They made it back to camp quickly and without incident. Despite walking most of the day, it had been either a slow spiral for exploration, or a slow march to battle. So they had only gotten five kilometers from their camp.

  With fifteen soul points available they both decided to spend five on the twin bond. And keep ten to themselves. Kennon intended to round out his mental and sense enhancement at ten power each. And then throw five into physical empowerment. While Bev planned to put all ten on mental enhancement.

  Laying on their sleeping bags they signaled to the system to start and they entered the fugue. The details of the new skill poured in and, it was simple. Unbelievably so. Since the first time they saw their souls they knew there was a connection of soul fire between them. All they had to do was add more fire.

  They started immediately, the system helping them measure the spent soul fire. It was remarkable. The instant they started to add to it their bond deepened. In this state they already had trouble telling who was who. But when they finished. It was as though there was no difference.

  Together they weaved Bev’s mental enhancement skill. It was so easy. And with the experience of having done it before they were able to do it perfectly. They didn’t need the system to tell them it was the perfect size. They already knew.

  Soul fire was tossed into the agreed upon skills at a rate they thought impossible. And less than an hour after starting they were done.

  They woke and looked at each other.

  There were no words. There was no need. But there were thoughts. Among the first was a simple statement.

  “So we’re telepathic now.”

  It wasn’t a question. It was a simple statement.

  There was no need for a reply. They simply basked in the radiance of their strengthened bond.

  Kennon knew where she was. He felt he would know where she was even if she were on the other side of the globe. Let alone the realm.

  Bev knew what Kennon was looking at. She couldn’t exactly see through his eyes, but if she needed to hit a target only he could see she thought she could do it.

  Their wants, needs, and desires flowed like water. Kennon wanted a new helmet for Bev. A proper one.

  Bev wanted a shield for Kennon.

  They both wanted to know what T2 meat tasted like.

  They laughed. In a way it felt like it should take time to get used to this feeling. In another it felt like this was the most natural thing in their lives.

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  “No more surprise gifts huh?” Kennon thought.

  “When was the last time I ever surprised you?” Bev replied.

  It was strange. They felt the need for more words. But there really wasn’t. No explanations were needed. No words. Feelings and intentions traveled through the bond with eagerness. Questions answered before they were asked.

  This was amazing!

  The next morning Kennon was butchering the sun tiger over the river. There was plenty more work to be done. They could test the limits of their new bond through that.

  Without a word he focused on one of the fangs, when cleaned he tossed it behind himself. Before he finished throwing Bev was using her movement aura to rush to where Kennon knew it would land.

  Kennon felt her surge in speed and her pleasure at getting the material she needed to make a better inscription pen.

  Kennon didn’t pause for a second. He didn’t need to. He could feel Bev looking at the tiger like it were a treasure trove. He could feel her shopping list in his bones. And he found he was butchering it with more skill.

  They both had experience. But his practice was more focused on the meat. Hers was on the hide and bones. He felt the effect of both of their practice as he worked the beast.

  He switched to the smaller tigers fairly quickly though. His basic knife wasn’t enough. And he knew that Bev would be enchanting it with sharpness the moment her T2 inscription pen was done. So he focused on skinning a beast that wasn’t nearly as tough as steel.

  He simply couldn’t wait for the tools they would be getting soon. To be able to pull a T2 bone javelin out of his pack and throw it telekinetically. She just couldn’t wait.

  Bev never thought about the pain of inscribing inscription tools.

  Her entire problem was that her tool wasn’t tough enough to inscribe even steel. That was why she needed a better tool. Made from better materials. But the new material was even harder than steel, and thus impossible to inscribe!

  Thankfully Tutor offered a solution

  You can inscribe steel. Just not very well. Enchanted steel can engrave T2 teeth. Just make an intermediate tool.

  It was a good solution. And it made her wonder why her current tool didn’t have the sharpness enchantment. Only the limiter to prevent going too deep.

  The enchantments are inherently incompatible as it is not just a limiter. But an altered form of sharpness. Your intermediate tool will not have the limiter. So you will need to be extremely careful when inscribing the tooth. Thankfully the tiger had more than one fang.

  That explained it. She wondered if Kennon should go ahead and properly harvest all the teeth. Maybe she should even practice with one of the less suitable ones.

  But he was knee deep in tiger guts at the moment. It wasn’t a good time. He was a bit sad that Bev got the clean job. But he knew that she would be tanning the hide later. And that was about as far from clean as skinning alone. And she was extremely busy.

  Tutor was also telling him all the valuable things that tiger guts could be used for in alchemy. But he had no interest in turning tiger intestines into a potion that was an extremely mild sleep aid. He didn’t need a sleep aid. And Tutor itself said it could be addictive.

  No, they would be used for tools, clothes, armor, weapons. He did preserve the meat as best he could though. It would be tasty! And apparently T2 monster meat provided minor boosts to muscle growth when prepared properly. They would be eating well.

  Thank you for sharing my journey. To help me walk it I have a set up. It is 20 chapters ahead and releases at the same time as the Royal Road chapters.

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