The glowing text still hovered in the darkness of Rudy's room.
> Evolution Initializing - 47%... 52%... 68%...
The system's steady hum filled his mind as he sat on the edge of the bed, watching the faint light radiating from the cat that lay curled beside him. The golden glow pulsed like a heartbeat, quiet but endless.
Minutes passed. Then an hour. The percentage crawled upward, painfully slow.
Rudy rubbed his eyes. "How long is this thing supposed to take?"
The cat was still glowing softly, its breathing steady. The room had grown cold, moonlight spilling through the tall windows. Rudy yawned, exhaustion finally washing over him.
"Well," he muttered, "if it's still running… I guess it can finish while I sleep."
He lay down on the bed beside the softly glowing cat. Within moments, his eyes closed, and the world faded into quiet.
When morning came, sunlight poured gently into his room. Rudy groaned and rolled over, half-asleep. Something warm and heavy pressed against his chest.
He frowned, still not opening his eyes. Did the cat get heavier overnight?
He blinked awake, and froze.
A girl was lying on top of him.
Not just any girl. She was… stunning. Her long white hair flowed like silk across his sheets, glowing faintly in the morning light. Two soft, triangular cat ears twitched atop her head, and a slender white tail curled lazily behind her. Her skin was pale and smooth, her body pressed close to his and she wasn't wearing a single piece of clothing.
Rudy's mind went completely blank.
He stared for a full three seconds before his brain finally caught up.
"W–WAAAAH!" he shouted, springing upright so fast the blanket flew across the room.
The girl squeaked in surprise and tumbled backward onto the bed, staring at him with wide, emerald-green eyes.
Before Rudy could say a word, the door burst open.
"Rudy! What's wrong..."
Cassandra, one of the mansion's maids, stood frozen in the doorway. Her eyes went wide as she took in the scene: Rudy, shirtless, standing on the bed… and a naked demi-human girl tangled in the sheets beside him.
The silence was deafening.
"...Master Rudy?" Cassandra finally whispered, her face turning bright red.
"Wait...no...it's not what it looks like!" Rudy blurted out, waving his hands frantically.
But before he could explain, another voice came from the hall. "Cassandra, what's all the noise about..."
It was Rose.
Rudy's mother stepped into the doorway, and her expression froze exactly like Cassandra's.
There was another long, terrible pause.
Then she said, very calmly, "Rudy. Get dressed. Now."
"M-Mom! This isn't..."
"Cassandra," Rose said without looking away from him, "come with me."
The maid bowed quickly and fled. Rose turned, her tone still polite but her aura sharp enough to slice steel. "We will talk after breakfast."
The door closed.
Rudy just stood there, staring at the space they'd left, feeling the weight of the universe pressing down on him.
"...They definitely got the wrong idea."
He turned slowly back to the girl on the bed. She sat up, holding the blanket tightly around her chest, her long white hair falling over her shoulders. Her green eyes shimmered with curiosity and faint shyness.
Then, in a soft, clear voice, she said, "Master… give me a name."
Rudy blinked. "A name?"
Before he could ask, a system window flashed before his eyes again.
> Please assign a name to your contracted beast.
He froze. "Wait a minute…"
Pieces clicked together in his mind. The evolution. The long process. The missing cat. The ears.
He pointed at her. "You're… the cat?!"
The girl tilted her head slightly. "I was. Before the contraction."
Rudy stared, jaw slack. "You evolved… into this?"
He swiped through his system interface, and sure enough:
> Evolution: Complete.
New Skill Unlocked - Beast Leveling.
He tapped on the new skill but nothing happened. No description, no explanation. Just a blank screen.
He groaned. "What kind of system doesn't explain what it does?"
The girl just blinked at him, her ears twitching.
"Well…" Rudy sighed, scratching his head. "Guess that explains why you were glowing the night."
Still, the shock of the situation hadn't worn off. He glanced at her again and instantly regretted it. She was still wrapped only in a blanket, the faintest blush coloring her cheeks.
His mind drifted for a moment. A beautiful cat girl just evolved in my bed… my first contracted beast… my first
He stopped himself mid-thought, shaking his head rapidly. "Nope. Nope. Bad thoughts. Very bad."
The girl tilted her head. "Master?"
"Nothing!" he said quickly. "Stay right there."
He turned to his wardrobe, rummaging through it until he found a loose white shirt and a light blue robe, simple enough for now. He handed them to her, trying not to look directly at her face (or anything else).
"Here. Wear these."
She accepted them quietly, her movements elegant and cautious, like someone adjusting to a new body. Once dressed, she sat on the bed again, her tail swaying gently behind her.
Rudy exhaled, finally sitting down beside her. "Alright. A name, huh?"
The system's text was still hovering faintly beside her.
> Awaiting name input for contracted beast.
He thought for a moment. Something about her calm green eyes and white hair made him think of soft moonlight. "Hmm… how about Layla?"
The girl smiled softly, the first real smile he'd seen from her. "Layla…" she repeated quietly. "Yes. I like that name."
> Beast Name Registered: Layla.
A faint blue light shimmered around her briefly, sealing the contract.
Rudy leaned back with a sigh, running a hand through his hair. "Okay… Layla. Great. Now all that's left is explaining this to Mom."
He looked toward the door, imagining Rose's sharp expression waiting downstairs.
His face went pale. "...Oh no."
Layla blinked at him innocently. "Did I do something wrong, Master?"
Rudy forced a smile. "No, no. You didn't do anything wrong. It's just…" He groaned. "They're definitely going to think I did."