Chapter 114 One More To The Cult Bandwagon

"So about the housing. Do any of you have any experience building?" Lucius asked once Pagan was gone, to which all the large shrooms raised their hands.

"Perfect, we'll be making a few sleeping quarters close by here. Are there any specific requirements you need to start work? Wood, vines, stone perhaps?" Lucius asked.

One of the shrooms raised its hands, looking left and right as if expecting to be attacked.

"Yes, you," Lucius said, pointing to the shroom.

"We have partaken of the shri'killian, just like you Lighted One. We have the ability to morph the vegetation," the shroom explained.

~Morph the vegetation?~ Lucius thought to himself, before asking the shroom to show him.

The chieftain stood up, and walked next to a nearby shrub, before holding his hands out. After a bit of mental strain, one of the leaves on the shrub began extending until it touched the ground.

"Interesting, and all of you can do this?" Lucius asked, looking at the larger shrooms which he guessed were the chieftains. The group of large shrooms all nodded their heads.

"Hmm, you seven will join the Fabrication and Creation Department. I award all of you the rank of constructor grade-D," Lucius announced, hoping that he would remember all the ranks he was giving out.

N0 v el Next. CoM

The chieftains looked confused at this announcement.

"It is a position of importance," Asclepius explained, realizing that her people didn't know of any other ranks apart from elder and chieftain.

"Can you guys morph wood?" Lucius asked once the confusion was cleared.

"Surely you jest, Lighted One," one of the shrooms replied, before instantly covering its mouth.

"You may speak freely, and enough of this Lighted One nonsense. You can call me Lucius, or what was it... elder?" Lucius announced, before falling into silent thought.

"So what else can you morph, because leaves aren't going to make a good enough shelter for you guys to stay in," he said finally.

"We can collect materials from our old lands," one of the shrooms suggested.

~Mushrooms, huh? I guess it will have to do for now,~ he thought to himself.

Nove l B(in).C OM

"How many of you will it take to bring the materials over here?" he asked after, realizing that it was getting dark.

"To create housing of our own? A hundred at least," one of the chieftains replied.

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Lucius made a mental note of the chieftain that kept replying, making sure to manipulate first.

"Okay, this is what we'll do. You guys will divide yourselves into 8 groups," Lucius announced, he estimated that there would be around 50 in each group. He was doing this to weaken any resistance they may be able to form and make it easier to manage them.

"You six will come with me, you will live in a separate area from the others," he added. He wasn't going to allow their leader figures to stay in the same area as the rest of them.

The chieftains, walked towards Lucius, before genuflecting right in front of him, while the others began buzzing around looking for groups to join. After around 20 minutes of moving around, 8 distinct groups stood in front of him.

"Okay, you two groups go get the required materials," he announced once everyone had settled down, pointing at the two groups closest to him.

"Once you come back, you'll have your meals and get to work," he said after.

~Though this will probably burn through all our reserves,~ he realized.

"Aren't you scared that they might just run away?" Asclepius whispered as the two groups marched towards the clan lands.

"I thought you guys said they came here of their own coalition? Are you telling me that these are all just captives?" Lucius asked. He had suspected that Pagan may have traumatized them by killing a few of their forces, but in the end, he thought that they came here because they were being offered food and security.

Asclepius looked to the side and shrugged, "I don't know what to say," she whispered after.

"Stop," Lucius sighed.

"Listen, I offer you food and security, in exchange all I ask of you is your help and trust. I can give you rewards beyond your imagination, but only if I deem that you are trustworthy enough," he announced, though this did not invoke any sort of reaction from the shrooms.

It seemed that their trauma blinded them from any possible rewards that could be given to them.

"Pagan has the ability to track down any creature he has seen before. That means if you run away he will be able to find you," Lucius said after, realizing that this was perhaps the only way.

And he was right, to that, the shrooms tensed up, and it was clear that any hopes of escape had been squandered.

~I'm never sending Pagan out on a relations mission again,~ he thought to himself, before looking at what seemed like an injured shroom.

***

~So this is the Lighted One?~ shroom A thought in awe. A creature more powerful than the monster, but a lot more logical.

In fact, although both creatures had the same powers, shroom A could feel that the Lighted One's powers were less malicious.

It listened on as the Lighted One spoke, noting down the complete control he seemed to have over the monster. Though it had been a bit skeptical at first, after the Lighted One banished the monster, it knew that it was safe here.

It began to move forward, slipping past the many shrooms who were listening on as it tried to get a better view.

Once it finally reached the front lines, the Lighted One was asking for those who could build. Shroom A nearly raised its hand, naturally trying to be of use, but quickly realized that lying could get it on the Lighted One's wrong side so dropped it immediately after.

~What is wrong with me?~ it thought to itself. How could it be so entranced by a creature it had just met?

Was it because of what it had seen earlier? Was it doing this merely because this Lighted One seemed like the only force that could save from being hunted down and killed by the monster?

~No...~ Shroom A told itself, staring at the Lighted One. It had never seen a creature so beautiful before. Deep black eyes, that seemed to be filled with infinite knowledge, a sort of glowing radiance that seemed to dip into infinite power. And above all, a calmed calculated demeanor, one that signified his strength as an elder.

Shroom A knew that the life it had been living up till this point had been bland, mediocre at best. Eat, sleep, hunt, that was all they ever did.

The lucky few who could get the shri'killian had the chance to do something greater, but they all squandered it living bleak lives like the rest of the shrooms.

~Perhaps this really is the Shri'killian,~ shroom A thought, moving closer towards the Lighted One.

"Is something wrong?" the Lighted One asked, looking straight at it. .