When Bargaj vanished—
Ekant finally released the breath he had been holding.
He sat down heavily on the sand, palms pressing into the warm grains.
"…Thankfully he's gone," he muttered.
"That presence was seriously life-threatening."
Even though the safe zone had protected him, the pressure from Bargaj still lingered in his mind. It wasn't fear anymore —more like the memory of standing too close to something that could crush existence just by breathing.
He stayed there for a while.
The wind blew gently, carrying the salty scent of the ocean. Waves rolled in endlessly, rising and falling with a calming rhythm. The sound was soothing, almost hypnotic.
For a moment—
He forgot he was inside a game.
"…This is nice," Ekant said quietly.
Then he shook his head.
"Well, I should start wandering around and kill some monsters," he encouraged himself.
"God knows what I'll get next time."
Curiosity struck again.
He turned toward the ocean.
Is it really that realistic… or did the developers miss something?
He walked forward.
〈You have left the Safe Zone〉
Ekant crouched near the shore and dipped his hand into the water.
Cold.
Not painfully cold— but refreshingly so.
The water slipped between his fingers, carrying a faint resistance as waves pulled back. Tiny grains of sand brushed against his skin, and the pressure changed subtly with each passing ripple.
"…Damn," he said honestly.
"It really feels like real ocean water."
It wasn't just temperature.
There was weight.
Movement.
Depth.
He pulled his hand out, droplets clinging to his skin before vanishing into light.
Satisfied, he turned back toward the forest.
〈You have entered a Safe Zone〉
He did not stop.
He just kept walking.
〈You have left the Safe Zone〉
A few moments later, towering trees surrounded him once again.
The Beginner's Forest.
He walked aimlessly for about five minutes.
Nothing.
No movement.
No growls.
No system alerts.
"…Not a single monster," Ekant muttered.
"I know plant and tree monsters won't appear, but still…"
This was starting to feel suspicious.
"I'll walk a bit more," he decided.
"If nothing appears, I'll leave."
Thirty seconds later—
〈A wild monster has appeared〉
〈You have encountered a monster〉
〈Blaze Dog — Skin Tempering: First Level〉
Ekant stopped.
In front of him stood a dog.
More precisely— a Blaze Dog.
Its build resembled a German Shepherd, muscular and lean, with sharp posture and alert eyes. But instead of black and brown fur, its coat burned with shades of blaze orange and ember red. Thin, glowing lines of fire-like patterns ran across its body, pulsing faintly with heat.
Its eyes glowed a dim amber.
Hot breath escaped its mouth in short bursts.
"…So this is my first normal monster," Ekant murmured.
"I hope I can kill it."
He tightened his grip on the Sword of Life.
The Blaze Dog noticed him too.
Their realms were the same.
Their levels were equal.
But to the Blaze Dog—
Ekant looked weak.
Too weak.
At least two or three levels lower, the monster instinctively judged.
Virtual reality was deceptive like that.
Both sides understood something important.
If the fight dragged on—
Other monsters might be drawn in.
That meant danger.
So neither hesitated.
They moved at the same time.
Ekant rushed forward, sword raised.
The Blaze Dog lunged, jaws open, aiming for a fatal bite anywhere it could reach.
The sword swung.
The Blaze Dog was confident.
It tried to dodge.
It didn't know—
That even sealed—
The Sword of Life was far beyond a beginner monster.
The blade reached its neck first.
A clean arc.
No resistance.
No struggle.
The Blaze Dog's body collapsed instantly.
〈You have killed a monster: Blaze Dog〉
Silence returned to the forest.
A small core dropped to the ground.
Ekant steadied his breathing and looked down.
"…As expected from a weak monster."
The core was tiny.
About the size of a ping-pong ball.
Simple.
Plain.
But—
It was his first proper kill.
But instantly The Sword of Life did something unexpected.
Ekant stood there, completely stunned.
