Souls Online: Mythic Ascension

[Zodiac Bond- Rabbit has Reached 20% Bond. Applying the following Bonuses]

+10% Speed

+2 Agility

+1 Strength

Skill: Harebound Granted.

Skill: Harebound

Type: Active / Utility-Mobility

Description: The player channels explosive leg strength to leap an incredible distance in a chosen direction. Upon landing, they create a shockwave that briefly increases the movement speed and jump height of nearby allies while staggering nearby enemies.

Effects:

Leap Distance: Scales with user's Agility and Strength.

Landing Shockwave: Knocks enemies back slightly and interrupts charging attacks.

Ally Buff: Allies within a short radius gain a burst of speed and a reduced stamina/mana cost for movement abilities for 5 seconds.

[Currently Applied to: Leo, Luna.

[Zodiac Bond- Tiger has Reached 20% Bond. Applying the following Bonuses]

+10% Heal Effect

+2 Wisdom

+1 Intelligence

Skill: Feline Aura Granted.

Skill: Feline Aura

Type: Passive / Support (Toggleable)

Description: When activated, The player will emit an aura of predatory grace, sharpening the instincts and reflexes of all allies within range. Movements become smoother, attacks more precise, and reaction time heightened, as if every heartbeat is synced with the rhythm of a hunting cat. Auras can stack.

Effects:

Agility Boost: Flat increase to movement speed and attack speed for allies within range.

Predator's Focus: Slight increase to critical hit chance.

Instinctive Evasion: Allies gain a small bonus to dodge rate.

[Currently Applied to: Leo, Lily]

[Zodiac Bond – Snake has Reached 20% Bond. Applying the following Bonuses]

+10% Poison Effect

+2 Dexterity

+1 Wisdom

Skill: Serpent's Guile Granted.

Skill: Serpent's Guile

Type: Passive / Utility-Offense

Description: The player's movements become unpredictable and deceptively smooth, mirroring the hunting patterns of a snake. While active, attacks from the player have a chance to inflict a stacking poison and briefly reduce the target's movement speed. The user also gains heightened resistance to debuffs.

Effects:

Venomous Strikes:

Basic attacks and abilities have a 15% chance to apply Snake Venom, dealing poison damage over 6 seconds. Stacks up to 3 times.

Constriction: First hit on an enemy after 3 seconds of no combat briefly slows them.

Slippery Scales: +10% resistance to crowd control effects.

[Currently Applied to: Leo, Ouroboros]

[Zodiac Bond – Monkey has Reached 20% Bond. Applying the following Bonuses]

+10% Evasion

+2 Agility

+1 Dexterity

Skill: Simian Cunning Granted.

Skill: Simian Cunning

Type: Active / Utility-Disruption

Description: The player channels the chaotic agility and mischief of a monkey to rapidly reposition and confuse enemies. Upon activation, the player performs a swift series of unpredictable movements, instantly dodging the next incoming attack and gaining a burst of attack speed for a short duration. If used while near enemies, a shadow clone is created that draws aggro for 1 second before fading.

Effects:

Evasive Burst: Automatically negates the next attack within 1.5 seconds of activation.

Primal Tempo: +20% attack speed for 4 seconds.

Mischief's Shadow: Illusion decoy draws attention briefly if enemies are within range at activation.

[Currently Applied to: Leo, Nyx]

Each notification hung in front of the Original Party members and Rachel.

The skill that each of them had gained today was incredible.

Luna stared at the glowing panel in front of her, her mind racing. Harebound was already a weapon in its own right, even if it was classified as utility.

It was the kind of skill that could make or break a fight, giving her speed to close distance or disengage without warning. If this was the twenty percent bond reward, then what would she get at one hundred?

She imagined chaining leaps in rapid succession, maybe even bounding across the battlefield like a living storm. The thought brought a sharp grin to her face.

Adam read over the lines for Serpent's Guile with a still expression. The bonuses were clean, calculated, and dangerous.

The venom stacking potential alone was something that could kill even the hardiest opponents if they were foolish enough to ignore him.

