บท 13: System status
After arriving in the Barony, Nathan hurried to his study, which was cluttered with wooden shelves filled with countless books and scrolls.
These books mostly covered militaristic strategies, centuries-old histories, and memos written by the ancestors of the Cromwell lineage.
"Where did I keep it again?" Nathan wondered as he moved from shelf to shelf, scanning the books. His search yielded no results for a while.
"I thought I left it here the other day—cough, cough!" The old man staggered to the desk in the middle as a violent bout of coughing assailed him. His breathing came in gasps, and his entire body trembled; he looked very pitiful.
If Nox were here, he would have been heartbroken because his grandpa was inching closer and closer to the grave. It seemed as if his body longed for rest, but he was stubborn and kept pushing himself to the limit.
After drawing deep breaths to stabilize himself, he was about to continue his search when his eyes caught sight of something.
It was the scroll he had been searching for all this time. Apparently, it had been lying on the table the entire time.
"Old age be damned!" Nathan cursed as he sat down and unraveled the contents of the old, tattered scroll that had witnessed the passage of time.
...
My grandfather had always been odd...at least that's what others called him, but I'd say he was special, very special...
Someone that could see the future...was definitely special. From him, I learned about the Reincarnation of Gustavo Cromwell, a boy with eyes as dark as night itself.
The one prophesied to bring back the former glory of the Pantheons of Mythical Beasts.
...
There was more writing, but someone had purposely torn it out. However, the little information remaining was enough for Nathan to know that his grandson was the prophesied one.
Part of Nathan didn't want this to be true because of the treacherous path ahead, but the deed was already done. All he could do now was guide his grandson and prepare him for the future. At the end of the day, he couldn't meddle with fate, as things might get worse.
"This time, I won't repeat the same mistake I did with your father," Nathan thought in determination as he started to leave the study room.
Because he neglected his duty in the past, things had escalated to where they were today—a father and son forever separated from their family. But this time, he would right the wrong by playing a crucial part in his grandson's journey as a...
...Beast Tamer.
***
When Nox wished for the system to open up, he was met with a virtual blue screen.
< [Beast Tamer Level 1 ] >
Name: Nox Aegis Cromwell
HP: 20/20
Exp: 70/100
MP: 100/100
- Stam: (100/100%)
- Str: 10
- Agi: 10
- Intel: 20
Talents: Mimicry, 10x upgrade
『Beast slot: 1/1 (+1 slot per level up)』
<[Class Skill]>
Tame (Active)
Telepathy (Passive)
Bestow/Teach (Active)
Analyze (Passive)
『Copied Skills: (1/1)』
Shadow Oblivion (Ultimate Skill): Unleashes an apocalyptic blast of dark energy, dealing annihilation damage to all enemies within a massive radius, stunning them for 10 seconds and absorbing their life force. Consumes 80 mana points per use.
[Shop (Locked)] [Quest]
Tamed companions:
< Mister Fluffington Whiskarius >
"Descendant of the legendary Whiskarius!
Rating: Level 5 Wilding
Progress (0%/100%)
MP: 180/180
HP: 60/60
Stam: (100/100%)
Str: 29
Agi: 30
Intel: 50
Special Skills: Enhanced Speed (Active), Wallwalker (Active), Monarch Aura (Passive)
[Ultimate Evolutionary Path 1: Feline God of War (???)]
Requirements: Reach King Tier, kill a hundred Intermediate Tier beasts, two King Tier beasts, and obtain the golden claws of the World Cat.
[Feline God of War: A legendary warrior with the power of the gods, unleashing devastating attacks with his claws, able to summon an army of feline warriors. +50 increase in each stat]
***
'Whiskarius?' Nox thought when he saw Fluffington's status, but since the name didn't ring a bell, he dismissed the thought and exited out of the status because everything was self-explanatory. He then navigated to the Quest Tab.
Daily Quests:
Title: Path of Beast Taming
Quest Description: Train and bond with your tamed companion for 1 hour.
Rewards: 10 XP
'Since I can't fight beasts yet, I guess this is the only way.'
A few minutes later, Nox stood on the field at the back of their mansion and attempted to call out Fluffington from his taming space.
Heeding the call, a blue portal appeared, and the white fat cat emerged. Fluffington looked around with a confused gaze. A moment ago, he was in a formless world, but the atmosphere there was much more pleasant, tailor-made for someone as esteemed as him.
And the next moment, he was back in the old mundane world with the annoying human. It didn't take long for Fluffington to locate the culprit.
[Nox, my boy, I command you to take me back to that place!] Fluffington said, his gaze fixed on Nox, as if threatening him that if he refused, he would be smacked black and blue.
"I thought you'd be happy to see me." Nox feigned a saddened look, but inwardly he was very happy because the taming space seemed to have healed Fluffington back to his peak condition.
[Hmph, an esteemed feline such as myself doesn't lose sleep over children. Now quit wasting my time and take me to that white space.]
"It seems someone is forgetting something." Nox whistled as he looked away, making Fluffington curious and confused at the same time.
[Forgetting something?]
What was he forgetting? He thought hard. The only things he was forgetting to do were his scented milky bath and his twenty-hour nap, but those could wait...wait, WAIT! Speaking of milky baths...
[The massage! You scoundrel, I hope you're not planning to go back on your words?] Fluffington licked his lips in a threatening manner.
"Hmmmm, about that?" Nox smirked. After absorbing Cerbagh's life force, he was much stronger than before. With this strength, Nox planned to force the lazy, authoritative cat to train whether he liked it or not.
However, before he could carry out his plans, Nox saw...the familiar bony figure of his grandfather approaching.
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