Alex settled into his new office chair, tablet in hand. Near the window, to Alex’s left, Val lazed on his cat tree. The wyrm would occasionally flick his tail fins to catch the rays of sunlight streaming in from the windows.
Smiling up at his companion, Alex watched as the small creature fought to keep its eyes open.
Look like a lazy cat on a windowsill. I wonder how big you’re gonna get, buddy.
While he hadn’t directly sent the thought through their bond, Valtherion must have noticed as he sent a sense of smug satisfaction through their bond along with the mental image of a building.
Shit, you better not get that big.
The office itself was still a work in progress, but Alex was happy to have brought the tree with them in the move. Val seemed to really enjoy circling it and resting on the many different levels available. It didn’t exactly match the absurdly expensive house, but Alex didn’t really care.
The dark wooden bookshelves lined both walls, and though most of the shelves remained empty, Alex was excited to have added his own books up there. Though he’d been making many purchases through the Guild Auction House lately, only the first of those orders had begun to arrive. His introductory texts on runes and magical theory stood out on the empty shelves, but knowing their value made Alex proud to have them.
His desk had several sketches of ritual diagrams and tests for modified versions spread out across it. He hadn’t set up his desktop computer since the move, but his new laptop rested on top of the various doodles and schematics.
Alex leaned back in his chair and looked around his new workspace. His mind worked at a rapid pace, thinking through all the things that he could jump into. He looked over at his whiteboard and checked out his priority list.
Should probably just focus on a few at a time.
Researching Val’s advancement is a priority. Practice with [Mirage] and check out one of the new Rune Manuals is a close second place. Then, I really need to tinker with [Ritual Insight] if there’s time.
“What do you think, Val? Too ambitious?”
The small wyrm cracked open his eye and looked down at Alex before blinking lazily.
“You’re right. Might as well try!” He opened the Guild app, and navigated to the forums. He’d bookmarked an article the day before to do some research on Val’s advancement. Eura had mentioned that things were done differently for companions, and Alex didn’t want to be unprepared for the process.
He found the bookmarked section and opened “Classes and Advancements for You and Your Companion.”
It grated his nerves a bit to see Rylan’s name at the top of the article, but he also knew that meant that the information was likely accurate.
I still want to know where he’s getting his information from. Elana said it was something granted to him by the System. Maybe an item or a way to communicate with someone who knows the System?
There was a smaller name under Rylan’s, crediting the person who actually sat down and wrote the article.
“Hey, Val. Want to read something interesting?” Alex asked. Valtherion’s head perked up, and the wyrm glided over. He coiled around Alex’s shoulder and peered at the screen, his small fishlike head bobbing almost like a snake.
“What reading?”
Reading helps us learn, which will make us both stronger.
Alex started reading aloud, even though Val could just listen to his thoughts. “Monsters have five tiers. Tier I - V, where they can advance every thirty levels.”
He knew they were both level 26, but he looked at Val and pulled up his Status Window, regardless.
Status
Name: Valtherion - Level 26
Race: Mana Wyrm (Tier 1)
HP: 350/350
MP: 1100/550
Traits: (1/6)
{Mana Glutton}
Physical Stats:
Strength: 5
Agility: 12
Constitution: 35
Vitality: 37
Magical Stats:
Intellect: 43
Willpower: 40 + 151
Mana: 55
Wisdom: 46
Bond Skills:
[Mana Infusion] (Novice - Level 16)
Primary Stat Shared - Willpower
Active Skills:
[Mana Siphon] (Novice - Level 18)
[Create Lesser Illusion] (Novice - Level 12)
Passive Skills:
[Magical Resistance] (Tier 1)
Alex dismissed the window and continued to read through the post. “As monsters or bonded companions approach level 30, they enter a preparatory phase for advancement. This usually begins around level 27, varying by the creature. During this time, they’ll sleep more as their bodies ready themselves for evolution.”
He glanced at Val.
