Chapter 97 Making A Bond

After succeeding in his heist mission, Nathan quickly left the group of confused people behind. He stretched his hand to Meriel, who jumped onto Fang's back. "Hold on tight, Meriel," he murmured.

Meriel hugged Nathan's waist tightly as Fang ran swiftly over the snow layer between the frozen ancient trees in the forest.

"So," Meriel inquired with a light chuckle, "how does it feel to be so successful at stealing the game, Mr. Nathan?"

"It feels incredible," Nathan responded with a satisfied grin, "to be able to take the win in this manner is a huge accomplishment."

He then looked at his status on his Hunter Device.

[Blue Bar (Mana): 60%]

[Green Bar (Energy): 50%]

[Yellow Bar (Will Power): 70%]

Nathan was shocked by what he had just discovered. "What? With such a short battle, I've already used up so much resources?"

Meriel nodded. "Your affinity with Lightning and Fog is still low, which is why your mana and stamina consumption was so high. But I'm amazed that you were able to execute the two elements so well, despite that."

"How do you know so much about the elements I have, Meriel?" Nathan was curious.

"Well, uhmm... because I tasted your blood." Meriel blushed. "I know that you have an affinity with all four basic elements. I'm sorry, did I just learn something I wasn't supposed to? I promise I won't tell anyone else."

Nathan slowly answered, "I think You're the first person to know the details of my affinity for elements. But that's alright..."

Meriel was quiet, taking in Nathan's words, which appeared to downplay the importance of what she had discovered about his affinity with the elements.

"You know, Mr. Nathan," Meriel began, "for someone so young, you have been blessed with so much. You are truly a very special person. I'm sure you will go on to achieve great things in the future. I feel truly lucky to know you at this stage of your life." Meriel said with a soft laugh. "I wonder where you will be going from here."

"Really? Have you heard of the saying 'with great blessing comes great disaster'? Haha... I think I'm in that kind of situation," Nathan joked in response.

"Are you interested in having an affinity with the dark element, Mr. Nathan?" Meriel quietly asked.

Upon hearing Meriel's words, Nathan urgently asked Fang to stop running. Instantly, Fang came to an abrupt halt, causing Meriel's body to abruptly jolt forward. Nathan then quickly spun his body around to be facing Meriel directly and asked with urgency, "Do you know of a way for me to gain an affinity with the dark element, Meriel?"

He recalled that Meriel had an affinity for the dark element - she had informed him when she initially requested to be a part of his team. However, Nathan hadn't anticipated her to offer this to him. Of course, he wouldn't miss out on such a great opportunity. "Yes, I'm definitely keen on having an affinity with more elements, regardless of what they may be," he said.

Meryl nodded slowly. "Yes, you can have affinity with the dark element if you make a bond with me."

"Make a bond? What's a bond?" Nathan asked, looking confused.

"So, uhm.... I've seen you with a FaeBeast before, though you didn't have a contract with it at the time. I'm doubting whether you're interested in this or not. But, it's so rare to find someone who misses out on the chance to form a contract with a Fae, especially when they have one right in front of them. The FaeBeast that was with you seemed very respectful, and followed you even though you two weren't officially bound by a contract." Meriel explained slowly.

"Ah... Polly... haha yes, I found her when I saved Linda.... hehe," Nathan answered with a grin.

In fact, Nathan wanted to bind Polly with a contract right away, but he postponed it out of fear that someone, The Queen of Fae, the holder of Lust, would find out his whereabouts.

"So, uhmm," Meriel said a little hesitantly. Raising her head to look Nathan in the eyes, she continued, "A bond, for us dark elves, is essentially handing over our fate to the person we bond with. We will share resources with our partner, and both parties must fulfill the contract that has been agreed upon prior to the bond being made. In this case, I simply ask for the ability to follow you when I ask and for you to gain affinity for the elements I currently have. Furthermore, if our bond strengthens in the future, you will have access to the skills I have acquired."

Nathan considered this for a moment before nodding confidently. "If the rules set for this bond are that straightforward, I don't think I need to consider any further. Tell me how this bond can be made, Meriel."

