The afterimage of borrowed sight lingered longer than Riven expected.
Even as the forest returned fully to his own perspective, his awareness felt stretched—wider, deeper, as if his senses now understood that they were capable of more. He rubbed his eyes once, then let his hand fall.
"So that wasn't permanent," he murmured. "But it wasn't a fluke either."
The beast shifted closer, lowering its massive head until the heat from its armor warmed the air around Riven's chest. The bond remained calm, steady, no trace of instability.
That, more than anything, reassured him.
They didn't linger in the clearing. Riven trusted his instincts enough to know when a place had finished giving what it would. The stone structure watched them go in silence, ancient and patient, as if it knew they would return one day.
Not now.
The forest thickened again, but the way Riven moved through it had changed. He didn't just watch with his eyes anymore. He felt when the beast's attention sharpened, felt the subtle pull of mana currents bending around obstacles, predators, and places of power.
Not commands.
Suggestions.
Hours passed without incident, until the bond pulsed—soft, inquisitive.
Riven stopped instantly.
"What is it?"
The sensation that followed wasn't danger. It was… recognition. Something familiar, though they had never encountered it before.
Ahead, the trees thinned around a shallow ravine. A narrow stream cut through the earth below, its water glowing faintly with diluted mana. On the far side, something small crouched behind a fallen log.
Riven squinted. "That's not a Riftspawn."
The interface agreed.
[Entity Detected]
Classification: Beast
Status: Injured
Hostility: Low
Slowly, Riven approached the edge of the ravine. The creature flinched, scrambling back with a weak hiss.
It was foxlike in shape, but its fur shimmered with pale blue streaks that pulsed softly in time with the mana around it. One of its hind legs was twisted at an unnatural angle, matted with dried blood.
The beast behind Riven stilled completely.
Not aggression.
Restraint.
Riven swallowed. "You're… holding back."
The bond responded with quiet certainty.
The fox-creature's eyes locked onto the larger beast, fear flaring bright and sharp. It tried to retreat further and failed, collapsing onto its side with a pained whine.
Riven exhaled slowly. "Easy. We're not here to eat you."
He wasn't sure why he said it. The creature couldn't understand his words.
But the bond carried intent.
The interface flickered, text adjusting.
[Bond Resonance Detected]
[Eligibility Check: Lesser Beast]
Riven's heart skipped. "Wait—eligibility for what?"
No immediate answer came.
He crouched near the ravine, keeping his movements slow and deliberate. The beast remained behind him, presence steady, allowing Riven to take the lead.
The fox watched with wide, trembling eyes.
"Okay," Riven whispered. "Let's see how this works."
He focused—not on the fox itself, but on the bond. On the way intent flowed between him and his partner. Carefully, he extended that same awareness outward.
Not a command.
An offer.
The response was immediate.
Pain. Fear. Exhaustion. Hunger.
Riven sucked in a breath as the emotions brushed against his mind, faint but undeniable.
"It answers back," he breathed. "Not through the system. Through the bond."
The interface finally updated.
[Secondary Resonance Established – Temporary]
[Condition: Mutual Consent Required]
Riven's gaze snapped to the injured leg. "Consent… so forcing it isn't an option."
Good.
He glanced back at the beast. "I can't fix it alone. But maybe… together?"
The beast's molten fissures dimmed slightly as it focused, heat drawing inward rather than flaring outward. The bond tightened, not in strain, but in cooperation.
Riven placed his hand against the ground, letting mana flow naturally, unshaped. He didn't try to heal—not directly. He guided stability, warmth, alignment.
The fox whimpered, then went still.
The beast exhaled, releasing a controlled wave of heat—not enough to burn, but enough to stimulate, to reinforce.
Riven felt the exchange happen.
Mana flowed.
Pain dulled.
Bone shifted.
It wasn't instant. It wasn't perfect. But when the fox finally stirred again, it managed to pull its leg beneath itself, trembling but functional.
The interface chimed softly.
[Secondary Resonance Complete]
[Outcome: Neutral Favor]
The fox stared at them for a long moment. Then, hesitantly, it dipped its head—once—and vanished into the undergrowth.
Riven sagged back on his heels, drained. "That… was not in the tutorial."
The beast rumbled quietly, something close to approval.
The interface didn't offer rewards. No synchronization increase. No hidden bonuses.
But Riven felt something settle regardless.
They moved on as dusk began to creep through the forest, shadows stretching long and heavy. Riven found a defensible spot beneath a natural stone overhang and made camp with practiced efficiency.
As the beast settled nearby, Riven leaned back against the rock, staring up through the thinning canopy.
"So the system isn't just about combat," he said softly. "It's about interaction. Influence."
The bond warmed faintly.
"And the bond itself can… echo."
The interface flickered once more.
[Notice]
Primary Bond Stability: High
Secondary Resonance Capability: Limited
Recommendation: Avoid Overextension
Riven snorted. "You don't say."
Sleep came easier than before. The beast's presence anchored his thoughts, warding off the deeper unease that had haunted him since his arrival in this world.
But somewhere beyond the forest, something stirred.
In a place where bonds were cataloged, ranked, and controlled, a record attempted to update—and failed.
[Anomaly Detected]
[Unregistered Bond Interaction]
For the first time in generations, a system designed to observe and dominate the natural order encountered something it could not quantify.
A bond that didn't just grow stronger.
It listened.
And it answered back.