The damp, familiar air of the Gutter Nest settled around us, a stark contrast to the dust and adrenaline of the airport hangar. The light filtering down was a sickly green, illuminating the mossy walls and the cool, bone-white surface of the Anvil. I was still reeling from the Level 30 dopamine rush, the intent to dive into my new Stat's and Skill points paramount. But before I could get to my cozy nook Doctor Syns voice cut through the air—a voice not of the system, but of a specific, critical human intelligence.
"The theatrics were... excessive, Ash. But the tactical discipline? Impeccable.
Doctor Syn with her mini-handheld T.V ran over to us giddy as she scanned the team—from the massive, still-vibrating Atlas to the small, fiercely protective Felicity at my feet."You really did 'pull a Houdini,' as Dave put it" She laughed bright eyed and smiled at me as she out down the mini-T.V and hugged each one of us, she even went over and hugged the pinky tip of atlas, the big silver hand waggled it's spur umbilical whip. I smiled at Syn, "What's got you so bubbly mum, your totally chuffed" Syn walked back over to me smiling, "You've regenerated ancient Beast Vein fauna on the surface world! I recognize many species of the plant life Ash; this will have astounding and long-lasting impacts on the surface world forever. I've already been monitoring the two new beast zones, and they are spreading quite quickly.
Doctor Syn watched my intense focus, her smile fading as she sensed the urgency of the moment. She adjusted the dial on her mini-handheld TV, and the channel instantly flipped to Channel 36. The aerial view wasn't from Z-News but another broadcasting network, showing the impossible reality of the battlefield. Half of Camelback Mountain and a vast swath of Downtown Phoenix were visibly overrun with the pulsating, vibrant 'Beast Zones'—the massive, regenerative flora I'd planted.
The U.S. Military's definitive response to this escalating crisis was visible even from the Gutter Nest's hidden location: the entire state of Arizona was under official lockdown. Our actions had forced a complete military quarantine. Just then, Mothman smoothly glided over on his armored wheels, his helmet flashing. "Ash, you're not going to believe this!" His voice was full of stunned disbelief. "We've gone viral! "He held out his phone, and the screen was a chaotic collage of footage: slow-motion replays of the V-finger salute, the Serpent Flash detonation, and the dramatic, final vanishing act at the airport.
Our strike was exploding across multiple platforms on the world wide web, turning the Lunar Conflict into a global spectacle. The team—the tiger-striped girl, the winged woman, the wheeled mutant—were instantly infamous."
But in particular 'Atlas or the 'Hand' seemed to have had a particularly fond effect on the masses with it's subtle charm.
Excellent," I stated, a grim satisfaction settling over me. "Fame is power, but it also makes one a target." I handed him back his phone.
Doctor Syn clapped her hands, pulling my attention back "Exactly! Your profile just went from 'local threat' to 'global anomaly,' Ash. Ceno and the world will be paying attention, and far better than the military does.
The moment 'Dangerous Dave' Henderson's broadcast aired the V-finger salute followed by the team's instantaneous vanishing act, the tiger striped girl and her squad didn't just go viral—they became the world's first genuine, grass root pop-culture phenomenon of the Lunar Conflict era. The public, exhausted by endless military failures, found a terrifying but charismatic new icon.
It didn't take long for Bootleg merchandise to explode globally, becoming an instant cult-culture commodity against the backdrop of the worldwide lockdown- first it was T-shirts, the most common design featured a stark silhouette of a semi-nude Ash in all her tiger stripe glory, doing her somersault twist with the iconic Atlas V-finger in the background, labeled "We Don't Surrender to Gnat Patrols."
Art and Graffiti of the event was ubiquitous, stylized murals began appearing overnight in major cities worldwide, depicting the Umbral Scythe Dragon tearing through the Lunar Locusts, with Ash's tiger-striped silhouette looming over the destruction. Action Figures: Unofficial, 3D-printed figures of Atlas were being sold and traded among collectors , with the 'Medusa' woman and the 'Speedster' figures selling out fastest.
The mystery surrounding the team's origin, their motivations, and the complex nature of their powers spurred a massive wave of fan fiction and original web-novels.