Slowing his enemies and resisting control effects meant fewer weaknesses to exploit. At full bond, perhaps he would gain something that allowed him to finish a poisoned enemy instantly, or spread his toxins across multiple foes.

The thought was almost comforting. It was a skill meant for someone who thrived in attrition.

Lily stood in the shower area with the others, steam curling around their bodies. The Feline Aura notification hovered in front of her, glowing softly.

Even though she had not summoned Moku, the skill's effect was clear, it was about channeling the spirit of the tiger through herself, lending sharp instincts and grace to her allies.

She pictured how in battle this skill would enhance the party's movements, making every step lighter and every strike more precise. The boost to attack speed, movement, and dodge chance would be invaluable in tight fights, especially when she had an army of Pets to command.

Rachel tilted her head as she read about Simian Cunning, her eyes dancing with mischief. Evasion, speed, and a decoy all in one.

It was the kind of ability she could abuse in ways the average mind would probably struggle to comprehend.

She could already see herself weaving in and out of danger, drawing fire, then reappearing at the most inconvenient moment for her enemies.

If this was twenty percent, then one hundred might give her the ability to create multiple clones, or to turn her dodges into attacks. The possibilities had her practically vibrating in place.

Leo was the only one who frowned while looking at the golden screen that appeared in front of him.

Skill: Authority of Negation.

The words felt heavy on his mind.

Type: Active / Absolute Control

Description: The player asserts absolute denial over a target effect within range. This can cancel ongoing abilities, nullify active buffs or debuffs, or prevent the activation of a skill entirely. Can be used on allies or enemies. Effects with higher power than the user's Authority may resist negation.

Cooldown: 24 hours

Leo's brow furrowed as he reread the details.

This was no ordinary skill.

It was a power to deny reality itself, to undo magic, skills, and effects at the source. To erase a single moment's worth of advantage, whether granted by friend or foe.

The implications hit him like a cold wave.

This was a divine power...or at the very least, something dangerously close to it. The authority to negate was a power that gods wielded in myths and legends, a power that could unravel fate and force even destiny to bow. And here it was, granted to him as a "reward."

He swallowed hard. What had he done to deserve something so terrible?

This was a burden, not a gift.

He thought of the Demon of Faith they had fought in the church, a monstrosity driven by strange divine energy.

they had fought in the church, a monstrosity driven by strange divine energy. If he had had Authority of Negation then, he might have ended the fight in seconds by denying the unholy power sustaining it. But wielding such power was not without cost.

To deny was to challenge the very fabric of existence. Every use risked attracting attention — from the gods, from the system, from forces beyond his understanding. The line between using this power and becoming a threat to the world itself was thin.

Leo's fingers trembled as he flexed his hand, imagining the skill in action. A mage unleashing a devastating spell. With a thought, Leo could snatch that magic away, nullify it before it left the caster's lips.

An ally caught in a debilitating curse. He could strip it away, returning them to the fight. A deadly enemy buffing itself for a final strike. He could deny that power, turning the tide instantly.

But what about the consequences?

What if he negated something vital by mistake? What if he erased a blessing rather than a curse? What if the skill backfired, or the power it denied turned against him in ways he couldn't foresee?

He looked around at his friends, at their hopeful faces and newfound strength. They saw these gifts as blessings, keys to survival and victory.

He saw something more.

Authority. Responsibility. Danger.

Leo realized that this skill made him different. It put him above others, but at a cost. The burden of deciding what to deny, when to wield it and when to hold back was undoubtedly a heavy one.

If he faltered, the consequences could be catastrophic.

He could not let fear control him, but he would not pretend to welcome this lightly.

Taking a slow breath, Leo steadied his racing heart. This power was part of his path now. He would have to make the most of it.

n

The weight of that authority settled over him like armor and chains alike.

He clenched his fists and looked ahead, determined to master what he had been given. Not just for himself, but for everyone who relied on him.

Because to deny was not just to destroy. It was to protect. If the system was giving him a power like this now, it must mean that somethig absurdly powerful may come their way.

And that thought terrified him.