Chapter 54: Lure of the beast
Clayton stalked through the Forgotten Atlanta Expanse, Regalia of the Verdant Warden in spear form, its Mycoglyph gauntlet pulsing with Earthcore Nexus’s rhythm.
His humanoid form, fully recovered, moved with predatory grace, plasma burns and psychic scars gone, Heartseed Core steady at 70% Genesis Threshold.
Behind him, his 30 Initiate Ember Behemorph minions fanned out via Aphid Network; 12 Thorn Hounds snarling, 8 Howl Shriekers slinking, 7 Ash Sprites flickering, 5 Spore Drifters cloaked in mist.
He wasn’t just sending them to hunt unsubordinated Behemorphs this time.
This time, he’d lead, his Verdant Tyranny demanding efficiency to grow his dominion.
He didn’t want to admit it, but he was under pressure.
After that battle days ago, neither of the 2 factions showed themselves, but Clayton could feel them still lurking. There was no substantial evidence to support how he felt. Call it his 6th sense, instinct maybe, but he trusted it since Echoterra.
"Time to fatten the family," he muttered, dark humor glinting, "before those Ironblood punks or Apostate weirdos crash the party".
The Expanse’s sentient roots whispered, Mycoglyphs in distant ruins glowing faintly, the Earthcore Nexus’s hunger a low thrum.
His Rootsite, 100 square kilometers of thorn and ash, was fortified by Verdant Bastion; thorned turrets, venom-sap pits, Root Web grid, but 30 minions weren’t enough.
He’d hunt Initiate Ember rogues, force them to kneel or die, and build an army.