The conquest of Kira was a different kind of victory. It wasn't built on spiritual lies or emotional manipulation, but on a cold, mutual understanding of power.
It solidified Leo's rule in a way the others hadn't, he now controlled the very point of the tribe's spear. But with internal challenges extinguished, a familiar restlessness began to itch beneath his skin. The daily Gacha Points from his "King" title were a trickle, and the thrill of domestic dominance was starting to pale.
He needed a new conquest. A bigger one. And for that, he needed more personal power.
Sitting in his cave, surrounded by his sleeping consorts, he focused on the Gacha Wheel. He had a substantial hoard of points. It was time to stop spinning for trinkets and aim for something that would change the game entirely.
"System," he commanded mentally. "I want to spin the premium wheel. The one that costs 500 points."
[Initiating Premium Gacha Spin. Cost: 500 Gacha Points. Guaranteed High-Grade Item or Ability.]
The wheel in his mind's eye was grander, etched with glowing, ancient runes. He took a breath and set it spinning. It whirred, the icons a blur of powerful silhouettes—mythical beasts, legendary weapons, and glowing orbs of pure energy. It slowed, ticking past a fiery sword, a shield that shimmered with light, and finally landed on a symbol he didn't recognize, a single, glowing seed that pulsed with a gentle, green light.
[Congratulations! You have acquired the 'Seed of the World Tree' (Consumable).]
[Effect: Upon consumption, it will fundamentally reconstruct the user's physique, infusing them with primal, terrestrial strength. Grants: Superhuman Strength (Tier 1), Enhanced Durability (Tier 1), and a significantly extended lifespan.]
Leo's eyes widened. "This... this is it. This is the cheat code."
Without hesitation, he materialized the seed. It felt warm and heavy in his palm, thrumming with latent power. He popped it into his mouth. It dissolved instantly, not into a liquid, but into a wave of pure, scorching energy that flooded his veins.
It was agony. It felt like his bones were being shattered and reforged, his muscles torn and rewoven with threads of lightning. He clenched his jaw, stifling a scream, his body shaking uncontrollably. The process seemed to last an eternity, but when it subsided, he was left panting on the furs, slick with sweat that smelled oddly of ozone and wet earth.
He felt... different. The world seemed quieter, not because there was less sound, but because his senses were no longer overwhelmed by it. He flexed his hand, and the muscles in his forearm coiled like pythons. He felt a raw, untapped power humming just beneath his skin, a reservoir of strength that made his previous bracers feel like children's toys.
"Oh, yeah," he thought, a slow, predatory grin spreading across his face. "This is what I'm talking about."
He needed to test it. Quietly, he slipped out of the cave and walked to the central clearing where a large, heavy grinding stone, used for sharpening tools and pulverizing grain, lay. It was a slab of granite that normally took three strong men to lift. Leo had never been able to even shift it.
He knelt, wrapping his hands around its rough edges. He took a breath and lifted.
It wasn't easy, but it wasn't the impossible struggle he expected. With a grunt of effort, his new muscles bulging, he lifted the massive stone clean off the ground, holding it at chest height. The power was incredible, intoxicating. He held it for a full ten seconds before letting it drop with a ground-shaking thud.
The sound echoed through the silent camp. A few tribespeople stumbled out of their caves, rubbing sleep from their eyes. They saw their King, Leo, standing calmly beside the grinding stone that was now slightly sunken into the earth from the impact.
He hadn't just moved it, he had lifted it.
Alone.
A wave of absolute, stupefied awe swept through them. Their whispers were no longer just of a powerful shaman, but of a living deity.
The next morning, Leo didn't need to say a word. The story of his feat had spread like wildfire. His authority was now absolute, cemented not just by manipulation, but by undeniable, physical godhood.
He spent the day testing his new limits, easily outperforming the strongest hunters in feats of strength and endurance. The remaining Gacha Points he had, he spun, gaining minor but useful items: 'Boots of the Silent Stalker' that muffled his footsteps, and a 'Horn of the Dire Wolf' that, when blown, would instill a minor fear in any who heard it.
As the sun began to set, painting the sky in hues of orange and purple, a scout came running into the camp, breathless.
"King Leo!" the scout panted, bowing deeply. "We have seen them! A war party! From the Sun-Eater tribe! They are many, and they are marching this way!"
A hush fell over the tribe. Fear was a palpable scent in the air. They all turned to Leo.
Leo didn't feel fear. He felt a jolt of pure, unadulterated excitement. A wide, manic grin split his face.
"A war party," he thought, his new strength singing in his blood. "Perfect."
He looked at his terrified people, then at the horizon where this new threat approached.
"Do not fear," Leo's voice boomed, amplified by his title and his newfound confidence. "They are not coming to destroy us. They are delivering themselves to me."
He cracked his knuckles, the sound like small rocks grinding together.
[New Conquest Opportunity: Subjugate the Sun-Eater War Party.]
[Difficulty: Legendary]
[Reward: 1000 Gacha Points, Title: 'Tribe-Breaker', and the submission of a rival tribe.]
"They think they are hunters," Leo declared, his eyes gleaming with anticipation. He was already thinking of the strong women of the Sun-Eater tribe, of the new challenges they would present. "But they are the prey. And I am the new apex predator of this world."