"A field test is in order," Seraph declared, her sharp eyes fixed on the runic collar in Jonah's hands. "We're not going into that mine until we know exactly what we're working with."
Jonah nodded, his heart pounding with excitement and nerves. He turned to the team. "We need a clearing. And a volunteer."
Titus, the Aegis warrior, stepped forward without hesitation. "My class specializes in creating impenetrable force shields," he said, his voice a deep rumble. "I will be the test subject."
Jax let out a low chuckle. "You're either very brave or very stupid, shield man. I saw what that kid's other beast did to the training dummy."
"I am neither," Titus replied, his expression unreadable as he lifted his massive tower shield. "I am a soldier. And I need to know what to expect from my assets."
They found a wide, flat clearing a few hundred yards from their camp. The perpetual wind of the Grey Fells howled around them, but the team formed a silent, expectant circle. This was more than just a test; it was a demonstration.
"Ready when you are, Jonah," Seraph said, crossing her arms.
Jonah took a deep breath. "Maul," he called out, both aloud and through his link.
The air beside him ripped open with a roar of rage. The Rage-Hide Brute appeared, its red eyes burning with wild anger. It was a creature of wild, uncontrolled power and even after weeks of training, its presence was a contained explosion. It slammed a massive, stony fist into the ground, cracking a rock as if to announce its arrival.
Titus's jaw tightened, his knuckles whitening on the grip of his shield. He'd seen it before, but up close, its wildness felt like a real push.
Jonah walked toward the furious beast, showing no fear. "Easy, Maul. Calm." He projected a sense of focused stillness through their link, and the beast's furious shaking slowed to a low growl. It was still a monster, but it was his monster.
He held up the Symbiotic Amplifier. The collar's blue runes pulsed gently. "This is a gift. From Vanessa."
He carefully reached up and fitted the metallic collar around the brute's thick, stony neck. The moment the latch clicked shut, a brilliant flash of blue light erupted. The runes on the collar flared to life, and glowing, complex patterns spread from it like veins, tracing paths across Maul's stone-like hide.
Maul let out a startled roar, not of pain, but of surprise, as the new power flooded its system.
A notification bloomed in Jonah's mind, sharp and clear.
[Progeny: Rage-Hide Brute has equipped Symbiotic Amplifier.]
[Skill: Stone-Hide Plating has been enhanced to -> Runic Stone-Form].
Jonah's eyes widened. Stone-Form. It sounded… solid.
"Okay, Titus," Seraph called out. "Shield up."
Titus planted his feet, his giant body a solid base. He hit his tower shield hard onto the ground. "Aegis Wall!" he roared.
A huge, glowing golden shield burst out in front of him. It was ten feet tall, five feet wide, and hummed with a power so immense it made the air vibrate. It was the ultimate defensive technique of an elite Aegis warrior, a barrier designed to stop a charging behemoth in its tracks.
Jonah looked from the unbreakable shield to his rage-filled beast. This was the ultimate test.
He gave Maul a single, simple command.
Maul needed no further encouragement. It lowered its head, its tusked beak pointed at the glowing wall, and charged. Its heavy footfalls were like hammer blows, shaking the very ground.
"Now, Jonah!" Seraph yelled.
Jonah focused his will and activated the new skill. "Runic Stone-Form!"
The blue runes all over Maul's body flared, glowing with an intense, almost blinding light. A ripple of metallic energy washed over its body. Its stone-hide skin, already tougher than rock, took on the indestructible sheen of forged steel.
The collision was not a simple impact. It was an explosion of sound.
There was a deafening CRACK, like a bolt of lightning striking the ground right next to them.
Titus's "unbreakable" shield, the pride of the Aegis faction, didn't buckle. It didn't bend. It shattered.
It exploded into a thousand pieces of golden light, the wave of pure force blasting outwards. The shockwave threw Titus backwards twenty feet, and he landed in a crumpled heap, his entire arm numb from the psychic feedback.
The clearing went completely silent. The wind itself seemed to have stopped, holding its breath.
Jax's jaw hung open. Benita's hand was clapped over her mouth, her eyes wide with disbelief. Vanessa just stared, a look of fierce, triumphant pride on her face.
Maul stood where the shield had been, its metallic sheen slowly fading as the runes on its skin dimmed. It had just shattered the ultimate defense of an elite warrior who was specifically trained to block attacks from Ascended Rank beasts.
Titus pushed himself to his feet, shaking his head to clear it. He looked at his trembling arm, then at Maul, then at Jonah. He didn't lash out. He didn't yell. His face showed no emotion, but his jaw was so tight it seemed ready to break.
He met Jonah's gaze. His eyes showed many feelings: pure wonder, but also bitter anger. He was a proud warrior whose main job had just been made useless.
"Impressive," he grunted, the single word laced with a wounded pride.
Jonah gave a slow nod of acknowledgement, understanding the silent conflict raging within the warrior. This wasn't just a power-up; it was a shift in the very nature of combat.
He finally understood what Vanessa had given him. He now had his ultimate frontline weapon. Maul was no longer a glass cannon. He had a tank. A powerful creature that could cause huge damage. For key moments, it could also become completely safe from harm.
Jonah looked away from his stunned team, his gaze settling on the jagged, dark entrance to the Blackwood Iron Mine in the distance. A new sense of confidence filled him.