And slowly, its gem-blue eyes stared curiously at the hand, which automatically paused a few inches before its face. A few seconds of silence passed before the creature cautiously drew itself out of its shell, winding around Ryuk's right finger.
Then, with a speed that slightly surprised Ryuk himself, the creature appeared on his shoulder less than a second later, its tiny eyes staring curiously at his face.
Immediately, it stretched its head forward, rubbing its tiny forehead against Ryuk's. A notification instantly appeared before his eyes.
[Congratulations, Host has gained the recognition of the new creature.]
[Creature Identified: Ice Serpent Hatchling]
"An Ice Serpent, huh?" Ryuk murmured as the creature slowly withdrew its head and slithered around his hand.
It was small—just about 30 centimeters long and as thin as a pencil. Its icy-blue scales shimmered faintly, with a cold mist trailing from its body. Now the name Ice Serpent made perfect sense.
The creature was curious yet incredibly energetic. It couldn't stop slithering around, moving so fast it almost seemed to teleport. However, Ryuk could still track its movements fairly easily.
[Active Quest: Contract a First Beast.]
[The Host's action of sharing his blood essence with the beast and being the first to appear before it has vastly increased the beast's willingness for a contract.]
[Would the Host like to contract the Ice Serpent?]
The system's notification appeared again, and Ryuk's eyes narrowed as he glanced at the small serpent.
It was so small, and no doubt just as weak.
Normally, it would be wiser to bond with at least an E- or, better yet, a D-grade beast as a first option. Bonding with such a tiny serpent didn't seem like a logical choice given his current predicament.
As if it could sense Ryuk's conflicting thoughts, the tiny serpent turned its gaze back to him, slithering onto his shoulder and flicking out its forked tongue. It rubbed its tiny head against Ryuk's left eye, causing him to sit up straight as a small chuckle escaped his lips.
"Yes!" Ryuk replied, this time without a shred of doubt in his mind.
[Hmm, is the Host sure?] the system asked, just to confirm.
"Yes," he repeated firmly.
The beast might be weak, but Ryuk felt a greater sense of familiarity.
There was a common factor that both he and the serpent shared—they were both weak. Ryuk was weak, and the Ice Serpent had just been born.
They were starting from the same point, and it wasn't yet the end of the world. They had a long journey ahead of them, and Ryuk felt much more comfortable with a companion who shared his humble beginnings. Together, they could grow and achieve their goals.
If he were to contract a beast already stronger than him, while it might increase his strength, the feeling of starting as equals wouldn't exist.
He would merely be relying on the beast's power, knowing full well that without it, he would be nothing.
Besides, if he abandoned the serpent now simply because it was weak, what then?
Would he leave it here to die, rot away in his pet world?
None had abandoned Ryuk himself, and he wasn't about to start a cycle of abandonment with anyone. Besides, this wasn't just any beast—it was a gift from his mother, whom he'd never known, and something that Uncle Bob had kept safe for so long.
Even if it wasn't as strong as he had expected, he couldn't just leave it here. The serpent deserved a chance.
So, even though it was weak and helpless without his care, he decided to choose it as his first beast.
If it turned out to be too weak to help him achieve his goals, he would simply find a way to expand his contracting slots and make a more calculated choice in the future.
For now, the helpless Ice Serpent would be his companion.
[Contracting process has begun.]
[Expanding Bonding Runes to the creature.]
The system's voice echoed, and Ryuk watched as various glowing, runic lines began extending outward from his arm toward the beast.
The Ice Serpent regarded the glowing runes cautiously before turning to Ryuk. Seeing his warm, reassuring smile, the serpent seemed to relax. It slithered forward, letting the glowing lines envelop it completely.
Stepping back slightly, Ryuk watched as a bubble of blue energy completely encased the Ice Serpent, obstructing his view. Slowly, the light dimmed.
Placing his hand under the bubble, Ryuk caught the serpent as it fell gently into his palm.
For a few seconds, he noticed a glowing, circular rune on the beast's forehead before it quickly faded.
The serpent resumed its energetic slithering, wrapping around him once more.
[Congratulations, Host has successfully bonded with the Ice Serpent.]
[Total Beast Slots Remaining: 0]
[New Quest: Name your first contracted beast.]
The system blinked again, and Ryuk glanced at the serpent, which stared curiously back at him. His lips moved automatically as the name on the forefront of his mind escaped his mouth.
"I'll call you Isha!"
The serpent rubbed its tiny head against his face, slithering happily around him.
"Seems like it loves it, at least," Ryuk chuckled.
"I guess I'm just a natural beast namer."
{A/N: My Good will to Isha, a character from Arcane 2.}
[Congratulations, Host has completed the quest: Bond with a Beast.]
[Host's Shop has been unlocked.
Host has gained a random skill from the Ice Serpent's skill array.
A new companion to assist the Host.
Host has gained a Level-Up Card.
Host has gained +100 EXP.]
[Congratulations, Host has completed the quest: Name the Beast.]
[Rewards: +3000 Purchase Points!]