A Bond Forged

As William gazed into the mysterious box, his eyes widened in awe. A soft, pulsing glow emanated from within, bathing his face in an ethereal light.

He had expected to find something extraordinary inside, but nothing could have prepared him for this.

"What the fuck?" he exclaimed, stunned. "What is this thing?"

The box's interior revealed a viscous, shape-shifting substance that appeared to writhe and pulse with a life of its own. The substance's dark, liquid form seemed to shift and flow like a living shadow, its surface reflecting the faint glow of the box.

William's face scrunched up in distaste as he stared at the mysterious material.

William's face scrunched up in confusion. "What's going on?" he muttered to himself.

As William gazed deeper into the substance, an inexplicable sense of connection stirred within him, as if the substance was calling to him, resonating with him on a deep level.

He looked around, hoping to find some answers, and his eyes landed on the system's console. "System, what's happening?" William asked, his voice filled with curiosity. "Why do I feel this... connection to this thing?"

[Connection established due to blood-based interface. Your blood has created a unique bond with the substance.]

William's eyes widened in surprise. "My blood?" he repeated. "What do you mean? I thought the blood was just needed to open the box, not form some kind of bond with... with this thing."

[The blood-based interface was necessary to unlock the box and initiate the bonding process. The bond is now established, and the substance will respond to your presence.]

William shook his head, trying to wrap his mind around the situation. "Respond to my presence? What does that even mean?"

William's eyes narrowed. "And what kind of bond are we talking about? Is this some kind of permanent connection?"

[The bond is indeed permanent. The substance, code-named "Morphion," has recognized you as its owner.]

William's voice rose in alarm. "Owner? What do you mean? I don't want to own some... some shape-shifting goo!"

[Ownership implies control and responsibility. Morphion will adapt to your needs and respond to your commands.]

William's face scrunched up in distaste. "Adapt to my needs? What kind of needs could I possibly have for... for this thing?"

[Morphion is a sentient, shape-shifting material with a unique molecular structure. It possesses advanced adaptive properties, allowing it to alter its form and composition in response to external stimuli. Morphion's default state is a dark, viscous liquid with a subtle silver sheen. It is highly responsive to its owner's thoughts and emotions, and can transform into various shapes and forms to suit their needs.]

[Morphion Status:

Name: Unknown

Material: Morphion

Rank: Rare (Potential: Legendary)

Owner: William Barlowe

Status: Idle

Current Form: Liquid State

Note: Morphion's rank will evolve and grow alongside its owner, William.]

William's eyes widened in awe as he stared at the Morphion's status screen.

He felt like he was dreaming. "I... I must be the luckiest person alive," he breathed, hardly able to believe his eyes. "I mean, I just stumbled upon this thing in a thrift store for 20 dollars! What are the chances?

He shook his head, laughing in disbelief. "I swear, I must have used up all my luck for the rest of my life by finding this thing. I mean, what else could possibly go right for me after this?"

He paused, a sudden thought striking him. "Did I just jinx myself?"

William thought for a moment, then asked the system, "System, how long can it maintain a transformed state?"

[It can maintain a transformed state for 10 minutes at a time. After that, it has a Cooldown of 10 minutes before it can transform again.]

William nodded, taking mental note of the time limit. "What about its shape-shifting abilities? Are there any restrictions on what forms it can take?"

[The Morphion only transform into objects or weapons that you have seen before.]

[Note: As Morphion increases in rank, it will gain unique abilities and enhancements, further increasing its combat potential.]

William's eyes sparkled with excitement as he stared at Morphion's liquid form. "Alright, let's see what you can do," he said, his voice filled with anticipation.

As William was about to leave the room, a prompt suddenly appeared in front of him.

[Reminder: A personalized name can foster a deeper connection between you and the Morphion, enhancing synchronization and overall performance.]

William's gaze drifted off, his mind racing with possibilities. "Deeper connection, you say?" he mused, a spark of excitement igniting in his eyes as he brainstormed names.

A thoughtful grin spread across his face. "Hmm, what should I call you?" he muttered to himself, lost in thought.

He chuckled to himself, a low "Pfft" escaping his lips. "I've got it! I'll call you... Morbius!" He burst out laughing, "Haha, yeah right! Like I'd actually name you that!"

[Name: Morbius

Would you like to confirm? (Y/N)]

William shook his head, still grinning. "No, no, it was just a joke. I don't actually want to name you Morbius." He let out a playful snort.

