Now, as for the new mbers I have just added to my clan.
I’d promised them skills and other rewards if they swore loyalty, so I decided to keep my word.
I shared: [Iron Fist], so at the very least they knew how to throw a proper punch and hold their ground in a scuffle.
[Danger Sense], to keep them alert and aware of threats that would’ve blindsided them before.
[Blood Resilience], which stabilized their bodies and helped them endure injuries without collapsing.
And [Battle Instinct], giving them the barest hint of combat intuition even if they had never fought seriously a day in their lives.
Even if the majority of them were workers, these abilities would let them survive a fight against soone of their rank. They wouldn’t crumble at the first sign of trouble.
They wouldn’t die helplessly. That was enough for now.
After finishing the entire distribution, I took a mont to reread the descriptions of all my skills, letting the information settle properly in my mind. Only then did I stand, stretch until my back gave a satisfying crack, and head toward the door.
I wanted to check on the goblins I had shared skill lines with.
And also et up with Gork to start preparing to visit the goblin who held the garnet I needed—my key to securing proper protection and earning a place in the King’s Gas.
But the mont I stepped outside, I ca to a halt.
Four goblins —out of the newest additions to the clan — were kneeling right in front of my quarters, heads bowed so low their foreheads nearly touched the ground.
What were they doing here?
Before I could even ask, their voices overlapped in shaky, reverent greetings.
"Chief!"
"Chief!"
"Thank you for the blessing, Chief!"
Ah. So that was it.
Narg and the others had reacted the sa way the first ti I shared skills with them, dropping to their knees as if I had handed them a second life. I shouldn’t have been surprised that the new ones were doing it too, but seeing four goblins prostrating themselves at my doorstep still caught off guard.
I let out a quiet breath and activated [Analyze], directing it toward each of them one by one.
Their loyalty values had jumped.
Not by a little.
Just from sharing a few basic skills?
For goblins who had joined only recently, having loyalty spike that high was... significant. And all it took was the gift of a few abilities, and their allegiance crystallized instantly.
It made sense when I thought about it, though. Skills weren’t just power to goblins — they were survival, status, and opportunity. For them, this wasn’t a simple distribution of abilities. This was taking responsibility for their futures. This was saying, You belong here. You matter.
Of course, their loyalty would rise.
"It’s alright," I said, stepping closer so they could lift their heads. "As long as you keep doing things that help the clan grow, you’ll receive more skills."
"Yes, Chief!"
"We’ll serve you to the end!"
Their voices rang out with so much conviction that the air almost vibrated. I nodded once, satisfied.
That was exactly what I wanted to hear.
The goblins were in high spirits as they left, practically buzzing with energy after receiving their new abilities.
I let out a small breath, preparing to use [Warp] and head straight to Zarah’s location, but before I could even raise my hand, three more goblins hurried up to , all wide-eyed and trembling with excitent.
"Chief... Chief... Chief!"
"Thank you for the blessing, Chief!"
I gave them a nod, repeated the sa reassurance I’d given the first group, and watched them shuffle away with the sa eagerness written all over their faces.
But the mont they disappeared, another group appeared.
Then another.
I stood there, greeting wave after wave of goblins, feeling my patience stretch just a little thinner with each passing set of kneeling heads. Couldn’t they at least coordinate and co together like normal people? This trickle-in pattern was going to drain my entire afternoon.
Finally, the last batch left, bowing and chanting their gratitude as if they’d been blessed by a deity.
I exhaled and lifted my hand again to warp, but froze when I saw the one person I was planning to check on walking toward .
Zarah.
And the way she carried herself made lower my hand without thinking.
She was coming straight at .
Looking at her from a distance, she seed perfectly fine.
No stumbling, no strange aura pouring off her body, no dramatic physical transformation — just Zarah, moving with her usual quiet confidence.
But the closer she ca, the more I realized sothing was different.
Her appearance hadn’t changed, but the way she carried herself had. There was a calm, composed sharpness to her posture, a kind of quiet authority that wasn’t there before. It wasn’t loud or exaggerated; it was subtle, but unmistakable.
"Chief," she greeted softly, lowering into a small bow before lifting her head again to et my gaze. "Once again, thank you for the blessing."
"Oh... sure... it’s alright," I said, and to my own annoyance, my voice ca out slightly uneven.
She stood straighter than usual, shoulders pulled back, chin lifted, gaze unwavering. Her eyes locked onto mine with a depth and precision that made the hairs on the back of my neck rise. It wasn’t threatening — just focused, sharply so, like she was clearer now, more present, more aware.
Was this the influence of [Predator’s Focus]?
Because right now, it genuinely felt like she could see through . Not taphorically — I an it felt like she was reading everything. My stance, my breathing, the twitch of my fingers, even the shift in my heartbeat.
For a mont, I felt as though she was staring into my soul.
"How are you feeling?" I asked.
"Fantastic," she said without hesitation. "I tested the skill earlier, and it feels like I could never miss an arrow again."
"That’s amazing."
And it was.
Her delivery was calm and matter-of-fact, but the confidence behind her words was unmistakable.
Seeing her steady like this, without the kind of intense reaction Flogga had gone through, made sothing loosen inside .
Maybe archery-related skills blended more naturally with her body.
Maybe her foundation was already stable enough to absorb sothing like this without a struggle.
Whatever the reason, she handled the skill line far better than I expected, and that made a thought creep in.
If she took this so easily...should I...
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