CHAPTER 237: CHAPTER 236: THE BIRTH OF A RAVAGER ALPHA

"Focus," Lumberling said, his tone sharp. "Do not fight with rage. Control it. Own it. You are not prey. You are the master of this essence."

Grokk was locked in battle, not with claw and fang, but within himself. The Alpha Bear’s essence surged like a raging river, its memories clawing at his mind, trying to tear his body and will apart. Shadows of snarls and broken images pressed against him, blood, fangs, the endless hunt. And then, through the roar, came words.

’Submit.’

The voice wasn’t spoken but carved into his mind.

’You are prey. Die.’

His muscles spasmed, his breath came ragged, and for a moment it seemed he would break.

But then, through the haze of pain, he remembered.

The long hours of meditation practice. The vow he made when he first swore loyalty to his lord. The reason he sought strength, not for himself alone, but for the clan, for the future Lumberling promised.

He clenched his jaw, forcing the vision of the bear back. "No... I won’t lose."

The beast roared, pressing down on him, but Grokk’s cultivation and steady meditation training wrapped around his mind like chains of iron. Slowly, painfully, he pushed the Alpha Bear’s essence down, bending it to his will.

On the outside, his shaking slowed. His veins, once bulging violently, began to settle. His ragged gasps turned into deep, steady breaths.

"Breathe," Lumberling’s voice cut through once more, firmer now, less distant.

Grokk exhaled, long and heavy, before opening his eyes. Sweat dripped down his face, his chest rising and falling with exhaustion. Then, despite his fatigue, he gave a crooked grin.

"I’m alright now, my Lord," he said, voice hoarse but steady. "Thank you. I almost lost my mind there." He even let out a weak chuckle.

Lumberling let out a breath he hadn’t realized he was holding. His grip on his spear eased as relief washed over him.

’I almost forgot... the danger of foreign memories. To take in too much essence without discipline, it can shatter one from the inside.’ He thought to himself.

For him, the risk was different. With his Mindseal Meditation, the invasive fragments were dulled, their edge blunted before they could take root. His mind was being tempered day by day, fortified against corruption. But Grokk had no such protection.

He glanced at his subordinate, who was still steadying his breath. "Good. You held on," Lumberling said firmly. "But next time, you must anchor yourself faster. I won’t always be beside you to pull you back."

Grokk nodded, lowering his head in respect. "Understood, my Lord. I will train harder. I will not shame your trust."

But before the words could fully settle, his body began to tremble again. This time it wasn’t pain that twisted his frame, it was something deeper, something primal.

The essence inside him surged, not tearing him apart, but pushing him forward. Forcing him to cross the threshold.

"Wait... he’s..." one of the sub-captains muttered, eyes widening.

Grokk fell to one knee, his claws digging into the soil as a guttural growl tore out of his throat. His veins pulsed with fiery light, the sound of bone snapping and reshaping echoing through the clearing.

Crack. Crack. Crack.

The others winced at the sound, but no one moved. They could only watch as Grokk’s frame expanded, muscles swelling and hardening as his body shed its former limits. His armor split apart, pieces falling to the ground, useless before the sheer force of his growth. He ripped the rest off himself and flung it aside with a roar.

In moments, the change was complete. Grokk now stood taller, broader, a full head above what he once was. His eyes gleamed with newfound power, his aura heavier, and dominating.

A hush fell.

Then Trask broke the silence first, his lips curving into a smile. "He’s done it."

"Gnoll Ravager Alpha..." Karnark said under his breath, awe creeping into his tone. "That’s... that’s the level of a True Knight."

The sub-captains exchanged glances before breaking into smiles and low cheers.

"Well done, Grokk!"

"You’ve broken through!"

"Hah! With you leading the charge, no beast will stand long!"

Grokk, still breathing heavily from the transformation, straightened his posture. His gaze turned first to his comrades, then settled firmly on Lumberling. He lowered his head deeply, voice thick with gratitude.

"This... this strength is yours, my Lord. Without you, I would still be bound in chains of weakness. Now, I will serve stronger than ever."

Lumberling’s lips curved into a rare, proud smile. He stepped closer, placing a steady hand on Grokk’s shoulder, feeling the raw power thrumming beneath.

"Good. You’ve taken the path I opened for you, and made it your own. This is only the beginning, Grokk. Carry this strength well. The battles ahead will demand it."

Grokk’s grin widened, his sharp teeth gleaming. "I will not fail you."

The others roared in support, their morale lifted high by Grokk’s breakthrough. What had been a bloody, weary day of loss and sacrifice now carried a spark of triumph.

And Lumberling, watching the fire in his warriors’ eyes, allowed himself a moment of pride. ’Yes... this is what I’m building. Stronger soldiers, stronger bonds. Piece by piece, we will rise.’

As Grokk straightened to his full height, the change became undeniable. He now towered a full foot taller than before. Lumberling narrowed his eyes, studying him closely.

The aura radiating from Grokk had shifted. It wasn’t just his own anymore, it carried something new. The heavy crushing presence of the Alpha bear lingered around him, woven seamlessly with his own aura.

’A combination... his strength and the beast’s will, fused together,’ Lumberling thought.

Grokk flexed his clawed hands, his gaze distant for a moment as memories washed over him. He thought of the decades spent in survival, fighting, bleeding, clawing his way up until he was nothing more than a pack leader doomed to stagnation. For so long, he had believed that was his ceiling, that no gnoll could rise further. Just another beast living day by day.

But now... now he had crossed into realms he had once thought unreachable. Not once, but twice. And each step was because of the man before him.