The second slammed both hands on the table, leaning forward with a grin that stretched too wide.

"So what skill does he want this time?" he asked, eyes glinting with trouble.

The first tilted his head, peering into the coin's faint glow. "Hmm… looks like a field-type skill... or maybe an attack one."

"Perfect," the second said, his grin twisting. "Let's give him an attack ski—"

"Wait a damn second." The first cut him off, brows furrowed. "He's a healer, isn't he? Why would you give a healer an attack skill?"

"You're doing some weird shit again…" the fourth muttered, already massaging her forehead.

The third said nothing—just kept stirring his cup of something thick and black, watching with the tired eyes of someone who'd witnessed too many bad ideas become real.

"Kekekek…" the second laughed, shoulders shaking as a faint spark of crimson energy formed between his fingers.

"Oh, I know exactly what to give him…"

The others exchanged looks. That laugh never meant anything good.

The first sighed. "Here we go again."

The first tapped his quill against the table, thinking for a moment.

Then he smiled. "How about… a radius field where the user can heal allies inside?"

The fourth's eyes lit up. "That's awesome!"

The third gave a small approving nod, still stirring his cup lazily.

The second, however, looked absolutely bored. He leaned back on his chair, arms crossed, unimpressed. "Booooring…"

Ignoring him, the first scribbled neatly on a glowing parchment.

Skill: Healing Bubble!

He blew on the ink, satisfied, and slid the glowing page across the table toward the second.

"Oii… you're up," the fourth said, glaring at the second.

"Naah, I'll go last," he replied lazily, spinning the quill between his fingers.

The fourth's eyebrow twitched. Her grip tightened on her fist. "This bastard…"

The first just sighed. "Let him be. He's gonna do what he wants anyway."

The fourth grumbled under her breath but got to work, dragging the parchment closer.

She wrote carefully:

Ability: Heals allies inside the radius.

The glowing ink pulsed warmly.

The third took over next, adding in his calm, dull tone:

Cooldown: 1 minute

Mana Cost: 20

He slid the parchment across the table toward the second.

The second caught it with one hand, a grin already spreading across his face—mischievous, sharp, dangerous.

"Heal allies inside the radius, huh?" he muttered, chuckling as he twirled the quill once more. "Let's… tweak that a little."

He leaned in close to the parchment, whispering as his quill danced across the lines, changing something only he could see.

The ink flared red for a second, then returned to its original white glow, innocent—almost.

"There we go," he said, leaning back. "Now it's perfect."

The first and fourth exchanged a look.

When the ink finally settled, he shot up from his chair, arms wide.

"BEHOOOLD MY MASTERPIECE! HAHAHAHAHAH!"

The parchment floated into the air, blazing with crimson light. The others squinted.

He declared proudly:

Skill Name: R.E.S.O.N.A.N.C.E. - (Radius-Enhanced Symbiotic Overload Nurturing And Neutralizing Cataclysm)

Ability: All allies and foes inside are slowly healed for 3 seconds.

Cooldown: 2 minutes

Mana Cost: 70

Debuff: After 3 seconds, the circle detonates. The explosion's power scales with the total healing done and the number of targets affected.

More healed targets = bigger, more destructive explosion.

He sealed the glowing parchment inside a small capsule, flicked it into the air—

and with a soft whoosh, it vanished through the ceiling, shooting straight toward Ahrie.

The gacha machine kept rattling like it was about to explode.

Then—BOOOOM!

A blast of dark energy erupted from its core, rattling the ground and scattering dust everywhere.

From the chaos, a single capsule was launched out—spinning through the air, cloaked in a faint black aura that hissed like smoke.

It landed squarely in Ahrie's hands.

He blinked, then slowly pried it open.

The moment he did—FWOOOOOM!—a surge of dark energy burst out, rippling through the air.

Everyone froze. Even the priests outside turned their heads.

The UI flickered to life in front of him, glowing with ominous letters:

Skill Name: R.E.S.O.N.A.N.C.E.

(Radius-Enhanced Symbiotic Overload Nurturing And Neutralizing Cataclysm)

Ability: All allies and foes inside are slowly healed for 3 seconds.

Cooldown: 2 minutes

Mana Cost: 70

Debuff: After 3 seconds, the circle detonates.

The explosion's power scales with the total amount of healing done and the number of targets affected.

More healed targets = bigger, more destructive explosion.

Ahrie's lips curled into a wild grin.

"FINALLY! AN ATTACK SKILL!"

He raised his fists in victory, practically glowing with excitement.

Koko and Min—watching from the far corner—just looked at each other, pale.

They didn't know what that dark pulse was.

They didn't know what kind of "attack" Ahrie just got.

