The beast lunged—fangs bared, eyes like twin blue embers.
Kazuki reacted instinctively, throwing himself to the side as the creature's claws grazed his arm. Pain seared through him—real pain. This wasn't a game.
> [Combat tutorial initiated.]
[Dodging: Successful.]
[Threat level: Low, but fatal if mishandled.]
He rolled across the grass and came up kneeling, heart pounding. The little wolf cub circled him warily, its limbs tense with hunger and fear. Ren's hand tightened around a stone he'd grabbed in the fall.
"Easy, buddy," he muttered. "I don't want to kill you."
> [Correction: Host cannot kill the beast.]
[Mission Objective: Tame, not slay.]
"Tame it? I don't even know how!"
> [Observe.]
Before him, a glowing ring of blue glyphs appeared beneath the cub's paws. The creature snarled in alarm, trying to leap out—but the glyphs pulsed, slowing its movements.
> [Taming sequence unlocked. Requirements met.]
Target: Voidtail Cub (F-Rank)
Status: Weak, mentally unstable, starving
Compatibility: Medium-High
Willingness: 2%
> [Offer sustenance or compassion to increase success rate.]
Ren's eyes darted to his inventory panel. Empty. No food. But—
He reached for his pendant.
It still glowed faintly. When he gripped it and focused, a warmth pulsed in his palm. The System responded.
> [Beast Bond Protocol: Soul Share activated.]
[Would you like to offer 10% of your lifeforce to stabilize the creature's condition?]
Y/
His eyes widened. "Ten percent of my lifeforce?!"
The cub whimpered now, one paw injured, ribs visible. A vision flickered through Ren's mind—his younger self, cold and alone in a hospital bed, staring out the window while others ignored him.
He grit his teeth.
"…Yes."
> [Soul Share initiated.]
Blue light surged from his chest and flowed into the cub. The beast twitched violently, then slowly collapsed into the grass, breathing heavier but no longer hostile. Its eyes—still wary—met his.
And glowed.
> [Taming complete!]
[Voidtail Cub has formed a basic Soul Pact with Host Kazuki Ren.]
[Beast Codex unlocked.]
[New Skill obtained: Soul Link (Rank I)]
[+1 Evolution Crystal]
[+100 EXP]
> [Level Up! Current Level: 2]
Ren nearly fell backward as the interface exploded with information. But he couldn't look away from the small creature that now padded hesitantly toward him, ears flattened, gaze unsure.
He extended a hand.
The cub—no, his beast—sniffed it, then nudged it with its snout.
A bond was formed.
---
> [New Name?]
Ren smiled slightly. "Let's call you… Nyx."
The System pulsed approvingly.
> [Name registered: Nyx – Voidtail Cub]
[Unique Trait Unlocked: Bloodline Suppressed]
[Warning: Beast possesses hidden potential. Evolution path: Unknown.]
"Bloodline… suppressed?" Ren asked, narrowing his eyes.
> [A sealed lineage rests within. Unlocking it will require rare resources—or strong emotional triggers.]
> [New Mission Unlocked!]
Mission: Enter the Beast Tamer's Grove
Location: 2.4 km northwest
Objective: Complete the Trial of Awakening
Reward: Taming Ring (Basic), Beast Codex Upgrade, Access to Beast Forge
Time Limit: 48 Hours
Ren stood and brushed himself off. "A trial already, huh?"
He looked at Nyx, who now limped beside him, gaze sharp but loyal.
"I don't know what this world wants from me… but I'm done being powerless."
He turned toward the forest-lined horizon, where a faint blue beacon shimmered in the distance.
"Let's show them what we're made of."
End of Chapter 2