Damon’s eyes stayed fixed on the battlefield.
Even now, he still found it hard to believe what he was seeing.
The young fox moved.
No.
Three young foxes moved.
Each looked completely real. Each carried the same silver fur.
The same sharp eyes.
The same crackling lightning.
Damon couldn’t tell which one was the original anymore.
The three foxes shot forward together.
Like silver streaks tearing across the battlefield.
The wolves reacted instantly, but it was too late.
One fox appeared before the first wolf.
Its small body looked harmless.
Cute, even.
Then its jaws closed. Crunch.
The wolf’s neck snapped violently.
At the same time, silver lightning exploded through its body.
The wolf convulsed. Its eyes rolled back.
And before its corpse even touched the ground, the lightning had already burned through its insides.
Dead.
The second wolf tried to retreat.
A mistake.
The second fox raised its tail.
Crack!
A bolt of silver lightning shot out.
The wolf was struck head on.
Its body slammed into the ground.
Before it could recover, sharp claws pressed into its chest.
The lightning continued pouring into its body.
The beast screamed.
Then went silent.
The smell of burnt flesh drifted through the air.
The third wolf finally broke.
Its instincts won over its hunger.
It turned and ran.
Unfortunately for it...
The third fox simply disappeared.
A silver flash crossed the battlefield.
The fox itself became lightning.
For a split second, Damon saw nothing but a streak of silver.
Then...
BOOM!
The wolf froze.
A massive hole appeared through its chest.
Its body remained standing for a moment.
Then collapsed heavily onto the ground.
Dead.
Completely dead.
Silence followed.
The wind itself seemed to stop.
Damon stared blankly.
His mouth opened slightly.
"...What the hell?"
Three wolves.
Gone in seconds.
The creatures that had nearly killed him.
The same creatures that forced him into a desperate fight.
The same creatures that left him bleeding and exhausted.
And this little fox had erased them like they were nothing.
The two remaining foxes slowly shattered into silver particles.
Only one remained.
The real one.
It turned around proudly.
Its tails swayed behind it.
Then it trotted back toward Damon.
As if nothing impressive had happened.
As if it hadn’t just massacred three D Rank predators.
The fox stopped before him.
Then gently rubbed its head against his leg.
Damon finally laughed.
"You really are ridiculous."
The fox chirped happily.
Proud.
Very proud.
Damon crouched despite the pain.
His hand rested on its head.
The soft silver fur brushed against his fingers.
The fox immediately leaned closer.
Enjoying the attention.
Damon shook his head.
"Now you’re acting cute."
The fox puffed its chest out.
Almost offended.
The sight nearly made him laugh again.
A few minutes ago it looked like a king of lightning.
Now it looked like a spoiled child asking for praise.
Then suddenly...
He felt it.
The connection.
The desire.
The understanding flowing between them.
The fox looked directly into his eyes.
Damon understood immediately.
It wanted the same thing he wanted.
A contract.
A real one.
An official and permanent one.
The fox sat quietly before him.
Waiting.
Damon soon smiled.
"Let’s do it then."
The fox’s tails swayed happily.
Damon didn’t hesitate.
He already knew the process from memory.
He brought out his knife.
A small cut appeared on his palm.
Blood trickled down.
Immediately, a faint silver sigil appeared above the fox’s forehead.
A beautiful symbol made entirely of lightning.
Damon could feel the invitation.
The acceptance.
There was no resistance or rejection.
The fox had already chosen him.
Damon pressed the drop of blood onto the sigil.
And the moment they touched... BOOM!
Silver lightning erupted.
Damon’s entire body shook.
His eyes widened.
The world around him seemed to disappear.
He felt it.
The connection forming.
Not as master and servant.
Not as owner and beast.
Partners.
The bond connected directly to his soul.
The fox’s emotions flooded into him.
Trust.
Excitement.
Joy.
And a fierce determination to protect him.
The fox felt every emotion Damon carried too.
His struggles.
His loneliness.
His frustration.
His refusal to give up.
Everything.
The connection became complete.
Then another change followed.
A familiar pressure appeared inside his body.
Damon’s eyes widened.
His Aether Core.
It was moving.
The energy inside it began to rise rapidly.
Faster.
And faster.
The contract itself was feeding energy back into him.
The accumulated training.
The constant cultivation.
The pressure he had been carrying.
Everything exploded at once.
BOOM!
The barrier shattered.
Damon sucked in a breath.
A wave of power spread through his body.
His veins.
His muscles.
His bones.
Everything felt stronger.
Adept Rank.
He had finally reached it.
Damon stood frozen.
The fox blinked, then happily jumped into his arms.
Damon laughed despite himself.
"We did it."
The fox chirped.
As if agreeing.
But the surprises weren’t over.
The mysterious core deep within him suddenly reacted.
The second core expanded slightly.
Its presence became clearer.
Stronger.
More alive.
At the same time, Damon felt something else.
His senses sharpened.
The surrounding sounds became clearer.
The movements of the grass.
The direction of the wind.
The faint traces of nearby life.
Everything felt easier to notice.
His body also felt lighter.
Faster.
More responsive.
Like his instincts had been enhanced.
Not enough to make him overpowered.
But enough to save his life in dangerous situations.
The fox’s traits.
The contract had shared a small part of them with him.
Then came the final shock.
Damon froze.
A strange feeling appeared inside his Aether Core.
Something new.
Something impossible.
Silver lightning.
Tiny strands of silver lightning flowed around the core.
His heart nearly stopped.
"No way..."
His voice came out as a whisper.
Lightning.
Actual lightning.. Not temporary.
It existed inside his core.
The same silver lightning belonging to the fox.
Damon slowly raised his hand.
Crackle.
A small arc of silver lightning jumped between his fingers.
His breathing stopped.
The fox looked up at him proudly.
As if saying:
Of course you can do that now.
Damon stared at the lightning dancing across his fingertips.
Then at the fox.
Then back at the lightning.
A grin slowly spread across his face.
He could finally see a path ahead.
And it was shining silver.