BXBX NOVEL Chapter 101 : Netsu
’Nurturing? What? Is it related to me having a familiar?’ Sora wondered, sensing Hiyoko, who was resting comfortably in the [Beast Space] he had purchased on the same day he bought one for Alius.
Just then, a selection of creatures appeared before him, each accompanied by a picture and brief description:
Baby Dragon Baby Thunder WyvernCelestial Tiger CubBaby GryphonBaby PhoenixBaby Unicorn CentaurBlood Wolf PupBaby Fairy Frog...Orange KittenHusky PupRoc ChickBaby Golem
Clicking on a name gave him more details about each creature.
He browsed through the list, which seemed endless. As he scrolled through the countless options, each with unique attributes and descriptions, Sora paused on a few species.
Focusing on their appearance, he hesitated between four of them.
[Baby Simurgh]
The Simurgh channels the wisdom of the ages, granting himself increased control over mental power, and unrivaled wisdom. It also has the ability to heal itself and its allies.
’I like how this one looks, and its focus on mental power, but it’s not entirely a bird, but also has the face of a dog. Maybe Hiyoko wouldn’t get along with him?.’ He thought.
[Baby Adarna]
The Adarna Bird’s enchanting songs soothe and heal allies, while its plumage creates a magical barrier that reflects damage. Its song can also enchant enemies into a state of calm or deep sleep.
’This one feels like a perfect healer… Hiyoko would probably appreciate the company? But it might be too gentle.’ he thought, his gaze on the bird’s description.
[Baby Roc]
The Roc possesses immense physical power, capable of carrying massive loads and tearing through opponents with its razor-sharp talons. Its incredible speed and sheer size allow it to dominate the skies, making it a fierce and imposing ally.
’This one’s strength is unmatched, and it looks so cool. But it’s so massive… Would it even fit inside the [Beast Space]? And would Hiyoko feel next to it?’ he mused, weighing the pros and cons.
[Baby Phoenix]
The Phoenix is the essence of rebirth and renewal, capable of healing itself and others through its flames. Its flames not only burn enemies but also purify allies of harmful effects. Upon death, it can resurrect, growing stronger with each rebirth.
’This one looks amazing, has immense potential, and it’s not too big. Its power is also similar to mine... Maybe it could keep Hiyoko company. She’s been lonely lately,’ he mused. After comparing it to the other options, he settled on the [Baby Phoenix], hoping it would be a good match for Hiyoko.
[Baby Phoenix - Level 1][Would you like to bind Baby Phoenix to yourself for this trial?]
The Baby Phoenix glowed with warm, red feathers, its tiny blue eyes filled with innocence, and seemed to radiate warmth and intelligence.
Sora’s eyes softened . ’This little one is adorable,’ he thought, trying to resist an urge to give it a pat on the head. Sora pressed yes on the notification panel and was given the skill [Nurturing].
Your familiar and you are now bound. It receives part of your innate skill, Prestige.
He felt a connection appear between both of them, and his Soul Palace pulsing slightly, as if adapting to the change. Dismissing the notification about getting a new familiar slot, and a familiar, he read the new skill.
[Nurturing : Receive a familiar panel to manage and nurture your familiars!]Effect 1 : [Feed] Feed your mana to help your familiar grow in maturity.Effect 2 : [Pat] : Increase the familiar’s affection toward you.Effect 3 : [Educate] : Develop your familiar’s intelligence and awareness.Effect 4 : [Train] Train the familiar with double efficiency
Effect 5 : [Evolve] Attempt evolution every 50 levels.As soon as Sora’s connection with the new familiar formed, Hiyoko’s eyes snapped open. She had been dreaming—a nightmare, really—that her master had chosen a new companion to replace her. The feeling lingered as a lasting feeling of unease, so she woke up, looking around for some comfort.
Only the familiar vegetation of the cozy space Sora had created surrounded her, but it did nothing to ease her worries. Sulking, she slowly crawled out of her nest.
She made her way to where her food was stored, taking small bites of the delicious fruits her master had prepared for her. Once her belly was full, she sat down with a sigh, her wings folded over her belly as she gazed at the beautiful sky overhead, lost in thought.
’Chirp chirp chirp chirp,’ she mused sadly, thinking about how little time Sora had spent with her lately, always focused on his training.
After a while, curiosity got the better of her. She made her way back to her nest and peeked out of the beast space using a magical mirror nearby.
The sight that greeted her was shocking.
"CHIRP CHIRP CHIRP!!!" she cried, her feathers puffing up in alarm as she watched the scene in disbelief.
Without hesitation, Hiyoko activated her ability to request her master’s summon. Within moments, she found herself teleported out of the beast space and placed beside Sora in his trial area.
"Hiyoko, here’s our new companion," Sora said gently, sensing her panic through their bond. "He’ll be your little brother from now on, so look after him until he’s strong enough to protect you. I’ll never abandon you, understood?"
Hiyoko blinked, absorbing his words, and a wave of relief washed over her. Her little eyes sparkled with tears, realizing her master hadn’t replaced her; instead, he’d given her a new friend to play, eat, and explore with!
Hiyoko turned to look at the newborn phoenix and couldn’t help but find him cute. She tilted her head, taking in his blue eyes, a mix of curiosity and affection sparking in her gaze. She chirped softly, as if welcoming him to the family, her initial worries melting away.
Sora felt the knowledge flow into his body, ingraining the skill ’recipes’ within him. A new familiar interface appeared, displaying stats for his phoenix: hunger, affinity, intelligence, pedigree, and bloodline activity.
Testing each effect seemed like the best way to understand them.
