[Multiversal Empire] 4 – Aura

[Task completed!]

[Rewards: Crate of Pre-War food and +5 Faunus Pops]

When I awoke that next morning, I heard a slight ding as a holographic screen appeared before my eyes.

Seeing the [Task Completed!] notification, I figured it must have been because we had finished digging out the well and reinforced it with rock and clay to prevent it from falling apart and collapsing, filling back up the well.

We have been able to gather water from the well for a few days now though the water was far dirtier and muddier than it should have been, but we only finished the water well yesterday afternoon.

Then there was the reward for completing the task.

To be honest, I was not expecting any sort of reward, instead thinking of it more as a Guide to direct the colony in how it should grow, but if I could get more Faunus, food, and who knows what else? Sign me up. The tasks just rose to the top of my to-do list.

After I completed that task, I noticed two new tasks that appeared on the list next to my system screen.

[Construct a simple farm: 89%]

[Construct a basic Research Center: 0%]

[Scout and map out the surrounding area of the colony: 12%]

[Hunt down ten machines and make use of their carcasses: 2/10]

[Catch wild chickens and construct a chicken coop: 0/5 and 0%]

Looking over the new tasks assigned, I realized that they would be easier than I thought.

Getting out of bed, I stepped out of the log cabin that the Faunus shoved upon me, insisting that I should have my own living space, and walked out to the settlement's center, where I found the five new Faunus waiting and looking around confused.

Looking over them, I quickly identified what their heritage was.

Two of the three were some kind of bird Faunus, seemingly a couple, while the remaining three were all Bull Faunus, two men and one woman.

With a glance, I scanned each of them for their talents.

The male bird Faunus had the Talents: [Biology], [Xenobiology], [Botany]

The female bird Faunus had the Talents: [Avionics], [Engineering], [Aerospace]

The female bull Faunus had the Talents: [Military Theory], [Strategy], [Tactics], and [Teaching]

Meanwhile, the two males seemed to be twins and sported similar talents.

The talents they did share, were [Warfare], [Marksmanship], and [Close Quarters Combat]

The one thing that made them different, however, was a single Talent.

One had [Warhammers], and the other [Great Axes]

They were certainly unusual when compared to the other Faunus.

Most of the Faunus in the settlement had one or two Talents, tops. Yet most of these new Faunus had three or more traits!

Concerningly, a few of them seemed to have talents focused on combat and military warfare.

Was the system trying to tell me something? Should I expect an attack soon? An attack from what? Man or machine?

Either could prove to be far too dangerous depending on what we have to deal with.

Pushing those concerns to the side, I walked up to the new Faunus.

"Welcome, I assume you are the new arrivals?" I called out.

Their attention focused on me which made sense, as I was the only human in the entire settlement and one that was currently flaunting my aura.

When their eyes gazed upon me, I saw recognition flicker across their eyes.

It quickly grew creepy as they seemed to look at me with devotion and trust.

I don't think I was very comfortable with all of the...attention I got from the Faunus, nor am I comfortable with the clear mind manipulation that the System must have done to these Faunus to make them so...devoted.

"Yes, Chosen," One of the Faunus answered me.

"Wonderful, come, step forward, I need to awaken your Aura, from this day on, it will be mandatory that everyone has their Aura activated and that they receive self-defense training," I spoke out, somehow using my Aura to strengthen the sound of my voice.

Seeing that a majority of the people out working heard me, I focused on the Faunus before me, who were now much closer, and seemingly shaking in anticipation...

Reaching out, my Aura coalesced in my hands, a blinding light seeming to come from my hands and wash over the five Faunus.

With a deep breath, I pushed the energy out, covering the Faunus completely in blinding white light that quickly began to soak into their bodies and into their very souls.

I shuddered as I felt their souls touch my own, and acting as a spark, I started a fire in their souls, awakening their Aura.

Pulling my Aura back, I watched with fascination as each of the Faunus had a sheen of light on their bodies.

Smiling, I spoke, "Congrats, how does it feel to have your Aura unlocked?"

...

For an hour, I worked on getting as many of the Faunus I could Aura before having to stop as exhaustion rocked me to my core.

I had awoken the Aura of 18 of the Faunus and was left struggling to stand and exhausted.

Awakening the Aura of the Faunus would only prove to be beneficial. Seeing as Gimm did not exist in the world of Horizon, there would be no downsides to awakening the Aura of all of the Faunus, granting each of them a life-saving shield, enhanced strength, a minor healing factor, and in the future, they would even awaken a kind of superpower.

All that was required was training. If everyone had training in the use of Aura, then they'd be able to block life-threatening injuries, which would be a major plus for this world filled with deadly machines, violent tribes, and in the future, a group of very very dangerous people being followed by an entity that was even more dangerous.

If I wanted to survive and thrive in the coming events, then I'd need to be strong and ahead of the tribes. Now that I lived on this planet, I could not afford to let Aloy fail, so, it was in my best interests to help her reactivate Gaia, and deal with the Far Zeniths, and Nemesis.

While I was meditating in my cabin, trying to speed up my Aura's recovery, the Faunus working the farm completed their task, having planted some wild crops, useful plants, and some of the seeds we had in a crate in the Warehouse that was worth cultivating.

Of the crops, we planted Medicinal Salvebrush, potatoes, Tomatoes, Peppers, Garlic, and Onions.

[Task Completed!]

[Rewards: 5 Faunus Pops and 1x Mr Handy]

Mr Handy? As in...the series of robots from the world of Fallout?

Heading outside, I was met with five new gaunus, and a robot with three arms, a round body, and a rocket propulsion device underneath its center mass, causing it to float in the air.

It had three eyes attached to stems coming out from its round body.

It was none other than a RobCO Industries Mr. Handy, the civilian model, one that the Pre-War people of America in the world of Fallout could buy and use as a glorified nanny, bartender, gardener, and more.

This model seemed to come equipped with a saw, three-fingered claw, and a flamethrower.

Well, if I could get more than new Faunus, supplies, and now even robots, what else can I get?