SSS Rank Sword Mage: Awakening Starts with Weakest Mana Affinity Chapter 53 53: Caw! Caw!

"Okay, Astraga, let's begin..." Morad started. "The bond will awaken a unique ability according to who a Dragon Seed bonds to."

This made realize sothing. "Wait, you didn't bond with Gilgash?"

"No," he replied. "He wanted to develop more abilities, as Dragon Seeds can't develop new ones once they bond, unless they evolve, but even that is hard."

"Oh, I see." This Gilgash guy was good at his planning, but it appeared he had high hopes for Morad.

And then the bonding began. Morad probably knew the process, as his koi eyes glowed with a white-blue hue, and a blue aura engulfed his body as he floated towards .

"Brother, touch my head with any of your hands," he instructed.

I did as told, placing my right hand on the adult koi fish's head. I could see the blue glow also engulf like an aura, and my own core humd within.

Wow, bonding stuff is not painful or anything. More like a warm, refreshing feeling.

"Yes," Morad said, his eyes now no longer glowing white, but still engulfed in the blue aura.

"Bond complete!" he said as he stared at . "From now on, Astraga, I am your Mana Beast, and you are my trainer, brother, and best friend."

"Best friend, huh?" I let out the biggest grin I could muster. "That sounds nice , Morad."

"Well, Morad, where is it?" I asked.

Morad looked a bit confused. "Well, the unique ability?

Oh, that! Well, it depends on you, Astraga. Notice anything?"

"Well, I don't necessarily feel different," I replied.

Morad further added his own visual observation. "Or look different, too. Kinda shorter from where I stand."

"Zip it, floaty fish, you an!"

As I reached for my chin with my right hand, I noticed Morad began to levitate for no reason.

"Whooohh! I'm moving upwards! Like sothing is pulling up!"

"Why are you drifting upwards? Quit playing around, Morad, and let's figure this out."

As I touched my chin again.

"Astraga, look!"

"Huh? Look at what exactly?"

"Look at your right thumb! It glows!"

"Glow? More like gleam... what the... what happened to my thumb?"

"Strange," I stared at it, bringing it closer to my eyes as Morad shouted like soone who had lost their sense of control, especially with his levitation.

Morad, finally able to put two and two together, shouted, "No wonder I'm unable to control my movents! Well, maybe it's not... no, I'm sure of it! It's that glowing thumb! It's controlling my movents when you move it!"

Wait, could he be serious about that? Staring at my glowing right thumb once more. So this could be my unique ability. Let's test it out.

When I slid my thumb, he moved. When I rotated, he spun. It wasn't telepathy as I thought of different things while simultaneously still moving my thumb and it certainly wasn't command by voice, as I tested that, too. It was giving the vibe of a gaming controller, especially the ones with an analog stick like my hand was the lever and he was the motion.

Morad pouted what kind of unique ability is this , fins fanning wide. "Feels like you've got on a leash." don't like it ughh

"Not a leash,brother" I corrected firmly, still staring at my tingling thumb. "A connection. I'm not necessarily controlling you ….you're responding to ."

He chuckled, his voice warm. "I'll take that. Equals, right?"

"yeah Equals," I said.

"Wonder why I especially got this ability, mmm," I mused.

"Well, abilities are sotis subconscious wishes or desires, or maybe ideas I'm not really sure," Morad replied. "But all that creates unique abilities, either for the master or the Dragon Seed."

"Wow, Dragon Seeds can also get interesting, hehe." I could only imagine all the abilities.

As my thumb no longer glowed, I could see Morad felt a bit tired; to be exact, he was no longer drifting upwards.

Then, slowly, inevitably, he began to descend his body sagged, gliding lower until he hovered just above the pond's surface.

I moved to the edge quickly. "Morad, what's wrong?"

"I need…" His voice was casual as could be. "Oh, don't mind … I just occasionally need water. Just a mont, before I can fly again. I can go long without it, but this vessel is a bit tough."

I understood the situation. It made sense; he was still in a fish's body. Of course, the flying would be limited. It would be good to carry a jar around if we were to travel. This new body of his was still a water-born creature. The air might be his playground, but water was his lifeline. Without it, he would weaken, maybe even fall unconscious.

Morad swam into the main pond. The instant he touched the water, ripples of blue light pulsed across his body. His glow steadied, his breathing smoothed.

"Better," he sighed. "Much better."

"So, how long are you going to need to stay in there?" I asked.

"Usually it would be sothing I would know internally," he replied.

I crouched beside the pond, watching my new partner. I needed to get ho, as it was already getting late.

"Morad, I'm heading ho. It's late already."

What I heard next completely surprised . He gave a tired chuckle. "Brother, take with you! We are family after all, now, right?"

"Absolutely not! Especially with my mom, how was I going to explain myself?"

"I will act normal in front of them! But wasn't this what your dad was working on? Why would you want to hide it from him or your mom? It's better they knew ."

He had a point. What was the big idea of hiding this ability? I still hadn't told them about my quad core. Best case, I let them know about Morad and still keep the quad core a secret, as I didn't even have a teacher anyway and could learn on my own with Morad.

"Alright, fine, but be on your best behavior when we get to my ho."

"Yes, brother!"

"But should we tell them I ca from the pendant?" Morad asked.

"Hmm, I don't think so. That will lead to more questions, and I'm not ready to answer them."

Morad lingered in the pond a little while longer, shimring softly as the water replenished him. His fins stretched with a lazy ripple as he moved among the other koi and carps, and finally, he floated up again, as high in the air as before.

"You good?" I asked.

"Better," he said, though I could hear the faint strain in his voice. "Not fully ready, as my mana pool is still low."

I smirked. "Good. Because I don't plan on carrying you."

He snorted, and together, we left the cave.

The outside air hit like a wave fresh, crisp, and tinted with the earthy sll of leaves. I wasn't staring at damp stone walls or shimring eggs anymore. Morad swam in lazy arcs around , his body gliding through the invisible current of the air itself.

"Wow, it's so beautiful outside!"

"What's that? Ooo, what's thiiss and that and this?" He was still the sa old Morad from the cave.

"Hahah, focus! We're heading ho," I said, and started running. "Let's see how fast you are!"

"Brother, wait! Don't run ahead, no fair…" But our playful mont was short-lived.

Then a shadow passed overhead.

Caw! Caw!