Xavier used Eye of Evolution once again on Glut. He discovered various new pieces of information about Glut’s Evolution Paths.
To think that four additional levels reveal this much information. I should focus on leveling the Tamer Set.
[Proficiency of Eye of Evolution reached 100%. Level Up!]
Nice!
Xavier smiled foolishly when the notification popped up. He retrieved the Unknown Egg and stared at it for a while. The polished, pitch-black stone looked nothing like an egg, but so far, the messenger had never lied to him.
Xavier got curious about what could be hidden inside the egg. An idea popped in his head, and he used Eye of Evolution on the Unknown Egg.
Card Level is too low to discern any information.
“Tch.”
He hadn’t expected a lot, but being unable to procure even a single piece of information about the Unknown Egg was quite disappointing. But his experiments were not yet over. He had just begun!
“Nourish it is then,” Xavier used the Rare Card on the Unknown Egg.
He shuddered suddenly as he was smacked with a wave of weakness that passed through his body. A trace of World Energy formed at the tip of his index finger, but there was something else in it as well. World Energy was highly purified and refined energy. In a compressed state, it was whitish and glowed faintly. However, the trace of World Energy swirling around his fingertip was not purely white. A red thread was interwoven into his World Energy.
Xavier was still feeling weak and his fingers felt incredibly cold. Meanwhile, the trace of World Energy warmed up. It intertwined with the red thread and grew warmer.
Why does it feel like I’m getting sucked dry?
Xavier’s eyes widened and his attention snapped back to the red thread. He activated Nourish a second time. Another red thread formed within the World Energy as a second wave of exhaustion and weakness passed through his body.
Does Nourish drain my life…or nutrition and merge it with Energy before infusing it into my Soulbonds?
Xavier had yet to release the interwoven World Energy, but it was not like he was going to waste his energy. He channeled Nourish and targeted the Unknown Egg. The trace of World Energy passed through the flawless eggshell and nourished the Soulbond within. At least, that was what Xavier presumed to happen.
He could clearly tell that the fragile Soullink with the Unknown Egg grew a bit firmer, but that was the only thing he sensed. That was a bit disappointing.
“How anticlimactic,” Xavier murmured, continuing to stare at the egg, “I wonder when you’re going to hatch…or what you’re going to be.”
Since the Unknown Egg appeared with the completion of the Hidden Mission and the closure of the Goblin Gate, Xavier had high expectations. Unfortunately, his expectations made it harder for him to wait patiently for his second Soulbond to hatch. All he could do was strengthen their Soullink with Nourish.
Well. It should be useful to nourish it. A strengthened Soullink is already pretty good, but maybe this little fella is going to hatch sooner if I keep using Nourish?
That sounded feasible. The only question was how often he had to use Nourish to stimulate the Unknown Egg’s hatching.
Nourish was a rather simple Card. It supported Tamers and allowed them to strengthen their companions and bond.
Xavier was still feeling under the weather from using Nourish twice, but he wanted to find out how efficient the Rare Card was. The Unknown Egg was not that helpful. However, using Nourish on Glut should provide more information. Xavier sincerely hoped so and used Nourish a third time.
He endured the wave of weakness as well as possible and targeted Glut.
The Ember Sparrow consumed the interwoven trace of World Energy immediately. Glut closed his eyes to digest Nourish’s effect and feel the changes. Xavier could sense everything that happened within Glut and his eyes widened in surprise.
The heavy pressure of the Overflowing Foundation is decreasing.
Glut was already at his limit with a Foundation of 200 Units. In fact, Xavier was pretty sure that the Ember Sparrow exceeded his limit by increasing his Foundation Orb to 200 Units. Since the day his Foundation reached 200, Glut had always been in pain. It was not severe, but the dull ache was constant. The Ember Sparrow endured the pain gracefully.
He was quite bossy when it came to Xavier and would complain and peck at Xavier’s hair if he ignored him for long. However, he never complained about the pain and endured it while collecting the 500 Soul Essences to integrate them into his Unique Evolution Path.
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Glut was as stubborn as Xavier. He could have chosen an easier Evolution Path, but he was unwilling to let the golden opportunity pass.
Using Nourish on Glut eased the Ember Sparrow’s pain. Simultaneously, something else happened.
Xavier was not sure what it was at first, however, he quickly understood what was going on once Glut digested Nourish’s effect to the fullest.
Nourish strengthens Glut’s Foundation. If I use Nourish a few more times, Glut’s Foundation Orb won’t be overflowing anymore. I can increase my Soulbond’s potential and growth limit!
Xavier’s heart was beating wildly. Excitement overwhelmed him and he flashed a bright smile at the little cutie pie. He ruffled through Glut’s plumage while the little fella chirped loudly. Their Soullink grew firmer as well.
