Chapter 330 Beast Inheritor?
"Boss floor? So there is a boss to the dungeon?" asked Kims.
"I refuse to talk about the boss since I've got a plan for that, which I don't want you guys screwing up," stated Jack, getting Tralon to smile curiously at the hero. "If there's nothing else, then let's go already."
"Wait." Tralon held up his hand. "Since you don't want to talk about how you'll deal with him on the eleventh floor, I've got a question for you, Jack. What do you think will happen if you give a crane an inheritor's pact?"
Jack first squinted then showed a wild grin. "That's a great question to consider, isn't it? Let's try it!"
The cranes hadn't been stored away as they were the same size as Phoro and wouldn't attract much extra attention on the later floors. So, when the lead crane overheard the change in the conversation, he tilted his head and asked, 'What's a pact? And What does it do?'
Jack walked up to the crane with his big grin. "My inheritor's pact allows us to be connected mentally across any distance and allows me to share skills with whoever bears the pact. Though, I've never made such a pact with a beast before, so I'm sure both you and I are curious what will happen."
Technically, Jack had made such a pact with a beast before, Lina. But that was different. Lina was very young and was the daughter of a bestial god who could take human form and a human god. There was no telling whether it would have the same effect on her than it would with the crane.
'That sounds intriguing. If you wish to try it, then allow me to be the subject, Jack. It's the least I can do since you're offering us a chance to leave without struggle or mistreatment. What do I need to do?'
"Just bow your head."
As the crane bowed, Jack slit his finger and began to write the pact in blood on the crane's forehead. "Now, I just need a drop of your blood to finish the pact."
With a nod, the crane lifted one of its feet. He pecked at his toe and drew blood, letting the crane press the toe into the pact. Then, the pact was finished and faded into the crane's feathers as if it had never existed.
"Go ahead and try some attacks in the air to see if you notice anything different. I'll check something now."
The crane did just that, happily flying up to test if his strength had increased in some way.
Jack, on the other hand, simply opened his system menu to his skills tab. There, he found something interesting.
"Is your name Cerdot?"
'Yes, how did you know? From the pact?'
Jack nodded and continued to explore Cerdot's skill tab. There weren't too many skills listed, but it was still a success in Jack's eye. However, there was one downside to his discovery. Wanting to be sure, Jack selected a skill and read the details.
[Flight - lv. 0, inaccessible]
[Basic ability to fly by use of wings, which the user doesn't have. 0/5 skill points, if requirements are met.]
Opening a new skill, Jack found a similar answer.
[Wind Blade - lv. 0, inaccessible]
[Basic ability to slice through the air by use of wings, which the user doesn't have. 0/5 skill points, if requirements are met.]
Jack then deduced that though his system could offer him the skills, Jack's physical form was lacking the ability to use and apply such skills in any way. It was probably different than if he had formed a mutual seal with the crane and gained access to the crane's bloodline. Instead, the system was pickier about requirements to learn certain skills, like the need to have wings to perform the crane's wind abilities.
There was only a single skill that Jack was able to access should he purchase it.
[Telepathy - lv. 0]
[Basic ability to communicate simple thoughts with people within two meters of the user. Further development is needed to better communicate ideas or emotions. 0/5 skill points.]
'Jack,' Cerdot was already speaking through the pact and not his own telepathy skill. 'Can you hear me, Jack?'
'I can hear you fine. You're a fast learner.'
'It seems that most of my abilities are the same, but my wind blade skill is sharper than before. Is that due to the pact?' asked Cerdot.
'That's probably from my sword skill,' answered Jack. 'So the sword skill is similar to your wind blade… Interesting.'
There was one other thing that Jack hadn't notice yet in his excitement to explore the skill list, but it was found next. Comforted to gain something, Jack sighed.
[Ruler of Beasts: completed]
[Have a high-level beast willingly subjugate itself to you while you're still a mid-level hero, without any third-party support. Special reward: 66 skill points.]
Claiming it and returning his attention to the party, Jack gave Tralon a thumbs up.
"I'm glad that your experiment proved successful." Tralon smiled as Cerdot returned to the ground.
"Jack, what--"
"I… You want to know about my pact now, don't you?" Jack questioned Vixus and stared at Kims, who nodded unabashedly. "It lets me mentally link with others and share skills between me and the person bearing the pact. Both Tralon and Argyle already bear my pact."
"What?! And you didn't dare to offer such a thing to us?" Vixus looked at Jack in surprise. "Are you saying that you don't want our skills, Jack?"
"I won't mind making such a pact in the future, but prove to me that you deserve it," Jack explained. "If you can prove that you're loyal, then maybe I'll agree to it. There are also some risks when I use it, so I can't just give it away to anyone."
"What kind of skills can I gain?" asked Kims, still not afraid to speak his mind.
"The list of skills you gain might still grow, but so far the best skills are increased mana regeneration and mana capacity. Along with a sword skill, a bow skill, and more, you'll gain access to my beast companion skills The same skill that lets me use Bowzer's flame body could let you use the skills of your Flying Serpent, for example."
Kims's eyes glistened as he began to imagine such increases in his fighting power. "Jack, how can I prove myself?"
"It's not so simple as to--"
"I've already willingly given up an arm and hold no grudge for losing it. If I had a third arm, I'd offer it in exchange for the pact," stated Kims, showing his determination. "How can I prove it to you?"
Taking a moment to think, Jack rode a few different trains of thought in search of a reply.
Including the EXP gain in his pact wouldn't work because he wanted Kims to level up as fast as possible for the sake of the guild. But other than that, Jack couldn't think of something off the top of his head.
"Jack," Kims spoke up again, interrupting Jack's thoughts. "Do you know how to perform blood commitments?"
Vixus and Argyle turned to Kims with the look of death in their eyes. They both knew of the ancient stories regarding such ceremonies but feared the thought of having such a ceremony performed on them.
Tralon looked to Kims and smiled wide. He hadn't expected the youngest and most inexperienced member of the council to be so daring and forthright. Making such a commitment was against the morals of most people, so it was incredibly rare to find someone as strong as Kims willingly offer such a thing. However, such an act made Tralon's respect for Kims grow tenfold.
"Do you understand what such a commitment means? That's not something you can take lightly."
"If it's anything like the rumors, then I'm willing to make such a commitment right now before you make the pact." Kims stood his ground, not wavering at all.
Jack scratched his head. "Why do you want to be so strong?"
"I'd rather not admit it aloud, but I'm willing to admit it between the two of us."
Kims's response surprised Argyle and Vixus even further, as well as Jack. The young hero knew all about blood commitments having performed one in the past, yet he was baffled like Tralon as to why someone who was already considered high-leveled would so easily accept a blood commitment.