I glared at the Queen’s floating head and was about to snap at her when another wave of notifications blew in front of my vision.
Bond system Error…
Bond Overhaul initiated… Abyssal Detected. Draconic Serpent Detected. Voidborn Detected… Working…
Skills altered.
New Shared Skill!
Abyss Manipulation.
Stare in the Abyss and it will stare back.
“You broke something!” I hissed at the head.
The Queen spun back towards me and snapped, “How did I break something? You’re the one who exists!”
“Whatever your Soul crushing thing did to me, it clearly broke my brain and I said something in a language that I don’t know! And clearly not supposed to know without certain requirements!”
“Do you mean the muttering in Draconic that you were doing? You have a Dragon Bond, I thought you’d know. You are at Bond Level III, right?”
“NO I AM NOT!”
“Ah. Shit.”
Due to certain circumstances, you and your Party are undergoing Race changes.
“WHAT THE HELL DO YOU MEAN I’M GETTING A RACE CHANGE?” Treia shrieked, clearly getting the same notification.
Her aunt looked at her in confusion. “Race change- WAIT WHAT?”
I watched the next notifications fly by with growing horror until the last part as Treia and her aunt yelled at one another, neither of them understanding what the other was saying.
Race Change (Minor) : Miana Andromeda
Lightning-Ice Draconic Serpent -> Abyss Blizzard Serpent (Lightning Attuned)
Race Change (Major) : Treia Kia
Human (Elven Heritage) -> Windborn Voidling (Elven Heritage)
Race Change (Minor) : Jason Androme-
Error! Cannot change Race : Voidborn Abyssal!
Compensation Required!
+ 10 Levels
+ Partial Draconic Form
Bond Altered.
Current Bond Level : II
Your Bond can now communicate with you through thoughts.
You can now use the Manipulation Skills your Bond has, albeit at 50% effectiveness.
The Bond between your Souls has been deepened…
Treia glared at me next. “What did she do to you-”
Her next words cut out from the scream that ripped out of her throat.
***
Treia had no idea what was happening to her as she felt her body picked up while Jason yelled at someone in the background. All she knew was that whatever that was happening, it was her aunt’s fault. Yes, she’d pin it on her aunt. Treia was that petty.
Anyways, her body was burning like a torch and she processed a notification before ignoring it after a second of trying and failing to look at it. She’d managed to keep herself from screaming anymore than she’d already been. She was barely able to keep her mouth shut, but once she managed to, she felt the burning sensation began to subside and she was able to take a breath.
“Thank the gods,” she heard her aunt mutter. “Wait, why can’t I [Identify] her?”
“I can Eye her perfectly fine. You just have an inferior version of my Skill. She’s a Voidling now. Windborn Voidling (Elven Heritage), to be exact,” she heard Jason snap.
Jason’s in the same room as my aunt? And what’s a Voidling? And why does Jason smell like apple pie? How do I know that smell is Jason? Why does he smell like my favorite food?
“Now, like I said before, this is your fault, woman,” Jason said. “You just had to mess with my brain and now she’s some sort of abomination-” He stopped mid-sentence. “Well… not really an abomination. She still looks like Treia. Definitely sounds like her. Doesn’t smell like her though, according to Mia.”
Mia, who she assumed was the one who was sitting on her lap, chirped.
“Ahem, ‘The Great and Glorious Bond, Miana Andromeda’,” Jason responded, definitely rolling his eyes. The image of that seemed more vivid than it should’ve been.
Why does every little thing about him seem… improved upon?
She felt a hand tap her forehead, but she couldn’t move her eyelids. She knew it was Jason since the smell of pie grew stronger. Resisting the urge to sniff as much as she could, she let out a soft groan as he touched her.
“Don’t touch her!” her aunt snapped. “She’s clearly in pain!”
“Doesn’t explain why she’s not complaining about Mia being on her lap. Also, when did you adopt my last name, you pint sized Dragon?” He paused. “That doesn’t even make sense!” Pause. “You have a flawed sense of ‘makes sense’, young lady.”
