The New Bond

Umbra

I had lied to Aster, not something I was proud of, but really, it was more of a lack of telling her something important than lying. I had it done to surprise her, so it should be fine, right? With all of the studying and work she had been putting forward, I figured now was the time to show her my own progress. With a thought, I pulled up my status screen.

[Name: Umbra]

[Grade: 0]

[Level: 34][Titles: Bonded]

[Mana: 265/265]

[Stamina: 385/385]

[Race Class: Frost Dragon]

[Class Skills: Draconic Breath, Freezing Talons, Bond Speech, Draconic Speech]

[Second Race Class: Unclassed (3 Months, 8 Days, 12 Hours until unlock)]

[Passive Class Skills: Flying - Rank Two, Aerial Acrobatics - Rank One, Preening - Rank Three, Study - Rank Five, .]

[Constitution - 107]

[Strength - 70]

[Endurance - 70]

[Dexterity - 69]

[Charisma - 36]

[Intelligence - 38]

[Wisdom - 68]

I was doing okay. The fact I had only gained passive skills because I lacked a second class was a letdown, even if the only reason I could gain passive skills in grade zero was because dragons were the best.

On the bright side, my scales had never been as clean as they were now, and my talons gleamed at the edges. They showed beautifully in the setting sun's light. I had to say out of the other two dragons I had met I was the best looking out of all of the dragons around. I had even had the time to collect my hatchling scales that I was still growing out of. They were currently in a small pile on the balcony. Silt had told me they were valuable to humans and could be traded, but I had a different idea for them, although it would be a bit.

It was all to say that what I was doing was hardly better than doing nothing at all, and I was bored, oh so bored. The only hope I had right now was the timer. The count down which had gone down drastically with the cores.

I didn't really understand how the cores from the dungeon were different from the ones from wild monsters, but they were. Even the grade one dungeon monster cores had sped up the countdown more than the grade four core I had gotten from that swamp troll thing.

I settled in the room, waiting for Aster to come up the stairs. Humans were so slowwww. Aster was faster than most because she was my rider, of course, but it would be so much better when I could carry her where we needed to go.

I spent the time wondering how to explain to her that I thought the boss core would be enough to unlock my second class and wondering what classes I would get. Maybe something to make me faster or colder would be nice. Idly, while I thought I used my talon to work at the stone brick.

They were meant to be in a pile near the animal pins, but since I couldn't go over there, Silt had brought me one the first day I'd been grounded. The bricks were meant to be used to just sharpen talons, but with almost nothing to do most of the day, I had succeeded in trying to carve out a small dragon about half the size of Aster. It currently looked horrible and lumpy, and my attempts to grab a skill for it hadn't been fruitful yet, but since I had grown upset at the failure, I was now determined to get a skill for it.

After what felt like an age, I could finally feel Aster get to the floor our room was on. She had stopped to get food and was balancing two plates as she opened the door.

“Are you ready for a long night? Or a few of them?” She asked as she flicked a piece of the meat towards me, which I snapped out of the air. It was chicken, tasty, and would have been my favorite if they had grown larger than the end of my tail.

I snorted at the question, “We’ll have the bonded skill down by the end of the week.”

Aster grinned, her ears twitching. “Let's try to make it half a week, then turn it into a challenge, but first, let's get the skills out of the way and get that boss core.”

I mimicked her smile, almost managing to copy it, but the way human faces moved made it hard to do perfectly.

I paused for a moment and snaked my head to look around hesitantly, which, unfortunately, Aster detected through the bond, her ears perking up and pausing mid-chew. “What is it?”

“Before we get started, I do have something to share about the boss core.”

Her head tilted, and she looked at the round object that was sitting on the desk. “Can dragons not eat boss cores? I didn't think to ask Roslin. Did Silt tell you?”

I shook my head. “I can eat any cores like the book said. They restore mana in later grades, but I think the boss core will get me to grade one.”

Aster started to choke on the food she was eating, pounding her own chest. “Don't you still have over a year?”

I laid my front claws over each other. “Well, the seven grade one dungeon monster cores you gave me put the time down to less than six months, and that was two months ago, but I don't know why.”

Aster gazed at me, her surprised look turning into a grin. “That's amazing! It might be because they came from a draconic dungeon. It would make sense.”

“You're not upset I didn't tell you?” She didn't feel the least bit upset from what I could feel through the bond. She was just happy and excited.

“Of course not! It's not like I asked you after I gave you the cores, but I guess I should have.” Aster rubbed the back of her head, looking slightly embarrassed. “I guess you have a choice to make. From what the books about dragons said, the evolution into grade one will take about a week. Would you rather wait to use the skill crystal and get the bonded skill or evolve after?”

This question I had given thought to, so my answer was already ready. “I want to wait to evolve until after the skills. They might give me better class options.”

Aster nodded. “Then let’s get started, there's really no reason to wait…after I finish eating.”

