The air in the hunting party was tense, a palpable mix of fear, excitement, and now, a strange, drum-induced focus. Leo, adorned with his Braid of Allure and the new Bracers of the Pack Leader, stood at the front of the group. He felt the latent strength in his arms, a welcome change from his formerly soft, modern physique.
Chief Boru walked beside him, his expression a granite mask of disapproval. "The hunt is not a game for shamans, Leo. The mammoth does not care for your chants."
"Perhaps not," Leo replied, his voice dripping with false humility. "But the spirits care for the courage of men. And they will guide my spear true today."
'Or, you know, these magic bracers will,' he added mentally.
They had tracked the great beast for hours, following its trail of trampled foliage and enormous droppings. Finally, they found it at the edge of a clearing—a colossal woolly mammoth, a walking mountain of fur and tusk, tearing leaves from a tall tree.
A wave of primal fear washed over the hunters. They gripped their spears, their knuckles white. Boru began to bark orders, planning a traditional flanking maneuver.
But Leo had a different plan. A conquest plan.
"Wait!" Leo commanded, his voice amplified by his newfound authority. "The spirits show me a different path. A path of direct confrontation!"
Boru stared at him in disbelief. "That is madness! It will charge!"
"That is the point!" Leo declared, raising his drum. He began to beat it, the Thump-thump-ta-thump rhythm syncing with the pounding hearts of the hunters. The Drum of Minor Inspiration worked its magic, turning their fear into a fever-pitch readiness. "We will not flank it! We will make it charge me! And when it does, your spears will find its heart!"
It was a ridiculously dangerous, egotistical plan. But wrapped in the language of the spirits and delivered with the force of Leo's charisma and the drum's effect, it sounded like divine strategy.
"Leo, no!" Lana cried out, her mark seeming to burn on her arm with worry.
"Trust the shaman!" Rana shouted, her faith absolute.
Leo ignored them all. He stepped into the clearing, alone. He put away the drum and hefted a heavy spear, the Bracers making it feel light and sure in his grip.
"HEY! YOU OVERGROWN HAIRBALL!" he screamed at the mammoth.
The beast stopped its chewing. Its small, intelligent eyes focused on the tiny, shouting creature. It let out a ground-shaking trumpet of rage, lowered its head, and charged.
Time seemed to slow down. Leo's heart hammered against his ribs, a mix of terror and exhilaration. "This is either the coolest or the absolute dumbest thing I've ever done. Probably both."
The thundering footsteps grew closer. He could smell the beast's musky odor. At the last possible second, as the massive tusks were about to skewer him, he dove to the side with an agility the bracers granted him. The mammoth thundered past, its momentum carrying it forward.
"NOW!" Leo roared from the ground.
It was the signal the inspired hunters were waiting for. A volley of spears flew through the air, finding their mark in the beast's exposed flank and shoulder. The mammoth bellowed in pain and surprise, stumbling. Boru, seizing the moment despite his anger, lunged forward and drove his own spear deep into the creature's neck with a guttural roar.
The fight was brutal and short. The mammoth, mortally wounded, crashed to the ground with a final, earth-shaking thud.
Silence descended for a moment, broken only by the heavy panting of the hunters. Then, a cheer erupted, loud and triumphant. They had done it. They had taken down a mammoth with a single, audacious charge.
The hunters swarmed Leo, lifting him onto their shoulders. They chanted his name. "LEO! LEO! LEO!"
He was no longer just the shaman; he was the hero of the hunt.
[Conquest Achieved: Lead the Hunting Party to a Major Kill!]
[Gacha Points Awarded: 100!]
[New Title Unlocked: 'Hunter-Shaper' - Greatly increases credibility when giving commands related to hunting or combat.]
[Tribal Authority has skyrocketed! Your influence now rivals the Chieftain's.]
As they carried him, Leo looked over their heads and locked eyes with Chief Boru. The chief stood by the dead mammoth, his own spear still buried in its flesh. There was no celebration on his face. Only a cold, hard understanding. The challenge had been issued, and Leo had won. The tribe's loyalty had shifted irrevocably.
Later, as the tribe began the arduous task of butchering the colossal beast, Leo found a quiet moment to check his spoils. 180 Gacha Points. A king's ransom.
He spun the wheel twice. The first spin landed on a shimmering, silvery cloak.
[Item Acquired: 'Cloak of the Alpha']
[Effect: When worn, passively projects an aura of dominance and leadership. Weak-willed individuals are more likely to defer to your authority.]
The second spin produced a small, wicked-looking dagger made of a black, glass-like stone.
[Item Acquired: 'Ritual Dagger of Subtle Malediction']
[Effect: Does not cause physical harm. When used in a 'ritual,' it can subtly curse a single target with bad luck, paranoia, or minor illness for a short duration.]
Leo threw the silvery cloak over his shoulders and felt its power immediately. Tribespeople who glanced his way quickly averted their eyes, not out of fear, but out of respect. He tucked the dagger into his belt.
"A dominance aura and a curse dagger," he thought, a slow, sinister smile spreading across his face as he watched Boru directing the butchering with a grim face. "Well, well. It seems the system is giving me all the tools I need for a hostile takeover.".