“Are… you talking… to Mia?” Treia managed to croak out, barely opening her eyes.
Immediately, her aunt’s eyes snapped to her and she leaned over her. “Treia Kia, what on Aurora were you doing with an Abyssal?”
“Why? Didn’t you say you’d give Jason a safe place to stay?” Treia said quietly.
“Before I knew he was an Abyssal!”
“You said the same thing for Abyssals.”
Her aunt sputtered random gibberish for a good seven seconds, even her Tier 5 brain struggling to come up with a rebuttal. Treia then looked over to Jason.
“This is her fault, right?” she asked.
“Entirely,” he grinned.
Before she could stop herself, she sniffed and said, “Also, you smell really good for some reason.”
“I know I do,” he responded, unfazed.
Treia looked up at him, an unfamiliar feeling bubbling up in her chest. No, no, no. I cannot. I will not. He’s not even a Prince-
She smiled up at him, that smile holding two different meanings.
***
I opened my eyes to Mia cuddling next to me. I laughed lightly as she looked up.
I rubbed her head, smiling. “Sure, little one.”
“Yeah. You have a gigantic ego, that’s for sure.”
Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author's preferred platform and support their work!
She glared at me. Mia had changed… a lot since her Race change. Her horns, for one, now had a dark streak through them, and they pulsed whenever she used magic. Whenever she grew frustrated, her eyes would grow a dark slit of black. Her Draconic Form now had black scales that went down the length of her body.
I’d also changed a bit from our Bond Level II (Why that and her Evolution Level used Roman numerals, I couldn’t understand for the life of me). For one, I’d gotten light yellow and white streaks on my horns, something Mia kept saying looked better than straight black.
Sighing, I twirled Abyss between my fingers absentmindedly while Mia pressed against me, content. Looking through the window, I watched the sun rise slowly, not much running through my head.
Eventually, there was a knock on the door and a tired voice, clearly Xaila, said, “I’d advise getting up. Auntie still wants answers.”
Groaning, I said back, “Well, waiting a bit isn’t going to kill her. I’m tired from making a portal that stretches so far. I almost ran outta Mana.”
“Up.”
Ignoring her, I pulled Mia a bit closer. For another ten minutes, we stayed there, Mia snuggled up next to me.
Finally, I sighed.
“We should get up before that insane Queen barges in here like a derailed train,” I mumbled.
Mia paused to understand that image.
I sat up, nearly dislodging her as she scrambled to get her hold back. “Plus, you need a bath. No stinky Mia for me!”
~~~
I yawned, side-eyeing the King. He, for all his sparkles, wasn’t very King-ly as he downed wine like some sort of drainage pipe. He, like the Queen, was a bit out-going, to say the least. The two of them argued like an old couple, but seeing as they were probably nearly triple my age, even though the Queen looked like she was only 19, it made sense.
Treia sat in silence on the opposite of the table from me, picking at her plate absentmindedly. She hadn’t changed much physically from becoming whatever a Voidling was, though there were some solid black streaks in her hair that reminded me of quills that she’d pick at. Internally, however, it was a different story. She was filled to the brim with Void Mana, and whenever I prodded it, she’d flinch like someone touched her.
Maybe it’s kinda like me. My physical body is filled with both Void and Abyss, though if it’s messed with around me, like if I use Void or Abyss Manipulation, I only get a tiny tingle, I thought. Maybe it’s a bit more than that to her, since she’s new to her body.
I frowned. No, that can’t be it. I lived in a Human body for 17 years, but when my body was shifted to an Abyssal body, I didn’t feel tingly. Maybe… I never had a Human body to begin with? That would be another mystery my mother has in store.
Xaila poked my side. “What’re you thinking about?”
I blinked. “Huh? Oh, Treia’s body.”
Xaila froze in place. I stared at her as I realized how bad that sounded.
