The Novel’s Dad?

When I stepped back into the cave, the heat that had been simmering in my chest suddenly vanished. It was like a fire had gone out, leaving only cool embers in its place. I frowned, confused. Something had changed, but I wasn’t sure what.

That’s when I remembered a basic Seeker technique—a way to channel aura into your eyes to enhance perception. Maybe that would help me figure out what had just happened. I focused, letting the aura pool behind my eyes, and then I saw it: a faint, warm stream of energy flowing from me to Leon, who was still sleeping soundly in his crib.

“Hmmm… how do you classify this?” I murmured to myself, watching the aura. It wasn’t like anything I’d ever written about in the novel. This wasn’t a simple transference or enhancement. It felt… symbiotic. A skill copier? A skill taker?

Leon’s aura was the key—it must’ve been his aura that saved me from the fall, not mine. My own aura had adapted, had latched onto his, drawing from his strength to keep me alive. I knelt beside the crib, examining the boy’s aura carefully with my Seeker-enhanced eyes.

His was pure, untapped, still developing, but it had somehow protected me.

“My aura could adapt the aura of others…” I muttered, pieces of the puzzle clicking into place. “It seems I’m a Dealer… but I function in the opposite direction.”

Dealers traditionally transferred or enhanced the aura of others, but mine seemed to work in reverse. It was like I could borrow aura from those around me, using it to fuel my own abilities. The realization hit me hard—my power wasn’t self-sustaining. It relied on the aura of others. A conditional power, just like all Dealers had, but mine came with a twist.

“The ‘others’ support me instead,” I mused. That explained the heat in my chest earlier—it wasn’t just my aura; it had been Leon’s, sustaining me after my fall.

I stood up, rubbing the back of my neck, deep in thought. This was both a blessing and a curse. On one hand, it meant I could draw on the strength of those around me. On the other hand, I was dependent on that strength. Without someone close by, I’d be vulnerable.

Testing the limits of this ability would be tricky. I couldn’t exactly drain Leon dry, and I didn’t have anyone else to experiment with at the moment. But this revelation was huge. It meant I wasn’t starting from scratch—Leon’s aura had already saved me once, which meant I could survive if I learned to control this power better.

Now, I just had to figure out how to balance it, how to draw in aura without putting anyone in danger, especially Leon. I couldn’t afford to make a mistake. Not now.

“Alright,” I said softly, looking down at the boy. “Looks like you’re my little guardian, huh?”

He stirred slightly in his sleep, as if responding, and a small smile tugged at the corner of my lips.

This was going to be a long road, but at least I wasn’t alone in it.

I’d need to learn more, test the boundaries of this strange power I had, and figure out how to survive in a world where danger lurked at every corner.

Auras have attributes, which influenced how the abilities acted.

Leon was clearly a Caster with heat, fire, and life attributes. In the future, he’d only continue to grow, derive more attributes, and strengthen his special abilities.

My wife, Leora… I wondered what her attributes were. I was fairly certain she was a Fighter after what I’d seen since I last saw her, but I could be wrong.

I stared at myself in the mirror, absently stroking the thick beard that had grown out during my time in the cave. It wasn’t the worst look I’d ever had, but it was a sign of how much I’d let myself go. I promised myself I’d shave once I had a solid handle on my aura and learned more about its attributes. That seemed like a good milestone—when I was no longer fumbling around with this weird ability of mine.

I focused on my eyes again, enhancing my vision with aura. The reflection of my aura in the mirror was strange—barely there, like a faint outline that was nearly imperceptible. I tried to rouse it, but it seemed this was just how my original aura functioned and looked like, subtle and quiet. That explained why I hadn’t noticed much before. My aura wasn’t weak; it was just subdued by nature.

“Hah… So Leon really has more aura than me, huh?” I muttered to myself, thinking back to how I’d borrowed his aura to survive the fall. The realization hit me hard—my survival wasn’t thanks to some hidden reservoir of power in me. No, it was Leon’s aura, and specifically his life attribute, that had saved me. I was basically piggybacking off my own kid’s power.

Over the next few days, I ran a series of experiments. I’d borrow Leon’s aura, use it for a while, and then give it back. The process was exhausting, but each time I learned something new about my ability. I started writing down what I discovered to keep track:

Aura Borrowing and Attribute Stealing: When I borrowed someone’s aura, I could also steal a single attribute from it. This explained why I didn’t die when I jumped off the cliff—I had unknowingly taken Leon’s life attribute, which gave me a temporary healing factor. It was a powerful survival tool, but it only worked as long as I had the borrowed aura.

