A suffocating silence hung over the cave, broken only by the curling smoke rising from the shattered remains of the beast.
Auren's chest burned, his whole body ached, muscles screaming with every step, every breath a torment.
Yet the flames coursing around him held him together, a living barrier against collapse.
He had survived. He had endured.
The system interface flickered before him, displaying the rewards of his hard-won victory:
[Level: 10]
[Strength: 12]
[Mana: 18]
[Intelligence: 5]
A surge of mana revitalized him, steadying Ignis within his veins. The fire coiled around him, shielding, healing, fortifying him gifting a strength he had never known since his second awakening in this world.
He staggered toward the cave's exit, each step weighted, each breath burning.
Then a presence unlike anything he had encountered before. The ground quaked under it, the air thickened, vibrating as if acknowledging a power beyond comprehension.
Before him stood a colossal being, bound by intricate seals, eyes glowing molten gold, wings folded against its back, chains of energy holding its massive form in place.
Even restrained, its presence radiated raw, oppressive power, pressing upon Auren's chest as if a single glance could shatter bones.
Auren forced a grin despite his exhaustion:
"Bound… I see. Even like this, you exude an aura that commands fear."
A deep, resonant laugh echoed through the cave, shaking the walls.
"Ha… that's what one says at the edge of despair. How dare you look at me with such certainty?"
Auren met its gaze without flinching:
"I see… you speak boldly, yet here you are, trapped."
A glimmer of sarcasm and bitterness crossed the being's face:
"Hah… sometimes, only those teetering on the brink can speak truthfully."
Auren's eyes locked with its own, recognition sparking:
"I see… that is something we share."
The being paused, then its tone shifted, deadly serious:
"I will form a contract with you. My power will heal your wounds… but in return, I will ask something of you."
Auren steadied himself, pain and fatigue clawing at every fiber of his body:
"I'm listening."
"I was once exalted, feared by all… and now, I seek vengeance against those who confined me here."
Silence fell. Auren's body screamed with exhaustion, yet his eyes burned with resolve.
"I agree," he said firmly, his voice unwavering.
The seals shattered. The being was free.
But it was no longer the towering beast. Its massive form shimmered, coiling flames contracting, reshaping into something sleek, elegant… humanoid.
Smoke and fire swirled around it as its form condensed, until before him stood a girl graceful, agile, powerful. Her golden eyes blazed with the same fire that once roared through the beast.
Auren staggered back, breathless:
"A girl… really? Oh, the irony of fate."
Light radiated from her transformed body, illuminating every shadow, every scar, every mark of battle in the cave.
As she approached, she placed her hands upon his knees. Warmth and relief spread through his body, knitting his broken spirit together.
The darkness that had clung to his consciousness vanished.
Mana surged anew through him, damaged limbs reformed, pain dissipated, and every part of him thrummed with revitalized energy.
Auren smiled for the first time since awakening in this world:
He had been healed. His strength fully restored. And the companion who had once been a terrifying sealed beast now stood before him in a radiant human form.
For the first time, he felt the weight of this world…
And the absurdity of fate, seeing one who had once been a dreadful threat now his ally, smiling at him with elegance and eyes ablaze with fire.
Auren turned, body brimming with newfound power, realization washing over him:
This… this was the true beginning of his journey.
Auren took a deep breath, his body renewed every wound healed, every pain vanished.
He looked at the being that had moments ago been a massive beast, now transformed into a girl. Her body was perfectly balanced and agile, every line of strength and grace visible in every movement, every curve radiating power and majesty.
Every part of her body shimmered with capability, and her golden eyes glowed with the same energy that had once surged from the beast.
Auren froze, his eyes wide with shock and curiosity:
"What… is this body?"
The girl smiled, her eyes flickering like flames, as if she knew everything running through his mind:
"This body… you once saw it in one of your magazines."
Auren remembered the moment, a faint, long-forgotten sensation, images he hadn't paid attention to in his youth. He muttered to himself, trying to control his reaction:
"Alright… don't fill your head with what you saw there."
The girl chuckled lightly, her voice echoing throughout the cave:
"You're far too weak… our contract wasn't even close yet."
Auren raised his eyebrows in surprise:
"How so?"
She answered, her tone calm yet firm, emerging from a core of unyielding strength:
"Every contract has limits it reveals the strength of each party. In our case, my share is 90%, and yours is 10%. If your share were any less, the contract wouldn't have succeeded."
Auren could hardly believe what he was hearing, stunned by the magnitude of her power:
"We need to get out of this cave… I feel like I've been trapped here forever."
The girl smiled, seeming to agree with him:
"Something we both feel… let's get out."
Auren took a deep breath, then hesitated, as if searching for a connection between them:
"What's your name?"
The girl smiled, her golden eyes sparkling:
"I need to give myself a beautiful name… to become your true partner."
Auren smiled, resolute:
"What if your name were… Kaelin?"
She paused for a moment, then a small smile appeared on her face, her eyes shining with life:
"Kaelin… yes, that name suits me. I will be Kaelin."
Suddenly, a notification appeared on the system interface:
New Title:
[Beast's Companion – Level 1]
Auren smiled, feeling that his journey had only just begun, that his true power had yet to reveal itself, and that his new partner, Kaelin, would be the key to every adventure ahead.
He lifted his head, eyes blazing with determination, power coursing through his body.
Kaelin stood by his side, and for the first time, Auren truly realized as he looked at the being now his partner:
"Our world is no longer what it was… the real battle has begun… and the strongest has yet to appear."
Every step as they moved toward the cave's exit, every breath he took, felt like the start of a new chapter one filled with strength, adventure, and unexpected allies.