4. Rewards

Looking directly at the larger creature Lucien said in a serious and expressionless tone.

"Very well, as I already said and which I'm sure you extended, the normal thing would be to simply eliminate you for entering my house without permission and causing such a mess." He said, referring not only to the animals that the larger creature had killed or those that the smaller creatures had killed in other parts of the forest, but also to the fact of the contamination that their presence caused to the soil, corroding it and infecting it with their dark red auras. Although the main person responsible for this was the larger creature with the denser aura, which could be seen even with the naked eye.

"However." He continued after a pause to see the creatures' reaction. "You don't exactly look "normal", after all you were smart enough to try using force-splitting tactics, false baits and even retreating with the wounded when the pressure was too great. Very impressive." Luciene said, remembering everything that the drones had transmitted to him since the dawn before sunrise.

The larger creature showed the closest expression of surprise he could manage, after all he had not only understood what Lucien had said (or at least the raw intention of what he meant), but also the fact that he knew how his subordinates were acting throughout entire eastern area of ​​the forest.

"Hey hey, it's not something to be so surprised about, do you really think I wouldn't know what's going on in my own house, even if it's in my garden?" He said having fun at the expense of the larger creature.

"But that's not important right now." He said with a shrug.

"The fact is that you left me, modernly, impressed. But even that is good enough, and not only have you achieved this so far, but it has to do with completing a small requirement that I recently added." He said with a serious expression on his face. "Regardless of who, or what, managed to get here by following a specific pattern of behavior. That of not using their companions or subordinates as stepping stones. All survivors after 24 hours would receive a reward."

The creatures did not understand exactly what Lucien was saying, but they could understand that he was offering them something that would be beneficial to them, but still their instincts and their little but undeniable present intelligence warned them that there is some risk for them if they accepted.

"Well, well, you have excellent judgment, ha! No, in this case it would be better to say good instincts. You are right, there is a risk in this reward." Lucien said, walking a little from one side to the other in front of the creatures lined up. "The risk is the pain." He said dryly.

"You will have to endure pain far greater than any you have ever felt in your life, and it could be something like all the pain you have ever felt in your life at once. And logically you can die because of it." The smaller creatures flinched when they heard this, while the larger one remained surprisingly quiet and watched Lucien's coming and going. "But on the other hand, the pain you always feel, even when you sleep, will disappear permanently, your hunger could come to an end and if you followed the rules you could live here." He said in a very happy tone.

The larger creature fixed its 4 eyes on Lucien and seemed to make the decision that would either change his life and those of his "subordinates" or condemn them, but he reasoned (in an incredible display of intelligence) that since their lives were already in the hands of Lucien and he was giving them a chance to survive and even more to give them something beneficial, it was worth risking their lives. After all, wasn't that what their lives had been, survival and more survival, always risking their lives for the next meal, always being ravaged by constant pain and insatiable hunger? And now a creature appeared who said that we could get rid of it, even if it was a lie and only death was left for them, it wouldn't make much difference, so they would also be free from the torment that only stopped when they were fed, when they "changed" or just relieved when they slept.

The larger creature was completely willing to make this bet, but did not "accept" it for a simple reason, which was unexpected, it was worried about its "subordinates".

"It's good that you think like that, it shows that you have social intelligence and responsibility. Haaaaa, I wish some people also had that kind of mentality a few years ago." Lucien said in a melancholy tone. "But well, there's no point in complaining that it's already gone, and as for you, all you can do is pray for what happens." He said as he slowly raised his hand. "Good luck."

And right after he said that.

*Uuuuchhhhhaaaarrrruuuuhhh*

All the creatures began to scream, screams of intense pain just as Lucien had said it would be. Trapped in their worlds of pain and suffering, none of the creatures noticed, or could have noticed, the changes that were happening in their bodies externally and internally. Their bodies decreased by 1/4 of their original size, their "horns" became clearer like glass or crystal instead of polished stones, the black pustoles and veins along their bodies disappeared, their scales and fur seemed to become cleaner and softer, although they still had a metallic shine, but now in a more "correct" way.

His internal changes were also notable, with his bulging and strong but poorly formed muscles now being condensed and reformed in the right way. Atrophied and damaged organs were corrected and optimized with any type of imperfection being eliminated at a molecular level.

Minutes, which for the creatures seemed like years of torment, the changes stopped and the pain they felt was abruptly ended and in its place a feeling of comfort, calm and tranquility enveloped them, sensations that none of these creatures had any memory of feeling. The closest thing to this was when they were still in their mother's womb. But that sensation was nothing compared to what they felt now, as well as the absence of another sensation with which they were much more familiar, the pain and hunger they felt since birth that was only silenced when they ate, their bodies "changed" or diminished when they slept, was finally gone.

"Good, good, everyone managed to evolve without any problems." Luciene said, evaluating whether there were still any changes to happen. "That's...Almost all unfortunately." He said looking sadly at at least 10 smaller creatures, which were now more like balloons of disfigured flesh.

"Take these for analysis, please." Lucien commanded the androids, who immediately carried out the order.

After nothing happened for 1 minute, Lucien finally released the creatures, which landed lightly on the ground. They then began to see and feel the changes in their bodies, their muscles felt stronger, they did not feel any pain either when breathing or when trying to circulate the radiation energy through their bodies, now they were able to circulate the radiation in their bodies without problems, not having which forces them to act as they wanted causing them even more pain and anger.

Finally, their most noticeable change is the fact that the dark red aura has stopped exuding from their bodies and has disappeared.

"Excellent, you all achieved a very difficult feat, and got a good reward in compensation, even if some unfortunately were unable to support it." Luciene said to the creatures. "However, there is still one little thing left, one choice that you can make." He said looking at the creatures.

"I'm going to give you a choice. First: you return to the wild lands and managed to reign over a territory easily having the right to females and hunting, but being constantly attacked by other creatures, some weaker and others not so much." He told them, who in turn looked at Lucien with complete calm, without any hint of hostility or fear. "Second: you stay here and following my rules you could live in a wide abundance, being able to grow stronger faster than out there, it will be difficult for you to find mates or mates, but if you do you would have an excellent area for your offspring." He said with genuine happiness to the creatures.

"So, what will it be?"