"Now," Miya said, her voice calm but firm, "you will learn how to contract with an animal."
The courtyard was still faintly humming with residual mana from the Lightning Wolf's earlier summoning. The scent of ozone lingered in the air. Rudy's pulse quickened as Miya turned toward a wooden crate resting near the wall. She opened it with a soft creak and out leapt a small creature.
A cat.
Its fur was snow-white with faint golden stripes that shimmered faintly under the sun. The same kind of cat that always sat on Miya's head.
Rudy blinked. "Wait… I'm contracting that?"
"Yes," Miya replied simply. "This will be your first partner."
Rudy frowned. "Why not a wolf? I mean, if I'm going to be a tamer, shouldn't I start with something stronger?"
Miya's gaze slid toward him, cool and unamused. "Do you want to kill yourself?"
Rudy froze. "N-no…"
"Then start with this. A beast's strength must match its master's mana level. Contracting a creature beyond your control will destroy your core." She spoke the words as if reciting a universal law, absolute, unquestionable. "You are not at that level. This is your limit."
The cat meowed, flicking its tail.
Rudy sighed in defeat. "Fine. What do I do?"
Miya crouched down beside him, the cat now perched neatly on her palm. "It is simple," she said. "You stretch out your hand, focus your mana, and say the word, Contraction."
Rudy blinked. "That's it? Don't I need to chant an incantation or draw a magic circle or something?"
Her eyebrow twitched faintly. "Why would you want to waste energy saying extra words?"
He scratched the back of his head. I thought fantasy worlds worked like that… But he kept the thought to himself.
"Never mind," he said quickly, kneeling down. The cat sat still, looking up at him with golden eyes that glimmered faintly.
"Okay," he muttered, raising his hand. "Let's do this. Contraction!"
A faint wind stirred. A small magic circle appeared beneath the cat, glowing white and gold. For a heartbeat, it pulsed beautifully, then shattered with a sharp crack.
The light vanished.
Rudy blinked, confused. "What happened?"
Miya frowned slightly. "It failed. Try again."
He hesitated, then nodded. "Right."
"Contraction!"
Crack.
Again, the circle shattered.
He tried again.
And again.
Each time, the circle appeared, fragile, trembling and broke apart before the link could form. By the fifth attempt, sweat beaded on Rudy's forehead. His arms trembled.
Miya stood watching silently, her expression unreadable, but her cat's tail flicked with what looked like annoyance.
"Strange," she murmured. "Even a beginner should be able to form a basic contract with a common beast. You are focusing, aren't you?"
"I am!" Rudy said, frustrated. "I'm doing exactly what you said!"
"Then again," Miya said softly. "Contraction depends not only on mana flow, but also on resonance. Perhaps…" She trailed off, watching him closely. "…perhaps you and this beast are not compatible."
Rudy sighed heavily and sank back onto the grass. "You're saying even cats don't like me now?"
Miya ignored his complaint. "We will try again tomorrow. Continue to practice your mana control tonight."
Before he could protest, she turned away, the cat still perched on her shoulder. "Remember, mastery takes patience. I will see you at dawn."
And with that, she walked toward the gates, her figure soon fading into the twilight.
That night, the mansion was quiet.
The dining hall glowed softly under crystal lamps as Rudy sat at the long table, poking at his food. His parents, Rose and Malik, watched him with subtle concern.
"So," Rose said finally, her tone gentle. "How was your training?"
Rudy forced a smile. "It was fine, I guess."
Malik arched an eyebrow. "Fine? You don't look fine."
Rudy shrugged, still avoiding their eyes. "Just… a lot harder than I thought."
Rose sighed but didn't press further. "Eat, dear. You'll need your strength."
Dinner passed quietly. When Rudy finally returned to his room, he felt a heavy weight in his chest. He sat on his bed, staring at the ceiling, the cat from earlier curled on the floor beside him, its tail twitching.
He looked down at it. "You know," he muttered, "I don't get it. Why couldn't I contract you? Miya said even a weak tamer can handle a cat… so what does that make me?"
The cat only blinked and meowed softly, its golden eyes calm.
Rudy exhaled, rubbing his temples. "Alright, no use whining about it."
He crossed his legs on the floor, closed his eyes, and began to breathe slowly, the same way Miya had taught him that morning.
He focused on his man, that faint current he had felt before. Slowly, the warmth returned, flowing gently through his limbs. This time, though, he concentrated harder, visualizing the energy moving like streams of light, weaving and circulating within him.
Minutes passed. Ten. Maybe more.
Then, suddenly, ding.
A faint blue screen flickered before his eyes.
> Mana Level +10
Current Mana Level: 20
Rudy's eyes widened. "I... leveled up? Just from meditating?"
Another notification appeared immediately after.
> New Skill Unlocked: Contraction
New Skill Unlocked: Evolution
His heart skipped a beat. "Wait… skills? I actually got skills?"
He scrolled through the glowing text, eyes darting quickly. "Contraction… Evolution? What does that even mean?"
The cat lifted its head and stared at him curiously.
Then it hit him. "If one of my skills is literally called Contraction… maybe now I can finally do it!"
He jumped up, nearly startling the cat, and extended his hand toward it. His mana pulsed stronger this time, clearer, sharper. He could feel it.
"Alright," he whispered, eyes narrowing with determination. "Let's try this again."
He took a deep breath and shouted, "Contraction!"
The room trembled.
A massive magic circle burst to life beneath the cat, far larger and brighter than before. Golden light flooded the room, illuminating every corner. The cat meowed sharply as the air filled with crackling energy. Rudy shielded his eyes, but he could feel the mana link forming, a thread connecting his soul to something vast and living.
The light grew so intense he thought it might consume him.
Then-
> Contract Successful.
Evolution Initializing -- 1%... 2%... 3%...
The system's mechanical tone echoed in his head, calm but powerful.