Sundown was approaching, casting long shadows across the jungle canopy. As soon as Kai stepped outside, a sense of urgency gripped him. Without hesitation, he sprinted toward Umbra’s lair.

  Upon arrival, he entered swiftly, but the space was empty.

  “Hmmm, where did she go?” he muttered, scanning the area. He reached out with his senses, trying to locate her presence, but she was nowhere nearby.

  What should I do now? he asked himself. Then a thought struck him. Scry said she and I are bonded now... Maybe I can sense her through that bond.

  Kai had no idea how to do it, but he had to try. He closed his eyes and focused inward, on his core, his soul, and the energy that now connected him to Umbra. Slowly, a faint link began to emerge. It pulsed gently, guiding him eastward.

  She should be that way... I think. Let’s see if I can find her.

  He took off running, following the invisible thread that tugged at his soul. As he dashed through the jungle, he kept his senses sharp, wary of another ambush. The bond grew stronger with each step.

  Then he heard it.

  Trees were being torn from the earth just a few hundred meters ahead. Waves of intense heat rippled through the air, followed by sudden bursts of chilling cold. The contrast was unnatural, elemental forces clashing violently.

  Kai slowed down, approaching with caution. He didn’t want to interfere, but Umbra’s presence was unmistakable. Her fury echoed through their bond, raw and overwhelming.

  “She’s fighting something... but why so far from her lair?” he whispered.

  He crept closer until he could finally see her.

  Umbra was a blur of motion, leaping through collapsing trees. Her paws were cloaked in dark energy, flames that burned with cold intensity. Every movement shattered the ground beneath her. She was a force of nature.

  Kai tried to spot her opponent, but the battlefield was chaos. He sharpened his focus and activated his mana sense.

  Just then, a blazing arrow struck Umbra mid-leap. She growled in pain, landing on her feet, but clearly wounded.

  Kai’s eyes locked onto her enemy.

  The air shimmered with heat around a towering figure, a three-meter-tall monkey, covered in fiery red fur that blazed like a living inferno. Its claws burned with elemental fire, and it conjured arrows from pure flame, launching them at Umbra with deadly precision.

  Kai’s heart sank. He knew he couldn’t help. He could only watch, powerless, as she fought for her life.

  What was I thinking? He cursed himself. I asked her to hunt with me today... like I could protect her. I’m just a slightly stronger human. Nothing special. What good is having a core if I can’t even control the mana inside me?

  His frustration burned. He hated his weakness. He longed for power.

  Umbra sensed him, and something shifted.

  Her fury calmed. Her eyes, once glowing, turned pitch black, mirroring her fur. The true nature of the Abyssal Tigerhawk revealed itself. Not just a beast of shadow, but a master of darkness.

  The dark flames around her paws surged, roaring to life.

  Growl!

  The fiery monkey sensed the change. It conjured six flaming arrows, orbiting around it like miniature suns. It leapt onto the last standing tree, a massive one with crimson leaves, and camouflaged itself among the branches, preparing to strike.

  Umbra crouched low, her entire body now wrapped in cold, dark fire. She was ready.

  The monkey unleashed its arrows at blinding speed. Kai couldn’t even see them, only streaks of light tearing through the air.

  Umbra charged forward, a black fireball streaking toward the tree. In less than a second, she tore through the barrage and collided with the tree in an explosion of darkness.

  The dark flames devoured the tree instantly. They emitted no heat, only a chilling void. Within moments, the tree was gone, and the monkey lay on the ground, its fire extinguished, its corpse charred and empty, lifeless.

  Umbra retracted her flames into her shadow. She looked unchanged, but Kai could see the toll. Her fur was scorched, and her energy was nearly depleted.

  Yet she strode proudly toward him, the monkey’s corpse clutched in her beak.

  Despite the cost, she was happy. She had fought with everything she had, not just to survive, but to prove herself. This was the first time she had used her full power. Normally, she relied on her claws and wore down her prey. But this time, she faced a foe stronger than expected. She had risked everything.

  She could have died.

  But she didn’t. She won to prove that she was strong even though she lost the day before.

