She sighed and finally spoke. "Choose your companion beast: cat or bear."
I blinked. "What? Who are you? Where am I? What is this place? Why am I naked? How did I get here? What happens if I don't choose? Are you going to hurt me? Is this some kind of dream? Am I dead? What's the catch? Can I go home? Why a cat or a bear? What does a companion beast even do? Is there any way out of this?"
I kept babbling, asking every question that tumbled out in my panic—every single thing a person in my situation would want to know. But she just stared back, expressionless.
After a long silence, she sighed again. I realized there was no point in resisting. Accepting my fate, I started to think. I'd never really been a pet person—don't get me wrong, but just taking care of myself was a big enough task, let alone a pet. Cat or bear, cat or bear…
I hesitated, then asked, "Do I have any other options? Like a dog?"
She didn't even blink. Deadpan.
I shook my head and muttered, "Why am I not surprised?" Letting out a long sigh, I finally said, "Fine. A bear. Okay?"
At last, she nodded. With a snap of her fingers, darkness closed in, and I fell into a deep, dreamless sleep.
I woke the next morning to find, right beside me, the cutest creature I'd ever seen. She was a bear cub, but not just any bear cub—she was impossibly adorable. Her fur was soft and fluffy, like fresh snow, with rounded little ears perked up on her head. Huge, sparkling eyes blinked at me with innocent curiosity, and her tiny nose twitched as she sniffed the air. She let out a high-pitched squeal, lifting her paws in the air as if to say, "Hey! Hey!"
Somehow, I understood exactly what she meant. "Ah, a girl," I realized, smiling at her. She looked up at me with those gentle, trusting eyes, then nudged a small bundle of clothes toward me with her paw.
I nodded, grateful. "Thank you," I said softly.
The clothes were simple—just a plain t-shirt and a pair of night pants—but they felt like treasure in that moment. I put them on, relieved to find they fit perfectly. I looked back at my new companion, who watched me with a proud, satisfied expression.
"So, the fruit I ate was a beast-taming fruit… I guess I'm a beast tamer now," I said, still trying to wrap my head around it all.
"Wait," I thought, "if I eat that fruit again, do I get another ability?"
Excitedly, I looked around, searching for another apple-like fruit. There was nothing—no tree, no fruit in sight. I sighed and scratched my head, disappointed.
My little bear cub companion, sensing my greedy thoughts, huffed and puffed with adorable indignation. She waved her paws as if to say, "No, no!"—her comical gestures making me laugh.
Then, in a surprisingly clear voice, she announced, "Master, do you know who I am? I'm a Cosmic Bear!" With that, she let out a tiny, fierce roar—though it was more cute than fearsome.
I couldn't help but laugh, lifting her up and hugging her to my chest. Together, we set off into the forest, searching for food.
Meanwhile, in a faraway cosmic dimension, a majestic Cosmic Bear opened her eyes. "Hmm, not bad. This human has potential—he adapted quickly," she mused.
Her husband, another Cosmic Bear, snorted. "When he landed, he was crying like a baby. He'd better treat our daughter well."
She laughed, replying, "He will, he will." Then, their conversation drifted to other topics.
Back in the forest, I had no idea I was now the master of a Cosmic Bear. I kept teasing my new companion as we traveled, laughing together. She played along, clearly enjoying my company—and I found myself really liking this bear cub.
I walked for several minutes, weaving through the endless trees, but found no fruit anywhere. It was weird, but somehow, I wasn't even surprised. Still hugging my bear cub (who, by the way, I decided to call Puff for her fluffy fur and gentle puffs of breath), I trudged on.
After nonstop walking, I could feel my stamina draining from lack of food, and Puff seemed to be getting tired, too. Muttering to myself that I needed to find something to eat, I pressed forward.
That's when I saw it—a lonely goblin lurking in the bushes. Instinctively, I ducked down to hide. Puff tensed in my arms, warning me with a soft growl. My instincts screamed at me not to approach, but I felt uneasy with the goblin so close.
After a few tense moments, I decided I had to try. Maybe defeating the goblin would help us survive, or at least make this place feel less threatening. I set Puff gently in the bushes. She let out a soft squeal, as if to say, "Be careful—and good luck!"
I nodded at her with a reassuring smile, then crept forward silently. As I moved, I focused my energy and activated a newfound ability:
Grasp of the Mountain (Active)
I sat down in the grass, breathing hard. A few meters away, the goblin's corpse lay still. I stared at it, lost in thought. What was the point of all this?
Suddenly, the corpse began to dissolve into shimmering blue particles, which drifted away and vanished into the air. In its place was a tiny green bottle labeled "healing."
I froze, unable to process what I'd just witnessed. Nola—yes, that's what I'd decided to name my bear cub—said nothing. She seemed to understand exactly what I was feeling.
I stood up in silence, fists clenched, my expression cold and unreadable. After a moment, I picked up the bottle and drank it. Instantly, my wounds healed, and I felt a little stronger. I even tested my arm, finding I could now throw a stone twice before feeling any strain.
But there was no happiness—just a new seriousness settling over me.
"Nola," I said quietly, "this is a sick world."
A few minutes later, I managed to calm myself down. But as I thought things through, a chilling realization struck me: if this kept up, wouldn't I eventually lose my sanity? Would I forget who I am and become nothing but a mindless killing machine? The absurdity of it all made me burst out laughing—loud, wild laughter that echoed through the empty forest, sounding almost unhinged.
Nola, my faithful bear cub, let out a long sigh and shook her head. Internally, she thought, Stupid master, that's why I'm here—as your cute companion. I'll keep you from losing your sanity.
Still laughing, I looked around at the endless stretch of trees and grass. "So this is it, huh? No animals to hunt, no fruit to eat, just trees, grass, and that creepy clown. This isn't just about survival—it's about keeping my sanity."
As if to underscore my realization, a panel suddenly popped up in front of me:
Name: Arin
Age: 25
Pet: Bear (cub) – Nola
Sanity Level: 3%
???: ??
???: ??
Seeing the panel, everything started to make sense. The question marks hinted at features yet to be unlocked—there was still more to come. Now, at least, I understood the rules of the game I'd been thrown into.