The Creature stayed at the center of its fleshy domain. The fresh hearts from the hunt were already stored deep inside its mass. It felt a clear purpose now. It wanted to make more puppets. Using its awakened intelligence, it summoned the Puppeting skill once again.
The floor beneath it began to squirm and rise. New forms took shape one by one. The first puppet looked almost exactly like the feral rat that had been killed in the hunt. Its body was made from the collected bones and flesh, with red eyes that glowed faintly. Then came another rat puppet, slightly smaller. After that a rabbit puppet rose, its strong hind legs reinforced with thick fleshy strands. Finally a deer-like puppet appeared, its antlers sharp and its body still wet from creation.
The new puppets stood still at first, their forms shaking slightly as they adjusted. The Creature looked at them with cold satisfaction. These puppets resembled the beasts that were killed before. They were now part of it. The Creature paused and thought "Good. They look exactly like the prey we hunted. With more puppets like this, I can send them out to hunt while I stay safe in the cave."
The original puppet stepped forward. It spoke to the new ones in its rasping voice.
"You will follow my orders as if they come from the Master. I am your leader now. Obey without question."
The new puppets nodded together. The rat puppets showed their sharp teeth. The rabbit puppet flexed its legs. The deer-like puppet lowered its head. The Creature watched quietly. It felt pleased. The original puppet was now their leader. This was the start of expansion. The Creature paused and thought "Four puppets in total. The first one will lead them. They will bring back more hearts and food. I do not need to move from this place anymore."
After the new puppets were created and assigned, the Creature turned its attention to the skills menu. It summoned the panel again and the world shifted to the blue space. There were new icons waiting.
Above Regeneration (Low Grade) it saw two new options.
Regeneration (Mid Grade)
Revitalize (Low Grade)
Above Puppeting it saw two more.
Puppet Dance
Domineering Roar
The Creature examined each skill carefully.
[Regeneration (Mid Grade): Advanced version of Regeneration which lets the user not only heal the wounds but also lets them reform even shattered bones and fix fractures.]
The Creature paused and thought "I barely get hurt and I never leave the cave. There is almost no need for me to heal myself. This skill would be wasted on me right now."
It moved to the next one.
[Revitalize (Low Grade): It's an area version of Regeneration that lets the creatures with the power of the Creature be healed as long as they are somewhat connected to the Creature.]
The Creature paused and thought "The puppets are now my main source of hunting and food reserves. Their lives are crucial to me. If they get damaged or torn apart on the surface, I can heal them from here through our connection. This skill is very useful. I should take it."
It continued reading.
[Puppet Dance: A short skill which can allow the master to relocate the position of their puppets on command in exchange for some energy. Max use a day: 1]
The Creature paused and thought "This skill seems good for moving puppets quickly during a fight, but right now there is no need to fight other beasts. We are only hunting for food and materials. I do not need this skill yet."
Finally it looked at the last one.
[Domineering Roar: A mental skill that allows the user to defend themselves even without the puppets. The roar can not only stun the enemy but also insert fear and despair on those below the user level.]
The Creature paused and thought "If an enemy ever invades the cave, I can use this roar to defend myself. It can stun them and fill them with fear and despair. I can capture the enemy without too much damage to my domain or my puppets. This one is useful right now."
The Creature checked its energy.
[Energy: 100]
It had exactly one hundred energy. The two skills it decided to buy were Revitalize (Low Grade) and Domineering Roar. Each one cost fifty energy.
It purchased both without hesitation.
[Purchase Revitalize (Low Grade) for 50 Energy?]
[Purchase Domineering Roar for 50 Energy?]
Energy dropped from 100 to 0 instantly. The two new skills glowed brightly and sank into its awareness. A wave of detailed knowledge entered its mind. It now fully understood how to send healing power through the fleshy connections to its puppets even when they were far away, and how to release a powerful mental roar that could stun enemies and crush their will with fear and despair.
The Creature felt the new abilities settle inside it. There was no strong pain this time, only a deep sense of growth and control. The Creature paused and thought "With Revitalize I can keep my hunting puppets alive longer. With Domineering Roar I can protect myself if anything dangerous comes into the cave. This is the right choice."
The blue space disappeared and the Creature returned to its domain. The four new puppets and the original leader stood waiting silently. The fleshy walls pulsed steadily around them. The Creature extended several thick tubes and touched each puppet lightly. A faint green glow appeared at the points of contact as it tested the new Revitalize skill but the skill didn't work instead the panel appeared once more.
[The puppets are now linked to the host. The host may now use skill "Revitalize" from a far to heal your subordinates.]