"Nnnnyaaah~!"
Cian shot upright, nearly breaking his neck in the process. His eyes snapped open like he'd been electrocuted.
"What the hell was that sound?! A monster?! An ambush?! A—"
He turned—Shirayuki was sprawled beside him, her little beastgirl body twisting and wiggling in her sleep, tiny paws kicking at the air as she let out another high-pitched moan.
"Nyuuu~! S-so warmmm~..."
Cian's face turned fifty shades of red.
"…I swear if this is some kind of post-evolution heat phase, I'm suing the system."
> DING!
[Daily Skill Suggestion: Monster Bang Lv. 1 – You sure about this, champ?]
He pointed at the air.
"YOU shut the hell up!"
Shirayuki rolled over in her sleep and latched onto his arm like a body pillow, pressing her soft, fuzzy face into his shoulder and giving one final sleepy whimper—
"Chiiiiannn~…"
His soul nearly ascended from his body.
"I'm gonna die," he whispered. "I'm actually gonna die."
The chaos of last night still hung over the village like smoke, but by morning, the people had already begun rebuilding. Old men hammered crooked beams straight. Women patched holes in roofs. Kids gathered stones and leftover goblin scraps like it was some twisted scavenger hunt.
Cian stood near the center well, arms crossed, watching it all unfold with a faint smirk.
"Weird, isn't it?" he muttered. "Everyone almost died last night… and now they're sharing bread and soup like nothing happened."
Shirayuki stood beside him, pawing at a splintered fence post, then looked up, clearly unimpressed.
He crouched and ruffled her head. "Alright, alright. Let's help a bit before we disappear."
And they did. Cian lifted logs, reset fencing, even fixed a broken sign—though he totally hammered his thumb twice and cursed the heavens. Shirayuki, meanwhile, carried tools on her back, dragged small bundles of straw, and hissed at a toddler who tried to ride her like a pony.
By noon, they slipped away without a word.
No fanfare. No thank-you.
Just two silhouettes vanishing into the forest, one tall, one small and white-fluffed, both hungry for something that wasn't soup made from last year's potatoes.
"Alright, partner," Cian said, stepping over a root. "Let's get us something juicy."
Shirayuki gave a little fwip of her nose, tail twitching like a radar. A second later, she bolted left with a determined squeak.
He blinked. "Wait—hey, at least pretend to let me lead!"
They'd barely been walking for ten minutes when the forest began to shift—deeper shadows, thicker roots, and that delicious hint of danger. Shirayuki trotted ahead, nose twitching with purpose.
Cian followed behind, rubbing his still-bandaged shoulder. "Hmph. Almost died, got hugged by a murder-hamster, and now I'm sneaking out of a village like I owe rent."
He stretched and exhaled.
"Alright, let's see what we're working with now."
He raised a hand.
"Status."
With a soft chime, a translucent screen flickered open before his eyes—one window popping up for Shirayuki.
---
[Companion Status: Shirayuki]
Type: Legendary Beast
Bonded to: Cian
Current Form: Post-Evolution
Skills:
1. Thornwake Requiem (Ultimate)
"The world goes quiet before she sings."
She levitates, her body glowing with lunar fire as quills bloom from every inch of her back. With one deep breath, she releases a universe of screaming thorns in a blinding nova. Everything within range is shredded. Survivors are cursed, bleeding, and broken.
2. Quill Dance
"Grace is just violence with rhythm."
She slashes with elongated arm-quills in a deadly combo—each step a slash, each spin a bleed. Finishes in a high-speed whirl that sends enemies flying.
3. Razorfall
"From above, even mercy looks sharp."
She leaps skyward, then rains down a storm of gleaming, spinning quills like falling stars. Area-of-effect destruction with a chance to blind or maim.
4. Mirage Spin
"Now you see her. Now you're bleeding."
She twirls into a blur, leaving ghostly images in her wake. Each image may strike—making it nearly impossible to track her real form in combat.
