Gathering Wives with a System Chapter 3: Sharing Stats And Skills

Isaac felt a jolt of surprise from the notification.

Selecting yes—would Emily forfeit her experience points, with her level dropping as they shifted over to him?

Or could she retain her level unchanged?

Hesitation wasn't an option right now.

Isaac selected 'yes' without delay.

[Sharing experience points.]

[You have leveled up x9.]

[All Stats +9.]

A rush of power coursed through his body.

Name: Isaac Hargraves

Title: None

Talent:

Rank: None → Initiate, Lv. 9

Stats:

Strength: 8 → 17

Agility: 9 → 18

Constitution: 7 → 16

Spirit Power: 10 → 19

Mana: 00 → 09

Staring at the display, Isaac stood frozen in shock.

It nearly erased the fact that death loomed over him.

'How come a status screen appeared for me? I believed only Talent-awakened individuals could access one.'

These stat boosts transformed him into a force to reckon with.

The drain on his life eased a bit, though not by much.

'Constitution ties straight to life force, just like the Rank does.'

'Raising them further might let me counter her draining ability!'

His gaze shifted to the Share feature.

'I've already shared the Rank.'

'Stats remain unshared, though.'

'Share it all! Give everything to me!'

Isaac had no clue what Constitution level would counter an A-rank Life Drain skill.

All he could do was pray the incoming stats proved sufficient.

A intense wave of heat welled up inside Isaac, far more potent than earlier.

His muscles thickened and streamlined.

His build enhanced, granting him greater strength and speed.

Name: Isaac Hargraves

Title: None

Talent:

Rank: Initiate, Lv. 9

Stats:

Strength: 17 → 39

Agility: 18 → 58

Constitution: 16 → 31

Spirit Power: 19 → 64

Mana: 09 → 69

His eyes bulged in astonishment.

The stats from her merged seamlessly with his own previous ones.

This elevated him beyond Emily's power!

Surprise flickered across Emily's face.

If draining life force before felt like sipping from a bottle, now it resembled attempting to empty an ocean.

Isaac's inner life force had abruptly become plentiful.

Joy lit up Isaac's features, only to fade in moments.

A harsh truth dawned on him.

'Curses, the Life Drain has decelerated, yet it remains formidable.'

Constitution ranked among Emily's feebler attributes.

Though the gains were substantial, they fell short of rescuing him.

Anticipating as much, Isaac sprang into action.

'Share skills!'

Name: Isaac Hargraves

Title: None

Talent:

Rank: Initiate, Lv. 9

Stats:

Strength: 39

Agility: 58

Constitution: 31

Spirit Power: 64

Mana: 69

Skills:

Spectral Claws (SSS rank) – Can extend razor-sharp spectral claws that ignore physical armor.

Life Drain (A rank) – Drains vitality from the target, restoring your energy.

Phantom Step (SSS rank) – Moves through physical objects and attacks by phasing between realms.

Demonic Eyes (S rank) – Allows you to see souls, illusions, and weak points in enemy defenses.

With these stats, Isaac felt confident battling any Initiate-rank Awakener and emerging victorious.

Adding the skills, he might even challenge Adept-rank Awakeners!

Such Awakeners, though not elite, commanded widespread respect.

His academy held the 3rd spot in the Sector, owing to the principal—a Level 11 Adept-rank Awakener.

Just one Adept-rank Awakener propelled their academy into the top 3.

That showcased the might of Adept-rank Awakeners!

Now, he could stand against them!

Curbing his thrill, Isaac focused immediately.

He activated Life Drain to pull in Emily's life energy.

Her eyes flared wide, and she retreated in a flash.

'How did you manage that?'

'Did I do something wrong?' he replied with feigned innocence.

'That... you stole my energy, and suddenly I'm feeling hungrier...'

Emily fell silent mid-sentence.

She cocked her head and pressed a hand to her belly.

'Wait, I'm not hungry at all?'

The Life Drain skill let her siphon life energy from others.

As a ghost lacking her own life energy, Emily relied on the skill for survival.

'Do you normally feel hunger?' Isaac probed.

'Yes. When my life energy dips low, starvation hits, my thoughts fog up, and I revert to instinct-driven behavior like typical ghosts.'

Isaac remembered her fragmented speech upon her initial manifestation.

After absorbing his life energy, her words flowed smoothly.

'So that explained it.'

'T-that...' Emily's cheeks turned pink. 'I'm sorry.'

'Sorry for what?'

'For kissing you that way.'

Color bloomed on her face.

In her starved state, she had readily agreed to his bargain, but now the reality sank in.

'I never intended to kill you.

'I planned to halt the drain before it turned deadly and then vanish. Life Energy regenerates naturally over time, so no real harm.

'But hearing you'd allow me unlimited energy if I spared your life, I figured, why refuse?'

She hovered in front of him, offering her apology.

'Forgive me for deceiving you. Hunger makes it tough to rein in my impulses.'

Emily detailed her plight.

Haunting rumors kept the apartment deserted, leaving her without sustenance and increasingly famished.

Once Isaac arrived, she fed on his life energy in tiny doses daily.

It sustained her barely, without excess.

Today, overwhelming hunger shattered her restraint, leading to the assault.

'It's fine. No need for excessive apologies.

'I'm already amazed that a sentient Initiate-rank monster like you exists. From what I know, monsters lack true intelligence,' Isaac remarked.

He chalked up her lapse in reason to her monstrous nature.

'My life energy must have satisfied her for the moment. That's why the hunger vanished,' he mused.

'Monster? How are they unlike you?' Emily inquired with interest.

'You aren't familiar with monsters?' Now Isaac was the one taken aback.

'No, I'm bound to this room. Ghosts can't stray from their domain...'

Emily's eyes widened in realization.

She drifted about the space before returning to Isaac.

'What have you done?'

'Excuse me?'

'My bond to the room's domain broke, and now it's tied to you.'