'Beast Zone LitRPG's' exploded in popularity, followed closely by the 'Beast Files' as well as an erotic web-novel 'My She-beast girlfriend' a huge following developed around potential love triangles and romantic pairings, primarily the dynamic between the calculating tiger striped girl and the fierce looking Bettle man.
For the gaming community, the 'commander' became the ultimate guide to 'Meta' strategy.
Gamers and high functioning autists dissected the tactics, creating tutorials on the 'blender' strategy and applying it to complex multiplayer RPGs and strategy games. Cementing Ash's philosophy as the most ruthless, efficient path to power. The Brood mother palm became this sect's symbol.
The Gutter Nest was no longer just a hidden base; it was now the secret nexus of a global pop-culture earthquake. I stood with the full, heavy presence of Level 30 power, but the world's reaction was proving to be a force even less predictable than Orgone. I waved my hand "I got bigger fish to fry." I found a quite alcove by the bone white anvil adjacent the forge area, and opened my Beast Master path menu.
Doctor Syn watched me from her own corner of the forge where she had set up her own lab. She watched with keen interest as I accessed the deeper layers of the Beast Master skill tree, intent on enhancing my control and intelligence gathering.
I started by purchasing the skill that offered an immediate, absolute solution to potential internal conflicts—a terrifying necessity when commanding volatile assets like Marla or Vespa. Herja chimed in with the notification "Skill Purchased: Psionic Leash Cost:3 Skill Points.16 SP remaining."
A cold, focused power settled in the back of my mind. Both Herja and I now possessed the ability to enforce immediate, non-physical control over a bonded subject (like Marla, Koba, and Vespa) with just mental intent and line of sight. This allows us to instantly subdue a rogue asset—with either pain or pleasure—without having to physically engage them with the Dhakra Rod. It is the ultimate fail-safe for command and control.
Next, I invested in a skill that would allow us to maintain situational awareness even while underground, leveraging the entire team as an integrated surveillance network.
Herja's smokey melodic voice read the system update, "Skill Purchased: Eye of the Beast Cost: 5 SP, 11 SP remaining. My bond with my pets deepened, extending my senses. Both Herja and I gained the ability to instantly toggle between the senses, sight, sound, even sensory input of any bonded asset within a city-wide radius. I now had eyes and ears everywhere my team members were, turning them into perfect, undetectable surveillance tools.
Herja spoke, "Skill Acquisition Confirmed. Psionic Leash and Eye of the Beast protocols integrated. Total Skill Points Remaining: 11 SP. Commander your tactical and control capabilities are significantly enhanced."
I turned my focus to the Brood mother palm skill tree, recognizing that my summoning capabilities needed more complexity and scale to handle the next class of target, and the growing human threat of the U.S military. I navigated to the final branch—the Storage and Expansion Branch—which Herja confirmed was mandatory for the eventual evolution to the Evil Eye Palm.
Herja read out the skill description, "Bio link Nexus, a multi-summon control skill. Command up to three different creature types in battle."
I committed the first four points to radically increase my battlefield control.
"Skill Purchased: Bio link Nexus Cost: 4 SP."
A complex web of psychic nodes instantly integrated into my grey matter. I could now enforce the simultaneous control of three different summon types in battle! This means I could now field a defensive unit like Atlas, an area-controlled swarm like Scorponoks, or kinetic scuttle bugs and a dedicated heavy hitter like the Scythe Dragon or any combination of my new creature types including the lunar beast all at once, multiplying my tactical options tenfold.
The next skill I purchased was ''Mass Production'' for 4 SP. I needed to push up the sheer scale of my expendable forces.
''Skill Purchased''
The foundational capacity of the Palm surged. The maximum number of Level 1 units I could summon at once, such as the basic Scuttle Bugs or the Blaze Sting Scorponoks, doubled from 10 to 20 units. This guaranteed my swarm tactics would overwhelm even larger, higher-HP mobs.
Herja's soft girlish voice delivered the system message, "Skill Allocation Complete. Bio link Nexus and Mass Production are integrated. Commander Ash your summoning complexity and capacity are now fully tier-aligned for Level 30. 3 SP remaining."
I looked at my stat pool next, I had 11 AP to invest into one stat pool, while my Orgone and HP- Pools grew spontaneously with each level gained. I chose to invest once again into the resistance stat. For a new total of 106.