  Kai had saved her once. Shared his prey. Treated her as an equal. She wanted to be worthy of that. Not a burden. Not someone to protect. She was a ruler of darkness. She would rather die than be weak.

  Kai didn’t know all this, but he felt it. Her determination. Her exhaustion. The fight had been closer than she wanted to admit.

  She stopped in front of him and screeched joyfully, showing off her prize.

  “You were amazing back there,” Kai said, placing his palm gently on her head. “I’ve never seen anything like that. You’re incredibly strong, Umbra.”

  He paused, then added softly, “But please... be more careful next time. We’re partners now, right? Let’s survive and grow stronger together. I’d hate myself if something happened to you and I could only stand there and watch.”

  Umbra felt his words deep in her soul. He was in awe of her, but also afraid of losing her. His first friend in this world.

  She understood.

  She wasn’t alone anymore.

  Umbra growled in agreement and turned toward the battlefield. With a screech to the rubble on the left, she dropped the monkey’s corpse and led Kai there.

  Kai followed, curious. Beneath the debris lay a meter-long boar, its red fur matted with blood, black tusks chipped, and claw marks raked across its flank.

  He understood.

  She had fought the monkey over the boar, her prey. She wanted to bring him food, just as he had done for her.

  Umbra nudged him with her beak, urging him to take the boar. She had another beast to carry.

  And so, the duo traveled home, each carrying a trophy of survival. Umbra led the way, her tail swaying proudly. Kai followed, the boar slung over his back, eyes scanning the jungle for threats. The echoes of battle had emptied the forest for miles.

  When they returned to the cave, Umbra dropped the fiery monkey’s corpse at Kai’s feet with a flourish, clearly expecting him to eat it.

  Kai’s face twisted in discomfort. First a snake, now a monkey?

  “Thank you… but I truly can’t,” he said with a nervous laugh, trying to mask his unease.

  Umbra tilted her head, then nudged the monkey closer, insistent.

  Kai sighed, meeting her eyes with a mix of helplessness and apology.

  “Look, the snake was one thing… but I really can’t eat a monkey. I’ll eat the boar instead. What do you say?”

  He paused, then brightened with an idea.

  “How about this? We bring the boar with us, and maybe I can find a way to cook it at our new hideout. I can probably make something delicious.”

  Umbra blinked, intrigued.

  “I found a way inside the building on the hill,” Kai continued. “But we need to hurry. Come on, let’s take the boar and go. If you don’t like it, we can come back. Sound good?”

  Umbra growled softly in agreement. But before leaving, she clawed out the monkey’s core, a glowing red orb, and handed it to Kai.

  He hesitated. He wasn’t sure what she wanted, but he definitely wasn’t going to eat another core. Not after Scry’s stories.

  He shivered, imagining himself exploding from the inside.

  Umbra took a few bites of the ape, clearly enjoying it. Kai watched, disgusted, as she happily dragged the corpse next to the snakes, then picked up the boar and waited.

  Kai sighed, clutching the core, and exited the cave.

  Umbra followed, proud and satisfied.

  ***

  They arrived at the hill just after sundown. The sky was painted in hues of deep orange and violet, casting long shadows across the jungle floor.

  Kai placed his hand on the Arcanum’s surface. It responded instantly, scanning him with a soft hum before the doors slid open.

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  He stepped through the glowing threshold, and Umbra followed cautiously, her senses alert.

  Inside, they found themselves in a brightly lit circular chamber. The walls shimmered with mystical crystals, and the air was cool and still.

  Suddenly, Scry materialized in the center of the room, looking half-asleep and slightly disoriented.

  Umbra reacted instantly, dropping the boar and cloaking her paws in darkfire, ready to strike.

  “Whoa, whoa! Easy there, little birdy... or is it kitty?” Scry chuckled, floating closer with exaggerated caution. “No, I’ll be the kitty. You be the birdy. Yes, I like that more.”

  Said the flying tiger, no larger than Umbra’s head, his tone playful but his eyes sharp.

  Kai stepped forward quickly.

  “It’s okay, girl. He’s a friend. He’ll help us get stronger.”

  Umbra hesitated, then relaxed. The darkfire around her paws faded.

