"I must say that you exceeded my expectations," The Guardian says, raising her head. "You have treated over thirty thousand in just under two years. I thought it would have taken you longer," The Guardian pauses for a moment. "This feat would have been a legendary feat had you been able to do everything yourself, but that would have meant taking much, much, longer, at least five years, and likely longer."

"You put everyone in stasis, didn't you?" I ask, "They never seemed to change; it's as if time slowed for them," I clarify.

The Dragon nods.

"You wished for them to not see your suffering; I merely granted it. Besides, taking this on yourself as much as you can makes the achievement that much greater."

"It's going to be corrupted, so what's the point in how great it is?" I say pessimistically.

"The achievement itself won't be, only potential evolutions," The Guardian corrects me with a gentle and understanding tone. "How the achievement is applied is what matters more. You saved your people from extinction, Alysara. Without their minds, they cannot bring themselves to take care of themselves; they would have all died eventually without help. I, of course, would have sought help from a soul mage, but there are potential problems with that. You will have options; even if it's not what you are seeking, power growth is possible."

I sit down on the grass, thinking.

"You are highly specialized in your Bond. How is it that you can put people into stasis? Just what are Bonds?" I ask.

"You will understand more when you reach level five hundred in your Bond. The Bond is your affinity, your connection, your Bond to your element or essence; the more you grow it, the more in tune you are with it, the more it answers to you. You have to do more than just kill monsters, Alysara; you need to understand it, connect with it." The Guardian says.

"It's not the killing of monsters that grows your Bond," I say, sorting what the Guardian just said. "It's the trust you put into to when fighting against powerful adversaries that increase your connection to it. It's why doing new things, forming new skills, and studying it also increases your level; you understand it more, you become more used to it and more in tune to its nature."

"Yes. I suggest you rest now; the others will wake at dawn," The Guardian says, walking back to her nest.

I haven't checked my notifications since I started healing everyone; I should do that first.

Ting! Pain Tolerance has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 90!

7th breakthrough: You've felt overwhelming pain; this will help you tolerate such extreme amounts of suffering.

8th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus; this will increase all your breakthrough's effectiveness.

9th Breakthrough: You've managed to ignore pain; this will help you ignore your suffering.

Ting! Pain Tolerance has obtained levels 28-66!

Unsurprisingly I've capped several breakthroughs, not just the new ones. Still, no wonder it became more bearable, having the pain reduced by sixty-six percent in addition to being able to just ignore sixty percent of what I do feel really helped me; I don't think I'd have been able to do it otherwise.

Ting! Mental Fortitude has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 100!

8th Breakthrough: You powered through incredible pain; this will help you ignore your suffering.

9th Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus; this will increase all your breakthrough's effectiveness.

10th Breakthrough: You've begun to recover from mental trauma; this will help you recover faster.

Ting! Mental Fortitude has obtained levels 32-67!

Interestingly this has a shared breakthrough to ignore pain, but I guess it makes sense since this skill helps me become tougher mentally. I wonder how this stacks with [Pain Tolerance]? Does it add? Or does it affect only what's left after pain tolerance? Maybe it takes precedence and calculates things before [Pain Tolerance]? No surprise that it saw just as many levels. Still, am I getting one hundred thirty-three percent to ignore pain, or just eighty-nine percent rounded up?

Ting! Clear Mind has obtained levels 73-75!

I already had the breakthrough for pain; I just capped it now, so I didn't get many levels from it.

Ting! Astral Projection has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 60!

2nd Breakthrough: You've entered a state of focus; this will increase all your breakthrough's effectiveness.

3rd Breakthrough: You've attacked a soul barrier; this will help you get past soul defenses faster and easier.

4th Breakthrough: You've successfully transplanted soul components; this will help you heal others with damaged souls or take their components for yourself.

5th Breakthrough: You've sent out feelers; this will help you to find your way to other's souls.

