Ch 70 - The Vanguard of the Tribe

How long had Jester actually been bringing the Bullkin to this forest area now?

Seriously, time seemed to move incredibly fast inside the game, and after checking the date, he realized that exactly one month of in-game time had passed since the day he defeated Goruk.

Had it really been that long?

He had spent most of that time inside the game. Outside the game, he was still getting by with the money he had, so his days were simple. He took care of the house, cooked, cleaned, and made sure to go for a morning run and work out with Zetia every single day afterward.

It really was a healthy lifestyle.

Yeah, he smiled to himself as the thought crossed his mind.

The massive wooden gates of the Bullkin's settlement slowly creaked open. A moment later, two Bullkin hurried out to greet them.

"High Chief! The High Chief has returned!"

"Open the way! Welcome the High Chief!"

Jester climbed down from Fang, with Lucia following right behind him.

He activated the Harvest Mask before shifting into his High Bullkin form. His body rapidly expanded, muscles thickening as he grew several times larger. Within moments, he stood like a towering giant, his eyes now looking down from a far greater height. Lucia suddenly seemed so much smaller as the distance between their gazes increased.

He lowered one enormous hand toward her, and the girl smiled before lightly jumping onto his palm. Jester carefully lifted her up and settled her onto his left shoulder, where a broad plate of armor formed a secure platform for her to sit comfortably.

The Bullkin standing nearby immediately lowered their heads in respect, while several others rushed deeper into the settlement to spread the news.

"The High Chief has returned!"

"Everyone, gather at once! Prepare to receive the High Chief!"

Jester took a step forward, and a heavy impact shook the ground beneath his feet.

He was still not completely used to moving around in this massive form. Honestly, using his normal form would have been perfectly fine, but for some reason, whenever he stood among the towering Bullkin, he felt far more comfortable being the same size as them.

He continued through the open gates, and before long, Goruk was already walking toward him. Around them, dozens of Bullkin gathered, and one after another, they dropped to one knee as a sign of respect.

"Welcome home, High Chief!"

Jester raised a hand, gesturing for them to stand.

"You can all get up."

The Bullkin obeyed without hesitation.

"I can see you've built yourselves a very comfortable settlement here. This place has progressed much further than I expected."

Goruk placed a fist against his chest. "High Chief, we have learned many things during these past weeks. We built our own homes, strengthened the settlement's defenses, hunted the beasts surrounding these lands, and trained every single day."

"Our hunters have become more disciplined, our warriors have grown stronger, and our younger tribesmen are learning much faster than before."

"The monsters roaming these forests possess much higher levels than those from our former territory. Because of that, every battle has become an opportunity to grow stronger. Although many have been injured, none have retreated from the challenge."

"Our craftsmen have also improved. We now create sturdier weapons, stronger armor, and better tools using materials gathered from the forest. Even our food stores continue to increase every day."

"The tribe has never grown this quickly before."

Jester nodded with interest.

"I see."

The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

His gaze slowly swept across the gathered Bullkin.

"Show me those who have experienced the greatest growth during the past month."

"At once, High Chief."

Goruk stepped aside.

Soon, around fifteen Bullkin walked forward before forming neat lines.

Although they had not yet reached the High Bullkin stage like Jester and Goruk, every one of them looked noticeably different from before. Their physiques had become larger and sturdier, muscles bulged beneath their rough skin. More importantly, the confidence burning in their eyes was completely different from when Jester had first met them.

Just as Jester examined them one by one, a familiar notification suddenly appeared before his eyes.

[Goruk has significantly accelerated the growth of the Bullkin Tribe.]

[Under your subordinate's leadership, the tribe has developed at an exceptional pace.]

[15 Bullkin have met the requirements for Evolution.]

[As your Authority expands, the influence of the Authority of Chaos has grown stronger.]

[New Effects Unlocked: Greater authority over evolved Bullkin units. Increased loyalty from all tribe members. Increased growth and evolution speed for all tribe members under your authority. Leadership achievements are now converted into Authority Progress.]

[Chaos Cost: 25 Chaos per Bullkin Evolution.]

Jester stared at the system messages, and honestly, they sounded incredibly satisfying.

He could evolve all fifteen Bullkin at once.

Even better, the Chaos cost was surprisingly low. Only twenty-five Chaos per evolution. That was almost nothing.

