As the light died out in the guild, the people inside slowly returned to what they had been doing. A small crowd still worked its way toward us, curious about the disturbance. The clerk called Reika over, handing her guild license across the counter and explaining the benefits. I did my best to fend the crowd off, knowing Reika hated the attention. Most left slightly disgruntled, but peacefully.

"Adrian... hey... pssst," the clerk called quietly, trying not to draw attention. She waited for me to step closer before continuing. "Your new teammate... Reika, she’s kind of unique..." She paused, lifting her head in thought. "Her total mana count is unlike anything I’ve ever seen. I’m talking like—wow."

"Is it really that impressive?" I glanced over at Reika with a bit of pride, watching her cheerfully talk with Celeste. "Honestly, you should’ve seen her out in the field. Some giant snake tried to attack us and she obliterated it. No problem." I turned back to the clerk. "Well... thanks. I’ll see you around."

She gave a small wave as I stepped away. Rejoining the others, we made our way to the request board, eyes scanning for something manageable. Celeste moved quicker than me, reading through a few sheets before hesitating, then pulling one free.

"This one seems easy enough," she said, reading it once more before handing it over. "It should be perfect to test what you were talking about."

Taking the paper, I read it over. Pest removal at a nearby farm. Apparently, the farmer had been dealing with some kind of rabbit-like monster eating through their crops.

The reward was small, but that didn’t matter. We’d be helping the village while figuring out how to work together. That alone was worth more than gold.

"Good pick," I said, nodding at Celeste.

We headed back to the front desk, handing over the request and my guild card. The clerk checked them, gave a quick explanation of the job location and expected threat, then returned my card with a nod.

"That farm’s just outside the village. Follow the south road, you won’t miss it."

With that, we didn’t waste any time. We made a quick stop at the manor to drop off the supplies we had picked up in town, then set out immediately.

As we neared the farm, the damage from the threat could be seen as we approached. The once-vibrant rows of crops were shredded into jagged patches as if a dull scythe had been dragged through the field by a drunkard. Sections of the perimeter fence lay collapsed, splintered wood jutting out from dirt that had been churned and tunneled into messy mounds.

A loud, heavy thump echoed from the center of a ravaged corn plot. The stalks rustled violently, and then they emerged.

These weren’t just rabbits. They were oversized, knee-high monstrosities with thick, muscular hind legs and front teeth hardened into bone-white chisels. Their eyes glowed with an erratic, twitching violet light, and they moved in jagged bursts of speed that defied their bulk.

"They’re back!" a voice cracked from the distance. The farmer was huddled near his porch, frantically waving us forward.

Six of the creatures turned in unison at the sound of his voice. One slammed its powerful foot against the ground, a signal that sent the others into a territorial frenzy. They didn’t flee. They bared those jagged teeth and hissed, their bodies tensing for a lunge.

I didn’t wait for a plan. I stepped forward, spear leveled, ready to draw first blood.

"I’ve got it!" Reika chirped.

Before I could even chamber a thrust, a blinding flash of blue mana tore past my shoulder. The output was staggering. Absolutely pure, chaotic overkill. The blast hit the front creature dead center, blowing it apart it in a spray of singed fur and dirt.

The remaining five reacted instantly, scattering into the high stalks with terrifying speed.

"Reika, wait! You’re pushing them out!" Celeste shouted, her bow already drawn to the ear. "Don’t chase! Adrian, hold the center!"

It was a mess. Reika’s raw power had shattered any chance of a clean engagement. I lunged at a shadow darting through the corn, but my mana felt sluggish, stuck in my chest like cooling lead. My strike lacked the usual bite, the tip of my spear merely grazing the dirt as the magic fizzled.

[ Affinity Locked ]

[ No Active Link Detected ]

A creature burst from the side, a blur of fur and muscle aimed straight for my ribs. I barely managed to twist, the monster’s shoulder clipping me hard enough to send me stumbling back.

The system flared in my peripheral vision, confirming the mechanical wall I’d just hit.

[ Condition Not Met ]

[ Affinity Sharing Requires Active Mana Synchronization ]

[ Establish Physical Link to Initiate Sync ]

I didn’t have time to overthink the ethics of it. I needed the power, and Reika was currently charging another erratic blast that would likely take out the barn along with the pests.

I lunged toward her, catching her mid-motion as she prepared to fire. I grabbed her by the shoulders, spinning her around. Before she could ask what I was doing, I pulled her in and crashed my lips against hers.

The contact was electric. A violent flare of blue mana erupted between us, a shared pulse that felt like a physical weight pressing against my lungs. For a split second, my vision overlapped with hers—a world of vibrant ley lines and shimmering heat.

[ LINK ESTABLISHED ]

[ AFFINITY: REIKA — TEMPORARY SYNC ACTIVE ]

I pulled back after a heartbeat. Reika blinked, her ears twitching in a dazed rhythm.

"Oh," she whispered, a dorky, satisfied smirk spreading across her face. "What was that for Master?"

"Adrian?!" Celeste squeaked from the wood line, her face turning a shade of red that rivaled a sunset, but I didn’t have time to explain.

I turned back to the fight, and the world felt different. The sluggish weight in my gut was gone, replaced by a roaring river of blue energy that hummed in sync with my heartbeat. A creature leaped from the shadows, its teeth bared for my throat.

I didn’t just thrust; I released.

The spear moved with a speed I hadn’t possessed ten seconds ago. A crackling bolt of blue force trailed the tip, punching through the creature’s chest and pinning it to the ground in a burst of light. It was clean. It was controlled.

"Celeste, left! Reika, flush the last two!" I commanded.

The shift in the team dynamic was night and day. Celeste’s arrows acted as a fence, forcing the remaining monsters into the open, while Reika’s pressure kept them from burrowing. I moved through the center, my spear glowing with the borrowed affinity, finishing the last two with calculated strikes that wasted not a drop of mana.

Silence fell over the farm. The only sound was the wind whistling through the ruined corn and my own steady breathing.

The farmer approached tentatively, his eyes darting between the dead monsters and the blue-tailed woman who was currently humming a tune as she smoothed out her robe. He handed over a small pouch of silver, his hand shaking slightly as Reika offered him a cheerful wave.

I took the reward with a nod, but my mind was elsewhere. The sensation of the link was still fading, leaving a lingering warmth in my chest. If a single kiss could bridge that much power, the possibilities were staggering.

"We... uhhh" She shyly poked her fingers together with her head bowed down. "We can do that again if you need it," Reika said, her tone casual but her eyes searching mine with a dangerous spark. "Just warn me next time... you caught me off guard,"

Celeste marched past us, her ears tucked low in embarrassment as she headed toward the road. "There has to be a more professional way to activate that, Adrian."

I watched her go, then looked at my hands. One link had changed everything. I needed to know what the others could do.