As Ernie stared at Logan's disappearing back and watched [Threshold Shift] take him away, he could admit to a strange emotion. Logan was his bonded human; someone who had turned from a squishy human weakling to a power that rivaled all. Ernie was proud of him and wanted him to succeed. And yet, yet…

Why did Logan get to have all the fun? Why did he get to build an empire when Ernie was stuck here being… being… dare he say it?

A babysitter.

Ernie would protect Logan's brethren; it was only fair when Logan had saved Ernie's brethren and transported them to the ocean. Lara and the little ones were an extension of squishy human Logan and losing them would be like losing a limb. Ernie understood that.

And yet, just because he'd been given a task didn't mean that he couldn't have fun too.

Staying in place and acting like a guard dog was not the job of a being who rivaled all!

Tsk, tsk.

In the past, Ernie had tried to rein in his enthusiasm for slaughter to make Logan stop giving him side-eyes. He'd shown Logan only the surface level of his excitement. Ernie, as a murderous octopus and now a murderous Liche, had been born for one purpose—killing! He would fashion a throne built out of the bones of his defeated enemies. For all would tremble under his mightiness and cower underneath his tentacles.

He would—

Ernie felt the horns on top of his head jump up and down, a surge of slaughter excitement making him quiver.

And yet, lately, that deep need for slaughter had been tilted off purpose—for although he rivaled all and would like nothing better than to go after monster after monster, he would never leave an octopus behind!

So, Logan and Ernie had needed to embark on an immense jailbreak quest to save his brethren, slaughter put on the back tentacle. He'd thought that Logan and Ernie would triumph and save his brethren, save them all!

But then the stinky furry rat had come.

Although Logan had gotten distracted by shiny things like empire building, growing trees, and tournaments, Ernie hadn't forgotten. Oh no, oh no. Ernie had a long memory.

The Sky People were not from the sky after all. Instead, they were stinky rats, who abducted his brethren so that they could torture them and turn them into milky water. A stinky rat who had admitted that he'd once been a bonded companion! The horror! If needed, Ernie could put himself in the tentacles of others, and still, no matter how many times he did the mental gymnastics, he could never see himself turning on his own kind. There was something rotten in that stinky rat's head.

He deserved pain.

He deserved death. He needed to be brought back to life by the mighty all-knowing being just so that Ernie could kill him again!

But there was a problem.

The stinky rat was too powerful. Ernie was slaughter happy! He knew he rivalled all! But even he could admit that there were certain situations where there was no winning. Ernie was smart, Ernie could lie in wait, Ernie would play the long game.

That meant he needed to grow powerful. And perhaps, perhaps… it would take a while to reach level 1000. To challenge the stinky rat, he would need level after level after level.

But Ernie wasn't on his own.

Oh no.

He had minions.

Although it would take time to get close to the stinky rat's level, Ernie didn't need to. Hah! It was one thing if it were stinky rat against a murderous octopus, but instead, it would be a stinky rat against a murderous octopus with an army at his back!

A gremlin deep within his belly was chanting, minions minions minions. The chant had grown so strong since he'd become a murderous Liche that it fought for space in his head, overtaking his need for slaughter.

And he was well on his way.

Ernie held back a shiver of excitement as he pulled up his stat sheet:

Name: Murderous Octopus (Hidden Name: I Rival All)

Level: 80

Grade: F8

Species: Cephalopod Liche

Titles: Sapience Early Adopter; Clam Mass Slaughterer

Undead Minions: 498

Minion Multiplier Boost: 2

XP Progress: 130,000/160,000

Karma: 2100/2100

Intelligence: 175 x 2 = 350

Wisdom: 165 x 2 = 330

Strength: 155 x 2 = 310

Agility: 150 x 2 = 300

Endurance: 105 x 2 + 100% boost = 420

Free Attribute Points: 0

KarmaCoin: 252,600

Adding dying and dead octopuses to his army had brought his minions to over 250, and the mighty all-knowing being had awarded him! Ernie had a minion multiplier boost of 2, which doubled all his attributes, making him into a being that truly rivaled all!

Just like Logan, he was sneaky and stealthy. The rabid humpback whales would be nothing against that! Each monster would see his level and underestimate him, having no idea that he had an army of minions at his back that boosted his attributes and made him into a towering powerhouse.

Even with the babysitting task… there was no reason why he couldn't add more minions. He had promised that he would keep Logan's brethren safe while Logan left to build an empire, but that's what minions were for! Delegation! A true leader would never triumph if they were a micromanager! Pfft, and these humans were so weak that Ernie could leave any of his undead sturgeons to patrol, and they would be fine.

In fact….

Off in the distance, Ernie could see a black, ratty fin sticking out of the water, swaying from side-to-side with eagerness.

Larry had arrived! Larry! His mighty steed!

