The "Pigment of Persuasion" was a game-changer. Soon, over half the tribe bore the swirling red mark on their arms or foreheads.
When Leo spoke to them, their eyes would lock onto his with unnerving intensity, hanging on his every word. The mark didn't brainwash them, it simply made Leo's voice sound like the most reasonable, trustworthy thing in the world. It was social manipulation on a mass scale.
But power, as it often does, created ripples. The first sign of trouble came from Lana.
She approached him as he was "blessing" the day's water supply (a ritual that involved him muttering over it and doing absolutely nothing).
"Leo," she said, her voice tight. Her eyes, once smoldering with passion, now flickered with jealousy as she glanced at Rana, who was standing near her father, the chieftain, with a new mark gleaming on her brow. "The spirit you channeled for me... does it also speak to the chieftain's daughter in the same way?"
'Uh oh. Cavewoman drama,' Leo thought, keeping his face a mask of serene wisdom. "The spirits speak to all, Lana, but in different tongues. Your connection is one of raw strength and hunt. Hers is one of... lineage and potential. Do not let the mortal feeling of jealousy cloud your spiritual reception."
It was a magnificent dodge, reframing her entirely valid suspicion as a personal, spiritual failing. The pigment mark on her arm seemed to pulse, and her expression softened slightly, the doubt receding.
'Crisis averted. For now.'
The real problem, however, was Chief Boru. The chief had refused the mark. He watched Leo's growing influence with the grim understanding of a seasoned leader who sees a rival. The cozy gratitude from the Spicy Berries had long since evaporated.
One afternoon, Boru confronted him, his massive arms crossed over his chest. "The men talk, Shaman Leo. They say you spend more time in private rituals with the women than you do speaking to the spirits of the hunt. Our luck has been poor. The great elk evade us."
'Time to play my trump card,' Leo thought. He had been saving the "Drum of Minor Inspiration" for just such a moment.
"The spirits of the hunt are not angry, Chief Boru," Leo replied calmly. "They are testing our faith. They wish to see if we will remain strong and united. I have received a new sacred object to prove this."
He produced the small, intricately carved drum. He began to tap a simple, rhythmic beat on it. Thump-thump-ta-thump. Thump-thump-ta-thump.
The effect was immediate and palpable. The tribespeople within earshot, especially those with the pigment mark, straightened their postures. A low murmur of determination ran through them. Hunters who had looked discouraged now started sharpening their spears with renewed vigor. The weavers worked faster. The general mood of the camp lifted from one of mild anxiety to focused productivity.
[Item Effect Activated: 'Drum of Minor Inspiration'. Tribal Morale and Productivity Increased by 15%.]
Boru was taken aback. He could feel the shift in the air, the renewed energy. It was real, tangible magic, and it was emanating from Leo.
"The spirits provide for the faithful," Leo said, stopping his drumming and fixing Boru with a gaze amplified by the Braid of Allure. "Perhaps if you joined us in our unity, Chief, the great elk would not be so shy."
It was a direct challenge, wrapped in spiritual mumbo-jumbo. Boru's face darkened, but he was outmaneuvered. To oppose Leo now was to oppose the clear, morale-boosting "will of the spirits." He grunted, turned, and stalked away, but the seeds of a real power struggle had been sown.
That night, Leo lay in his furs, mentally reviewing his assets. He had 80 Gacha Points. He decided to go for another spin.
The wheel landed on a pair of simple leather bracers.
[Item Acquired: 'Bracers of the Pack Leader']
[Effect: Slightly increases the wearer's physical strength and coordination. When leading a group, inspires a minor boost in their combat effectiveness.]
"Well, hello," Leo thought, slipping the bracers on. He immediately felt a surge of power in his arms, a confidence in his stance. He was no longer just a manipulative shaman, he was becoming a physical force.
[New Conquest Opportunity: Lead the next hunting party and secure a major kill.]
[Difficulty: High]
[Reward: 100 Gacha Points, Title: 'Hunter-Shaper', and significant rise in tribal authority.]
A slow, predatory smile spread across Leo's face. This was the perfect next step. He would take Boru's domain—the hunt—and conquer it himself. He would use the drum for morale, the bracers for strength, and his own cunning to orchestrate the kill.
He looked over at the sleeping forms of Lana and Rana, who had, through a series of "spiritual necessities," both ended up in his furs that night. He felt a thrill that had nothing to do with wifi or modern comforts. It was the thrill of absolute dominance.
"Sorry, Boru," he mused, his thoughts as sharp as a freshly knapped spearhead. "But this tribe has a new alpha. And he doesn't play fair."
He closed his eyes, already planning the next day's hunt. He would lead from the front, he would make the kill, and he would use the triumph to finally, completely, eclipse the old chief.