Ch. 21 Forbidden

I take a leaf and wrap it around and meld it to the feet of the LeafHawk I can't quite change the direct composition of many pieces of the leaves nor can I simply put armor on the whole thing or it won't be able to fly so since I can't exactly rely on the normal methods forever I will need to develop a new one. Instead of simply basing everything on flight and my minor amount of defensive and attack abilities I decide to take apart the wings on my hawk removing all the feathers and replacing them with Leafbirds with small legs of bark to allow them to cling on like feathers but now they'll be able to let go in times of danger and swarm around in the air thousands of little claws just like the ravens but much smaller. Then I adjust the skeletal structure that was left over to allow them to secure properly while also giving the body it's self some massive scythe arms for a better guard and a better attack when the option to fly is out the window, now I can take a hit and have my wings break off and devour a formless enemy. While I'm doing this I continuously build a countless number of ravens and send them out into the cavern one by one they flew out. Before long a raven finally flew back in. This time leading a army of rats.

Took em long enough. The many other rats who were sitting around my shrine seemed to be staring at the entrance. I doubt they can see that they are back yet... I have a higher vantage point. I assume they are just impatient for there kings return. As I watch the kings army slowly march across the field home I start making leafbirds for them and replacing my lost ravens. As the army approaches the tree a bunch of rats ran to greet them while others rush in the direction of the city. Which is understandable.

I get an idea and jump down I walk over and look at the king who seems to address me but I mean he's a rat on all fours and neither of us speak so... Yeah he basically just points his nose down then looks back up at me. I lift up the rat king and toss him into the air where a group of ravens picks him up and carries him to the tree. The other rats look on curious while the rat king himself gives little to no response but confused stares. Do they really assume I'd not kill them thar much or do they just not care as long as it's me? As the king lands upon the branch I begin to wrap him in bark and wood using his old leaf armor as the base making sure to leave the joints unhindered then I drop him from the tree and have some ravens catch and return him. The kings armor should be somewhat alive now, so it shouldn't turn to stone like the leaves before. As long as he doesn't leave the spaces my light touches and remains in contact with the ground some of the time this armor should be able to regenerate and take the force of attacks much higher then minor things that could break my leaves. I also covered his face in the hood with a mask of my body as well leaving room for eyes by making my leaves super thin and blocking the holes with that, with this even if the rat king is entirely submerged in water he should be able to still breath as I'll be able to supply him with oxygen and it's much stronger then just the leaf birds so it'll be able to sustain a good deal of force. However this wasn't really an act of charity I just needed some research on making plantlike bodies. So with my LeafHawk I start throwing up other members of the army one by one. Clothing them in armor of different kinds then the kings while the defense is lower they have a higher mobility. I tinkered with it more and more and by the time I was done the army had been all clothed... Then I spot him the guard... I quickly rush over and grab him with my leafhawk but he's heavy it takes 30 ravens and myself to lift him up and carry him to the tree. We got little resistance but some gawking and annoyed looks from the guard. Oh shut up your massive body will be a interesting thing to cloth in armor. I shall make the ultimate tank... Tank... tanks have cannons... I leave the guard to wait on the branch and take a raven and give it my first try at it. I can't exactly make my leaves and bark reflective enough but I can certainly force it into a small space and allow the regeneration to take the place of reload time. If I can find something reflective I could build it into these to better make it into a proper cannon but... with this my light cannon is a success I send the raven down towards the crowd and have it point it towards one of the empty fields that are towards the large empty sides of the cavern and fire.

While I didn't expect much... I really didn't expect that... A beam about the size of a ball shot across the cavern in a instant and caused a explosion far off in the cavern enough to make the rats all run away in fear... With this maybe I should make the cannons smaller and just seal off the use of the larger cannons except for emergencies... that kind of explosion could easily kill me and every single rat in seconds if I had used it here. I quickly return the raven and begin testing it further. The rat guard seemed to have tried to escape but my ravens caught him. Guess he got startled and wanted to do his job. However I won't let him run away I still have use for him. I start sending off birds with miniaturized version of what I just had and begin testing the firearm further. I send out a group of ravens to kidnap the king once more and we venture to the far side of the cavern that I had blown up earlier with a flock of birds. The other rats don't seem to be to bothered by it. The guard seems quite upset thinking I'd leave him up in the tree. I mean I have forgotten about him but he will be a tank I need him to stay. While I test out and create a perfect gun for him. As I work I wrap him in the thickest armor yet and give him a hood very similar to the kings but so much thicker. The guards armor is designed with his size and strength in mind as it would likely be enough weight to crush one of the other rats to death. As I work I start making the places for the cannons. I will be in full control of the cannons but with this I not only can protect the rats but if they do something I don't like I can manipulate the armor to force them to follow my orders. Well orders is wrong. I never really tell them what to do. As I work on the cannons the guard seems to have fallen asleep I was still holding him in place with his armor so he had no choice but to stay put. Many gawking citizens come and go from the tree. However I'm not done.

*Without a sound while the mc is working on his new armor Alex has lite up and is showing text of an unknown meaning "Skill [Soul Refining] unlock requirement 1% met" before the mc noticed she vanished*