Chapter Eleven- Elevation
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Bond Elevation Successful:
Bond has leveled from [lvl 1] -> [lvl 2]. +5 stat points to each section.
Bond type:
Unbreakable, binding, permanent. Unerring. You are two souls combined to create the best versions of your selves. You are equal in capacity, but while dangerous alone, together you are deadly.
Members:
Mark Vanderbilt
Lilliana Katuunka
Bond Skills:
Emotional Connection:
You and your partner can feel each other’s particularly strong feelings.
Bond Communication:
You can speak to your partner through your bond. As they are your thoughts, you can only say what you actually think.
Partner Casting:
You and your partner may combine the effects of your casting. Spells executed in this manner significantly increase in potency, as well as costing slightly less mana for each element.
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Mark was perched on a tree stump by the pond, and though he was half watching the baby dragon as he swam, the majority of his attention was dedicated to the study of bonds. He was, after all, attempting to forge one such bond with a dragon, and the more he could figure out about the methodology of doing so, the better. After the events of the day prior, a new section had been added to the status page, titled ‘Bonds’; The page allowed them to view their bond, as well as any that they might develop later.
The content was fascinating. It certainly provided a bit of support to a theory he and Lilliana had developed about the basic statistics section of the status page. When she had told him about some of what the section entailed, he had taken a closer look. It was then that they discovered that their stat pages were identical. Now both of their pages read a little differently than they had.
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Base Statistics Page:
Vitality: (55/55)
Mana: (95/95)
Agility: 35
Represents the speed at which you can move.
Endurance: 25
Represents both your physical endurance and your ability to use mana in rapid succession. As this statistic increases, you will be able to work longer, and magic will cost less mana to utilize.
Strength: 35
Represents how physically strong you are, as well as the strength of mana used.
Regeneration: 55
Represents how fast your mana will regenerate, as well as how fast you can naturally heal from injuries.
Capacity: 95
How much mana you can hold within you.
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Interesting as the new page and updates to the basic statistics page were, however, it didn’t give him a great deal of insight into how a bond formed, just that theirs, at the very least, could not be broken. Which made him inordinately happy, as his mind drifted once more to what had happened in the moment their bond had leveled. The connection between them torn wide open. Their minds, flowing together as a collective whole. The beauty of it all. The vision of her. The memory filled him, her soft lips, pressed together passionately with his. It had been unlike any kiss Mark had ever shared. Mark had never felt so much love through a singular action, not even with women he had dated for upwards of a year on earth. The passion that had been conveyed should have been impossible. The rate at which their relationship was progressing would be laughable back home. On Earth.
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But fuck what would happen on Earth. It’s not like I'll be going back there anyway! And it was true. Mark and Lilliana had been deposited on an island, in a world completely unknown to them, and their stay there would only be what they made of it. His resolve boosted once more, Mark returned to his task, and searched for a new angle. What if, he thought, the emotional connection is just as important as the one the system establishes? Is that what Novi meant by compatibility? The concept was intriguing. If he could establish an emotional connection with the small dragon, could he create the breakthrough he needed? He had made progress, but it wasn’t sufficient, and it was also steadily dwindling. He checked the bestiary page.
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Bestiary:
Species: Water Dragon
These great beasts prowl bodies of water throughout the layers. As young, they reside in small lakes and rivers, using their affinity for water to their advantage . You have seen individuals of the species use great tact in obtaining their next meal, and observed more individuals of this species than most will likely ever encounter.
Individuals encountered:2
(Infant Water Dragonlet)[Imprinted]
This member of this species has imprinted itself on you.
(Greater Water Dragon)
Size Variation: Highly varied
Diet: Omnivorous, appears to evolve with age.
Umaa hawks[adults], Ami roots [babies]
Intelligence: Significant
These creatures at the very least harbor the capability to make plans and effectively execute them. They can easily complete simple tasks, and
Strengths Observed:
(Maneuverable in water. Can breathe underwater. Observant. Sharp claws. Tough scales. Raw physical strength and size.[depending on age] )
Weaknesses:
(Physically small.[depending on age] Less maneuverable out of water. Highly trusting when young.)
