Kai stepped into his new room.
For a moment—
He just stood there.
It was… normal.
A modern bed. Clean sheets. Soft lighting. Nothing excessive. Not like the rest of Takeda's estate. But still—lavish.
Kai stared at the bed like it was a myth.
"…A bed…"
Slowly, he walked over. Then—
He dropped onto it.
Soft.
His body sank into the mattress. For the first time in his life, he wasn't on concrete. Or rubble. Or dirt.
He closed his eyes.
Memories surfaced, uninvited. New York. Greyford. Ashley. Miss Cambrian. Fighting. Running. Passing out. Waking up—only to fight again.
"…Heh…"
A quiet breath escaped his lips.
"Tomorrow…" His voice was soft. Distant. "…Tomorrow's different."
No more collapsing. No more barely surviving.
Tomorrow, he would be awake. Alive. Training. Growing stronger.
Kai let himself drift. And for once—he slept peacefully.
*Dinner*
Kai woke around 7:00 in the evening. Dinner.
Yuki—the twelve-year-old fox girl—stood beside him, gently shaking his shoulder. Even with the language barrier, her gestures were clear. _Food._
Kai nodded and followed her.
They entered the dining room.
It was beautiful. Low wooden tables lined the room. No chairs. Instead, soft, luxurious cushions were placed neatly around each table.
And on the table—meat.
"…Wait." Kai leaned forward. "Don't tell me…"
He looked closer. The marbling was too perfect. The fibers too dense. Mana radiated from it in visible waves, making the air shimmer.
"…Minotaur meat…"
There were other dishes too—cuts from the half-man, half-pig monsters from the base.
Kai swallowed. "…This smells insane…"
He sat down fast and grabbed the chopsticks. Thanks to years of being an otaku—and a lot of instant ramen—he could use them. More or less.
A piece slipped. Fell.
He caught it mid-air, Dragon's Mind flaring for half a second. "…Nice."
He ate.
Juicy. Tender. Each bite sent heat flooding through his veins. His cells felt like they were singing.
Then something moved on his head.
The cat woke up. Jumped onto the table.
Kai flinched. "…What the—?!"
She hissed at him. Then she spoke.
Her voice was low. Smooth. The kind of dangerous that made his brain short-circuit. "Mine."
Kai froze. His wings burst out on reflex—turning black as obsidian.
For a split second, his aura plummeted. Cold. Hungry. He almost fell. Not down. _Inward._ Into something that didn't have a name yet.
Impossible. He was already part demon. And with his Chaos Dragon Progenitor bloodline still locked, something worse waited beneath.
Still, a tiny part of him remained human.
"HEY—?!"
Claws raked his face. The Empress attacked, her stomach growling loud enough to echo. She scratched again. And again.
Kai panicked, stumbling back, trying to pry her off. "GET HER OFF ME—!"
The door slid open.
Takeda walked in. He stared at Kai. Then at the chaos.
"…Did you just eat before your master?"
A pause.
"Your training tomorrow will be ten times harder, boy."
"…GET HER OFF ME!"
Yuki rushed in, a lifesaver. She spoke quickly in Japanese, bowing between sentences. Takeda listened, then nodded once.
"She says this meal was prepared specifically for you," Takeda translated. "It accelerates recovery. And tastes better warm." He glanced at the Empress. "And she understands Japanese as well, it seems."
Kai froze mid-run. "…I look like an idiot…"
He gave up, snatched a plate, and bolted for his room. Pouting.
The Empress followed. A plate of meat floated behind her. She leaped, landing perfectly in his arms, then looked up at him. _Pat me. Or else._ Her claws made the threat very clear.
"…You're unbelievable…"
Kai sighed and stroked her fur. Midnight black. Soft. Covered in glowing silver runic symbols that pulsed faintly with power. Beautiful.
Then a notification appeared.
`[System Notification]`
`Congratulations. Host has formed a contract with the Empress of Beasts.`
`Conditions:`
`1. Requires food daily.`
`2. Requires sleep on a comfortable surface (preferably the host's head).`
`Cost: 12 mana per day. Additional cost applies during battle assistance or upon request.`
`Effect: Will respond to battle requests and commands.`
`Warning: Breach of contract results in… unspecified consequences.`
"…You leech…" Kai muttered.
The Empress ignored him. She finished eating, then curled up right on top of him.
Kai lay back. Soft bed. Warm weight on his chest. Quiet.
And once again, he fell asleep.
*The Next Morning*
Pain.
Not sudden. Not explosive. Constant.
Kai's eyes snapped open. "…!"
His body was stretched. Legs forced into a perfect 180° split, held by ropes. Suspended. Like a puppet.
"…What the—?!"
His arms were raised, locked. Each hand held a metal bucket. Heavy. Too heavy.
His muscles screamed. His entire body trembled. Sweat poured down his face.
"…Old man…!"
Takeda stood nearby. Watching. Calm. Unmoved.
"…Posture."
Kai's back straightened instantly.
"Do not bend."
"…Are you trying to kill me—?!"
No answer.
Time passed. Minutes. Hours.
Kai stopped talking because he couldn't. His breathing became uneven. His arms shook violently. His legs burned like they were being torn apart.
Seven hours.
No food. No rest. Only cold water thrown on his face. Just enough to keep him conscious.
"…Tch…"
His vision blurred. His arms went numb. His legs locked. Pain had gone beyond pain.
And still, he endured. Because deep down, he understood. This was necessary.
*Three Days Later*
Kai was still there. Same position. Same training.
But he had changed.
His muscles tore, then healed. Again. And again. And again. Stronger each time.
`[System Notice]`
`Strength +1`
`Strength +2`
`Strength +1`
By the third day, his strength reached 20.
But something was wrong. The buckets felt heavier. Much heavier.
`[Item Identified]`
`Graviton Bucket`
`Description: A cursed training tool that increases its weight relative to the user's strength. The stronger the user becomes, the heavier it gets. Even gods would struggle.`
"…Of course…"
The bucket wasn't even full. Just a little water at the bottom. Yet it felt like holding a mountain.
Veins bulged. His body strained. But he didn't drop it. Not once.
Takeda watched. Then nodded. "…Enough."
Kai almost collapsed but forced himself to stand.
"…Next."
"…Push-ups."
"…You're kidding…"
The buckets were placed on his back. Kai dropped down and pushed.
Up. Down. Again.
Perfect form. Even as his body trembled. He didn't stop. Not during the day. Not during the night.
Every muscle was trained. No exceptions.
His body evolved. Changed.
`[Passive: Draconic Growth - Active]`
`Reason: Body expanding to contain energy density and prevent internal collapse.`
He grew taller. Stronger. Balanced. Refined.
By the end, Kai stood at 7 feet tall.
A giant. But more than that—a presence. Power. Raw. Controlled. Earned.
Takeda watched, arms crossed. "…Good."
One word. But enough.
Kai stood there, breathing heavily. Sweat dripping. Body shaking.
But his eyes were alive.
For the first time, he wasn't just surviving.
He was becoming something else.