  He paused mid-hover, eyes narrowing slightly. “But jokes aside...” His voice dropped to a thoughtful murmur as he scanned Umbra. “This birdy is dangerous. How the hell did she allow you two to bond?”

  He knew their story; he’d seen it through Kai’s memories, but something didn’t add up. Umbra wasn’t the type to bond easily, even after being saved. Especially not after knowing someone for just one night.

  There had to be more to it.

  But he’d figure that out later. Right now, he was exhausted. This was the longest he’d stayed awake since his master died, and his energy was fading fast. He needed to sleep, to recover his energy.

  “Why did you bring a dead Crimson Boar and a Tier 5 Spirit Beast's core as well?” Scry asked, floating lazily above the ground, clearly confused.

  “Umbra fought and killed this boar and another burning monkey just recently,” Kai explained. “I was hoping you might have something I could use to cook it. I really can’t eat more raw meat… not after the snake, and Umbra insists I eat this or the monkey.” He shivered at the memory.

  Scry blinked slowly, then nodded. “Hmm, yes. Humans shouldn’t eat raw spirit beast meat. It’s not just unpleasant, it’s dangerous. There’s a crude kitchen that my master used to use. You can cook it there. I’ll also give you a few cookbooks for spirit beasts.”

  Kai tilted his head. “Wait, what’s a Tier 5 Spirit Beast?”

  Scry sighed dramatically. “You really don’t know even the basics, do you? Fine. Here, take these.”

  With a flick of his tail, ten books materialized in midair and dropped to the floor with a loud thump, sending dust flying.

  “These cover all the spirit beasts you might encounter here, and across the world. And these…”

  Thud!

  Five heavier tomes landed on top of the first stack. “…are about Divine Beasts. You’ll need to learn the difference. The tier system is explained in these as well.”

  He floated down and perched atop the pile like a smug librarian.

  “Also, take this.” A simple silver bracelet with a small green gem shimmered into existence and snapped gently around Kai’s wrist.

  “This is a basic storage artifact. At your level, it’s the best you can handle. Just pour in a little mana, whatever you can control, and you’ll be able to store and retrieve items from it.”

  Kai’s eyes widened. It was like something straight out of the fantasy games he used to play. He never imagined he’d experience this in real life. Despite the danger and strangeness of this world, part of him was thrilled. Magic was real. And he was living it.

  “Thank you,” he said, smiling with genuine gratitude.

  “I’ve also placed inside some books on mana control techniques, for both Mages and Fighters,” Scry said, his eyes gleaming with scholarly excitement. “You inherited a technique from the Serpent, too, so you can experiment and see what suits you best. I expect notes and reports.”

  With a flick of his paw, he conjured another tome, this one bound in black leather and etched with silver runes. “And for your friend... a guide to the darkness element and skills appropriate for her level. It contains memories and experiences of other dark-element beasts. She just needs to pour her mana into it, and the knowledge will become clear.”

  Scry tilted his head thoughtfully. “She’s only Tier 4 right now? Impressive, she managed to kill that monkey. From your description, and judging by this core, it was likely a Cinderpaw Monkey. Nasty little beast. Strong, fast, and volatile.”

  He examined the glowing orb with fascination, his eyes gleaming.

  “We’ll need to help her grow stronger. Give her this core to absorb later,” he said, handing it back to Kai. “She’ll make an excellent test subject.”

  Scry smiled, his expression somewhere between proud mentor and mad scientist.

  Kai blinked. Test subject? He wasn’t sure how he felt about that.

  “Since you’re not from this world,” Scry continued, “you won’t be able to read these books. Come here, let me teach you our languages.”

  Kai hesitated, but Scry waved his tiny paw insistently. As Kai stepped closer, Scry placed his paw on Kai’s forehead. A burst of bright light enveloped his head for a moment, warm and oddly tingly.

  Kai staggered slightly as the light faded. His mind buzzed with unfamiliar symbols, sounds, and meanings that somehow made sense. That was... fast. He blinked, trying to process the sudden clarity. “I can read? Speak? Understand? Just like that?”

  “Done!” Scry chirped. “You should be able to understand our language now, and even communicate with most inhabitants of this world. I threw in a few extra languages, too. On the house!” He laughed, clearly proud of his work.

