Chapter 2048: Spoken Like An Ancient

Karl sat silently for a few seconds before he answered.

"I’ve already tried that, you know. The System doesn’t count changes to the physique as a skill that can be transferred with [Follow Me, Little One]. We might be able to find a potion that would help change Dana’s physique, but there is no guarantee that it would work."

Leon shook his head. "Nothing that you can make with reagents from the Immortal Realm will create a body that can survive this level of Soul Bond strain.

It feels like it’s going to tear on its own, but that’s from your end.

The destruction of the Soul Bond is something that will sting, and you’ll recover in a few seconds. But that’s not true for Dana. If the Soul Bond tears like that, uncontrolled, she will die.

Not just dead, she will have her soul torn and scattered. Not even the Green Dragon Goddess could bring her back from that intact.

At best a Demigod level healer can bring them back as a child, but that level of damage would normally leave them either mindless or mentally crippled."

Then he paused and gave Karl a contemplative look.

"You probably haven’t noticed, since she’s a cuddly sort with Fox Charm, but Dana has been extra clingy and protective lately. Everyone else you talk to feels like a threat to her and your bond because it’s breaking, and she innately knows that if the bond breaks she dies."

Karl sighed. "She should be here for this conversation."

Leon shrugged. "Perhaps not. One of the options is to simply snuff the Soul Bond, to save her from having to live a lifetime having known what truly sharing everything feels like.

Many species would consider that a mercy."

The implication being that Karl’s morality might no longer be considered human.

Karl shook his head. "I’m not killing my Dana Mage, and I won’t break the bond without consulting her."

Leon chuckled. "Spoken like a true Ancient.

But that might actually work out well for you. We just need to find one more skill, and I think that some of the fallout can be mitigated. The one I’m looking for is known as [All Things are Pets]."

Karl gave him a strange look. "That is the name of the skill that allows me to create separate spaces which contain everything that the occupant needs. I use it to make kitchens and hotel rooms."

{All Things Are Pets} allows the creation of a [Pet Space] separate space, including a suitable Kennel and Food Supply for any species of bonded creature, living or undead. Increases growth rate and prevents illness.

Leon smiled. "Perfect. You have it. And an Ancient should have [World Crafting] to imbue the rules of Creation and Life into a separate space.

Now, what you need to do is combine those skills with the [Telepathy] skill. Or, in your case, you can use [Pack Bond], from the Lightning Cerro species. If you combine those three, with an emphasis on the [Pack Bond] skill, you should be able to sever the Soul Bond, then immediately reform a Pet Bond with Dana, so she will be able to keep the mental link with you and the beasts.

That will mitigate the sense of loss.

She will suffer backlash, and might lose some of her progress, but the new bond will mitigate the lingering damage, and allow her to continue gaining stabilizing energy from your group."

Thor shifted to his space so he could see what was going on, instead of just hearing the conversation in Karl’s mind.

[Making the Dana Mage a bonded pet? Remi will be happy when she finds out. She’s been an advocate of the Dana Space for some time.]

Hawk nodded in agreement. Putting the Dana Mage in a Dana Space was the right call.

[You know that we don’t have to create a whole other space just to extend a bond to keep her mind attached to ours.] Karl reminded them.

[ It wouldn’t be right if we didn’t. Should we wake her up so she can join us? ] Thor asked.

Karl frowned, it was unusual for Dana to be sleeping in the middle of the day. Or at all, really. Most of the time, she would simply meditate instead. Though she might not be able to hear them if she was focused on something else, a mental poke would get her attention.

[ I’ll get her. ] Cara insisted, turning away from the meeting with the Elders, which she had been about to return to.

If there was a chance to put the Dana Space plan into action, she was all about it.

There would be no ranking arguments then, they would all be sisters. Perhaps she could make a nice gift to welcome her to the family? Perhaps a nice collar, since she would be a pet Dana Mage?

Thor chuckled at the thought. [ If you try to get her to wear a collar, she will insist that you do as well, as a sign of solidarity between sisters. ]

That would be highly entertaining. Nobody collared a badger.

Cara made a quick stop at the clothing store to get a new dress for Dana, and then got the mage dressed before waking her up.

"Good morning sunshine. We’ve got a plan to help you with that headache, and the chest pain. I’ve got you all dressed and your hair done, let’s go."

Dana set her feet, so Cara didn’t drag her out of the room. She was not going anywhere before she knew what Cara had dressed her in.

Especially not out in public.

She found that she was in a white silk gown that might actually be fancier than her own wedding dress had been.

That was extra suspicious.

"What is the occasion, and what does a ballgown have to do with fixing my headaches?"

Cara smiled and hugged Dana around the waist.

"You’ll see. It’s a surprise, but I can tell you that even Tian and Leo approve of this plan."

That did not make it any less suspicious. The two innocent and gullible brothers being on board just meant that it had a good sales pitch.