrain still shifted slightly now and then. There were trails marked with stacked stones, bushes cleared away for better vision, and even a few ponds they’d cleaned to drink from.
Beasts were starting to gather here — not as enemies, but as members of a strange, growing kingdom.
Aamir stood on top of a boulder, gazing at the area around Home Root. A faint breeze stirred his messy hair as his eyes scanned the quiet formation of his little domain.
Several smaller creatures chirped and played near a pond — a group of forest-dwelling squirrel-beasts that had begun building nests near the clearing. The panther-like beast with electric fur, who he’d named Bolt, watched from the shadows, its glowing stripes pulsing gently.
Even Hornhead had taken responsibility for patrolling the borders. Aamir once watched him chase off two rogue predators without lifting a horn — just a low grunt was enough.
Aamir chuckled.
"I don’t know if I’m becoming a king... or just the weird uncle everyone tolerates because I feed them."
Luman replied dryly,
"They follow your scent trail. They mark your territory with their behavior. It is instinctive recognition. Whether you accept it or not, your rule has already begun."