The morning sun peeked gently through the cracked wooden windows of the Tomar family's humble home, bathing the cramped living room in gold. Ray sat quietly at the edge of his bedroll, staring at the small scar on his palm. A scar that didn't belong to this body. Not originally.
In his past life, Ray had been an ordinary office worker. Ordinary to the point of invisibility. He died quietly, painlessly, on a rainy Tuesday evening after choking on instant noodles while watching a beast battle stream. Lame, yes. But death didn't come with do-overs.
Until it did.
Now, twelve years old in a world far from Earth, Ray found himself in a dusty little town called Westbend, on a planet known as Blue Star. No skyscrapers. No glowing screens. Just beasts, beast tamers, and the constant struggle to survive.
His new family? Kind. Poor. Real.
His mother, Mira, was gentle yet fiercely practical. His father, Rurik, was a quiet man with a back like a worn-out plow and hands tough from years of work. He had a younger sister, Lina, age 6—always chasing wild kittens—and a little brother, Timo, age 10, with dreams bigger than their shop.
Ray had expected powers. Flames. Lightning. Telepathy. Anything.
Instead? Nothing.
"Ray..."
His mother's voice pulled him out of his thoughts. She stood by the door, holding a bowl of warm porridge with a hint of dried fruit—a rare treat. "Eat before it gets cold. Your brother's ceremony starts soon."
Ray nodded, taking the bowl with a small smile. "Thanks, Mom."
---
Timo's Awakening Day was a town-wide event.
Every child aged 10 to 13 gathered at the Awakening Shrine, where they would try to form a bond with a beast through the Beast Stone—a relic left behind by ancient beast tamers. Fewer than 30% of children actually awakened a contract. The rest…
Ray didn't need a reminder.
Standing at the edge of the crowd, Ray watched Timo walk up to the glowing stone. The boy looked nervous, his fingers twitching.
"Place your hand," the Beast Elder said, an old man with eyes like stormy clouds.
Timo nodded, reached out…
And the stone flared bright blue.
The crowd gasped. A silhouette emerged—a blue-striped Saber Pup, sleek and proud.
"Blue-rank… at just ten?"
"His family runs a pet shop, right?"
"Lucky brat."
Ray forced a smile and clapped as hard as he could.
Pride? Yes.
Pain? Just a little.
---
That evening, after the cheers died and the guests left, Ray sat on the shop's front steps with his father.
"Sorry," he said quietly. "I didn't awaken anything."
Rurik looked up from adjusting the shop's wooden sign: Tomar Beast Shop — Affordable Pets, Honest Prices.
"So?" Rurik said with a grunt. "You're still my son. Still have hands, legs, and a working brain. You're not broken."
Ray blinked.
Rurik chuckled. "You think beasts solve everything? We still need food. Sleep. Shelter. This shop runs on effort, not just beast contracts."
Ray looked up at the worn wood, the creaking door, the shelves lined with beast feed and weak beast eggs.
"I'll help," Ray said.
His father smiled. "Good. Tomorrow, I'll show you how the shop works."
And just like that, Ray took his first step—not toward power, but toward purpose.
---
Chapter 3: The Awakening Voice
The shop smelled like old hay, beast fur, and just a bit of fish paste. Morning light spilled in through the cracked front windows as Rurik led Ray into the storage room.
"Alright, boy," Rurik said, wiping his hands. "Let's go over some basics."
The shop had three sections: the front display, the beast pens, and the egg incubators. Each beast was ranked by color, which also indicated its general strength and growth potential.
"Beasts come in four primary ranks, based on potential and evolution," Rurik explained.
He pointed to a small cage near the wall where a white-furred rabbit nibbled lazily on grass.
"White-rank. Levels 1 to 3. Docile. Beginner-friendly. Mostly pets or farm help."
He moved to a larger cage where a sleek, blue-scaled lizard hissed with lazy dignity.
"Blue-rank. Levels 4 to 6. Bit smarter, tougher. Can be used for hunting or guarding."
Then, he pointed at a photo frame on the wall. It showed a huge green-feathered hawk.
"Green-rank. Level 7 to 8. Rare. Dangerous if raised wrong."
Ray noticed a locked chest tucked into the corner. His father didn't comment.
"And lastly, Black-rank. Level 9 and 10. Dangerous. Expensive. We never deal in black-rank unless someone brings one to sell."
Ray nodded. "So… we mostly handle white and blue?"
"Exactly. People in Westbend aren't rich. Most can't feed a green-rank, let alone tame one."
After showing him the feed mixers, register, and care logs, Rurik yawned.
"I'll head to the market. You mind the shop?"
"Sure, Dad."
He patted Ray's shoulder, heavy and warm. "Good boy."
The door closed with a jingle.
Ray exhaled and leaned on the counter. He stared at the small glass orb used for beast measurements.
"This world really loves its beasts…" he murmured.
And then—
> [ SYSTEM INITIALIZING… ]
Ray blinked.
> [ Welcome, Host. System recognized: "Pet Shop Ascension Protocol" ]
> [ Level 1 Beast Shop Detected. Linking to Host… ]
> [ Daily Tasks, Inventory, and Beast Contract Module — LOCKED ]
> [ Upgrade shop to unlock full functionality. ]
A thin golden screen floated before Ray's eyes, invisible to the world.
"…huh."
He reached out instinctively, and the menu shimmered.
[PET SHOP SYSTEM — LV 1]
Shop Rank: 1 (Basic)
Beast Inventory: 0/10
Evolution Module: Locked
Shop Interface: Partial Access
Quests: Not Available
Energy: 0/100
> [Tip: Raise shop level by selling qualified beasts or completing hidden milestones.]
Ray grinned slowly, his fingers twitching with excitement.
"A System… a real one?"
He looked around, but nothing else changed. The shop was still old. Still dusty. Still weak.
But inside, something had awakened. Something that hummed with potential.
And for the first time since arriving in this world, Ray felt the ember of purpose begin to glow.
---
Chapter 3 End.
Chapter 3 is now complete! In this chapter:
Ray enters the shop and learns from his father how their pet shop works.
Beasts are explained by color ranks:
White (Levels 1–3)
Blue (Levels 4–6)
[Higher colors can be introduced later]
Ray is left alone in the shop and begins exploring the System Interface, which is currently at Level 1 with limited functions.
Would you like Chapter 4 to focus on:
Ray's first quest or task from the System?
A strange customer arriving?
Or the System revealing a hidden function, like scanning beasts or accessing a new world?
Let me know how you'd like to continue!