Chapter 24: Heritage
I did it! I got to level one hundred in my bond! I was excited. There was now so much to take in! Let's take it one step at a time.
Previously I only got one level for my new skill. Does that mean this skill is somehow better? What is this skill capable of? But let's forget that for now, I have to see what evolutions I got! I've been waiting for this moment for a year and ever since my other evolutions got corrupted I've been waiting to see what level one hundred Bond brings!
Ignoring the unchanged and corrupted evolutions I see only two changed or new options.
Beauty Savior Runalymo:(Adept)Requirements: Myrou Bless Runalymo, Have Bond at level 50 or higher before the age of 5, Have Bond at level 100 before age of 10, Has saved the people of a village from mana toxicity. Age of 5 or higher
A master of beauty magic and her bond, this Runalymo has reached heights in power that many have thought impossible at an age where the rest of her kin are still playing with toys and living carefree. The dedication to her bond will lead to great heights for this Runalymo is bound for greatness. Her ability to save and destroy will earn her a place in history.Note: No skills will be lost or merged
This one changed again, still the same tier but it's probably better than average.
Two Tailed Runalymo:(Major) (Heirloom)Requirements: Myrou Blessed Runalymo, Have Bond at level 50 or higher before the age of 5, Have Bond at level 100 before age of 10, Have Sense Mana at level 60 or higher before the age of 5. Have Sense Mana at 100 or higher before the age of 10, Have 10 breakthroughs in Sense Mana before the age of 10, Has reached max level in Sense Mana, Have created 3 Nexus Mana Cores, Have achieved a Mythical feat, Age of five or higher
You have stepped onto the path of legends, beyond even that. Your descendants will bear the fruits of your labor. You will alter the Runalymo, ascending the race to greater heights. The signature two tails of this new Runalymo is a sign of their greater magical potential. The innate beauty magic manifests physically as a second tail. This is only the beginning of where this race can go. Their ability to sense mana is unparalleled even to some of the highest tier races in the realm.Note: Skills may be replaced or merged.Note: As the progenitor of an heirloom race the merged skill will continue to level and achieve breakthroughs normally. Take your race to ever greater heights, or burn to ashes trying.
This... This is it! Uncorrupted, and Heirloom! It's up from Adept, sadly not Grand or Heroic but it's honestly better! I get to move Sense Mana over to my race skill and still level it up! That last part though is a bit ominous.
One last thing to consider, I have three years to get to level two hundred in my bond, Can I do it? Is the best decision to wait or take it now? I heard from chyzu that leveling slows down after one hundred but I am leveling faster. I'll wait for a few months and see how much I've slowed down. If I am leveling too slow I'll take this and work on Sense mana again.
I looked at the fairy I summoned. I can see a link has formed between me and it, my mana is flowing to the familiar sustaining it. Well, let's try something. I blasted a dummy with a [Beauty Beam]. The fairy just floated there.
Hmmm. {Attack anything I attack.} I sent the fairy a message with impart instructions through the link. I saw a package of mana flow into the fairy. I shot again and this time the fairy did so too. Using [Beauty Beam].
Can it use something else other than [Beauty Beam]? {Heal me}
Nothing. It probably can only use what base I used to summon it. To test this I summoned another fairy only for both to disappear. Another link had been formed but it seemed too unstable. A sudden thought came to me. I took off my Kyhosa and tried to summon my familiar... same thing. I could see the link form for just a second but then it broke. It seems I might need around fifty wisdom for each familiar
I put my Kyhosa back on and summoned my familiar with [Grace of Wholeness]. I ordered it to heal me and it did. Ordering it to use [Beauty Beam] did nothing.
"What'cha got there Aly?" Chyzu said. She had been lecturing the other apprentices.
"A new skill, Summon familiar. Got three level ups from it" I informed her.
"Three? You already have an advanced skill?!" Chyzu's eyes widened at that.
"Advanced skill?" That must be what it's called.
"An advanced skill is one that requires the use of another to work properly. It is more powerful or has better utility"
"I wish I was a genius at using my bond too." The earth mage, Jy-o said jealously.
"Just think, once she gets her class how fast will she progress?" The ice mage, Wimula said.
"I'm not a genius, just a little better than average" I tried correcting them. Yes, I level faster I can't deny that but I do put hard work into my training.
"Yeah, sure you are," Jy-o said, sarcastically.
"I am not!" I pouted.
"Daaww! You're just too cute, Aly!" Chyzu scooped me up in a crushing hug.
Please use less strength, you’re going to kill me! I thought as all the air in my lungs was squeezed out.
Just then the Martial fighters showed up for our weekly inter dojo sparing, Chyzu put me down and greeted Esofy. I see Tana with them this time. He's obviously not going to participate in the sparring, too young for it so we were told to practice in the corner or watch. Tana was diligently doing drills. Practicing swinging his sword over and over again.
"Hey, Tana" I said, watching Jy-o deflect blow after flow from a club with an earth shield. "Want to impress Esofy?" I asked in a bored voice.
"Yeah!" Tana said with enthusiasm. I could actually see some battle essence leaking from him. With each swing of his sword, I could see an aura of battle essence grow around the sword, forming an overlapping blade of essence.
Esofy looked our way and smiled when seeing Tana so focused on his drills.
No, not his drills, she can see the battle essence.