Guess that does make sense. You’ve been sleeping a lot the last few days, huh?
“In the wild, monsters at this stage embark on a final hunt, seeking either powerful prey or rare, mana-rich natural treasures. This ‘hunt’ is crucial, as consuming these powerful sources of mana or spirit energy triggers the actual advancement process.
“For domesticated beasts or bonded companions, their human partners can provide this mana source. Once consumed, the beast enters a short hibernation to digest and convert the item’s power. Upon emerging, they reach level 30 and complete their evolution.”
"Nooo! You're going to eat more valuable stuff?!" Alex groaned loudly.
Valtherion cooed loudly and happily at the mention of eating. "Mana! Cookies!"
Alex covered his face with his hands, exasperated but amused.
I told Sarah not to keep giving you Oreos.
"Guess we’ve got to plan ahead," Alex said, scratching Val's head. "Don’t worry buddy, we’ll find you something great to eat."
Val's fins fluttered with excitement at the idea of more food. The little beast was completely oblivious to Alex's concerns or the idea of quality, only focused on the idea of more.
He continued reading. "The advancement strengthens the monster, grants new abilities, and can alter their appearance. These changes align with the companion's nature and experiences. For instance, a canine creature living near, or constantly in, water might develop aquatic adaptations over time, but won't suddenly sprout gills in one evolution. Likewise, feeding a neutral element companion a rare fire material or beast, could lead to them gaining a fire affinity. Choose the source carefully!"
Alex nodded, absorbing the information. "The type of mana source consumed can influence the evolution path," he read aloud. "So we'll need to be a bit picky to help shape your growth, buddy."
He grabbed his leather notebook and began to jot down key points from the article. The section about bond benefits particularly caught his attention. “Listen to this part, Val. 'When you bond with a companion, you get half of their highest stat, and they receive half of your highest stat. The bond also grants access to each other's highest-level skill, which can be changed once per tier.'”
Val nudged Alex’s cheek with his forehead.
This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.
“Share power is good. Stronger.”
“Yeah, though your [Mana Siphon] has been really useful. Not sure I want to change that. Same with you having [Mana Infusion], when I’m distracted, you have been able to give me your mana.” He winced as he checked his own skill levels and remembered that [Mana Infusion] was his lowest-level Novice skill besides [Feather Step]. “I need to get some of these up.”
“Weak.”
“Hey, hey, hey. We need to get you on a training schedule here soon, too. You can’t be slacking while the rest of us train. We need to work on your illusion skill. If you really are going to be getting bigger, we need a way to get you around with me without drawing everyone’s attention.”
Alex continued reading, making notes about racial progression and evolution paths. The post emphasized how changes needed to make sense for the monster’s race. No sudden or drastic alterations that didn’t align with their nature or the upgrade material.
So since he’s a mana wyrm, he’ll need mana material that makes-
Alex’s hand drifted to his spatial pouch, where the Rare D-Rank Material from the Epic Rarity Rift was stored. He’d almost forgotten about it with everything that had happened since.
That would definitely qualify as a “powerful source of mana.”
He glanced at Val, who was still contentedly perched on his shoulder. The wyrm had been invaluable during their time in the Celestial Rift, and their bond had only grown stronger since.
It’s got to be worth another fortune, though…
Still, the thought nagged at him. He wanted Valtherion to grow strong, and it would be worth a small fortune to see his companion thrive. Val was approaching level 30, and they needed to be prepared. Having a material like the Mana Pearl already in hand was reassuring, even if he wanted to look for alternatives first.
Maybe I can browse the Auction House and see what mana-infused items are available. We’ve got a few levels to figure it out, but with him getting so sleepy and growing, I’ve got to imagine he’s close to being ready to evolve.
He scratched the top of Val’s head gently. The wyrm’s evolution was too important to leave to chance. If they couldn’t find something more suitable, the Rare D Rank material would ensure the best possible chance at a powerful evolution.
