LEVEL EVERYTHING UP in my Eldritch Tribe

Chapter 264: Adaptation

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The soldiers stood in stunned silence, their breaths still coming in shaky gasps as they adjusted to the bizarre sensation of breathing underwater.

The reality of it slowly settled in, a mix of awe and disbelief flickering across their faces.

It was Lucas who broke the silence, his brows furrowed as he looked at Lyerin with a mixture of curiosity and unease.

"So… what exactly is this ability?" he asked, his voice tentative. "You're saying that because we're part of your tribe—at least, temporarily—we can breathe underwater? Just like that?"

Lyerin nodded, his gaze calm and untroubled, as if the ability to breathe underwater were the most natural thing in the world.

"Yes," he said simply. "As long as you are under my leadership, your bodies will adapt to any hazardous environment. It is a natural defense… a gift, if you will."

There was a murmur among the soldiers, the tension in the room growing as his words sank in.

Their eyes flicked to each other, wide with the possibilities.

One soldier in the back, a young man with a scar across his cheek, raised his hand cautiously.

"Any hazardous environment?" he asked, disbelief lacing his words. "Does that mean… we'd be able to survive in a sandstorm? Like, just walk through it without being torn apart?"

Lyerin nodded. "Yes. Your skin would adapt, toughen against the wind and the sand. You would be able to move through it with only minor discomfort."

The soldier let out a low whistle, and several others exchanged shocked glances, their minds racing. Another man spoke up, his voice incredulous.

"What about… toxic fumes? Like from an industrial ruin?"

Lyerin tilted his head thoughtfully. "Yes. Your lungs would adjust to filter out the toxins.

It would feel uncomfortable at first—perhaps a burning sensation in your chest—but after a short time, you would be able to breathe without issue."

The soldiers murmured among themselves, each realization hitting them like a wave.

The quiet excitement rippled through the group, but it was laced with a heavy dose of fear, a creeping realization that this "gift" was far beyond anything they'd known.

Yet the questions came pouring out, a mix of desperation and awe driving them forward.

"What about extreme cold? Like if we were caught in a snowstorm or something worse?"

"Yes," Lyerin replied, his voice steady. "Your body would adapt, retaining heat more efficiently, making you resilient to freezing temperatures. Though it would be painful at first, you would eventually become accustomed to the cold."

The soldiers' eyes were wide, and a ripple of astonished laughter broke out as the reality of it all began to sink in.

Another man, his voice barely concealing a note of disbelief, asked, "What about acid? Like in those acid swamps we've seen?"

"Yes. Your skin would adjust, toughening to withstand the acidic burns. It would hurt initially, but the pain would lessen as your body grew accustomed to the exposure."

The crowd was starting to buzz, their voices overlapping as the questions came faster, each one a mix of morbid curiosity and awe.

"Could we survive in a jungle filled with poisonous plants?"

"Yes."

"Or… what about the bottom of a canyon with toxic gas?"

"Yes."

"What about walking across a desert with no water? Would our bodies adapt?"

"Yes, your endurance would improve, conserving water so that you could last longer without it."

Their voices were rising in pitch, excitement and disbelief blending into a chaotic hum of noise.

Another soldier called out, his eyes gleaming with wild hope, "Can we… can we swim through lava?"

There was a pause. Lyerin raised an eyebrow, then offered a faint, almost amused smile.

"In theory, yes. However, I would not advise simply diving into it. Your body would need time to adjust. For example, if you submerged your hand into the lava, you would feel extreme pain initially.

"But eventually, your skin would begin to adapt, thickening and growing resistant to the heat. Over time, you would be able to endure greater exposure."

A collective gasp rippled through the crowd, a mix of awe and horror etched across their faces.

The idea of touching lava, of willingly enduring the pain in order to adapt—it was both terrifying and exhilarating, like something out of a legend.

One of the younger soldiers, his face pale, stammered, "Wait… you're telling us this is real? That… that we could survive anything just by joining your tribe?"

"Yes," Lyerin replied, his tone calm, unfazed by their astonishment. "That is the essence of this adaptation. It is the perk of being a part of the Stonehooves Tribe."

The soldiers were speechless, their faces a mix of disbelief and wonder. The idea of walking through the deadliest environments known to them, of surviving encounters that would be lethal to anyone else—it was unimaginable.

Another soldier found his voice, asking in a stunned whisper, "But… what if the environment was something… beyond lethal? Could we adapt to radiation?"

Lyerin gave a slight nod. "Given enough exposure, yes. Your body would develop resistance over time, filtering out the radiation to manageable levels."

The soldiers were floored, some visibly trembling as they tried to process what he was saying.

They were stunned into silence, standing there, each one absorbing the weight of Lyerin's words, the terrifying potential of the powers he had granted them.

But then, the question grew louder in their minds, and several more spoke up, their voices tinged with doubt, disbelief, and a hint of fear.

"Is it… really true? You're not just telling us a story, right?"

"This is… real? We could adapt to all of this?"

"Isn't this… impossible?"

"Yes," Lyerin replied calmly to each question, his voice steady as he met their wide-eyed stares. "Everything I've said is true. You have already felt the adaptation in action—you are breathing underwater as we speak."

The room fell silent, a heavy tension settling over them as the truth fully sank in.

They looked at each other, awe-struck and horrified, realizing what Lyerin had given them, even if only temporarily. Some of the soldiers began to take a step back, the enormity of it hitting them like a tidal wave.

They looked at him, fear flickering in their eyes as they understood just what he was capable of.

Lyerin noticed the shift, the way their gazes had changed, tinged with apprehension.

They were looking at him as though he were some inhuman creature, a force beyond their understanding.

The respect mingled with a new layer of fear, as if they were standing before a monster wearing the skin of a man.

Yet Lyerin didn't seem bothered. He met their fearful gazes with a calm smile, his voice low and reassuring, yet filled with an undeniable power.

"Yes, it is true," he said softly, acknowledging the gravity of what he had revealed.

"This is the gift of my tribe, the protection I offer. As long as you are a part of the Stonehooves, you carry this adaptation. It is one of the many perks of standing by my side."

The soldiers stared, their breaths caught in their throats, a chill running down their spines as they absorbed his words.

They realized that Lyerin was unlike anyone they had ever met—both their greatest ally and a terrifying force they could barely comprehend.

And as they stood there, caught between awe and fear, they understood that in this world of monsters and unknown hazards, they had come face-to-face with the most dangerous thing of all: a man with the power to reshape reality itself.