Chapter 60: Sharing is Caring

**Ding! Skill Merged! True Sight obtained!**

Kaius let out a whoop of joy as his latest legacy skill spun into existence. Crystallising into a new nexus of power that joined itself with his other merged skills to orbit his soul. A grunt from across the room made him snap open his eyes. His exclamation had roused Porkchop, his friend sitting up from the day bed he had been napping on to look at him with curiosity.

“Sorry bud.” Kaius grinned. “Just merged the skill.” He explained.

Porkchop grunted, stretching wide before rolling off the seat with a shake of his head.

“What’s it do?” Porkchop asked, sitting down on the plush rug that sat in front of the central fireplace of the office.

“Lemme check.” Kaius said, pulling up the description of his latest skill.

True Sight:

Level 1

Unusual

See to the heart of the matter, harness the burning light that reveals all.

Skill that reveals the true nature of reality, including the energy that runs beneath it. Potent sources of mana and aura may be blinding.

Each level reasonably increases mental processing of visual stimuli.

Each level reasonably improves skills ability to overcome hampering effects.

Each level moderately increases ability to see mana and aura.

Each level moderately increases visual and mental acuity.

Each level moderately increases ability to counteract and resist all natural and magical effects that hinder direct observation, including darkness, illusion, and blinding.

Merged from: Low Light Vision, Mental Visualisation, Sense Illusion, Sense Mana, Identify, Eagle Eye

Even without the description, he could tell it was much more integrated that his smattering collection of skills had been before. For one, it was far less intrusive and painful that Sense Mana and Eagle Eye had been. He could see the faint illusory wisps of atmospheric mana suffusing everything, yet it did not drag at his eye. Nor overpower his sight. It was just there. The wood of the desk across the room was brown, subtly textured with woodgrain, and had slightly higher than average densities of nature, earth, and plant mana.

A new dimension to an existing sense, rather than a new one that vied with it for dominance. Same with his increased acuity. When he looked at Porkchop he could make out each and every individual hair on his friend’s face, but until he really focused it all just faded into the background. Filtered until it was needed.

Kaius spun his head, looking around the room in wonderment. It was so perfect, so easy in comparison. He could see what his father had meant. About this being such a cornerstone of his family’s strength. Most ocular skills were hard. Burdensome. They sapped at the mind, requiring intense focus and high skill levels to truly make the most of. Worse, they could easily be a distraction. This was different. It felt as natural as if he had been born with it. Sure, it wasn’t perfect, he could tell that if he ramped up the skill to full power it would still be somewhat overwhelming. It was still better, and he knew that as he trained the skill, it would eventually stop being an issue.

Though, there was one question that burned in his mind. Something he hadn’t expected from the skill, and knew nothing about. What the hells was Aura?

“Kaius.” Porkchop said, chittering in amusement. “Stop staring at daisies.”

“Sorry,” Kaius said. “Just got a little sucked up into it.” He blinked a few times, adjusting to the new constant presence of his skill. He hadn’t tuned it out yet like he had with some of its components. He was pretty sure he didn’t need to.

Refocusing to give Porkchop his full attention, he launched into an explanation of his new skill. Pausing momentarily when he got to Aura.

“Do you know what that is?” Kaius asked. “I’ve never heard of it. My father never mentioned it either, though if he thought it was important he would have.”

“Sort of.” Porkchop said, tilting his head back and forth. “It is an oddity. One the matriarchs says appears in lots of merged ocular skills. No one in any of the dens had been able to figure out what it does. Even with some spending a LOT of time looking. Mine has it too.”

Kaius looked at his friend in surprise. “You have an ocular skill?” He knew that Porkchop had a full complement of legacy skills, but they’d never really discussed it in depth. Especially not after he had yelled at his friend for telling him he had any in the first place. At first it was out of a sense of propriety. Revealing such information about yourself simply wasn’t done without absolute trust.

They’d reached such a point months ago in Kaius’s opinion. After so long trapped down here with Porkchop, trusting him with his life day in and day out, trust barely began to describe their bond. He felt like a brother.

“…do you want to tell me about your skills? I’m happy to tell you mine, both what I have and what I’m aiming for.” He said, looking away as he awkwardly scratched his ear.

“Finally!” Porkchop shot up to attention. “I’ve been waiting for so long. I know you two-legs are weirdly cagey about your skills, but this has been ridiculous. We have been den-mates for months!” His friend said, punctuating every word with an excited chitter.