~~~Lee~~~

Jeremy declined Lee's offer of a nickname, but he definitely had a legendary ability, even if he refused to admit it. That was the only explanation for how ridiculously powerful the skill was. Not only could he move Lee's time bubbles, but he could move people into or out of the bubbles without issue.

Aside from being powerful, it was extremely fascinating to watch. Or feel. Mana Mind was particularly odd when pieces of it got displaced... It didn't hurt, and the strange distortion vanished almost instantly, but it also tugged at something in his mind. Something to do with runes... and with a similar feeling to what his own Temporal Shift skill was giving him.

It was a feeling that grew with each repetition of the skill—rather, both of the skills.

Lee knew some runes related to time, but nothing like his skill could do. Of course, he knew there was more to the runes than he really understood, and that wasn't all from his new Language of the Rune skill.

That skill felt like it was poised next to his ear, whispering something, but never quite loud enough...

Mostly, it was making him regret not giving the time skill to Three.

He would have tested more skill shards to see if Three could learn them, but wasn't sure if the building had a non-class skill limit like he did. He didn't want to waste those slots on something shitty; of course, on the flip side, he didn't want to waste skills that were too good in the hands of a human defender.

It all meant he hadn't tested any more skills... but he had told Alejandro what happened and to keep a lookout for good potential matches.

In lieu of that, the next best bet was to figure out a rune to replicate the effects. If he could make time shifting runes... especially if Three could make them. Or space swapping runes... The possibilities were endless.

Lee's studying efforts ended when Trak started glowing like a supernova in his Mana Mind. He'd watched the anubi. Mostly to ensure Trak didn't balk at using the cores. So he knew Trak was in the midst of his E-grade evolution... and going by the light show, it looked like a good one. Also, was he getting bigger?

Then the rest of the anubi started glowing brighter as well.

He hadn't gotten to observe many evolutions before, especially ones like this, so Lee took the opportunity to watch the anubi as they finally left F-grade. He was still new to the system by their standards and didn't think he could fully appreciate what this moment meant for them.

Trak's soul alone was... transcendent? That was the only word Lee could think of to describe the emotion radiating from the guy. Hopefully, he wouldn't become a worse fanatic after this...

That felt like a very far fetched dream when Trak finally stirred and rose from the evolution. But then Trak remained where he was. He sat still and watched over his family as they all finished evolving as well.

All of them echoed Trak's emotions as they woke... It felt like the happiest day of their lives, and Lee would have been more eager to share in their happiness if that feeling wasn't aimed at him.

Then Trak came Lee's way. Oh shit.

He knocked on the door, and Jeremy flinched.

"Relax," Lee said while telling Three to open up. "It's just Trak checking in after his evolution."

Trak was bigger, but not a lot. Maybe an extra six inches taller as he strode into the small room, his eyes locked on and never straying from Lee. "My... lord."

"I'm guessing you got a good evolution option?" Lee could feel the struggle going on within the anubi, a sharp contrast to the outward calm he displayed. He hadn't thought to ask about the process until now, and it might be different for someone without the adaptable trait.

"Yes... my lord." Trak still hadn't bowed to him, a change Lee was more than pleased to see. Though he still lowered his head before continuing. "I wish to serve..." Trak shook his head. "No. I wish to... help you, my lord."

Lee couldn't help but smile at Trak's word choice. "I told you to do as you please. So you don't need my permission."

"Then..." Trak straightened. "Then I will tell your brother to place me into the guard rotations."

That was not what Lee had been expecting... but what could he say now? He'd told Trak to do whatever he wanted... sneaky little bastard. "It's... your choice."

A tension Lee hadn't noticed left Trak as the anubi's shoulders relaxed ever so slightly. "Rest assured, I will not allow my... choices to delay our work on the soul potion."

"I appreciate that, Trak... You know, Alejandro wasn't always my brother. We were strangers when our world changed, but he adopted me into his family. I would call you brother as well... if you would allow it."

Trak stiffened, and Lee knew he'd pushed too far when a non-translated whine was all that emanated from his mouth.

Finally, he wheezed out, "I... cannot, my lord."

"It's okay, Trak. Do as you please. Remember? Though... what if you just call me Lee?"

Another wheezing whine.

"Cascade?"

"I... cannot." Trak abruptly dropped to one knee. "My lord! You do not know what you have done! You... I..."

Lee smiled despite the kneeling. "The evolution was that good? Will you tell me about... but you don't have too if..."

