The eyes moved forward, and Kael's hand tightened on the branch he'd grabbed. Beside him, Vera's muscles coiled, ready to spring. Through their bond, he felt her readiness to protect him, to fight if needed.
Then the creature stepped fully into the firelight, and Kael blinked in surprise.
It was tiny—no bigger than his forearm, perhaps a foot tall at most. The being looked almost humanoid, with delicate features and a body that seemed to flicker between solid and flame. Its skin glowed with an inner fire, deep oranges and reds dancing across its surface like living embers. Translucent wings, more suggestion than substance, folded against its back. It moved with a weightless quality, its small feet barely touching the ground.
A fire type. At least, that's what Kael's mind supplied. His interface remained silent, which was interesting in itself.
The tiny creature's eyes—those fiery orange points that had seemed so threatening in the darkness—were fixed not on Kael or Vera, but squarely on the sizzling meat. Its small hands were pressed together in front of its chest, almost pleading. As Kael watched, it swallowed visibly, a very human gesture of hunger.
"It's okay," Kael said softly, feeling Vera's tension through their bond. "I don't think it means any harm. Look at it—it's just hungry."
Vera remained wary, but she didn't object as Kael slowly reached for one of the cooked meat skewers. The fire fairy's eyes tracked the movement with laser focus, hope and wariness warring in its expression.
Kael held out the skewer, extending it toward the small being. "Here. You can have this one."
The fairy hesitated, its gaze flicking between the meat, Kael's face, and Vera's imposing form. It took a tentative step forward, then another, moving with the cautious deliberation of a wild animal approaching a potential trap. Its wings flickered, ready to carry it away at the first sign of danger.
Finally, after what felt like minutes but was probably only seconds, the fairy darted forward and snatched the skewer from Kael's hand. It immediately retreated to the far corner of the cave, clutching its prize, small teeth tearing into the meat with surprising ferocity for something so delicate-looking.
"See?" Kael said, settling back against the cave wall. "Just hungry. Can't blame it—this stuff smells amazing."
Vera made a low sound that might have been agreement, though she kept one eye firmly fixed on their uninvited guest. Through their bond, Kael felt her protective instincts warring with curiosity. The fairy was small, clearly not a threat in any conventional sense, but Vera wasn't one to let her guard down easily.
Kael grabbed a skewer for himself, biting into the hot meat and nearly moaning at the taste. His body desperately needed the calories after the fight with the Gorethon, and the simple act of eating made him feel incrementally more human.
As he ate, his mind turned to practical matters. They'd survived their first real fight, but it had been close—too close. If the Gorethon had been just a bit faster, a bit smarter, they might not be sitting here now.
"We need to get stronger," Kael said aloud, looking at Vera. She tilted her head, her attention shifting fully to him. "Both of us. That fight today... We barely won, and we got lucky. Next time, we might not be."
Through their bond, he felt her agreement mixed with determination. She wanted to be stronger, too, and be able to protect him better.
Kael's interface flickered, and he focused on it, pulling up the information it had been trying to feed him since they'd bonded. Optimal Growth Path, it had said. Time to see what that actually meant.
Text scrolled across his vision, detailed and specific in a way that made his analytical mind sing with joy.
[Optimal Growth Path: Psychic type - "Vera"]
Psychic Development:
Practice telekinetic lifting with progressively heavier objects
Start with 10 pounds, increase by 5 pounds weekly
Duration: 30 minutes daily, split into three 10-minute sessions
Focus on precision over raw power initially
Physical Conditioning:
Weighted running: Begin with 20 pounds distributed across the body
Increase weight by 10% every two weeks
Distance: 2 miles daily, gradually increasing to 5 miles
Emphasize explosive sprints to enhance combat reflexes
Combat Training:
Practice claw strikes against resistant surfaces (stone, hardwood)
Develop muscle memory for rapid directional changes
Spar with progressively stronger opponents (when available)
The list went on, detailing dietary requirements, rest periods, and even specific meditation techniques that would enhance Vera's psychic focus. It was like having a master trainer's knowledge downloaded directly into his brain.
"Okay, so here's the plan," Kael said, gesturing with his half-eaten skewer. Vera's ears perked forward attentively. "We start training tomorrow. Your psychic powers—you need to practice lifting things, just like I've been doing with my telekinesis. Start with rocks, build up to heavier stuff. The system says you should be able to lift way more than me eventually."
Vera's interest rippled through their bond, followed by something that felt like excitement.
"And your physical strength," Kael continued, warming to the topic. "We need to build your endurance and explosive power. That means running with weight—I'll use my telekinesis to keep rocks pressed against you while you move. And your claws need work. That Gorethon's hide was too thick for you to do real damage. We need to strengthen your strikes, maybe find harder materials for you to practice on."