"We don't wanna enter a battle saying 'It's Morbin' time' now, do we?" He laughed, shaking his head.

[Name: Morphion (Temporary)

Please enter a new name for your material.]

"Hmm, what should I call you?" he thought for a moment, trying to come up with a name.

"I've got it," he said, a sly grin spreading across his face. "Let's call you... Oblivion." He nodded to himself, a soft "Yeah" escaping his lips.

[Name: Oblivion

Would you like to confirm? (Y/N)]

William nodded to himself, a satisfied smile spreading across his face. "Yes, that's perfect. Oblivion it is." He let out a contented sigh.

"Sounds edgy... but it'll do." He chuckled to himself, a low "Heh" escaping his lips.

[Morphion Status:

Name: Oblivion

Material: Morphion

Rank: Rare (Potential: Legendary)

Owner: William Barlowe

Status: Delighted

Current Form: Liquid State]

William grinned, feeling a thrill of excitement. "Alright, Oblivion... let's see what you can do."

He turned and walked out of the room, the door creaking softly as it swung shut behind him. The hallway was quiet, the only sound the soft echo of his footsteps as he made his way to the training room.

Once inside, William focused his thoughts, and the Morphion began to shift and flow.

"Oblivion, take the form of a spear," he commanded, picturing the Silver Spear from his inventory in his mind.

And it did just that. The liquid Morphion transformed into a sleek, silver spear with a shaft made of gleaming silver steel and an intricately designed tip, its point glinting in the light.

William gripped the spear, feeling its balanced weight in his hand. He took a deep breath, focusing on his target - a sturdy wooden dummy at the far end of the training room.

With a swift, practiced motion, William hurled the spear at the dummy. The silver tip flashed in the light, and for a moment, William thought he saw a faint, shimmering aura surrounding the spear.

The spear struck the dummy with a loud thud, passing cleanly through the wood and embedding itself in the wall behind. The dummy wobbled, its wooden slats splintered and cracked around the hole.

William's eyes widened in surprise. He hadn't expected the spear to pass through the dummy so easily.

He walked over to the dummy, inspecting the hole. The spear had passed through cleanly, leaving a smooth, rounded hole.

"Not bad, Oblivion," William said, addressing the spear. "Not bad at all."

He thought for a moment, then asked the system, "System, if I were to throw the spear and it's far away, how do I call it back? And how do I change it back into its liquid state once it's returned?"

[Oblivion can be summoned back to your hand at any time, regardless of distance. Simply focus your thoughts on recalling Oblivion, and it will return to you. To return Oblivion to its liquid state, use the 'Release Form' command]

"Release Form," he commanded.

The silver spear began to shimmer and lose its shape, its form breaking down into a pool of liquid Morphion. Oblivion flowed across the floor, reforming into its usual, amorphous shape.

The system beeped, and a message appeared on the screen.

[Oblivion has been returned to your inventory.]

He took out the other spear in his inventory, the one he had purchased earlier, and held it up for examination. He threw it at a nearby training dummy, watching as it struck the dummy's wooden chest with a loud thud, but didn't penetrate.

The spear bounced off the dummy and clattered to the floor. He walked over to pick it up, noting the difference in performance between this spear and Oblivion.

"Impressive durability, but the attack power is lacking," he muttered, examining the spear.

He spent the next hour training, throwing the spear at the dummy, practicing his thrusts and improving his technique using the spear. Sweat dripped from his brow as he pushed himself to his limits, determined to improve his skills.

Finally, exhausted but satisfied with his progress, he decided to call it a day.

He stored his spear in his inventory, then headed back to his room, walking over to the shower and turning on the warm water before stepping under its refreshing stream.

The warmth soaked into his muscles, easing the tension and soreness from his intense training session. He let out a contented sigh, feeling the dirt and sweat wash away, and closed his eyes, letting the water massage his scalp.

As he stood under the showerhead, he couldn't shake the feeling that his training, no matter how intense, was still missing a crucial element.

"I need real battle experience," he muttered to himself, "if I want to truly improve." The simulated fights and training dummies were helpful, but they couldn't replicate the unpredictability and adrenaline rush of a genuine battle.

He made a mental note to seek out more opportunities for actual combat, knowing that it was the only way to test his skills and push himself to the next level.

He didn't need to tackle the most challenging dungeons yet, but a low-level one would be a great place to start. He could test his skills, gain some experience, and possibly even find some useful loot.

With a newfound sense of excitement and possibility, he quickly dried off, feeling refreshed and already looking forward to the adventures that lay ahead.

...