A warm ray of sunlight hit Alokita's face.He groaned, turned over, and covered his head with the blanket.
"Five more minutes…" he muttered.
But something didn't feel right.His body was sore all over, and his clothes were half burnt.He sat up slowly. "Wait… what happened last night?"
Bits and flashes returned — thunder, a glowing tiger, and a strange voice in his head.He rubbed his eyes. "Nah… that can't be real. Must've been a weird dream."
He yawned and opened his system window, planning to check his weak F-rank stats again.
[System Online][Beast Contract: Active][Partner: ??? (S-Rank Fire Beast – Bound)]
"...Huh?"He blinked, rubbed his eyes again. It didn't change.
[Partner: S-Rank Fire Beast – Bound]
Alokita froze. "...Wait. WHAT!?"
He jumped from his bed, almost tripping on the floor."How can an F-rank like me have an S-rank beast!? Did my system get drunk!?"
Still panicking, he shouted, "Uh… summon beast?"
The air in front of him shimmered.A second later, his room exploded in heat and fire.
BOOM!
A massive, red-furred tiger appeared, flames dancing around its mane.Its body filled the entire room, and its glowing golden eyes locked onto Alokita.
Alokita screamed like a dying chicken. "AAAAAAHHHHHH! FIRE! FIRE CAT!"
The tiger stared at him silently, its tail flicking.Then— a deep voice echoed inside Alokita's mind.
"Human… how dare you bind me."
Alokita froze mid-scream.His eyes darted left and right. "W-who said that!? Who's there!?"
"Look here, fool."
He looked around, saw no one — until his gaze met the tiger's.
"Yes… I'm talking to you."
Alokita's mouth hung open. "You—you can talk!?"
The tiger's brow twitched. "Talk? You can hear me now? Interesting."
Alokita backed up until his back hit the wall. "What—how—why!?"
Before he could panic further—
[System Notification]Explanation: Telepathic Connection Established.Due to System's Unique Type, Host Can Comprehend Beast Language Through Neural Link.Normal Users Cannot Understand Beast Speech Without Translator Skill.
Alokita's jaw dropped. "Wait, wait… so you're telling me other people can't hear their beasts like this!?"
[System Reply]: Correct. Normal systems allow only command-level connection.Your system has integrated Full Neural Communication for higher compatibility.
He blinked. "You're telling me I have Wi-Fi connection with a tiger!?"
[System Reply]: Simplified Explanation… Accepted.
Alokita facepalmed. "Oh great. I'm basically sharing brain data with a flaming cat."
The tiger's eyes narrowed.
"Stop calling me a cat, human."
Alokita jumped. "Wait—you can hear my thoughts too!?"
[System Reply]: Partial Thought Link Active.Beast and Master share surface emotions and words during communication.
Alokita pointed at the tiger. "Turn that off!"
[System Reply]: Feature cannot be disabled.
"...You've gotta be kidding me."
The tiger growled lowly. Flames flickered from its mouth.
"Release me now, before I burn this place down."
Alokita gulped. "Uhh, can't we talk about this like two civilized brains connected by Wi-Fi?"
The tiger growled louder. Alokita squeaked."I didn't even do the contract! The system did everything by itself!"
"Lies."
"No, seriously! I don't even know how to spell 'contract!'"
"You dare mock me, human—"
The tiger's tail flared. The bed caught fire.Alokita screamed, grabbing a blanket to smother it.
[System Warning: Host Under Stress | Heart Rate: 140 bpm]
"NO KIDDING!" Alokita shouted.
The tiger lifted its paw, ready to strike—
[System Alert: Host in Danger. Contract Violation Detected.]Activating Safety Protocol...
⚡ BOOOOM!
A blinding lightning bolt fell from nowhere, zapping the tiger straight on the head.The whole room shook.
When the smoke cleared, the tiger stood frozen, fur standing on end, looking… extra crispy.
Alokita blinked. "…Did my system just tase an S-rank beast?"
The tiger's mane smoked slightly.
"You dare use lightning against me?"
[System Response: Disciplinary Action Completed | Loyalty Restored to 30%]
The tiger twitched.Alokita tried to hold his laugh. "Pfft… s-sorry, you look like burnt toast."
"Human, I will—"
[System Warning: Further aggression will trigger another lightning strike.]
The tiger froze again.Alokita smirked nervously. "Yeah, that's what I thought. Be a good kitty."
"I am the Flame King of the West! Not a kitty!"
"Sure, sure, Your Majesty. Want some milk?"
"I will end you."
Alokita chuckled weakly. "Guess we're off to a good start."
[System Notice: Relationship Stabilizing | Loyalty 32% | Mood: Angry but alive.]
Alokita flopped onto his bed."Great. My first beast, and he already wants to murder me."
He sighed."I swear, if my system keeps zapping people, we'll both get evicted."
[System Notice: Host Humor Skill +1]