The cavern was eerily silent, save for the faint settling of dust and debris. The massive form of the Azure Spirit Lion lay motionless before Alaric, its once-majestic mane now limp and dulled. Alaric knelt beside it, trembling hands pressed against its colossal chest. A strange glow enveloped both him and the beast, pulsating with raw energy as the ritual began.
The lion's essence, the very core of its being, surged into Alaric like a raging torrent. He gasped, his body stiffening as the transfer began to reshape him from the inside out. Every fiber of his being was burning, rebuilding itself with a power that felt both exhilarating and unbearable.
