"Yes!!" The word came out of Gabriel's throat without hesitation, and the moment it left his lips something changed. The blood dripping from his arm stopped mid-fall as the entire room froze, the wolf's jaws still buried deep in his flesh.
[Contract Initiated… 5%… 10%]
A low, distorted growl escaped from its throat, its red eyes filled with anger as they locked onto Gabriel, clearly resisting the contract. However, Gabriel could not focus on it as his vision blurred and pain surged violently through his arm. The blue energy from the tear flowed through his bleeding wound, spreading into his body and that of the wolf at the same time.
Then he felt it—a pull, as if his mind was being dragged out of his body. Darkness swallowed everything, yet the energy did not stop. It continued to surge, forming a cocoon around both him and the wolf.
When Gabriel opened his eyes, he was no longer in the room. All he could see was endless darkness, no walls, no floor, just an empty black space stretching endlessly forward. In front of him stood the wolf, but it looked different. Its body was not fully solid, more like a shadow wrapped in flickers of energy, its glowing eyes locked onto him with pure instinct and violence.
"Where… am I?" he stumbled back, fear overtaking him. His eyes shifted to his hand and he froze, staring at it. It looked like the wolf's form, yet different—his body was made of glowing particles similar to the woman from earlier.
His gaze slowly moved downward. "Ahh… where is my body… did I… did I die?" he asked frantically. "Am I in the afterlife… what about my mom, my sister… wait…" His eyes snapped back to the wolf. "If I died then—"
With a growl, the wolf stepped forward and a crushing pressure slammed into him instantly. Gabriel screamed, clutching his head as it felt like something was forcing its way into his mind.
Back in the room, inside the cocoon of energy, system notifications began appearing rapidly.
[Error…]
[Error…]
[Target resistance is high]
[Warning: Host life is in danger]
[Emergency protocol engaged]
[Skill: Beast Taming upgraded]
[New Skill: Beast Sovereign]
His body began shaking violently as the wolf's jaws sank deeper into his arm, reopening the wound that had just healed.
Back in the black space, Gabriel fell to the ground, his hands clutched tightly to his head as he screamed. The wolf now stood above him, the pressure increasing with every second. Suddenly, the pressure disappeared. Gabriel struggled to lift his head and saw the wolf stepping back, fear now visible in its once violent eyes as its tail tucked between its legs.
Slowly, Gabriel got to his feet, confusion flashing across his face before it was replaced by something else. Power surged through his body, and he blinked in surprise as a faint, almost disturbing smile formed on his lips while he stared at the retreating wolf.
Anger surged within him as he stepped forward. "Where do you think you're going?" Behind him, a figure of light appeared as he raised his hand. Power surged outward and a heavy pressure crashed down on the wolf, its legs buckling under the crushing weight as it struggled to stand.
Gabriel moved forward slowly as the pressure increased, thoughts of his mother and sister filling his mind—what would happen to them if he died here. His anger intensified, and the pressure grew stronger.
"Crack."
The wolf's legs gave in as it collapsed, its body filled with cracks as light began to seep through.
"You don't get to decide my fate." Gabriel stepped forward and placed his foot on the wolf's head as the cracks spread further. The wolf struggled, its eyes filled with fear and lingering violence.
"You submit to me," Gabriel said as he pressed down harder.
"Crack."
The wolf shattered into particles of light and disappeared into the space, leaving Gabriel standing alone with the figure of light behind him.
The space around him began to crack like glass, and a pair of eyes appeared, searching through the darkness before settling on him. They stared, and he stared back, his expression filled with unfamiliar disgust and hatred.
"Begone!" his voice echoed across the space as the cracks spread violently and the eyes vanished. The figure behind him disappeared along with the power, and his vision went dark.
Back in his room, the cocoon shattered and dissolved into the air, releasing both him and the wolf. Gabriel's eyes snapped open as a system notification appeared before him.
[Contract Successful]
[Tamed Beast: Iron Wolf (Fenling)]
[Rank: Iron – Mid]
[Bond Established]
He blinked in surprise and quickly looked at his hand, only to see it had completely healed. The wolf stood in front of him, watching silently.
Gabriel jerked back, gripping the bat tightly and pointing it at the wolf. "Stay back." The wolf tilted its head slightly, as if waiting for him.
A chill ran through him—not fear this time, but realization. Everything that had just happened was real.
Slowly, he stood up and walked toward the wolf. He stretched out his hand cautiously, and to his surprise, the wolf leaned forward and touched his palm.
"…so it worked," he muttered, a faint smile forming as he remembered the power he felt in that dark space.
[Ding]
[Congratulations, you have tamed your first beast]
[Something you shouldn't have]
[Give it a name]
[Reward: Status opened, 100 evolution points, Title acquired, 100 EXP]
[Level up]
[Open status to see]
Gabriel frowned slightly as he looked at the message. "What do you mean something I shouldn't have?"
[Ding]
[The wolf]
He looked at the wolf in confusion. "What do you mean?" This time no response came. "Hey system, what do you mean?" Silence followed as his gaze returned to the wolf. "What are you?" The wolf simply sniffed his hand in response.
He turned his attention back to the system. "Open status."
[STATUS PANEL]
Name: Gabriel Vale
Level: 1 [0/200]
Title: Harbinger Tamer
Strength: 10
Agility: 11
Endurance: 9
Awareness: 8
Energy: 100/100
[Talent:]
Beast Authority
[Represents your dominance over beasts and corrupted entities.]
[Gain Authority by defeating beasts and devouring cores.]
[Uses: Suppress beasts, strengthen contracts, unlock evolutions]
[Evolution Points: 100]
[Skills:]
Beast Sovereign
Beast Storage
Beast Resonance
[Beast Slot: 1/2]
[Tamed Beast:]
Iron Wolf — Iron Mid (Tap to Expand)
Gabriel tapped the skills.
[Beast Sovereign (Weakened)]
Allows user to subdue and bind beasts.
Conditions:
Target must be weakened OR mentally overpowered
Failure:
Mental backlash
Rejection
Success:
Beast submission
100% Loyalty
[Beast Resonance]
User gains 50% of tamed beast's physical abilities.
Effects:
Increased Strength
Increased Speed
Shared Instinct
Note: Causes physical strain]
Gabriel studied the screen carefully. "So I can tame beasts by dominating them…" he muttered based on what he saw.
"And I also have a talent and a title."
[Harbinger Tamer]
Rank: Mythic
Description: You have bound the blood of an ancient creature. As its shepherd, you stand as the tether between the world and gods.
Effect: +50% affinity with ancient creatures]
Gabriel looked back at the wolf again. "What really are you?"
He opened the beast panel and stared at the blank name for a moment.
"…Grim."
[You have named your tamed beast]
He stood there quietly for a second. "…this is real."
Then suddenly, a scream echoed from outside.
His head snapped toward the door as reality hit him hard again. The world was still in danger.
He tightened his grip on the bat and turned slowly toward the door. Grim moved closer, stopping right beside him. Gabriel looked down at it briefly, then back at the door as a small smile formed on his face.
"…let's see what this power can really do."
Together, they stepped into the corridor.