Initial Acceptance 1
928 Words
The little wolf woke up in the Beast Space, completely confused about what had happened. Somehow, it had become Valentina's bonded beast, an unexpected and irreversible turn of events. It took the wolf three whole days to reluctantly accept this fact. Now that the contract had been formed, their lives were connected, and the only relief it had was that this human might not be so bad…
Valentina didn't rush to summon it. With such a proud nature, it surely couldn't accept the contract immediately, so she decided to give it some time to adjust.
Finally, one night, the wolf’s voice suddenly rang in her mind. "Let's talk."
Valentina was surprised at first. Wasn’t it said that beasts in their juvenile form had voices like children? Why did the little wolf sound like a young man?
She suppressed her curiosity for now and decided to listen. If the wolf didn’t want to be her bonded beast, she would lose half of her combat strength, and that would be a huge loss. She had to handle this carefully.
"My real name is Draven. I have some human blood in me."
The little wolf—no, Draven—opened the conversation with this shocking statement, leaving Valentina dumbfounded.
What? A hybrid of human and beast?!
She couldn’t believe her luck...
But wait—why was a hybrid even capable of forming a bond?
Before she could fully process her thoughts, Draven continued, his deep blue eyes briefly meeting the moon before locking with Valentina's phoenix eyes. There was sorrow in his gaze, a shadow that seemed impossible to dispel. “It’s because of the cultivation technique I practice. It allows me to become stronger when I transform, but the side effect is that I turn into a beast for three months every year. During that time, my power is suppressed, and I’m just an ordinary beast…”
"Long story short, I'm weak right now. My mental strength is still at full capacity, but I can’t fight alongside you at the moment. Once I recover, it won’t be a problem. However, I do have one request. For three months each year, when I’m in my beast form, I’ll be away, doing my own thing. The remaining nine months, I’ll help you in battle and fulfill my obligations as your bonded beast.”
Valentina narrowed her eyes, her mind sharp as ever. On the surface, it seemed like a fair offer, but in reality, it was a terrible deal for her. She would be left vulnerable for three months each year. What if something happened? As the contracted one, she would be held responsible. And what if Draven died during those months? Her strength would be drastically weakened.
Sensing her reluctance, Draven tilted his head and added, “This is the best I can offer, considering... you know, I’m not just any silver-winged wolf. I’m a Silver-winged Sky Wolf.”
“Boom—”
Another bombshell exploded in Valentina’s ears. She shot to her feet, voice cracking as she whispered, “A Silver-winged Sky Wolf?! The one that was supposedly extinct after the Divine War?”
She had no idea! She hadn’t known at all! Now it made sense—this abnormality in the contract, the strange situation... The Silver-winged Sky Wolf was an ancient, mythical creature! No wonder her bond with it was so extraordinary!
The Silver-winged Sky Wolf’s bloodline was legendary, and any power it evolved from would only get stronger with time. The wolf’s strength would only grow, and Valentina would be able to benefit from that power.
Now she understood—this was a massive gain for her!
But it also came with risks. If word got out that she had a Silver-winged Sky Wolf, she would be hunted down without mercy. The legends said these wolves could devour power, harness the power of the stars, and their remnants were found in ancient battlefields, left behind by the last generation of goddesses.
Draven, a Silver-winged Sky Wolf, was undoubtedly a fatal temptation for any power-hungry person.
“It’s probably because the scepter in your possession resonated with me, which allowed me to become your bonded beast. I think I recognize it, but I can’t recall what it is exactly.”
At this, Valentina calmed down. It wasn’t surprising that Draven knew about the scepter—after all, as her bonded beast, he would be able to sense the conditions inside her body.
She nodded. “I can accept your conditions. We are partners, and I won’t harm you. I hope you will never betray me.”
This made Draven feel warmth in his heart. The word “partner” felt strange to him, but not unpleasant.
The next day, Valentina invited Amanda and went to submit a one-month leave request to the academy. She promised to return before the freshmen trials and immediately headed for the Mercenary Guild.
The Mercenary Guild had branches all over the Fengchen Continent, with their emblem, the golden-winged serpent, stamped or embedded on almost everything related to their trade.
Despite being called a guild, it resembled more of a tavern.
At the counter, one could buy alcohol and small dishes, and the hall was filled with tables and chairs. No matter the time, there were always people chatting and drinking. Spending a little time here was enough to catch up on the latest news from across the continent, and mercenary groups often recruited new members here as well.
It was lively as usual, with people laughing and talking, the noise filling the air.
- Writer
