"I ca back for the penguins."
Elian didn’t know if he should hug, kiss or beat the dog-sized tal contraption in front of him. But he was certain of one thing. He sorely missed her presence.
Bianca darted forward and threw her arms around Fluffy, screaming. "FLUFFY! FLUFFY! FLUFFY!"
Although Silent and Bastion were trying to be calm, their bodies trembled, and their eyes watered. Everyone here carried the weight of the Crucible—but in this single mont, all that mattered was that she was back.
"Woah! Bianca? Calm down, I am not going anywhere."
Like a child, Bianca began to wail—tears streaming out like a flood. Elian chuckled seeing his master throw all pretense away. Whether it was from joy, relief or just loneliness, only she would know.
"Welco back my child, you should try to avoid such tasteless jokes in the future. Your sister almost went insane." Her mother scolded affectionately.
Bastion tried to appear unmoved but failed, "Be careful to keep your mischief under control Whisper, these two have gained the ability to revive the dead. They can now kill you for sport."
However, despite his warning, Fluffy chuckled and smiled, "These two? Doubt it, they love too much. Besides it is my duty to help them tie the knot. They are quite helpless without ."
At her joke Silent and Bastion broke out in laughter, Bianca squird.
"Right, where is the trash compactor? I have a bone to pick with..."
When Fluffy turned her head and found Elian she froze, "You turned gray? And you have a face! Did you finally get your second job?"
Elian nodded with a smile.
"Wow, sha you still suck at everything else."
Hearing Fluffy’s comnt Elian almost stumbled.
"What the hell are you even talking about?"
"It’s this piece of crap you connected to you lunatic. Nothing works!"
"Huh?"
"I am blind, deaf, mute and cannot even get up! Why did you even make this thing?"
Everyone tensed at Fluffy’s complaints. To most not being able to do any of those things was equivalent to being disabled, all at once and it was the sa as being dead.
Bianca then made Fluffy’s head turn towards her, "Fluffy, we are talking to you, aren’t we? And you can even tell colors, what do you an?"
"This isn’t a body, it’s a damn statue. I can barely turn my neck. Can’t bark. I can ’see’ you all by the vibrations in the air. As for the color, Sir Elian’s body rings different from everyone else. It looks gray colored to ."
So Living tal sees the world using vibrations, like a dolphin or bat?
Fluffy sighed, "The body Sir Elian gave only looks like a dog. I can feel the limbs but I cannot move them. It’s like I’m locked in a tal coffin. I have eyes, ears but they are fake. I don’t even have a voice box; I am speaking using mana."
Elian failed to understand what was going on. Silent then used her tail to brush his head.
"Son-in-law, with regards to speaking with mana, let explain. Fralha does not speak using voices like humans do, we use mana to connect to the cores of others. It’s why we have no language barriers and how we can talk even in the midst of battle."
Oh. So that’s why.
Bianca then opened one of Fluffy’s eyes and checked inside, "I see. Although Elian created an eyeball, he did not know how one worked, so they are rely fakes."
Fluffy’s words soured the air. She could speak—but she wasn’t truly alive. This wasn’t a body. It was a cage.
Most people would have despaired by now. But not him, and not her.
"Do not worry, Fluffy, we’ll figure sothing out," Bianca declared with overflowing confidence, she turned behind her and continued, "Right, Elian?"
"Yeah. It is impossible for others but not us. So long as Bianca and I are together, we can do anything." He raised his hand and the Living tal around them moved. Like a wave of water, it crashed and flowed all around them.
Everyone wondered what Elian was trying to do. That was until the Living tal brought sothing to their group on a raft. It was a 10-ter Snow Wolf corpse with a golden streak.
"No way? My body is uninjured! Did you two really use a potion on a corpse!?"
Ignoring Fluffy’s complaints, Elian brought the Wolf corpse. Bianca picked up the tal dog using water and brought it to Elian.
"System, can I use the organic body and commandeer it with Dominator?"
[Yes, but given the size of the target, it would be impossible to control it with only the Dominator variant. It is not strong enough.]
Elian grimaced, "I am open to suggestions."
[Command Living tal to devour and replace her bones and organs. Using it as the frawork, the Dominator variant will gain the ability to move the entire body.]