"I have ascended!" Trak howled and leapt to his feet as his soul soared.

Then he told Lee about his evolution—every detail about both options and the one he obviously chose.

Trak hesitated a few times with distrusting glances at Jeremy, and Lee used time bubbles to give them privacy. He was glad he had when Trak mentioned a chained god. Which was just... Well, it fit with what Trak had said about gods and the source. The odd, and slightly worrying bit, was, what the hell did chained mean?

Aside from that, it sounded like a great evolution for Trak, especially since he wasn't forced to take a damn servant race... Lee really hoped the humans swearing to him weren't getting options like that. The bad one, not the good one.

Apparently, Trak's choice hadn't affected him alone. Every member of his pack—now a clan—all had their race changed by his... ascension. Now they were something called Anubian Paragons... A kind of royal guard or royal family to Trak's new status as an Archon.

All in all, it was fantastic. "That's great, Trak. Turns out I was right."

"My lord?"

"About standing up. Not groveling? You got that option because you finally stood up, right?"

"I... yes, my lord."

"So I can remove the oath?"

"Please do not, my lord!"

"I don't want your children born into..."

"My lord, they will come into this world as Paragons! Not because they are free of oaths, but because they are sworn to you! You who have ordered them to obey no masters!"

It sounded better like that... and Lee was really proud of coming up with that order. "Okay. But can you finally stop calling me a lord?"

Trak lowered his head again. "What you have done for me, for my pack... I cannot ignore the debt I owe to..."

"Family, Trak. No debts, remember? Don't make me get Maria down here."

Trak winced and shook his head. "Forgive me, my lord, but I must beg for your patience. I desire nothing more than to stand proudly at your side... but I am not worthy."

Lee took in a breath, ready to let the anubi have it for going down this line of thinking again, but he hesitated when Trak held up a paw.

"Allow me time, my lord. To prove it." He dropped to one knee again.

"You have nothing to prove to..."

"Prove it to myself." Trak looked up at him with a pleading soul. "Forgive me, but I believe you cannot understand just what you have done. You say I am family. You call me equal..." He ducked his head and whispered, "It is madness, my lord. Yet... you say it is so, and who am I to deny your word?"

"All I ask—all my pack asks—is the chance to live up to your expectations of us."

Lee stifled his sigh. Trak was heading in the right direction, and a little patience wouldn't hurt. "Like I said before, do as you please. I have no more orders and never will."

Trak left with a spring in his soul, and Lee turned to the only other person still in the room. "Sorry about that. They came from a really fucked up place... what with all the groveling and such."

Jeremy said nothing and only looked back and forth from Lee to the door.

"I'm hoping to break them of it, but it's been... a process. You ready to keep working?" Jeremy's soul still had a lot of confusion in it, but the man nodded.

Together, they kept testing and practicing with their respective legendary skills. Jeremy was reluctant about the details of his ability, but Lee dragged it out of him by sharing how his own skill worked.

The guy loosened up slowly as they worked, and Lee got a glimpse of the intellect hiding behind the nervous exterior. Jeremy had been a physicist before the system, a fact he credited with the class he'd gained.

He wouldn't go into any detail of his early days in the system, and Lee didn't press since he could clearly feel some unpleasant emotions lurking around the topic. What he did manage to tease out was that Jeremy had a sense of his surroundings akin to Lee's own Mana Mind. Only instead of mana, the guy sensed space...

Later, Lee convinced Jeremy to send him upstairs to Jamaal's, where he grabbed lunch. It took long enough that the skill could come off cooldown, or, as Jeremy put it, for space to stop wobbling.

Food in hand, Lee turned off the light rune downstairs in a prearranged signal and found himself abruptly back in the garage.

It was a fucking awesome skill!

More than that, Lee could still feel that nugget of understanding growing with his rune knowledge every time space got swapped... If he could figure out a rune to replicate the skill... plus his own time skill...

Forget shields and invisibility. He wanted control over time and space!

"Okay, Jeremy," Lee said, hefting the two plates. "There's just one more test to determine if you are a good man. To see if you are the man I hope you are. The most important test there is."

He hid his smile at the sudden alarm in Jeremy's soul. "What is your opinion on breakfast burr..."

There was a sudden collective twitching sensation that resonated throughout everyone in the entire building... everyone linked to his soul... and then something entered his Mana Mind at speed, coming right toward Three. What the hell?

It felt like Mar... but it most definitely wasn't. At least, he really hoped it wasn't.

