The village that once trembled under corrupted shadows now glowed faintly with campfires. Smoke curled into the air, carrying the scent of roasted roots and salted fish salvaged from the river. Survivors huddled close together, their tired faces bathed in flickering light. For the first time in days, they laughed. They wept. They breathed.
Andy stood at the edge of the firelight, Draconic Oathblade resting against his shoulder. Though the mighty blade was silent, its merged essence of flame, water, wind, and earth pulsed faintly—matching his own heartbeat.
Nia's soft voice broke the quiet beside him. "They look at you like you're… salvation."
Andy's silver hair caught the glow of fire, his gaze fixed on the villagers. "I'm not their salvation, Nia. I'm just a man walking the path fate carved for me."
But even as he said it, the system stirred.
> [Bond Constellation: Orion]
Nia → 26% | Aurelia → 23%
Combined Progress: Tier I → 49%
The chime whispered only to him, unseen by the women at his side. A warmth spread in his chest, a reminder that his bond wasn't just personal—it was the key to something greater.
From the other side, Aurelia stepped forward, the golden brooch at her chest glittering. She nudged Andy's arm with a grin. "You're wrong. To them, you're not just a man—you're their dragon." Her tone playful, yet her sapphire-like eyes carried something deeper.
Andy chuckled softly, shaking his head. These two… one gentle flame, the other a teasing spark. And yet both are the threads that bind this constellation.
Children ran past them, shrieking in joy as if the weight of corruption had finally lifted. One stumbled, and Nia knelt gracefully to help him up. The boy's eyes widened at her smile, awe written plain across his young face.
Aurelia leaned closer, whispering into Andy's ear with mischief. "Careful. If Nia keeps charming every villager like this, you'll have competition."
Andy smirked. "Competition? Or are you worried you're losing ground yourself?"
Her playful scoff melted into a small, genuine laugh. "Touché, Dragon."
For a fleeting moment, the world felt balanced—between fire and water, teasing and loyalty, chaos and peace. But deep inside, Andy knew this calm was temporary. The corrupted lands around them had only begun to stir.
He exhaled, watching embers rise into the night sky. Whatever comes next… we'll face it together.
The campfire crackled low, shadows dancing across the weary faces of villagers. Andy sat down on a wooden crate, Draconic Oathblade leaning against his knee. A faint pulse stirred within the blade—no longer just flame, water, and wind, but something deeper, steadier. Almost as if the weapon itself whispered: You're ready.
And then the system stirred again.
> [Constellation System: Orion]
Bond Progress → Nia ⭐ 27% | Aurelia ⭐ 24%
Combined Tier I → 51%
Reward Unlocked → Shared Inventory (Tier I)
The faint chime echoed inside Andy's mind, and lines of glowing runes momentarily drifted across his vision. He exhaled quietly, keeping the notification to himself. Neither Nia nor Aurelia saw it—another reminder that since the Constellation's awakening, he alone bore the system's voice.
He raised his palm. Energy gathered, subtle but undeniable, forming a small glyph in the air. It shimmered, opened like a ripple in water, and revealed a pocket-space void—dark, weightless, infinite.
Nia tilted her head, her sapphire eyes widening. "Andy… is that—?"
"Shared Inventory," Andy murmured. His voice carried both relief and curiosity. "But this time… it's fully unlocked."
He placed Draconic Oathblade into the rift. Instantly, the immense blade dissolved into particles of light and vanished. His heart skipped a beat, half-expecting the void to consume it forever. But with a thought—
The blade reappeared, its dragon-and-phoenix aura unblemished, still humming with elemental resonance.
Nia gasped softly, her staff glowing as if answering. "May I try?" She extended Lumina gently. The crystalline head of her staff flickered as it slid into the void—then, with a simple gesture, she summoned it back. The staff emerged radiant, aura untouched, glyphs across its surface brighter than before. "It retains its power perfectly. Even the wards etched onto it remain intact."
The system whispered again in Andy's mind:
> [Shared Inventory: Tier I]
– Unlimited weight capacity
– Items maintain durability & aura signature
– Soul-Tag bound to bond members (Andy, Nia, Aurelia)
– Summonable in battle with instant sync notifications
Andy smiled faintly. So the old restriction's gone… back then it was only half usable. Now, it's flawless.
Beside him, Aurelia leaned closer, golden hair shimmering under firelight. With a mischievous grin, she unclasped the small brooch from her chest—an intricate phoenix-shaped ornament. She held it up dramatically.
"My turn," she teased, sliding the trinket into the glyph-space. It disappeared instantly. A beat later, she flicked her fingers, and the brooch reappeared in her palm. She pinned it back to her dress with exaggerated flair.
Then she winked at Andy. "So… do you think it's possible to store you in there too? Would be convenient. I could pull you out whenever I wanted."
Nia gave her a sharp look, cheeks tinged pink, but Andy chuckled despite himself. "I'm not an item, Aurelia."
"Mm, maybe not," she murmured with mock thoughtfulness. "But you're definitely my treasure."
Nia scoffed softly, though a smile betrayed her lips. "Treasure or not, you'd better not try putting him in there. The world still needs him."
