LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

In the dense, dark jungle, a community of Wild Blast Apes thrived, hidden deep within the twisted vines and thick foliage.

Their nests were woven from branches and leaves, expertly crafted high in the trees to protect their young from the dangers that lurked below.

In the second nest, where the canopy of trees was thickest, the young apes played in relative safety, unaware of the silent predator lurking in the shadows, watching them with cold, calculating eyes.

Lyerin had been observing the nest for hours, his body slathered in thick, black mud.

It wasn't the common brown mud that most would use for camouflage; this was different.

This mud was rare, harder to find, and had a texture and color that allowed him to blend seamlessly into the darkness of the jungle.

Among the group of rowdy ape children, there was one that caught his attention. It was slightly larger than the others, its fur a deep shade of gray, with a faint aura of magic shimmering around it.

Lyerin's eyes narrowed as he watched the creature play, its hands clumsily rolling a magical seed between its fingers.

The seed glowed faintly, and Lyerin recognized its significance immediately.

This was no ordinary youngling—it was on the verge of becoming a teenage Blast Ape. That seed, the very one it clutched so carelessly, was the key to his plan.

The Blast Apes were infamous for their ability to generate explosive seeds, each one packed with raw, volatile mana that could be deadly in the right—or wrong—hands.

To anyone else, this young ape was just another wild creature, but to Lyerin, it was a potential weapon.

A single seed could be used for any number of destructive purposes, and Lyerin had no intention of letting it go to waste.

He crouched low, his muscles coiled like a spring, ready to pounce. He watched the young ape closely, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. His heart beat steadily in his chest, but he made sure his breathing calm and controlled.

Patience was key.

The wild apes might have been simple beasts, but their senses were sharp, and any wrong move could alert the entire community.

Lyerin had no intention of facing a horde of angry Blast Apes.

The young Blast Ape was distracted, rubbing its belly with one hand while still fiddling with the magical seed in the other.

It looked around, its bright eyes darting left and right, searching for food. Though it had eaten earlier, it was still ravenous, its growing body demanding more nourishment. But there was no food left in the nest. The elder apes had long since departed to hunt, leaving the younglings to fend for themselves for a while.

Just as the young Blast Ape was about to give up its search for food, something fluttered in front of its face.

"Ungh?"

The ape blinked in surprise and tilted it's head slightly, its eyes focusing on the object hovering just out of reach. It was a piece of meat—raw, dripping with blood, and almost identical to the flesh it had devoured earlier.

The ape's stomach growled in response, and it reached out instinctively, its fingers grasping for the tantalizing morsel.

"Ngawrr!!"

But the meat moved, jerking back just out of reach.

Tussle! Tussle!

The young ape paused, sniffing the air cautiously. There was something strange about this, something that didn't quite feel right. But the scent of the meat was too tempting, too familiar. Hunger clouded the ape's mind, making it reckless. It glanced around, making sure none of the other younglings had noticed the food. When it was satisfied that no one would steal its prize, it lunged forward again.

The meat moved once more, retreating into the bushes.

The young Blast Ape hesitated, but hunger drove it forward, its instincts telling it to follow. Until, the meat disappeared into the thick foliage, and the ape crouched low, cautiously creeping after it. Every step brought it deeper into the underbrush, further away from the safety of the nest.

The other young apes continued to play, oblivious to their companion's departure.

Finally, the piece of meat disappeared into a dense patch of bushes.

The young ape hesitated at the edge, peering into the darkness. Something inside its mind told it to turn back, to return to the safety of the nest. But hunger overrode caution. It pushed its way through the bushes, its eyes scanning the ground for any sign of the meat.

Before it could react, something moved in the shadows.

Rustle! Rustle!

A figure, cloaked in mud and darkness, lunged forward with lightning speed.

The young Blast Ape let out a startled cry, but in that instant, Lyerin's hand came down in a swift, powerful chop to the back of its neck.

Swoosh! Cluck!

The impact was precise, enough to knock the creature out cold without causing unnecessary harm. The young ape's body went limp, collapsing in Lyerin's arms as its consciousness faded.

Lyerin stood over the unconscious ape, he noticed that his breathing was still steady, fortunately, his heart rate barely elevated despite the swift, brutal attack. He had no need for weapons—his own body was enough.

The apes were wild and dangerous, but even they had their vulnerabilities, and Lyerin had learned exactly how to exploit them.

He knelt down beside the unconscious ape, his fingers carefully brushing aside its fur to reveal the magical seed clutched tightly in its hand.

The seed pulsed faintly with energy, a warm glow that seemed to respond to his touch. Lyerin's eyes gleamed with satisfaction.

This was what he had been searching for—the key to unlocking the destructive potential of the Blast Apes.

With a quick, nonchalant motion, Lyerin gently pried the seed from the creature's fingers. It was small, no larger than a marble, but it radiated an immense amount of power. Lyerin held it up to the light, studying it closely.

The mana within the seed was volatile, unstable, but that was exactly what made it so valuable. In the right hands, this tiny seed could cause untold destruction.

He slipped the seed into a small pouch at his waist, securing it carefully.

The young ape groaned softly, still unconscious but alive. Lyerin glanced down at it, his expression unreadable. He had no reason to kill the creature—it had served its purpose. Besides, leaving a dead ape would only draw unnecessary attention.

The Blast Apes were fiercely protective of their young, and the last thing Lyerin needed was to have the entire community hunting him down.

Satisfied with his prize, Lyerin stood up and melted back into the shadows. His blackened form blended seamlessly with the darkness, and within moments, he was gone

And his direction, was towards the first nest.