The connection with the weasel snapped into place, and a fresh wave of energy, potent and unfamiliar, surged through Vell.
It wasn't just a mental link; he felt a tangible increase in his own vitality. The little creature, now officially his, let out a series of excited chitters as a faint, warm light enveloped her for a moment before fading.
The other Players, who had tensed when Mace punched him, took a collective step back, their expressions shifting from aggression to wary surprise as they sensed the distinct change in Vell's presence. The air around him seemed to crackle.
He slowly pushed himself up, spitting out a loose tooth along with a mouthful of blood. The spot on his jaw throbbed, but the new strength thrumming under his skin was a far more compelling sensation.
His eyes, already cold, now held a sharper, more dangerous light. The weasel, as if sensing his shift in mood, scrambled agilely onto his shoulder, nuzzling his ear before fixing her own bright, intelligent gaze on the Players. He absently scratched her under the chin.
'Okay, what was that?' he thought, flexing his hand. 'Felt like a serious power-up. But the system said it's mainly about taming and evolution, not direct combat boosts for me.'
[My core function relates to beasts, master. However, the bond forged through the Beast Forge is symbiotic. Their strength can, to a degree, resonate with yours, and vice-versa. Especially upon the initial forging.]
'So, not just taming in the usual sense. Good to know.' He replayed what he knew: typical tamers relied on their beasts, staying out of the fight themselves because they were vulnerable. That usually didn't end well for them.
His Beast Forge seemed different, more integrated. 'Evolving them, forging them into stronger versions… and getting a little kickback myself. Not bad.'
[Your weasel companion is currently stable. The initial forging is complete. Evolution is possible, but it would require a significant expenditure of your mana. It might be inadvisable in the current circumstances, given the potential drain.]
'Yeah, good point.' He shot a dark look at Mace, who was still posturing. 'Still really want to rearrange that guy's face, though.'
[Patience, master. He is still significantly more experienced in combat than you are, despite your recent gains.]
"Tch." He forced the anger down, the glow in his eyes dimming slightly. "Sorry about that," he said, his voice a low rumble. "But I'm pretty sure you get why I'm a little pissed off."
Jolly, Lex, and Zara glanced pointedly at Mace. He grumbled something under his breath but visibly deflated under their combined stare. Jolly stepped forward, offering a hesitant smile.
"He can be a hothead. We're sorry." She paused, her eyes studying him with renewed intensity. "You okay?"
'She's sharp. Noticed the shift in me, for sure.'
"Peachy," he replied, his tone dry. "So, where were we before that… interruption?"
Lex, the intelligent-looking one, sat down on a moss-covered rock. "Corrupted mana. You were asking about it."
"Right," Vell said. "You were saying it's nasty stuff from dungeons and monsters, and humans can't use it."
Lex nodded. "Basically. It's destructive. Exposure can corrupt people. That's the gist of what's known."
He let that hang in the air for a second, his gaze sweeping over them. "Okay. So, are you all aware that you've got that same corrupted mana flowing through you right now?"
The casual atmosphere shattered. Jolly moved faster than he'd have guessed, her hand clamping around his throat, not with bone-crushing force, but with a grip that promised it. Her dark hair seemed to lift slightly around her face as a subtle pressure emanated from her.
"You want to run that by me again? And you better have a damn good reason for saying it."
'Well, hello there, temper,' he thought, a flicker of amusement mixing with the discomfort. 'Didn't peg her for this much fire.'
"Just think about it," he rasped, not struggling. "Why do you think my mana and yours pushed against each other so hard? Felt like trying to mix oil and water, didn't it?"
Her grip tightened for a moment, her eyes boring into his. He could see the internal conflict. 'Come on, you're smart enough to connect the dots.'
Then, just as suddenly, she released him, stepping back and running a hand through her hair. She gestured for the others, who had tensed up, to relax. They settled, but the unease was palpable.
"So, you're saying the Association," she said, her voice tight, "is knowingly letting us get... contaminated? Or worse?"