Starting with [Feed], Sora placed his hand on the phoenix and sent a small stream of mana toward it. He felt his mana undergo filtering and refining before reaching the Baby Phoenix, though the process felt inefficient.
As his energy flowed into the bird, its eyes shone with pleasure, a clear sign it enjoyed the nourishing mana. The phoenix chirped happily, its tiny feathers fluffing up and down.
[Growth progress: 10/100][Affection: +1% (51%)]
The baby chick seemed to grow slightly, a barely noticeable change. Sora continued feeding mana but a notification appeared:
[Your skill effect [Feed] is on cooldown for the same familiar. Remaining time: 4:24]
Next, he tried [Pat]. Gently, he stroked the phoenix’s head, feeling a warmth that spread through his hand and transmitted a soft energy to the bird.
Almost instantly, the familiar panel reflected an affection boost of 10%, raising the total to 61%. The bird looked at him with greater fondness and curiosity. Testing it again, he confirmed the cooldown: five minutes.
Moving to [Educate], Sora focused on his mana flow, sensing a refined thread of mana leaving his dantian and channeling into his mind to harness Mental Power. This new energy slowly flowed out of his body, as if the process were difficult, before finally reaching the baby phoenix.
The bird trembled at first, visibly uncomfortable, then fell into a light sleep to endure the process painlessly. When it awoke minutes later, there was a new brightness in its eyes.
The bird’s intelligence stat increased from 1/50 to 2/50 in the familiar panel. It seemed to Sora that he could sense its growing awareness. This skill had a ten-minute duration with a one-hour cooldown, including the time it took for the process.
’This will take a while to max...’ he thought.
Lastly, he activated [Train]. He felt his body radiating a special aura that seemed to affect the phoenix. The bird, now fully focused on him, looked as if it had become a serious student, hungry for knowledge and growth.Unsure what the skill intended him to do next, Sora summoned a small fireball and attempted to teach it how to create one.
Over the next fifteen minutes, he quickly realized how terrible he was as a teacher. Seeing the confused look on the phoenix as he was explaining the principles to control fire, he finally gave up.
He resorted to the most clumsy method he knew: directly guiding the little bird’s mana and controlling the fire for it, trying to teach by example as gently as possible. The baby phoenix, showing surprising talent, managed to create a small spark by the end of the lesson...
He noted that [Train] lasted 15 minutes, reduced affection slightly, and could be used twice an hour due to a 30-minute cooldown. ’I thought these skills would simplify nurturing... Seems like I’ll need to put in some effort too,’ Sora thought, completing his tests.
Feeding the bird at the same time, he took out a notebook and scribbled down his findings.
[Feed]: +10 growth, 4:30 cooldown, +1% affection
[Pat]: +10% affection, 5-minute cooldown
[Educate]: +1 intelligence, 1-hour cooldown, lasts 10 minutes, -3% affection
[Train]: lasts 15 minutes, 30-minute cooldown, -5% affection
His writing was horrifying to look at, but it summarized his understanding of the [Nurturing] skill effects...
’This... isn’t looking good. I can’t max its growth, train it, and educate it all at once without managing its affection carefully,’ he thought, examining his notes. ’Looks like I’ll need to choose a growth path to focus on.’
’If I spend 45 minutes maximizing its growth, it’ll be able to grow to the maximum eventually. I’ll have fifteen free minutes to train it, or educate it if I want. Players can alternate between both, or sacrifice growth for focused training and education or a different path.’
’But I don’t care how others choose; I’m not compromising on anything. I’ll max everything out.’
He began by feeding the phoenix consistently.
After the first hour passed, a notification appeared:
[Your familiar ’Baby Phoenix’ has leveled up! 143 hours remaining.]
[Maximum Growth +100]
At the same time, he focused on the skill effects, trying to recreate them himself. [Feed] was the simplest to replicate; after five uses, he felt he’d mastered it. His new skill, [Alternate Feed], bypassed the cooldown of the original skill and shortened the time needed to maximize the phoenix’s growth.
’This saves me 22 and a half minutes—enough to push this familiar to the highest possible level through conventional methods...’ Sora was pleased with his progress but felt it wasn’t enough. ’I bet other players have similar tricks or special abilities for nurturing their familiars.’
Using both feeding skills versions, he managed to reach the growth cap of 200/200, with further growth requiring level-ups. Recreating [Pat] proved straightforward, using an abundance of life force with a touch of mana to boost affection.
Next, he attempted to imitate [Train], succeeding after six uses of the original skill and spending a total of three hours deciphering the aura imprint needed. The new version allowed for continuous training, though the phoenix refused training when its affection was too low.
When he tried to replicate [Educate], it involved carefully merging mana with mental power—a challenging process. But within a day, he managed it.
By the end of the first day, Sora inspected his phoenix’s stats:
[Nurturing Status : Name: NetsuSpecies: Male Phoenix (Young)Pedigree: Pure Phoenix (1% bloodline active)Level: 24Growth: 2400/2400Affection: 100%Power Level: 526250Intelligence: 10/50]
The young phoenix stood proudly at 2 meters tall, with flaming feathers in shades of red and gold, bright blue eyes, and blue flames hovering over its wings.
Sora, who enjoyed giving his familiars Japanese names, looked up to admire Netsu’s figure. There was intelligence in the phoenix’s gaze, and lately it seemed to grasp the simple concepts Sora had tried to teach.
He glanced down at tiny Hiyoko beside Netsu and couldn’t help but compare the two familiars. One was a creature destined to soar to the top of the world, full of ambition and dreams, while the other seemed content to simply eat, sleep, and bask in her master’s comforting presence.