The Author's Viewpoint-Chapter 77 - Fatebound Core

[ You have received: Echelon Chest IV ]

[ You have received: Fatebound Core ]

[ "A crystalline core forged from the final bond of two fallen Pactbearers. It radiates with Gaia’s blessing, preserving the will to defy fate together." ]

[ Temporarily unlocks max Pact Resonance, boosts both users’ stats by 30%, and enables fusion abilities during life-threatening moments. ]

Wait...

Tave froze, the anticipation draining into pure, stunned silence as the notification flared before his eyes.

He swallowed hard, his breath catching as he reached for the item. One hand on the chest, the other on the core that now shimmered in his grasp.

Fatebound Core.

Seriously?

There had been a few things he expected. Maybe another Sigil, maybe a Relic Awakening Token, hell, even something that hinted at an Echo. All of those would’ve made perfect sense as rare, high-tier rewards. He wouldn’t have complained about any of them.

But this?

A Fatebound Core?

This was in a completely different league. Because unlike Relics or Sigils, this wasn’t about gaining power from an external source.

This was about forging a Pact.

And while Tave had known, on a theoretical level, that this existed within the Gaia Force system, he hadn’t planned for it. Not yet. It was something that sat quietly in the back of his mind: vital, yes, but far too advanced for someone still climbing the ladder.

Because creating a Pact?

Was not simple.

It wasn’t just a rare process. It was tricky. Complicated in ways that weren’t about strength, but about timing, understanding, compatibility. Many never managed to complete one. Not because they weren’t strong enough, but because they couldn’t figure out how to align all the necessary threads.

The Pact system in Gaia Force, summed up, was this:

To form a Pact was to choose someone. Not for what they offered in combat, but for what they meant when the world fell apart. Two Awakeners, willingly intertwining their fates, not for power, but for survival. For meaning. For something that could endure the weight of death, loss, and everything Gaia threw at them.

And once formed, the system didn’t treat it lightly.

The Pact wasn’t stored in the inventory. It wasn’t a tooltip or passive modifier. It became part of your core, nested deep within the Gaia interface like a second heartbeat.

It could empower you when your strength failed. Sharpen your will when your clarity broke. Amplify your abilities beyond what your elements could normally achieve. Especially in the direst, most desperate moments.

And as Resonance deepened, the connection evolved.

From sensing each other’s emotions... To syncing abilities... To fight as if one soul split in two.

But it came with risk. Because the deeper the bond, the more it hurt when that bond was threatened. Or worse... lost.

More simply put...

A Pact was about choice. Two beings agreeing to bind their souls together. It required absolute trust, unwavering conviction, and a willingness to share both power and consequence.

It wasn’t just a bond. It was resonance. A living connection that grew stronger the more aligned they became. The better the bond, the greater the power. But the cost? It was just as steep.

In a way... it was like a marriage. No, even deeper than that.

Because a Pact didn’t just mean you fought alongside someone. It meant your life was no longer entirely your own. If your Pact partner fell into danger, you felt it. If they died, there could be repercussions for you as well. Their pain, their weakness, even their doubts. Those could bleed into your own core.

That was why even Theo, the original protagonist, had never managed to form a Pact throughout his entire journey. Not because he lacked strength. But because a true Pact couldn’t be forged with just anyone. It was delicate. It was dangerous.

And once made, it couldn’t be undone.

On the surface, a Pact with a powerful entity. An overpowered elemental, a divine guardian, sounded like the ultimate shortcut. You’d gain access to their abilities, their Sigils, even fragments of Echoes. Unimaginable strength.

But if the Pact wasn’t perfectly balanced. If it tilted too far to one side. Then what you gained could also become what destroyed you. Too much burden, too much cost, too much vulnerability.

That’s why most Pacts weren’t formed out of heroism or spiritual growth.

They were formed for politics. For control. For alliance. For legacy.

And now, Tave was holding the Fatebound Core. The item that would allow him to step into that system.

But only if he dared.

Tave stared at the item’s description again, carefully reading each line, each condition. It was clear now. Crystal clear. frёewebnoѵel.ƈo๓

The Fatebound Core was simple in design, but massive in impact. It only activated in moments of desperation. When either he or his Pact partner was at the brink.

When that moment came, it would unleash a surge of power. Enough to change the course of a battle.

But only if the bond was real.

Tave sighed heavily, dragging a hand down his face. "So I need to... ’marry’ someone first," he muttered.

And yeah. It felt exactly like that.

He had to find someone, connect on a level that was more than trust, more than respect. A mutual binding of fate itself. Otherwise, this item? Just dead weight.

He groaned softly, then sat back down on the floor. Fang, sensing the shift in mood, padded over again. Tave absentmindedly scratched behind the wolf’s ears, his fingers threading through the soft dark fur as he stared off in thought.

"So how the hell do I even start something like that..." he whispered.

He wasn’t ready for it—not emotionally, not spiritually, maybe not even practically. But he would need it. Eventually. That much he knew.

For now, he stored the Fatebound Core. Locking it behind a layer of mental bookmarks. Reminders to come back to it. To consider the Pact.

One day, he’d need it.

Tave stared at Fang, his expression calm but resolute. Then, after a long pause, he gave a small, firm nod.

"Fang... I think it’s time. We can’t wait any longer."

"Woof!"

Fang barked low, as if he’d been waiting for those exact words.

***

The night was pitch black. No stars, no warmth. Just the haunting silence of the deep woods under a faint, dying moonlight.

And yet... There was fire.

A figure moved through the forest, cloaked in flame. Not consumed, but wrapped. His aura flickering like a living blaze, casting a warm glow over the tangled roots and thick trunks as he darted between them.

Tave ran swiftly, his body weaving through the wild. The fire around him illuminated only what it needed to. Just enough to see, not enough to give him away.

His eyes were locked ahead, his expression focused... and somewhere in that calm, there was a smile. Faint. Fierce.

This was the place.

Where he first felt it. That death had almost taken him.

He came to a stop.

Right here—this was where it happened. Where that shadow creature, a Tier 3 menace, had stepped from the darkness and challenged Fang.

No... Challenged Tave.

And now, he had returned. Not to flee. Not to test. But to answer.

"You’re the ruler of this place, aren’t you?" Tave called out.

"I’ve come back," he said clearly, loudly. "Now. Face me!"

The words hung in the silence, echoing for a breathless moment.

And then... movement.

The earth shuddered faintly beneath him.

A ripple in the shadows.

And from the darkness, it emerged.

From beneath the ground, like oil from a cracked vessel, shadows pooled together and rose. Forming limbs, then mass, and finally...

Eyes.

Glowing red. Burning with challenge.