The System

CH- 84: Monsters (II).

    The rune locks on and activates before Tetsu's vision shifts. With the sudden burst of energy to harm the beast, the arrow turns into a blur, making it hard to discern if Tetsu now faces an illusion or an actual disappearing mountain scenario.

"Fake or real?" Tetsu ponders but holds no hope, for in either case, he won't be able to breach a superior illusionist's domain of influence.

He had stumbled into the domain by sheer dumb luck or would have to wait until the ugly fish dispelled the skill.

"I want a domain skill." He pouts.

Tetsu cursed himself as he remembered rejecting a domain skill—the highest-level skill he was offered. Well, before the casual meeting with the gods.

Later, he called the grapes sour, convincing himself that the same restriction might render it useless, like the [Overlay] skill. But to rub salt in his wounds, Saint woke up from his slumber and crammed Tetsu with knowledge that proved how wrong he was.

"Screw you too," Tetsu flipped himself off and later realized how weird the scene would have been for a third party.

"Any luck so far?" Tina urged Xania who had no answer.

Tine knew the domain of a level six? beast was nothing to scoff at, and the arrow might be a lucky shot for all they knew, and the archer might not even be an ally. She cursed herself for relying on some stranger to come help them. Since when did she rely on anyone? She scolded herself straight before tackling the problem at hand.

"A little hope isn't bad, but relying on some miracle is a fool's death wish. Think." Tina glares at the fish, stealing her resolve.

Hana hits Tina with a calming spell to help her concentrate, which makes Xania feel even more useless. All of them contributed at least to the bare minimum, while she rode their cocktails, always avoiding death, always being the weakest and unless link.

Xania hated her luck at having picked such a bond and was desperate to switch it, but she wasn't strong enough to claim such an opportunity and again had to rely on someone to even hope for such an opportunity.

"Useless," she cursed herself. "One useful skill. Please," she begged, tears filling her eyes. "One skill to be useful. Please," she pleaded with her bond, promising to pay the price, no matter how steep.

The heavens heeded her call, and a skill flashed into a skill slot without her permitting or even acknowledging its presence.

[Ding! You have gained a new skill from the bond. Racial Skill: Beacon of Hope: In the darkest hours, be the guiding light for the fallen souls. The more followers you gather, the stronger the beacon shall glow. One day may you guide every soul around you to safety. Radius: 100mtrs. Level: Warrior. Rarity: Uncommon. Chant: Heed my call, only I can guide you out of your misery.]

The absurd, cultish chant didn't bewilder Xania as much as the level of the skill did. "How did I unlock a higher-tier spell?"

The spell proved far from what she needed in the moment, but she speculated that the skill could be applied in other ways. Without questioning the heavens, she chanted the spell and ignited like a true beacon.

"What the—" Tina exclaimed.

"—Fuck," Tetsu frowned at the strange pillar of light a hundred meters away. Every fiber of his being urged him to flee from the obvious cult trap.

The group surrounding Xania had the opposite reaction, gravitating toward her with a unique power they used to counteract the fish's domain.

"How are you doing this?" Tina gaped at Xania.