CHAPTER 48: SALVATION

[Analysis: Monster Bonding is a cultivation path where a human forms a mutual, soul-level contract with a monster. They do not just tame the monster; they share its core.

The monster’s core becomes a part of the cultivator’s own energy system. Their life and death become linked. If the cultivator dies, the monster dies, and vice-versa.]

[Limitations: Both monster and human cannot live apart more than a hundred metres.]

A new screen popped up, showing more detail.

[The most significant effect of this mutual bond is the sharing of Traits. The cultivator gains direct access to the monster’s innate Trait, allowing them to use it as their own.]

This new information hit Rhys like a lightning bolt. He thought of the small, blue egg in his spatial pouch.

’Eggy...’

The feeling of intense pride from Eggy was instant. It was beaming with happy waves, one after another, trying its best to show off to the System and Yuki.

Yet, apart from the System, Yuki did not even know of its existence.

’System, I have a soul-bond with Eggy. Can I do this too?’ Rhys asked the important question that had appeared in his mind.

[The Host’s bond is a true soul-bond, not a simple contract. The connection is deeper. The Host can not only access the bonded creature’s Trait, but also its Bloodline.]

Rhys felt a surge of excitement. The Monster Bonding technique was already a secret, at least in the province.

Within this secret, the ability of his own bond was a bigger mystery. The Wanderers could share Traits, but he could share a Bloodline too.

He had a hunch that this would be a huge power-up for his future. He just had to wait for Eggy to come out for it to happen.

’Eggy, when will you come out?’

[It is unknown how much life energy it needs to be born. The amount might be abysmal, as Eggy is always absorbing life energy, yet it has not shown any movement apart from its noisy mouth.]

Rhys completely muted his mind as Eggy and the System started their argument again. It seemed like both of them were surely going to have huge fights in the future.

His life of peacefulness had ended. Rhys did not know if he should cry or laugh. Yuki pulled his hand, snapping him out of his reverie.

The burly man, the leader of the Wanderers, dismounted from his bug-like creature. He walked towards Rhys and Yuki. His expression was cautious.

"Who are you?" the man asked. His voice was deep and rough, like grinding stones. "We have never seen you in the Rolling Sands before."

"We are just travellers," Rhys replied, his voice calm. The man looked at the field of shattered glass monsters around them.

He looked at Rhys, then at Yuki. He could see they were powerful.

"Travellers?" the man asked. He took a step closer. "Are you... from the outside?"

Rhys saw a bright spark of hope in the man’s tired eyes. It was the desperate look of someone who had lost all hope and had suddenly found a reason to have it again.

[System analysing..]

[The Desert Wanderers are trapped within this domain. Their primary cultural goal is to find a way to escape the desert. They believe people ’from the outside’ might hold the key.]

’Key?’

Before Rhys could get an answer, a young woman from the group ran forward. She was energetic and had a friendly smile plastered on her face.

"Bael, don’t be so serious!" she said to the leader. She turned to Rhys and Yuki.

"Wow! You two killed so many Scuttlers! That’s amazing! My name is Zara. What are your names? Your clothes are so strange. Where did you get them?" She talked a lot, and her friendly energy broke the tense atmosphere.

It was strange...

"Zara, be quiet," Bael said, but his voice was not angry.

...more stranger after the leader showed obvious approval disguised as disapproval.

Rhys looked at the girl, Zara. She was looking at him and Yuki with wide, curious eyes. He asked the System to analyse her.

[Zara. Trait: Farsight.]

[About: A rare and conditional Trait that allows the user, Zara, to perceive the potential future pathways of other individuals if that individual is friendly.]

That explained why she was trying her best to appear friendly, obviously failing as Yuki was eying her coldly.

Either way, Rhys was surprised. A Seer-type ability was too rare. He looked closer and saw a small, hawk-like creature perched on her shoulder.

It was made of crystal and sand. Its eyes were like two large, clear gems.

[Sand-Gem Kestrel detected.]

[Bloodline: Ordinary]

[Cultivation: Stage 1 (Low)]

[Trait: Hunter’s Foresight]

[About: The monster is capable of seeing the immediate future pathways of its prey if the prey is unaware of its presence. After this woman bonded with this monster, she obtained its trait, though the trait was tweaked a little as per her human nature.]

This was the second seer-type ability he had encountered in this Labyrinth. The first was Anya Sterling’s Eye of Veridian Insight.

He was beginning to realise that powerful and rare abilities were more common here than in the outside world.

’After all, this labyrinth was from another world. Maybe the owner is someone from the higher worlds...’

Bael looked at Rhys and Yuki. Either because he saw they were powerful or was intrigued by their appearance, the hostile intent Rhys had felt from him had completely disappeared.

He and Zara locked eyes and, although it was only for a few seconds, Rhys could understand they were communicating.

"You have fought a long battle," Bael finally spoke after a few seconds, his voice now more friendly.

"You must be tired. Come with us. Come to our settlement. You can rest and eat. We can talk more there."

Rhys looked at Yuki. She just shrugged, her expression indifferent. Rhys looked back at the group of Wanderers.

He was faced with a choice: follow these strange, dead people and learn more about this place, or continue his journey alone.

[How can there be a choice when you have already decided what to do?]

’True.’

"Okay," he mirrored the same friendly smile. "We will go with you."

*

* *

Zara followed just behind the outsiders, her heart beating with a fast, excited rhythm.

Outsiders. Real outsiders.

It was a story the elders told, a dream the children whispered about, but she had never truly believed it until now.

The two figures in front of her were proof that a world existed beyond their endless, white sands. She felt a surge of hope, so strong it almost made her dizzy.

This is it. This could be our chance.

She had to be sure. She focused her will, activating her Trait. The world around her faded into a grey blur. Only the people in front of her remained in colour, their potential futures waiting to be seen.

Her bonded Kestrel on her shoulder let out a soft cry, its gem-like eyes glowing as it shared its power with her. She looked at the silver-haired girl first.

The excitement in Zara’s heart turned to cold disappointment. She saw nothing. A complete, empty blankness.

It was the same void she saw when she looked at her father, at Kael, at every single person in her tribe. A deep sadness washed over her.

This beautiful, powerful girl was just like them.

With a heavy heart, she turned her gaze to the masked man. She expected to see the same empty void. But she did not.

Her breath caught in her throat. His future was not blank. It was an explosion of light and colour. It was a vibrant, chaotic storm of branching pathways.

She had never seen anything like it. The joy she felt was quickly replaced by a deep, primal fear. His future was not a single, clear path. It was millions of them.

Every word she said to him, every step she took, created a million new futures for him. He was completely, terrifyingly unpredictable.

He was a force of pure chaos. The power he held, the potential to change his own destiny at any moment, was horrifying to her.

She wanted to run.

She wanted to tell Bael to send them away. This man was too dangerous. He was a storm that could destroy their small, fragile world.

But then she saw it. Amidst the chaos of his millions of branching futures, there was one single, shining point. It was a bright, distant star.

All the millions of chaotic pathways, no matter how different, all eventually led to that one, single point. It was a shared outcome.

A single, unavoidable destiny. And in that shining point of convergence, she saw it.

"What did you see?" a male voice sounded in her ears, as if it had appeared out of thin air.

"Salvation..." she muttered involuntarily, then opened her eyes wide, locking with pupils of complete darkness.

The man turned and continued his walking, muttering.

"Salvation... so that’s what you all are after."