But deep down, something told them…

they really didn't want to be inside that circle when he used it.

Ahrie ran toward them, practically bouncing on his heels.

"Dungeon? Dungeon?" he asked like an overexcited kid who just found fireworks.

Koko cracked a grin, her eyes lighting up. "Finally, you're speaking my language."

But Min…

He just stared at the ground, holding the broken remains of his shield.

Ahrie noticed, his grin fading a little.

He walked up and patted Min's back.

"Hey… we'll get it fixed. Don't worry."

Min forced a small smile. "Yeah… sure."

But his voice cracked just enough for Koko to notice.

"Alright," she said, clapping her hands to shift the mood. "Then it's settled. Dungeon run—after we fix the baby shield."

Ahrie smirked. "Fine by me. But hurry it up… I'm dying to try this new skill."

Koko and Min exchanged a glance.

For the first time, both of them agreed on something—

whatever Ahrie just got from that machine…

wasn't going to end well.

They made their way to a quiet hall deep inside the temple — the place where official Links were formed.

A priestess stood near a massive root rising from the ground, guiding groups of Seekers as they came and went.

After waiting in line, it was finally their turn.

"Only three of you?" the priestess asked, raising a brow.

Ahrie tilted his head. "That's not normal?"

"Not really," the priestess said. "Most Links have seven to ten members. The world out there isn't kind to small parties."

She gestured toward the root. "Alright, just place your hands here."

Ahrie, Min, and Koko stepped forward and laid their hands on the ancient root.

Then, without warning, Rocky took a step closer and placed his little hand as well.

The priestess blinked. "Oh? Four then?"

Koko turned, eyes wide. "Rocky?! Since when did you—"

The squirrel just stared at her, tail twitching, both tiny paws pressed firmly on the large root.

"Welp," Ahrie said, straight-faced. "He helped in the boss fight, didn't he?"

Min groaned. "You're not actually letting the squirrel—"

Before he could finish, the root pulsed. Thick veins of golden light surged outward, spreading like a heartbeat. The air grew heavy, vibrating with warmth and static.

"Uhm…" the priestess stammered, squinting at the strange formation. "That… that's definitely not normal."

A sudden rush of energy shot through them—three humans and one very proud squirrel.

Their reflections shimmered in midair as threads of light stretched between their hands and Rocky's tiny claws, weaving into a radiant web.

"Link established," the root whispered, its voice echoing deep within their minds.

Ahrie grinned.

Koko looked amazed.

Min was in disbelief.

And Rocky—Rocky puffed out his chest, squeaking like a king who just claimed a throne.

The priestess clutched her prayer beads.

"…I've been doing this for ten years," she said slowly. "And I've never seen a squirrel get Linked before."

Ahrie smirked. "Who cares…"

"Forming an official Link allows experience sharing between all members," the priestess explained, her tone practiced and calm. "You'll also be able to track each other's stats—it'll appear at the side of your view once you activate Glyph."

She began pacing slowly, hands clasped behind her back. "This makes it much easier for support classes to monitor and assist their allies. Healing, buffs, even positioning—it all becomes smoother when you're Linked."

Ahrie nodded, half-listening. Min was still inspecting the glowing web connected to his hand, while Koko poked at it curiously.

"You can add or remove members through a majority vote," the priestess continued. "And the most exciting part—telepathic communication!"

Her eyes sparkled dramatically. "Within a certain range, of course. Perfect for strategies, callouts, and executing those… Wombo Combos!" She struck a heroic pose. "Ehem. Well, that's all."

The three just blinked at her.

"So," the priestess said, clearing her throat, "who will be your leader? We'll need to record it officially."

Koko crossed her arms into an X. "Not me."

Min turned around, pretending to study the wall.

Both slowly turned to Ahrie.

"Hell no," he barked. "Too much responsibility."

A pause. Then Ahrie's eyes drifted toward the squirrel perched on his shoulder.

"…Him." He pointed. "Rocky's the leader."

The priestess blinked. "The… squirrel?"

Rocky's eyes shimmered. He squeaked emotionally and hugged Ahrie's cheek.

"Eh… alright then," the priestess said, writing it down hesitantly.

"Congratulations," she added dryly. "You're all good to go… Captain Rocky."

Captain Rocky threw a crisp, highly energetic salute—tiny paw to his forehead, eyes blazing with unearned authority. Then, with all the seriousness of a war general, he pointed dramatically toward the temple's exit.

Ahrie immediately followed his lead, raising his hand like a soldier and shouting, "Captain Rocky says we're heading out! Let's gooo!"

Koko groaned, dragging her feet. "We're seriously doing this?"

"Orders are orders," Ahrie said, trying not to laugh.

Next chapter will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!

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