~~~Mar~~~

Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

Bradley's strike landed, and it blasted the croc... the Stakshiak's head into the ground. Below the ground.

Mar felt a sting in her own head as Bradley dragged the beast back above the surface, his staff rising for another blow... "Wait," she whispered, her voice weak. Then she screamed as the staff descended, "Stop!"

Bradley halted the strike a hairs-breadth above the beast's head, and then they both just stood there... man and beast, staring at each other.

"I like your mate," a voice said into Mar's head. "He sings the earthsong with great ferocity!"

I... who... what? Mar was still trying to understand all the strange new feelings assaulting her senses when Bradley looked back at her, a touch of disbelief in his expression.

"You bonded it?"

Mar nodded on the edge of tears. "I... I did!"

Bradley was at her side in an instant. "What's wrong!? Are you okay?"

His face was bruised and bloodied... and more blood covered his split and torn knuckles as his fingers wrapped gently around hers. He showed no concern for the injuries and only peered worriedly at her with his beautiful brown eyes.

Mar looked past him at the massive crocodilian-looking beast as it settled down into the dirt with a sigh she heard only in her head. She knew it was hurting... but that it wasn't very bad. It seemed to be far more concerned with the warm sun on its back...

"I was just trying to distract it," Mar whispered.

Bradley chuckled. "Well, it worked. You distracted it enough to switch sides!"

Mar burst into tears.

"What is it!?" Bradley blurted, his voice panicking and his hands tensing on hers. "Are you hurt? Is the beast hurting you? Let's get back to your mom!"

"It... it..." Mar barely managed to get the words out through her sobs. "But it's so ugly!"

He laughed... The insensitive brute laughed!

"Who is ugly?" the voice echoed into her mind again. "Is it your mate? Does he upset you? Should I thrash him some more?"

"I wanted to bond with something pretty, you jerk!" Mar snapped at Bradley while trying to ignore the voice.

"Then you couldn't have chosen better, Bonded. I am resplendent! My scales glisten with all the colors of earth and stone. I doubt you would find another to compare!"

Bradley pulled her into a hug. "I'm sorry... and don't worry! You aren't stuck with just one beast, right? We can pick the next one more carefully."

"Okay," Mar mumbled into his chest.

"Besides," Bradley said. "That thing is ridiculously tough. I think you got a good one, and it probably doesn't matter if it can go invisible since it can hide underground!"

Mar turned her head to look at the presence now sharing space in her brain. It... no, he. He was enjoying the sun. So much so that he was falling asleep... Hey, wake up!

"Hmm?" the sleepy response came back. "Do we hunt? I would enjoy a snack..."

Can you use my invisibility? She sent the thought his way. And what's your name?

The reptile sank into the ground until only a small portion of his body was visible. "There, I am invisible... though I do not have a name."

I can still see you!

"Nonsense. I am completely invisible."

"Bradley," Mar said, looking up at him. "Will you go smack that idiot lizard on the head so he knows he's not invisible?"

"O... okay?" Bradley let go of her and pulled his staff up from where he'd dropped it as he walked back toward the lizard.

He's going to hit you.

"Your mate is formidable, but he will not see me."

"Stop calling him my mate!" Mar yelled, then blushed furiously after realizing what she'd said. Bradley's steps stuttered, but he kept walking closer to the beast.

