The air was still. very still.
Ye Tian sat straight, clutching his head as fragments of the dream flashed in and out of his memory. Nearby, Yue Qing breathed slowly, her silver hair soaked from sweat, her eyes wide but calm.
[System Update: Initiating Upgrade—Triggered by Soul-Link Resonance.]
[Analyzing bonded pathways... Cross-compatibility detected. Unlocking adaptive module: SHARD OF WILL.]
Ye Tian blinked.
[You have unlocked: Shard of Will (Level 1)]A latent ability born by mutual trust between partners during despair. Enables user to borrow the ability/resistance from their bond partners for a short time.Passive Effect: Corruption Resistance increased by 20% when near Yue Qing.Active Effect (Cooldown: 12 hours): "Will Merge" – Temporarily sync senses and combat flow with bonded partner for 60 seconds.
Yue Qing's POV
She suddenly felt—a ripple in her soul. Her cursed chains shimmered faintly, less binding. She looked at Ye Tian and frowned.
"What… just happened?"
Ye Tian smirked, leaning back against the wall. "I think we… leveled up."
"This is insane," she muttered. "A Soul-Link between strangers?"
"Are we still strangers?" he asked, looking at her.
She said nothing.
But she didn't look away either.
System Interface (Ye Tian POV)
[Bonded Ally: Yue Qing]Compatibility: 64%Emotional Interference: ModerateCorruption Affinity Sync: 39%Trust Threshold: Approaching Level 2Unlock at 75% – Shared Skill Potential Detected
New Trait Unlocked: Abyss-Borne Resilience (LVL 1)Your time within the Abyss has hardened your body and mind.— Minor regeneration in dark environments— Resistance to soul-based illusions
They moved on after resting some time.
As they delved deeper into the ruin-choked tunnels, the torchlight started to flicker oddly. The very walls of the Abyss seemed to shift in response to their connection, as though acknowledging it.
"The Abyss doesn't like what we've become," Ye Tian said.
"Let it watch," Yue Qing replied, she said with a defiant voice.
But deep below, something did more than watch.
A pair of crimson eyes opened in the stone, sharp, ancient and amused.
"Two seeds growing side by side… how rare."