A knock at the cracked door interrupted his research. “Alex?” Sam called through the door. “Gabby wanted me to remind you lunch is ready in ten minutes.”
“Thanks, Sam!” Alex made sure the post was still bookmarked before opening a new tab and opening Google.
Let’s see what else we can find about wyrms. I remember it being some kind of snake or baby dragon from other fantasy stuff, but maybe there’s some more accurate information since the Rifts have appeared.
The search results were disappointing. Mostly, the results showed old fantasy games or fiction stories where wyrms were referenced. He started to get a bit concerned when he realized that almost every article hinted that wyrms were somehow distantly related to dragons.
Alex stopped and sat up a bit straighter. He slowly turned his head to look at Val.
Big bug eyes and a fish face looked back at him with teeth from his lower jaw jutting up. Alex couldn’t help but think his bond looked goofy and a bit dopey.
Nahhhhhh….
…
Nope.
He closed the tab and stood. Taking a breath, he prepared to call out for Edwin, wanting the butler’s help.
The door opened before he could even speak. “Did you need something, Master Moore? This trait is quite useful.”
Alex’s train of thought was so interrupted by his early entry, that it took him a moment to collect his thoughts and actually get out the request.
“Yeah, that’s going to take some getting use to. I wanted to know if you have come across any books or articles about monster evolution in your reading the last few days?”
Edwin nodded slightly. “As a matter of fact, I have been researching various magical phenomena. In particular, I’ve tried to research magical monsters, though that has been with a focus on monsters you and the others might encounter in the Rifts. It has not focused on companions. I could prioritize that material if you’d like?”
“That would be great, thanks.”
“No need to thank me, Master Moore.”
Alex grinned. “I’m going to grab some lunch. Coming, Val?”
In the kitchen, Gabby handed him a plate of grilled chicken over diced potatoes and roasted vegetables.
“Don’t let it get cold this time,” She warned with a knowing look.
Alex glanced at Sam, who was sitting on the opposite side of the counter, grinning. He rolled his eyes and thanked Gabby before walking back to the office.
Seated back at his desk, Alex set the plate aside on a corner and opened his notebook back up. He flipped through the pages and found a section where he’d been working on a new application of [Mirage].
Lunch can wait a few minutes.
He stood and walked to the center of the office, and focused on his core. Alex drew on the mana and activated his [Mirage] Skill through the System.
The skill shattered almost instantly as he let his focus shift to an idea that popped into his head.
“Hey, Edwin!” He stuck his head into the hallway. “Can you bring me a mirror? Just from one of the rooms is fine.”
A few minutes later, Edwin was helping him prop a tall mirror against one of the bookshelves so that it faced toward the room. He thanked Edwin and returned to the center of the room. Activating [Mirage] again, he felt the mana drain from his core.
This time, he watched his reflection carefully with the Heavenly Eye. The pattern of mana moved in such a complex way, and so quickly, he felt his mouth open in surprise.
Fuck. That’s crazy. I guess a Journeyman-level skill is no joke. I really need to look more into how this normal kind of magic, Spellcasting, works. It might help me a lot to learn how the mana flows. Could I mix incantations or something similar in with rituals?
He practiced for a time, activating the skill, watching how the mana moved, and taking notes in his journal. When he was almost out of mana, he held the last illusion and continued on with his original training plan.
While in the Celestial Rift, he’d barely used the advanced skill and hadn’t put much thought into how he’d continue to advance with it. He brainstormed for a time while waiting for his mana to regenerate, and decided that he wanted to allow the illusion to move more freely. That way, if he needed it as a distraction or to fool someone, he could use more than the stationary image.
Through directed concentration, he could get the image to move. Making that movement seem natural was proving to be challenging even with his high Willpower stat. He used [Parallel Mind] to see if having one set of his consciousness focus on watching the illusion while the other focused on directing it increased his odds at success, but if anything, his attempts were more sloppy.