Chance Of Bond Success: 52% [+ 10% Imprint bonus]
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Right now, there was only a 62% chance of the bond initiation being successful. It was better than nothing, and he had actually learned a great deal about the little dragon in his studies, but the system was very particular about the information that it added to the bestiary. So, he would give this new theory a try. How does one go about emotionally connecting with a dragon?
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Lilliana felt the tingle of mana expenditure, and her knife shimmered a dull purple as the health drain curse was applied and it became her very first cursed item. Well, not her first, perse. There was a series of dead leaves in the forest with which she had practiced. She’d used the discombobulate curse first, under the condition that the curse would only be active when someone touched the leaf. That had turned out to be a bit too general it seemed, and she had fallen over immediately after casting the curse. Luckily, beyond a bit of hurt pride, she was fine, and had designed the rest with clauses that specifically did not affect herself or those she cared about. It was funny that that was all she had to do, now. Because she did care for Mark, and for the little dragonlet. And now, she thought with pride, I have the means to defend them better.
Returning the knife to its sheath, she checked her progress, but there was nothing. No level yet, she thought disappointedly, looking at her unchanged status. She decided to go see what Mark was up to. She exited the cabin, and found him sitting cross-legged by the pond. The dragonlet stood next to him. Thin trails of water hovered through the air between the two, spiraling lazily. Mark was in control of the streams, it seemed, and it became very obvious when he relinquished control of them. The little one’s tail twitched in concentration as the streams held in place momentarily, before they faltered, plummeting to the ground, and soaking them both. She didn’t want to interrupt, but she couldn’t not watch. It was a fascinating process, and it reminded her of something. Partner casting. The concept was fascinating to her. Right now, she was pretty sure that a great majority of creatures they had encountered thus far would rip them to shreds in a one on one fight, even with their powers. But the possibilities that partner casting opened…
Lilliana imagined a cursed spear of water hurtling through the air, striking an umaa hawk from the sky, discombobulated and injured. Yes, partner casting opened new avenues for them to be sure. Ideas flew through her mind. Partner casting, she realized, must be how the spirits that had been placed here before them had leveled so fast-- after being here for days, neither she nor mark had leveled even once besides his upgrade to water manipulation, and their bond. They would need to devote themselves to honing their crafts, become masters. They would need to be better than anyone here ever had been. Thus, she made up her mind. She made her way to them, and as they turned to face her, she smiled and plopped down next to them. “Can we try partner casting?” she asked.
“Sure,” he responded. “What’d you have in mind?
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Mark groaned. "Now we just need to see if it works,” she had said. Oh, it works all right, he thought now. Confusion had hit his senses like a truck, overwhelming him with laughable ease. His thoughts were like mud, thick and sticky, and his limbs responded discordantly. Suddenly, it was gone, he snapped back to normal. “We are not testing that on me again,” he stated, the words filled with finality. “It’s definitely powerful enough, and the health drain one will probably kill us if we try it on ourselves.” She had won this game the first time, but he was not having any of it now. Her grin as she looked down at him caused him to shiver. “I’m serious!” he said. She pouted at him, and he shivered for an entirely different reason. Determined to hold his ground he reaffirmed his decision. “No.” The pout grew even deeper. “Damnit Lilliana, we’re not doing this again.” They moved simultaneously for the waterskin, which was now filled with cursed water they had generated.
Thankfully he got to it first, and he held it up out of her reach as she skidded to a halt in front of him, eyes wide at how the tables had turned. “Let’s think about this carefully, Mark,” she said placatingly. “Neither one of us had any idea it would be like that! There’s no need to take this out on me-- eep!” The water splashed over her and she toppled into the lake. He dropped the waterskin, diving in after her as the dragonlet watched from the sidelines, chewing on a root. She came back to herself as he was dragging them both onto the bank. As they collapsed in the grass, soaking wet, they began laughing. Her wet hair glistened in the sun, and a new feeling filtered between them through their emotional connection. Happiness, maybe, he thought. Contentment?