Bond Master

Kinetic Shield

While Ren Barrett lay quietly in his dormitory bed, staring up at the dark stone ceiling and wondering how he was going to handle the relentless barrage of the mage class in the morning, deep within the silent, iron-pillared confines of his Containment Vault, Grim was busily finishing up his meal.

The young Volden Shackle-Hound had spent the better part of the night chewing and absorbing the potent kinetic Mana stone that Sergeant Rita Corvina had provided. Given the massive level difference between a newborn hatchling and a resource personally forged by the academy’s Overlord-Grade Headmaster, the dense rock should have been providing the hound with all sorts of immediate breakthroughs.

However, after that explosive first stone which had violently propelled Grim straight into the Awakened tier, this second stone didn’t spark any shocking physical transformations.

Instead, the process was steady, calm, and slow. A dense, continuous stream of raw kinetic Mana was flowing from the fading core of the stone directly into the hound’s expanding internal pool.

Because their lives were bound together by the crimson chain mark on his arm, that rising tide of magic was steadily pulling Ren’s own personal Mana levels up along with him, expanding his internal capacity and soothing his aching muscles. It was with a faint sense of regret that such a generous, high-grade military resource wasn't producing another flashy evolution that Ren finally closed his eyes, drifting off into a deep sleep.

He didn't get to rest for long. Just an hour before dawn, a violent, rushing surge of cold magic suddenly erupted through his nervous system, shocking him completely awake. The thought link in his mind flared with a sudden, crystal-clear notification directly from the bond:

[Shared Skill Gained: Kinetic Shield]

Ren sat up abruptly in bed, his eyes wide in the pre-dawn darkness as the raw information of the skill settled into his consciousness. The new defensive spell was currently fully initialized for Grim, though because Ren was still working on stabilizing his basic human body forms, the active casting pathway remained temporarily unavailable for Ren to channel directly through his own gauntlets for now.

"Now that is more like it," Ren whispered into the quiet room, a wide, triumphant smile breaking across his face as he looked down at his pulsing arm mark. "Another active spell for you, buddy. And it’s a defensive barrier that a normal wild Shackle-Hound wouldn't dream of comprehending at this age. Congratulations, Grim."

A low, muffled rumble echoed from the Containment Vault. Grim let out a sleepy, telepathic yawn, showing absolutely no intention of staying awake now that the stone was fully digested, and his stomach was empty. The young hound had used the immense energy of the stone to master a superior form of magic, and now that the hunger had faded, he simply wanted to sleep it off. Unfortunately for Ren, he wasn't nearly so lucky.

The intense excitement of unlocking a brand-new defensive asset kept his mind racing for hours, and he only managed to fall back into a light, fitful doze a few minutes before his morning alarm began to wail.

When Ren finally dragged himself down to the specialized warrior district cafeteria for breakfast, the physical strain of his dual-track training was immediately obvious to his classmates.

"Man, Barrett, you’re looking remarkably chipper this morning," Jax, one of the great heavy sword recruits from the afternoon mixed martial arts class, noted as he dropped a massive tray of eggs and roasted meat onto the wooden table. "Aren't your muscles completely turned to pudding after the absolute beating Instructor Tyson handed you yesterday? Most of the guys in our block can barely lift their forks today."

Ren let out a tired laugh, gesturing to the massive, overflowing plates of steak, rice, and baked starches he had gathered for himself. "I recovered pretty quickly from physical impact, honestly. It’s all just a simple matter of eating enough high-energy food to keep up with your body's needs."

As he leaned forward to grab his juice, he heard a loud, ominous rip sound come from his shoulders. Ren winced, looking down at his uniform. Following yesterday’s explosive breakthrough and last night’s steady Mana influx, his appetite wasn't the only thing that had expanded. His baseline height had surged once again, his shoulders had broadened significantly, and his charcoal-and-gold academy clothes were now a full size too small.

His uniform trousers didn't even reach his ankles anymore, and his leather boots were pinching his toes so badly that he was practically standing on the crushed heels just to walk across the floor. Before he could report to Sergeant Corvina for their morning drills, he was going to have to make an emergency detour to the supply sector to secure gear that actually fit his altered proportions.

Ren made his way down to the central laundry and logistics depot located in the basement of the first-year student dormitory. The wide stone hall was lined with steaming brass wash-vats and heavy iron clothing racks, managed by a very large, imposing woman named Mrs. Gable, who was currently wearing a heavy canvas raincoat over her uniform to shield herself from the splashing water.

"What do you need then, first-year student?" Mrs. Gable announced in a loud, booming voice that echoed over the roar of the steam pipes. "It's far too early in the day to be dropping off laundry. The morning batches won't be washed, pressed, and returned to the room boxes until late this afternoon."

"Actually, ma'am, I don't need a wash. I desperately need new uniforms that fit," Ren explained, stepping forward and gesturing sheepishly to his exposed ankles and tight, straining seams. "I've been growing like crazy since the recruitment day injection, and neither of the standard-issue kits I was given fit my body anymore. I can't even force my feet into these boots without crushing the heels."

Mrs. Gable stopped scrubbing, wiping her soapy hands on her apron as she walked over to give Ren a long, evaluating look. She noted his broadened chest, his increased height, and the faint, powerful aura of Mana radiating off his skin.

"Ah, right then. Another rapid bloomer," Mrs. Gable muttered, nodding knowingly. "The Divine Serum always does this to kids who have latent physical affinities locked in their bloodlines. Don't worry, I'll get you sorted out right away. Just make sure you bring the old ruined uniforms down to me later so I can salvage the fabric."

The large woman disappeared into the back supply rows, returning a few seconds later carrying two fresh uniforms sealed in protective plastic bags, along with a heavy pair of reinforced leather combat boots, a pair of standard training shoes, and a wide pair of open-toed woven sandals.

"If your biology turns out to be one of those massive giant legacy bloodlines, then you are definitely going to need these open sandals later in the semester," Mrs. Gable warned, tossing the heavy bundle into his arms with a stern look.

"Just try your absolute best to keep the new gear in good condition. Once you finally settle through this initial growth phase and your proportions stabilize, you should be perfectly fine."