The Blaze Dog—
no, the revived Blaze Dog— sat calmly on the forest floor, its ember-colored fur gently rising and falling with its breathing.Its mana core had already disappeared too. Its eyes were no longer wild or hostile. Instead, they were… clear.
Focused.
Gentle.
"…So it's really alive again," Ekant muttered.
He slowly lowered the sword, still trying to process what he had just witnessed.
Revival.
Not summoning.
Not illusion.
Not resurrection magic with a cooldown.
The sword of life had sent its life essence to revive the dog.
The Sword of Life had simply… returned life.
"Huh, That's why it's called the Sword of Life," Ekant said quietly, half in awe, half in fear.
The Blaze Dog tilted its head slightly, ears twitching, watching him like a loyal hound waiting for a command.
Then—
A familiar presence brushed against his consciousness.
"You should have already guessed who I am by hearing my voice."
Ekant knew that know voice. So he did not panic this time. He did not kneel either.
He also knew it had not interest in harming him.
He simply straightened and replied respectfully. "Yes, Sir Bargaj. What do you need?"
The Tree of Life did not waste time.
"I want you to accept that monster as your pet."
Ekant blinked, "Eh… My pet? What do you mean by that?"
Ekant was shocked after hearing what Bargaj, the tree of life, had told him.
Bargaj continued, his tone steady and deliberate.
"Ordinarily, I would not interfere in such matters."
"But this monster is special."
Ekant listened carefully.
"In its entire existence, it has never harmed another monster, human, or living being."
"Not even plant or tree monsters."
"It survived by consuming only ordinary plants and trees."
Ekant's gaze returned to the Blaze Dog.
The dog lowered its head slightly, as if embarrassed.
"Because of this habit," Bargaj continued,
"its cultivation never increased."
"It remained weak."
"Vulnerable."
"A monster that refuses to eat monsters is an anomaly."
Well, the blaze dog was healthy enough, even though it was a weak monster. This was because it was a vegetarian monster and had hidden for a long time, knowing that its cultivation would not increase and that revealing itself would attract other monsters to hunt it down.
'So that's why it was only Skin Tempering First Level...'
Ekant felt something tighten in his chest.
He felt lonely when his parents revealed that he had been adopted from an orphanage. However, his loneliness soon disappeared after he was loved and supported as their own child.
Bargaj's voice softened— just a little.
"Feed it some of your essence."
" And accept it as your pet."
"I will explain everything once you finish your monster hunting."
The presence faded leaving nothing but cliffhanger.
The forest returned to silence.
Ekant exhaled slowly.
He looked at the Blaze Dog again.
The dog stood up and took a cautious step forward.
Then another.
It stopped a short distance away and sat, tail resting on the ground, eyes locked onto Ekant's face.
Not begging.
Not demanding.
Just… waiting.
"…You are vegetarian, huh." Ekant said softly.
The Blaze Dog tilted its head again.
Ekant crouched down.
He extended his hand slightly and allowed a thin stream of essence to flow outward—gentle, controlled, harmless.
The Blaze Dog hesitated for half a second.
Then stepped forward and touched its nose to his hand.
The essence flowed in.
The Blaze Dog's body trembled faintly.
Not in pain—
But in relief.
A soft glow spread through its blaze-patterned fur, the orange lines brightening briefly before settling into a warmer, healthier hue.
A notification appeared.
〈You are attempting to form a Pet Contract〉
〈Target: Blaze Dog〉
〈Essence compatibility: High〉
〈Blaze Dog has accepted your essence〉
〈Congratulations, NoName! You have obtained your first pet〉
Ekant froze.
"…So fast?"
The Blaze Dog let out a quiet sound.
Woof
Woof
something between a bark and a breath—and sat beside him.
Close.
Too close.
Like it had always belonged there.
Ekant stared at it for a long moment.
Then sighed.
"…Alright," he said, reaching out and gently placing his hand on its head.
"Looks like we're stuck together now."
The Blaze Dog's tail thumped softly against the forest floor.
Somewhere deep within the Beginner's Forest—
The Tree of Life smiled.