As Zamel sat on the ground, playing with his First Bond, he felt a presence approaching from behind. He didn't acknowledge them as he was too engrossed playing with his new companion.
"Damn, kid, you really did it. For a second, I thought you were going to die after brazenly walking up to that dangerous beast. Do you know what happened to others your age who tried their luck taming that monster? Half of them died, while the rest were severely injured. You just beat the odds today, kid. Great job!" Lord Vilfred spoke, clearly impressed, though there was a hint of annoyance in his tone.
"Milord, may I have my payment for the bet? I'd like to receive it now," Bennett said, standing beside him.
"Goddamnit, how dare you demand payment from your own lord? As my personal butler, shouldn't you just ignore it even if you won? You're setting a bad example for the other servants in this house." Lord Vilfred said in a reprimanding tone, scolding the black-clad butler.
"I won't let this slide. Due to your disrespect, I'll be deducting your pay for this month. Hah! That should teach you a lesson!" Lord Vilfred declared in a self-righteous tone.
Bennett shot the burly man a sharp look as he spoke in a cryptic tone. "Go ahead, then. But if you do, I'll grind you into the dirt and feed your remains to the pigs."
Lord Vilfred stared at him in silence.
"...Sheesh, man, I was just joking. Here, take your winnings. Don't take it so seriously," he muttered in a low voice as he reached into his pocket and handed over the payment to the black-clad butler.
"Anyway, now that that's done, let's focus on this brat. Congrats, kid. Now that you have your first bond, close your eyes and focus. Feel your soul—see if it's burdened by your connection with your bond," Lord Vilfred said in a jovial tone, shifting the focus back to the kid.
Zamel quickly did as he was instructed, diving deep within himself to search for something. A few seconds passed before he finally felt his soul.
Just like before, he saw the familiar white sun—but this time, it wasn't alone. As he looked around, he saw a vast galaxy within himself, countless small white stars connected to each other and the sun by faint white lines. They seemed to be forming something, and as he focused more, he vaguely saw it.
All the glowing orbs within him, connected by thin lines, formed a constellation that vaguely resembled a body—his body, to be precise.
He gazed in wonder at the ethereal design within him, amazed by its simplicity, yet captivated by its faint beauty.
Shaking off his awe, he shifted his focus back to his objective. As he concentrated, he noticed a line—both foreign and familiar—extending from the white sun. It stretched toward something that felt distant yet strangely close.
He realized this was his bond with his beast, Ulfram.
He sensed a slight burden, though not overwhelming. It felt as if he could bear even more, as if there was room to carry more.
Having accomplished what he needed to, he saw no reason to linger and gradually shifted his focus back to the real world.
As the familiar surroundings came into view, he addressed the burly man in front of him.
"I feel a burden on my soul, but it's not too much for me to handle," he said with certainty.
"Good. That means you can handle taming a beast or two. I must say, kid, you've got quite a strong soul. Most brats your age would be completely overwhelmed after forming their first bond." Lord Vilfred gave an approving nod.
Vilfred narrowed his eyes at Zamel before speaking. "From the looks of it, you can handle one more beast—but anything beyond that would be too dangerous."
"Then can I choose one more from this place?" Zamel asked, hope filling his voice.
Lord Vilfred smirked, his eyes glinting with greed. "Well, if you can pay for your second beast with your own money, then feel free to choose. The price depends on what you pick. To be honest, I would've charged you for your first beast, considering how strong and exceptional it is. But your grandfather covered the cost for your first tamed beast.
He also made it clear that any future beasts you tame will be your responsibility to pay for—which is why you'll be working for me while you train."
Zamel slumped his shoulders and sighed upon hearing his situation.
"Don't get too whiny, brat. What you'll go through here will benefit you greatly because not only will you gain experience, but you'll also learn to live independently. So wipe that disappointment off your face and clean off that sweat—you're starting your training right now," Lord Vilfred said in mild annoyance.
Zamel swallowed another sigh threatening to escape his lips as he braced himself for what lay ahead.
All he knew was that his time here wouldn't be filled with sunshine and rainbows.
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Turns out, he was right.
Zamel found himself in the middle of nowhere, surrounded by towering trees that loomed over him like silent sentinels.
It had been three hours since his arrival, and he was still trying to navigate his way through this endless green maze of death. He had only been given a brief, one-hour lesson on how to use his skills, followed by two hours to familiarize himself with them—especially Share Sense and Predatory Instinct, the two abilities he needed most at this moment.
His current objective was to reach the location designated by the Patriarch of Bisdoma. His only guide? A piece of cloth that the burly man claimed carried a scent that would lead him to his destination.
Zamel had tried to argue that he wasn't ready to be thrown into the wild. With no experience in using his abilities—let alone surviving alone in an unfamiliar forest—he had clung desperately to the old bastard's knee, screaming about the beasts lurking here, ones strong enough to swallow him whole before he even realized.
But the Patriarch had merely reassured him that the creatures in this area were far too weak to pose a real threat. Then, with a light kick—just enough to knock Zamel off his leg without hurting him—he vanished, leaving him stranded in the middle of the forest.
To make things worse, the only clue he had—the so-called scented cloth—carried no discernible scent at all.
At the very least, he hadn't been sent in completely unarmed. He had been given a short sword and a hatchet, which could serve as both weapons and tools, along with a worryingly small amount of rations and just a day's worth of water.
But most importantly, he had Ulfram by his side. Despite still being a cub, the beast was already the size of a small dog, and his speed and strength were far beyond what one would expect at his age. If nothing else, Ulfram was his greatest advantage in this forsaken place.