And at his back, the other undead sturgeons and ducks surged through the water, their eyes eager and focused on Ernie.

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Hah!

With a twirl, Ernie did a savage, savage tentacle dance, battling the water, the horns on top of his head jumping up and down. The water splashed, creating a mini waterspout with the force of his twirls as Larry's crocodile-sized head bobbed, his eyes full of adoration.

Reunited once again!

"Good job, Larry! I knew I could count on you! And you were so speedy, leading the stragglers over to me in half the time!"

Larry's fin swayed from side-to-side, his head bobbing up and down as he wiggled in place. Larry was such a good steed!

Ernie tapped a tentacle against his mouth. Larry deserved a reward and Ernie's company, but Ernie had overtaken him and left him in the seaweed. You couldn't ride a steed if they couldn't keep up!

"Okay, Larry! You have a very important job now. A job essential to our mission, understand? See those humans up there?" Ernie pointed to the beach and the cabin. "Those are special humans! Humans that are important to squishy human Logan. I need you to protect them while I'm gone, keep them safe. Kill any mushrooms that try to climb up the beach, attack the serpent queen's minions! Anything that puts them in jeopardy."

Larry's head drooped, his backfin becoming limp. Mentally, he sent a feeling of distress and sadness Ernie's way.

"No no no! This is a very important job! I could trust only you with a task like this, Larry. You're my trusty steed. There's no one else like you!"

Larry's glance was shy.

Ernie gave him a pat on the head with a tentacle. "There there, such a special Larry!"

Ernie held back a cackle. His leadership and motivational skills were like no other!

With an excited jump in the water, Ernie made his way to the shore and clambered up onto the beach. It was night, and most of the humans had retreated into the buildings, including Logan's brethren. A few human guards were stationed throughout the property, their eyes distrustful as they watched Ernie. Humph, well, they'd soon learn! And kowtow in gratefulness whenever he passed. For now, thinking of what Logan would want, Ernie bobbed his head in greeting and then surged past, making a beeline for Logan's property.

Most of the humans were weaklings, even weaker than Logan had been when they'd first bonded weeks ago. But there were two who excited Ernie.

Ernie had promised Logan that he wouldn't add humans to his army, but sometimes, Logan had no vision! No creativity! Hah! In certain circumstances, humans might like being part of an army like Ernie's, since it was the best army in the world.

Well, he'd promised. But a promise that was… half a promise? See, what if the human was no longer human? That wouldn't count, surely? And he so did love adding minions to his army. A human would make it all rounded.

Ernie had told Logan the truth; his human friends had no threads to the serpent queen, but there was something undeniably… off about them. Something that reminded him of his own minions.

The mighty all-knowing being's description told him that they should be human, human like Logan's brethren:

[Tasha Frederick: Level 29. A human being.]

[Highest Stat: Constitution. Characteristics: A healer. Hidden name: Tonks.]

[Jack Donson: Level 24. A human being.]

[Highest Stat: Perception. Characteristics: Loyal to those in his sphere, indifferent to those outside of it. Hidden name: Jack.]

And yet, Ernie knew of no human who had reptile eyes, and scars that reminded him of a flower minion. They had been minions before, part of the queen serpent's army, and if there was anything Ernie was an expert at, it was a minion army. Once you were part of it, you were one part of a cohesive whole. You felt a belonging and a loyalty to the collective. They were connected.

Logan had broken Tasha and Jack's connection with the queen serpent, healed them so they weren't snapping their tongues and flinging filaments around, but each of them must still have a craving to rejoin the swarm.

It was like craving tasty treats but not being able to taste them when you tried. A palate that had suddenly turned bland and dull. The craving was still there, but with no way to satisfy it.

Ernie could satisfy it.

Tasha was on the beach in front of Logan's cabin, looking out at the lake, her eyes distant. She was wearing a fashionista pink hat. Very stylish indeed. Jack, on the other hand, wore no hat, showing a bald head that resembled Ernie's brethren.

Ernie already had a fondness for him based on his appearance.

"Jack," said Tasha, straightening and nodding at Ernie.

"Greetings, squishy humans!" said Ernie. "Logan has told me many things about you, about the smart Jack and loyal Tasha. I feel like we're family already!"

Tasha raised a bare eyebrow. Logan had reverted her infection, but her hair hadn't grown back. In a way, Ernie thought it was more stylish than her pink hat.

"What do you want?"

Ernie slimed his way closer to her and peered into her face.

Tasha took a reflexive step back.

"I think I can help you, squishy human. Help both of you."

"… help us? We don't need help."

Ernie gave her a gentle smile. "Is that true? Have you scanned me with [Identify]? Do you know what I am?"

Her mouth became brittle. "I know Logan trusts you, but I don't see how reminding us that you're like the thing that infected us will make me like you."