He pulled up more information, his eyes scanning the detailed regimens his system provided. "It says you should eat more protein—about thirty percent more than you're currently getting. And you need to practice rapid directional changes, work on your agility. The system even has specific movement patterns you should drill."
In the corner, the fire fairy had finished its meat and was now watching Kael with what seemed like intense interest. Its head tilted as he spoke, those fiery eyes tracking his gestures and expressions.
"The key is consistency," Kael said, more to himself than anyone else now. "A little bit every day, following the optimal path the system shows me. No wasted effort, no guesswork. We do this right, and in a few months, you'll be twice as strong as you are now."
Vera pressed her head against his shoulder, her purr vibrating through his injuries and making him wince—but he didn't push her away. Through their bond, he felt her absolute trust in him, her willingness to follow his guidance. It was humbling and terrifying in equal measure.
The fire fairy drifted closer, moving with that peculiar weightless quality. It settled near the fire, just outside of arm's reach, and continued to watch them. Kael met its gaze and saw something there—intelligence, curiosity, and maybe loneliness.
"You're welcome to stay, you know," Kael said to the small being. "There's plenty of meat. And honestly, it's nice having company that isn't trying to kill us."
The fairy's wings flickered, colors shifting from orange to a warmer gold. It seemed pleased by the offer, even if it couldn't or wouldn't speak.
They sat in comfortable silence for a while, the only sounds the crackling of the fire and the occasional shift of Vera's weight. Kael felt his Divine Restoration cooldown ticking away in the back of his mind—another twenty minutes or so until he could heal himself. The pain in his arm and ribs was a dull throb now, manageable.
The fire fairy inched closer still, its movements slow and deliberate. It looked between Kael and Vera, seemed to come to some internal decision, and then floated directly toward Kael.
Vera's voice suddenly echoed in his mind—not words exactly, but clear meaning transmitted through their bond. New friend. Asking.
Kael's eyes widened. Vera could sense the fairy's intent before he could. "You want to bond with me?" he asked the small creature. "You're sure?"
The fairy nodded, its entire body bobbing with the gesture. It extended one tiny hand toward him, and Kael slowly reached out to meet it.
The moment their fingers touched, he felt it—that familiar weight settling into his mind. But it was different this time. Where Vera's presence had been solid and warm, filling a space he hadn't known was empty, this new weight was lighter, more diffuse. Like the difference between a stone and a candle flame.
It settled alongside Vera's presence, distinct but complementary. And Kael realized something: the weight felt similar to what Vera had created, not heavier than he might have expected. His psychic strength had grown. Between his telekinesis training and Vera's psychic enhancement, his capacity to bond with mythbeasts had increased.
His interface blazed to life.
[Beast Resonance Activated]
Mythbeast Tamed: Fire Type (Unnamed)
Bond Established: 2/???
Ability Acquired: Flame Manipulation
- Generate and control fire (minor control initially)
Trait Gained: Fire Resistance
- Medium resistance to heat and flame damage
Optimal Growth Path: Available
Heat bloomed in Kael's chest, not painful but present—like standing near a campfire on a cold night. He looked down at his hand and concentrated. A small flame flickered to life in his palm, dancing across his skin without burning. It wasn't much, barely enough to light a candle, but it was his. He could feel the fire, control it, and will it to move.
"Ember," Kael said, looking at the tiny fairy who now perched on his knee, its expression radiating joy. "I'll call you Ember. Is that okay?"
The newly named Ember practically glowed with happiness, its colors shifting to brilliant golds and warm reds. Through their new bond, Kael felt excitement and belonging—this small creature had been alone, watching them from the shadows, and had decided that this strange human and his powerful psychic cat were worth the risk of trusting.
Vera rumbled her approval, and Kael felt her acceptance of Ember through their shared connection. They were a family now, strange as that family might be. A transmigrated human with video game powers, a crystalline psychic tiger, and a fire fairy the size of his forearm.
"Alright team," Kael said, extinguishing the flame in his hand and reaching for another piece of meat. "Tomorrow, we train. And then we find civilization. I need to figure out where we are, what kind of world this is, and how exactly beast tamers work here. Plus, you know, food that isn't just cooked meat would be nice."
Ember chirped—an actual sound, like chimes in the wind—and Vera's amusement rippled through their bonds.
Kael settled back against the cave wall, feeling the weight of two mythbeasts in his mind, the warmth of the fire, and the lingering pain of injuries that would heal in just a few more minutes. His first day in this new world had been chaos—death by vending machine, divine gifts, nearly dying in a cave fight, and somehow ending up with two incredible companions.
"Not bad," he muttered, closing his eyes. "Not bad at all."
Through their bonds, both Vera and Ember radiated contentment. Whatever tomorrow brought, they would face it together.
The fire crackled, casting dancing shadows on the cave walls, and Kael finally allowed himself to rest.