"I don't know about 'knowingly'," he said, rubbing his throat. "But that orb thing at the registration desk? It tried to pump a small dose of that stuff into me. My system kicked it out, and the orb shattered. That's when they started chasing me. That's why I ran."
Mace, surprisingly, walked over and sat down near him, his earlier aggression replaced by a grudging curiosity. The others watched him, wary. "You for real about this?" Mace asked, his expression more serious than Vell had seen it.
"Want to see for yourself?" He offered, holding out a hand.
Mace stared at it, then at Vell's face, then reluctantly clasped his hand. Vell let a small smirk play on his lips and pushed a slightly more generous stream of his own mana towards Mace. The repulsion was instant and more violent this time. Mace yelped as he was thrown back a few feet, landing on his ass with a surprised grunt.
Jolly shot him a look, a dangerous glint in her eyes, but also a hint of something that might have been grudging respect. She didn't say anything.
"You bastard!" Mace scrambled up, pointing. "You did that on purpose!"
"Did I?" He raised an eyebrow. "Or maybe you're just extra full of the bad stuff."
'This prick,' Mace thought, his hand instinctively going to the hilt of his weapon. 'I swear, I'm gonna get him back for that.' He started to draw his sword. Vell's eyes began to glow again, the weasel on his shoulder hissing softly. He licked his lips, a thrill of anticipation running through him.
Before it could escalate, Jolly unleashed a wave of pressure, not quite an attack, but an undeniable assertion of her own power. Both Vell and Mace stumbled, Vell feeling it more acutely due to his lower overall level. Mace actually dropped to one knee.
"That's it," Jolly stated, her voice leaving no room for argument. "Last warning for both of you. We're trying to have a conversation here. Now, sit down and shut up, Mace."
Mace scowled but obeyed.
'Damn,' he thought, straightening up. 'She really is the boss here. And kinda terrifying when she wants to be.' He caught sight of Mace, who looked thoroughly chastened, almost comically so. He couldn't suppress a quiet chuckle.
"Okay," Lex said, breaking the tense silence. "Let's say you're right about this corrupted mana. Can you… you know… get rid of it?"
Vell paused. 'System, is that doable?'
[With your current level of mana control and its purity, it is theoretically possible to help cleanse it from others. It would be a slow, draining process for you, but feasible.]
'Good to know.'
"Not right now, I can't," he admitted. "I'm still too new to this, too weak. And I can't exactly power up if I can't even get into a dungeon without a license."
Jolly exchanged a look with Lex and Zara. "What would you need from us?" she asked carefully.
Mace shot to his feet. "Jolly, are you nuts? This guy is wanted! If the Association finds out we helped him instead of turning him in…"
"I know the risks, Mace," she cut him off, her voice firm. "But if he's telling the truth, this is bigger than just one guy. This could affect every Player. We can verify his claims later. For now, hearing him out costs us nothing."
"But the bounty…" Mace grumbled, clearly thinking of the reward for Vell's capture.
"We make more than that on a good dungeon run. Don't be cheap," Jolly retorted.
Zara, the other young woman in their group who had been quiet until now, finally spoke, her gaze fixed on Vell. "I'm with Jolly on this. We should hear him out. But," she added, her eyes narrowing slightly, "this guy… he's got a dangerous vibe. He might be weaker than us right now, but something about him feels off. Like a coiled snake."
'She's not wrong,' Jolly thought, meeting his gaze. 'He's hiding a lot, and that stunt with Mace, the way his eyes lit up… he enjoys pushing buttons. Definitely dangerous. But what choice do we have if he's right about the Association?'
"So," Jolly said, "what exactly are you proposing, Vell?"
He leaned back against the tree, the weasel still perched on his shoulder. "Simple. You guys are worried about corrupted mana. I might be able to help with that, eventually. I need to get stronger, and for that, I need dungeon access. You need a potential solution; I need a way in. Seems like we could help each other out."
A stunned silence followed his words. Lex, Jolly, Mace, and Zara just stared at him, then at each other, then back at him.
[Master, you have a knack for audacity.]
'Quiet, you,' he thought, a small, confident smirk touching his lips. 'I'm on a roll.'