Ch-24 < bond >

Next Morning

Kevin, having decided to absorb Honkai energy from Herrscher cores to establish a soul bond with Elysia . For that he needed more points to buy the skill.

With only 60,000 points, he was short of the required 100,000. Determined to find a way, he headed to Mobius's lab and asked her for the Herrscher cores.

Fortunately, since the Herrscher cores were dangerous, the higher-ups had returned them after examining the first core. The higher-ups were unaware that the team was working on the Divine Key, which worked in Kevin's favor.

As Kevin approached Mobius, he couldn't resist teasing Mei with his power, attempting to use Craving Touch. However, Mei's reaction speed was impressive; she dodged each time with an exasperated glare.

Mobius soon arrived, carrying three boxes containing the Herrscher cores. "So, why do you need these?" she asked, raising an eyebrow.

Kevin responded, "I can absorb Honkai energy from these cores to stabilize them for research purposes." While partially true, it wasn't the whole story.

Mobius and Mei exchanged curious glances before both began to question him simultaneously. "What? How can you do that?" they asked, their voices overlapping.

Kevin held up his hands defensively. "Why don't we take this to another room?" he suggested.

They moved to a private room, joined by Elysia, Mei, and Mobius. Once they were all settled, Kevin revealed a diamond-shaped mark on his left palm.

Mobius tilted his head, puzzled. "Is this some sort of birthmark?"

Kevin shook his head. "No, it's a stigma," he clarified.

"Stigma?" everyone echoed, intrigued.

Kevin explained, "It's formed due to genetic modifications from exposure to Honkai energy. If a person doesn't turn into a zombie or monster, they acquire a stigma, which grants them Honkai adaptability."

"That's quite extraordinary," Mei said, her eyes widening in fascination.

Elysia knows Kevin is bluffing since she also possess a strange mark on her body. she can guess that this mark is related to herrschers in some way.

Mobius's breathing quickened with excitement. "Let me study it!" she exclaimed, reaching out eagerly to examine his hand.

Kevin quickly raised his hand out of her reach. Mobius, short in stature, jumped in an almost childlike manner, trying to grab his hand, but he kept it just out of reach. Her behavior resembled a child desperate for candy, making everyone chuckle.

"I can let you study it and even my blood, but on one condition," Kevin said, his tone turning serious.

Mobius, still bouncing on her toes, paused. "What condition? I can even become yours!" she blurted out in her excitement.

"What?!" Mei shouted, stunned by Mobius's unexpected offer.

Kevin coughed, trying to hide his amusement. "In addition to that, I want another promise."

Mobius, clearly intrigued, nodded eagerly. "What do you want?" she asked, while Mei glared at Kevin, annoyed by his seemingly shameless behavior.

Kevin's expression softened. "You seem like someone who might take drastic measures if you fail in your goals. I want your word that you won't harm yourself or do anything extreme."

Elysia nodded in agreement. "That might be true. She can be quite intense when she's focused on something."

Mobius crossed her arms, pouting slightly. "I'm not like that," she protested.

Kevin looked at her gently. "Immortality has no meaning if you're alone, Mobius. Mortality gives life meaning, value, and urgency. It allows us to cherish our time, strive for self-improvement, and cultivate meaningful relationships."

The room fell silent as everyone considered Kevin's words. Even Mobius, usually dismissive of emotional appeals, seemed to ponder his statement. Her eyes softened, and she let out a quiet sigh.

Elysia stepped forward, placing a comforting hug on Mobius's neck from the back. "Kevin's right. We all care about you, Mobius. We want you to be safe, even if things don't go as planned."

Mobius looked around at her colleagues, seeing the concern in their eyes. Finally, she nodded, a small smile tugging at her lips. "Fine. I promise I won't do anything drastic. But in return, you have to let me study your stigma and your blood."

Kevin smiled, nodding. "Deal." He then approached Mobius and hugged her.

Mei looked at him like he was garbage. He sweated from her intense gaze and quickly said, "I'm not leaving you, Mei. Come here." But she didn't budge, so Kevin swiftly moved closer to her and lifted her.

He used the Herrscher of Wind's power to calm her raging emotions while providing a little pleasant sensation with his touch.

"How long are you going to hug me?" Mei asked.

"I guess forever," Kevin replied.

"You are shameless," Mei said, a bit angry.

Elysia, seeing the situation, chimed in with a gentle tone. " Mei, it's clear that Kevin cares deeply about all of us."

And it's better that we remain as sisters than fight over one man. We can support each other, share our lives, and be stronger together. Kevin cares about all of us, and we can make this work if we stick together."

Mobius nodded in agreement with a sincere expression. "I have no objections and i start feeling like we are a team."

Mei let out a reluctant sigh, her resistance slowly melting away. "Alright," she agreed, "if we're all in this together, then I'll give it a try."

But," she added, looking directly at Kevin, "you better not play favorites."

Kevin, feeling relieved and overjoyed, leaned in and kissed Mei on the cheek. "Thank you, Mei.," he whispered with a mischievous grin.

He quickly gave her a peck on the lips and then dodged as Mei swung at him, her cheeks flushing. "You shameless—!" she started.

Kevin laughed, stepping back with a grin. "Just keeping things interesting!" he teased, earning a mixture of exasperated sighs and amused smiles from the group.

Mei, still slightly blushing from Kevin's earlier teasing, cleared her throat. "Now that we've settled that, can you explain how you plan to stabilize the Herrscher cores?"