"Is he not your mate? I smell your desire. Does he not submit? Shall I assist you in taming him? Usually it is the females who resist, but I do not know how human mating is done."

"Oh my god," Mar groaned, covering her face with her hands even though she knew she was invisible. Just shut up about it!

Bradley didn't hit it in the face like she'd asked, but he did poke it.

See? You're not invisible!

"Impossible! Your mate only remembers where I rested." He swam away through the dirt, his massive tail propelling him like it was water instead of solid ground. The entire relocation was not only visible but extremely obvious from the way the ground rippled around him. "Now no one shall spot me."

"Hit him again! Harder this time!"

Bradley walked over with a big, stupid grin on his face and only jabbed the lizard in the face slightly harder. "Should we go check on the others? Make sure they didn't run into anything else on the way back?"

"I will admit it," the lizard said in her mind. "Your mate is formidable indeed to so easily track me."

Mar groaned and gave up. "I'm going to name you dirt for brains at this rate..."

Rename Bonded Greater Stakshiak to: Dirt For Brains? Y/N

"No," Mar said, trudging after Bradley and her new... pet? Bonded? You heard him. Let's go.

"Your mate? I know he communicates using those sounds, but I cannot understand his chattering."

You understand me, though?

"We are bonded."

Yeah, because that explained everything. Or did it? Mar focused on the bond and suddenly realized she had a lot of new information in her head that she hadn't known before.

She could feel where the beast was located. An undeniable feeling. Like it was a piece of her body. Or something more.

There was pain in that feeling, but similar to when Bradley had struck it, the pain was... distant. Very distant. She knew it was there. She... felt it. But it didn't actually hurt.

It was weird, but it did tell her how her bonded beast was doing. Which, aside from some bruises, seemed to be doing just fine. The blockhead was extremely durable, if nothing else.

The entire beast was powerful. She could feel it. A... potential just waiting for her to...

Mar triggered a part of her new skill. Something that had only appeared after she bonded the creature to her soul.

Power flooded her body.

Buff Gained: [Power Transfer](04:59)

90% of Attributes transferred from Bonded Greater Stakshiak.

She checked her status and gaped in shock. Over four hundred points had just been added to each of her attributes. That was more than she'd had herself... and it was only ninety percent. How was this idiotic beast stronger than her? How was it an idiot if it had more intelligence than she did... Not that she felt particularly smarter at the moment.

The skill had mentioned that the transfer included effective bonuses... and she had gained no increases to her effective intelligence. So maybe that was it? Everything else, especially her physical attributes, had skyrocketed.

Mar sprinted faster than she ever had before and caught Bradley in her arms. "Try to escape!"

"Why would I want to escape?" Bradley said. "I'm right where I want to be."

"Idiot," Mar whispered while feeling heat rush to her face. At least he couldn't see her... "I'm testing my new skill. Just try to escape!"

She couldn't tell how hard he was trying, but however much it was, it didn't matter. He was helpless in her arms... she could do whatever she wanted to him...

Bradley leaned his head on her shoulder. "Aw, I could get used to this."

Mar scooped him up and Bradley didn't protest the princess-carry as she hauled him away at a dead sprint.

It was a fun and heady feeling of power. Not the manhandling him per se, but just the rush of her attributes soaring. Until it ended...

Buff Removed: [Power Transfer]

Debuff Gained: [Transfer Penalty](59:59)

-90% All Base Attributes

Skill Level Up: Beastmaster Bond

That one sucked. It sucked even more when her lazy beast didn't want to carry her home.

She wasn't being mean or insulting. The damn thing had a literal trait...

[Lazy]

What's the rush?

There is nothing better than doing nothing. Especially if you can lay in the sun while doing it.

Effects:

You are extremely inclined to relax when not under threat or hungry.

It even had a hunger debuff and was still refusing to move... Aren't you hungry?

"Hm?" It opened its bleary eyes briefly, then abruptly lifted its head from the dirt. "I am hungry! Do you have something to eat!?"

"You were trying to eat us," Mar said in sudden realization. Not that it was so strange for a monster to do that, but... normally you don't get a casual chat with said monster after the fact.