Affinity Caster Type
Level 30/9999.
Health Points 56,700
Orgone 23,300
Strength 8
Agility 18
Intelligence 27
Stamina 9
Attack Speed 135
Defense 120
Accuracy 250
Resistance 106
"Estimated Battle Power 55,500."
I wanted to try out one of my new skills immediately. I closed my physical eyes, shutting out the green glow of the Gutter Nest. With my psychic power fully enhanced by 27 INT and my control protocols finalized, I initiated the newly acquired 'Eye of the Beast' skill. The ability to peer through the senses of my bonded subjects was now mine.
I extended a focused wisp of intent, not toward my immediate team, but reaching out across the immense distance to my most strategically placed asset: Vespa Nox, the leader of the Shadow Fang Clan. She was technically a bonded subject through the ambush training session, making her a perfect, high-level intelligence node. The world shattered into a sudden, jarring sensory shift. The cool, damp air of the Gutter Nest vanished, replaced by a sudden influx of stimuli—the rich, heady scent of exotic incense and polished wood, and the faint, high-pitched thrum of deep Orgone flow. I saw through Vespa Nox's eyes. She was in her private Clan Master's quarters atop the Shadow Fang Pagoda. The room was sumptuous, dimly lit, and paneled with obsidian wood, giving it an austere, powerful atmosphere. She was not alone. Vespa Nox was perched on a raised, cushioned throne, her lean, regal figure clad in the complex, dark armor befitting a Clan Master. Her head was tilted, listening intently to the figure standing before her. Standing at attention, slightly bowed, was a tall, heavily armored figure who radiated an intense, focused loyalty. This was clearly one of her most trusted lieutenants. The lieutenant was showing Vespa something on a large, holographic display hovering between them. The display, sharp and detailed, showed a three-dimensional map of the global conflict.
The map was currently centered on Arizona, marked by a huge, flashing red and white quarantine zone. Overlaying the map were news clips—the very same viral footage of the Tiger-Striped Girl and the Ghost Cavalry's dramatic assault and escape from Phoenix. Vespa Nox's voice, which I heard internally through the auditory link of the skill, was cool and analytical, tinged with a predatory amusement.
"Herja was efficient. Truly ruthless. Her control over the Beast Zone fauna is unprecedented. They're calling her the 'Tiger-Striped Girl' and the 'Commander.'" Vespa tapped the holographic image of the collapsing airport hangar with a long, armored finger. "A Fast Travel Portal. Precise, complex energy management. This is not instinctual. She has sophisticated support." Vespa trailed off momentarily remembering her encounter with Felicity. She turned her attention back on the holo-display.
Her eyes, sharp and calculating, fixed on the holographic image of the newly formed, expanding Beast Zones in Phoenix. "The military lockdown is foolish. It merely seals in the Orgone surge. The 'Tiger-Striped Girl' has accelerated the entire timeline of the conflict. The surface world is now a hotbed of rapidly evolving genome beasts."
The lieutenant finally spoke, their voice a low, gravelly rumble. "Mistress, their are rumors of an ancient earth dragon circulating again."
Vespa Nox let out a soft, amused scoff. "That old tale again? Some forgotten earth wyrm is the least of our concerns; the world is now aware of Beast kin. Initiate Phase Delta. Increase surveillance on the American East Coast.
"As for Herja" Vespa paused, her face flushing shades of red, from the memory of her being trained by Herja.
I could feel Vespa Nox's obedience node at the base of her brainstem, her emotions at the memory of our training session together brought about a storm of dueling emotions, anger mixed with desire.
"We avoid Herja and the Gutter Nest, for now. She is accelerating the growth of primal ancient energies, a useful tool, until she becomes a threat."
The vision flickered, and I pulled back, the psychic connection releasing. I was back in the cool silence of the Gutter Nest, the echoes of her voice and the sight of the global map lingering in my mind. Vespa Nox was aware of everything. She was monitoring my every move, viewing my viral fame with calculated interest, and, most importantly, moving forward with a mysterious 'Phase Delta' that directly related to the escalating Lunar conflict. My actions had not only drawn the military's attention but had initiated a covert maneuver by the powerful Shadow Fang Clan.
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