6th Breakthrough: You've linked your soul component to your soul; this will help you use your skills while traversing with your mind.

Ting! Astral Projection has obtained levels 16-70!

I didn't experiment with taking control of bodies and other things, such as destroying the soul from the inside but considering as this skill was the star of the show, it naturally sees the greatest growth, and it's capped on levels.

Ting! Persistent State has obtained levels 79-80!

I finally capped this one, too; I'll have to try and find some way to get more breakthroughs in it.

Ting! Twin Minds has obtained levels 85-88!

None of this would have been possible without this skill; that said, I haven't actually done much except use it to split my mind component.

Ting! Sense Soul has met the requirements for a breakthrough and will continue leveling past level 120!

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

12th Breakthrough: You've seen souls in a damaged state; this will help you diagnose what is wrong.

Ting! Sense Soul has obtained levels 106-110!

There is only so much I can learn from one type of wound; in order to train this breakthrough, I need to study more about how souls are damaged.

I go back to my family and curl up with them, sleep instantly taking over all of my minds.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Feyan opens her eyes, the rising sun peaking above the mountains in the distance. Curled up next to her is Aly, her long, beautiful tails covering herself like a fluffy blanket. She looks a little older now, more developed as she is growing into an adult. Feyan couldn't have been asleep that long could she? There's no way... but they are on Temple Island somehow; everyone is. Many others are stirring, waking up from the light of dawn.

"Feyan? What's going on?" Her love, Kanato, sits up.

Sitting up herself, Feyan looks around and sees the Guardian patiently and proudly sitting in front of them. Like an all-powerful ruler, a royal presence seems to exude from the great being. Once she has deemed enough people awake, she addresses them.

"Cursed beings are not to be taken lightly. Your homes are in ruins, your livelihoods destroyed, and your souls stripped of what houses your minds. It has been two years since and would have likely taken a lot longer if not for the efforts of Alysara" The Guardian looks toward the curled up child, sleeping peacefully next to Feyan; all eyes drift toward her too.

"She alone recovered from the mind-destroying attack wrought by the Cursed Being, and with her cursed skill and skill to form new mind components for your souls, she gave back what was taken from you at a sacrifice and suffering to herself." The Guardian pauses and sweeps her head to look at everyone, making sure she has their attention, not that anyone wouldn't listen to their great protector. Then she looks off in the distance.

Feyan looks to see a massive city. Many huge stone structures, pristine and standing tall from behind the horizon. A huge cathedral stands in the middle of the city.

"The ruins that Cursed Being came from has been risen from the depths and restored to its former glory. With the death of the being, it has been cleansed and is safe for use now. You may use it for shelter until you return to your islands and rebuild your villages. Now, you best make your way over; you'll find the waters still and solid enough to support your weight. I would like to talk to your elders in more detail." The Guardian says before looking at Feyan and her family. "You should stay too"

Feyan nods and bows. It is unusual; the air around the Dragon doesn't seem to be choked full of mana. It is still higher than normal but not oppressively so. Once everyone except Feyan and her family and the elders has left, the Guardian spoke again.

"There are other ruins beneath the sea; they aren't purified and will result in the creation of another cursed being. It's best that you lie to your people and say that the city is the only one left and that the others had been completely obliterated so that none will be foolish enough to awaken cursed beings in search of riches." The Guardian looks at all the Elders, her aura growing oppressive, the mana around stifling. It only lasted for a minute, but the message is clear, the Guardian won't tolerate people poking around in the buried ruins.

"Furthermore, as a mere suggestion from a being who has lived for tens of thousands of years, do not use the city as a seat of power. It should be a neutral place, shared by all Runalymo. It is all too common for tyrants to rise in an environment of high population density. Oppression is the rule, not the exception. Your peace will be threatened if you do not take actions now to prevent Tyrants." Safyr pauses to let her words sink in.