Ernie held back an excited twitch of his tentacle. Since he'd implemented his stealthy strategy and lured Larry and the others away from the queen serpent, he was very good at persuasion!

"I know what it's like to be part of the queen serpent's horde. For I have the same ability as her. Yes yes yes. But unlike her, we are far apart. She rules with fear! And I rule with loyalty. My minions do my bidding, but they do it because they want to. Half of my minions chose to join my army to get revenge, since they knew I would seek justice!" Ernie peered closer into her face and then examined Jack. In the underwater garbage lands, Ernie had read about men like him. Trying to put on a brave face, but inside, a ball of mush.

Honesty would be the smartest tactic. "Logan made me promise not to transform humans into minions."

Jack crossed his arms and snorted. "So what do you want with us? Unless you're a liar. Logan won't be happy to learn about that."

Ernie smiled. "Logan is my bonded companion, and I trust him like no other, but sometimes, Logan doesn't realize what's right in front of him."

"What's that supposed to mean?" asked Jack.

"I know that you crave something that you can't define. That you feel disjointed. As if Logan severed a tether of stability. I know that you worry so, worry for the tiny brethren, worry that you'll hurt them."

Jack's expression became mulish. "So what?"

"That worry will never go away. The craving will never go away. I made a promise to never add humans to my army, but you… you're no longer human."

"That may be true," said Tasha, her reptile eyes glistening, "but how does becoming one of your minions help us? We just fought off one master. We don't need another. And at least now… we have cravings, true. But we're still us. We can think again, we have freewill."

Ernie tried to force his horns to stillness. Looking like a greedy octopus wouldn't be the way to win their trust. "I believe you'll still have freewill if you're mine. You'll still be Tasha and Jack, Logan's friend, but I can keep your cravings under control. Talk to any of my minions, and they'll tell you the same. They crave success and triumph, but they don't crave human flesh."

Tasha looked from Ernie to Jack, her expression hesitant. Jack looked back at her, his face blank. "Jack…? You can't be seriously thinking that this is a solution."

He gave her a half smile, his face hallow. "I've already lost my family. My mom. My wife. My daughters are gone. What do I have to live for, except making sure children like Hunter and Sawyer make it out of this alive? And if I'm the person that ends up hurting them… what's becoming an octopus' minion in the scheme of things?"

"We can't take this back, Jack! There's no saving us a second time!"

"Hey," he said, his voice gentle. "Just because I'm doing it doesn't mean that you have to. It's your decision."

She bit her lip. "Can I… is it…" Looking down at her feet, she fiddled with the rim of her hat and then peered at Jack, her face in shadow. "I want to see it. I want to see what happens to you first before I agree. I won't say I won't do it, but… I just want to see it first."

"Understandable," said Jack.

Ernie quivered. His excitement was like a living thing. He'd be adding his first humans to his army, but also, he knew this was the right thing to do. Other than back in Pied's Kingdom, he'd never tried to transform a human. He had no idea if keeping awareness was possible, but somehow, he knew it would work out. It was the same way he knew that he could put his trust in Logan. An awareness that was as deep as the ocean.

"Do you agree?" asked Ernie, his mouth parted in anticipation.

"Do it," said Jack.

Ernie crept close to Jack and rested a tentacle on his leg. Deploying [Liche Creation], he spread his filaments like cobwebs, allowing them to leach through his clothes and into his skin. Jack's eyes opened wide, shocked, his mouth gaping, but other than that, his appearance stayed the same.

Ding!

[Congratulations, Murderous Octopus! One new minion has been added to your minion army!]

Ernie held back his excitement and gave Jack a careful look.

Next to him, Tasha scrutinized Jack, her nose scrunched. "…Jack?"

Jack blinked, his gaze faraway. Then with a gasp, he lurched and fell to the ground as if his legs had been cut.

"Jack!" Tasha exclaimed as she reached for him. She glared at Ernie. "What did you do?!"

"Tasha…" Jack rasped, wiping his mouth. "No, it's—" He swallowed. "It worked."

She clenched her fist, her hand trembling. "You're still you?"

"I'm me," he affirmed. The look he gave Ernie was tinged with awe.

Ernie preened.

Tasha nodded her head. "Okay," she said, her voice faint. Then she peered at Ernie with a firm look. "I'm in."

***

[Congratulations, Murderous Octopus! You've reached the second minion threshold! Your minion multiplier has increased from 2 to 3!]

Yes yes yes! As Tasha gasped in front of him and swayed, Ernie's eyes bulged in pleasure. He'd reached a hidden minion threshold! 500 minions meant that the mighty all-knowing being had increased his attribute multiplier.

Cackling in delight, he shivered as the world opened up; the upgrade shooting through him like he'd gorged himself on too much salty seaweed.

Ernie was a minion master!

Ernie rivaled all.

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