The Boundless Sea stretched endlessly, its waves breathing like a beast too large to see. The ship groaned under the pull of currents, lanterns swaying as though nervous. Andy stood at the rail, his fingers brushing the hilts of Tide-Singer and Ember Edge, the twin blades humming faintly in anticipation.
The Soulbound rings pulsed on his and Nia's hands, a heartbeat of light between them.
[System Notice]
Bond Progression: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 78%
Stability Window: Active.
Andy exhaled. "The Phoenix Ember… it's restless again."
Nia touched his arm, her staff glowing faintly at her back. "Then let's keep it steady—together." The bond stabilized, warmth weaving through his chest.
From the corner of his eye, he caught the hooded woman Aurelia, silent and watchful. She had boarded quietly at Everhart's docks, said to be a hired healer. Yet the way the sailors avoided her spoke otherwise. Even hooded, a faint shimmer of gold seemed to escape her cloak. Andy turned away, though something about her presence clung like static.
The ship bucked suddenly. A sailor screamed as pale shapes climbed the rails.
"Water wraiths!" the captain barked. "Form the line—defend the mast!"
Andy stepped forward. The blades at his sides thrummed with energy. He crossed them over his chest.
"Activate: Dragon Warrior Form—Tier I.5 Enhanced!"
[System Notice]
Form Activated: Dragon Warrior I.5 Enhanced
Dragon Core Integration 64% → Stabilized
Strength +18% | Speed +22% | Endurance +15%
Power surged, fire and water auras wrapping his limbs. Tide-Singer pulsed cold blue; Ember Edge burned crimson, steam spiraling where their edges overlapped.
The first wraith lunged. Andy's stance shifted fluid, Tide-Singer slicing across its torso. The corrupted water froze instantly, only to be shattered by Ember Edge's downward strike, exploding into vapor.
[Skill Activated]
Elemental Flow – Twin Surge
Output Efficiency +14% (amplified by ambient moisture).
More wraiths surged from the sea. Andy pivoted, blades crossing in a radiant arc. Fire roared, water surged—his Twin Surge split into two streams, colliding mid-air to form a wall of steam that tore through the enemy line.
Behind him, Nia planted her staff, glyphs unraveling in circles of light. "Lightfire Blessing!" she called, her voice resonant. Radiance flared, weaving a wide barrier that burned the wraiths as they touched it. Sailors took cover behind her, awe flashing in their eyes.
[System Notice]
Support Skill Active: Lightfire Blessing
Barrier Integrity +25% | Mana Regeneration Boost: +12%
Andy dashed across the deck, slashing down another wraith. One reformed behind a deckhand—he spun, Tide-Singer stabbing forward, water aura piercing the wraith's chest. Ember Edge followed, fire searing the wound shut, breaking it apart.
"Keep low!" Andy shouted, hauling the sailor aside just as Nia's glyph burst, disintegrating another wraith.
The ship lurched violently as something vast brushed its hull. The deck vibrated like a heartbeat. Andy's chest clenched; he felt the Phoenix Ember flare, mixing dangerously with the Dragon Core.
[System Warning]
Unstable Duality Detected: Dragon Core × Phoenix Ember.
Suppression Required.
He steadied himself. "Not now," he whispered. He spun into another wraith, unleashing Dragon Fang Strike, Ember Edge blazing with crimson arcs.
[Skill Activated]
Dragon Fang Strike
Impact Force +30% (fire attribute)
The deck erupted in steam and flame, sending two wraiths back into the sea.
From the mast, Nia whispered a chant, her staff blazing with silver-white light. A glyph circle widened under Andy's feet, feeding him mana.
[System Notice]
Bond Synchronization +9%
New Buff Applied: Resonant Harmony – Strength +12% | Focus +10%
For a moment, everything aligned—her calm, his fury, their bond. He moved faster, each strike flowing perfectly with her glyphs, every blow amplified.
The sea answered. Beneath them, a deep rumble echoed—like wind screaming through caverns, like mountains shifting under pressure. Andy staggered, hearing a whisper: Awaken what is yours.
Both his blades thrummed violently, as if echoing the voice. Tide-Singer's water aura sharpened, Ember Edge's fire burned hotter. He glanced down into the dark, seeing nothing but the endless black.
The battle dragged on, wraith after wraith torn apart. Finally, silence fell. Mist hung heavy, the ship dripping with seawater and sweat. Sailors slumped in exhaustion, yet eyes turned in awe toward Andy and Nia.
From the stern, Aurelia stepped slightly into view. Her hood still shadowed her face, but her golden gaze glimmered faintly in the lantern light. She had not fought, not yet—but Andy felt it, the way her presence pressed at the edges of the bond like another rhythm waiting to join.
[System Notice]
Bond Progression: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ – 80%
Unstable Elemental Echo Detected (Wind / Earth)
Entity Analysis Pending: Passenger – Anomaly Detected.
Andy sheathed his blades slowly, gaze lingering on Aurelia. Nia moved closer, her hand gripping his arm, protective and quiet.
"She's no healer," Nia whispered.
"No," Andy agreed, his heartbeat still drumming with battle. His eyes lingered on the hooded figure. "And I think the sea knows her."
The waves whispered again, carrying secrets they weren't ready to answer.
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