Byron stared at the system messages, jaw slaked, his brain momentarily failing to process what he saw.

“What in the five gods is this? I have to ask permission to even drink water now?” Byron couldn’t help but speak his thoughts aloud.

In a flash of light, the lake spirit manifested above the lake.

[The lake spirit asks why you have not said sorry for sipping her spirit water.]

‘What? her? since when did spirits have genders?’ This surprised Byron, but he didn’t voice it out.

“Miss spirit I am truly sorry, but I was too thirsty, I haven’t had water in two days.” He said.

[Your unexpected answer surprises the lake spirit]

[The lake spirit still doesn’t understand why you thought it was regular water.]

“It does look like regular water, only crystal clear.” He said, earning another confused look from the lake spirit.

[The lake spirit says all humans blessed by the spirit mother can see spirit water.]

“Lady spirit, I do not wish to offend you, but I know not of this spirit mother you speak of.”

[Your words confuse the lake spirit.]

[The lake spirit asks what era you are currently in.]

“I do not know what an era is, but the rule of the gods is no more, the system is supreme here.”

There was a pulse of light and the system no longer transmitted the lake spirit’s thoughts, another pulse and byron felt something brush against his soul and seep inside.

It went deeper and deeper until-

[Warning #1: the system has noticed your attempt to override user Byron#1’s soul node]

There was another pulse of light and the lake spirit screamed and recoiled, pulling its ethereal tendrils from Byron’s soul, her slender and beautiful body crumbles away, leaving only a floating orb.

Byron’s chest heaved as he drew heavy breaths, he felt his life flash before him; he felt how utterly powerless he was as the spirit made its way into his soul so causally.

If not for the system’s intervention, she would have taken him over easily, he shuddered at that thought of being trapped in his own body, unable to do anything but watch as she did as she liked.

The floating orb that was the spirit floated closer until it hovered in front of him.

Ding!

[Soul orb of lake spirit Faythe]

[Clam?]

[Absorb for experience?]

[Option 1 claim:

Claiming this soul orb will bound the lake spirit, Faythe, to you as a familiar that will follow you until you die.

She will be unable to lie to you, you can force her to obey your commands if need be.

Note: doing this will lower its loyalty.

/Your familiar can gain experience.

/It can level up

/Some experience gained by the familiar will be transferred to you.

/Some skills can be gained by bonding with your familiar over time.

/+20 vit

/A space will be created where you can store your familiar

[Option 2—]

“Claim,” Byron said before the system could finish explaining the second one.

This was because he could already guess what the second option was.

While he needed XP to level up, he was much more powerful than the normal level 2 because while everyone was busy leveling up; he honed and trained his skills to the absolute limit.

He hadn’t encountered any limits; he suspected the could level up and evolve his skills indefinitely while still at level two, he knew this was a bug and would be patched by the system later, so he was going to take full advantage of it while it lasted.

The potential of having some of the powerful skills the spirit displayed was too tempting to pass down, even its flight skill would be a game changer for him.

[Are you sure?]

“yes” He answered.

Ding!

[The lake spirit Faythe has become your familiar]

[+20 vit]

The orb flashed blue as it crumbled away, and another pulse of light nearly blinded Byron.

When he opened his eyes, what could only be described as a fairy floated in front of him, its long pointy ears and beautiful wings left him stunned for a moment, but he quickly shook out of it.

It was probably another thing spirits could do, charm the unsuspecting and lure them into traps.

“You!! what did you do to me?!.” she asked.

Byron sighed, she sounded furious, Byron understood, but he also understood that it tried to kill him for no apparent reason too.

Byron waved his hand, and she disappeared, he didn’t feel like having a conversation with an angry spirit.

He hoped she would calm down while in his familiar space. If she didn’t, he would send her back until she did, no matter how long it took.

Byron took another sip of the system water, but was disappointed when the system prompt didn’t show up, he guessed it was only a one-time thing. He sighed, leaped over the lake, and kept walking in the direction he saw the giant fruits and plants.

A few seconds later, he arrived at the roots of the massive apple tree he coated his finger with drain life and climbed it easily once he reached the top of the root he got a system message.

He claimed many more roots in this manner, Byron was sure nobody used skills similar to his this way, he was surprised himself when he started using it like he was using it now.

If anyone told him he could climb trees and dig holes with a skill that was supposed to drain the life out of things, he would’ve called them crazy and ignored them.

If it wasn’t for the life and death situations he faced since he arrived that forced him to think out of the box and invent new ways to use his skills, he was sure he wouldn’t have discovered its true potential. He was starting to see that there was more than just survival to this test.

Ding!

[Skill drain life is now level 5 (Max)]

[Evolution is now possible]