[System Interface: Fusion Resonance]
[Chimera Lord Tier 1 Ability]
[Allows the Host to create a 'Resonance Network' between the Main Chimera and other bonded beasts. Current Limit: 5 Links.]
[Note: Skill Efficiency depends on compatibility.]
[Current Main Chimera: Hellfire Siege-Stag (Unique - Tier 3)]
[Available Skills for Sharing: [Magma Railgun], [Reactor Core], [Heat Aura].]
Sunny stared at the blue screen, his mind racing faster than a speeding bullet. The ability level needed to be tested; he needed to know the limits, the mana drain, and most importantly, the profit margin.
Glancing at the changes in his Class, Sunny's mind was hardly on theory anymore. He shouted directly, "Lyra! Get your bird over here!"
Over the past month, Lyra had become familiar with his abrasive commands. Before long, her Frost Falcon, usually a proud creature, hopped over nervously. It looked at the massive, terrifying Hellfire Siege-Stag looming over it like a god of destruction.
Given that the Shared Connection ability was so remarkable, Sunny naturally wanted to make good use of it. However, at present, he could only connect with five beasts at a time. Clearly, Lyra's Falcon was the perfect guinea pig.
"What are you doing?" Lyra asked, stepping back as the heat from the Siege-Stag washed over her. "You said something about renting skills?"
"Just watch," Sunny grinned. "System, Initiate Resonance Link. Target: Frost Falcon."
[Ding!]
[Analyzing Compatibility...]
[Ice Attribute vs Fire Attribute.]
[Compatibility: 15% (Low).]
[Skill Efficiency: 50%. Mana Cost: High.]
"Fifteen percent?" Sunny scoffed. "Doesn't matter. Fifty percent of a nuke is still a really big bomb."
He selected the skill [Magma Railgun].
Suddenly, a red ethereal chain shot out from the Siege-Stag's chest. It connected straight to the Frost Falcon.
The Falcon shrieked. But it wasn't in pain. It was confusion. The bird's blue feathers suddenly ignited with a ghostly red aura. Its beak, usually cold as ice, began to glow orange.
Lyra's jaw dropped. "My... my Falcon? It feels... hot?"
"Tell it to shoot," Sunny ordered. "Aim at that boulder."
Lyra hesitated, then pointed. "Frost Shot!"
The Falcon opened its beak. But instead of an ice shard, a swirling ball of steam and fire condensed. It wasn't pure magma—the compatibility was too low—but it was a superheated, pressurized steam cannon.
The shot hit the boulder. It exploded it.
"Holy shit!" Lyra gasped. "That was Tier 2 damage!"
"That," Sunny corrected, "was a Tier 3 skill operating at half power. It's called [Magma Railgun]."
He canceled the link. The red aura faded, and the Falcon panted, looking exhausted but exhilarated.
"Your bird just leveled up its mana capacity by forcing that much power through its core," Sunny explained. "I just power-leveled your pet in ten seconds."
Lyra looked at her Falcon, then at Sunny. Her eyes, usually cold and calculating, were now wide with greed.
"How much?" she asked instantly.
"For you? Five hundred Credits an hour," Sunny smirked. "For everyone else? A thousand."
Two Hours Later.
The abandoned training ground was no longer empty.
Sunny had dragged Gorn out of bed. Gorn's Granite Boar was currently linked to the Siege-Stag.
"This is insane!" Gorn laughed maniacally. His Boar, usually a slow tank, was currently covered in [Reactor Core] flames. It was charging around the field, leaving trails of fire, burning the practice dummies to ash.
"My Boar is a Fire Boar now! It's a Spicy Boar!"
Sunny watched the mana drain on his interface.
[Mana Tax: 10/sec from Host. 20/sec from Gorn.]
"The mana drain is heavy," Sunny noted. "But Gorn's Boar is Earth type. Earth and Fire have better compatibility than Ice."
[Compatibility: 60%. Skill Efficiency: 80%.]
"Hey, Sunny!" Gorn yelled, wiping soot from his face. "Can we keep this up? I feel like I could take on Jett right now!"
"Only for ten more minutes," Sunny checked his watch. "I'm running a business here, not a charity."
Just then, a small, timid voice spoke up from the entrance of the training ground.
"Um... excuse me?"
Sunny turned. Standing there was a D-Class student. A scrawny kid with glasses, holding a Moss Rat.
The kid looked at the massive Hellfire Siege-Stag, then at Sunny. He swallowed hard.
"I... I heard rumors," the kid stammered. "That you offer... buffs?"
Sunny's eyes lit up. First customer.
"Rumors travel fast," Sunny walked over, looming over the kid. "You heard right. What do you need?"
"I have the Practical Exam tomorrow," the kid whispered, clutching his rat. "My Moss Rat... it only knows [Scratch]. I'm going to fail. My dad... he'll kill me if I fail."
Sunny looked at the pathetic Tier 1 rat. It looked like a walking salad.
"System, scan."
[Monster: Moss Rat (Tier 1)]
[Attribute: Plant]
[Compatibility with Fire: -50% (Terrible).]
"Plant and Fire don't mix well," Sunny mused. "But... if we use [Heat Aura] instead of the Railgun..."
"I can help you," Sunny said, putting a hand on the kid's shoulder. "But it will cost you."
