The Bloodforged Kin

Chapter 231 - 225: Mason - A Weasel in the Henhouse

"I'm telling you, man, I can help!"

Tom was walking as fast as he could while keeping his composure, but this scarecrow's legs were longer than his and he had no problem keeping up.

"I don't have time for this, Gabriel. There will be another attack soon, I'm sure of it, and I need to prepare."

"But that's what I can help with!" Gabriel's whining tone grated on Tom's nerves and he had used up all of his patience with Mason.

"What?" He whirled around, startling Gabriel into a sliding backwards stumble. "What can you help with?"

"Okay, so get this - those wendigo things, we're probably going to see more of them, right? Well, my power is mind and emotional control. You know this, so let me help! Let's get everyone together and I will do my magic and make it so the wendigo cries don't affect them!"

Tom eyed his skeptically. "You can do that? You're sure?"

"Nothing is 100%, man, but if anyone has a chance, it's me. What if next time twice as many show up? Or bigger ones with stronger spells? Do you think this first wave was the best they could throw at us?"

"No," Tom agreed reluctantly. "The analysts think that the first wave was the easiest, and they'll get progressively harder."

"See?" Gabriels shout was jubilant and too loud. Too excited. "You need me! Think about it - if it works then you will have saved a whole lot of your - our men. If it doesn't work, then you're in the same position you are now. What do you have to lose?"

Tom hated himself for the words he was about to speak. "That's a good point. You're right. I'll get the platoons together. What's the biggest group you can do at once?"

"Hmmm… I've been practicing. I think, maybe - one full platoon at a time, since I won't need to interact with them individually."

"250 men? You can do that many at once?" The thought sent chills up Tom's spine and he reassessed Gabriel's threat level.

"If I have my tools and a stage where they can all see me, sure."

"How long will it take?"

"I'd say… give me an hour with each group."

"You don't have an hour. 30 minutes with each."

"Do you want it done right or do you want to half-ass it?"

Tom rubbed his cheek in irritation. "Fine, you're right again. But we can't do this where Mason can hear. We'll go next door and I'll send the platoon that was most affected first. If we have time, and if it works for them, I'll send the others."

"Yes! You won't regret this, man, I promise!"

"Gabriel," Tom interrupted the skinny man's rush to the house next door. "If you fuck me on this I will personally hand you over to Mason. If you make it work, great - you'll be a hero and I'll let Mason know it was you who did it. If you can't make it work, we'll keep it quiet between us. But if you do anything else - ANYTHING to jeopardize this mission or this army, I will see you pulled apart, piece by piece. Is that understood?"

Tom could have sworn he saw devious calculations running behind the man's eyes as he fit the threat into whatever plan he was cooking up, but in the end he only grinned and nodded.

As Gabriel ran awkwardly, ridiculous duster coat flapping behind him, Tom shook his head. "I'm going to kill him one of these days."

He'd been planning on getting a quick bath and a nap before the next wave hit, but now he had to go find his platoon leaders and explain the new plan. A General's work was never done.

The remaining waves arrived like clockwork, each proving easier than the last. Gabriel's ministrations helped, albeit in a limited fashion in the beginning - but growing stronger and more effective as he pushed his mind control skills to their limits. He had maxed out his skills long ago, but hadn't found the impetus for a breakthrough to another level, until now. His Mental Dominion spell reached level 5, pushing its bounds and allowing him to control much larger crowds. He wanted to try holding church for the entire army at one time to see if he could break it through to a new skill. He'd seen others do that, but hadn't been able to do that to any of his skills so far. He suspected it took a level of work and effort that he was, quite frankly, not willing to put forth. What he could do had been working perfectly fine for him so far - why do more? But if he could control entire armies, what about entire towns? Cities? The world?

Emotional Implantation saw the biggest change of all. Previously he could only cast it when directly touching someone, and it could only implant the base emotions of happiness, sadness, fear, confidence, pride, self-doubt, or anger. He had pushed it to level 5 in his nightly services with the troops, but couldn't figure out how to push it even further. General Tom had given him the fuel he needed and, as he stood in front of the 200 or so men left in Platoon 1 he felt it give way, like a System-induced orgasm. He actually groaned in pleasure as the skill evolved, feeling himself go hard at the influx of power and potential. He couldn't wait until he was done, he needed to read it now. Emotional Implantation had grown into something amazing and he read the previous version of the skill just to see the changes.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Skill Name: Emotional Implantation

Type: Mental Influence

Level: 5

Description: This skill allows you to place an emotional seed in a person that is fully under your influence. The emotion remains even outside of your presence and can only be removed by you or by the target noticing and identifying the implanted emotion. Enhanced by the Blessed Rosary, the target does not have to be fully under your influence but must be at least 25% influenced by you.