While stationary, the skill directed the mana and captured his appearance perfectly. Making it move through his own mana manipulation was the challenge. Alex concentrated, training to make it duplicate his walk from one end of the room to the other. The movement was far too stiff and mechanical. It reminded him of a puppet being moved by strings from above. He tried to adjust it, focusing on the subtle shift of weight from heel to toe. Focusing on only what was necessary at this stage, he didn’t even bother with the swing of arms or movement of its head.
I feel like I should look up some of those multi-frame images I used to draw with frame by frame animation. A lot more goes into that natural movement than I remember.
Val watched with interest, flying circles around the illusion. Alex muttered under his breath, tweaking small parts of the mana as he did.
“The shoulders are so tight. Nobody walks with their shoulders that rigid.”
After a half hour of practice, Alex had managed to create a somewhat natural walking motion, but maintaining it required his complete concentration. The moment his focus wavered, the illusion would revert to robotic movements or freeze entirely.
Combat use will definitely have to wait on this one.
His mana was reaching levels that threatened a migraine, and his stomach rumbled, reminding him he hadn’t eaten lunch. He returned to the desk and found his now-cold lunch waiting for him. With a sigh, Alex drew a small heating ritual under the plate and sprinkled some ash from his pouch around the outer ring, carefully regulating the temperature.
I’ve gotten pretty good with these small utility rituals. Largely thanks to my class. Speaking of which…
Alex considered his own upcoming class advancement as he took a bite out of the now-warm food.
He had to admit that even with his poor use of the skill, the largest advantage of the class was [Ritualist Insight]. While the [Efficient Rites] passive was also great, and he knew that it reduced the mana cost by a significant amount, it was something that just happened and wasn’t something he noticed now. Without the active skill though, he’d never have understood enough about ritual mechanics to modify the circles. Still, he couldn’t help but wonder what other options might be available when he eventually got offered an advancement.
Wanting to stay productive, Alex pushed aside the idle thoughts of future classes and thought to his next task. Reading runes would be a good use of his time while his mana continued to recharge.
Then, maybe I could practice [Mirage] some more or spend some time messing with Ritual schematics.
Standing, Alex walked to the bookshelves, running his fingers along the spines of his small but growing collection. He selected one of the new rune manuals titled “Basic Runic Theory and Practice.” He returned to his desk and looked at the book and his plate. Unwilling to risk food to get on his new prized possession, he grabbed the small pouch of mana dust that was stashed within his spatial pouch. Using his mana, he moved the plate to the side before setting the book down. He then used the threads to turn to the first chapter while continuing to eat.
The basic runes seemed simple enough at first glance. They were almost all straight lines and curves combining to form fundamental magical concepts. At first, it reminded him of some basic ritual concepts about how shapes combined to form a balanced mana flow. But as Alex read deeper, he began to appreciate the complexity. Each rune had specific rules about placement and interaction with others. A rune for 'strengthen' placed above one for 'barrier' would reinforce a shield, but the same rune placed below might cause the barrier to become brittle.
"More reading?" Val asked, eyeing the manual.
"Always," Alex replied, taking another bite. "The more we learn, the stronger we get. And when you're ready for that evolution..." He grinned at his companion. "We'll make sure it's something special."
Val's fins fluttered with excitement. "Will be strong. Help Alex and friends more."
Alex smiled, turning another page with his mana thread. The next section covered elemental runes, and he found himself wondering how they might combine with his existing ritual knowledge. The possibilities seemed endless.
Man, I’d love to enchant some items.
He shrugged, though. The thought of studying magic was enough to excite him, and he doubted that any amount of studying would deter him from applying all of his brain power to the topic.
Damn, I can do real magic.
It was still a baffling thought, even months after his awakening.
The afternoon sun shifted, casting long shadows across his desk. Alex realized he'd lost track of time, absorbed in his studies. But that was okay—this was exactly what he'd wanted when setting up his office. A place to learn, to grow stronger, to prepare for whatever challenges lay ahead.