The subway was packed.
I stood in the middle of a cramped train car, one hand gripping the overhead rail, the other holding Bessie's lead rope. Around us, dozens of aspiring tamers and their creatures filled every available space.
A kid with a small fire salamander perched on his shoulder kept stealing glances at Bessie, trying not to laugh. Two girls with matching wind sprites whispered to each other, their eyes flicking between me and my cow with barely concealed amusement.
"Is that really a cow?"
"Oh my god, it is. Who brings a cow to Tamer Academy?"
"Maybe it's a joke? Like, performance art?"
I kept my expression neutral, channeling every ounce of the original Ren's aristocratic composure. Let them laugh now. They wouldn't be laughing for long.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Social Awareness +1
Current Status: Minor humiliation detected. Plot deviation in progress.
Bessie, bless her heart, seemed completely oblivious to the mockery. She just stood there peacefully, occasionally letting out a content "Moo" while I scratched behind her ears.
The train lurched to a stop at Academy Station. The doors hissed open, and a flood of students and creatures poured out onto the platform.
Tamer Academy sat on an artificial island in the middle of Neo-Tokyo Bay—a massive complex of futuristic buildings that blended traditional architecture with cutting-edge technology. The main campus stretched across several square miles, with specialized training grounds, creature habitats, battle arenas, and research facilities.
As I emerged from the underground station, the sheer scale of it hit me.
The central plaza was absolutely packed. Thousands of new students milled about with their creatures, ranging from common beasts like dogs and cats to more exotic specimens—a juvenile wyvern here, a thunder wolf there, even a small earth golem lumbering past.
Floating holographic displays showed the ceremony schedule and directed students to their designated assembly areas. Drones buzzed overhead, livestreaming everything for the millions watching online.
This was the moment. The entrance ceremony. The event where the original Ren Ashford had spectacularly destroyed his own reputation.
[MAIN QUEST UPDATE]
Objective: Arrive at Tamer Academy without incident - COMPLETE
Reward: +100 System Points
[NEW MAIN QUEST]
Objective: Survive the entrance ceremony without confronting Kai Vermillion
Time Remaining: 1 hour 23 minutes
Reward: System Shop Access, Basic Evolution Stone x1
Failure: Plot correction death flag activated
Right. Just blend in, don't make a scene, and absolutely do not engage with the protagonist.
How hard could that be?
"Well, well, well. If it isn't Ren Ashford."
Apparently, very hard.
I turned to find myself face-to-face with a group of three students, all wearing expensive designer clothes that screamed "rich kids." The one who'd spoken was a tall guy with perfectly styled blonde hair and a smirk that needed to be punched off his face.
Marcus Belmont. According to Ren's memories, he was a fellow aristocrat and former "friend"—the kind of friend who'd stab you in the back for social points.
Next to him stood a creature that looked like a miniature lion made of crackling electricity. A Thunder Cub, C-rank. Not bad for a starter creature.
"Marcus," I replied evenly. "Didn't expect to see you here."
"Of course I'm here. Tamer Academy only accepts the best." His eyes slid down to Bessie, and his smirk widened. "Though I see they've lowered their standards recently. Is that a farm animal?"
His two lackeys laughed on cue.
"She's a cow," I said flatly. "Her name is Bessie."
"Moo," Bessie added helpfully.
More laughter. Students around us were starting to take notice, pulling out their phones to record what was surely about to become viral content.
This was it. This was the moment where the original Ren would've lost his temper, started shouting about how his family's wealth made him superior, and challenged Marcus to a duel he'd lose.
But I wasn't the original Ren.
"You're right," I said, my voice calm. "She is just a cow. F-rank. Probably the weakest creature in this entire plaza."
Marcus blinked, clearly not expecting that response. "I... what?"
"But she's my partner. And I'm going to train her to be the strongest creature this Academy has ever seen." I met his gaze steadily. "Feel free to laugh now. It'll make the reversal that much more satisfying later."
I walked past him before he could respond, Bessie trotting happily beside me.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Social Interaction: Success
Plot Deviation: Significant
Character Perception Shift Detected: Marcus Belmont is confused
+50 System Points
Behind me, I could hear the confused murmuring of the crowd.
