Commander's Bond.
> [Congratulations! You have formed a Soul Link with Vael the Great.]
[New Trait Acquired: Commander's Bond]
Elias blinked.
"Commander's Bond?"
Before he could even begin to understand what that meant, a strange warmth suddenly pulsed through his chest.
It wasn't just a normal feeling. It was different—magical.
He could feel Vael now—not through sight or sound, but through some invisible connection. It was like Vael had become part of him.
From that bond, Elias felt a faint flicker of curiosity coming from Vael. It was subtle but real.
Elias stood still, a bit confused and surprised by the strange sensation. But before he could say anything, another system screen appeared in front of him.
---
> [Trait Acquired – Commander's Bond]
A strong mutual connection between summoner and summon.
Effects:
• Empathic Link – You and your summon can sense each other's physical condition, mental intent, and mood shifts.
• Thought Sync – Partial merging of thoughts for instant coordination.
• Dual Drive – Your emotional state (e.g. anger, focus) channels into your summon, increasing battle resonance.
• Attribute & Skill Transfer – You can freely share stats and skills with each other.
---
Elias stared at the screen, eyebrows raised. Then he turned to look at Vael, who was still kneeling.
"Can you… feel emotions?" he asked.
Vael looked up calmly. "Yes and no," he said. "I do not feel emotions like the living do. I have purpose, loyalty, and a strong desire to grow stronger. I can feel your rage against your enemies through our bond… and I will rage with you. So yes, I feel loyalty. But not things like love or true emotions. Not like the living do."
Elias nodded slowly. "Got it. And also, you don't need to kneel anymore. That's enough."
Vael stood up smoothly. "As you command."
Elias looked back at the system screen and kept reading. His eyes widened after a moment.
"Wait—what?! I can actually share stats and skills?"
This was insane. Too powerful.
Vael's attributes were just incredible. Even if he could absorb just a part of them, it would give him a huge boost. And if skills were included too? That was a whole new level. Vael's skills were nothing to joke about either.
---
> [Commander's Bond Activated – You may now share attributes and skills with Vael through Commander's Bond. Would you like to initiate sharing?]
---
"I'm doing it," Elias said with no hesitation. Why wouldn't he?
He focused on the magical bond pulsing between them.
---
> [Would you like to share attributes with your summon Vael?]
[Yes] / [No]
---
Elias mentally selected Yes right away.
---
> Sharing Attributes with Vael...
> Congratulations! You've received +36 Strength, +52 Agility, +34 Intelligence, +31 Endurance, +33 Willpower.
---
A powerful wave of energy surged into Elias like a floodgate opening. His knees nearly gave out from the sudden force. It wasn't painful—but it was intense. His breath caught in his throat, and his chest rose and fell as the rush almost overwhelmed him.
After a few seconds, the energy settled, leaving behind a pounding heartbeat and a strong, heavy feeling in his limbs.
Elias wiped sweat from his forehead and let out a deep breath.
"Well… that was overwhelming."
He summoned his status screen.
---
> STATUS WINDOW
Name : Elias Ashbourne
Level : 1
Class : Undead Summoner
EXP : 0 / 100
Health : 180 / 180
Mana : 80 / 142
[ATTRIBUTES]
Strength : 9 → 45
Agility : 8 → 60
Intelligence : 12 → 56
Endurance : 7 → 38
Willpower : 10 → 43
〔Attribute Points: 0〕
[TALENT & SKILLS]
Unique Talent : Legendary Extraction
Base Skills : Undead Awakening, Undead Summoning
Skills : —
[SPECIAL TRAITS]
Commander's Bond
[RESOURCE POINTS]
Extraction Points (EP) : 5
Summon Capacity : 1 / 5
[SYSTEM CURRENCY]
Karma Points : 0
---
Elias stared at the screen, grinning like an idiot.
He could now confidently say—without exaggeration—that he was the strongest level one out there. And it wasn't even close.
Back on Earth, as a player, it had taken him until around level six or seven to reach these kinds of stats. That just showed how broken this was.
Even Vael had gained something from the share. Sure, what Vael got was only a small boost compared to what Elias received, but it was still useful.
