A sharp headache woke Aeris from a deep sleep. Hs eyes slowly opened, blurry vision staring at the cracked and stained wooden ceiling. This was not his room. This was not his soft bed with the blue silk sheets he had always been proud of.
"Where am I?" she muttered hoarsely.
Aeris tried to get up, but his body felt foreign. His usually soft hands now looked thin and rough. His hair that was once shiny black was now reddish brown and dull. Panic began to enter his heart when he realized the face reflected in the cracked mirror in the corner of the room was not his own.
That face... he knew that face.
"It can't be," he whispered, touching his thin cheek. "This can't be happening."
Aeris Draemor. An extra character in the "Tamer Chronicles" novels he had read to the end. A poor noble from House Draemor who was never even mentioned by name more than three times in the entire novel. A nobody who would die in the next two months when a goblin attack hit the academy.
"I... I'm in that novel?" Aeris held his throbbing head. New memories began to mix with old ones. The life of Aeris Draemor, the third child of a poor noble family. His father who died in a failed taming mission. His sickly mother. Mounting debts and a noble status that was only in name.
In this world, strength was determined by Taming ability—the ability to form contracts with monsters and use them in battle. Each Tamer had a rank that determined their strength: F, E, D, C, B, A, S, and SS. The higher the rank, the stronger the monsters that could be bound, the more bonds that could be made.
The original Aeris Draemor was an F-rank Tamer. The lowest rank. he had difficulty binding even the weakest slime. That was why he was accepted into the academy only because of his noble status, not because of his ability.
"Two months," Aeris muttered, remembering the plot of the novel. "In two months, there will be a massive goblin attack on the academy. Almost all the low-rank students will die, including Aeris Draemor."
he got up from the bed and walked to the small window. Outside, the view of Valenhall Academy stretched out. Luxurious buildings with tall towers, magnificent training arenas, and various facilities that only the elite could see. Aeris' dormitory was at the very end, an area reserved for students with low status.
"I have to change," he determined. "I won't die like in the novels."
Aeris recalled the system of this world. In addition to Tamer Rank, there was also Magic Crystal—a magical crystal that could enhance the abilities of Tamers or monsters. These crystals could be found in dungeons or purchased at exorbitant prices. For a poor student like Aeris, obtaining Magic Crystals was impossible.
However, there was one advantage to this situation. Aeris had knowledge of the future. he knew where hidden dungeons were, what rare monsters would appear, and what important events would occur. This knowledge was his most valuable asset.
A knock on the door interrupted his reverie. A blonde-haired girl entered without permission. Lyra Veilmont, Aeris's best friend since childhood. The only person who still treated Aeris kindly despite his decline in status.
"Aeris! Are you awake?" Lyra approached with a worried face. "You fainted yesterday during Taming class. Professor Aldred said you were exhausted."
"I'm fine," Aeris replied, still trying to adapt to this character's personality. "Just a little dizzy."
Lyra frowned. "You're strange today. Usually you'd complain about how hard life is or talk about your family's financial problems."
Aeris smiled slightly. That was true. The original Aeris Draemor was the type of person who liked to complain and was pessimistic. However, the current him was different. he had a strong goal and determination.
"I'm sick of complaining," Aeris said. "From now on, I'm going to change my life."
Lyra looked surprised by this statement. "Change your life? Aeris, you do realize that you're only an F rank Tamer, right? Even graduating from the academy is hard enough."
"That's why I have to change," Aeris stood up and looked at Lyra with conviction. "I won't be someone who just complains. I'm going to be strong."
Lyra paused for a moment, then smiled. "Alright. If you're serious, I'll support you. But remember, tomorrow is the monthly practical test. You have to show progress or your Taming score will drop again." Monthly practical test. Aeris remembered this event from the novel. This was a test where students had to show their ability to form contracts with monsters. For the original Aeris, this had always been a nightmare because of her limited abilities.
However, Aeris now had knowledge of more advanced Taming techniques. he remembered one particular technique mentioned in the novel—one that even most of the professors at the academy didn't know about.
"Lyra," Aeris said, "let me ask you something. Have you ever heard of the 'Soul Resonance Technique'?"
Lyra shook her head. "Never. What's that?"
"It's okay," Aeris smiled mysteriously. "I was just curious."
After Lyra left, Aeris began planning his strategy. The Soul Resonance Technique was a taming technique that allowed Tamers to communicate more deeply with monsters, even before they made a contract. It was described in the novel as an ancient, lost technique, but the protagonist discovered how to use it towards the end of the story.
Fortunately, Aeris remembered key details about the technique. If he could master it, he could form contracts with much stronger monsters, even those of his F rank.
That night, Aeris slipped out of the dormitory. he headed for the forest behind the academy, where the weaker monsters usually roamed. This was the perfect place to practice.
Under the moonlight, Aeris began to meditate according to the instructions of the Soul Resonance Technique. he had to empty his mind and let his spiritual energy flow freely. This was not an easy task, especially with his body still weak.
After a few hours, Aeris felt something strange. There was a subtle pulsation around him, as if a living creature was responding to his energy. His eyes slowly opened, and he saw a pair of gleaming red eyes in the bushes.
It was no ordinary monster. This was a Shadow Wolf—a D-rank monster that should not be in this area. This monster did not even appear in the novels until the 3rd arc.
Aeris should have been scared. The Shadow Wolf was a dangerous monster, capable of killing an F-rank Tamer with ease. However, what he felt instead was a strange calmness. The energy of the Soul Resonance Technique was still flowing through his body.
"Are you lonely?" Aeris whispered, slowly reaching out his hand.
The Shadow Wolf did not attack. Instead, it stepped forward carefully, its nose sniffing Aeris' hand. There was a connection forming—something that could not be explained by logic.
And at that moment, something that had never been mentioned in the novel happened. A transparent window appeared before Aeris' eyes, like a familiar game interface.
[SYSTEM ACTIVATED]
[LUCK STAT: HIDDEN MAXIMUM]
[RARE ENCOUNTER TRIGGERED]
[SHADOW WOLF WILLING TO FORM CONTRACT]
Aeris was stunned. This was not part of the novel. This was something new, something he had never read or heard of before.
However, what was even more surprising was the number displayed at the bottom of the interface:
[LUCK: 999/999]
In a world where the average person's luck stat was below 50, Aeris had a maximum number that shouldn't even exist.