At that exact moment, Luna appeared near Nathan, emitting her trademark light chuckle. "Master Nathan," she began, "did you know that forming a bond with a dark elf has greater implications than marriage? Their life will be completely devoted to that person, and this relationship is more powerful than marriage itself. However, for someone like Meriel to offer this to you, it's not something you should take lightly. You might even take control of her tribe once power falls into her hands."

"Will this cause me problems in the future, Meriel?" Nathan asked with an innocent face. "I heard that making a bond with a dark elf is the same as marriage. Does this mean I will marry you?"

Meriel immediately chuckled lightly at Nathan's question. She then shook her head. "No, making a bond with a human doesn't mean marriage. I can still marry anyone, if you let me. However, you will have more rights over me. You can even take over whatever rights I have. But, there is a benefit for dark elves who make this contract. It will open up a seal which allows them to progress faster. Though, this practice is rarely done nowadays as dark elves feel demeaned by making contracts with humans. But, this practice was actually passed down by the Fae, as we have a common ancestor."

"I see," Nathan said, smiling broadly and nodding. "This offer is still interesting. I think I need some time to consider it further. Perhaps you should take some time to reconsider your decision too."

Fang gave a soft howl, and Nathan quickly surveyed the area. Activating Magic Detection, he detected monsters approaching from various directions.

"It looks like we have some unexpected guests," Nathan said to Meriel with a smile. "Night! Silver!" he muttered, and Golem Night and Silver appeared around him.

Meriel nodded slowly. "Do you want to fight, Mr. Nathan? I can help restore your Mana and Stamina if you need it."

"That would be a great idea." Nathan replied.

"Alright," Meriel responded. She then proceeded to lean in closer to him, her face close to his right neck.

"Oh wait, Meriel," Nathan said quietly. "Could you do it on the left? I'm afraid if you bite on the right, it won't heal as quickly. Also, it's a bit ticklish."

"Don't worry Mr. Nathan." Meriel chuckled softly, "I'm sure you'll enjoy the feeling if you experience it for yourself."

"Really? Okay then," Nathan nodded.

Meriel then pressed her teeth into his right neck, and as soon as her lips and teeth touched his skin, Nathan felt a rush of energy that immediately revitalized his whole body. It was a feeling he had never experienced before due to being in a golem body, but it was so pleasant and comforting that he wanted to experience it for a little longer. He closed his eyes, and his body seemed to recover quickly as his stamina was restored.

As Meriel pulled herself away, Nathan opened his eyes and braced himself. Night and Silver were already sprinting toward their adversaries.

The monsters were closing in on them from all sides, and it looked like they were almost within range to attack.

"Looks like it's going to be a long night," Nathan exclaimed, leaping off Fang's back and readying himself to greet the rapidly approaching monsters.

***

As the sun was rising, Nathan and Meriel had made their way back to their shelter. After his battle with Elite monsters, he had gained enough experience to level up again.

[Name: Nathan Gardner]

[Level: Beginner Lv. 58]

[Exp: 524/20,285]

"Hi, Nathan Oppa...." Linda cheerfully greeted Nathan as she helped him get down from Fang. It had been a long night of hunting and Nathan was tired and sleepy. Although he had changed quite a lot in the past month, he was still a human who needed rest.

As he walked closer to the fireplace, Nathan noticed that his friends had tidied up their shelter. He quickly grabbed the food Yudan had prepared for him.

"I see you have finished tidying up this place," Nathan said softly with a smile. "It looks like every time I come here, you all have already done the cleaning," he added jokingly.

"Ahaha, there's no need to worry, Oppa," Linda replied. "Yudan did most of the work," she added, glancing at Yudan.

Nathan slowly smiled at Yudan, although he remained silent. "Thank you for all your help, Yudan," he said gratefully.

"So, we're going to adventure further today, Nathan-san?" Muramoto asked Nathan enthusiastically.

Nathan slowly nodded. "Sure, I'll sleep on Fang's back while you guys hunt. Afterwards we can try hunting at night and rest during the day, if that's okay with you?"

"As long as I'm able to fight anything, it's not a problem for me," Linda said with a chuckle.

"We dwarves also have better eyesight, so I'm all set, Nathan," Yudan added.

"Well, I guess I have no choice but to follow," Muramoto replied resignedly.