"But that would be..."
[The resulting entity will be functionally distinct. Combat capabilities are expected to increase significantly.]
"Hmm, are there any risks?"
[By binding the soulgem to this new body, the change will be permanent. In case of failure, being Fluffy’s soul will shatter. Once bound, if the being Fluffy’s soulgem is broken she can no longer return. A soul cannot be bound twice.]
"Odds of success?"
[10%. The soul will endure great pain and must be connected to the body while it is being consud. Expected trauma is beyond what Radiant tiered souls can withstand.]
Bianca then joined in, "System, if a Dusk tier Psychomancer helps stabilize the soul, will the odds improve?"
[Affirmative. Success rate increases to 50%. Note that the trauma would also be shared.]
"That is fine,"the witch answered with a flick of her hair.
Hmm. Way better odds, still no different from gambling though.
"Son-in-law, maybe we should hold off for now. We could find another alternative. Sothing safer."
"Silent is right, there is no need to do this right now. We just got Whisper back; she can endure it for now."
But then both Elian and Bianca refuted them at the sa ti.
"No."
Their voices were resolute, full of authority and confident. Silent and Bastion flinched from their abrupt retort.
Bianca hugged the tal dog into her arms as she asked, "Fluffy, you feel frustrated right? At your lack of power?"
The tal dog trembled as Fluffy’s voice answered, "Yes."
Elian smiled and touched the head of the wolf corpse, "Are you willing to be reborn knowing the risk? Neither Bianca nor I can guarantee the success. Do you trust us enough?"
A mont of silence passed.
"Yes. I heard everything, Sir Elian. Your vow, your plan, everything."
"It will hurt."
"Who cares. My Tyrant and my Anchor are so needy, they brought back from the dead for this," Fluffy teased.
The ash-colored golem nodded in approval, "And your answer?"
"Let’s win this thing," Fluffy said, lively as ever.
At that mont, the witch and the weapon moved. Silent and Bastion made troubled expressions. Elian noticed and understood. Few would choose such drastic paths as his family did.
But that is why only we can get results most cannot even dream of.
The woman who turned herself into a lich. The man who cast his humanity away to beco a golem. And now, Fluffy who chose to be reforged for a chance to fight again.
Then, like a supernova, stars erupted from Bianca—silver and gold lights coalescing into a living constellation. With her as their center, they swirled like a hurricane.
"Ready."
[Talent: Adamant – activated. Elian Reed is now immune to fear and psychological effects so long as the Talent remains active.]
Taking a deep breath, Elian commanded the Living tal and Dominator variant from the tal dog to devour Fluffy’s real body. The black and ashen tals surged like a predator, crashing into the corpse in a tidal wave of hunger.
And then, they tore it apart.
Elian felt the tals enter and begin to consu the flesh of the Snow Wolf Alpha. The Dominator variant flooded the veins and blood vessels. The Living tal replaced muscle, tissue and bone.
"ARRGGHHH!!!!"
Imdiately both Bianca and Fluffy’s cries resounded. Silent began to panic at the sight, but Bastion stopped her.
"SON-IN-LAW! STOP IT NOW!"
"Silent, they all made their choice. It is not our place to interfere."
"But dear! What if I lose both of my daughters over this! I can’t!"
Despite hearing Silent’s worries, Elian didn’t stop.
Not enough. Damn it—there’s not enough!
With a single thought the block of Living tal rushed to him and entered his right hand. It then left his other hand lighter, faster—ash-colored.
Bianca’s body slumped to the ground as her screams continued. The galaxy surrounding her flickering like a dying sun. Fluffy’s screams were reduced to pitiful whimpers.
"You better co back, Whisper." Silent hugged and supported Bianca’s body with her own.
Bastion stood beside them, declaring, "We’ll stand guard."
Elian concentrated on his task and commanded the tals cannibalizing Fluffy’s old body.
I cannot do that. If I do, it would be spitting on their determination!
Elian looked at Bianca and Fluffy’s new body and shouted inwardly.
IT WILL WORK! IT HAS TO! I REFUSE TO ACCEPT ANYTHING ELSE!
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