Chapter 9:
Chapter 9: The Keeper’s Vigil
Astralkin
Location: Akira’s Bedroom – Late Night, Lying on Futon
The room glowed softly within the veil’s embrace, its light breathing with Tsukiko’s steady rhythm. Outside, the rain had quieted to a gentle whisper against the eaves, leaving only the faint hum of the SigilBound hovering before Akira’s eyes.
For the first time since the system had awakened, he could look at it without fear—no pursuit, no chaos, just stillness. He drew in a slow breath and let his focus settle on the floating panels of light that unfolded like pages from a dream.
Tonight, he could finally explore. Tonight, he could understand.
A soft pulse stirred at the back of his mind. Threads of light unfurled above his face, delicate and deliberate, weaving into runes and panels that shimmered like mist caught in moonlight. The SigilBound Interface had come alive again, but this time there was no panic, no distraction—just him, the interface, and the quiet hum of possibility.
{{{ SIGILBOUND }}}
His attention lingered first on Profile. He had barely explored this section before, but tonight curiosity pulled him closer.
[ Profile ]
Akira Moriya
Level: 2
Stats
Strength (STR): 18 Dexterity (DEX): 14 Intelligence (INT): 16 Luck (LUK): 68 Vitality (VIT): 16 Agility (AGI): 15 Bonding (BND): 36 – Determines baseline Sync Rate growth with Astralkin. Perception (PER): 10 – awareness, spotting hidden objects or Astralkin. Charisma (CHA): 138 – social influence, interactions, and SigilBound reactions.(Sigilbound: +100) Stamina (STA): 60
Skills & Abilities
Basic Combat: Novice Crafting: (Locked) Current Skills: Keeper’s Stride Lv1 (Active) – [Offensive / Mobility]Short dash that closes distance or evades.Speed increase by 20% On contact, delivers light impact damage. (Cost: 5MP, Duration: 30s, 5MP | Max Lv3) Mirage Veil Lv1 (Active) – [Defensive / Support]Briefly creates an illusory hiding space; member(s) within the 2m square zone are rendered invisible to those outside.(Cost: 8 MP | Duration: 3min | Cooldown: 30min| Max Lv3)
Pulse Shield Lv1 (Active) – [Defensive]Generates a brief, translucent barrier that deflects minor attacks. (Cost: 3 MP | Duration: 3s | Cooldown: 12s | Max Lv3)
Special Ability Astral Affinity (Passive) – [Bonding / Growth]
Effect: Increases Sync Rate with bonded Astralkin when in close proximity.Scaling: Boost percentage grows as level increases.Notes: Effect is automatic while near Astralkin; higher Bond Levels amplify the benefit.
??? [Locked]
Sync Rate / Bond LevelTsukiko Kamimine: ★☆☆☆☆ (30%)
He noted the Sync Rate, a gentle pulse of blue that seemed to thrum in rhythm with Tsukiko’s energy.
A faint smile tugged at his lips. Even with her asleep beside him, he could sense the tether between them—not just an abstract symbol or number, but a living, breathing link. The bond was new, fragile, and yet somehow already present in everything he did.
The menus glowed faintly, like lanterns drifting down a quiet river. He hesitated only a moment before directing his focus toward Astralkin. A single name unfolded beneath the tab, pulsing softly.
[ Astralkin ]
[ Tsukiko Kamimine ]
His thought opened her profile.
[ ASTRALKIN – PROFILE ]
Name: Tsukiko Kamimine
Title: Azure Dragon Princess
Lineage: RealmBorn (Royal Bloodline)
Bond Level: ★☆☆☆☆ (30%)
Status: Spiritually fatigued, Weak, Sleeping, Recovering
Background: Heiress of the Azure Dragon Clan, guardians of the Astral Veins. One of the last surviving heirs, carrying the Anchor Protocol, within her pendant.Level: 2
Stats
Strength (STR): 7 Dexterity (DEX): 13 Intelligence (INT): 24 Luck (LUK): 19 Vitality (VIT): 10 Agility (AGI): 14
Abilities & Skills
Starlit Charm (Active) – [Defensive / Support] Releases a glimmer of astral radiance that disorients or pacifies foes, lowering aggression. (Cost: 8 MP) Astral Threads (Active) – [Offensive / Control] Weaves prismatic filaments of light to bind enemies, slowing or restricting their movement. (Cost: 12 MP) Celestial Fang (Active) – [Offensive / Burst] Forms a curved blade of shimmering astral energy and sends it arcing forward, slicing through multiple enemies in its path. (Cost: 14 MP) Aetheric Aegis (Active) – [Defensive / Anti-Magic] Unfurls a radiant barrier of astral light that absorbs or deflects hostile magic for a short duration. (Cost: 16 MP) Astral Pulse (Passive) – [Support / Healing] Generates a steady flow of mana when within Akira’s presence, subtly synchronizing with his aura. Bond Echo (Passive) – [Support / Amplifier] Each increase in Sync Rate magnifies Tsukiko’s magic power. The stronger the bond with Akira, the brighter her spells blaze.Akira’s gaze lingered on the Bond Level: ★☆☆☆☆ (30%). The number pulsed softly, a quiet but undeniable measure of their growing connection. Even now, with her gentle breaths steady beside him, he could feel the weight of that bond pressing warmly against his chest, tangible and alive. The system’s language was clinical, detached—but the reality it represented was anything but.
