Lucien exhaled deeply, still feeling the remnants of his mana exhaustion. The battle had taken everything out of him, but the moment he formed the Beast Contract, he felt a surge of power unlike anything before.
"Status."
Lucien von Zephyr – Updated Status
Intelligence: 105 → 110 (+5)
Mana: 55 → 60 (+5)
Strength: 14 → 19 (+5)
Agility: 20 → 25 (+5)
Endurance: 22 → 27 (+5)
Charm: 7 (No change… still tragic.)
Luck: 2 (Still cursed.)
Skills:
Basic Magic Theory: Level 2 Advanced Magic Theory: Level 5 Elemental Control (Fire): Level 4 Swordsmanship: Level 3 Persuasion: Level 1 (Still questionable.) NEW! Beast Contract: Level 1 (Allows bond with contracted beasts.)
Lucien blinked at the status window.
[Well, well, well. Look at you, suddenly leveling up like a protagonist. Who knew forming a contract would be such a cheat code?]
Ignoring the system's usual sarcasm, Lucien then focused on checking the new beast's status.
??? – Contracted Beast
Race: ???
Rank: ???
Abilities: ???
Skills: ???
Lucien frowned. "What the… It's all question marks?"
[Yep. Either this beast is beyond your comprehension, or you're just too weak to see its real status. My bet? You're too weak.]
Lucien sighed. "Thanks for the vote of confidence."
[Always here to support your self-esteem.]
He glanced down at the small beast, who was staring up at him curiously. Its fur was a mix of silver and black, with piercing golden eyes.
Lucien hesitated. What should he call it?
But before he could say anything—
"I already have a name."
Lucien froze. "You can talk?"
The small beast nodded. "Yes. You can understand me because of the contract."
Lucien took a second to process this. So the Beast Contract not only allowed him to communicate but also gave the beast a way to express itself?
He crossed his arms. "Alright, then. What's your name?"
The beast raised its head proudly.
"I am Umbra."
Lucien smirked. "Umbra, huh? Not bad."
[Ooooh, edgy name. I approve.]
Lucien ignored the system. He reached out and ruffled Umbra's fur, making the beast huff in protest.
"You're my partner now, Umbra," Lucien said. "Let's survive together."
Umbra nodded, determination shining in his golden eyes.
And with that, their journey together truly began.
To be continued…