Shen Tian discovered another important truth about this world roughly five minutes after killing a mutant bone-boar.
The Federation really, really hated surprises.
He hadn't even finished catching his breath when heavy footsteps echoed down the shattered street. Armed evolvers in dark combat uniforms poured in from every direction, their auras sharp and disciplined. At their center strode a tall man with metallic lines running across his neck—clearly someone who had chosen a mechanized bloodline path.
The silver fox on Shen Tian's shoulder instantly went still.
Too still.
'Don't talk,' it chittered softly. 'Don't act clever. Let me handle it.'
Shen Tian twitched. "You handling things usually involves teleporting me into danger."
The fox's tail flicked. 'This time, trust me.'
That was… unsettlingly reassuring.
The man stopped a few meters away, eyes sweeping over the wreckage—the collapsed fence, the dead bone-boar, the cracked road.
Then his gaze locked onto Shen Tian.
"…You did this?" the man asked.
Shen Tian opened his mouth.
The fox coughed.
Shen Tian immediately changed course. "Ah—well—you see—it's a long story involving teamwork, bravery, and definitely not panic."
The man stared.
Behind him, a medic knelt beside the corpse, scanning it with a handheld device. His eyebrows rose. "Rank 1 Lv.7. Killed cleanly."
Cleanly?
Shen Tian glanced at the boar's ruined eye and then at the bent metal rod in his hand.
Cleanly was doing a lot of work there.
The officer frowned. "What's your evolution rank?"
Shen Tian hesitated.
The system helpfully popped up text only he could see.
[Warning: Excessive Attention Detected]
[Recommendation: Conceal Strength]
"Rank 1," Shen Tian said quickly. "Barely. Like… very barely."
The officer's eyes narrowed. "And your companion?"
Shen Tian looked down at the silver fox.
It blinked innocently, curled its tail around his neck, and—somehow—its aura vanished. Completely. Like it had never existed.
The medic blinked. "That's… just a low-tier spirit beast?"
The fox yawned.
Shen Tian nearly laughed out loud. You little liar.
"Hmph," the officer said. "Lucky kill, then. You should be dead."
"Yes," Shen Tian agreed immediately. "I feel that deeply."
The officer turned away. "Clean up the area. Civilians return in ten minutes."
Just like that, the threat passed.
As the enforcers moved off, Shen Tian's legs finally gave out. He sat down hard on the curb.
"…Okay," he said weakly. "I think my lifespan just shortened by several years."
The fox hopped down and sat in front of him, tail wrapped neatly around its paws.
'You did well,' it said.
Shen Tian stared. "…You're complimenting me?"
'Don't get used to it.'
He laughed. Really laughed this time. It burst out of him, shaky and disbelieving.
"I died once," he said quietly. "I didn't expect to… live like this."
The fox's ears twitched.
For a moment, it didn't tease him.
Then Shen Tian felt warmth brush against his hand. The fox leaned into him—just slightly—before pulling away as if embarrassed.
'You're not done yet,' it said. 'And neither am I.'
The system chimed softly.
[Companion Bond Strength Increased]
[Hidden Bloodline Resonance Detected]
[Note: Spatial affinity reacting to host survival instinct]
Shen Tian swallowed.
"…You're important," he said slowly. "Aren't you?"
The fox's silver eyes met his.
'More than you know.'
That night, Shen Tian lay on his narrow bed, staring at the ceiling while the silver fox curled against his side, warm and annoyingly comfortable.
His dark halo hovered quietly above him, no longer swirling chaotically—just watching.
Tomorrow, he would be summoned for questioning. Tomorrow, the academy would notice him. Tomorrow, the world would start pushing back.
But for now?
For now, Shen Tian slept.
And for the first time since his rebirth, bad luck did not follow him into his dreams.