  Kai rubbed his temples, still adjusting to the sudden influx of knowledge. It’s like someone dumped a library into my head. I didn’t even know my brain could feel full. He glanced at the books Scry had given him. At least now I won’t be staring at incomprehensible symbols all night.

  “Now then,” Scry said, turning toward the wall, “let me open up the building a bit for you two.”

  Click!

  Two shimmering doorways appeared out of thin air.

  “I’ve unlocked the kitchen and a bedroom for you both to rest. There should be a door in the bedroom that leads to a private bath as well. You can use it to wash yourself, you’re quite smelly,” he added, pinching his nose dramatically.

  Kai blinked, then sniffed his sleeve. Okay... fair. He hadn’t exactly had time for hygiene since arriving. “Yeah, I guess I’ve earned that,” he muttered.

  Scry floated off, already sounding sleepy. “My mana levels are critically low. I’ll be out for about a week. Try not to get yourselves killed, okay?”

  Kai frowned. “A whole week?”

  “Yes,” Scry yawned, his translucent form flickering.

  “I’ve been asleep for a very long time. I need to recover slowly. Once I’m back to at least twenty percent of my strength, I’ll be able to stay awake and absorb mana simultaneously. For now, patience, my boy.”

  He stretched, yawned, and gave a mischievous grin.

  “Well then, don’t miss me too much. To dreamworld I go!”

  With that, the little creature floated off, leaving Kai standing in the newly revealed hallway, arms full of books, thoughts swirling

  Kai turned to Umbra, who was still standing silently, her eyes wide with everything that had just happened.

  “Well... looks like it’s just the two of us again, huh?” he said with a chuckle.

  He led Umbra to the room on the right, a massive bedroom that could easily accommodate twenty people. Kai chose a bed on the left, while Umbra curled up on a large couch nearby. She sank into its soft cushions as fatigue washed over her. Moments later, loud snoring echoed through the room.

  Kai laughed softly, warmth in his eyes as he glanced over.

  He poured mana into his bracelet and retrieved a guide on preparing meals from spirit beast ingredients. As he began reading the first of several books on the subject, he quickly grasped the dangers of consuming raw spirit beast meat. Human bodies aren’t equipped to process the concentrated mana found in these creatures. Tier 1 and 2 beasts are relatively safe, but the stronger the beast, the greater the risk.

  He continued reading, absorbing the knowledge with ease. To his amazement, he could memorize everything effortlessly. It seemed the Serpent’s baptism had reforged his mind, making it more resilient and expanding his cognitive abilities.

  After studying the cookbooks, he selected a few simple meals to prepare while Umbra slept.

  He stored the red core and stepped off the bed quietly, his movements careful and deliberate. He wasn’t in a rush; he was trying to delay what came next.

  To the left, through a pair of carved doors, lay the kitchen. It was unlike any he’d seen before. A fireplace glowed with red crystals arranged in a perfect circle, a massive cauldron floating above it as if suspended by magic. A grill and a stone oven sat nearby, both resting on similar crystals. Across the room, a fountain of crystal-clear water flowed endlessly from a glowing blue gem, the sound soft and rhythmic.

  He had read about elemental crystals, fire, and water, simple in theory. But here, surrounded by their quiet power, they felt anything but simple.

  Kai opened a cupboard and retrieved a few polished knives and pots. His fingers hesitated on the handles. He glanced at the boar, then at the pristine kitchen floor. No. He couldn’t do it here.

  Outside, the night had settled in. He pulled one of the red crystals from his bracelet, left by Scry, and fed it a small stream of mana. It responded with a flicker of flame, small but steady. Kai placed it beneath a pile of dry branches he had gathered earlier. The flame caught quickly, spreading through the wood until a modest bonfire crackled before him.

  Kai stared into the fire, trying to steady himself.

  “I can do this. I can do it,” he whispered, not to himself, but to the flames.

  Dragging the boar’s corpse outside, he prepared to butcher it. He had studied the process, memorized the steps, but reality was far more visceral. The moment he began, his stomach twisted.

