Do you even need to ask

Remember y'all, voting stops when I post the newest chapter, or after 3 days if I don't post for that long.

Chosen plan - save the trait point for Silent Feathers, train stealth x 2, fight rats.

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The oasis didn't sleep when the sun dipped below the horizon. Quite the opposite. In the soft glow of starlight and the occasional flickering torch, its hidden life stirred to a slow, pulsing rhythm. In alleyways, shopkeepers murmured as they hauled empty crates and packed away cloth bundles, and stray cats prowled the shadows, eyes gleaming as they stalked whatever scraps had been left behind. The distant wails of jackals echoed through the night, adding an eerie undertone to the symphony of nocturnal sounds.

Turns out, you didn't have to wait until tomorrow to start the Crow's training. She stood by the side of the path, tucked into a dark pocket between the low walls, watching humans shuffle by with tired steps. The Crow didn't understand what "stealth" meant, not in any conscious sense, but she felt an urge, an impression impressed upon her mind—stay unseen, move without catching the attention of the two-legged creatures. So she did her best, shifting her dark feathers to blend in with the shadows, barely moving as her beady eyes glinted with faint curiosity.

(Stealth roll - 21 / Req - 30 /Fail) 

Still, she was a crow, and her instincts were only half-aligned with the concept of subtlety. Amidst her attempt to remain hidden, she caught sight of a coin lying in the dirt. A shiny glint, irresistible. She leaned down, beak pecking at it with a soft tap that rang louder than intended.

"Hey, is that a bird over there?" a passerby muttered, brow furrowing as he pointed directly at her.

The Crow froze, her eyes snapping up, round and alarmed, though she had no grasp of what had been said.

"Oh, leave it," another voice broke in, waving a dismissive hand. "Did you hear about the brawl in the central square?"

The first man blinked, distracted. "Again? Weren't the guards putting that sort of thing down?"

"Nah, heard some mercenaries got into it with a trader's men. The beetle-headed merchant, no less."

The Crow took the opportunity to slip deeper into the shadow, her movement smooth, low, and quick. A quiet ripple of feathers, a flash of talons against the dirt, and she was gone from sight. Her movements, sharper, more deliberate than before, concealed her in a way that was almost natural, her instincts bending to your will.

(Stealth roll - 30 / Req 30 / Pass!)

(Stealth lvl 2 - 3)

"Maybe I saw wrong," the man muttered, giving the spot one last look before shrugging and moving on with his companion.

You held back a sigh. Could have been worse. The Crow had avoided discovery, though her idea of hiding was still...primitive. 

With a mental nudge, you directed her attention away from the coin and into the open night. She took off with a flap of wings, gliding silently as she slipped from one shadow to the next, her new objective clear in your mind.

Rats.

It didn't take long to spot the first one, hunched over a heap of refuse by an old wall, whiskers twitching as it gnawed at something unrecognizable. She hovered above it for a beat, and then—swift as an arrow—she plummeted. 

(Rat roll - 81)

(Crow roll - 98+20(air superiority)-5(half blind) = 113 / CRIT)

Her beak pierced through its neck in one clean strike, silent and sudden, and the rat went limp before it even knew what had hit it.

For a moment, you paused, watching her beak gleam faintly in your vision. There was something different, an energy flickering along the edges of her sight, pulsing subtly. Was that Qi? You knew of it, but seeing it… seeing it stirred within her was fascinating. You could feel the spark of energy ripple through her, seeping into her movements as if reinforcing her natural instincts.

(Host - Nameless Crow unlocks - Qi Circulation lvl 1)

The Crow found another rat soon after, and this one, too, barely had a chance. She swooped down with eerie precision, her body cutting through the air in a fluid arc.

(Crow roll - 66+15 = 81)

(Rat roll - 64)

 Her beak struck true, and she moved away with a swipe of her wings, leaving a streak of blood in her wake. Her movements were fast, almost graceful, as though honed by months of practice. The thrill of the hunt had caught her instincts, melding with this newfound spark of energy to create a creature both deadly and efficient.

(Brawling lvl 6 - 8)

Honestly, perhaps this crow was more suited for combat than stealth. But with you guiding her, there was no telling where her limits might lie. One way or another, there was nothing she couldn't learn—or at least attempt.

Things were looking up. Not bad for a ring, really, all things considered. You had plenty of time to think—an abundance of it, in fact—and with that came clarity, or at least a growing understanding of this curious connection between you and the crow.

So, what exactly was Control? 

Observing your influence on the crow, it became clearer. Control was the raw, unfiltered imposition of your will, a force that swept aside the host's instincts and decisions like an invisible hand, steering them at your command.

 You hadn't yet experienced resistance from the crow, though you had a nagging sense that if you did fail, she'd catch on. Even this simple creature would recognize a threat trying to pull its strings, and instinct would surely drive it to reject you, one way or another.

A human? Well, they'd hurl you into the nearest river or try to smash you to bits if they felt even a flicker of your presence in their mind—no question about it. An animal would bolt, abandoning you without a second thought.

 But the crow… well, she'd been a little too clever for her own good. When she first found you, her greed had won over caution. She hadn't just picked you up—she'd eaten you. You'd found yourself nestled snugly in her stomach, untouched, unmoved by anything else she devoured since.

This changed things. You flexed your will experimentally, a soft nudge—and the crow, to your mild amusement, broke into an awkward little tap-dance, feet scuffing the ground in a quick shuffle. Huh. 

(Control roll - 75+30(control)=105 (Crit) / Req - 70)

(Control - 30 + 10 = 40) (Bond = 40)

(+1 trait point, Rank 4 traits unlocked) 

(Available trait points - 2)

(Next milestone - Bond = 50)

So it wasn't just a vague influence or an urge. With a proper push, you could make her do whatever you wanted. If you were so inclined, you could pour every ounce of Control into her right now, overwhelming her utterly, claiming a perfect hold over every movement, every thought. And what could she do about it? Absolutely nothing.

But did you want to?

 (Push Control to 100?) (Y/N)