I quelled the surge of excitement stirring within me and calmly read through the status sheet hovering before me.
[ Race: Cybernetic Swift Horned Panther ]
Description: The Cybernetic Swift-Horned Panther is a special variant of the Swift Horned Panther that has undergone a unique evolution. ]
I was thrilled with this development, as it would make it much easier for me to hide the fact that I was also a Beastmaster. After all, would no one suspect me if I had cybernetic residing within my dorm room every day?
If anyone was curious enough to ask, I could claim that it was a robotic companion.
It would serve as an excuse for my newfound interest in cybernetics and mechanics.
[ Mutated Talent: Cybernetic Lifeform
Description: A unique unknown mutated talent that separates it from a magical beast, allowing it to undergo cybernetic upgrades and, integrate with technology and evolve beyond its natural limits. ]
I moved on to the next.
[ Fusion Compatibility
Description Determines how well the tamed magical beast and the Beastmaster can synchronise. It increases through battle synchronisation and cybernetic enhancements. The higher the fusion compatibility, the smoother the synchronisation and the longer the Beastmaster can access the tamed beast's abilities directly. ]
[ Nano-Blade Claws
Description: Generate plasma-coated claws that slice through metal. ]
[ Plasma Horn Charge
Description: Charges forward with a plasma-enhanced horn attack. ]
[ Hyper Acceleration
Description: Cyber-enhanced speed boost that temporarily increases movement speed. ]
I moved on to the special skills.
[ Auto-Repair
Description: Gradually repairs damaged parts. ]
[ Data Link Sync
Description: Share data with the host telepathically, improving coordination and combo attacks. ]
[ Optical Targeting System
Description: Enhances long-range vision, precision, and tracking abilities with heat vision, allowing it to analyse the enemies' battle patterns and weak points. ]
[ Cybernetic Integration
Description: Can integrate with the host, other tamed magical beasts, weapons, vehicles or devices. ]
[ Overclocked Mode
Description: Enhances physical, mental, and combat reaction speed and prediction abilities, temporarily pushing the beast beyond normal limits. ]
[ Mecha Shift: Cybernetic Swift-Horned Panther Jet Mode
Description: Transforms into a hovering jet-like form, enabling aerial manoeuvres and ranged energy attacks. ]
After reading through it, I couldn't be more impressed.
Even that was an understatement!
Each of these skills was enough to aid my ascent to power like an ice cream seller winning a lottery ticket and discovering that he could run for mayor of his city tomorrow.
It was enough to place me in the category of a genius.
My thoughts didn't dare linger on that; after all, even geniuses die before they can fulfil their potential, making them no different from ordinary awakeners in the end.
It had no growth evaluation, suggesting that its capabilities would only grow as powerful as the beast itself.
I decided to check if I could mentally control the system's interface.
The system's interface vanished from sight.
It was helpful that I could control it with my mind; otherwise, interacting with the interface in the future would be challenging.
Cybernetic Integration.
I commanded.
Flelix lunged at me. His form blurred into streaming lines of blue energy and metallic shards, spiralling around my arm. A sharp, searing heat momentarily coursed through my veins as his essence merged into my flesh.
My skin rippled, veins turning black for a moment before shifting into a dull metallic sheen. Dark alloy plating erupted from my forearm, spreading from my wrist to my elbow like an exoskeletal gauntlet lined with glowing blue circuits around my arm.
The transformation settled. The fusion was complete.
Incredible! I brought my hand forward to take a closer look at the cybernetic exoskeletal gauntlet.
The sharp whir of shifting servos resonated as the plating adjusted to my movements, like a seamless extension of my body.
The Swift-Horned Panther claws were now mine.
[ Partial Synchronisation Complete. ]
[ Cybernetic Gauntlet Equipped. ]
[ Combat Module: Panther Claw ]
[ Fusion Compatibility: +1% ]
I swiftly read through the notification.
This was much more a partner.
It was a weapon.
"Let's see what you can do."
I swung my cybernetic arm forward.
My fingers twitched.
Sparks of electricity arced between my fingers, responding to my every thought. Then, sleek, monomolecular curved claws, shimmering with the same eerie blue energy that had once coursed through the Panther's form, extended.
I slashed at a nearby tree.
Fsshk!
It was a clean cut. Through bark and bone.
"Amazing..."
The veins on the cybernetic fibre glowed faintly, and then atop my wrist, just past my knuckles, a retractable blade, similar to the Swift-Horned Panther's signature horn, formed, reforged as though a part of me.
Jagged blue sparks crackled along its edges as I flexed my finger and sliced it through the air to feel its sheer lethality.
An unfamiliar voice echoed in my mind. Calm. Gruffy and masculine. Almost sleepy.
[ Awaiting name designation. ]
"Felix?" It was the name I had prepared for my first magical beast.
[ Name accepted: Felix. ]
[ Fusion Compatibility: +5 % ]
Another increase. A series of questions flooded my mind, and I couldn't stop myself from asking first, "Is that you, Felix?"
[ Yes, master. If you have a question, please ask. I am ready to answer all of your questions. ]
It could talk.
Can you read my mind?
[ Yes, master. I can only speak this clearly to you in this form. ]
While Magical beasts could listen and understand their Beastmaster's thoughts and words, they could only send clear emotions that the Beastmaster had to decipher themselves.
It was a one-way street.
They couldn't send thoughts as clear as this.
The implications of this were clear: Felix had intelligence, awareness, and maybe even personality.
This... was amazing!
I dismissed the fusion with a thought.
The metal receded from my skin like mercury, disappearing into the light.
Felix reappeared beside me, his breathing mechanical.
His glowing blue eyes studied me.
I opened my interface again.
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
[ Name: Ezekiel Zahara ]
◆ Talent: Cybernetic Evolution (???)
◆ Fusion Compatibility (Felix): 36%
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
Each use of the fusion increased our sync rate. Which meant.. more integration was possible.
At 30 per cent fusion compatibility, I could synchronise Felix with a limb.
What would 50% look like?
Perhaps, my gauntlet would extend to my torso, even reaching my other arm.