Aeris stared at the interface floating in front of his with wide eyes. The 999/999 numbers on the Luck stat flickered as if challenging him to understand what it meant. The Shadow Wolf before him sat quietly, its red eyes staring at him with a strange mixture of curiosity and respect.
"This... this isn't in the novel," it whispered, its hand still raised toward the Shadow Wolf awaiting his decision.
[SHADOW WOLF - RANK D]
[SPECIES: Lunar Shadow Wolf]
[ABILITIES: Shadow Step, Night Vision, Pack Leadership]
[CONTRACT COMPATIBILITY: 97%]
[ACCEPT CONTRACT? YES/NO]
A contract with a D-rank monster as an F Tamer? This should be impossible. In the novel, even C-rank Tamers had difficulty binding D-rank monsters. However, the 97% compatibility number was undeniable.
Aeris swallowed hard. If he accepted this contract, his life would change drastically. But if he refused, he might never get another chance like this.
"I accept," he said, her voice trembling slightly.
[CONTRACT ESTABLISHED]
[SHADOW WOLF "UMBRA" HAS BEEN BONDED]
[TAMER RANK EVALUATION IN PROGRESS...]
[RANK UPDATED: F → E]
A warm light enveloped Aeris's body. he felt new energy flowing through his blood, and a mental connection with Umbra was perfectly formed. The Shadow Wolf's—Umbra's—eyes blossomed with a softer light, and its black tail swayed gently.
"Master," Umbra's voice rang out directly in his mind. "Thank you for accepting me."
Aeris nearly fell over. Telepathic communication with monsters was usually only possible for Tamers ranked B and above!
"You can talk?" he asked, her voice still shocked.
"Master's Soul Resonance Technique is very powerful. Stronger than anything I've ever felt,"
Umbra replied, coming closer and nuzzling Aeris's hand with his nose. "There's something special about Master."
Aeris stared at the interface that was still open. A new tab appeared:
[MONSTER BONDS: 1/3]
[AVAILABLE SKILLS:]
- Shadow Step (Beginner)
- Enhanced Night Vision
- Pack Communication
"One of three?" he muttered. "As an E-rank Tamer, I should only be able to bind one monster. How come there are three?"
Umbra tilted his head. "Master doesn't realize your true power. The energy flowing through your body... is very unusual."
Before Aeris could ask further, footsteps were heard from the direction of the academy. he quickly told Umbra to hide behind the trees and closed the system interface.
"Aeris? Are you there?" Lyra's voice sounded anxious. The blonde-haired girl appeared carrying a small lantern. "I didn't find you in your room. Don't tell me you went out at night again!"
"Lyra?" Aeris pretended to be surprised. "I just... wanted to get some fresh air."
"Get some fresh air?" Lyra frowned. "In a forest full of monsters? Aeris, are you crazy or what?"
Aeris smiled awkwardly. he had almost forgotten how protective Lyra was of his childhood friend. In the novels, Lyra was one of the few side characters who actually cared about Aeris, even to the end.
"I'm fine. Look," Aeris showed his uninjured body. "Nothing happened."
Lyra still looked uncertain, but finally sighed. "Okay. But don't do it again. Tomorrow is the practical test, remember? You need enough rest."
They walked back to the academy together. Aeris felt Umbra's presence following them from a distance, hidden in the shadows. Their mental connection allowed her to sense the Shadow Wolf's every move.
The next morning, Aeris woke up feeling different. His body felt lighter and stronger. The effects of the rank up, probably. he looked in the mirror and noticed his brown eyes now had a faint golden glint.
"Physical changes due to the contract with Umbra," he muttered, remembering the details from the novel. "But this should only happen to contracts with B-rank monsters and above."
The system interface reappeared when he focused:
[DAILY STATUS]
[NAME: Aeris Draemor]
[RANK: E (Recently Updated)]
[HEALTH: 85/85]
[MANA: 120/120]
[LUCK: 999/999]
[HIDDEN ABILITIES: ???]
"Hidden abilities?" Aeris frowned. "What is this again?"
But before he could explore further, a knock on the door interrupted him. This time it was not Lyra, but a black-haired senior in a neat academy uniform.
"Aeris Draemor?" the senior asked in a formal tone. "I am Marcus Vain, the chairman of the student evaluation committee. You are requested to come to the professor's office now."
Aeris' heart was beating fast. Had someone seen him last night? Or perhaps his rank change was detected by the academy system?
"What's wrong, senior?" he asked, trying to stay calm.
Marcus stared at him with an unreadable gaze. "Yesterday's routine evaluation test results showed an anomaly in your spiritual energy levels. Professor Aldred would like to conduct a re-examination."
Aeris followed Marcus through the academy's grand corridors. The other students stared at him with a mixture of curiosity and disdain. As a student of the impoverished House Draemor, he was always the subject of conversation.
The professor's office was located in the academy's main tower. There, Professor Aldred—a middle-aged man with a white beard—waited with a sophisticated spiritual energy measuring device.
"Aeris," Professor Aldred greeted with a friendly smile. "Sit here. I would like to check your spiritual energy levels once more."
Aeris sat down in the chair provided. Professor Aldred placed the measuring crystal nearby and began to activate the device.
"Yesterday, this device showed a reading that was... unusual," the professor said as he monitored the screen. "Your spiritual energy suddenly jumped from level F to... wait."
Professor Aldred's eyes widened as he stared at the screen. The numbers on it blinked rapidly before settling on a value that left the professor speechless.
"This... this is impossible," he whispered.
Aeris tried to peek at the screen, but couldn't see clearly. "What's wrong, professor?"
Professor Aldred stared at him with a mixture of shock and disbelief. "Aeris, your spiritual energy is showing a solid E level. It's almost touching the D limit."
"Is that... bad?" Aeris asked, feigning ignorance.
"Bad?" Professor Aldred chuckled. "This is incredible! In the history of the academy, no student has ever spontaneously advanced in rank without a monster contract or consuming high-quality Magic Crystals."
Marcus, who was standing behind him, also looked shocked. "Professor, how could this happen?"
"I don't know," Professor Aldred shook his head. "But this is a very interesting discovery. Aeris, I want you to undergo a special program. We will monitor your progress more closely."
Aeris nodded, trying to hide the anxiety in his heart. The extra attention from the academy could be a double-edged sword. On the one hand, he would receive better facilities and training. On the other hand, he would be more easily detected if he did something suspicious.
When he exited the professor's room, the system interface appeared again with a new notification:
[WARNING: INCREASED SURVEILLANCE DETECTED]
[HIDDEN ABILITIES ACTIVATION THRESHOLD: 50%]
[RECOMMENDATION: ACCELERATE GROWTH PLAN]
Aeris stopped in the corridor. "Accelerate growth plan? What do you mean?"
Suddenly, Umbra's telepathic voice appeared in his mind: "Master, something is approaching. Something powerful and dangerous."
"What do you mean?"
"I sense a dark aura from the north of the academy. This is no ordinary monster, Master. This is... something that shouldn't be here."
Aeris felt a chill run down his spine. The north of the academy was where, according to the novel, the first goblin attack would begin. But that was still almost two months away.
Unless...
"Could it be that the timeline has changed because of my presence?" he whispered.
The system interface flashes with a red warning:
[TIMELINE ANOMALY DETECTED]
[MAJOR EVENT ACCELERATION: 67%]
[ESTIMATED TIME UNTIL GOBLIN SIEGE: 3 WEEKS]