Luisha

"Young Master?" Meiyara leaned closer, her curious eyes shimmering like amber under the sunlight. Her face tilted as she studied me, the faintest pout forming on her cherry-red lips.

"Why are you just standing there? Frozen like a statue?"

I blinked, still frozen in place. "Nothing!" I replied, shaking off my thoughts. My voice carried a tinge of hesitation, betraying the storm of emotions swirling inside.

How could I think of hurting her? Sure, she's quirky and sometimes downright insufferable, but she's always there for me. Her eccentricities were just... her.

Besides, she was genuinely trying to help, in her own bizarre way.

"Young Master, are you zoning out because taming your first beast overwhelmed you? Or... have you gone mad from the excitement?" She stepped closer, her hands suddenly gripping my shoulders, shaking me with surprising vigor.

"Tch! Where's the spirit rabbit?" I asked, ignoring her antics and glancing at her empty hands.

"It's over there," she said nonchalantly, pointing toward a shaded patch in the forest.

"You left it alone? In this dense forest?" I demanded, my voice rising as I started marching toward the direction she indicated.

Meiyara followed me. "What do you mean by 'left it'? Didn't it grow up here? It survived just fine before we ran into it!" Her tone carried a hint of defensiveness, but I wasn't buying it.

"But it's my tamed beast now," I shot back, my tone firm. "It's wounded and under my care. I can't just leave it vulnerable in a forest crawling with predators."

A sigh escaped my lips. This woman had zero tactical sense.

Meiyara shrugged, a playful glint in her eyes. "Oh, Young Master, you're so diligent about your responsibilities now. When did this happen?"

Ignoring her jabs, I pressed forward.

As we approached the spot, I saw the little blue spirit rabbit nestled under the shade of a sprawling tree. Its glossy blue fur shimmered faintly, catching the light, and its tiny chest rose and fell rhythmically as it slept.

For a brief moment, I couldn't help but admit—it was cute. Peaceful, even. If only it wasn't so aggressive when awake.

I crouched near the rabbit, moving carefully to avoid startling it.

Rustle!

Its ears twitched, and its head shot up. Its bright eyes locked onto me with suspicion, the same guarded wariness it had shown when we first met. Though the contract bound it to me, its attitude clearly hadn't shifted much.

[Detected the host's first tamed beast]

The system's monotonous voice chimed in my head, and an interface popped up before me, translucent yet vivid.

[Suggestion: Assign a name to the Blue Spirit Rabbit]

Where did that system spirit go? I thought, my gaze flicking around as if expecting it to materialize in front of me. But there was nothing.

Is it really inside me now?

The thought made my head spin for a moment, but I quickly brushed it off. Forget it, I decided, shaking my head to clear the distraction. Instead, my focus returned to the task at hand—the rabbit.

"Name, huh..." I muttered, rubbing my chin thoughtfully as I tried to conjure up something fitting.

Meiyara's playful giggle interrupted my thoughts. She sidled up beside me, her fingers brushing against my arm, the faint scent wafting from her.

"You're seriously thinking of a name for that rabbit?" she teased, her tone half-mocking, half-curious.

"Mmm," I nodded, my focus still on the rabbit.

Her eyes sparkled with amusement as she leaned closer, her full lips curling into a sly grin.

"Hehe, weren't you just complaining about how unworthy this 'low-level' beast was to be your companion? And now here you are, agonizing over its name like a doting parent!"

"Naming it is just part of the process. Don't read too much into it."

Her grin widened as she leaned closer, her breath warm against my ear. "Oh, but I think you're starting to care. How adorable, Young Master."

I rolled my eyes, turning back to the rabbit.

"What name shall I give it?" I mused aloud, my voice tinged with nostalgia. "My first love's name, perhaps?"

"Too childish," I muttered under my breath. Memories of that bittersweet time tugged at the edges of my mind.

Meiyara tilted her head, her large eyes sparkled with curiosity. "Young Master, isn't that a bit… sentimental?"

I shook my head, a faint smirk playing on my lips. "Sentimental, yes. But that love holds more sorrow than joy now."

I stared at the rabbit, its soft azure fur shimmering faintly like moonlight on water.

"Luisha!" I suddenly declared, the name slipping from my lips like a sigh of relief. It felt right, oddly comforting.

As soon as I uttered the name, a shimmering golden screen appeared before me, a chime sounded in my mind as the system interface materialized before me.

[Level F Blue Spirit Rabbit, Luisha, is registered as the Host's first spirit beast]

"Oh, what a lovely name, Young Master!" Meiyara exclaimed, clapping her hands together.

I smirked slightly at her reaction. "Of course, it's a good name. I chose it."

[Evolution starting…]

Evolution?

My mouth hung open for a second. "What? The system can evolve beasts?" I muttered, a spark of excitement flickering in my chest.

"Young Master?" Meiyara leaned closer, her face inches from mine. "Are you all right? You seem… distracted."

I waved her off. "I'm fine. Just… thinking."

The gears in my mind whirred. Evolution? That was unheard of in the Holy Beast Realm! Beasts were born with fixed levels, and no amount of cultivation or resources could change that. 

Families who possessed high-level beasts guarded them jealousy. Wars had been waged, entire bloodlines massacred, all for the chance to tame one.

The Rosani family of Felloro City, with all their resources, could only hope for a Level C beast. Even in the Divine Tiger Empire, there were only two Level B Beast Tamers, both revered as untouchable prodigies. Yet here I was, with a system promising evolution.

A grin spread across my face. Is this my transmigration perk? Hah! If I can evolve—

[Failed!]

W-what? Failed? But why?

[Increase your beast's favorability towards you to at least 0 to evolve the beast]

Favorability? What in the heavens was that? Was it… affection? Liking?

"System, what is Luisha's favorability towards me?" I asked internally, my thoughts brimming with anticipation.

[Host can check favorability by looking at the beast and thinking about it]

Oh! It's quite convenient. Hmm…

I turned my gaze to Luisha, who seemed to shrink under my scrutiny. Her fluffy body trembled, her long ears drooping. A red text flickered above her head.

[Favorability: -85]

Pfft! I nearly coughed blood.

My jaw nearly hit the ground. "-85?!" I exclaimed internally. My laughter bubbled out, half hysterical. "She doesn't just dislike me—she despises me!"

"Young Master?" Meiyara's soft voice cut through my mirth. She tugged at my sleeve, her fingers brushing against my arm. "Why are you glaring at the poor beast like that? Did it offend you??"

I blinked, realizing I must have looked like a madman. "Ah, nothing," I said, shaking my head. "Just some… complicated thoughts."

Her eyes narrowed suspiciously, her lips pursed in a pout. "If you say so."

I took a deep breath, forcing my thoughts into order. "Meiyara, I have some matters to handle here. Return to the mansion. I'll join you later."

Her expression faltered, her brows knitting with concern. "But, Young Master—"

"Don't worry," I said, patting her shoulder. 

"As you wish, young master." She gave a small look before turning, her emerald robes swishing elegantly as she walked away.

As her figure disappeared into the forest, I looked back at Luisha. "-85, huh? Well, little Luisha," I muttered, crouching to meet her fiery gaze. "We're going to change that. Whether you like it or not."

Luisha twitches her ears and let out an indignant squeak as if declaring war.

A smirk tugged at my lips. "Let the real taming begin."

-------

#R18Warning: sexual content in Next chapter.