Chapter-23 Toast

He took out one of the glass containers and poured a bit of blood into another empty container he brought from his kitchen. The smell of iron ambushed the area, but the earthy aura the blood gave off soon overwhelmed it. It was like Orange's but more impulsive; if Ewan lacked in 'Spirit' right now, it might've given him a headache.

He carefully placed the small white egg into the container and waited for it to absorb all the life force. The process began as soon as the egg contacted the blood. And after a few minutes, the blood lost all its aura and rippled lifelessly and watery. Ewan added more blood into the container and the process resumed. 

He repeated a few times until the egg glowed a white tint and stopped absorbing any more life force, it was now ready. The blood it used came close to a liter; if it was regular animal's blood, it would've been several times that. 

Ewan put the containers aside and focused on the egg. The method of contracting it was different from other Astylinds. The blood stained him as he held it, and a jolt shot up to his brain when he touched it with his spirit.

A hostile consciousness invaded his soul and scanned him, baring him to his core. It tingled his head and paralyzed him; he could not resist; it even dampened his will to resist. Sweat drenched his forehead and his heart raced, he struggled to think of countermeasures in case this consciousness threatened his life. 

But the moment it scanned his entirety, all its hostility vanished into thin air. It gave off a warmth that comforted and embraced Ewan, and the similarity of it took him to the day when his Pa hugged him, the day he died…

His scrawny hands had no strength left, but he held him tight. His trembling fingers ran through his hair as he whispered his last words in his ear.

"Live well Ewan. Live my worth too." And he sighed his last breath on his shoulder. Ewan's eyes misted as the buried memories resurfaced, this was the warmth of a father he could never feel again. 

'Your father didn't want you to contract my child. Do you still want to?' The consciousness passed a thought to Ewan. 

'Our gift will bite you, he wanted to protect you from that. Do you still want to?'

'You're his son, so you're my child too. This won't change no matter your decision. Do you still want to?'

"Yes." Ewan sniffed and his resolution backed his nod. 

'Very well. You will be one in soul from now on. Take care of your little brother, I hope you both live well.'

The consciousness shattered and a string of information trickled into his mind. It came slowly and gently immersed him. At the same time, his soul mingled with another feeble soul and merged. 

And a childlike meow was the last sound that echoed in the basement before he blacked out. 

…..

He snapped his eyes open and jerked up with his teeth chattering and spasming breaths. The bitter cold ground iced him even with his jacket on; his eyelashes had frosted, his head ached in waves—he cast <Ember > to warm his body. 

After the small blob of fire gave him some respite, Ewan dragged himself up and checked the egg, or what came out of it. A tiny kitten shivered in the broken shell of the egg, a mix of black and brown fur on his back, snow-white fur near his chest, tiny paws, long tail, and closed eyes. He purred at times and twitched his legs, his chest inflated and deflated in a rhythm as his breath blew the hanging shards of the shell away. 

Our souls merged…

The process of this contract varied so much that it dazed Ewan. Contracts with other Astylinds only linked their souls and consciousness; a thread-like existence connected them. With this though, his and the kitten's soul merged and became one, and the kitten's body became an extension of his. This contract didn't create any rune in his soul space either, it instead gave him a black and white tattoo on the back of his right hand—of a wheel divided in nine blocks and a cat's paw in the center. 

But investigating the changes would come later, it was too cold down here. He cradled the kitten and kept him inside his jacket. He also picked the other egg and the seed and went back to the house. 

Once he was inside the thick quilt with the kitten, once its velvet warmed him, he went through the information he inherited before he'd fainted. Even though it only trickled into his mind before, the total amount could fill several books. It took him minutes to only skim the important details. One of which was the special ability the kitten possessed. And because their souls merged, that now he possessed. 

Luck roulette…

He finally understood why his Pa called it a double-edged sword. This special ability allowed him to move his luck towards the positive spectrum for a period, but once that ended, his luck would spring to the negative spectrum for the same period. 

Luck was a concept he never imagined would exist. He, like most others, used the word luck in his daily life, but he never actually believed in the concept. Yet, today, this ability proved him wrong. Its prospects were endless, yet it could also end his life. If used well, it could become one of his strongest weapons. Yet, if he became reckless with it, he wouldn't live to see another day… 

Ewan took a deep breath, rattled from one bombshell after another. Almost every item his Pa left him gave him the shock of his life. From the <Transmute > spell circuit to this Astylind; he could imagine that old pervert's mischievous giggles when he prepared all this for him. 

And there were still two Astylinds left. 

He shook his head and used <Identify > on himself to check if there were any major changes. 

Status: Healthy

Step-0 [1st Awakening]

Name: Ewan Ayres

Species: Human

Vitality: 1.1

Spirit: 2.0

Anima: [Fire – 2.0]

Astylinds: 2 [Potential: 2]

 :Rolling Cat: Step-0 [1st Awakening] 

 :Fire Monkey [Orange]: Step-0 [Level-1] [Grade-D]

Equipment: Common Clothes.

Storage: Journal; Elementalist—The Path of Anima [Subtype-Book]; Spellbook; Bloodlust [Spell]; Transmute [Spell]; Anima-Crystals; Obsidian Dagger; Hub-Connector.

Novas: 93

Sol: 45

Apart from the addition of the kitten and the decrement of the 'Potential', it remained the same. Because this was a special case where his soul merged with the kitten, the regular levels of Astylinds didn't apply. He was one with Ewan and would become stronger with him. 

Toast, I'll name you that. 

The little kitten, smaller than his palm, purred when he petted his soft furry stomach. The information he received also contained other bits that made him apprehensive. He had to brace himself for the changes that were to come, for some might not be so desirable. 

Identify. 

[Astylind Name: Rolling Cat]

[Astylind Level: --]

[Astylind Grade: --]

[Anima Affinity: --]

[Skills: Luck-Roulette]

[Gender: Male]

[Description: Natives of Airadia. They are the species that gained the favor of Airadia. Other than their unique skill, they have no other strength. Once someone contracts them, their souls merge.]

[Grade-Exalt Requirements: --]

[Remark 1: My gift to my family. It will be the fortune of us Ayres.]

[Remark 2: Our blessing, our curse.]

[Remark 3: No matter how much I tried, I couldn't break its curse. My daughter can't continue our family, she's far too kind. I need another living descendant, not a corpse!!]

[Remark 4: I don't regret.]

[Remark 5: It is our family. Our next generation must accept it. My Cinnamon can't be the last of her kind.]

[Remark 6: My son rejected it. It will all end with my generation…]

[Remark 7: I do not regret!!]

[Remark 8: I soared with him. I fell with him. Hope my son doesn't make the same mistakes.]

[Remark 9: ....]