"Did he just accept it?"
"That was weird. Ren Ashford doesn't back down from confrontations."
"Maybe he hit his head or something?"
Good. Let them be confused. Confusion was better than mockery, and it kept me off the radar.
I made my way to the Assembly Hall, a massive amphitheater-style building that could seat ten thousand people. Students were filing in, sorted by their registration numbers. I found my section—Block C, seats 100-150—and settled in with Bessie at my feet.
The hall gradually filled. The excited chatter of thousands of new students created a constant buzz of noise. Creatures of all types and sizes filled the aisles—everything from tiny fairies that could fit in your palm to massive beasts that required special seating accommodations.
Then the lights dimmed.
A single spotlight illuminated the center stage, and a woman appeared in a flash of golden light—literally teleported in with her creature, a majestic golden eagle that radiated an aura of pure power.
Headmaster Seraphine Cross. SSS-rank tamer. One of only twelve Grandmaster-level tamers in the entire world.
She was in her forties but looked ten years younger, with sharp features and silver-streaked black hair pulled into a severe bun. Her presence alone made the entire hall fall silent.
"Welcome," her voice echoed through the amphitheater without any need for a microphone, "to Tamer Academy."
The ceremony officially began.
Headmaster Cross gave a speech about the history of taming, the responsibility that came with partnering with creatures, and the expectations the Academy had for its students. It was impressive, inspiring even, delivered with the kind of natural authority that came from decades of experience.
But I was only half-listening.
My attention was focused on scanning the crowd, looking for two specific people.
And then I found them.
Three rows down and to the left: Kai Vermillion.
The protagonist was exactly as described in the novel. Messy black hair, determined dark eyes, and a face that was handsome in that "everyman hero" kind of way. He wore the standard Academy uniform rather than designer clothes—a clear signal of his humble background.
Next to him, resting on his lap, was a small blue slime. It jiggled slightly, its surface catching the light like translucent jelly.
To everyone else, it looked pathetic. A slime was considered one of the weakest possible starter creatures, barely F-rank.
But I knew the truth. That "slime" was an Ancient Slime—a creature that would eventually evolve into an SSS-rank Calamity Slime capable of destroying cities. Kai just didn't know it yet.
The protagonist was currently surrounded by other students giving him sympathetic looks and whispering about his "unfortunate" creature choice.
In the original timeline, Ren would've spotted Kai during this ceremony, made a scene about the "pathetic slime boy," and set up their rivalry.
Not happening. I deliberately looked away.
My gaze swept across the amphitheater and landed on the VIP section reserved for students from prestigious families and those with exceptional creatures.
And there she was.
Seraphina Nocturne.
She sat alone in a section meant for groups, an invisible wall of frost seeming to separate her from everyone else. Her posture was perfect, her expression cold and distant. The massive Fenrir beside her—a creature the size of a small car—rested its head on its paws, ice-blue eyes scanning the crowd for threats.
Even from this distance, I could feel the aura of isolation around her.
The Ice Queen. The Villainess. The girl who would fall for the protagonist, get her heart broken, and descend into tragedy.
Not if I could help it.
Our eyes met across the amphitheater.
For a moment, her icy gaze locked with mine. There was no recognition there, no acknowledgment. Just cold assessment and immediate dismissal.
Then she looked away, as if I wasn't worth her time.
Fair enough. In the original timeline, Ren had been one of her tormentors. I had a lot of negative reputation to overcome.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Special Character Detected: Seraphina Nocturne
Current Relationship Status: -20 (Dislike/Distrust)
Note: This character has significant plot importance. Relationship changes will affect story progression.
Yeah, I figured.
The ceremony continued. Headmaster Cross introduced the faculty—a lineup of Master and Grandmaster-rank tamers who would be teaching various subjects. Battle tactics, creature biology, evolution theory, contract magic, and dozens of other specialized fields.
Then came the moment everyone had been waiting for.
"And now," Headmaster Cross announced, "we will conduct the Traditional Affinity Assessment. Each student will step forward, and our Evaluation Crystal will measure your synchronization rate with your creature and assess your potential as a tamer."
A massive crystal—easily ten feet tall—rose from the center of the stage, glowing with rainbow light.
