The Last Primal

Looking through Roas' updated character sheet, Aiden was surprised by the number of changes his first minion underwent.  For one, his new race, the new form that was phrased quite similar to Glohn's, just with orcish roots was now considered a Tier 3, instead of Tier 2, although he was still not quite sure of what the different Tier's would have meant.

For example, his most iconic and most commonly used form, the 'mighty' Ancient Dragon, which by now was considered one with his own Primal one, was considered 'only' a Tier 3. Unfortunately, there was no way for him to get any details about this, at least for the time being.

Shaking his head at this, he continued on. What was surprising, is that Roas' class, his role was also updated, now stating him as 'Guard' instead of the Shaman which he originally was. This, once again, was something that he would have really liked to understand, but, just as before, the system did not provide any additional information about them. Although this was kinda annoying, at least, this time, Aiden could make a vague guess about what it could be.

When he first 'converted' Roas, and made him a minion, he retained most of his origins. His race wasn't altered, he hasn't received Aiden's or the system's much higher-ranked Soul Power to rewrite his very core. Although he was faithful and devoted to his new master, it was mostly because of the hope he himself represented. The promise of revenge was what pulled Roas out from the pit of despair he has fallen in.

However, after being upgraded and his core had been rewritten and he got his Primal Seed of Energy, Roas was now a different person. He was no longer an orc, he had primal essence coursing inside him, their ancient power and unique energy has altered his source.

To prove this point, he, just like Glohn, had a new skill inherited from their master. They both had the Primal Absorb, albeit seemingly restricted to level 1, at least for now.

Focusing on it, the description that came up, also added more weight to this theory.

[Primal Absorb: Basic - A skill unique to a mysterious ancient and forgotten race. Absorb the life essence of a defeated opponent and merge it to the user's own core. Being inherited, the synthesis of new life forms is not available. Additionally, the opponent cannot be of a higher Tier than the user. Skill Proficiency: Basic | Usage Limit: Once every 24 Hours. Warning: Extremely high energy usage!]

While the basis of the skill was similar to his own, there were several differences that clearly set it apart. Based on the wording of the description alone, it seems that this was an inherited skill something his two servants got, due to the fact that they were now considered Primals in some way. Not like him, that was born as one, but as ones that received his heritage. Also, there were some restrictions and a new term that Aiden hadn't seen before, the Skill Proficiency.

The warning was also a significant reminder that the skill should only be used sparsely, and only when they were sure that there was no chance for a trap or ambush happening.

'Hmm… I really want to see the differences…' Thinking about testing it out, Aiden sent out several energy pulses using the [Dark Sense] ability, just to make sure that at least for now, they would be safe.

Seeing that they should be okay for now, Aiden looked at the still intact dead body of the orc archer that they killed at the start of the battle.

"[Orc] Roas, use your newly acquired Primal Absorb skill on that archer's body. I want to see what effects will it have. Be careful, as it will have a high energy requirement."

Roas, gave a silent nod, affirming the order, and whilst keeping the unconscious prince on his shoulder he walked towards the body.

"Wait, put that idiot down, I will keep watch while you do your thing. We do not know what changes it might have on you after all…" Aiden warned him, taking over his 'friend' and put him on the ground next to him.

Without hesitation, Roas touched the now bare torso of the deceased body. The mail chest plate he was wearing when he was still 'active' had already broken apart during the repeated explosions that occurred in quick succession. It was already a wonder how the body was still intact.

As his large palm touched the orc's dark brown, thick skin, Roas closed his eyes, and activated the skill his master ordered him to do so. After evolving the system also implanted to his subconscious all the necessary knowledge about the newly acquired skills and abilities, making both him and all the other minions instinctively aware of them.

As his skill activated, the Primal Seed, the Primal Core deep within his own core began to churn, pumping out massive amounts of his currently very limited pool of [Soul Power]. The previously 100 points he had, was rapidly decreasing, going all the way down to 0 in a second.

This put a significant strain on Roas's mind, causing him to feel fatigued. He was suddenly drained, his mind got enervated. Still, he wasn't going to pull back, he had a task to do, his young master was counting on him. This was a simple task, he couldn't fail, or he wouldn't be able to face the master anymore.

He gritted his teeth, using his willpower to stay awake, and push the weariness away forcefully. Just as he did, and regained his vigor momentarily, greenish-colored particles began to shine around the contacted part of the dead orc's skin, beginning to converge towards Roas's large connecting palm and seep into his body.

As this strange, vibrant energy entered into his own, Roas felt his body and for a small portion, his mind being reinforced. He felt his muscles contort, pulse. He felt a refreshing warmth in his mind, easing up on the pain due to the strain he exerted just a little bit.

At the same time, the dead body was being rapidly drained, leaving behind only a drained-up husk. It was like the body aged several years in a few moments, turning into a decrepit skeleton under the thick skin it had. The meat and body musculature, organs all vanished, sucked up by Roas' absorb skill.

The skill, its effects, and by the looks of the new notifications Aiden just received, its results were much, much different than his own.

[Minion: Roas used [Primal Absorb: Basic].

Energy Used: 100

Results: +2 Might, +1 Agility, +1 Spirit.

The skill [Martial Art (Lvl 1)]] has been created!]

The gains were incredible, he gained not just an increase on his primary attributes, he also received a new skill!  Just to make sure, he checked the skill on Roas's character sheet again, only to see that now, it was greyed and it had a count down on it, confirming that the once a day usage limit was in fact, real and that the countdown started from after the skill was used.

There were two new skills Roas had, and while there would be no point in using them for now, at the very least, Aiden wanted to understand what they could be used for.

[Primal Orc Heritage - Passive. The user is a member of a unique and mysterious race that was once connected to an extinct, ancient race. Unlike normal orcs, a Primal Orc, has a natural dominance over them, they would instinctively treat the holder of the skill as being of higher standing. Orcs would no longer be hostile and would treat you with an instinctive fear and respect.]

[Aura of the Orc Lord - An aura of power related to the true lords, leaders of the Orc race. In itself, it would grant control over most lower-ranked orcs, but when combined with the Primal Orc Heritage, it grants full control over even higher ranking members of most tribes. The only exemption is the tribes with an active connection to a higher tiered existence than the skill holder him- or herself.]

Aiden was astonished when he read through the descriptions of these two new skills. These two skills by themselves would cause almost an entire race in the world to submit to him, by proxy of his servant. It was incredibly powerful, and he was certain it would have many uses in the future…

There were two new effects on Roas that would be needed to be checked, however, Aiden couldn't wait any longer, there were quite a few notifications that were still not read by him. Not to mention that they could provide a much-needed explanation to the newly felt brimming power in him, it would most likely contain many interesting updates as well.

With expectant eyes, he closed up Roas's character sheet and navigated out from the Minion Management menu back to the main section of the System's interface. His eyes wandered toward the bottom right corner of his vision...