“I mean, she’s not used to Void, however it feels like Mia’s just prodding my mind to me. She flinches whenever I use my Manipulation Skill for it on her. So I’m wondering that maybe the same tingle I get from Void and Abyss is multiplied for her to feel like she’s being poked or something.”
Xaila shook her head. “Don’t be so blunt about things. Wait, you have Void Manipulation?”
“Duh. I’m Voidborn, Leah- er, Xaila,” I said back, stumbling over her name.
She rolled her eyes before shoving a few pieces of bacon into her mouth. “Riiight. I definitely knew you were Voidborn, whatever that is.”
“Exactly what it sounds like. I was born from… wait, if my thought process is right-”
“Eat food.” She shoved a piece of bread into my mouth. “And shut up.”
She swallowed and stuck her tongue out at me. I shook my head and bit into the bread, glancing at Treia again. She quickly looked back at her food and I shrugged.
“Alright, that’s enough blabbing in whatever language that is. I know you just want answers, though you’re not getting all of them,” I said to the Queen.
Xaila immediately stabbed my hand with a fork and I gave her a flat look as it went half a centimeter into it. I slowly pulled it out, watched the skin heal, and threw it at her. She caught it out of the air while glaring at me.
The Queen and King, however, just looked at me curiously.
“That’d be nice to know-”
“Don’t you need to pick your Level 50 Class, Jason?” Treia suddenly interrupted, giving me a quizzical look. The King looked at her with slight annoyance.
I blinked. “Ah. That can wait. Doesn’t really matter at the moment.”
She gave me a long look before sighing. “Sure.”
I was tempted to snap back as annoyance nearly overtook my reason, but I simply shrugged. “What? I don’t want to accidentally choose the wrong-”
Class Upgrade timer has run out!
New Class automatically selected!
New Class Acquired!
Voidborn Abyssal Prince II (Unique)
You have taken another step towards your throne. Let the Void and Abyss be yours to control.
+ 2 Skills
+ 60% Void and Abyss Damage Bonus
+ 8 All Stats per Level
+ 18 Free Stats per Level
Congratulations! You have reached the Second Milestone to your road of becoming a Voidborn Abyssal King. Due to this, you have gained +50% all Effective Stats. Your next Milestone will be reached at Level 100.
I stopped in the middle of my sentence as Treia gave me a smug look. I glared at her. “There was a timer next to my name in the Party, wasn’t there?”
She nodded.
“You little shit, you’re worse than my sisters,” I grumbled.
Xaila looked at me curiously. “You have siblings?”
“Yeah. And a cousin who wants to marry me. Apparently, at least. She’s pretty transparent-”
A flash of silver popped in my vision and I dropped myself through a portal without thinking, the fork flying over my head. I dropped back onto the ground in the same place I was, chair and all.
“Got it,” I grumbled, glaring at the Queen. “Also-”
Quest Completed!
The Leveling Escapade
Current Levels : Jason - 57 Leah - 59
Rewards : Abyssal Platinum (Jason), ??? (Leah)
A chunk of shining metal dropped onto Mia’s lap and she blinked, looking at it in confusion. I Eyed it.
Abyssal Platinum - Tier 4
A Bar of Platinum filled to the brim with Abyssal Energies. Can be used to forge weapons or can be used as a transmutation material.
Approx. Value : 40 Tier 5 Mana Stones
“Woah,” I said. “That’s a lot of money.”
The King’s eyes bulged. “Is that… Platinum?”
“Abyssal Platinum,” I responded, reaching into my room to pull my sword out. “Ah, my still unnamed sword. What a beauty. Well, here goes about all my Mana.”
Right before I was about to start the transmutation, a hand flashed below me and the Platinum was half off my lap when I activated my partial Avatar and grabbed the King’s wrist as he tried to snatch it.
“What do you think you’re doing?” I snarled.
