"Arise?" Zar raised a brow. "What is that supposed to mean? Should I say it or something?"
[Yes, Dear Host. Say it either in your head or out loud, and then watch the magic happen.]
Figuring it was fine to trust what the 'System' had to say for now, Zar stared deeply at the Kicking Rabbit carcass. Then, he felt something tell him to raise his hand.
Doing just that, his dull blue eyes grew brighter; they glowed.
Then, speaking in a voice that gleamed like the razor edge of a sharp knife, he said—
"Arise."
OOOM!
A black and blue shadow of the Kicking Rabbit was suddenly pulled out from the backside of its corpse. In Zar's eyes, it grew larger and larger until it eventually reached the same size as the corpse it now stood over.
"An enemy!?" Immediately deeming the System and this unknown entity a threat, Zar retreated dozens of meters, baring his wickedly sharp nails. "So this is a trap—"
[Hold your horses, you silly goose! Take another good look at the System Notifications!]
"Hm?"
*Ding!*
[Mid-Rank 1 'Kicking Rabbit' has officially become your first Contracted Beast!]
[Unfortunately, the Contracted Beast is not a Unique one, meaning that it can't be a Named Beast!]
'A Contracted Beast??' Zar's mind spun, unsure of what was happening anymore. 'How can you contract a Demon Beast as easily as that??? I heard that even Core Formation Realm Therian Grandmasters have to go through many hardships to contract a Demon Beast…'
It may seem unusual for an evolved Demon Beast like a Therian to contract Demon Beasts, but it wasn't unheard of. In fact, there were even some very well-known factions that centered their teachings around Contracting Demon Beasts.
But this…
Zar had never heard of deceased Demon Beasts becoming Contracted Beasts!
How was that even possible!?
[Fufu~, I told you, did I not? I'm the Best System in the whole wide universe! Do rejoice, for you'll have my sublime company from here on out!]
Zar didn't know if he liked the sound of that…
However, more than that, he was extremely curious about this so-called Contracted Beast of his. Approaching it, he noticed that it had yet to move from its spot, simply standing there like a soldier in salute.
"If you're a Contracted Beast of mine, does that mean you'll follow my commands?"
The Kicking Rabbit Shadow gave no response. But with a slight confirmation from the System, Zar nodded before pointing toward a tree. "Go hit that."
Doing exactly as instructed, the shadowy Kicking Rabbit hopped over to the tree and whacked it. The tree tilted over a little but still remained mostly intact.
"How interesting," mused Zar as he adjusted to all these shocking revelations unnaturally fast. "So you'll do everything I say?"
This time, the Kicking Rabbit Shadow nodded.
Hearing this, Zar couldn't stop a crooked grin from forming. Holding a hand over his mouth, he excitedly thought, 'With this, won't I be able to far more efficiently acquire Demon Cores…!? Is this what I've been searching for!? A way to get off of this accursed island!??'
Turning his attention back to the smug emoticon of the Infinite Beast Evolution System, Zar asked, "Can I look at the System Screen of my Contracted Beasts as well?"
[Adapting pretty quickly to this whole thing, aren'tcha~? But then again, that is one of the reasons you were chosen as the Host.]
[And yes, you just need to focus your sight, and you can see the System Screens of anything with Lifespan!]
Trying to do just that, Zar squinted. And though it took a few tries, he finally got it to work. Thousands of System Screens flooded his vision, appearing in such overwhelming numbers that he was forced to switch off the 'System Sight' ability.
"That's a lot…"
[Yes,] the System giggled. [But if you want to limit the range of effectiveness, all you have to do is convey your intent. The System Sight ability will naturally follow through with what you want.]
Steadying his breath, Zar retried. This time, he focused solely on checking the Kicking Rabbit Shadow's System Tag.
Following his intent, a single screen appeared before him:
[Shadow Beast: Kicking Rabbit (Unnamed)]
[Lifespan: Not Applicable]
[Cultivation: Mid-Rank 1 (can evolve using lifespan)]
[Spirit Roots: Trash Five Elements Spirit Root (can evolve using lifespan)]
[Main Technique: Great Kick (Unmastered)]