The forest had grown quieter. Not just because Damien had grown stronger, but because something had shifted—him.
> "Trait [Beast Resonance I] – Passive. You can sense nearby beasts and faintly perceive their emotional state."<
At first, it was just noise—vague signals. Curiosity. Hunger. Fear. A squirrel that felt playful. A wolf nursing a limp. But slowly, he began to filter through the sensations, like tuning a radio.
And then—something called back.
It wasn't nearby. It was beneath him.
"That… that's not normal."
Damien followed the pull, tracing it to a rocky hill near a riverbank. The ground felt strange under his slime body—almost hollow.
He focused.
> "Beast presence detected – Level ??? – Status: Dormant."<
"Unknown level? That's usually not good."
Still, curiosity beat caution. Using his newly sharpened form, he dug—slowly, carefully—until he found an opening.
A thin crack led into an underground cavern. Cool air rushed out. The smell? Dust. Mold. And something older.
He squeezed in.
It was massive. A circular chamber covered in glowing moss and shattered runes. In the center was a cocoon-like crystal, pulsing faintly. Inside…
A beast. Sleeping.
It wasn't like anything Damien had seen before. Its body was wrapped in chains made of mana, with feathered wings folded behind its back and long horns spiraling from its head.
> "Race: ???"
"Name: Unknown"
"Status: Sealed – Incomplete."<
> "Warning: Contact with sealed entity may accelerate its awakening."<
Damien didn't dare touch it—but the resonance was stronger here. He could feel its pain. Loneliness. Rage.
And… familiarity?
"Do I know this thing?"
A memory flickered.
A side character in the novel. A beast that was meant to awaken years later when the protagonist discovered it—used to forge a legendary bond.
"I'm not supposed to be here yet. But I already changed the shrine timeline, right?"
The beast stirred. Just a twitch. Its eyes didn't open. But its aura reached for him.
And latched on.
> "Beast Resonance Activated."
"Trait Upgrade: Beast Resonance II – You have formed a passive link with a sealed ancient creature."
"Warning: Bond formed without contract. Results unstable."<
Damien recoiled.
"I didn't agree to this!"
But it was too late. The bond was formed. He felt a piece of the creature's soul intertwine with his—distant, faint, but real.
"So… I've got a sleeping dragon-thing emotionally linked to me. Great."
He backed away, deciding not to push his luck. The bond didn't seem dangerous yet, but he'd definitely stepped into someone else's arc—and broken it.
As he emerged from the cavern, sunlight greeted him.
> "Level up! Level 8."<
"I didn't even kill anything this time. Weird."
He paused.
"...Wait. If this beast was supposed to bond with the protagonist… and I took it early…"
Damien's core pulsed.
"Just how much have I already messed up this story?"
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