[FELIX'S POV]
Ding!
"Huh..... what was that?" I woke up groggily, looking at my surroundings.
Slowly, I came to my senses, as I looked around with difficulty, the darkness a sobering reality of my current I barely had space to move.
I had no way of knowing how much time had passed (though it felt like an eternity), but it seems like I got bigger as there was less room to move around.
Ding!!!
What was that sound? Did the oven finish baking?
A translucent white screen appeared in front of me.
[System awakening process initiated]
[System integration: 1%… 15%… 49%… 78%… 90%…]
My eyes widened in shock. As I suspected, Truck-kun didn't disappoint; I was truly in another world.
A system.
The cheat code of protagonists, the ultimate screw you to destiny.
My mind rapidly filled with possibilities as I imagined myself, the god of this new world.
[System integration 100%]
[Performing scan to gather details]
[Scan complete]
[Host status is now available]
I immediately shouted in my head, 'Status'
Name: Felix
Species:Wyvern(Unhatched)
Rank : -
STR : -
AGI : -
END : -
INT : -
MANA:
I stared at the species name for a long time. Wyvern.
"Well, I guess it could be worse", I thought, "I could have been a goblin or something"
"Hey System?"
[Yes, Host]
"How much longer until I get out of this egg?"
[Based on the amount of mana required, the estimated time to hatching is less than three days, Host.]
"Only three days?" I thought, excitement bubbling up inside me.
To pass the time, I began imagining everything I'd do once I was finally outside, testing my newfound powers, stretching my wings, seeing this new world for myself—when suddenly…
[Foreign mana detected]
[Bonding ritual initiated]
My brain screeched to a halt.
A beast-tamer contract.
Someone outside was trying to bind me. To make me their companion. Their weapon. Their shield.
Anger surged, hot and immediate, drowning out reason, as I felt my very blood boiling at the potential consequences clear.
"Oh, fuck no."
Images flashed through my mind—being dragged into battles, forced to bleed and die for someone else's ambition. Reduced to a tool. A mount. A disposable asset.
I didn't reincarnate to be someone's meat shield.
Absolutely not.
I extended my senses and found a force approaching my chest. As soon as it made contact, I could feel it prodding my very soul.
This violation made me angrier than I had ever been in my life.
[Bonding process halted]
[Host consent required]
The answer is hell no.
[Bonding ritual terminated]
I let out a huff of relief as the invading mana was thrown out of my body.
My pride flared at my victory.
You all can go screw yourselves.
I am nobody's slave.
[CEDRIC ASHVALE'S POV]
It..... failed? I failed?
My eyes widened in disbelief.
It shouldn't be possible for a beast still in its egg to have such a strong spirit.
And yet it somehow overpowered my own.
Undeterred, I tried again. I channelled my will in my mana and guided it back into the egg.
This time, the rejection was even faster.
Shame filled my being as I realised the truth.
I am weaker than a baby beast.
Still, I can't just give up on this egg. It threw down the gauntlet; now I must respond in kind.
"One way or another, I will win this battle"
There was a small knock on the door.
"Come in"
Mara entered with a smile on her face.
"All done with the bonding ritual?"
My voice sounded colder as I spoke, "No, it refused me"
There was no response behind me.
"I need to use the other way."
"But… that's far too extreme for such a weak creature," Mara protested. "If it fails, the egg would die, not to mention it could cripple your growth—permanently damaging your ability to form future bonds."
"It doesn't matter", I replied flatly.
"An egg that most would kill for, dropped into my lap, and I am not about to give it away to someone else."
Mara said nothing; she knew when my mind was made up.
"Let's inform the mage commander, Mara"
"What should I tell the Duke?"
"Everything"
[2 DAYS LATER]
"Are you sure you want to do this, Cedric?" the Duke asked me.
"I am Father"
The Mage Commander, Janice, frowned deeply.
"Young Lord, you must understand—once the runes are activated, there is no turning back. The pact will be forged regardless of either party's will."
Her voice hardened as she continued.
"But the strain placed upon both souls is immense. Without an unshakeable resolve, the weaker side. Survival is not guaranteed."
She then met my eyes.
"Most beasts subjected to it do not survive the procedure. And a small percentage of the time that do are often left crippled, their instincts shattered, their growth permanently stunted."
"It is a bond born of force, not harmony."
Her next words echoed across the hall.
"If you proceed," Janis said finally, "you stake not only the beast's life, but your own future as a contractor."
A heavy silence filled the room.
"So I ask again, are you sure you want to go through with this?"
.
.
.
.
.
AN: What did you guys think of the chapter? comment, review and gift power stones.