He looked expectantly at the young beast beside him, which stood vigilant, its posture tense as it scanned their surroundings. Meanwhile, Zamel focused in place, activating the only two skills that greatly enhanced his perception.
As it turned out, Share Sense and Predatory Instinct were quite different despite serving similar purposes.
Share Sense, as its name suggested, allowed him to enhance all his senses to the same level as his bonded beast. More importantly, it granted him access to his beast's perception, enabling him to see, hear, and sense the immediate area from Ulfram's perspective. This ability was incredibly useful for scouting and tracking—especially since Ulfram possessed a natural skill that let him blend seamlessly into his surroundings by changing his color while minimizing the sound he produced.
On the other hand, Predatory Instinct was strange but incredibly useful. Unlike Share Sense, its description was vague, but its effects were undeniable. While it provided a slight boost to his perception, its true power lay in its ability to heighten his gut feeling—a sort of built-in "danger sense."
For example, right now, Zamel could feel something watching him.
And worse—it was quickly approaching.
Zamel quickly rolled to the side, narrowly dodging the sudden attack of the unknown beast that had mistaken him for easy prey.
At the same time, Ulfram, who had sensed the threat long before his master did, sprang into action. With lightning-fast reflexes, the young beast lunged at the attacker's exposed side, striking just as it launched its assault on Zamel.
Zamel took in the appearance of the beast that attacked him. It looked like an oversized household cat covered in thick green fur that easily camouflaged it within its surroundings, with razor-sharp teeth and fangs. He didn't hesitate to retaliate, quickly drawing his short sword and thrusting it toward the beast's head.
The beast, surprised by the sudden retaliation of the two preys it had assumed would be an easy meal, quickly moved its head to the side, sacrificing its flank to the young beast attacking it.
That proved to be a grave mistake because, unbeknownst to the cat, Ulfram's greatest weapon was not his fangs, claws, or the lone thorn at the tip of his tail—but his venom.
Oblivious to this fact, the cat quickly retreated into the foliage to hide from Zamel and Ulfram.
Seeing this, the two stood back to back, covering each other's blind sides and protecting themselves from their attacker.
Zamel was quite amazed at how he and his beast fought. Despite having no experience fighting together as a team, they were still able to move fluidly without interfering with one another, both fighting independently while relying on each other's back.
Although it was far from perfect. After all, fighting as a team requires for the two of them to communicate which they both are still far from doing, right now what they are doing is fighting using both their experience fighting alone.
Zamel focused his mind on their situation, he will think of trivial things later, right now they must fight to survive.
They both waited with bated breath for the cat's next move—and it quickly came.
It dashed toward Ulfram right side as small roots sprouted from the ground, rapidly entangling Zamel's feet and restricting his movement, preventing him from turning around to assist his first bond.
But Ulfram was far from helpless. In a great burst of speed, he swiftly dodged the cat's attack and retaliated, striking at its flank once again.
Zamel managed to free himself this time, quickly slashing his short sword toward the beast.
However, the cat had learned from their previous attacks. Vines from the hanging trees suddenly moved, deflecting Zamel's strike, while the beast leaped backward to evade Ulfram's attack.
After retreating, three roots sprouted up from the ground as it shot forward against Zamel who was trying his best to free his sword from the vines.
After retreating, three roots sprouted from the ground and shot forward toward Zamel, who was struggling to free his sword from the vines.
Realizing he didn't have time to break free, he quickly abandoned his weapon and dodged to the side—near where the cat was standing. While moving, he swiftly grabbed his hatchet and hurled it toward the beast.
Ulfram had already reached the cat's wounded right flank and lunged forward, displaying even greater speed than before.
The cat had no time to react. Before it could do anything, both Zamel's thrown hatchet and Ulfram's strike landed on its sides simultaneously.
The hatchet flew straight into its body—though it didn't cut deeply, it still left a wound. But Ulfram's attack was far more devastating. Clamping onto the cat's wounded side with his fangs and claws, he locked himself in place and repeatedly stabbed into its flesh with his venomous tail.
The cat tried to fight back but found itself unable to summon its strength as the venom coursing through its body finally took effect, weakening it.
Zamel, seeing this, didn't hesitate. He sprinted toward the two, quickly picked up his hatchet, and swung it mercilessly downward at the cat's head. The blade landed with a sickening crunch, but he wasn't satisfied. He swung again for good measure.
The cat spasmed before collapsing to the ground, the light in its eyes quickly fading as it became lifeless.
Zamel exhaled in exhaustion but didn't let his guard down. He scanned his surroundings for any signs of movement, while Ulfram did the same.
After ensuring the area was clear, he took a moment to catch his breath, staying vigilant all the while.
Reflecting on the battle, he quickly identified his mistakes.
First, he had completely forgotten to use his only offensive skill, Predatory Strike, in the heat of the fight.
Second, he had relied too much on Ulfram. His first bond had proven so effective that Zamel had been carried through the entire ordeal.
Lastly, he hadn't anticipated the cat using magic. It was common knowledge that every living creature in this world used magic to survive—especially beasts in this ruthless, dog-eat-dog environment. Because of his carelessness, he had repeatedly fallen into the cat's traps. If it hadn't been so focused on Ulfram, the fight could have ended very differently.
Having Ulfram by his side was the greatest blessing of his life, and he would be forever grateful for his first bond.
Zamel wanted to take more time to analyze his mistakes, but he knew he was on borrowed time.
Without delay, he gathered his belongings and quickly moved on, Ulfram following closely behind, leaving the corpse of their attacker behind.
His eyes burned with determination. He would fight, he would survive—no matter how unforgiving this goddess-forsaken place was.