The immediate high of securing the mission to Black Site Onyx gave way to quiet focus. Standing in the heart of my own operations, the decision felt right—but rash. I needed to know exactly what kind of assets I had before challenging CENO.
I closed my eyes, seeking the mental connection to Herja.I felt a shiver run up my spine; Herja was here." You've come along way Ash. you've earned this." I heard Herjas sexy low husky voice purr in my mind. Welcome to your system."
A comprehensive System Interface instantly overlaid my inner vision, crisp and sharp against the blue crystal light of the Forge Room. My stats were displayed in a clean, minimalist array, familiar to me from old, forgotten gaming terminals, yet now profoundly real. Herja continue to speak, reading off each stat in order.
"Affinity: Caster Type.
Level: 5
Health Points 5700
Orgone 10,800
Strength 8
Agility 18
Intelligence 14
Stamina 9
Attack Speed 135
Defense 120
Accuracy: 250
Resistance 90
Estimated battle power: 26,000."
Herja paused, "Ash your cultivation with the Dahkra Rod has yielded an unforeseen benefit, you have unlocked a class!" There was a bit of excitement in Herjas voice near the end.
Below the main stats, a new, glowing menu option demanded attention. New Path Unlocked! Beast Master Class Activated.
The message throbbed with violet energy. The moment I started training Marla and Koba. The psychic bond, the forced obedience, and the channeling of orgone energy—it hadn't just secured my pets; it had forged a new dimension to my cultivation path.
I mentally selected the pulsing Beast Master option. A dense block of text and specialized skill trees opened before my minds eye. This wasn't just a title; it was a blueprint for power.
Herja read out the description of the class, it's skills and pertinent information.
"BEAST MASTER: A highly specialized cultivation path focused on the acquisition, bonding, and psychic control of advanced biological and augmented life forms. Power scales with the quality and number of bonded subjects. Key Stats for this class and build focus primarily on Orgone Level, Intelligence, and Accuracy."
Two core skills were already unlocked and immediately highlighted, Herja read out the names and skill details.
"Beast Commander"
"Ash, this technique allows the user to issue powerful, instantaneous psychic commands to all bonded subjects. Cost is proportional to the distance and resistance of the subject."
Herja Continued.
"Psychic Fang"
"All bonded subjects passively feed a small percentage of their residual bio-energy back to the Master, increasing the Master's Stamina and awareness."
This was more than just a clan leader's influence; it was a terrifying, exploitable network of control. Marla's immediate obedience, even through pain and pleasure, was just the beginning. The Beast Master class meant my pets were now direct extensions of my will and my power. I happened to glance at the skill trees point pool, I had 5 points that I could spend to unlock which branch of the class I would cultivate. Herja sensing my thoughts offered the suggestion.
"Ash, let me bring up the three main branches of the beast master class for you. And that way you can decide what type of 'Beast Master' you would like to become."
My mind focused on the glowing Beast Master skill tree; the nodes of power laid out like a tactical blueprint for psychic domination. This new path wasn't about enhancing my own strength through simple surgery; it was about weaponizing relationships.
The skill tree was organized into three distinct, powerful branches: Bonding & Control, Symbiotic Enhancement, and Dominion & Synthesis.
Herja read through each subbranch.
"The first branch is Bonding & Control. This branch offers absolute mental superiority, ensuring obedience and extending your influence far beyond the Gutter Nest."
She read the description of the first skill node.
''Energon flux '' "This is a crucial efficiency upgrade. It reduces the Orgone cost and time required to issue psychic commands, meaning you or I, can control Marla or Koba instantly, without hesitation or a major drain on my energy reserve. Price 2 Skill Points."
''Aura of Submission'' "A passive intimidation tool. It lowers the aggression of lower-tier Splicers and Mutants nearby. Essentially, you become a walking psychic deterrent, making local creatures less likely to initiate a fight. Price 1 skill point."
''Psionic Leash'' "A terrifying escalation of the Control Rod's function. You or I can enforce immediate, pain or pleasure on a subject with just our mental intent and a line of sight, allowing either of us to instantly subdue a rogue asset like Marla without needing to physically touch her with the Dahkra Rod. Price 3 skill points."
That skill definitely struck a chord in me.
Herja continued her reading.
''Eye of the Beast'' "This technique turns our bonded subjects into perfect surveillance tools. Both of us will gain the ability to toggle between the senses of any bonded asset across a city-wide radius, giving you eyes and ears everywhere they go. Price 5 Skill Points."
My mind reeled at the possibilities. This powers of this first branch sounded too good to be true and would make me a proper battlefield commander.