Andy shook his head, watching the two of them—one playful, one protective—and for a moment, warmth replaced the ever-present shadow of corruption.
This bond of ours… it's growing, even here. Maybe that's the real power of the constellation.
The fire cracked again, villagers' laughter rising faintly in the distance, while the stars above flickered—silent witnesses to the bonds weaving tighter under their gaze.
The last shimmer of Aurelia's brooch faded back into place. For a heartbeat the three of them sat in companionable silence, the warmth of the fire circling them. Then, predictably, Aurelia tilted her head with that feline smirk of hers.
"You know," she said lightly, eyes glinting gold in the firelight, "if the system recognizes me as a bond member now, perhaps I should start testing just how far that bond goes."
Andy gave her a wary glance. "You've already tested it plenty, Aurelia."
"Oh? You mean with this?" She twirled the brooch between her fingers. "Or perhaps with this?" She leaned forward just enough for the neckline of her robe to slip, teasing, then laughed when Andy instinctively looked away.
Nia sighed softly, though the corner of her mouth curved upward. "Could you stop harassing him for five minutes?"
Aurelia widened her eyes innocently. "Harassing? Nonsense. I'm motivating. Bonds only grow if you feed them, right?"
Nia's sapphire gaze sharpened, but she didn't look away. Instead, she shifted closer to Andy, her hand brushing his arm deliberately. "If bonds grow from closeness, I think I've already given him more than enough." Her voice softened on the last words, intimate, and Andy felt heat rise to his ears.
The system's chime answered quietly:
> [Bond Progress → Nia ⭐ 28% | Aurelia ⭐ 25%]
[Combined → 53%]
Andy inhaled slowly. Even their bickering fuels the constellation? The system really doesn't waste any chance.
He decided to interject before things boiled over. "Both of you… stop turning this into a contest."
Aurelia chuckled, leaning back on her palms, hair spilling golden over her shoulders. "Oh, but contests are fun. And besides…" she glanced at Nia with mock sweetness, "…you should be glad, Lady Everhart. At least I'm not trying to store him in the inventory. Imagine pulling Andy out during bath time."
Nia's cheeks turned crimson, and even Andy sputtered, but Aurelia only laughed harder, eyes gleaming.
Nia huffed, but then—surprisingly—she exhaled with a small smile. "Fine. Play all you like. In the end… Andy is my fiancé. That's something no inventory, and no teasing, can take away." Her hand tightened over Andy's, and warmth spread up his arm.
Aurelia's laughter faded, replaced by something gentler, though still mischievous. "Mm. Then maybe I'll just have to settle for being the one who keeps him smiling."
For a moment, the fire's crackle filled the silence between them. Andy looked from one to the other—protective Nia, playful Aurelia—and felt the constellation threads stir inside him, tugging gently.
Different as night and day… and yet, together, they make me stronger. The system knew. It always knew.
The fire popped, scattering sparks skyward like stars, and above them Orion glittered brighter than ever, as though acknowledging their fragile, growing bond.
The laughter around the fire finally ebbed into a gentle quiet. Stars overhead pulsed faintly as if echoing the threads woven between them. Andy let the silence linger, savoring it, until a salt-laden breeze tugged at his hair and drew his eyes toward the deck.
"Come," he said softly, rising. Nia and Aurelia followed, robes and hair fluttering in the night wind. Together they stepped beyond the warmth of the fire, onto the deck where the sea spread endless.
The ocean was calm now, no longer raging as it had days before. Silver crests shimmered under the moonlight, and for a heartbeat the world felt peaceful. Crewmen spoke in low voices, villagers gathered in small circles. Children pointed at the constellations above, whispering about miracles.
But then—subtle, like the breath of something vast—Andy felt it. A weight in the horizon. He narrowed his eyes. Far to the north, where sea and sky blurred, a dark haze rose faintly, twisting against the pale stars. It wasn't storm, nor cloud—it was corruption.
The system answered him alone:
> [Alert: Corruption Detected]
[Source → Northern Frontier, Former Dragon Clan Territories]
[Warning: Multiple hostile signatures present]
Andy's jaw tightened. So it begins.
Beside him, Nia's sapphire eyes searched his face. "What is it?"
He didn't answer immediately. He couldn't—not without revealing the system. Instead, he rested a steadying hand over hers. "Something's waiting. Ahead."
Aurelia, golden hair catching moonlight, leaned on the rail, gaze locked on the horizon. "I thought the stories were exaggerations. But that aura…" Her lips curved into a grin too sharp for comfort. "It feels like the start of a hunt."
The ship creaked as waves carried them closer. Around them, villagers murmured of legends—about an ancient land once ruled by dragons, now twisted, where even the trees bled shadow. The crew crossed themselves in silence, unease crawling up their spines.
Andy let the sounds wash over him, but his focus never left that creeping haze. Inside, the constellation threads thrummed louder, pulsing with every heartbeat. His path forward was clear.
Whatever waits there, we'll face it together.
The corrupted horizon loomed, swallowing starlight inch by inch. And thus, with the calm sea beneath their feet and destiny above their heads, their journey into the Dragon Corrupter's domain truly began.
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