Chapter 19: The Power of Bonds

Simon received a brief introduction about the hierarchy of monster girls and the bonds they create with human men. He was surprised to know that the "harmless" puppy sitting on his lap was among the top 10% of monster girls. A high-tier monster was the average strength of the monster girls of the students who graduated from Planar University. Although this made Simon stand out among his peers, it wasn't something that surprised him. However, the counselor's excitement about his first tame being a high-tier monster caught him off guard.

Simon learned that monster girls get empowered by the bond they create with their tamer, and vice versa. The bond granted them a sort of lich-like immortality where the tamer became the phylactery, and their pool of power became virtually infinite as they could draw from the bond itself to keep them functioning. While the tamer gained only a portion of the power that the monster girl wielded, a general boost to their essence quality, the entirety of the monster's lifespan, and certain mental characteristics of the monster girl.

However, the first bond was special, and the benefits given to the tamer, which are usually 10% of the monster girl's own, quintupled. This included the essence boost and lifespan, both of which were calculated separately. Simon had effectively gotten five high-tier boosts at the cost of one, and most people bonded to an average of six monster girls throughout their entire lives. This was known as the bond limit, which could be augmented by the bond itself.

Simon's bond limit was directly related to his essence quality, which was normally five. For the limit to increase by even one, a tamer needed to bond to at least five high-tier monsters; any tier below that could not augment the bond in any way. Simon could already bond to a minimum of six, which could be pushed to seven when he bonded with other high-tier monsters. This snowball effect did not stop there because another thing happened at the same time.

To tame elite tier monsters, a step above high-tier and far more powerful, one needed high essence quality. At a minimum, the bond limit needed to be six, reflecting very high essence quality. Usually, tamers can only start pushing their monsters to the elite tier after that, but by then, most choose to retire and settle down. Very few have enough drive left to push further in their path as a tamer. Simon, on the other hand, could push his tames to the elite tier right away.

The counselor was feeling proud of himself. He had flipped the table and shoved all the necessary information to blow Simon's mind. He reasoned that most of it would go above his head, and he would need to explain it back to the newcomer. A small revenge for the earlier injustice.

"Given that the elite tier allows for such an escalating effect, why not enforce five high-tier bonds while still at the school to give everyone elevated power?" Simon asked, surprising the counselor.

Michael looked at him with a wizened smile. Perhaps the boy had more in him than he initially thought. Only time would tell.

Simon listened intently as the counselor continued to explain the intricacies of the bond between a tamer and their monster girl. He was amazed by how much he didn't know and how much there was to learn.

The counselor seemed to enjoy sharing his knowledge and didn't seem to mind Simon's lack of knowledge. In fact, he seemed impressed by Simon's interest in the subject. "You're quite the curious one, aren't you?" he remarked with a chuckle.

Simon grinned. "I guess so. It's just that I've never really had the opportunity to learn about monster girls before. And now that I have one of my own, I want to make sure I understand everything."

The counselor nodded approvingly. "That's a good attitude to have. It's important to understand the bond between a tamer and their monster girl. It's a powerful thing."

Simon leaned forward. "So what else can you tell me about the bond? You said that the benefits for the tamer increase with each monster girl they bond with, right?"

The counselor nodded. "That's right. Each bond increases the tamer's essence quality, which in turn makes it easier to bond with more monster girls. And the more monster girls a tamer bonds with, the longer their lifespan becomes."

Simon's eyes widened. "Their lifespan? You mean, monster girls can live longer than humans?"

The counselor nodded again. "Yes, that's right. A monster girl's lifespan is tied to the bond they share with their tamer. The stronger the bond, the longer they live. And since the tamer's lifespan is linked to their monster girl's, the tamer can also live longer."

Simon was amazed. "That's incredible. So a tamer who bonds with multiple monster girls could potentially live for centuries?"

The counselor nodded once more. "Yes, that's one of the benefits of being a tamer. Of course, it's not all sunshine and rainbows. The bond also requires a lot of effort and dedication from both the tamer and their monster girl. Not to mention the danger it can involve. It's not something to be taken lightly."

Simon nodded in agreement. "I understand. But it's still amazing to think about. And you said that the bond can also increase a tamer's essence quality?"

The counselor smiled. "Yes, that's correct. The bond has a profound effect on a tamer's essence quality. It not only increases their overall essence, but it can also improve the quality of their essence. This means that a tamer with a bond can perform more powerful magic and techniques than a tamer without a bond."

Simon was fascinated. "That's incredible. So the bond not only increases the monster girl's power, but it also increases the tamer's power as well?"

The counselor nodded. "Exactly. It's a mutually beneficial relationship, even if slightly tilted to the monster girl. The monster girl gains power and immortality from their tamer, while the tamer gains strength and longevity from their monster girl. A powerful enough bond can truly move the world."

Simon leaned back in his chair, taking it all in. He was starting to understand just how powerful the bond between a tamer and their monster girl could be. And with his high-tier monster girl, he knew that he had the potential to achieve great things.

The counselor noticed Simon's thoughtful expression and smiled. "You have a lot of potential, Simon. With your high-tier monster girl, you could become a powerful tamer one day. But it won't be easy. You'll need to work hard."

Simon nodded, determination filling him. "I will. I want to be the best tamer I can be."