Effects:

You may choose one base emotion (happiness, sadness, fear, confidence, pride, self-doubt, anger) per target and implant that into them once the conditions of your influence have been met.

Limitations:

The skill requires physical touch.

The target must fully trust you and be under the influence of your Dominion.

Attempts to compel the target to experience emotions they typically do not have a strong penchant for have a higher likelihood of failure and will plant a seed of distrust in the target.

The effects of the implantation can be negated by the target. Once negated the target will be completely free of all compulsions or influences previously established by you and cannot be deceived by you again.

He dismissed it, excitedly reading the evolved skill:

Skill Name: Shepard's Guidance

Type: Mental Influence

Level: 1

Description: Your flock has come to you for guidance, and you stand ready to watch over them. This skill retains the effects of Emotional Implantation while giving you the option to provide further buffs to those that seek your guidance. The buffs remains even outside of your presence until dismissed by you or the subject loses faith in your guidance.

The description removed the need for his rosary or for the subjects to be under his dominion spell, they just needed to seek him out for guidance. He could only place one buff per person, but that might change. He skipped over the effects that remained from its previous version and went straight for the upgrade.

Effects:

You may choose one buff to apply to any that seek your guidance:

Mental Resilience:

Protection against mental influence.

Strength of Faith:

Increases the Strength attribute by 10%.

Shepard's Protection:

Increases the Defense attribute by 10%.

Protector of the Flock:

Increased the Attack attribute by 10%.

He marveled at the changes - he could build his own empowered army with this! He didn't even need to have dominion over them - just being able to provide buffs would have people seeking him out and keep them loyal to him. He wondered if he should focus on driving his skills down a path of support and guidance, rather than dominion and control. It seemed like there was a lot of opportunity and power in that direction.

He shook his head, dismissing the idea. Buffing them up was nice and all, but his first and only love was the power that came from utterly dominating and controlling the idiots that sought him out. What good was building an army if it didn't get him laid? He'd rather strengthen that part of his power set - it still rankled him that Mason never let him use the harem - not even once. I'll build my own harem out of the entire world. Let's see how he likes it when he has to come begging to me for some strange.

With Mental Resilience active the creatures were no match for the army, even as they increased in power and numbers. The Hellbound and Enchantresses went out once more against the final Ice Golem boss, this one five-stories tall and wide enough to block entire streets with each chunky leg. They were no match for it and the army had to step in and finish it off, Doug's Inferno Purge more than a match for the monster. The display of sheer destructive power was met with cheers loud enough to be heard by the distant residents of the city of Milwaukee as the entire army urged him on. Every platoon had been assembled to fight off the final golem boss and Craig had calculated a 32% loss of life before defeating it. He rapidly adjusted his mental models as he watched Doug launch himself into the air with a shout of 'Flame on!', his powerful attacks and rapid flight reducing the golem to a puddle the size of a small lake in minutes without a single soldier being sacrificed.

Mason stood at the back of the army with his general.

"Do you think I could have taken that thing?"

Tom considered lying - Mason's ego would be especially fragile after seeing Doug's display. He decided against it. Mason needed to be pushed to grow, and the only one that could do that was Mason himself. Or, rather, his sense of inadequacy that drove him to action when good advice couldn't.

"Doubtful, sir. Even the combined might of the Hellbound and Enchantresses could barely scratch it, and the analysts predicted a 25% loss of life if the army had to engage. Quite frankly, this new power of Doug's is a bit overpowered. It doesn't run long, so he has to be smart when he uses it, and this matchup was probably the best he could have had to test it so that did give him the advantage. But even a fully-empowered Sapper would have had a fight on his hands."

Mason growled under his breath but didn't lash out. It took him a while to respond. "Yeah, that's what I figured too. Anyway, cancel that meeting with the platoon leaders. The others seem physically weak and there's really no need for me to fuck up Doug after he did such a good job today. Let him have his win."

General Tom knew that by the time Mason got back to the mansion he would believe everything he had just said.