Kien’s P.O.V

  …

  The Victory against the scouting army was far too easy, or at least easier than I expected. From what I managed to extrapolate from the prisoners they had never truly fought, these soldiers were more so pompous police officers than a true and blue fighting force used to parades and suppressing discontent. Up against the cold professionalism of the puppets even though they were ‘weaker’ in levels in stats they far outclassed them in elites and tactics. An actually experienced leader would have their army return fire rather than rushing into a shield wall. The prisoners were currently in a cell that I had the geomancer puppet make. They received regular meals but I honestly had no idea what the hell to do with them.

  The response to the loss of the scouting army was drastic but strategic. They had concentrated their populations to areas I suspected to be of some level of importance either spiritual, cultural, or some economic purpose. Their main city to which their whole civilization was built around was some sort of massive temple complex. The other four towns were run by the priestesses, the other none scalefolk species spent almost all their time in forced labor camps in the aforementioned towns harvesting resources before getting sent off to the capital to be turned into finished goods. How had we learned this? The soldiers may have been unhelpful but their servants which we had found at their forward camp were far more talkative. They I had chosen would not be captured though the puppets made it so they were almost always under some level of surveillance so I wasn't too worried about them getting up to shenanigans.

  The ‘species’ besides the scalefolk, were mainly reptile related, there were the Newtkin being semi-bipedal but tended to prefer crawling than standing but were capable of both; they looked kinda derpy but sorta cute at the same time. However their abilities were terrifying, they possessed a racial trait that allowed them to use mana to regrow limbs. Apparently they were the biggest opposition to the scalefolks conquest generations ago.

  The Turtenani are large turtle-like humanoids, they have similar green shells but only in pieces scattered around their body rather than a single large shell. The three that I had freed were all roughly 6’ to 6.5’ft tall and were built like professional powerlifters.

  The Geckonese were once again a vaguely reptilian humanoid species although their appearance leaned closer to werewolf style with some parts like their torso and upper legs being human but their heads, lower legs, forearms and hands were like that of gecko along with a tail.

  The final species was one that we hadn’t rescued any of, although apparently calling a different species wasn’t accurate. More so the Monternoels, where a mix of the other species and exhibited varying levels of the other species traits. Some had newtkin-like regeneration or shell pieces of the Turtenani. According to the freed workers all of the Monternoels that possessed scalefolk traits such as vangs were killed off in a purge once their city fell.

  Since Anastasia was busy having apparently made a small breakthrough with the puppets I had to make the invasion plans myself. My idea was to organize a rebellion in one of the cities and then while the invaders were distracted we would attack, and then rinse and repeat. Finally with access to their resources and outside food supplies I should be able to leverage them to force ban slavery and agree to the independence of the other cities. Then I would leave a detachment of the puppets in each city to prevent them from going to war. All of this hinged on the fact that they were trying to do some ritual to influence Noble.

  Although all that could come later as I am tending to my garden. The [Giant's Blood Mushroom] stopped giving off a lot if its energy but then it started to pull energy. At first I was worried it was going to kill off the other plants, but as certain plant take different minerals the mushroom was taking a type of energy that none of the other plants were using. I tried to tap into the energy but it was both slippery and unduly stubborn and refused to be manipulated.

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  Turning my attention to my other plants I saw some had turned truly magical, they were still extremely weak but it was a start. One was what the system called a [necklace of fluorescent pearls] that were green droopy plants that had small beads that looked like small green pearls. Expect the magical variety gave a soft nourishing light that helped the plants around it. The description stated that it turned regular Mana into sun-affinity Mana which I guess was the magical wave to say it gave off uv light.

  Some others were lily like flowers that were called [Blood Drinking Amaryllis] that long burgundy colored leaves and could make a magical hemotoxin with its strength depending on blood its fed. So I was here literally watering a flower with the blood of my enemies. What has my come too? The other flowers were only really magical in name as they didn't have any actual abilities.

  I was wondering if I should pick up an alchemist class, or would my [Cave Gardener] class evolve into something along those lines.

  I look up as I here commotions from the prisoners and I heard a chant as from the Scalefolk.

  "The Quetzal calls us, Purge the Filth and Enslave the Unworthy!" They chanted over and over again as a seemingly random frenzy seized the soldiers and as I walked over to see what was happening I saw something that shocked me. The Scalefolk where ripping each other to shreds like cheery bloodbath. I stood their frozen unable to truly process what was happening as I was held in some grotesque trance as I watched a scene that made no sense.

  Before I could even piece together what had happened it ended, blood and bodies where laid about in cell the last ones alive where soon drawing towards oblivion. Their bodies had given out from under them and refused their commands and even then it was to late. It was brutal sight. Turning away as the shock gave way and the sight was like acid. I urged the Puppets to cover up the ghastly sight.

  ...

  Somewhere in the Divine Realms

  Unknown P.O.V

  ...

  "So tell me why by the primordials would you have a child in some unintegrated backwater?" I asked the foolish but unfortunately powerful divine in front of me.

  "The Reason is simple sometimes the most beautiful flowers never blooms in a garden but rather in the wild" the goddess responded as cryptical as ever but that was moreso due to the way her native tongue is spoken then an intentional pattern.

  "Sure I can get that but why plant in barren soil, it makes no sense, if you are going to plant wild flowers won't you want them to at least have fertile ground first?" I responded, truth be told we had many such ditrabes upon similar topics. She took a moment to have silence before continuing to speak.

  "Call it a whim of fate, like discarding the bag of seeds into a river to watch it be carried away" she responded, and so it was releveled. She had no great master plan but had done something to amuse herself and was now acting like it was orchestrated with it bearing fruit now.

  "How does your wayward scion flow? If I remember correctly you influenced his father's lineage for sometime while you waited for the system to come" I said remembering what she had already told me. Primarily it was sumed up to her sending an avatar on to the mortal plain and when it reached the end of its power reserves made it have a child that would have a lot records but little to no innate power upon birth.

  "He does well for now, he had a small set back but he is doing quite good for himself overall, though the true proving ground comes when he leaves the system tutorial." She explained flippantly.

  "And when do you intend to replant this wild flower in your garden?" I asked her smirking as I knew her to well to not guess her plans.

  "When he conquers his homeworld and maybe fights off an invasion or two, then I shall pluck him and his world to my area of influence." She replied smirking back at me. She knew that I knew which isn't really a surprise.

  "Although that dammed floozy's also managed to a spawn on that rock, but I guess they can be fertilizers for my dearest wild flower" she said laughing slightly at her own joke. Though I suspected I knew the person she called a floozy and if they had even a measure of love for their child their could be problems. Not for me of course but it would be entertaining to watch.