"Slurp."
"Ow?"
"Slurp."
"Ow?"
The husky gave a lick, its pupils shrinking slightly as the dog jolted, as if exhilarated. Its two bright blue eyes gleamed with what seemed like a "brilliant" light.
Meanwhile, the little girl it licked was making a distorted face, panting as if trapped in a nightmare, until the alarm clock abruptly woke her. The first thing she saw was the massive dog head right in front of her, its wet mouth wide open—
"Ah—"
"What's wrong? What happened?"
"What's going on!?"
Mr. and Mrs. Li flung the door open to see their daughter, face twisted in fury, cornering the husky against the wall.
"Mi-Mianmian?"
Mr. Li stared in disbelief at the daughter he had always known to be sweet, adorable, and gentle.
Li Miao glanced at her parents, now several years younger, and lapsed into silence.
"Ahem."
She feigned composure, straightening her clothes and rubbing her cheeks while scrambling to dredge up her past self's behavior. Finally, she found the right expression.
"Dad, Mom, I was so scared, waaah!"
"Arf arf arf!?"
Not to be outdone, the husky barked in protest.
"Shut up."
Li Miao shot the husky a glare before turning back to her parents with a pitiful look.
"I woke up with it leaning over my bed, licking my face, and then it stomped on me—it was so heavy I still feel pressure in my chest!"
The husky: !?
Say that to my face again—I stomped on you!?
The dog's "brilliant" eyes looked at her like she was an idiot.
Li Miao caught sight of it from the corner of her eye and nearly twitched.
But what surprised her was that her parents barely reacted beyond an unimpressed "Oh."
Mrs. Li went back to cooking, while Mr. Li walked in, expression serious, and pulled both her and the husky down into a squat. Then he took the dog's paw in his hand as if mediating.
Li Miao was completely bewildered.
What was happening?
Since when did they tolerate this dog?
"You two are companions now. Since you're partners, you should get along from now on, understand?"
"Arf!"
The husky nodded solemnly.
Li Miao stared blankly as her father lectured her, "Especially you, Mianmian. Erha is the beast you chose to bond with. Since you picked it, you have to take responsibility. Stop making a fuss—companions roughhouse sometimes."
"Don't let me catch you bullying Erha again."
Li Miao: "..."
Wait.
There's too much to unpack here.
What do you mean, bonded beast!?
Just as she thought this, a sharp pain shot through her head as fragmented memories surged forth.
Grimacing, Li Miao clutched her temples, but fortunately, her father had already left the room, leaving only the husky—Erha—staring at her with its trademark "brilliant" gaze.
Bonded beasts.
This was a world where bonded beasts existed. Before turning eighteen, every individual prepared to become a Beast Tamer. Nearly everyone possessed a Beast Space, and the unique skills tied to these spaces determined one's future potential.
Li Miao was still Li Miao.
But the world she inhabited had changed.
In her original life, her parents had given her a husky when she was eighteen, but there had been no such thing as beast bonding. Back then, she had struggled endlessly to handle the dog's boundless energy—walking it, cleaning up after it—only for it to still destroy the house endlessly.
This had soured her parents' opinion of the husky, forcing her to eventually move out with the dog. From then on, it was just the usual routine—studying, working, and oscillating daily between acting like a madwoman and a refined lady.
What could she do? Huskies were just that wild. So wild that the only way to keep up was to be even more hyperactive than the dog.
But now…
She narrowed her eyes at the husky pup standing proudly before her.
In this world, the breed had a much grander reputation—Siberian Sled Dogs, ice-element bonded beasts. Beloved by novice Tamers for their friendliness and liveliness.
And yes, she really did like it. That was why she had let it sleep in her bed last night.
Dammit.
Did this dog even brush its teeth or wash its paws before climbing in?
With a stern expression, Li Miao lifted Erha's front paw and sniffed it.
Erha: ?
"Hmph. At least you're clean."
She then turned her attention inward to inspect her Beast Space.
Within it lay a Tome of Beasts—the core of the Beast Space and the foundation of a Tamer's abilities.
Naturally, such a tome couldn't be casually removed.
Having inherited her parallel self's knowledge, Li Miao knew this well. So instead of manifesting it, she used her spiritual sense to flip through it—only to find that she could open just the first page.
And on that page was all of Erha's information.
[**Bonded Beast: Erha**
**Race: Siberian Sled Dog**
**Attribute: Ice**
**Grade: Bronze**
**Level: 1**
**Personality: Lively, Energetic**
**Status: Happy**
**Passive Skill: Boundless Energy (Gold+)**
**Active Skills: Bite (Novice+), Paw Strike (Novice+), Genius Gaze (Novice+)**]
Li Miao: ...
That "Boundless Energy" skill was *gold*!?
She didn't understand. She was completely shocked.
A gold-tier passive was already formidable, and passives couldn't usually be upgraded—wait, what were these "+" marks behind everything?
Curious, she focused on the "+" next to Boundless Energy, revealing an added line of tiny text:
**[Passive Skill]: Boundless Energy (Gold)**
*(Upgrade Conditions: Core of Energetic Youth x10, Essence of Vigor Spirits x50, Unquenchable Flame x1, Spark x1…)*
Holy shit.
This could be *upgraded*!?
Li Miao mused, "If gold is already legendary, what's next—orange?"
She had never heard of anything beyond gold.
After all, gold-tier talents were the highest known in the current Beast Taming world. Anything beyond that was restricted knowledge, far beyond what an ordinary high schooler like her could access.
But still…
What great taste she had, picking a gold-tier talent.
Even if it was just a passive.
Feeling slightly more confident, she checked the other skills.
Bite and Paw Strike were self-explanatory—their names alone made their functions obvious.
But Genius Gaze left her puzzled. Upon opening the details, her jaw nearly dropped.
**[Active Skill]: Genius Gaze (Novice+)**
**[Description]**: A mental-type skill. Through its gaze, the user can exert an aura of disdain, mockery, or taunting. Can also stun and provoke weaker creatures.
**[Note]**: A rare variant—only one in ten thousand Siberian Sled Dogs develops this! You, my friend, are truly exceptional!
Li Miao: ...
Got it.
This was a taunt skill.