The assessment began. Students were called up alphabetically, one by one.
Each would place their hand on the crystal along with their creature. The crystal would glow a specific color and display a numerical synchronization rate from 1-100. The higher the number, the stronger the bond and the greater the potential for evolution and growth.
Most students scored between 40-60. That was considered average.
Anything above 70 was exceptional.
Above 85 was genius-level.
The highest score so far had been a girl with a lightning hawk who'd hit 82, earning gasps and applause from the crowd.
Then Marcus Belmont was called up.
He strutted onto the stage with his Thunder Cub, placed his hand on the crystal with theatrical flair, and—
78
The crystal glowed bright yellow. A solid score. Marcus grinned and waved to the crowd like he'd won a championship.
More students went up. More scores were displayed.
Then I heard it.
"Kai Vermillion."
The protagonist stood, holding his slime, and walked to the stage.
Whispers immediately erupted.
"That's the slime kid."
"What's his score going to be? Like, 30?"
"Poor guy. He's probably going to wash out in the first semester."
Kai ignored the comments, his expression determined. He placed his hand on the crystal. The slime touched it with one of its pseudopods.
The crystal began to glow.
Brighter.
Brighter.
94
The amphitheater went dead silent.
Then exploded into shocked murmurs.
Ninety-four. With a slime. That was nearly unheard of for a first-year student.
Headmaster Cross raised an eyebrow, clearly impressed. "Exceptional. It seems this year's class has quite a few surprises."
Kai returned to his seat, looking slightly overwhelmed by the attention. The other students were now staring at him with new eyes—reassessing, recalculating.
The assessments continued.
"Seraphina Nocturne."
The temperature in the amphitheater seemed to drop several degrees as she stood. The crowd parted for her and her Fenrir as they walked to the stage with perfect synchronization.
She placed her hand on the crystal. The Fenrir placed its massive paw beside hers.
96
Gasps. Applause. Even some jealous muttering.
But Seraphina's expression didn't change. She simply nodded to Headmaster Cross and returned to her seat as if nothing significant had happened.
The Ice Queen, living up to her reputation.
More names were called. More scores were displayed.
And then—
"Ren Ashford."
My stomach clenched.
This was it. The moment of truth.
I stood, Bessie following beside me, and walked down the aisle toward the stage. I could feel thousands of eyes on me. Hear the whispers.
"That's the cow guy."
"Watch him score like 20 or something."
"Why is he even here?"
I climbed the stairs to the stage. Headmaster Cross watched me approach, her expression neutral but her eyes sharp.
"Proceed," she said simply.
I placed my hand on the crystal. Bessie, bless her heart, pressed her nose against it.
"Moo."
The crystal began to glow.
And kept glowing.
Brighter.
Brighter.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
Synchronization Assessment in progress...
Universal Tamer System bonus detected...
Calculating true bond strength...
The number appeared.
89
The amphitheater erupted in shocked gasps.
Eighty-nine. With a cow.
Headmaster Cross's eyebrows rose slightly—the most emotion I'd seen from her all night.
"Remarkable," she said. "It seems this year's class is full of surprises indeed."
I walked back to my seat in a daze, barely hearing the whispers that had changed from mockery to confusion.
[MAIN QUEST COMPLETE]
Objective: Survive the entrance ceremony without confronting Kai Vermillion - SUCCESS
Rewards: System Shop Access Unlocked, Basic Evolution Stone x1
Bonus Reward: +200 System Points for exceeding expectations
As I sat down, I felt eyes on me from multiple directions.
Kai Vermillion was looking at me with curiosity rather than hostility.
Marcus Belmont looked like he'd swallowed a lemon.
And Seraphina Nocturne was staring at me with an expression I couldn't quite read.
The ceremony concluded shortly after. As students began filing out, I checked my system notifications.
[NEW QUEST AVAILABLE]
Quest: First Evolution
Objective: Use the Basic Evolution Stone to evolve Bessie to her first form
Recommended Location: Private training ground
Time Limit: 48 hours
I looked down at Bessie, who was happily munching on some grass that had somehow appeared in the amphitheater.
"Ready to become something more, girl?"
"Moo!"