  His hands moved with care, but his mind recoiled. He gagged once, then again, pressing his lips shut and breathing through his nose.

  It didn’t help.

  The stench of the intestines was overwhelming. He turned and vomited into the grass.

  Wiping his mouth, he muttered, “I need to be stronger. I can do this.”

  He kept talking to himself, trying to stay focused. “Why does it have to be so messy? This is disgusting…”

  Still, he pushed through.

  He remembered what the books said: nothing should be wasted. Even the blood had value. He collected what he could, avoiding eye contact with the remains, storing everything carefully in his bracelet, grateful for its spacious interior.

  The core was the last thing he retrieved, a glowing, bloody orb, larger than the serpent’s but smaller than the ape’s. He set it aside for Umbra. It was her kill, after all.

  Once finished, Kai gathered the bones and waste. He didn’t want to leave anything behind that might attract predators. He remembered Umbra’s cave and decided to bring everything there.

  Then he recalled the leftover serpent meat.

  This time, I’ll cook it. Maybe it’ll taste better. He didn’t want to waste more food than he had to. He would use whatever he could stomach.

  But not the ape. Definitely not the ape.

  Using the crystal as a torch, he made his way through the dark, his thoughts swirling.

  “I did it… Somehow,” he whispered, though the nausea still lingered.

  ***

  Back at the Arcanum, he returned to the kitchen. It was nearly dinner. He prepared the spices, grateful for the distraction. Lighting the fire was easy, just like before, but the flame had a strange, almost reverent quality. These crystals were clearly more refined.

  He fetched water from the fountain, added the meats, herbs, and spices he had found stored, and let it all simmer. The scent began to fill the room, and for the first time that evening, Kai felt a flicker of calm.

  Kai pulled a nearby chair and set one of the books Scry had given him on the table. “Guide on the Spirit Beasts of Sacra, Volume One,” he read aloud, running his fingers over the embossed cover.

  As the stew simmered gently over the crystal fire, Kai flipped through several volumes. The information was dense but fascinating. He now understood what Tiers meant, Spirit Beasts were ranked from Tier 1 to Tier 9, with each level representing a leap in power, mana capacity, lifespan, and magical ability. The higher the Tier, the more formidable the beast.

  It was rare, almost unheard of, for a lower-tier beast to defeat a higher-tier one. That realization made Umbra’s victory over the monkey even more impressive. She’s Tier 4, Kai thought, glancing toward the door. And she still managed to win. She’s strong. What did she run into to have hurt her like that? He questioned.

  He leaned back, letting the knowledge settle. The books were surprisingly easy to read now. The language, once incomprehensible, flowed naturally in his mind. That light Scry used... it didn’t just teach me a language. It rewired something. I can understand runes, dialects, and even regional scripts. It’s like I’ve been living here my whole life.

  He chuckled softly. And he threw in extra languages ‘on the house.’ What a strange little creature.

  The stew was nearly done. Kai had made plenty, so he decided not to cook anything else. He prepared a large bowl for Umbra and a smaller one for himself. Just as he was about to call her, he saw a shadow glide through the doorway.

  Umbra had smelled the food.

  Her beak twitched, eyes wide with curiosity. This was clearly her first time encountering a cooked meal, and she was eager to try it. Kai laughed and placed the bowl on the floor. Umbra dove in, emitting happy growls and chirps as she ate.

  Kai took his own bowl and scooped a spoonful. The taste was... incredible. Rich, savory, layered with spices and something else, something magical. He hadn’t expected it to be this good.

  But the real surprise was the effect.

  As he ate, he felt his body hum with energy. The mana infused in the food was nurturing him, sharpening his senses, and refreshing his mind. It was like drinking pure vitality. This is insane, he thought. I feel like I could run a marathon and then solve a dozen equations.

  Both he and Umbra had seconds. Then thirds.

  Eventually, the warmth of the meal gave way to drowsiness. Kai led Umbra to the bedroom, her steps slow and content. He collapsed face-first onto the bed, the fatigue catching up with him all at once.

  His body and mind were reshaping again, subtly, but noticeably.

  Umbra curled up nearby, her breathing steady, her aura glowing faintly with the positive effects of the food.