"Power, political power," Safyr corrects herself. "Needs to be spread as thin as possible. What you have currently works well enough but keep in mind that it is still fragile; the recent situation of the Mad Priestess should be enough of a lesson."

The Elders bow and thank the Guardian for her wisdom.

"Use the city as a place to connect with other villages, use it to trade, use it to hold meeting amongst yourselves, but do not stay for too long lest you be lured by what it brings and sacrifice what makes your civilization peaceful. Now go to the city and start rebuilding what you've lost."

Dismissed, the elders walk away, but Feyan stays as the Guardian turns toward her, waiting for the village leaders to be out of earshot.

"Alysara has been through a lot and needs care, even if she'll deny it. Her body may be healthy, but her mind has suffered a lot."

"I appreciate your concern. We will take good care of her" Feyan bows.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

Problems after problems. Now is the perfect time for Gutaly's faction to gain strength and followers while we are weak. Tusile ponders. The Elders have found city hall and are holding a meeting to discuss how to properly rebuild. Mara was the one to bring up the issue of the priestess faction.

"What are we going to do with the Priestess faction?" The hot-headed former Kheshamo says, focusing on their internal enemies.

What indeed. With Papuyo gone, the last of the priestesses are too, as well their teachings, what little she knew anyway. What stands in the priesthood now, usurping Myrous faith, are frauds. Tusile feels a sudden epiphany come to her like a falling star smacking her in the face. She stands up and starts detailing her plan, looking toward the other Elders, who, like Tusile, are former priestesses.

With a unanimous vote, the Elders agreed to Tusile's plan, and they call for Gutaly and Thyka and set their plans into motion.

" Thank you for inviting us here, we see the error of our ways," The more politically minded Gutaly speaks first, a cunning smile plastered on her face. "You are right that Temple Island should be a place of neutrality; however, those who follow our faith do not agree to your rules and thus seek a place of our own. There are no other islands that we can settle, so we shall claim a fifth of this city as our home."

"I am glad you see reason," Tusile stands with a cold smile. "However, surely you would have counted yourselves amongst the Elders that the Guardian held for further information, right? You sought to lead your own village, after all, so surely you must have known that the Guardian's desires are for no one to permanently settle this grand city, right?"

Gutaly's smile disappears quickly. She hadn't been there after all, likely in an attempt to claim the city first.

"So," Tusile continues with a widening smile; now that Gutaly is being shaken up, she presses her attack. "Why do you disregard the wisdom of our protector? The one who slew the cursed being that was awoken by the Mad Priestess, who, might I remind you, you followed." Not giving Gutaly a chance to speak, Tusile continues. "You are just as guilty in awakening the cursed being seeing as you didn't remove the Mad priested when she first delved into this city. But we forgive you; you didn't know this would happen, after all," Tusile looks around at each of the Elders, the more politically minded Elders nod.

"Thank you for your forgiveness," Gutaly says and gives a polite bow.

"However, there is one concern that many of us have," Tusile says, seizing the brief silence Gutaly gave much to her annoyance. "Sosela, Bryn, Chishi, Ladu, and Wawena" Tusile lists several names and looks at specific Elders who stand up. "As former Priestesses, do you think that Gutaly and Thyka have undergone the proper training of a priestess?"

"No," Sosela says.

"Their behavior has much to be desired," Chishi crosses her arms and says, frowning.

"They have not gone through the Ysynaly ritual; they have not established a connection to Myrou, and thus cannot declare themselves as true priestesses" Wawena shakes her head.

The other Elders share the same sentiment. Gutaly clenches her fist in frustration and anger while Thyka looks defeated.

"Elders of the Nexus, there is no living priestess beyond us former, yet fully trained priestesses. I would humbly request that we take temporary leave to rejoin the priesthood so that new priestesses may be trained." Tusile turns toward Gutaly and Thyka with a triumphant smile" Of course, you are fully welcome to receive training, Gutaly, you do have a strong desire to serve Myrou after all that we can recognize."