I hear my system notifications ringing in my head.

[Soul Bond: Complete]

[New Buff: Red Hydra's Rage]

[Body Double Attribute Transfer: Success]

Everyone is frozen in place.

Everyone but Abby. She concentrates on me with total focus and continues to pulse with green light.

My gaze follows her eyes, and I look down at my own body to see the dark red plumes of energy still swirling all around me. My veins glow bright red, and the thick clouds of residue continue to seep in through my chest. However, the pain is gone.

It's not burning my insides.

In fact, I don't feel different at all...

I was expecting to feel a huge uptick in my natural mana control, but the reminder that this energy was only absorbed and not expelled or refined is most likely why the effects haven't taken place.

I immediately open my status with the All-Seeing Eye activated and peer to the bottom of the screen.

Its text is glowing red, standing out on my light blue status screen.

_______________________

Red Hydra's Rage

Info: This buff is a unique attribute gifted by a Divine Beast. It is limited to 7 individuals maximum per resurrection of the Red Hydra. It grants the user a 141% increase in all stats. Capabilities to absorb mana and the efficiency of one's mana control will increase 79% upon use.

This buff grows with the user possessing the soul bond. The percentage increases will rise as the user's level rises. Jumps in buff percentages may also rise with excessive use of this ability.

If the user has abilities that separate their mind from their body, the buff, and corresponding soul energy will be available wherever the bonded user's conscious state of being is the strongest.

Surplus battle instincts and abilities of the Red Hydra will be granted to the user in times of need.

_______________________

The crimson glow of the text I read is both exciting and eerie. Its contrast on the light blue text screen stands out significantly from all my other skills, but with a quick use of conceal, I confirm even this can be hidden from sight if necessary.

A few lines of text pique my interest.

The rule about the buff following wherever the conscious mind goes is a very intriguing condition. It explains why the transfer to my real body was successful, yet the buff is still active on my copy here. I'm not quite sure how this will work, but I'm interested in doing some tests once I get the chance.

In the meantime, I'll need to test out how well the buff itself actually boosts my stats and mana control like it says. The 141% increase in base stats is great and all, but my Demon's Cores, as well as an assortment of gear and magic items, do the same thing. A 79% increase in mana control is the boost that really catches my eye.

A 79% boost is well over the expected 50 million MP. It's nearly double that actually... And there doesn't seem to be a time limit or cooldown visible in the description either. It means every point of new mana I refine is basically much more efficiently used while this buff is active.

As I grow more, the percentage will only go up. This is an extremely rare and powerful trait to have. My rate of growth will increase even faster.

If there are any downsides, now would be the time to find out.

I look up from my status to see the eyes of my teammates still on me. Abby is now looking much more relaxed, most likely because the red glow has almost completely vanished from the dark swirling clouds that surrounded me just moments ago.

"I did it. I successfully bonded."

As the remnants of the twisting red energy enter my chest, Abby is the first to speak. She's breathing heavily, and her eyes are still open with concern.

"T-That was... that was it? No more than 5 seconds went by. Your whole body just glowed red, and your skin and bones started bubbling and breaking under the pressure. I had to use my ranked-up restoration skill's full power on you and myself to keep up. It... I—The last shard you absorbed took hours. This one... is a bit more violent in nature, it seems."

Another awkward moment of silence passes as I open and close my fists and stretch my arms and legs.

"Everything feels fine to me. Looks like you did a good job putting me back together. However, I don't recall the physical pain at all. Plus, that definitely took much longer than 5 seconds in my mind..."

As they all listen closely, I recount the events that just took place. Then, I also share the wording beneath the buff on my status.

The group comes to the consensus as me; that the original Hydra had 7 heads, and each fragment grants a fraction of its power in the form of a buff. The bonding process is a test of the mind rather than a test of one's mana control or strength. Other than the basics of having to withstand 50 million MP of A-Rank or higher mana. This is what would instantly kill most, but we have a way to get past the physical limits, negating its overwhelming strength with Abby's skill.

Even after my vivid description of the past, Chester is left clueless about the true nature of these Soulstones.

"I've never heard of a hunter actually meeting the creature the stones belonged to before bonding with them. Until now, I assumed Divine Beasts were only myths. Absorbing a soulstone is usually a simple process to raise a user's mana control and give a basic perk or special move. A progressively growing buff that rises in power as the user gets stronger is incredibly rare..."

Fisher chimes in.

"Okay, but how does it work? Try the buff out."

I grin.

"Sure, I was thinking the same thing. Everyone step back."

They all do as I say while I, too, back up to the lowest point in the valley once again to activate my new buff.

It's as simple as turning on a skill. Just thinking of the name triggers its abilities.

The moment I do, my veins begin to glow red just like they did before, and the crimson energy from the Hydra is seemingly summoned from thin air, wrapping its thick mana-dense clouds around my arms and legs.

It seeps out from my chest, but I don't feel the sensation of mana being used up at all.

My vision becomes tinted red, but my senses are significantly heightened. It feels as if my All-Seeing Eye is activated but finely focused on only small movements and abnormalities in the desert around me.

The darkness of night looks as bright and clear as day. I can notice the sand grinding and shifting beneath my teammates' feet over 20 meters away.

My body feels lighter too, and my muscles feel stronger.

I take a lunge forward, and my speed surprises me. It's increased dramatically. The only feeling I can relate it to is the one time I used my skill [Final Breath] against my first-floor boss opponent. The world around me feels like it's slowing down as my feet leave small craters in the sand behind me while running forward.

A cloud of dark red magic residue is left behind in my wake.

My old berserker skill and bloodlust abilities share similar traits but have nothing on the pure power and release of animalistic instincts this skill allows me to wield.

It doesn't affect my mood... Despite "Rage" being in the buff's name, I'm as calm as can be.

I come to a halt after zipping forward tens of meters in the desert in the blink of an eye, then activate my mana manipulation skill to attempt to create my normal shielding effect.

Bright pink mana is summoned from my skill bar, draining my MP like usual, but it's tinted dark red as the buff boosts its overall control. The loud buzz of my shielding can be heard from a distance, and I'm confident it's much denser and more resilient than anything I've ever faced or created myself.

"Nothing is getting through this..."

I air-step upward, leaving trails of red mana-imbued air in long trailing wisps behind me. With every step I take, I fly faster than I ever have before.

It feels so natural. It's clear that I'm much stronger, but the way my body moves and the amount of mana I exert for each action feels exactly the same. It's just being boosted upon expulsion.

Next, I summon fire, and the black flames that erupt from my hands are intertwined with the crimson energy.

Earth magic too, as well as ice; they create blood-red stone and beautiful pink-tinted ice shards.

All of my abilities are boosted by this buff. Not by pure stats, but they gain unique properties being intertwined with red mana.

I feel invigorated, and much more capable. My awareness of the environment is heightened to new heights too. Considering all of this, I won't know for sure how impressive these buffs really are until I fight something to push them to the limits.

Deep in thought with a growing smile across my face, I turn back and air-step into the small valley to meet my teammates and report the good news.

My feet hit the ground, and I deactivate the buff.

The second I do, my body feels fatigued and heavy. My eyelids droop and begin to close.