Once she was done, she pulled out the two crystals, setting one down next to me and holding the other. She had kept the crystals stored, unlike the boss core, because it was something apparently that was rare enough that questions would be asked about where it was gotten, not that I really cared.

Taping the crystal and putting a tiny bit of mana into it, I followed Aster’s lead.

[Draconic Race Skill Crystal - Legendary - This crystal holds two options for a compatible race skill from a race marked at Legendary rarity, consumed on use. Note: This crystal can only be used with draconic races]

[Use Crystal: Draconic Race Crystal? Y/N]

I gave my consent and watched the crystal dissolve. I felt a strange tingle run up my talon and into my body a moment before a new screen appeared.

[A compatible race skill crystal has been used. Two options are available. Please select from below]

[Ember of the Frost Dragons - Your breath is as cold as the harshest blizzard, and the ice in your veins is chilling enough to freeze some of the hottest fires - This race skill increases the amount of frost affinity that can be used in the skill Draconic Breath to levels not normally achievable in early grades.] [Note: This skill is only applicable to Draconic races with a high frost affinity.]

[Glacial Essence - Like the barren glaciers in the north, your race thrives in the temperature that nothing else would dare to live in. Now, you can bring that temperature with you wherever you go - This race skill grants the ability to create an area where the temperature will decrease drastically based on the amount of mana fed to the skill and the surrounding temperature. The area of effect is based on overall grade and level.] [Note: This skill is only applicable to Draconic races with a high frost affinity.]

Both options were extremely appealing to me. I looked over at Aster, who had her eyes closed in a frown, and decided not to disturb her. It probably would have been smart to do one crystal at a time.

I looked over the two skill options, tapping my talons. The first one, which was Ember of the Frost Dragons, was tempting. Making my breath as cold as possible was something I wanted to do and would help with any monsters, but the text at the end of the skill had been me not wanting to pick it. It said that in the early grades, I couldn't get to that level. Did it mean that I could get to that level eventually without this skill?

Then there was Glacial Essence; it had the ability to drop the temperature around me. As it was, the temperature was fine. I would prefer it colder, but it was bearable in the city. That would last until summer started, something I had been reading about. I didn't understand why seasons had to change, and it couldn't stay cold all the time, but the gods were cruel sometimes. When summer started, I could use my frost breath to stay comfortable, but it would be a big mana draw. This skill also had a few limited combat uses that I could think of. If I was honest with myself, I knew my decision was made, and I was just giving myself reasons, so instead of overthinking it, I chose Glacial Essence.

[Confirm Glacial Essence? Y/N]

I agreed it was the skill I wanted, and the window disappeared. I shivered at the feeling of something, not exactly like mana but close, filling my body, and a moment later, I checked my status screen, confirming the skill was there. Now to try it out.

Aster

I looked over the possible skill options. From what I knew, getting a race skill without an increase in grade was rare, like really rare, so I had to make this option count.

[Forest Born - Elf - Like the Elf of this era, you have grown up in the forest and lived a close path to nature, learning the cycles and choosing to work with the forest - This race skill grants a closer bond with nature, increasing your affinity to it and granting very limited control over small plants. Skill can evolve at evolution if applicable.]

[Spirit of the Wild Hunt - Beastkin - Like all types of Beastkin, the thrill of the hunt flows through you, pumping your blood and raising your senses to heights other races struggle with understanding - This race skill grants the ability to draw on the beast your race is associated with allowing you to take parts of it's form. The limit on the amount of change your body can endure increases with evolution if applicable.]

[Limited Alteration - Chimera - Like the Chimera, you take parts of the races and strive to make them your own. Rather than be only a human, wolf, dragon, or other race, you have started on the path to a body of your choice - This race skill grants the ability to shift parts of your body for a limited time to that of the species you are closely connected or have spent a lot of time with. Skill can evolve at evolution if applicable .]

The first thing I noticed and loved was the detail. Unlike evolving my grade, each skill actually told me what it did. I wanted to have all of them, and maybe one day I could get them all, but for now, I had to pick one. Tossing out the first skill, Forest Born, was relatively easy. As much as I loved the forest and enjoyed what it offered, I had, at some point, realized that skills related to the forest weren't for me. While this skill didn't really relate to just forest areas, as plants were almost everywhere, it also felt like the skill was just for me. Maybe if I had taken Forest Warden on my first evolution, but now I'd chosen a different path. That didn't mean I didn't want to live with Kulni, but I was starting to understand what she meant. I wanted to explore everything with Umbra.

That left Spirit of the Wild Hunt and Limited Alteration. I didn't know how these skills would work when it came time to evolve my grade again, and that seemed like an important factor. The best case was the skills would either stay the same or improve, but that wasn't a known thing. I was really interested in both skills and by the sound of it, they did somewhat of the same thing, if a bit differently. I closed my eyes, going through what I knew.

