Chapter 3 – Beast Space
The wolf pounced.
Its claws gleamed as it slashed toward Joy's chest.
"Snake, strike!" Joy shouted desperately.
The water snake darted forward, wrapping around the wolf's muzzle and biting at its ear. The wolf howled, thrashing violently. Joy stumbled back, his heart hammering.
"This is bad… the snake's too weak against it…" he muttered, biting his lip.
The system's voice echoed in his mind.
> [Critical Situation Detected.]
[New Function Unlocked: Beast Space.]
Joy blinked. "Beast… Space?"
> [Beast Space: A personal dimension where tamed beasts may rest, cultivate, and evolve. Host can summon beasts instantly in battle.]
Before he could fully process it, the water snake was thrown to the ground, hissing weakly. The wolf charged straight at Joy.
His legs shook. His instincts screamed at him to run.
But instead, he gritted his teeth and raised his arm.
"System—store the snake!"
> [Water Snake has been moved to Beast Space.]
The snake vanished in a flash of blue light. The wolf froze, confused by its sudden disappearance.
Joy stared at his empty arm in shock. "I… I really stored it away…"
The system chimed again.
> [Summon available.]
[Would you like to call forth your beast?]
Joy clenched his fist. "Yes—summon it!"
In an instant, the snake reappeared, coiling around the wolf's leg and dragging it to the ground.
The wolf snarled and tried to bite down, but Joy shouted, "Now! Water Flow!"
The snake's body glowed faintly, water swirling around it. With a sudden burst, it struck the wolf's throat with a sharp whip-like strike.
The wolf collapsed, whimpering, before going still.
> [Enemy Defeated.]
[Beast Points +20.]
[Option Available: Tame or Harvest.]
Joy's chest heaved. Sweat dripped down his chin, but his eyes shone with exhilaration.
"…I actually won."
He looked at the glowing text. His hands trembled.
"T-Tame it…"
> [Taming in Progress… Success.]
[Forest Wolf added to Beast Space.]
The wolf's body glowed and disappeared into the Beast Space. Joy opened the new system tab, eyes wide.
Inside a vast blue dimension floated his two beasts—the water snake and the wolf. Both sat calmly as if awaiting orders. Above them, glowing runes pulsed softly.
> [Beasts inside the Beast Space will cultivate automatically over time.
Host may accelerate growth with Beast Points.]
Joy's lips curled into a shaky smile.
"This… this is beyond anything I imagined. My beasts can grow even while I rest…"
For the first time in his life, Joy didn't feel like prey anymore.
For the first time… he felt like a hunter.
And this was only the beginning.