Chapter 298

Going through the pass was uneventful, though the hunters continued to report new creatures spotted throughout the day. Something like a wolfstag without horns but small and orange was a favorite of the Sik'Tal, and those who managed to lay eye on one considered it to be a lucky sign. After the little wolves' designation as a lucky sight, none of the hunters were willing to hunt one, and I opened my [System] notifications.

[Quest complete. Growth achieved. New Quest acquired.]

Of course. After killing the ants, I'd progressed my Quest that'd been teetering on the cusp of completion already. I opened my [Status].

[Status:

Name: Ashlani

Race: Sonic Khatif Swarm Alpha

Titles: Disciple of Nievtala

Killer of Redael

Fahvalo of the Moonchildren

Current quests: 

-Hunt 5 new species. Reward will vary depending upon the evolutionary level of prey. Base reward: Constitution, Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Magic, +6. Progress: Oxfiend Bull Paragon, Indlovu Hunter, Indlovan Oryx, Hyena, Gargantuan Ant Soldier. NEW QUEST: Hunt 6 new species. Reward will vary depending on the evolutionary level of prey. Base reward: Constitution, Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Magic +8.

-Subjugate or otherwise conquer a community of at least 1000 individuals. Base reward: Constitution +7, Strength, Agility +8, Intelligence +10, Magic +9. Possibility of additional rewards for greater difficulty.

-Speak the entirety of the True Words of Power of Nievtala. Rewards: Upgrade to Title: Disciple of Nievtala; Acquisition of Skill: Voice of the Divine; Constitution, Strength, Agility, Intelligence, Magic +8.

Stats:

-Constitution: 160+6+6+12+2+3+2=191

-Strength: 175+6+8+14+3+4+3=213

-Agility: 167+6+3+4+6+5+4=195

-Intelligence: 160+6+3+10+4+4+2=189

-Magic: 195+6+0+9+0+0+0=210

Skills:

Nemesis: 0/5

Combatant's Bloodlust: 2/4 (Imperial Bearing, Nemesis)

Conqueror's Rebuke: 1/5

Evolutionary Exemplar (Cannot Evolve)

Exceptional Individual (Cannot Evolve)

Fanatic's Fortitude: Unqualified

Perpetual Sonilphon: (Cannot Evolve)

-Murderous Melody: (Cannot Evolve)

-Disastrous Discourse: (Cannot Evolve)

-Innervating Address: 0/1

-Nurturing Enunciation: 22/50

-Destructive Wave (Cannot Evolve)

Imperial Bearing (Cannot Evolve)

Innate Leadership (Cannot Evolve)

Pack Tactics: 7/10

Pain Tolerance (Cannot Evolve)

Raptor's Eyes (Cannot Evolve)

Spear of the Many (Cannot Evolve)

Tremorsense (Cannot Evolve)

Absolute Dominance: 0/1

Victor's Spoils (Cannot Evolve)

Evolutionary Possibilities

-Sonic Keel Zak'Tal: Speak the entirety of the True Words of Power of Nievtala. Progress: 0/1 Have a Swarm Leader level race. Completed.

-Khatif Heretic–Requirements: learn how to bend the world's governing laws and compel the divine to follow your will.

Other evolutions possible, but not currently foreseen. Progress further, and such possibilities will be presented to you.]

A small part of me mourned seeing my Agility sitting near the bottom of my stats, given its previously long-held position as my highest, but as I recognized my Intelligence was my lowest, I stopped caring quite so much about the arbitrary numbers beside the stats. Instead, I looked closer at the consistently the same returning [Quest] as well as my lengthening [Skill] list. Now that I'd more or less publicized my ability to speak with a goddess, I didn't hesitate to ask the Administrator questions aloud.

"Is everything so incentivized to kill things as I am? I don't feel like hunting things as a human ever made me stronger."

[No, keelish are one of the few "monstrous" races whose Systemic path is also one of conquest and dominance. Leviathans, wherever they are found, are not concerned with hunting, though they are "monstrous". Humans are "people", and their Systemic path is… unique. I cannot share more.]

"And what makes a race monstrous or people?"

[The ever arbitrary and inscrutable System, I'm afraid. Keelish and khatif are "monstrous", while Keel are "people". All Moonchildren and Sunkindred are "people" while Beastkin, Indlovu, and Misti Hawar are "monstrous". You'll experience no small amount of changes in your System when that time comes, but I, again, cannot share more.]

"Then will my constant 'hunt' [Quest] disappear once I evolve?"

[No, the Systemic path of keelish, khatif and Keel is virtually identical, since the path of the keelish and khatif lead to that of the Keel.]

I flared my frills in acknowledgement as I continued on my path. On the journey, the occasional keelish would approach me with questions about how close I supposed we were, or with advice about where I thought they should apply themselves, or so on. Even so, I had plenty of time and opportunity to mull over my [Status] and how I could work with my [Skills] in this new environment. 

What had led me to becoming Alpha was my ability to fight and hunt. Some measure of my leadership ability helped me with that, but I refused to lie to myself–the position as Alpha keelish was entirely gained and maintained by force. Force of arm or magic, but entirely due to strength. A Keel who built a country wouldn't be served much by [Combatant's Bloodlust] or [Victor's Spoils]. Instead, [Nurturing Enunciation] and [Evolutionary Exemplar], [Pack Tactics] and [Innate Leadership], and many of my other [Skills] would assist me in creating a new, better, stronger, happier people. Ideas of how to combine my different [Skills] in battle were slowly washed away by hopes of how to guide my people into a new age, one of civilization. 

Enraged screeches and the sound of combat tore me from my musings, and I perked up, looking for the danger. Instead, I watched as Sakkit, the gentle and submissive healer under Vefir's command, picked another keelish up by his throat. Then, Sakkit spun and smashed his opponent into the ground. The victim of the attack wailed, but none of the surrounding keelish interfered as the loser of the fight's head was ground underfoot into the dirt. Only after the apparent lesson was fully learned did Sakkit leave off his opponent, leaving him in the dirt to nurse his wounds. The healers all left him alone to his own ministrations.

The brief but explosive fight over, I walked up to Sybil, who'd noticed the fight long before it had become as much. 

"What happened?"

"Now that our journey appears to be at or near its end, little Ka thought he could challenge Sakkit for his position. He was taught otherwise." Her tone was dry, as if describing the possibility for clouds, and I was reminded that while we were becoming "people", my people would never become humans. I smiled at the thought, and relished the opportunity to continue to explore how I would rule. We continued our way to and then through the pass, stopping for the night when we were less than halfway through to the other side of the Shandise.