Seojun turned around, walking calmly through the dense forest as his system spoke.
[Host, the ore you're looking for is still far away. Why don't you focus on finding your beast?]
"I'm already thinking about that," Seojun muttered. "I just haven't decided what kind of beast yet. Well, it doesn't matter as long as I form a contract before the end of the week."
As he continued walking, his senses suddenly heightened. Something was coming. With a swift side step, he narrowly avoided a dagger that flew past him, embedding itself into the tree beside him.
"I'm sorry!" a young woman's voice called out. She looked about 19, rushing toward the dagger, pulling it from the tree. Without another word, she turned and sprinted away, dagger in hand.
Curious, Seojun followed her quietly, keeping a distance. Soon, he found her facing off against a magnificent deer-like beast. The creature stood taller than an average deer, its fur shimmering in shades of silver and gold.
Its horns were twisted, almost like branches, with soft glowing runes etched along their surface. The air around the beast seemed to pulse with magic, making it look more mythical than any ordinary animal.
Seojun crossed his arms, deciding to watch. The woman was clearly struggling. She used her dagger to block the deer beast's attacks, its horns clashing with the blade as it charged at her. The force of each hit sent her stumbling, but she refused to back down.
The deer beast lowered its head, preparing to strike again. This time, it hit her squarely, sending her flying into a tree. She coughed up blood, kneeling on the ground as the deer beast slowly approached her, its eyes glowing with a fierce intensity. It wasn't going to stop.
The woman, now desperate, tried to speak to the beast.
"Please! I'm not here to hurt you! Just calm down!" she begged, but the deer showed no sign of understanding or stopping. She rolled out of the way just in time as its horns crashed into the ground where she had been moments before.
In a last-ditch effort, she threw herself at the beast, wrapping her arms around its neck in a risky, desperate hug. Seojun watched, his frown deepening as he sensed the raw desperation in her actions.
"Please," she murmured softly, her voice barely a whisper. "Talk to me…"
Suddenly, the woman began to glow, the light spreading to the deer beast as well. Both of them were bathed in a gentle, shimmering aura. Above her, a notification appeared:
[Congratulations! You have entered the first phase of forming a contract! The Deer Beast has senses your determination.]
The beast's aggressive stance softened, its glowing eyes dimming slightly as it allowed her to stay close. Seojun watched in silence, impressed by her persistence.
"Not bad," he muttered to himself. "But she's lucky it worked."
The woman coughed up more blood as she fell to the ground, lying down and breathing heavily. Despite the pain, a soft smile formed on her lips. The deer beast, now calm, slowly lowered itself and sat beside her, its shimmering horns casting a faint glow over them both.
Seojun, still watching from a distance, decided to activate his appraisal skill. A small screen appeared before his eyes, revealing her details:
Class: Tamer (Rank D)
Skill: Creature Soothing Embrace
- Effect: Able to calm down creatures when in physical contact.
[No wonder she was able to calm the deer beast, Her skill allows her to soothe any creature she hugs. However, her class rank is low compared to her mana.]
Seojun nodded slightly, watching as Lila lay there, still smiling despite the exhaustion. "Unlike the group i passed into, She have Tamer class so forming contract will be easy than the others,"
The deer nuzzled her gently, a sign that it was already starting to trust her. Seojun then snap and Lila's body glow in green light, Feeling light her tiredness is gone and healed. She sat down shock and looked around but didn't see anyone.
Lila sat down to rest, still catching her breath. She glanced around but didn't see anyone nearby. Standing up, she noticed a shadow moving behind a tree. Curious, she cautiously walked closer. As she approached, she saw a man hiding there.
"Hi! That was amazing! I just passed by and saw what you did!" the man said with a wide grin.
Lila took a step back, wary as the guy quickly grabbed her hands.
"Can you help me too?! Anyway, I'm Andrew. What's your name?" he asked eagerly.
Lila pulled her hands free and replied, "My name is Lila. I didn't do much. It's just my skill. Also, I don't believe that hurting beasts will help form a contract with them," she said, walking back to her deer.
"Wow! I'll take note of that," Andrew said, excitedly typing on a holographic keyboard that appeared in front of him.
Suddenly, a loud explosion echoed through the air. The ground shook, and a powerful shockwave hit them. Lila instinctively hugged her deer that was not affected by the shockwave, while Andrew grabbed onto a nearby tree to steady himself.
"What the heck is that?!" Andrew shouted as the shockwave passed.
"I don't know, but it seems dangerous," Lila said, turning around, ready to leave. But before she could, Andrew grabbed her arm.
"Come on! Let's see what it was!" he insisted, pulling Lila along, with her deer following closely.
As they got closer to the source of the explosion, their eyes widened in shock. Two lifeless bodies lay on the ground, their numbers crossed out on the screen above them.
"What happened here?" Andrew muttered, his voice filled with disbelief.
Before they could process what they were seeing, a sudden attack came from behind. Dark ink-like liquid splashed at them, covering everything in darkness. Andrew immediately stepped in front of Lila and shouted, "Barrier!"
The inky darkness surrounded them, and they couldn't see a thing. It felt like they were trapped in a giant squid's ink.
"Run! Hurry!" Andrew shouted, backing away as the barrier started to crack under the pressure.
Before they could escape, the barrier shattered, and they were thrown against a tree, knocked unconscious by the force of the attack.