Effects of the Bloodline Gift

So this is what a fae bloodline gift is like.

While these powers are essentially derived from complex rune patterns and models that could theoretically be replicated by a highly skilled wizard, the effort and difficulty required to match the effects make it prohibitive. The difference is like using a ready-made tool versus analyzing its mechanism and painstakingly recreating it from scratch.

Thus, while fae gifts are easier to harness, they come with their own limitations. As fae grow stronger, their "toolset" can't evolve as quickly with them. They reach a point where upgrading those abilities becomes far more challenging than it is for wizards, who can continually develop their models.

"Benefiting from their bloodline but ultimately limited by it... Maybe that's why the fae lost to human wizards despite their longer lifespans and powerful innate abilities," Lucian murmured, reflecting on this phenomenon as he glanced at Carrie, still deep in a transforming slumber.

Carrie's appearance had shifted notably. Her skin, once lightly tanned with a few freckles, was now an alabaster white, radiant and smooth as polished moonstone. Her hair had started to change as well—the roots gleamed in a faint silver that was slowly creeping down to the ends, suggesting that soon her entire head of hair would glow with a silvery sheen. Her features had also sharpened subtly, lending her a refined, almost otherworldly beauty, and her ears had elongated slightly, with a second, smaller pair emerging just behind them.

These changes were all visible signs of her moon fae bloodline awakening.

Lucian, however, was more intrigued by his own newly gained quasi-bloodline skill than by Carrie's altered appearance. In the world of wizards, minor cosmetic adjustments were trivial; he could easily mould a few obedient slaves into any look he wanted if that was his interest. What truly excited him was the potential applications of this newly acquired spell derived from the fae's gift.

His gaze turned toward a discarded batch of failed Moonlight Praise ingredients nearby. One tiny mistake during the potion's preparation had caused the delicate silver vine required for the brew to wither, ruining the entire batch and wasting a full unit of precious moon moss.

"But… could this new quasi-gift revive that vine?" Lucian's heart beat faster at the thought. Since Moonlight Praise depended on the honey-like nectar produced by these vines, the potential to revive and reuse the ingredients would increase his success rate significantly.

If he could reanimate the withered vine, it would be a game changer.

Driven by excitement, Lucian carefully repositioned the discarded vine on his worktable, took a calming breath, and began channelling his mana. He constructed the complex matrix for Nature's Essence: Altered in his mind, the model of his new quasi-faerie spell.

He held his breath and extended his hand over the vine, releasing a gentle, life-giving breeze infused with magic. A glimmer of silvery light flickered over the dried vine, and Lucian's pulse quickened; he could feel the faint stirrings of life returning to it.

Even more encouraging was the thin thread of energy he felt bridging him and the vine, a connection enabling him to feed it a steady flow of magic to sustain its revival. If he could keep up this flow, his theory might actually work. If this succeeded, his ability to create Moonlight Praise would see a dramatic improvement.

But suddenly, Lucian's joy faded.

As the vine's hunger for energy increased with its renewed vitality, the narrow "bridge" he had formed became strained, and unstable. It was no longer enough to meet the vine's escalating needs, and he could sense his connection beginning to crack.

With a small, defeated snap, the connection broke, and the vine, no longer sustained, shrivelled again, collapsing into a pile of dust at the slightest touch.

Lucian frowned at the dark flecks covering his hands, though a faint smile still tugged at his lips. Despite the failure, he had learned the spell's limits—and this opened up exciting possibilities.

"Yes… I couldn't sustain it, but I was so close. If only I could increase the energy transfer."

For now, his abilities weren't up to the task, but Carrie's might be. Her bloodline powers could likely generate a much greater output of energy than his imitation spell, especially with the extra boost from the system's bonding enhancement. Her natural capacity to channel fae magic meant her "bridge" would be more like a sturdy arch, capable of supporting more energy, and in time, she could even cultivate rare magical plants with this gift.

If he could train Carrie to brew Moonlight Praise alongside him, the results could be incredible. With ample ingredients, higher success rates, and system upgrades to every successful batch... well, the possibilities were thrilling.

An ample supply of ingredients, reliable success, and enhanced potions—this was the formula for exponential growth.

Lucian's fingers drummed excitedly against the work table as he imagined the surge in power both he and Carrie would enjoy when she awoke. It would be the start of a period of unprecedented growth for them both.