[ding!! the disruption is deemed too significant to ignore; the talent effect, Lawless Awakening, is acting up.
[ding!! Talent: Lord of Slavery (legendary) is evolving....]
[Ding!! Congratulations on gaining the talent Fatebound (supreme).
The notifications rang one after another inside Will's mind.
Unlike earlier awakenings that had overwhelmed him with uncertainty or pressure, this time the system's announcements had a distinctly uplifting effect on his mood.
The sense of progression was tangible, and the rewards felt deserved rather than forced since he actually changed Tamasya's fate.
Ever since entering the floating island, Will had been trying to process the sheer absurdity of Tamasya's existence.
She had told him, in a matter-of-fact tone, that the entire island belonged to her alone. There were no tenants, no guards, no servants in the traditional sense, and no neighboring structures to suggest shared ownership. This massive stretch of land floating high above the clouds was hers entirely.
At the center of the island stood an enormous mansion, not merely large but excessive in scale.
Its architecture reeked of elegance and grandeur. White stone walls reflected faint light rather than absorbing it, and the structure itself seemed to breathe subtly, as if it were alive in some distant and passive way.
Will could not help but feel thrilled as he took in the magnitude of it all. This was not the wealth of nobles or emperors, which relied on taxes and exploitation. This felt like the realm of a god.
Despite the mansion's scale, the island felt eerily quiet.
There were no signs of daily life in the way Will had expected.
However, that silence did not mean inactivity. As he observed more closely, he noticed faint movements near the edges of corridors and across the vast halls.
Mysterious black figures moved through the mansion, performing tasks with mechanical precision. Some cleaned the floors, others tended to structural upkeep, and a few carried objects from one place to another without ever speaking or acknowledging his presence.
When Will had asked about them earlier, Tamasya had explained calmly that these figures were the Shadow Born.
According to her explanation, these entities were manifestations of her will and had given forms by the darkness.
However, due to certain limitations placed upon her existence, she could not grant them true consciousness. As a result, they functioned more like automations than living beings, executing simple commands without deviation or creativity.
In essence, they were little different from highly advanced machines.
Even knowing this, Will found the concept thrilling. The idea of an army of shadow constructs acting entirely according to his will stirred something ambitious within him.
He could already imagine countless applications, from logistics and defense to spying and intel gathering and large-scale operations.
At present, however, he remained down to earth; he hadn't reached that level, he reminded himself.
Will sat on a comfortable couch inside a spacious room that had been assigned to him by his master.
The room was large enough to house several families together; it was the epitome of luxury.
Tamasya had instructed him to remain inside the mansion for the coming days.
She had explained that she needed to leave temporarily to take care of a few matters that required her personal attention. Will had not questioned her further.
He complied without resistance.
He understood that this period was an opportunity to grow. He needed to begin organizing his power, understanding his abilities, and laying a foundation for what came next; it was time for secluded training.
Will locked his room and settled himself comfortably. His posture was relaxed slightly as he focused inward.
"System, show me the effects of the new talent fate bound."
The response was immediate.
The system window expanded in front of him, and the details of the talent unfolded clearly.
---------
Fate bound (Supreme)
Effects:
1. Slave Mark
Placement conditions: The host may mark an entity as a slave. If the target does not resist the mark for the next five minutes by the bearer, it becomes permanent and can only be removed by the host.
effects: The marked entity becomes an absolute slave; its body, mind, soul, and will belong to the host. The host may force obedience or gain the slave's cultivation before killing them.
2. Servant Mark
Placement conditions: An entity that willingly submits may be marked by the servant mark.
effects:
- The host gains all talents and abilities of the servant but cannot control their existence or decide life and death.
- The host can bestow a lower-grade version of his talents or other powers to the servant.
- Betrayal by the servant results in its instant death.
3. Mark of Comrade
Placement conditions: can be placed by the host on a target that has a favorable impression of you; if not, the mark fails.
effects:
- When fighting alongside each other, both temporarily gain increased cultivation.
-Talents and abilities may be shared only with mutual consent.
4. Mark of Destiny
Placement conditions: Souls whose destined death is changed by the host are marked by the mark of destiny.
effect:
- They become completely loyal.
- Talents can be shared freely.
- The host can sense their location and senses and communicate mentally across any distance.
5. Mark of Soulmate
Placement conditions: The mark of destiny evolves in case a woman is recognized as the true soulmate of the host.
effect:
- Authority, talents, cultivation, physiques, and almost all powers can be shared.
- Senses are shared.
- Both may teleport to each other freely. Fate cannot interfere between them.
- If one dies while the other lives, the dead may resurrect using the soulmate's blood.
-------------
As Will read through the effects, a slow smile formed on his face.
This talent was fundamentally different from what he had possessed before.
While Lord of Slavery had focused on enslaving,
Fate Bound offered flexibility, variability, and long-term utility. It was not just about enslaving beings anymore. It was about building networks, relationships, and layered hierarchies of connections.
The ability to share cultivation and talents with multiple entities was particularly significant.
While these marks did not offer the raw amplification of the system binders, which granted battle experience and enhancements at one hundred times efficiency, they still represented an enormous strategic advantage.
Unlike the binders, these marks carried conditions.
Will examined each condition carefully.
Among all the marks, the Slave Mark stood out as the only one that did not require the consent of the target. Even then, the restriction was severe. The target could resist the mark for a full five minutes, which meant that Will would need to completely suppress the opponent for that duration.
Compared to his earlier talent, this was a downgrade in speed but an upgrade in control.
Earlier, the talent Lord of Slavery had allowed enslavement if the target called him master even once. This new system demanded far more effort.
"What a pity," Will muttered to himself. "Before, I just had to make the demons call me master one time to enslave me, but now I will have to suppress them straight for five minutes to get the mark on."
The system responded immediately, shattering his delusions.
[It is not that simple, host. The condition to call 'master' was misunderstood by you. The target should also mean it when he is calling you master for that to work. It was not just verbal consent but also consent on a conscious level.]
[That is why this is still better since you can force the person into submission.]
Will blinked.
"Woah, why didn't you tell me earlier? I had already planned about enslaving SSS demons using illusion scrolls."
The system paused briefly, then replied.
So all this time, when you told me that you had a plan of tricking the demons, you thought of using illusion scrolls? Do you know how much they cost, and your life could still be in danger if they don't work?]
Will shrugged mentally.
"Umm, I mean, in a world where you are not the strongest, even breathing is a risk. Who knows, you might offend an ancient witch and get crushed by her just because you said hello."
The system's reply came instantly.
[Oii!! that actually happened, and at that time too I warned you].
Will leaned back against the couch, a faint smirk forming.
"Did I ever listen?"
[(┬┬﹏┬┬)]