He froze in place as I felt my jaw split down the middle, my Draconic Form activating involuntarily. Dark scales ran down my arms and my hands turned into talons that broke through his skin, drawing blood. Spikes pushed out of my elbows as spines grew from my back, ripping through my clothes and the chair alike. In all, I looked like something out of the Abyss.
My two separate jawbones, which I presumed were permanent, clicked together ominously as the King stared up at me in horror. Mia looked up at me with wide, yet excited eyes as I showed off my Draconic Form. The Queen, who’d barely had time to react, looked over to her husband with a disdainful look, ignoring my transformation. Treia just looked confused as she studied me.
“Wha- release me!” the King hissed, glaring at me. “You don’t deserve this!”
I pressed my sword against the Platinum again and began to Transmute it. Immediately, nearly 40000 mana rushed out of me and into the sword as it absorbed the entire bar, leaving the King’s hand empty. Xaila leaned over to look at the sword as it began to change, eyebrows raised.
The sword took on a silver sheen on the edges and nearly doubled in weight, feeling a bit more comfortable. I pressed a Tier 4 Mana Crystal against it and the rest of my Mana rushed out of me, flowing into the sword. Ignoring the massive headache, I lifted the sword as it finished warping.
The blade had now become the light gray of the Platinum mixed with a bit of the obsidian, with the black obsidian itself lining the edges. The metal seemed to bend in different directions at the hilt, like two one sided blades on one hilt, before wrapping around itself in the middle, leaving a gap of air in between the tip and center of the two blades. It balanced perfectly in my hand, letting me swing it with little resistance. I then looked over the new description.
[Name Pending] Sword Type - Level 75 | Tier Growth
These blades have been fused to one hilt, made with Abyssal Platinum and Ice Attuned Obsidian. It was infused with not just Abyss, but Void as well. The weapon’s special skill has been altered to [Prodigy II] which has 12 charges and will constantly be infused with Destruction (Void/Abyss), which will do the same amount of damage regardless of resistances. When used with an Avatar, this blade will release four extra slashes, each doing 30% of the original damage. All Void/Abyss skills channeled through this weapon will work with increased effect.
Recharge time : 30 Min or 19200 Mana
Damage : 5000 - 10000 damage
+ 80% Abyss/Void Damage bonus when on person
+ 40% Abyss/Void Skill Effectiveness
Skill : Prodigy II
When used, increases Damage Dealt by all means for 2 minutes. (Exponential)
Damage Increase : 15%
Max Stacks : 12
I nodded, trying to deactivate the Draconic Form. The scales slowly disappeared along with the spikes and spines, but I could still feel that, even if my jaw looked like one bone, it was actually two. Sighing, I let go of the dumbfounded King and grinned.
“Cool sword, huh?” I said, sheathing it. “I’m going to assume you just wanted to be the first to see.”
He stared at the sword, nearly hacking up something from his throat. “You just wasted one of the most valuable resources in Aurora! How could you-”
“Enough of that,” the Queen said sternly. “He can use his weapons however he’d like. Since it’s a Growth Weapon, it’s not a waste. Speaking of it, where did you even manage to find that?”
I was about to answer before Mia mentally slapped me.
She shook her head. “That’s no fun, little Dragon. You can’t always protect his mind.”
Mia waved her arms, making a series of warbles, chirps, yips, and growls at the Queen, annoyed.
***
Treia sat next to Jason in the library, flipping through books with a growing scowl. Why was there nothing on her Race? She was sure they had to be related to Abyssals in some way, for her to feel the way she did towards Jason.
Jason snored next to her with Mia also dead asleep on top of him, the bean bag cushioning his body. His jaw would occasionally split apart and snap back closed, causing anyone who went anywhere near him to stop and stare at him in horror.
As Treia grew more and more aggravated at finding nothing, the black spines in her hair rose until they were completely erect on her head.
Jason turned over, his back to Treia as she opened another book, finally giving up.
“Alright, Dungeons…” she grumbled, leaning over so she could breathe in more of Jason’s scent, which was progressively getting stronger. “Let’s see…”