A chimera was a mix of different species that I knew from a mention in my bonds course when we had gone over exotic creatures, and I also knew they were hard to bond because each one was so different. The skill seemed a bit complex, but from what I could understand, it would allow me to gain traits for a short time from any creature I was close to, like Umbra. Having dragon claws or scales in a fight could be a big bonus, but besides a dragon and a wolf, I really wasn't close to any other unique races. The thought of getting multiple animals and sticking them in my room was amusing, and having ears like a rabbit would be funny for a time, but the time it would take to gain the full benefits of the race skill seemed not exactly worth it. That left only one skill.

My biggest question was what a beastkin was. It was a race I had never heard of, but that didn't mean I didn't understand the skill. It was obvious that the skill came from Kulni, who was a wolf. Which meant my race most closely resembled a wolf. If the ears and tail didn't give it away to other people, then maybe the fangs might. If I could draw on the abilities of a wolf, what would they be, though? I sighed, leaning back into the bed. If I were in the forest, I could have asked Kulni about the abilities I could expect and if she had the answers to any of my questions. It really sucked to lack the information I felt like I needed for this decision. For a moment, I wished that I had the option of a dragon race skill. It had been a hope that I would get one, but sadly, that was my second class related to dragons, not my race class.

With only really one option that made sense, I selected Spirit of the Wild Hunt. I felt like it had to be my choice for three reasons. First, It was the safest option. Even if I felt like I was being ripped off, it was the most likely to go well with my already existing skill set when I went up with my grade.

My Second reason was the work the chimera skill would take. I had already tossed the elf skill out, and even if the chimera race skill looked like the more interesting skill, it would require me to spend a lot of time with animals to make full use of it. That would cut into my time in the Academy and with Umbra, the latter of which I didn't want to do.

The last reason was having to explain it to others. If I picked chimera or the elf skill, it would probably raise a lot of questions. I had no idea what skills Kat and Fernand had picked or if they had used the crystals always, but they were smart.

Looking at the confirmation window I selected, yes, a moment later, I felt a slight, almost burning tingle through my whole body. It was uncomfortable but faded after a moment. Pulling up my status screen, I took a look at it.

[Name: Aster]

[Grade: 1]

[Level: 46]

[Titles: True Daughter of Kulni, Bonded]

[Mana: 466/466]

[Stamina: 840/840]

[Race Class: Daughter of Kulni- Level 46]

[Class Skills: Stalker’s Movement, Pack Bond, Pack Formation, Spirit of the Wild Hunt]

[Second Class: Bonded Ranger - Level 36]

[Class Skills: Bond Speech, Frosted Arrow, Ranger's Aim - Rank Three, Night Eye - Rank Four.]

[Passive Class Skills: Stealth - Rank Two, Balance - Rank Three, Rune Etching - Rank Four, Archery - Rank 8, Meditation - Rank Nine.]

[Attributes]

[Available Attribute Points - 0]

[Constitution - 82]

[Strength - 137]

[Endurance - 170]

[Dexterity - 266]

[Charisma - 118]

[Intelligence - 84]

[Wisdom - 138]

Needless to say, I was more than happy with my progression. I actually was way more than happy. The dungeon boss had gotten me to a total of level forty-six, which was ridiculous and made me want to go back. On top of that, I had almost all of my stats at over a hundred. All in all, I was well on my way to reaching grade two, and my skills were getting up there in levels as well. It was only a time game. There was also Umbra.

Her progression had stalled almost to a flat point while she was learning what I was at the academy and things about dragons from Silt. I could tell she was getting restless, and if this kept up, then something would have to be done. Her soon-to-be evolution into grade one would help for a time, but even that would be a reason to start leveling soon, especially with the event coming up. Even with as little as we knew about the Void Realm Event, we were both eager to go. After the dungeon run, Fernand had done as much research as he could about events. There was nothing on a realm event, but all events that involved tokens tended to be world-changing. A good example of that was the airships Karvum had. While not proven, it was thought that the technology was discovered during a token event. I shook my head. I was thinking too far ahead. Right now, I had to focus on the upcoming exams and tests, and thoughts about the event could wait. I took in a deep breath and opened my eyes, letting it out, watching it as it spread through the air. I blinked, a bit confused, then repeated the process.

I'm, why did I see my breath? It wasn't summer yet, although it was close enough for it to be far from cold enough to see my breath.

Sitting up, I blinked in dumb amazement as I looked around. Everywhere my eyes looked was met with frost.

White sheets of small ice crystals covered all of the walls and even the bed. There was also a clear difference in temperatures on the balcony, where a billow of cold air was fighting for dominance against the outside air.

I moved my gaze to the culprit in the middle of the room, who was splayed out on the ground, wings spread and eyes half-lidded.

“Umbra, is this your new skill?” I asked the dragon

The noncommittal rumble from her as a response had me sighing but smiling. The room felt nice, the air crisp and relaxing, and for the first time in a while, I actually felt cool, not cold, but the air felt pleasant. I sat down and crossed my legs, humming. I could enjoy this and work at the same time. The bonded skill could always wait a bit anyway. Taking in another refreshingly cold breath, I entered meditation with a smile on my face.