Well... it looked cheap at first. If he evolved all fifteen of them at once, the total cost would still be a few hundred Chaos.

Even so, during the past month, his Chaos reserves had grown by a significant amount.

[Jester Lv. 57 - Evil Clown]

[HP: 2,087 | Mana: 632]

[Strength: 53 | Agility: 64 | Magic: 79 | Constitution: 176 | Stamina: 87]

[Luck: 20]

[Available Stats: 190]

[Weight: 145 / 318]

[Chaos: 1,455]

Spending only a fraction of that to strengthen every Bullkin standing before him would hardly make a dent in his reserves.

And this was after only one month. What would happen if they were allowed to continue growing and surviving in this forest for another few months?

At this rate, it would not take long before every Bullkin evolved into a higher rank. Once the entire tribe reached the High Bullkin stage, they would be more than strong enough for Jester to begin bringing them to Necroton.

Of course, their size would become a problem. Every High Bullkin stood at around three to four meters tall, making them easily two or even three times the height of an average human.

Just imagining dozens, or eventually hundreds, of giants walking through the city made him realize something.

He would have to start planning for it now.

If Necroton was going to become a city that welcomed every race under his authority, then it would need districts, roads, gates, and buildings designed for residents far larger than humans.

It was another expense to consider. But it was also a problem Jester was more than happy to have.

Jester swept his gaze across the fifteen Bullkin standing before him before speaking in a firm voice.

"You have all proven yourselves."

"For the past month, you have worked tirelessly. You built this settlement with your own hands, protected your tribe, faced powerful monsters without fear, and continued growing stronger through every battle."

"My expectations were not wrong."

"You have shown that the Bullkin Tribe is capable of becoming far greater than anyone could have imagined."

"So your efforts deserve to be rewarded."

He slowly swept his gaze across every Bullkin present.

"Today, the fifteen of you who have distinguished yourselves will receive a reward unlike any other."

"This is not only a reward for your hard work, but also a message to every member of the tribe."

"Strength is earned. Those who dedicate themselves to the tribe, continue growing, and never stop challenging themselves will all have the opportunity to stand where you are today."

"You will become the vanguard of the Bullkin Tribe."

"You will lead your tribe into every future battle."

"And today. I grant each of you the Evolution you have earned."

For a brief moment, silence filled the settlement.

Then...

"OOOOOOOOHHHHHHHH!!"

"LONG LIVE THE HIGH CHIEF!"

"The tribe grows stronger!"

[375 Chaos Consumed.]

[Evolution Initiated. 15 Bullkin have begun evolving into High Bullkin.]

[Estimated Completion Time: Immediate.]

Golden light erupted around the fifteen Bullkin.

They instinctively stepped backward, raising their arms as the energy wrapped around their massive bodies.

Their bulky frames gradually became more refined. At first glance, they appeared to lose some of their sheer size, but the opposite was true. Their muscles had simply become denser, harder, and far more efficient, giving them a lean yet overwhelmingly powerful physique.

Their posture straightened, their movements became noticeably lighter, and an intimidating aura naturally spread from each of them.

The most striking change, however, was their horns. The once rough, dark horns slowly transformed into polished gold, gleaming brilliantly beneath the sunlight like symbols of warriors who had earned the tribe's recognition.

Well, that had turned out to be quite the reward. Simply by coming here today, Jester had evolved fifteen Bullkin in one go.

However, the evolution process did not end there. As the golden light continued to surround the newly evolved Bullkin, several more system notifications suddenly appeared before him.

[Several High Bullkin have exceeded the expected growth threshold.]

[Secondary Evolution unlocked.]

[3 High Bullkin have met the requirements to unlock: Humanoid Form.]

[Humanoid Form allows the user to freely transform between their original Bullkin body and a humanoid Bullkin body while retaining all racial abilities and physical attributes.]

[Humanoid Form retains the Bullkin's signature horns and enhanced physique while adopting a human-like appearance.]

"Oh... now that's interesting."

Did this apply to every High Bullkin?

[Eligible Targets: 3/16 High Bullkin.]

[Additional Chaos Required: 55 per Bullkin.]

Only three.

It seemed this wasn't something every High Bullkin could unlock immediately. Only those with enough growth potential had met the requirements, while the others would need more time before reaching the same stage.