Sitting on his bed in the spacious room, upon its soft sheets, Nym finally let his body relax. He dropped his shoulders and allowed the heavy weight of his tired mind to press down on him.
"Ahhh… I didn't expect becoming a Bound One to be like this," he murmured. "It's… kind of hard, losing a piece of yourself during the transformation. And it hit me harder than most… because I'm an Angel."
He took a deep breath and sat upright slightly, then added, "Alright… let's see what my abilities are now."
First, there were his primary abilities—the creation of weapons, like swords or spears made of ice. That one had seen massive improvement. He could now forge a spear over two meters long effortlessly—or a long sword, with no delay or strain.
Then there was his second ability: Needle Spears. It, too, had received a tremendous upgrade. Nym let out a joyful sigh… but also a somber one for his future opponents. This one was dangerous. He could now create up to five short swords that hovered, each tracking his target to strike them down. But such control demanded extreme precision and focus—so in real combat, he would likely be limited to summoning two at a time. Even so, it remained a terrifying skill. Its main flaw was its consumption—it drained an immense amount of world essence and could only function within a fifteen-meter radius of Nym's position. Still, it was a skill that could bring even Lords to tears, knowing a mere Bound One had access to such a power.
The third ability was similar in nature—also spatially defined. Freezing Field. It allowed him to freeze enemies or the area around him. Its effective range extended ten meters in front and ten meters behind him. He could also deploy it as a circular field, though that would shrink the radius to just three meters. Despite its limitations and slow activation, it was incredibly useful.
His fourth ability was simpler, yet highly practical: Body Reinforcement. It turned Nym's very body into ice—muscles, flesh, skin. All of it. The drawback? His body would grow so cold, it risked killing him. He could only sustain it for about two minutes, after which he'd be completely drained and exhausted. But there was a silver lining—it could regenerate lost flesh if it was transformed into ice first, and granted him resistance to extreme cold.
And then… the final ability.
Nym grew still, quiet. He meditated inward, drawing his thoughts into form. From his thoughts manifested a fox—half the size of a boy. Its fur shimmered blue around the neck, while the rest of its body gleamed like untouched snow. Its eyes were frosted silver, almost gray, emanating a cold so deep it felt ancient.
The fox opened its mouth and let out a gentle, melodic sound before curling up and closing its eyes.
And within Nym's mind, a young girl's voice echoed softly:
"Greetings, my Lord. I have followed you for eternity. I am Ira, the Winter Fox—your humble servant, to the Angelic Sovereign