"Summon your bond but don't shoot it out, instead, absorb it into your body." By now I had to admit I am better than average when it comes to bond usage and that it might take Tana a little while to learn it, especially since it's Tana, he always struggles with using his bond. I am surprised when accomplishes it on his first try, barely even trying.
"I feel so much more energy! Like I have to move and do something... A bond skill? Did you know this would happen Aly?" Tana asked.
I nod. Tana smiled and Swung his sword with more vigor than before. This time I can see small amounts of fire mana overlapping the sword as well. Tana may actually be a genius when it comes to martial combat.
"You're so smart, Aly. I wish I could be more like you!"
"Why does everyone have to say that?" I pout.
"Because it's true!" Tana said energetically.
"We all have our talents. Mine is just my bond, yours seems to be with the sword. If that makes me a genius then you are too."
"I'm not good, Esofy keeps yelling at me to fix my stance and to swing correctly. Chyzu never yells at you." Tana complained.
I saw Esofy walking our way.
"Bend your leg a little more, Tanafyam!" Tana complied "There you go. Want to give it a try Alysara? Even a mage can benefit from learning stances if only to know what your opponent is going to do"
Eh, why not.
"Sure." I agreed.
"Alright first you need to lower your body so you are more stable. Bend your knees like this"
I did as she showed me.
"Not like that, like this."
I tried adjusting
"Like this?" I asked.
"You're too low and your body is too twisted" She adjusted me.
"Now keep it like that, until I return. Remember that position" Esofy left to lecture her student that had just lost his sparring match.
Chyzu checked in on us observing Tana and me.
"You've lost your stance, Aly. Even I can see how bad your form is."
I eyed Chyzu dubiously, Not sure if she's joking or not.
"I've not moved a single muscle" I challenged.
Esofy came back over. She sighed and readjusted me.
"You're moving unconsciously, master your body, and don't let it control you."
"Daww, you're so cute when you pout" Chyzu patted my head smiling at me. Treating me like I'm her pet only made me more upset.
I ended up needing to be corrected all day, I swear I'm not moving!
After the workday ended I went back home, my legs a little sore from standing in the same position for several hours.
"Aly," Dad said, as we walked back home. "It's time you learned numbers"
"Can I learn letters too? As long as there's mana in the ink I should be able to read."
A lot of shops use signs with artistic letters so I assume reading is widespread enough. We even own a couple of scrolls.
"Sure" Once we arrived home Dad set us up at a table.
"First there's one," Dad said. Several things were lined up to help illustrate counting. I already knew how to count but my parents didn't know that.
The dozen minutes were spent going over the concept of numbers. "This much is five" "This is seven" Then came the math, addition, subtraction, then, once I "quickly learned" that we moved on to division and multiplication.
"You learn so fast!" Dad patted me on my head with a proud smile, bringing up some warm and fuzzy feeling in me.
Next was letters. This was a little harder but all I really had to do was memorize sounds for each symbol. It was honestly quite easy, I don't know why anyone wouldn't know how to read and count.
"That's my girl!" Dad had me sitting in her lap while we had a scroll in front of us and some spare parchment. I was slowly reading the words. Although there were a few questions like how punctuation worked and all that but it was mostly memorization and practice.
I spent the afternoon practicing my letters and had soon read all the scrolls we had. Technical stuff for jewelry making, and metalworking, mostly boring, but we did have a written recording of the epic of Kayafe.
Before I knew it it was time for the Lojyo and this time I participated in the dancing. Mom taught me a few simple dance movements. After that, she took me to the side and brought out my flute.
"M-mom?" I knew where this was going.
"You keep procrastinating, Aly. It's time you showed everyone your talent"
"I-I'm not ready yet, I-I'm too young, no six-year-old has presented in the past" I knew arguing was futile so I cranked up my charm.
Don't fail me now!
I drooped and ears and made myself smaller, already seeing more cuteness essence build up within me.
"I-I'm scared" I was telling the truth, being in front of crowds terrified me. All those eyes, watching my every move.
"You have to do it eventually," Mom said, hugging me to her generous bosom.
Damnit! My charm isn't high enough! Also, I might have used this too much to get out of doing this before.
As the music ended and the dancing stopped everyone gathered around the show and tell area. Mom walked to the front, dragging me behind her.
"Some of you may have heard Aly play and now she has made her first perfected song! She's a little shy so please bear with her"
Please kill me now.
Mom gave me a little push forward to the expecting crowd. Color drained from my face as hundreds of eyes stared at me.
"I-I-I, Err" I raised the flute to my lips to stop my stammering and tried to blow into it. Nothing came out, I realized I needed air in my lungs to do anything so I breathed in, nearly inhaling the wooden instrument too. After coughing my face grew hot as my lip trembled.
I heard more than one "dawws", one of them definitely belonging to Chyzu.
I breathed in and out, keeping my flute far enough away as to not choke myself again. Calming myself I realized I should shrink my Sense Mana radius so I no longer see anyone. That helped a lot.
After a few more moments of calming myself, I raised the flute to my lips and began playing. Using my breakthroughs and skills I forgot about everything else and just played my tranquil and serene song.
I heard a few sniffles as my song ended.
Ting! Musician has obtained level 42!Ting! Musician has obtained level 43!
Musician: 10/101st Breakthrough: 10/102nd Breakthrough: 10/103rd Breakthrough: 9/10 (Action: 4/5 Knowledge 5/5)4th Breakthrough: 4/10 (Action: 2/5 Knowledge 2/5)
All that's left for my third is the extraordinary feat. Guardian, that's you!