He let the profile fold away and shifted toward [Mission]. Scrolls of light unfurled across his vision, pages of memory woven into code.
[ Active Missions ]
(None)
[ Completed Missions ]
Protect the Azure Princess
The lone entry pulsed faintly, not just text on a screen but a weight on his heart. Protect the Azure Princess.
The words tugged at him, and the scene replayed—his breath ragged in the alleys, Tsukiko’s fingers clutching his sleeve like it was her lifeline, her voice breaking when fear overtook her. And then—her eyes, wide with fragile relief when they stumbled into safety.
Akira’s lips curved faintly. Not triumph, not pride. Something quieter. A reassurance that for this night, at least, he had kept her safe. The glow seemed to answer, flickering once before settling into stillness.
He moved on.
The [Inventory] unfolded next, icons blooming in tidy rows, each pulsing with its own rhythm.
[ Inventory ]
Items Dropped:
Dewdraft ×2 - Restores 20% HP. A common yet vital beginner’s healing item.
Spiritwell Elixir ×1 - Restores 15% MP. Ideal for Tsukiko’s first Astral skill in battle.
Morning Dewdrop ×3 - Shimmering droplets collected at dawn. Ingredients for basic potions.
Moonleaf Sprig ×2 - Gentle herb with a pale glow. Staple for simple healing tonics.
Crysts: 400
Each icon shimmered as his focus brushed over it, surfacing quiet lines of explanation. They weren’t polished treasures yet—more like seeds, waiting for the right moment to grow or craft.
His mind drifted to another panel: [Crafting]. Its icon was dim, as though locked, yet one option glowed faintly— [Astral Realm].
Earlier, Tsukiko’s soft voice had explained the basics, slipping into him before sleep took her. Astralkin are born of different paths… RealmBorn, RelicBorn, VisionBorn. Hearing it from her had felt like a bedtime story threaded with sorrow.
Now, the SigilBound system repeated it back, not as words on a page, but as constellations and threads of shimmering light, each type forming a floating panel before him. It felt less like a menu and more like an atlas—an unfolding map of the Astral itself. Glossary, bestiary, monsters, history, all waiting.
Only the surface was accessible: a handful of entries on Astralkin origins, a flicker of species names he didn’t yet understand. Other sections—Realm Maps, item registries, crafting recipes—remained greyed out, their icons veiled as if promising secrets he wasn’t ready to see.
[Astral Realm].
[ Astralkin ]
Realmborn
Origin: Born naturally within the Astral Realm itself.Description: Native Astral beings shaped from pure astral essence, collective dreams, and the spiritual energy that weaves the Realm together. They are among the oldest and most potent Astralkin, often embodying archetypes or elemental forces that echo across both realms. The most common Realmborn are known as Beastborn—Astralkin who take on animalistic or mythical beast forms, reflecting the primal aspects of the Astral Realm. They range from wolves, serpents, and foxes to dragons and other legendary creatures. Though not all Beastborn are feral, their instincts and forms are deeply bound to symbolic forces, carrying both the wildness of nature and the weight of myth. Yet whispers speak of other Realmborn beyond the Beastborn, their origins and aspects far more elusive. Notes: Some Realmborn are born to parents of other Astralkin types. Regardless of parentage, birth within the Astral Realm qualifies the offspring as Realmborn, granting native Realm affinity and potential. Rarity Note: Tsukiko Kamimine stands as one of the rarest, an ancient Realmborn of pure Royal bloodline—her existence a convergence of power, heritage, and destiny.
Relicborn
Origin: Emerges from objects that are prayed to, cherished, or treated as vessels of meaning.Description: Living embodiments of human devotion and memory. They act as guardians of the objects or ideals they are bound to. Strongly tied to the physical world but can interact with the Astral Realm. Notes: Powerful and rare; often sought by Realmborn and Collectors due to the depth of their accumulated energy.
