As a matter of fact there was no counter offer, at least not one that would be able to stand up to the sheer dominance of the way Cole had made his demands. Irma was incensed, no matter which way you looked at it, this was a deal with the devil, there were advantages yes, but ultimately they would sign away their autonomy for a chance at survival, Irma would rather die than have to live the rest of her life beholden to whims of someone with a heart as Dark as Cole.
But for her father it was a whole other matter entirely, the man had lived for far too long on this world to not know what the reality of life really was. Belief, morals, pride… a code? None of those things actually meant shit if you were not alive. None of those things actually meant a thing if you did not have the power to afford such a way of living, because goodness, and pride and morals and a fucking Code is a luxury only afforded to the powerful and the foolish. There was nothing foolish about him, but at the same time he was not so much of a pushover that he could not make demands of his own if this was the level of debasement him and his family will have to come to.
"All of my family! All of them! Not a single person less. Every last one of the Phoenixborn clan will be a part of this deal. You might be powerful enough to kill me, even though at a glance it is quite obvious that I am stronger than you. But your experience and expansive lost of abilities makes you the single most dangerous person I have ever met in my life, even the approaching horde of undead do not scare me as much as you do.
But still! We are an asset, a powerful one as you would immediately have access to troops that can not die, and every time we die we come back that much stronger for it. We're trained mercenaries and militia, with enough of that training to even train a force for you that has never been seen or will ever be seen. But apart from that we're not just soldiers, we're doctors and engineers of the highest order. What we can offer is such that even if you will eventually come to that level of power, you will still never be able to access.
We can not just make you strong, we can make you untouchable. What we can offer, we can build and improve upon, giving you access to technology that this world and yours has never seen before or will ever be able to see unless it is wielded by the members of your own household. So you take all our family members, And we become more than just your subordinates, we become one of yours. A part of this family you are building….please…. I'm desperate."
"For all the bravado behind the words you just spoke you still end up trying to appeal to the goodness in me? Isn't that a little na?ve , after all the high hopes I've had about his you do not have time for bullshit." Cole said to Irma's father chuckling in the process, the man smiled as he shook his head.
"There's nothing to it really, I might be a little naive, but I have an eye for things like this. As eschew as you might be you have Balance, you know when to use compassion and you have a sense of duty and gratitude. You did not have to go out of your way to kill the Dremonai Gate Master for my daughter, you could have just let her pay the sixty percent tax he asked for and there would have absolutely been no sweat off your back.
But you did. Because of the experience you both went through, fighting to survive has created a bond between the both of you. A bond that you want to honor beyond any and all reasonable doubt, of course being the strategist that I am, I would hope that bond would end up with me getting some grandbabies for you two, but you seem like a man that does not care about women, or already have one in his heart from the way you move and act. So there is a better nature in you that I am appealing to, a part of you I believe will understand the plight of a man wanting to keep his family safe." Cole shrugged as he said.
"Family is overrated, you'll get a dagger in your back when you least expect it. Heck you don't even expect and you'll get a dagger in the back for just existing and being successful and growing powerful enough to challenge their control over you and your life. But what do I know, standing here and talking is not doing anything to solve the problem that is right in front of us. I agree with these terms.
The Phoenixborn Clan is welcome under my banner, you all will be my subordinates just as much as you will be my family and my allies. As long as you do not scheme to undermine me and mine, and give everything you have to whatever Cause I follow. I will honor this pact for all eternity, as will my sons and daughters, and their sons and daughters after them, and on and on until the last scion of my line embraces oblivion." As he spoke, Cole felt compelled to act as he pulled out Black Malakai and slit his own wrist and palm.
He held the blade out to Irma's father as the man repeated the same motion, not exactly sure he could reject it after Cole had done so nonchalantly. Cole held is hands out and shook the hand of the Patriarch of the Phoenixborn clan, then he clasped their fingers together so that their slit wrists met with each other as blood began to drip down, quickly shaping up into a massive spell circle.
[An Oath Has Been Freely Given And An Oath Has Been Freely Taken! It's Bounds Will Be Upheld By The System And All Of Reality Till The Ends Of Time.]
[You Have Become Blood Bonded To A Race Of Humanoid Phoenixes! Raen Progenitor Hidden Effect Activated! All Members Of The Phoenixborn Clan Will Experience A Racial Change And Upgrade From Human Phoenix To Phoenixborn Raen Spawn/Soldier And Lords]
[+33 To All Stats! You Have Taken One Step Closer To Ultimate Racial Superiority! Racial Quests Prematurely Unlocked!]
[Racial Quest A-I: Have at Least 100 Members Of Your Race <77/100>/ REWARDS: +1000 to All Stats!, +1 Gold Rank Prism Of The Raen Race]
"Well these gave me some unexpected benefits and I'm sure you guys have gotten some too. What I would say to you though is that whatever you were before, is nothing compared to what you have just become. And I didn't know it was possible for there to be a change like this, but never the less we have to make plans. What do you have in mind to deal with the hordes." Irma's and her Father's head were bowed as Cole was speaking to them.
It was an involuntary reaction on their part, they couldn't help but to react that way when they were literally in front of the forefather, the Progenitor of what they had just become. Apart from the new access to an unrestricted version of the system, and the ability to now go back to a place the Progenitor has designated as 'Home'. Being close to him empowered them, almost as if they were on a drug trip.
Not a single one of the three of them noticed that the skin color of each and every single one of them had changed. While the change wasn't as prevalent as Cole's who's skin was black as night with swirl like tattoos allover. Irma and her Father's took on a red shade with similar swirls, the signature tail that Cole forgets every time that he has, and the horns coming out the forehead that Cole also forgets he has. The person who did notice though was Neral, and the Cyber dog could not help but involuntarily take a few steps backwards in fear.
There was an Aura being generated by the three of them, something had changed, and Cole was not aware of it because he had not received any other notification prompt. But if he should check the description of his Raen Progenitor title, he would definitely be in for a little surprise. But never the less the Cyber dog was rooted in place in horror at what he was currently feeling from all three individuals. If Cole was terrifying before, now he was akin to the term staring at the Abyss, and having it look right back at you.
Cole turned to look at Irma and Her father surprised by the changes, but couldn't stop himself from smiling as they raised their head from their how's, with smiles that showed fangs and eyes, oh their eyes….. it was just as Blazing Gold and Red as his was…..more monsters have just been born.
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