The important thing was—they both got stronger.
And for now, that was all that mattered.
He dismissed the status screen and turned to face Vael. "That was amazing. I feel like I could punch through a mountain."
Vael nodded sharply, emotionless, his glowing green eyes flickering faintly. "I sensed the increase. You are stronger now than before."
"Yeah, I definitely am. What about you? You should feel stronger too, right?" Elias asked with a grin.
"Yes, I did grow a bit stronger," Vael replied.
Elias nodded. Now it was time to share skills too. Just like before, he focused on the bond that connected them.
> [Would you like to share Skills with your Summon?]
He accepted without hesitation.
> Ding!
Skill Sharing Failed: No transferable skills detected.
Acquired: Shadowmeld, Smoke Veil
Note: Base-Class Skills cannot be shared due to class-specific affinity.
Elias tilted his head and hummed. "Makes sense."
Base skills were uniquely tied to each class. Every class had its own special energy signature. And even beyond that, base skills weren't just about the class—they were also shaped by the individual user.
So even if he somehow got the same base skill and his class matched, it might still not work properly. That was just how personal those skills were. He wasn't too bothered about not being able to share them.
Still, Shadowmeld and Smoke Veil? Those were solid pickups. A win in his book.
He opened his status screen again just to admire the changes. It looked incredible.
To think that he, a level one, now had stats higher than what his characters back on Earth had by level five or six… even top players only reached stats in the eighties or low hundreds by level 10. Yet here he was, already halfway there at level one. That was crazy.
He turned to Vael with a huge grin. For a second, he felt like giving the guy a hug—but then again, Vael didn't look like the type who liked being hugged, so he held back.
Vael raised an eyebrow. "You seem pleased."
Elias chuckled. "You have no idea. That bond trait is insane."
Vael gave a short nod. "I'm glad to be of service."
Then Elias suddenly remembered something—the gacha pull.
"I still have one ticket left," he muttered.
'Should I use it...?'
Vael sensed his master's hesitation. "What troubles you?" he asked.
Elias told him about the ticket and the internal debate he was having.
Vael listened quietly, then tilted his head slightly. "Luck is an unpredictable element. If you believe it's your moment, then act. If not—wait."
Elias thought for a moment. "Nah. I already hit the jackpot with you. I probably used up all my luck on that."
Vael nodded once. "Wise choice."
"Let's go explore," Elias said. "I was planning to check out the area before the system quest popped up."
"As you wish," Vael said and began walking.
But just as Vael took a step, a soft and cheerful voice echoed in Elias's mind.
"[Congratulations, Master! With your new power, managing the territory should be much easier now!]"
Elias smiled at the familiar voice. "Welcome back, Alia."
He wouldn't say it out loud, but hearing her voice again… felt nice. Maybe it was the contrast. The system's voice was irritating and arrogant, but Alia's voice was warm—like sunlight breaking through clouds.
"[Hehe~ Thanks!]"
"[Also… it looks like you've gotten yourself a new protector for the territory. That's great! Really great!]"
She was talking about Vael, who had already vanished into the tall Ashveil grass, blending in and disappearing from view as he went ahead to scout the area.
Elias's smile grew wider. Then a thought hit him.
"Alia, can you sense any other presence in my head?"
"[You mean the weird one you were talking to earlier?]"
"Yeah, that one. So you did sense it?"
"[Mmhm! I noticed it earlier when you woke up. But I couldn't talk to it.]"
"[It's strange… like it's hidden behind layers I can't reach. When I tried to say hi, it kind of pushed me back. Not in a mean way though—more like I just wasn't allowed to.]"
"[But I didn't think it was dangerous, so I didn't push too hard. I've learned that privacy is important now!]"
Her voice was so proud that Elias couldn't help imagining her puffing up her little ethereal chest—if she even had one.
He chuckled. "You did good. I'm proud of you for learning that."
"[Ehehe~!]" Alia giggled happily.
"[Oh! And I finished compiling the daily territory report! I didn't want to bother you earlier since you seemed busy, but… should I transfer it to you now?]"