5. Venom Thorn Kick
"A kiss? No. Something worse."
She kicks a toxic quill deep into the enemy's flesh. The venom laces through their veins, causing paralysis and agonizing damage over time.
6. Black Thorn Bloom
"You thought the earth loved you."
From the soil beneath the target, a massive black spike erupts, impaling them with a cursed thorn forged from rage and grief. Shatters shields and defies most wards.
---
Cian stared in awe. "…Bro. BRO. My murder fluff's got a moveset nastier than most final bosses."
Shirayuki turned to him, blinking once.
He dropped to one knee and dramatically pointed. "You are now… Officially banned from looking cute. You're too lethal."
She tilted her head—then let out a smug-sounding chirp.
They were halfway through the thicket when the bushes rustled like angry waves.
Cian froze.
Shirayuki stopped too, her eyes narrowing.
Then they emerged—Forest Wolves. Lots of them.
Snarling, sleek beasts with bark-like fur, glowing eyes, and foaming maws. There weren't just a few. There were twenty-three.
Cian slowly stepped back. "Oh hell no. This is a pack. A damn raid party."
The alpha snarled, stepping forward, thick roots twisting around its legs like nature's armor.
He glanced at Shirayuki, who was growling low beside him, her evolved form glowing faintly with residual energy.
"…Shirayuki."
She perked up.
He took a deep breath, pointed to the sky, and shouted:
"Razorfall—UNLEASH HELL!!"
Shirayuki's ears twitched. Her body tensed—then she launched straight into the air, rocketing upward in a graceful spin.
The wolves looked up too late.
High above the canopy, Shirayuki's body began to glow. Her back bloomed with glowing quills, each one spinning like a meteor.
And then—
they fell.
Dozens of gleaming, spiraling thorns screamed down from the sky like divine punishment.
Thwip! Thwip! SHRRRRAAK!
The ground erupted with chaos. Screams. Explosions of dirt and bark. Wolves were pierced mid-leap, others staggered back, blinded by the flurry of cuts. Blood sprayed in elegant arcs.
The forest shook. And when it cleared—
Only three wolves remained standing. Barely.
Cian stood with his mouth open. "…You—You made it RAIN DEATH."
Shirayuki landed softly in front of him, elegant as ever—then tilted her head with a smug chirp.
He grinned wide.
"That's my girl."
Cian stood victorious, hands on his hips like a smug anime protagonist.
"Woooo! That's what I'm talkin' about!" he laughed, fist-pumping the air. "You see that!? That's synergy, baby! That's the power of a GAMER and his beast!!"
He spun around dramatically—
And promptly tripped over a tree root.
"Wha—GAH—!"
Just as he was about to faceplant into the dirt, a white blur darted under him.
Shirayuki caught him, mid-fall, like some kind of majestic, furry guardian angel.
She stood there, holding him up with her soft body, tail swishing proudly.
Then—without warning—she licked his entire face with a loud, wet slurp.
"BWAAA—!" Cian recoiled, wiping his cheek with a sleeve. "Oi! H-Hey! That's—That's my face, you little furball!"
Shirayuki just blinked at him with sparkling eyes and let out a high-pitched, delighted yip.
Cian groaned, but a smile broke through anyway.
"…Yeah, yeah. You saved my sorry butt. Again."
He patted her head gently, then added with a snort, "But next time, lemme fall at least one inch. Gotta protect my pride, y'know?"
Shirayuki licked him again.
"...You're doing it on purpose now."
Just as Cian wiped another trail of slobber from his cheek, the system chimed in with a mechanical ding.
[System Notification]
"Affection Level with Shirayuki has increased!
Warning: Beast may now assume all faceplants are intentional flirting."
Cian froze. "WHAT?!"
Shirayuki let out a smug snort and flicked her tail up like a queen.
He pointed at the floating message. "That's NOT how affection systems work!!"
Another ding.
[System Tip]
"Maybe trip a few more times and find out."
Cian nearly screamed into the trees.