Herja continued to the second branch path, the ''Symbiotic Enhancement'' branch. "This branch focuses on combat synergy, allowing me to treat any subjects' body as living, mobile reservoirs of power and defense. Price 3 Skill Points.'
''Catalytic Bond'' Is a direct combat buff technique. I can temporarily drain excess Stamina or Strength from a bonded subject, like Koba's brute force, to increase our own stats, allowing you to punch above your weight when needed. Price 3 Skill Points."
''Regenerative Synergy'' Is a powerful field medicine skill. Bonded subjects heal faster when close to our presence, fueled by the overflow of our Orgone energy. Herja purred suddenly, It'll turn me into a walking, tactical healing beacon. Price 4 Skill Points."
''Reactive Resilience'' "This skill will make us harder to kill. When you take critical damage, a portion of the force is psychically distributed across our active bonded subjects, lessening the blow we take and simultaneously triggering our pets into combat readiness. Price 3 skill points.
''Orgone Transfusion'' "The ultimate support skill. I can rapidly inject a high dose of Orgone energy into an exhausted or injured subject, instantly overcharging their capabilities or forcing a rapid recovery. Perfect for turning a losing fight around. Price 5 Skill points"
Finally, we came to the last branch. The ''Dominion & Synthesis'' branch.
Herja spoke with a certain reverence in her voice. "This branch represents the endgame, allowing for growth in your roster and the ultimate combination of power with your pets."
She read the first node skill.
''Pet House Slot Expansion'' "Increases your command capacity, allowing me to maintain a complex bond from five subjects to a total of ten. More pets equal more power. Price 4 skill points."
''Beast Taming Protocol'' This is the key to expanding our army. It unlocks the ability to formally bond with a new, high-level Beast Crystal Bonded creature through a focused, training session, securing powerful new allies. Price 5 Skill Points."
''Augmentation Replication'' "A utility skill that allows me to temporarily copy one minor passive augmentation from a subject. For example, I could borrow Marla's petrifying stone torch glare or the plating of Koba's War Bettle armor. Price 5 skill points."
''Perfect Synthesis'' Herja paused, "This is a Capstone Skill. The apex of the path. This allows me to temporarily merge with one bonded subject, gaining all their specialized skills and combining our highest stats into a single, terrifying combat state. It is the ultimate expression of the Beast Master's power. Price 10 Skill points. "
The potential was clear. By investing in these skills, I wouldn't just be leading a gang; I'd be creating a small, psychically commanded strike force, perfectly suited for the infiltration of CENO Black Site Onyx. For now, I would spend 3 skill points purchasing the Energon Flux Skill and the passive ''Aura of submission'' skill.
I focused on the glowing Beast Master skill tree; the nodes of power laid out like a tactical blueprint for psychic domination. Herja's voice guided me through the decision, the stakes of the upcoming CENO Black Site Onyx mission clarifying my priorities. My immediate need was for tactical control and efficiency, particularly since our team for Onyx would be small and reliant on the reliability of my bonded assets, Marla and Koba. The ability to command them swiftly and suppress local resistance was paramount for an infiltration mission.
I mentally confirmed my selections, spending 3 of my 5 available skill points.
Herja confirmed the purchases "Purchase confirmed. Energon Flux is now active. Purchase confirmed. Aura of Submission is now active."
The skills I craved—like Psionic Leash (3 points) for ultimate control, or Bonding Slot Expansion (4 points) for a larger team—remain tantalizingly out of reach for now.
The two new skills were already passively integrating, the first skill already giving me a distinct, subtle sense of power flowing in through my connections to Marla and Koba
Next, I focused on my physical possessions. My Inventory Ring, the small, relic treasure that me and felicity had discovered in the purple ruin city. I wore it on my left hand, it sprang to life within the System Interface, presenting a scrolling list of my current assets.
Item Quantity Description
Control Rod 1 Violet crystal focus. Bound pets: Marla, Koba.
Gutter-Grade Med-Kits 5 Bio-stim injectors and coagulants.
High-Density Energy Cells 12 Power source for blades and external tech.
CENO Data Chip 1 Encrypted data gathered by Felicity.
Scorponoks scrap 23 Can be used to power item creation
Vial of Stabilized 'Snake Oil' 1 Extremely potent Marla secretion sample.
Sex Pistol 1 Siege Cannon Terraformer.
I deactivated the interface, the sudden absence of the menus leaving my mind clear and energized. I now understood the true value of my assets—and the urgency of getting to Onyx. I wasn't just Ash, a clan boss; I was a cultivator on a powerful new path, and I needed the Element-X and the weapons it could make to take my clan to the next level.
"Herja," I murmured, "is Mothman done with his... emergency break yet?"