VisionBorn
Origin: Formed from the collective unconscious of humanity—dreams, myths, beliefs, and powerful emotions that crystallize into living Astralkin. Description: VisionBorn embody the boundary between imagination and reality. They can emerge from recurring dreams, cultural legends, or even concentrated ideals and fears. Their forms are often symbolic—humanlike, beastlike, or hybrid—mirroring the concepts that birthed them. They are both fragile and powerful: fragile because their existence depends on human memory and emotion, powerful because the more a story is remembered or dreamt, the stronger they become. Subtypes: Dreamborn → Shaped from the dreamscape, recurring archetypes, and motifs. They drift between human dreams and the Astral Realm. Manifestborn → Shaped from belief, cultural myths, or symbolic energy in the waking world. Urban legends, guardian figures, and hybrid forms fall under this path. Notes: VisionBorn requires ongoing belief, emotion, or recurrence to survive. Forgotten stories fade, and fading VisionBorn risk dissolving—or turning corrupted as they cling to fear or obsession. They are most common in liminal places where human imagination bleeds into the Astral Realm (shrines, dreamscapes, festivals, folklore-rich lands).SpiritBorn
Fallen States (Corrupted or Degenerated Astralkin)
Collectors
Description: Survival-driven Astralkin who feed on others, consuming memories, emotions, and essence to preserve themselves. They are not human but retain a disturbing intelligence, sometimes organizing into factions.
Notes: Whispered to serve—or be manipulated by—a shadowy organization spanning both realms. Considered highly dangerous, as they prey on both Astralkin and human memory alike.
Fellkin (Corrupted Astralkin)
Origin: Realmborn, Relicborn, VisionBorn, or SpiritBorn twisted by the Astral Plague (Akumirei).Description: Feral, corrupted spirits stripped of will and clarity. Fellkin retain fragmented memories of their former selves but are driven by hunger, spreading corruption wherever they linger.
Notes: A major existential threat in the Astral Realm; feared by all Astralkin factions as their corruption is contagious, consuming entire regions if unchecked.
Abyssbane
Origin: Forms unintentionally from human emotion, rumor, or belief leaking into the Astral layer. Description: Unstable manifestations, not true Astralkin, evolving into major threats driven by chaos or fear. Examples: Haunted alley shadows, urban legend horror, veilbreaker entities Notes: Evolve through stages: Disturbance Echo Wisp/Hollow Phantom, Aberrant (potentially opening Veil rifts.)The panels shimmered, each floating like a constellation in his vision. Akira’s mind absorbed the details almost instinctively, as if he had always known them. Each term, each category, felt like a fragment of the world Tsukiko had once belonged to—and might one day return to.
Akira’s breath caught. He thought of her again—RealmBorn, the interface confirmed. Yet watching her sleep now, she seemed no less human than him. A girl carrying too much weight, yet still here, still breathing beside him.
Other terms unfolded in fragments, like whispers through water.
Crysts — fragments of memory, Astral Realm Currency, currency of survival. SigilBound Anchor Protocol — bond between Keeper and Astralkin, shield and guide, a tether that may glimpse the future.The words pressed into his chest like truths he already carried, waiting to be remembered. He closed the menu gently, leaving the rest of the stars unopened. Some knowledge could wait.
The interface dimmed, folding itself back into silence. Moonlight reclaimed the room. Tsukiko shifted faintly in her sleep, her blanket slipping enough to bare the pale line of her shoulder. A loose strand of hair clung to her cheek, rising with each breath.
Akira studied her quietly, the warmth of the bond humming low in his chest. This wasn’t a dream or some half-imagined vision. The SigilBound was a guide—and maybe, their only chance.
Even as he watched her, a quiet uncertainty lingered in Akira’s mind. He still didn’t know why the SigilBound had chosen him, or why fate had drawn this fragile, extraordinary Astralkin into his life. The questions pressed softly, unanswered, yet he understood one thing clearly: the path ahead would not be ordinary. Each step, each choice, would be different from anything he had ever known, and the weight of that truth settled over him like the gentle pull of a tide.
His eyelids grew heavier with each breath. The night’s chaos—flight, fight, revelation—blurred into a haze. Still, he let his gaze rest on her one last time, imagining for an instant what it would be like if her hand reached for his in sleep.
The thought lingered, warm and heavy, as darkness finally claimed him.
The last sensation Akira felt before sleep claimed him was the quiet hum of the bond—steady, alive, and growing stronger with every heartbeat. The veil’s faint glow wrapped the room in warmth, like a promise that both he and Tsukiko were no longer alone.
As the night deepened, the SigilBound Interface dimmed into silence, its runes fading into the dark—but not gone. Somewhere behind that hush, the system waited, ready for dawn.
And when morning came, Akira’s first mission would not be a battle, but something simpler—something human.
============== End of Chapter 9 ===============
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