Cleaver Of Sin

Chapter 462: Eleven Months

"Any limitations?" Finch asked the Emovira, his gaze steady and inquisitive. He genuinely wanted to know; after all, the ability sounded far too strong to exist without any form of restriction or drawback.

"Not really," the Emovira replied calmly. "It’s a passive-type ability, similar to your Good Luck ability. It doesn’t require Astra energy, nor does it need to be consciously activated. You don’t have to think about it at all. As long as you land a hit, the ability will activate automatically." It paused briefly before adding, "However, if you land a killing blow, for example, if you decapitate someone, no second damage will occur, since the enemy is already dead."

Finch nodded slowly, the explanation settling naturally in his mind. It made perfect sense. There was no point in attacking something that no longer existed. The logic behind the restriction felt balanced rather than forced.

’With this second ability, my offensive power has increased significantly,’ he mused inwardly. The realization made his chest tighten with anticipation. He wanted nothing more than to test the ability immediately, to feel its effect firsthand. Unfortunately, there were no monsters or beasts nearby that could serve as test subjects. For now, he would have to restrain himself and wait until he returned to his family’s manor.

His eyes shifted back to the Emovira. "How many months are left until you awaken a third ability?" he asked. The first two abilities had already proven to be extremely useful, and he couldn’t help but wonder what the next one would be. Although he had been told that the awakened abilities were entirely random, possibly something as useless as learning how to walk, Finch didn’t particularly mind. If his Good Luck ability truly lived up to its name, then surely it would influence Yearbound as well... right?

"Eleven months," the Emovira replied flatly.

Finch frowned immediately, then let out a quiet sigh as understanding dawned on him. The Emovira must have awakened Second ability, After Damage quite recently, likely no more than a month ago.

’I hope the next ability has something to do with regeneration or healing, in any form,’ he thought to himself. Still, he knew that such wishes were meaningless at the moment. Random meant random, regardless of hope or desire.

"So, what next?" Finch asked once he had finished organizing his thoughts.

"What do you mean by ’what next’?" the Emovira replied, tilting its head in confusion. By this time, it had already reverted to its original form.

"I mean," Finch clarified, "are you going to follow me around physically, or are you going to disappear into some dimension like the Ravencroft Beast Taming Bloodline does or something?" He was already considering how this bond would affect his daily life.

The Emovira let out a tired sigh. "I forgot that you’re only just learning about this bonding process," it said. "When an Emovira is bound to a human, or rather, when we are properly bonded, I can enter your soul space. You can think of it as my house." It continued smoothly, as if reciting something it had explained many times before. "Because of our bond, I can also appear beside you in a miniature form, or turn completely invisible. When invisible, I cannot be detected by any ability or form of perception. Only you can see or sense me."

Finch fell silent, absorbing the explanation. The idea of an Emovira residing within his soul was strange, but not unsettling. They were bonded together already, so it wasn’t as if there was much difference.

"If you become invisible," Finch asked thoughtfully, "can you still fight, attack, or at least spy on someone?" If any of those were possible, it would grant him an overwhelming advantage.

The Emovira shook its head. "Sorry to burst your bubble, but no," it replied bluntly. "When I’m invisible, I’m no different from the wind. I can’t attack, interfere, or do anything of that nature. I can only float around as you move or act." It paused before adding, "As for spying, I’m restricted to a radius of ten meters around you. So any elaborate spying plans you’re forming are completely useless."

Finch remained silent for a moment, then sighed softly. He realized he had been overly optimistic. At the same time, it was clear that whatever phenomenon had created this bonding ritual had anticipated such loopholes and sealed them thoroughly. Still, he wasn’t particularly worried. Even if the Emovira couldn’t fight or spy while invisible, he could probably still use it to cheat during written exams, right?

Without another word, the Emovira’s body flashed briefly before transforming into a small white orb. In the next instant, it shot straight into Finch’s chest.

’We can also communicate telepathically due to the link between our souls,’ the Emovira’s voice echoed calmly in his mind.

"This bonding seems to have many uses," Finch muttered aloud, only to realize a second later that he hadn’t used telepathy at all. Clearing his throat slightly, he repeated the thought, this time mentally.

’Indeed,’ the Emovira responded, ’but it’s mostly useless in practice. No one is willing to entrust their life entirely to another being.’ It paused briefly before continuing, ’Also, from within your soul space, I can see and hear everything you see and hear.’

Finch nodded, unsurprised. He had already expected as much. The Emovira appeared again, this time sitting lazily atop Finch’s head in its miniature form, as though it couldn’t be bothered to walk or even stand anymore.

"Anything else I should know?" Finch asked, wanting to be absolutely certain they had covered every important detail.

"Nothing else," the Emovira replied lazily. "Do you have any more questions?"

"Hmmm..." Finch placed his fingers beneath his chin, deep in thought. "About my sudden progress in Life Rank," he began slowly, "was that a one-time thing, or will I break through every time you break through?" It was a question worth asking, and he knew it.

The Emovira stared down at him from above, then let out a small chuckle. "You really are searching for every possible way to exploit this bond," it said with mild amusement. "But no, that isn’t possible. Your sudden increase in Life Rank was a one-time effect. Bonding itself isn’t a form of charity." It paused, then added, "And before you ask, no, I cannot read your mind. I can only perceive thoughts that you intentionally direct toward me through our shared telepathy."

Finch nodded in satisfaction. He had indeed been about to ask that very question. After all, the last thing he wanted was someone freely intruding into his thoughts.