The fox lay still, its breathing ragged.
A faint shimmer of shadow clung to its body—the last remnant of its broken cloak.
I tightened my grip on my sword and stepped closer.
One clean strike—that's all it would take.
Predator would activate, and I'd gain the essence.
Easy. Efficient.
But my blade hesitated.
This wasn't just another beast.
It was a variant—the system itself had confirmed it.
A creature strong enough to be classified as a variant could be worth more alive than dead—especially now that I couldn't evolve or level up until sixteen.
Maybe… I could use it.
A tamed monster could help me complete the Goblin Tamer ordeal faster, even if it only lasted a few floors.
The thought settled in. My pulse quickened.
There was one way to find out.
I sheathed my blade and crouched beside the fox.
Its eyes flickered open—one gold, one purple. Despite its injuries, it still tried to bare its fangs, but the effort only made it whimper in pain.
"Easy," I murmured, watching its trembling body. "You're strong, I'll give you that. Stronger than me, probably."
I exhaled slowly. "Let's see if this works."
I raised my hand over its chest and willed Soulbound Dominion to activate.
[Soulbound Domination – Legendary Rank Activated]
[Target Identified – Variant Yin-Yang Fox]
[Establishing Link…]
[Bond Established.]
The world dimmed.
A pulse of energy surged from my chest into the fox. A faint red thread glimmered between us.
The fox blinked, its hostility fading into confusion. Then, a new window appeared—similar to the Gaia interface, but darker, edged with pale gold runes.
[Bond Interface]
Name: Unnamed
Race: Spirit Fox (2 tails)
Rank: E [1200/10000 Essence]
Affinities: Shadow / Light
Skills:
– Shadow Movement
– Illusion
– Shadow Cloak
– Illumination (Light Flashbang)
Condition: Weak / Recovering
Bond Level: 5 / 100
I froze. Spirit Fox.
I'd heard of them before—rare elemental foxes said to appear only on the third floor and beyond. They were physical monsters capable of spiritual evolution.
Each tail marked a major ascension. Once they reached nine… they transcended their physical forms and became Nine-Tailed Spirits.
This one had only two tails—though only one was visible.
I glanced down at it again. "A Spirit Fox, huh? You're way out of your territory."
The fox tilted its head slightly, as if it understood.
I extended a hand cautiously. After a moment's hesitation, it pressed its muzzle into my palm and closed its eyes. The bond between us pulsed faintly.
[Soul Link Stabilized.]
[New Companion Registered.]
[Partial Essence Sharing Enabled.]
A small grin crept across my face.
"Guess we're partners now."
The fox yipped weakly, its tail wagging.
With a companion like this—and the right strategy—I might just finish the Tamer ordeal faster than planned.
But for now, it needed to recover… and I needed to figure out what this new bond could really do.
[You have Completed the 18th Ordeal (+)]
[You have Exceeded Expectations]
[Title Acquired: Challenger (2/3)]
A challenger never backs down. Surpass your limits to unlock this title's full reward.
[+2 Vitality, +1 Agility, +1 Constitution]
[Additional: Exemption from the 19th Ordeal — Reward: +1000 Essence]
With that, I had 1275 Essence.
Normally, I'd use Predation to heal, but since I hadn't killed any monsters this time, I bought high-tier health potions instead.
10 High-Tier Potions – 200 Essence
That left me with 1075 Essence.
I drank one, restoring my HP, and gave one to my new companion.
Its bond level rose to 10 / 100.
With the remaining essence, I leveled up twice.
LV 11 – 400
LV 12 – 400
Stats:
HP: 80
MP: 60
Attributes:
Strength: 8 (+2)
Agility: 10 (+1)
Stamina: 9 (+1)
Constitution: 6 (+2)
Vitality: 5 (+3)
Mana: 6
All my free stat points from Level 9 to 12 went into Agility.