“Oh yeah,” I said, nodding. “I saw some stuff in the minion readouts about spells being required for evolutions.”

“Indeed,” Kyrine said.

“Then it seems like we should get some people in here to cast a bunch of spells,” I said.

“Oh, yes, I would very much like to host a party,” Kyrine said.

“I didn’t think you were into that kind of thing,” I said.

“Why wouldn’t I enjoy parties? I may look like a mansion, but I am a dungeon, at my heart.”

“Dinner parties just didn’t really seem like something you’d like all that much,” I said with a shrug. “No offense.”

Astrid laughed. “Not dinner parties, silly. Adventurer parties.”

“The lycan is correct,” Kyrine said. “Parties of adventurers: clerics, warriors, rogues, but most especially sorcerers. To host such visitors is my delight.” Her tone sent shivers down my spine and brought back memories of those documentaries I’d seen about dungeons. They were murderous entities who craved blood and slaughter.

Well, I’d just fucked one and irrevocably bonded myself to her, so I guessed I’d better get used to it.

“Let’s stay on track here,” I said. “Astrid’s Bloodlust spell had a Mastery Percentage of 112%. Does that mean you already know it?”

“Yes,” Kyrine said. “And so do you.”

I started at that. “I do? Let me check…“

I summoned up my command center and flicked to my spell selection screen. Just as Kyrine had said, the Bloodlust spell was listed below my Ensnare and Force Barrier spells.

“How is that possible?” I asked. “Do I somehow share your spells?”

“Precisely,” Kyrine replied. “Anything I learn, you will also learn.”

“Does this mean that when your observation of a spell reaches 100%, I’ll be able to use them personally, like I use my Force Barrier and Ensnare spells?”

“Exactly, but you will be limited to your four spell slots.”

“Of course,” I said. It’d mean I’d need to be tactical with my choices for which spells were appropriate in a given situation, as was the case with my limited resource pool for summoning creatures.

“You will, of course, be able to increase that with time. That is to say, you will only be limited to four spell slots until you reach a higher level,” Kyrine continued.

“Really? I’d always thought four spell slots was a hard limit, and that was one reason why cultivators stored spells in items like wands and enchanted firearms. So, can I eventually get more than four slots because I’m a Keeper?”

“No, you don’t need to be a Keeper to increase your spell limit beyond four. Anyone of sufficiently high level can have four spells within their quick access pathways”