A red light washed over the small snake. Beauty rotated, highlighting two bright, angry red dots on its lower body.
[Warning: Your half-life beast has suffered physical trauma. When you slammed your wrist against the boulder during the fall, the beast absorbed the brunt of the impact. The excruciating pain you are currently feeling in your arm is actually a phantom echo of the Green horn serpent’s injuries.]
Zyra’s jaw dropped. "Are you kidding me? You mean that if he is hurt, I feel the pain?! If he stubs his tail, I get a migraine? This is completely unfair; it is not how the relationship between humans and their half-life beast’s work! Everyone carries their burden alone!"
[Host, you can turn off the shared pain function however I advise against it. Knowing what your beast is feeling will only help you bond with it better. To alleviate the symptoms, please administer this immediately.]
Ding!
[Host, you owe me now.]
With a soft chime, a tiny, glowing glass vial filled with a yellowish liquid materialized out of thin air, dropping straight into Zyra’s palm. She didn’t even dare to think of the fact that she now owed the system. Barely a day into surviving, and she already had debts!
The thought of this made her heart break.
"This better work," Zyra mumbled. Gritting her teeth through the throbbing pain in her arm, she uncorked the vial with her teeth. She scooped up the shivering little snake, cradling his tiny head gently. "Okay, buddy, eat up. Beauty says that this will make you feel all better. I don’t know if you understand me, but we owe a bunch of money or points now. More you than me."
The snake shivered, hissing weakly, as if it was traumatized by the idea and protesting.
She carefully tipped a few drops of the liquid into the snake’s tiny mouth. The effect was instantaneous. The little snake stopped trembling, its body relaxing completely as it let out a soft, contented sigh. At the exact same moment, the agonizing, bone-snapping pain in Zyra’s left hand vanished into thin air. She could move her fingers again. She could stretch her wrist.
Zyra let out a breathless, disbelieving laugh. "Holy crap. It actually worked. You’re a little miracle worker Beauty, aren’t you?" She stroked the snake’s tiny head, and the little creature affectionately nuzzled against her thumb. "I am keeping this the rest of this stuff for later." Half of the liquid in the vial was left over.
Without healing powers, this liquid was the best life saver she had. She would have to buy more from the system.
[Host is comforting the beast; resonance points have increased to 2%] The system announced.
Zyra arched an eyebrow. "2%? That is a long way from 100%."
[Yes, naturally. As your Resonance increases, your capabilities will expand. Please observe the Resonance Scale.]
The screen flashed, displaying a vertical bar with glowing milestones:
10% Resonance: Soul Sight (Shared vision)
25% Resonance: Enhanced Sensory Share (Shared senses)
40% Resonance: Absolute Beast Control
60% Resonance: Resonance Burst
80% Resonance: State of Harmony
100% Resonance: Soul Fusion
Zyra stared at the list, her brain short-circuiting at the heavy terms. "Okay and how exactly do I get to this 100%?"
[There are many ways in which you can get higher resonance points, and I will help and guide you. But some of these ways include; Shared survival, emotional synchronization, training rituals, sacrifice and trust, Environmental harmony, soul meditation, feeding the beast with resonance stones, overcoming trials together. You will earn resonance points after each successful deed or task completion.]
"System, I will need a better explanation for all of that....."
[Detailed explanations will be unlocked as the Host’s resonance level increases,] Beauty responded smoothly, its tone suddenly shifting into a cold, urgent register. [For now, a more pressing matter requires your attention.]
"What? Why?"
A spray tin materialized in her lap. Zyra was even more confused wondering what it was for. "Masking scent spray?" She read out loud.
[Host spray that allover yourself, because a pack of low ranked, Blood Frogs, have detected the scent of human blood that is pasted on your forehead. They are currently heading toward your location at high speed.]
Zyra’s heart dropped into her stomach. "Blood Frogs?! The ones the size of watermelons and suck blood like a mosquito?!"They didn’t stop until every drop was taken and only pale lifeless flesh remained.
She doused herself in the bottle’s contents, paying special attention to her forehead. But the system had omitted a critical warning: the formula was a severe irritant. Within seconds, her skin began to itch furiously, and a searing pain tore through her eyes as if they were on fire.
"Why the hell does it itch so much?"
Before the system could answer, a wet, heavy thud echoed from the rocks just ten yards ahead, followed by a chorus of deep, ominous croaking.
"Shit!" Zyra cursed.
[Host, the blood frogs cannot smell you now.] Beauty’s robotic yet strangely smug voice chimed in her head. [However, I advise that you remain silent.... especially your hissing friend. Perhaps you could send him into the beast domain.]
"Beast what?" Zyra blinked her burning, watery eyes. Her throat felt like she’d swallowed sandpaper. She had absolutely no idea what Beauty was talking about, but between the blistering itch on her skin and the frogs that were coming towards her, she wasn’t in the mood to argue.
The little snake was hissing a little too much, twisting from side to side, threatening the air, as if it was some high level beast that could take on an army of Blood frogs!
If it kept this up, they would both be dead within minutes.
"Fine, whatever! Just take him there!"
With a soft pop, the little snake vanished from her hands.
[Host, would you like to bond with a Blood frog as your second half-life beast?]
She shuddered. If she said yes, she would have to use at least three to six gallons blood every day to feed it. It was not worth the hustle. "No thank you."
Zyra squinted through her swollen, red eyelids. Her vision was a blurry, watery mess, making it impossible to see the blood frogs clearly. They looked like giant, hopping blobs of crimson, their rough red skins twitching.... ready to suck her blood. Deprived of the scent of blood, the monsters hopped around her aimlessly for a few minutes, utterly confused, before finally dispersing into the thick foliage.
It was at most a five-minute experience, but it felt like hours to Zyra. "Oh, thank goodness," She gasped, sinking to the ground for a moment. Every inch of her face throbbed, she could not remember the last time she stopped to catch her breath since the moment of her rebirth.
She wiped her tear-stained cheeks, cursing the system under her breath. "I can’t stay here, Beauty. This place is a death trap. The desert isn’t too far from here. It’s a flat plain, at least over there I can see what’s coming. The edge of this forest is just begging to get me killed." She thought of her enemies and bit her bottom lip. She couldn’t die yet. She had a point to prove, a name to make. People to kill. And a legend to create.