"I... I have 300 Credits saved up," the kid offered, shaking.
"Deal."
Sunny initiated the link.
[Link Established.]
The Moss Rat squeaked. Its green fur didn't catch fire, but it began to emit a searing wave of dry heat. The moss on its back dried up and became sharp, like needles.
"Your rat is now a walking radiator," Sunny explained. "In the exam, just have it hug the enemy. They'll pass out from heatstroke in thirty seconds."
The kid's eyes widened. "Really?"
"Really. Now, pay up."
By evening, the training ground was a revolving door of desperate students.
D-Class rejects. C-Class strugglers. Even a few B-Class students who wanted an edge.
Sunny sat on a crate, counting Credits.
[Credits: 360 -> 1860]
"This is better than dungeon diving," Sunny laughed. "I'm selling power."
Lyra sat next to him, watching the chaos. "You're going to get in trouble, Sunny. The Academy regulates skill trading."
"I'm not trading skills," Sunny winked. "I'm renting 'Equipment'. My Siege-Stag is just... very advanced equipment."
Suddenly, a shadow fell over them.
The students quieted down. The D-Class kids scattered like roaches.
Walking into the training ground was Jett. And he wasn't alone.
Behind him were three other A-Class lackeys. And behind them... a familiar, arrogant blonde figure.
Prince Valerian.
Sunny stopped counting. He stood up slowly.
The Hellfire Siege-Stag sensed the tension. It rotated its massive body, aiming both magma cannons directly at the Prince.
"Well, well," Valerian clapped slowly, walking into the range of the heat aura without flinching. A water barrier shimmered around him. "So this is the 'Chimera' everyone is talking about."
He looked at the Siege-Stag. For a second, a flicker of genuine surprise crossed his face.
"Unique Rank?" Valerian raised an eyebrow. "Tier 3? Impressive. I didn't think a peasant could afford such a toy."
"It's not a toy," Sunny said coldly. "Can I help you? Or are you here to rent a skill too? I charge double for royalty."
Jett stepped forward, his face red. "Watch your mouth! The Prince is here to shut down this illegal operation!"
"Illegal?" Sunny tilted his head. "Show me the rule."
"Rule 45," Valerian recited smoothly. "Unauthorized modification of Academy property. You are conducting dangerous experiments on school grounds."
"This isn't an experiment," Sunny patted his beast. "It's a successful product."
Valerian smirked. "Is it?"
He snapped his fingers.
The sky darkened. The Sky-Ocean Leviathan manifested above them. The pressure was immense. The D-Class students who hadn't run away fell to their knees.
"Your little bug is cute," Valerian said, looking down at the Siege-Stag. "But it's fundamentally flawed. It's unstable. Look at the core."
Sunny frowned. He looked at his interface.
[Warning: Fusion Resonance Strain. Core Temperature Critical.]
[System Note: Overuse of Links creates instability.]
He had been so focused on money he hadn't noticed. Linking to twenty different students in one day had strained the biological fusion.
"You're pushing it too hard," Valerian said, his voice almost... educational. "A true Tamer knows limits. You are just a greedy child playing with a nuclear reactor."
"I can handle it," Sunny growled, though sweat was trickling down his back.
"Can you?"
Valerian waved his hand. "Leviathan. [Tidal Suppression]."
The Whale hummed. A wave of heavy, mana-infused water pressure slammed down.
The Siege-Stag's flames sputtered. The magma veins turned dark. The beast whined, its knees buckling under the pressure.
Sunny felt the link strain. His head pounded.
"Stop!" Sunny yelled, stepping forward.
Valerian stopped. The pressure lifted slightly.
"I'm not here to fight you, Sunny," Valerian said, sounding bored again. "I'm here to give you a warning. The Tournament is in three days. If you bring that unstable thing into the arena... it might explode. And if it hurts the audience, you will be executed."
He turned to leave.
"Fix your toy, peasant. Or don't show up."
Jett laughed as they walked away. "See you in the arena, Bug-Boy!"
Sunny stood there, his fists clenched so hard his knuckles turned white.
Lyra walked up to him. "He's right, Sunny. The beast... it's overheating."
Sunny looked at his Siege-Stag. It was panting, steam rising from its shell. It looked tired.
"I know," Sunny whispered. "The Fusion is perfect... but the fuel isn't."
He looked at the 1860 Credits in his hand.
"I need a cooling system," Sunny realized. "I need an Ice Core."
He looked at Lyra.
Lyra took a step back. "Don't look at me like that. You are NOT fusing my Falcon."
"No," Sunny shook his head, a crazy idea forming. "I don't need your Falcon."
He looked at the holographic map of the Academy. specifically at the Glacial Lake in the forbidden zone.
"I need a Frost-Bite Turtle."
Lyra's face paled. "Those are Tier 3 wild monsters. They live in the deep zone. You want to hunt one? Before the tournament?"
"I have no choice," Sunny recalled his exhausted beast. "If I want to beat Valerian... I need to fuse Fire and Ice."
"That's impossible," Lyra whispered.
Sunny grinned, the fire returning to his eyes.
[New Quest!>]
[Objective: Obtain a Tier 3 Ice Core.]
[Reward: Fusion Level 4 (Stability Upgrade).]