Chapter 56: A Branch Outshining it’s Tree
Alpha’s physique became more robust, his bristling fur undulating unnaturally as its color began to change.
From its original black over brown, it dyed into a sacred, unblemished shade of white.
His snout grew in both length and width, already massive fangs grew even more to occupy his maw, his ears straightened and grew larger, and his once lusterless eyes now bloomed with a cadence of red.
Slowly but surely, Alpha was shedding his inferior qualities. His species was changing at a cellular level, his bone structure reconstructing itself — becoming stronger, thicker, and greater.
He was no longer a Belgian Malinois. He had become something greater, something more majestic. Every cell in Alpha’s body churned with excitement. It was as though he was always meant to be this way.
He wasn’t becoming something foreign. No — his body was merely taking its original form, what he was meant to be: a creature of majesty, a figure more deserving of the name Alpha!
Awooooooooooo!
Alpha howled in excitement and announcement.
[Evolution complete!]
[Subordinate Alpha has taken its destined form... His bloodline has been purified, shedding imperfections.]
[Race change:]
Canine → King Canine
Belgian Malinois → Astral King Wolf
Seeing this, Roy smiled with genuine relief and excitement — not because of the evolution, but because Alpha had survived.
He sighed. It seemed the bond of a Lord and a subordinate didn’t only affect the subordinate...
The fear of almost losing his comrade, his subordinate — he never wanted to feel it again. He resolved.
Alpha had now become a hulking creature, his height standing a few inches above Roy. He now looked more regal, with flowing white fur, blood-red eyes, and around his neck, hair flowed in waves — thicker and longer than other regions. It was definitely a mane.
The moment Alpha regained his bearing, his eyes lit up in excitement.
Woof!
"Ahhh man, you’re too big, don’t smother me... Ah boy, watch my arm, it hurts..." Roy screamed as Alpha’s massive frame leapt upon him, his large tongue giving Roy’s face a good scrub.
[Name: Alpha]
Race: King Canine (Astral King Wolf)
Allegiance: Lord Roy Vanders
Level: 12
Strength: 31
Agility: 39
Constitution: 35
Intelligence: 9
Ether Unit: 18
Comprehensions:
Devouring: 6%
Star: 1.2%
Skills: Ancestral Descent (SS), Devour (S), Blink (A), Predator’s Instinct (B), Starry Constellation Embodiment (SSS)
As Roy ruffled Alpha’s fur, he checked his stats and was amazed with the changes that had occurred...
First of all, there was the race change, which was obvious. Then there were the comprehension attainments, and finally, there was a new SSS-ranked skill.
Roy was pleased. With this, Alpha had sealed his future as a powerhouse.
And there was something else he discovered. It was as though Alpha’s bloodline had devoured the essence of the Wolf King Order.
An Order was devoured and assimilated by a Hunter!
That was unheard of. Though it was a second-class Order, it was still an Order. How was it possible for someone to devour an intangible force that was both ethereal and divine?
Which begged the question: what was an Order?
When all this began, he had assumed that Orders were rules of reality or something of the like.
But now he had come to the conclusion that Orders were more than that. There was something else...
He asked the system for more info on Orders, and he was met with static silence. Fine. I will have to shelve this also. This mystery I will solve sooner or later.
Since Alpha was saved, he turned his attention to the rock-like platform at the corner which he had ignored.
"Hold on boy, I’m coming." He patted Alpha on the head before making his way to the top of the platform.
[Host has boarded Control Platform!]
[Territory is reacting to a new Lord...]
[Requesting... Would Host like to terraform new territory so that it can be more accommodating for Host’s race? Y/N]
I see. I wondered what would happen if someone claimed a territory in the sea... So each territory has the function of adapting a suitable environment for its Lord. Wonderful. Roy nodded approvingly as he accepted, "Yes."
Following his response, there was a brief silence before an earthquake-like tremor began rattling the entire mountain scape.
The mountains didn’t crumble. Instead, they parted, moving slowly from the earth, forming a circular formation as they created an even landscape in their midst.
The newly formed valley grew wider as the mountains moved far back to the borders. Fortunately, Jake and the K-9s were all waiting at the top of a hill, so they weren’t affected much as they braced tightly while the small mountain they were upon moved along with the others.
The miraculous phenomenon seemed slow but merely lasted a couple of minutes before the entire landscape had been altered.
Now the once rocky terrain, which was littered with jagged, peaked mountains scattered randomly across the scape, now had more order to it.
The scape now consisted of a fence-like mountain formation surrounding the entire territory, centering a vast, even plain, which at its very heart held the tallest of mountains.
This very mountain, which resided at the heart of the territory, was the one Roy was currently in — and the one which held the control platform.
Roy, still in the confines of the maze-like cave, standing before the platform, watched the new aesthetics of the place now that it had terraformed with a territory bird’s-eye view.
He had assumed that the changes were over until...
[Host and subordinate Alpha are being teleported to a safe location outside in order to avoid being harmed during restructuring.]
Huh? In a blink, Roy and Alpha found themselves outside.
And the two watched silently as the mountain trembled, boulders cascading from its body in waves, its structure slowly but surely morphing — slowly gaining semblance of a man-made structure.
And in a minute, a towering, intricate rock-built building came into form.
Roy watched as the building gained form — windows opening, doors forming, and ink-like silver paint spreading through the construct.
[Congratulations! Branch Outpost of the Cosmic Policing Agency has been made!]
[Host has gained right in naming the territory...]
"Hmmm... This place once belonged to a Wolf King and its whole pack. Though infuriating, without Amon I would never have gotten this territory... So let’s name it Wolf Peaks." Roy quickly came up with a name for his new territory.
Unlike his default territory, which already had a name — Cosmic Policing Quarters — this he had to name.
Thinking of his territory and the humble outpost that was meant to be the Cosmic Policing Headquarters, his teeth ground in annoyance. "The headquarters is so miniscule in comparison to the branch. What irony."
Roy’s eyes twitched as he gazed at the towering construct. This... this really wasn’t fair!
This was akin to a branch outshining its own goddamn tree!
[Host has successfully named territory: Wolf Peaks]
[Congratulations! Host has Completed milestone: Plant a branch outpost in another territory!]
[The Host has been rewarded...]