The forest loomed like a wall of teeth and shadow.
Tall, gnarled trees with bark like scales stretched toward the sky, blotting out the rising sun. The air buzzed with life—beasts, insects, and something darker that made even seasoned hunters avoid these depths.
Aras stepped across the cracked remains of an old road, his cloak trailing behind him, hood drawn.
The cub padded silently beside him, its silver and black eyes constantly scanning.
Its wound was gone. In its place, a faint red mark glowed along its side—a rune in the shape of a fang.
> [Beast Companion: Name Unregistered]
[Status: Sealed Form (Tier ??)]
[Sync Rate: 10%]
[New Skill Unlocked: Shadowflame Blink]
The moment Aras hit 10%, his body had surged with power. His reflexes sharpened, senses expanded.
But more importantly… he could feel the cub's emotions—its hunger, its restlessness, its strange attachment to him like an echo from a past life.
We're bound now. Not tamer and beast… something deeper.
"Do you want to hunt?" Aras asked quietly.
The cub growled softly.
They were no longer prey.
They were the storm.
---
Deeper into Gravemaw Forest, Aras reached a clearing.
In the center, a hulking creature with stone-like skin grazed near a stream—a Rockhide Gorilla, a D-Rank beast known for its temper and impossible defense.
It stood twice the size of a man. Its arms were like tree trunks. Its back shimmered with runes.
Aras crouched behind a moss-covered log, eyes narrowing.
> [Target Identified: Rockhide Gorilla – D Rank]
[Sync Boost Potential: +6% if killed or subdued by Beast Companion]
[Warning: Host may not survive direct impact.]
"Perfect," Aras whispered.
The cub growled low. Its fur bristled with black flame. Eyes locked.
"No frontal assault," Aras murmured. "Use Blink. Get behind. Go for the neck."
The cub vanished in a swirl of shadow.
In the next second, a slash of black fire burst behind the gorilla.
The beast roared, twisting in fury—but the cub was gone again.
Another flash.
Then another.
The gorilla spun in confusion, each hit cutting deeper into its stone flesh.
It slammed its fists into the ground, sending shockwaves outward. The cub was knocked midair—
And in that second, the gorilla turned toward Aras.
Its eyes locked on him.
It charged.
Aras leapt sideways—but not fast enough. The beast's massive arm clipped his side, sending him crashing into a tree.
Ribs cracked. Breath left him.
He gasped—but forced himself up. Blood ran from his mouth.
> [Warning: Host HP Critical]
[Activating Emergency Soul Assist: Sync Spike +5% for 10 seconds]
His vision sharpened.
Time slowed.
He saw it—the gorilla rearing up for the final blow. The cub midair, too far to intercept.
He didn't think.
He moved.
A golden rune flared on his hand.
> [New Skill Unlocked: Sync Shift – Transfer Damage to Beast Companion (Cooldown: 1 Hour)]
"NO!"
He forced the rune down. "I'll take it!"
The gorilla struck—
And the cub teleported.
A burst of flame, a flash of claws, a blur of motion.
The cub struck the gorilla's exposed throat from behind, tearing through flesh and bone in one blink.
Black blood sprayed the air.
The beast collapsed in a slow, stunned motion. Its runes dimmed. It groaned once…
And died.
---
Silence fell.
Aras stood frozen. Breathing. Bleeding.
Then a soft chime.
> [Target Eliminated: Rockhide Gorilla]
[Sync Rate increased: 16%]
[New Trait Unlocked: Shared Senses – Beast and Host may exchange vision, sound, or pain temporarily.]
The cub walked slowly back to him, face stained with blood. It nuzzled his leg.
"…You saved me," Aras said softly.
The cub just stared, then turned and lay beside him like a guardian.
We're learning each other.
Not tools. Not weapons.
Family.
---
An hour later, Aras found an abandoned hunter's cabin hidden in a hollow tree. Inside, it smelled of rot and mold, but there were dried herbs, broken weapons, and cloth—just enough to patch his side.
He lit a small fire and leaned against the wall, wrapping his ribs.
His muscles screamed, but he smiled.
He'd killed a D-Rank beast. Alone. First real battle… and won.
Not with brute force.
But with bond.
The cub lay curled on the rug beside him, tail twitching.
Aras stared into the fire.
"They said I had no compatibility. That I was a disgrace."
He clenched his fist.
"But I'm syncing with a mythical beast. I'm already stronger than half the initiates in the Guild."
He looked toward the ceiling.
"They're wrong. I don't need their ranks. I don't need their validation."
He exhaled, then spoke the words that burned in his chest:
"I'll become the strongest Tamer this world has ever known. Even if I have to destroy the Guild itself to prove it."
---
The next morning, his system chimed again.
> [New Alert: Presence Detected – Shadow Fang Pack, E-Rank Threat x3]
[Host Location Compromised.]
[Choose: Flee / Fight / Trap Setup]
Aras smiled coldly.
He turned to the cub. "Up for round two?"
The cub growled with anticipation.
Outside, leaves rustled.
Three black-furred wolf beasts with glowing red eyes emerged from the trees. Their movements were fast, coordinated—hunters used to bringing down lone prey.
They didn't know Aras was the real predator now.
> [Skill Activated: Shared Senses]
[Link established.]
For a split second, Aras saw through the cub's eyes.
Flawless night vision. Heartbeats of each wolf. Openings in their flanks.
He blinked back.
"Left. Now."
The cub dashed left. Aras rushed right.
The wolves split to intercept—but they underestimated the Sync.
The cub blinked into shadow. One wolf turned—
Too late.
Its throat vanished in black flame.
The second lunged at Aras—he ducked, slammed his dagger into its leg, then activated Sync Shift.
Pain flowed into the beast instead of his side. The cub growled, forced through it, and finished the kill with a spinning bite.
The third tried to flee.
It didn't get far.
Aras's dagger flew, enhanced by system-guided trajectory.
Straight through the skull.
---
> [Threat Cleared: Shadow Fang Pack]
[Sync Rate increased: 21%]
[Trait Upgrade: Shadowflame Blink (Lvl 2)]
[New Evolution Node Visible – Requirement: Myth Core x1]
"An evolution path," Aras breathed, standing among the corpses.
He opened the interface.
The cub's sealed form now shimmered, barely visible wings curled behind its outline. Claws elongated. Its eyes glowed with stars.
Myth Core required.
Myth-level materials weren't found in regular beasts.
They only came from F-Rank dungeons, Guild vaults, or forbidden zones.
Places a normal person could never reach.
But Aras was no longer normal.
---
That night, far from Gravemaw, in a golden hall lit with beastfire lamps, Kael Draven stood before his father.
"We lost contact with the assassins."
The man seated on the throne-like chair, Lord Varon Draven, narrowed his eyes. "So. The Cael boy survived."
Kael clenched his jaw. "I'll handle it. Personally."
"No. He's already dangerous. More than we expected."
Lord Draven turned to a masked woman beside him.
"Activate the Hunter's Mark. And send the Hound."
Kael blinked. "The Hound? For a failure?"
Lord Draven's eyes were cold. "He's no failure."
"Something ancient has awakened in that boy."