"Go find your own food!" Mar yelled at him. She thought about it for a second. "And no eating people! Well, no people unless I tell you. Or if they are trying to hurt me."

That should cover... "Too tired."

"Argh!" Mar stomped her foot into the top of the beast's head. "Get up, meathead!"

Rename Bonded Greater Stakshiak to: Meathead? Y/N

"Yes!" She stomped on his head again, knowing for a fact that not only was she not hurting him, he could barely feel the impact. "You're a meathead!"

Name Assigned.

"Hmm. Meat...."

Bradley wrapped his arms around her from behind and pulled her close. Worse, now the tables had turned, and she was the powerless one. "Come on. I'll take you home."

He did more than that. Instead of carrying her, he just brought Meathead along while they stayed atop his head... his stupid, ugly, giant head.

It was a slow trip for her, especially with that long ass debuff... plenty of time to consider her new circumstances.

Mar knew she could order the idiot beast to obey her, and it would have to comply. But she also knew instinctively that it wouldn't be easy.

Meathead was more powerful than she was.

He should never have accepted the bond. She could feel the weight of it pressing against her soul... She knew it wouldn't hurt her, but she also knew that it meant she wouldn't be able to bond with another creature until her soul got stronger. A lot stronger. Who knew when that would ever...

+1 Soul

New Trait Acquired: [Soul Enkindling]

What the... She felt the strain of her bonded beast ease slightly, and Bradley tensed up behind her at the same time. "Um," she whispered. "Did you just gain a point to soul and a new trait?"

"I did," Bradley murmured in her ear. "Oh, that's nice..."

[Soul Enkindling]

All it takes is a spark.

You have willingly linked your soul with a much more powerful soul. The link is not only one way.

You have willingly shared of your soul with the other. They have shared in return.

You have willingly shared the burden of a wounded soul. That burden has kindled a spark in your own soul.

Effects:

Your soul will grow at an accelerated rate. Doubly so for so long as the link remains.

+100% Effective Soul

"So many humans!" Meathead suddenly exclaimed and then dove straight through the wall around the fort.

"Wait!" Bradley only stumbled slightly before carrying them through after him.

"Oh, you have caves here too." Then she watched Meathead charge down the ramp into the garage. "That human looks so delicious!"

Into Three...

"Don't you dare, Meathead!" Mar screamed helplessly while sprinting after him. "Three, don't kill..." Her voice cut off when she came around the corner and found Meathead standing stock still, face to face with Lee.

It wasn't the sight of Lee pointing a finger at her idiot beast that brought her up short. It was the sudden terror radiating from Meathead's mind into her own.

Had Lee already blasted him? Except there was no pain. "Lee, don't..."

"It's okay, Mar," Lee said while lowering his hand. "I'm guessing you found a beast to tame?"

"I... did." Meathead, are you okay?

Meathead didn't reply; he only started walking slowly backward. What happened!?

He still said nothing as he crept his way backward up the ramp, all without taking his eyes off Lee. Once outside, he dove into the ground and swam back under the wall, fleeing.

"Wait! Get back here!" She looked at Bradley for help, and he pulled both of them through the wall in pursuit. Mar put more effort into her next communication, turning it into a command. Stop!

Her new soul bound companion finally stopped fleeing. Instead, he just hid in the ground and shivered.

Mar caught up with him—well, Bradley did. Then he dragged them all above ground into daylight.

Did he hurt you? Mar pressed a hand against the frightened creature and felt oddly possessive for the first time since bonding with the beast by accident. I'll kick his ass if he bullied you!

"I saw it," Meathead said, finally responding. "Haven't you seen it?"

"It's okay, Meathead. He's a friend." Mar wasn't sure what he was talking about, but it might be the source or just Lee's loud soul. "You probably just felt his... power, but don't tell anyone about that. It's supposed to be a secret."

"No. Not the human," Meathead said. "It was hiding inside him... in his eyes. It saw me."

Mar felt a chill at the sensations coming from Meathead. "What?" she whispered. "What saw you?"

"The Beast Lord."

The... wait, Lee was serious!?