The Links of Loyalty of the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs evolved into something bigger. Grander.
They transformed into something even more powerful than the True Link of Loyalty.
Michael could instinctively tell the changes in his bond with the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs. It would be impossible for them to betray Michael, and they would die alongside him.
That was a terrifying restriction. Nobody would want to die just because their Lord died. However, the 'sacrifice' of their safety came with a drastic increase in power. The Vassals of the Lord were given access to a portion of their Lord's Soul Power.
Despite being Awakened, their Soultrait's power would skyrocket and reach new thresholds.
They weren't mere Awakened anymore. The Warlock Centaurs and Berserkers subordinate to Michael evolved into more than that.
The more strength they gained from being Michael's Vassals the more responsibilities weighed upon them. Once their gains crossed a certain threshold, they would have to pay even more attention to their Lord and his territory.
Losing the power they attained through their Lord's Soul Power would be fatal. That also meant that they would suffer greatly if their Lord were to lose his Lord Powers. In the best case, they would end up in a weakened state for a short period. If they were not that fortunate, they would suffer permanent injuries. However, the worst-case scenario was death. It happened rarely, but the annals of the Berserkers hinted at the death of dozens of Vassals after their Lord lost his territory. The power that nourished inside them had been ripped out by force, leaving a gaping hole in their Souls.
It was an incredibly rare scenario, but one had to pay attention to it, nonetheless.
So, why did Zeron Polik, the Berserkers, and Warlock Centaurs initiate the Oath of Loyalty if it was so dangerous? Was it merely for the boost in power granted through Michael's Soul Power, or was there more?
The answer was simple, yet far more complex than it was supposed to be.
First, Michael granted the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs too many benefits in such a short period. That was enough to meet one of the requirements to initiate the Oath of Loyalty. The benefits they received were great, but it wasn't acceptable. Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs were prideful beings. They could accept small gifts and benefits in exchange for their services, but it was nearly impossible to pay back everything Michael had given to them.
Their lives, bodies, and eternal loyalty were all they could offer.
That was what they felt like. Michael had given them various Soultrait Symbols, the opportunity to upgrade their Soultraits, granted them access to various resources that were hard to access at home, and most importantly, Michael pushed them onto the battlefield, allowing them to go crazy and live the lives they had always dreamed about.
It was perfect.
However, with perfection came the guilt. The guilt of being unable to repay Michael for everything he had done for them.
Since the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs were prideful beings, they could not accept owing favors. Their hatred towards debts – their debts – was enormous.
Therefore, Zeron Polik considered initiating the Oath of Loyalty. He trusted Michael and knew that he was going to stay with Michael, in his territory, forever either way. That was what their Soul Pact decreed when they accepted the first Soultrait Symbol from Michael. The Oath of Loyalty didn't change a lot about that principle. The Oath of Loyalty might have destroyed the Soul Pact, but it actually reinforced the Soul Pact's rules, while removing the restraining conditions and toll put on the soul.
The other Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs considered Zeron Polik's opinion and joined him after they witnessed his Oath of Loyalty. Since they wouldn't be able to leave Michael either way, they might as well make the best out of it.
The Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs were totally loyal to him – not that they weren't before. In exchange for their 'sacrifice' of never being able to revert the changes of the Oath of Loyalty, and the high potential to end up crippled if Michael were to lose his territory at some point, they had to be treated with utmost care.
Michael would always be able to sense their dissatisfaction and desires. It was much stronger than the emotions he could sense from his ordinary subjects. Even Tiara, whose Link of Loyalty had transformed into a True Link of Loyalty couldn't convey her emotions and desires as well as the Warlock Centaurs and Berserkers.
That was interesting, but it could also transform into a nuisance. Michael was also curious about a new feeling that swept through his body. He felt more inclined to provide the Warlock Centaurs and Berserkers with more benefits. That was caused by the symbiotic relationship that had been established through the Oath of Loyalty.
Michael was still at the top of the relationship, but he benefited from the Vassals as much as they benefited from him. Therefore, Michael felt inclined to provide the Vassals with more benefits after they provided him with various gains.
Michael might have gained more than a dozen Vassals at once, but his Soul Power didn't improve. The gains he made were of another nature.
The Oath of Loyalty seemed to increase Michael's physical strength rather than supplying him with more Soul Power, which was usually the case if a Link of Loyalty grew firmer. The influx of Soul Power whenever a Link of Loyalty transformed into a True Link of Loyalty was even more apparent. However, nothing like that happened when the Vassal's Links of Loyalty transformed into the Oath of Loyalty.
Interestingly enough, his physical strength was not the only thing that improved. Several factors about his physique changed. His muscles grew denser and he could instinctively tell that he could unleash more of the Heavenly Beast Physique's Soul Technique. It was almost as if the limit of his physical strength had been lifted.
His natural regeneration improved as well.
"What is happening?" Michael asked Lokai, who had been smiling for a while now.
"Seems like you can sense the changes already," Lokai said with mystery in her voice, "The Oath of Loyalty grants you a tiny portion of our Essence. It's not much, just a tiny fraction. However, since you are human without any special racial perks, you must have noticed the difference."
"Your Essence? So, I have the Essence of a bunch of Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs inside me now?" Michael asked.
'Is that why my War Rune sensed like it had been put on fire?'
"Basically, that's correct. But it is not as weird as it sounds. The Essence doesn't change your race or anything like that. It implants a tiny portion of our racial trait inside you. There are no catches. Well…except the desire to give us more resources and the like. But that is because you will realize that the fraction of our Essences will grow inside you as our strength increases. That is why you will be naturally inclined to give us more resources."
That answered many questions, but it wasn't as if Michael understood everything right away. This was far more important than he could have anticipated when he offered the Untamed Awakened to pick more Soultrait Symbols and upgrade their Soultraits.
"So, to put it in simple terms, a fraction of your Essence is attached to the Oath of Loyalty. It will grow stronger as you grow stronger, and my physical attributes, basically everything related to my physique, will improve alongside."
"Yep," Lokai nodded, whereas Mekhaz added, "The Essence nourished in the Oath of Loyalty will fuse with you if we die. That means you don't forfeit anything even if we die. In exchange, the Oath of Loyalty might 'nag' you to give us more benefits. The Oath of Loyalty is not sentient but it desires to grow stronger, which happens when the Essence fused into it grows stronger."
"Damn. Okay…"
Frederik raised his hand, his eyebrows furrowed.
"What the hell happened just now? What did you guys do?" He asked, only for Hiraku to glimpse at the Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs with intrigue.
"I would like to know more about what happened just now as well."
"Same here," Tiara entered alongside the Forest Elven Adventurers.
Mekhaz smiled lightly. He scratched the back of his head.
"To be honest, I don't know how it ended up like that. I think some of us did the Rite of the War Goddess on a whim."
He didn't mention if he did it on a whim, or if he had been serious about the Oath of Loyalty. Nobody asked him either.
"We initiated the Rite of the War Goddess. It's a special rite for Berserkers and Warlock Centaurs, stimulating an evolution in the Link of Loyalty."
Thaor appeared next to Mekhaz, laughing lightly.
"And it's a huge thing. Usually, we would have to report to the Chieftain and ask for permission before we initiate the Rite of the War Goddess."
"But you didn't do that," Hiraku figured.
"Nope. We didn't"
Everyone glanced at Michael, who sighed deeply.
"Let's just hope that the Chieftain and the War Priestess won't tear me apart," Michael said, while Mekhaz gestured him not to worry too much.
"It won't be that bad."
**