Nourish was a treasure. It was even more useful than Eye of Evolution in Xavier’s opinion.
The only issue with Nourish was that Xavier couldn’t use it too often. Every use drained him of a large amount of World Energy. The wave of weakness was not exactly pleasant either.
Xavier’s stomach grumbled loudly. It was almost like he was starving to death.
“So, it’s nutrients merging with World Energy rather than my lifeforce weaving into World Energy. That’s good to know.”
He retrieved some jerky made from a several-ton-heavy Titan Boar. It had been a few weeks since they encountered the Titan Boar. Defeating it had been incredibly difficult. It was even harder than killing the Greater Kobold Champion. However, it was worth the effort. Jerky made from the Titan Boar contained an overwhelming amount of nutrients and energy.
Eating a few strips of Titan Boar jerky was enough to fill Xavier’s stomach. All he had to do now was digest the nutrients and energy. He used Meditation for half an hour, increasing the Common Card’s proficiency by a few percentages and was back at full health.
Xavier was overflowing with energy, but instead of rushing out he used Nourish a few more times. The waves of weakness that accompanied the use of Nourish were rather burdening. Each wave made him feel weak all over again and feel like he should stop. However, Xavier couldn’t bear to see Glut in pain anymore.
He used Nourish as often as he had to in order to permanently increase Glut’s Foundation capacity.
The morning was already over when Glut’s status changed. Xavier was exhausted but he smiled even brighter than before as he glanced at the holographic screen.
Glut
Common Monster Soulbond to Xavier Vador
Ember Sparrow
Healthy (Overjoyed)
200
Evolution Paths (+)
The ‘Overflowing’ tag beside 200 was no more. That was great.
Xavier sighed in relief. He was a bit drained, but the results of his experiments had been fruitful.
[Proficiency of Nourish reached 100%. Level Up!]
[Proficiency of Nourish reached 100%. Level Up!]
[Proficiency of Meditation reached 100%. Level Up!]
His Card Set reached Level 11 but he was not yet done experimenting. One more Card was waiting for him.
Borrow.
There was no need to waste time thinking about the uses of Borrow. He used the Rare Card and borrowed Glut’s power right away. Glut chirped out in surprise when he noticed energy being drained out of his body. It was an intimate feeling to have someone tap into the deepest parts of his being to borrow the Ember Sparrow’s power. But he did not mind it since it was Xavier whom he fully trusted.
Xavier could instinctively tell what he could do with Borrow and how far he was able to go without harming Glut. He licked his dry lips and conjured a fireball in front of him.
However, the fireball was nothing like the one he conjured the day before. It was not manifested from the meagre fire affinity he received from his Soullink with Glut. The fireball was much stronger, and the flames were burning fiercely.
Xavier released the fireball at a nearby wall and watched intently as the flames erupted. The wall ruptured as the fireball exploded. Rubble and debris flung through the air, but Xavier’s focus reverted to Glut, who felt weaker than before.
The power I borrow is drained with additional interest. The interest should decrease with the increase in Borrow’s Level, but still…that can be quite dangerous.
The effects of most Cards were stronger than Xavier expected but he knew why that was the case. It was because of World Energy.
Xavier borrowed Glut’s energy to use Nourish and his other Rare Cards with ordinary energy, and the results spoke volumes about its potency and effects. His World Energy was amazing. It was a game-changer!
His Unique Class and the benefits he obtained from it created various opportunities and paths to grow stronger. He and Glut couldn’t be considered two entities anymore. They were one and could grow much stronger together if they used their powers and Cards properly.
Borrow feels like an upgraded version of Soulshare. While Soulshare is permanent, Borrow can give me a temporary boost in any possible way.
Xavier could tell that his Foundation Orb felt a bit stronger now that his Soullink with Glut was growing firmer. Soulshare had a permanent effect on Xavier’s strength, Foundation, and abilities. The minor fire affinity he’d gained from Glut was the best evidence for that.
However, Borrow could be used to execute wild plays mid-battle. All he had to do was use it wisely…and figure out what fighting style he wanted to pursue. His fighting style would inevitably change the type of Soulbond he was going to pick to fill the 3rd Slot of his Soullink.
Should I get a stronger Soulbond to turn myself into a meat shield with Borrow? Or an agile Soulbond…That’s going to be difficult.
He couldn’t help but wonder how strong his Foundation was going to be once Glut evolved. But only the future could give him an answer to that. Glut had yet to start his evolution, in the first place.
“How about we go out for a hunt?”
Xavier was itching for a fight, and so was Glut.
The Ember Sparrow was now only short of mere 20ish Soul Essences to evolve. Of course, he was ready to fight. He had been waiting all day long to tear apart some foul monsters!