"Don’t sound so weird, Malthius. Your words could cause a serious misunderstanding," Igaris responded telepathically, his voice calm but firm within the ntal link.
Malthius, the skeletal commander draped in a royal black cape, had sensed his presence the mont Igaris pried into the Acquisition Space.
The creature was always perceptive, especially when it ca to reading his master’s emotions.
"O Master," Malthius replied, tilting his skull slightly as if confused, "What did I say wrong? I rely asked if you were feeling lonely, now that Lady Evernight has taken her leave."
Igaris blinked in surprise. "Huh? Lonely? Why would I feel lonely without her? That’s ridiculous," he muttered, but even in the ntal realm, his voice fluster slightly at the end.
Malthius let out a wheezing laugh and clutched his bony ribs. "Hahaha... Oh co now, Master. We all know how you feel toward her. Why not confess already? Lady Evernight might just say yes. Or, at the very least, stop thinking you as a Kid."
Igaris felt heat rising to his cheeks, even though there was no one to see it.
"Shut your skelly mouth at once!" he barked, crossing his arms.
The undead knight continued to chuckle, but behind the teasing, there was loyalty. Igaris could sense it. Malthius was one of the late Undeads he had Acquired and was now proving to be more than just a servant.
Slowly, he was becoming a companion who understood his moods, his ambitions, and even the emotions he tried so hard to suppress.
Despite the embarrassnt, Igaris found himself smiling.
And then, as if rembering sothing important, Igaris raised his hand and spoke with quiet command,
"Co forth, Malthius."
Within seconds, the space in front of him shimred, and Malthius appeared, his form coalescing from shadows and faint blue energy.
The skeletal knight stood tall, clutching his dark greatsword, a faint crimson glow pulsing along its edge.
"Anything I can help you with, Master?" Malthius asked, tilting his skull with a curious grin. "My sword is thirsty for blood."
Igaris shook his head gently. "No. I haven’t summoned you to spill anyone’s blood, Malthius."
"Then why, Master?" the undead knight asked, slightly puzzled.
"I summoned you," Igaris said, locking eyes with him, "because I want to give you a na."
Malthius paused. The flicker in his blue soulfla dimd slightly as if sothing ancient stirred within him.
"You don’t like my na, Master?" His voice lowered, tinged with a rare vulnerability. "It is the only thing I rember from my past life. I... I thought it had a aning to my existence."
Igaris stepped closer and placed a hand on Malthius’ shoulder, his expression calm and steady. "I like your na. Truly. And I won’t be changing it."
Malthius looked up, confused. "Then what do you an?"
"I intend to give you a blessing," Igaris explained. "A Divine Blessing. One that will strengthen you in both form and spirit. The na stays the sa, but it will now carry my power. Your na will be yours, blessed and acknowledged by ."
Malthius blinked. Or rather, the blue flas in his eye sockets flared with new light.
"Oh... You want to bestow your Divine Blessing upon ? Then I should feel honored." He fell to one knee and lowered his head, resting his greatsword tip-first into the hard floor. "Let the heavens bear witness. I, Malthius, accept your grace, Master."
Igaris nodded slowly. This wasn’t a spontaneous whim. He had been considering it for so ti.
Bestowing a na would evolve his subordinates further.
He wasn’t without any gains, though. There was a chance he might get:
The Godslayer Sword Style.
Though the na sounded impossible, Igaris had seen its potential during his fight with the Alpha Wyvern.
In second form, it can one’s soul. How incredible was that!
He wanted that Martial Skill at all cost. If he didn’t get by "Return" function. He would start learning from Malthius. It just that it would take months, maybe years to learn it. And he didn’t have that much ti.
Also, he wasn’t so sure if blessing soone with the sa na would trigger anything. But it was worth the attempt.
Igaris raised his hand, and his palm glowed with silvery light. Traces of his platinum energy spiraled upward like streams of smoke, wrapping around Malthius.
"I na thee once more... Malthius. May this na now carry my will and my blessing."
The light poured into Malthius’ skeletal fra, making his bones glow faintly as intricate runes etched across his armor and greatsword.
The ground trembled for a mont, and the air pulsed with unseen energy.
A system notification echoed inside Igaris’ mind.
Ding!
[ Malthius has accepted your na. A Unique Bond has been ford ]
[ Malthius will go through an evolution. Estimated Ti: 45 minutes ]
[ Congratulations! You have Acquired Godslayer Sword Style (Fragnted) as a Return ]
Igaris’ eyes widened slightly. It worked.
The comprehension that allowed Malthius to learn the Sword Style flowed into his mind like a torrential river.
The stances, the postures, the 5 Forms of the Godslayer Sword Style—everything was engraved into his muscles and mory.
Even though the understanding was fragnted, he had managed to learn the first 5 Forms out of the original 9.
For now, that alone was a great achievent.
Since Malthius was undergoing a deep level of evolution, Igaris sent him back into the Acquisition Space to recover and grow.
Then, Igaris summoned a sharp sword from his Inner World.
Now... he just needed to practice the Sword Style and synchronise with his muscle mory.
He stood still, adjusting his grip, feeling the weight of the Sword as he readied to mirror the forms burned into his mind.
Clank.
Just then, the heavy tal door to the underground chamber clanked open.
Rax stord in, his face tight with urgency, sweat glistening at his brow. His breathing was uneven, as if he had run through the entire underground corridor.
"Boss," he called out, lowering his head in sha, "there’s a problem."
Igaris didn’t lower the sword. He simply tilted his head slightly, his tone calm as a winter sky. "What kind of problem?"
Rax quickly moved to the far corner of the chamber and activated a holographic control panel. A wall monitor lit up with several overlapping feeds.
Security drones. Crowd control bots. Flying cara units.
And worst of all, there were chs.
"The Law Enforcers," Rax said grimly, "they’ve surrounded the hotel. Entire periter. Ground and air."
Igaris’ eyes narrowed as he stepped forward, the sword still loosely in his grip.
The live feed showed rows of C-class and B-class combat units, all stationed with weapons locked, sealing off every exit. On the rooftops, snipers were in position. In the sky, surveillance bots scanned every inch with thermal and energy sensors.
Among them stood a towering ch painted in silver and violet. An elite unit.
Igaris clenched his fist.
"How did this happen?"
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