Aura Diminishment: When I returned the borrowed aura, it didn’t go back in full. It was diminished, proportional to how much of it I’d used. Interestingly, even in its weakened state, the returned aura could still be controlled to a degree. I realized this could be used strategically—if I borrowed someone’s aura and returned it while they were in a critical moment, I could sabotage them without them even realizing it.

Multiple Targets: I also discovered that I could borrow aura from multiple individuals at once. I tested this with a squirrel and Leon, linking their auras together. The result was hilarious and terrifying—the squirrel started throwing tiny fireballs. Thankfully, I could make it so another link couldn’t borrow an attribute and only I could. However, maintaining that connection was draining. My focus had to be razor-sharp, and the more targets I linked, the more my mind felt like it was being stretched to its limits. While effective, this method wasn’t sustainable for long periods.

Perception-Based Limitation: Perhaps the biggest limitation was that my ability wouldn’t activate unless the target could perceive me. I had to touch them for the effect to kick in, meaning I couldn’t just steal someone’s aura from afar. This was a major weakness, one I’d need to keep hidden from anyone who might try to exploit it. On top of that, using the ability too much drained my mental energy fast, leaving me fatigued and vulnerable.

After jotting down these insights, I sat back and considered my next steps. My ability was powerful, but it had serious limitations. The mental strain, the reliance on proximity and touch, the risk of exposing my weakness—these were all things I needed to address if I wanted to survive in the Hunter world.

For now, though, I’d keep refining my control over the aura I borrowed. There was potential here, and the more I tested it, the closer I got to unlocking its full potential.

Dealer-type special abilities were unnecessarily complicated, but that was just the nature of them. My ability, the one that allowed me to borrow and share aura, had a myriad of conditions and variables. It would take time to fully master. Despite that, I realized I wasn’t completely locked into just this ability. I was fairly balanced when it came to learning the other Seven States.

Sure, I couldn’t develop specialized abilities like a full-fledged Fighter or Seeker, but I could still use their basic applications. That was the thing about the Seven States—they weren’t just about flashy abilities. They were the foundation of how hunters operated, the groundwork for everything.

In my case, I had to build around my Dealer-type ability. But even the strongest hunters didn’t just rely on their special talents. They honed their skills across all the Seven States, using those techniques to bolster their core power. If I neglected training in the other States, I would be at a disadvantage—no matter how unique my Dealer ability was.

The basics were crucial.

“This ability, I think I would call this Soul Link.”

The name felt right—Soul Link. It captured the essence of my ability, the way I could connect to others and borrow their aura, their attributes, even their emotions. It wasn’t flashy, but it was powerful in its own way. With Soul Link, I had the potential to adapt to any situation, depending on who or what I connected with. The trick, though, was learning to use it effectively, mastering the intricacies of each State to complement my ability.

The Fighter State training left me sore. My aura-enhanced punches lacked real force, but at least I could throw them without completely depleting my energy. It was a start. With Seeker State, I refined my vision, focusing on subtle aura signatures in the environment, testing how far my perception could stretch. I could make out faint traces, like the lingering imprint of Leon’s aura around the cave.

The Dealer State was where I felt most at home. Each time I borrowed aura from Leon, I focused on efficiency, ensuring I used only what I needed and returned it without wasting any. It was a delicate balance. But it also made me think—if I could connect to other sources, other hunters, what could I do with their abilities? The potential was overwhelming.

Trickster State was fun, though. I spent hours trying to hide my presence, controlling my aura so it wouldn’t flare up unintentionally. I even practiced sending out fake signals, a faint pulse here and there to confuse anyone who might be tracking me. Not that anyone was, but it was good practice.

Caster State, though... that was tough. Borrowing Leon’s fire attribute wasn’t sustainable for long periods, but I managed to conjure tiny sparks, which was a huge step for me. I’d have to figure out how to generate other elemental properties in the future.

As for Maker State, I tried more experiments. Imbuing objects with aura was exhausting, but I saw the potential for creating relays—small, temporary tools to extend the reach of my special ability. The rocks I imbued barely held the aura for more than a minute, but if I could perfect it, I could drop aura traps, waiting for someone to step into them.

The Reader State was the most subtle. I practiced with Leon, noticing the way his aura shifted as he slept. Emotional fluctuations were faint, but I could sense them—peace, warmth, and sometimes even distress in his dreams. It was a strange feeling, like tuning into a frequency I hadn’t realized existed.

Despite the progress, I knew I had a long way to go. Mastery wasn’t just about training—it was about experience. And for that, I’d need to face real challenges, real threats. The days of staying hidden in the cave were coming to an end. I couldn’t protect Leon or myself forever from here. I needed to venture out, test myself against the world. The only question was… where to start?