Mirai brought her hands together, [Soul Coin] in one hand and her [Essence of Time] in the other, fusing them.

The coin was now blue and transparent, like glass. She could feel energy emanating off of it.

[Soul Coin] has fused with [Essence of Time]!

What skill or ability will you invest in?

Closing her eyes, she felt her pulse speed up. “Swordsmanship.”

She felt an odd floaty sensation and was tempted to open her eyes, but a system screen appeared in her mind.

[Swordsmanship] wants to combine with:

[Parry], [Slash], [Stab], [Palm Strike], [Kick], [Water Blast], and [Deep Focus].

This requires completion of a [Mastery Challenge].

Do you Accept?

The only skills and abilities not combining were her [Moonlit Strike] skill, [Inventory], and the curse.

Yes!

For a split second, Mirai felt like laundry as a force took hold of her, wringing her out like wet clothes, and then it was over.

She felt solid ground beneath her, but it wasn’t stone. It was dirt. She opened her eyes and took in her new surroundings, rising to her feet.

In front of her, a lake sat undisturbed, reflecting the moon and a few scant clouds. The water sparkled like crystal in the moonlight, surrounded by rocky cliffs and sparse forest. Behind her, a path led away from the lake and into a dark grove of trees.

A bright beam of moonlight shone down from above, highlighting the ground at the edge of the lake, and something fell from the sky, highlighted in the column of light.

The column of light faded, leaving a small, pale blue seed sitting on the dirt. She approached, picking it up and turning it in her fingers. A familiar connection established itself between the seed and her core.

It was [Swordsmanship]. The seed glimmered and she could feel an awareness within it coming awake, brushing against her core.

She smiled down at it. “It’s nice to meet you. Officially, at least.”

The seed shone with its own greeting, but the crack of a branch drew her attention and she spun towards the dark forest. There were many shadows shifting among the trees. She noticed her sword and glaive were both stabbed into the ground not far away, so she ran towards the weapons. A few of the shadows emerged from the trees, stepping out into the moonlight.

Skeletons… of course, just what she needed. More skeletons.

She glanced down at the seed clutched against her chest. “Really? I think I’ve had enough of these bone-heads for one lifetime.”

If a seed could laugh, then her little seed was laughing. A feeling of warmth brushed against her core.

She reached for the two weapons, ultimately grabbing the sword and twirled it in her hand. Three skeletons bumbled out of the woods, then three more behind them. Out of reflex, she reached into her core for her skills. She could already see an opportunity to [Parry] and follow it with [Slash], but…

Her core was empty. There wasn’t a single skill there.

She took a breath, steadying herself, and clutched the seed in her hand.

Its warmth encouraged her. You can do this.

It had no words, only intentions, but those intentions were clear enough. She held the sword at the ready, watching the skeletons approach. Even without her skills, she could still use the openings they created.

This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

She moved as quickly as she could, attacking and moving on, leaving no opportunity for the skeletons to strike back at her. She slashed down at the neck of one, circling the blade around to slash upward at another. Her movements were fluid and precise, dancing along the shore of the lake. Energy welled within her core, empowering her strikes as she moved. She couldn’t tell if they were slowing down, or she was speeding up.

[Swordsmanship] has gained the side effect [Faces of the Moon].

Side Effect: [Faces of the Moon]

* Chains of successful attacks temporarily increase damage and perception. While [Faces of the Moon] is active, combos of higher amounts will increase the buff, up to a maximum of eight attacks.

* Aspect: Moon

* Duration: 30 seconds

* Cost: NA

* Cooldown: 1 minute

The screen flashed in her mind, but she dismissed it, finding that she already knew what it had to tell her. Two more skeletons emerged from the forest ahead of her, wielding bows, but to her, they were moving in slow motion—easy targets. She glanced back, adding up her attacks so far.

Perfect, two more.

Her sword wasn’t physically heavier, but she could feel the skill enhancing her damage as she struck the skeletons. Her blade sliced cleanly through their necks and bows.

On the final strike, [Faces of the Moon] deactivated, and she felt her sense of time quickly snap back to normal. The two archer skeletons collapsed and the remaining skeletons stumbled, some falling to the ground.

She gazed at the seed in her hand, clutching it tightly. “Thank you.”

Then, all the skeletons disintegrated in puffs of ash. Mirai held her sword at the ready, knowing that her challenge had only just begun. Sure enough, she heard the crunch of booted feet as five more skeletons appeared.

She gasped, stepping back. These weren’t the normal, fumbly ones. This was the second form of the Amalgamation. Their bones were grey and their movements were fluid. Their weapons were tinted green and their eyes glowed with magic, tracking her movements. They moved in sync, barring swords and axes as they stalked her.

The seed pulsed against her chest once, then again, drawing her attention.

The glaive.

She glanced towards her other weapon, embedded in the ground behind her, then back at the seed. It wasn’t using words, only simple ideas, but she could understand it all the same. She sighed, placing her trust in the little thing, and ran back towards her glaive. The skeletons took this as their cue and charged.

She dropped the sword and laid both hands on the weapon, holding the seed as best as she could between the palm of her hand and the pole of the glaive. Her seed pulsed, and she felt energy flood her core once again.

[Swordsmanship] has gained the Skill [Tidal Slash].

Skill: [Tidal Slash]

* A ranged spell attack that launches an arc of water from the tip of a blade, slashing enemies with the power of the tides.

* Aspect: Water

* Cost: 10 Mana

* Cooldown: 1 minute

She activated the skill and channeled its energy into the glaive. The blade at its end began to glow blue, surrounded by magic, and with this new power at her fingertips, she smiled.

With a slash, she unleashed the skill and a large blade of water shot outwards, manifesting as a wide arc of water. It rumbled like a wave in the ocean, with its sharp edge glistening and blue.

All the skeletons were within its range, and the blue magic cleaved every single one, cut like paper. She looked on in disbelief, staring at the piles of bones.

The fight against the Amalgamation had been a bitter one, especially in that second form. Even with her new glaive, she had barely damaged them, chipping away at them one blow at a time. Her skills were enough to keep them off of her, but were some close calls. She still remembered the blade slicing past her nose, trimming a bit of her hair. She remembered the smell of rot infused into the blade.

Now she was level two, and the Amalgamation was no longer a threat.

That took a moment to sink in. She was level two now.

She clutched the seed in her hand, turning back towards the lake. A small breeze rushed across it, sending a cascade of ripples across the water. The moon overhead glowed radiantly. In the center of the lake, a bit of mist moved, revealing an island in the center of the lake and a narrow wooden bridge leading to it from the shore.

“Will I need a weapon?” She asked, looking down at the little speck of vitality in her palm.

That’s up to you.

Mirai nodded, glancing between the glaive and the sword. She didn’t need to carry a weapon, she just felt naked without it. Every few moments, she’d be reaching to her side, checking for it, and every time she’d feel that spike of panic when it wasn’t there. Knowing it might be ridiculous, she grabbed her sword and the sheath lying next to it, and buckled it to her side.

She huffed, glancing sidelong at her little seed. She swore she could feel a trickle of mirth coming from it.

“What can I say? It just feels right.”

Quite so.

“Shall we?”

Please.

She raised an eyebrow at her little seed, smiling at its nascent personality. Beginning the trek towards the wooden bridge, she clutched it to her chest.

Thank you, little one. This changes everything.

The seed thrummed in response, proud and happy. She felt a flash of intentions and feelings from it, but it just didn’t have the means to communicate the depth of what it wanted.

Together.

~~~~~~~~~~

Check out the Stats Page for this Chapter here