Leonardo slept until sunrise.
His stomach growled, but his body felt light—rested.
Crack! Crack!
He stretched, joints popping as tension left his muscles.
Food wasn't a concern. He could take leftovers from the apartments above or below once their occupants left for the day.
His gaze shifted to the System interface. A countdown for choosing a reward was ticking down—but there were still about five hours left.
Without a phone, he had nothing to distract himself with.
There was a television in this apartment, but it didn't work. The unit had no electricity or running water.
He waited until the resident upstairs left before teleporting into their apartment.
He showered there and changed into the owner's clothes, which happened to fit him well.
Afterward, he opened the refrigerator, took some bread and boiled eggs, and ate directly in front of it.
He preferred staying there. The air conditioning worked, and he didn't have to deal with the heat.
Even after breakfast, he remained inside and turned on the television—
Only to see his own face.
The reporter described him as a dangerous fugitive who had escaped custody and announced that anyone who spotted him and reported him to the police would receive a $5,000 reward.
Leonardo changed the channel.
Every station reported the same thing.
He scratched his head and turned the television off.
Watching it only made him restless.
He lay down on the sofa, staring at the ceiling, thinking about what he should request from the System for Ellie.
An ordinary owl could never kill monsters.
He needed to give her a talent or skill that granted lethal capability—especially against higher-level targets.
Time dragged.
But eventually—
DING!
(You can add one talent or skill to your monster!)
Leonardo, who had been lying down, immediately sat upright when he saw the notification.
(Add anything that makes Ellie a killing-specialized owl!)
DING!
(An SS Class Skill, Requiem of the Silent Night, has been added to Ellie!)
(Requiem of the Silent Night: is a singing-type skill that can only be used at night and causes the listener's heart to beat violently until it explodes!)
[Monster List:]
[Name: Ellie]
[Type: Owl]
[Class: S Class]
[Level: 0]
[EXP: 0/100]
[Talent: None]
[Skill:]
- Supreme Spatial Shift (SS Class Skill)
- Requiem of the Silent Night (SS Class Skill)
(Boss, boss, I got another skill!)
Ellie's voice echoed inside his head.
(I know. Use it tonight. I'll give you a buff so you can activate it…)
(Boss, what do you mean?)
(It's time for you to level up…) Leonardo replied calmly.
(B-But, boss?) Ellie sounded uneasy.
Even brave animals would hesitate when facing monsters. And physically, Ellie was still just an ordinary owl.
Two additional skills didn't change her body—unless she gained a transforming talent.
(You just need to hide and sing. If that feels too risky, find a Level 1 Awakener in the city and kill him.)
Leonardo couldn't afford to think about morality.
He needed strength.
Fast.
Sending Ellie wasn't without danger. Without his buff, she couldn't activate her skills. A roar from a Level 2 or Level 3 monster could kill her instantly.
This was another advantage of being a Beast Tamer. For monsters, killing either monsters or humans granted EXP. The rule still applied even under control.
(It's fine, right, boss?) Ellie seemed to prefer the second option.
(Just make sure no one notices you… Do you understand?)
(I understand, boss… No one will know. I won't leave any trace.) Her resolve hardened.
Leonardo relaxed slightly.
After that, he teleported to another apartment to take food.
He couldn't take too much from one place. That would alert the owner.
Interestingly, he found high-quality sleeping pills that could induce six hours of deep sleep.
Not wanting to wait around, Leonardo took one and lay down to sleep—choosing to hide beneath the bed in case the apartment was sold that day.
It was dreamless.
Time passed quickly.
When he opened his eyes again, the apartment was dark.
Last night he had slept through everything, so this was his first time experiencing the darkness here.
He didn't care.
(Ellie, are you ready?) he asked.
(Boss, I'm following my target. He just awakened. He's a follower of someone who used to bother you at school.)
Leonardo didn't know who she meant.
He didn't care.
He waited for her to ask for the buff.
About half an hour later—
(Boss, I'm on his balcony. He's playing games inside… Based on my estimate, this distance is sufficient…)
(Alright. I'll give you the buff now.)
Leonardo inhaled deeply, eyes sharpening.
With only 0,2 Buff Power, it wasn't easy.
His focused gaze faintly emitted light.
Far away, in an old apartment building, a white owl stood on a balcony railing.
It looked slightly smaller than normal. Its red eyes glowed in the night.
Then its feathers stood on end, releasing a faint shimmer.
"HOO-hu… HOO-hu…"
Its beak began to sing, head tilted upward.
The sound echoed.
But Ellie controlled the effective area. Leonardo's buff was limited—she couldn't spread it too wide.
"HOO-hu… HOO-hu…"
The brown-haired young man inside the apartment stiffened.
He sat on his bed, suddenly sweating, glancing left and right in confusion.
An owl's hoot wasn't unusual.
But why was his heart pounding so violently?
Faster.
Harder.
His skin turned pale.
His hand clutched his chest.
His eyes widened.
Pop!
A sound burst from inside his chest like a balloon exploding.
Blood poured from his mouth, nose, eyes, and ears.
His eyes remained wide open—
Unable to close.
At the same moment, notifications appeared in Leonardo's vision—from both the System and his Statistic Chip.
DING!
(Ellie has killed a Level 1 Awakener, obtaining 100 EXP!)
DING!
(Ellie's EXP is full, Ellie has leveled up to Level 1!)
[Monster List:]
[Name: Ellie]
[Type: Owl]
[Class: S Class]
[Level: 1]
[EXP: 0/200]
[Talent: None]
[Skill:]
Supreme Spatial Shift (SS Class Skill)
Requiem of the Silent Night (SS Class Skill)