Kevin's expression turned serious as he explained, "By absorbing Honkai energy from the cores, I can stabilize them, making them safer for our research. It's a delicate process, but with my abilities, it should be possible."

"My stigma doesn't just grant Honkai adaptability as my stigma isn't just made from honkai energy but also from honkai beast. So it also possess ability of the beast.

But what about the knowledge you possess from last era. Mobius asked.

With technological modifications people from last era . People was able to store information from my ancestors."

Mobius's eyes widened with excitement. "You never mentioned that your stigma provides information and abilities!" she exclaimed loudly.

"What exactly are your stigma's abilities?" Mei asked, her curiosity piqued.

Kevin took a deep breath. "Since my stigma is produced by a beast you call Vishnu."

"Vishnu? But that exists in our era, not the previous one," Mobius interrupted.

Kevin nodded. "Well, a beast like it did come in the last era."

"And what are the abilities you mentioned?" Elysia asked, leaning forward.

Kevin continued, "First, I can take powers from Honkai beasts by consuming them.The second is spatial manipulation."

The room fell silent as everyone processed this new information. Mei was the first to speak, her voice filled with awe. "That's incredible. Doesn't that mean you will grow stronger with consuming new honkai beast flesh and gain their abilities"

Yes. Kevin replied.

Elysia smiled warmly at Kevin. "You're more amazing than I realized."

Mobius, still buzzing with excitement, practically bounced on her toes. "I can't wait to study you further. We have so much to learn!"

Kevin chuckled, feeling a deep sense of camaraderie with his team. "Let's focus on stabilizing the Herrscher cores first. We'll have plenty of time to explore my abilities later."

As Kevin absorbed the energy from the Herrscher cores, a system notification appeared in his mind:

Kevin then reached into the box and carefully picked up one of the Herrscher gems, the Core of Reason. As he held it in his hand,

Mei looked at him with concern.

"Don't you need some equipment or something? That thing is dangerous," Mei cautioned, her voice filled with worry.Kevin shook his head confidently.

"No problem. This won't corrupt me since I possess Honkai energy resistance."He focused, holding the gem firmly. The diamond-shaped mark on his left palm began to glow, illuminating the room with an ethereal light.

Kevin's arm trembled slightly as he concentrated, drawing the Honkai energy from the core. The glow from the diamond mark expanded, spreading up his arm in intricate patterns etched into his skin.

These patterns glowed with an otherworldly blue light, casting eerie reflections on the lab walls.

Everyone watched in awe as the blue light intensified, and Kevin's expression became one of deep concentration.

The energy from the Core of Reason flowed into him, merging with his stigma.

As the process continued, the glow shifted, pulsing with a deep, blue hue.

Kevin then reached for the Core of Void. As he made contact, the light emanating from his stigma changed from blue to a blackish-purple hue.

The transition was smooth but profound, the energy surging through him like a powerful current. The patterns on his skin adapted to the new energy, shifting and swirling as they absorbed the power.

Finally, Kevin picked up the Core of Lightning. The moment his hand touched the gem, the glow from his stigma flickered and transformed into a vibrant, electric blue.

The energy crackled around him, illuminating the room with a powerful aura. The intricate designs on his arm pulsed with the energy's intensity, reflecting the potent force within the Core of Lightning.

**System Notification:**

- **Authority of Reason integrating with host stigma.**

- **Authority of Void integrating with host stigma.**

- **Authority of Thunder integrating with host stigma.**

**Rewards:**

- *90,000 system points.*

- *Kevin Template increased from 10% to 20%.*

- *Various abilities related to Reason, Void, and Thunder have been unlocked in the system shop.*

Kevin felt a rush of power as the integration completed. The newfound energy coursing through him was palpable, a surge of strength and capability that left him feeling more powerful than ever.

Elysia, standing nearby, could sense the shift immediately. She watched him with a mixture of awe and excitement, sensing his rapid growth in power.

"You've gotten even stronger," Elysia murmured, her eyes wide as she took in the sight of Kevin's glowing stigma and the intricate patterns etched across his skin and soon it returned to normal.

Kevin nodded, a confident smile on his face. "It feels incredible. The powers of Reason, Void, and Thunder... they're all at my fingertips now."

Mobius, barely able to contain her excitement, bounced slightly on her toes. "Incredible! The way the energy flowed into you, and those patterns... I've never seen anything like it!"

Mei nodded, her concern giving way to fascination. "And you didn't show any signs of corruption. Your resistance is truly remarkable."

Eager to test his new abilities, Kevin decided to start with the Authority of Thunder. He extended his hand, allowing a bolt of electricity to dance between his fingers. The air around him crackled with energy. Kevin then mischievously directed a small, controlled spark of electricity towards Mei, intending to give her a playful shock.

As the spark made contact, Mei's body jolted slightly, and she let out an involuntary moan of pleasure. Her eyes widened in surprise and embarrassment, and she quickly turned to glare at Kevin.

"Kevin!" she screamed angrily, her face flushed with both irritation and a hint of embarrassment. "What do you think you're doing?"

Kevin chuckled, raising his hands in mock surrender. "Just testing out the new powers. Didn't expect that reaction, though."

Mei huffed, crossing her arms. "You need to be more careful with these abilities. They can have unexpected effects on people."

Kevin nodded, feeling a bit sheepish. "You're right. I'll be more careful."