Kyro walked behind Erynn, who led the way ahead of him. Surprisingly, the girl was quite tall herself. Even with Kyro’s height of 185 cm (6' 1"), Erynn couldn’t have been far behind, standing at roughly 173 cm (5' 8").

They moved through the academy corridors when, without warning, Erynn suddenly turned around, nearly causing Kyro to bump into her.

In her abrupt motion, however, Erynn’s feet tangled awkwardly, and she began to stumble backward. Reacting instinctively, Kyro reached out, catching her waist and pulling her close to steady her.

“Sorry!” Erynn blurted out immediately.

Kyro smiled in response. “Are you okay?”

Erynn coughed lightly, attempting to hide her flustered state. Her gaze dropped slightly as she answered, “Y-yes, of course.”

Without waiting for further questions, she quickly walked ahead, pretending to focus on the path as if nothing had happened.

Kyro, whose real age was 25, couldn’t ignore the faint but unmistakable wave of affection radiating from her.

No way!

Erynn? A girl this stunning and talented… actually has feelings for someone as useless as the original Kyro?

They continued walking, their conversation resuming in bits and pieces.

"Kyro," Erynn said, "explain to me. Why do you always let your classmates bully you like that?"

"He has a deadly raven. How am I supposed to fight against that?"

Erynn shook her head firmly. “I’ve told you before, you should’ve taken my offer to enter Eterna Forest and get your beast from the start. This is your last chance. I don’t care what it takes—you have to succeed this time.”

“Erynn,” Kyro began hesitantly, “do you have any special tips for getting a high-grade beast? I mean, you have a Unique-Grade beast, and that’s incredible. You even managed to get it on your first try.”

“I didn’t do much,” Erynn replied casually. “I just gave it a try, and I got it.”

“That’s insanely lucky.”

“Maybe,” Erynn said with a small shrug. “Or maybe it’s because my family is known as the best beast tamers in the city?”

“Are you trying to show off now?”

There was no question about it—both of Erynn’s parents were celebrated as the top beast tamers in the city. Their unparalleled skill likely coursed through her veins as well.

It was no secret that Erynn, one of the top students at the Magical Beast Academy, had privileged access to the prestigious Eterna Forest.

In this world, two primary forests existed for forming contracts with magical beasts. The higher-tier forest was Eterna Forest, home to beasts of exceptional grades such as Epic, Unique, and even Legendary.

The more common option was Arcane Forest, which primarily contained beasts of lower grades like Common, Rare, and Elite.

Every individual was granted twelve chances per year to enter either forest, but strict limitations governed the contracts. A person could form bonds with no more than three beasts in their lifetime.

Magical beasts were divided into three primary roles: Offense, Defense, and Utility. This allowed individuals to strategically choose three beasts whose roles complement one another, creating a balanced and versatile team based on their needs.

Kyro, however, had already used 11 of his 12 yearly opportunities to enter the forests. He had spent nearly an entire year trying his luck in Arcane Forest, but every attempt had ended in failure—no beast had ever agreed to form a contract with him.

“Kyro, wait a moment,” Erynn said suddenly, turning to face him.

Her face was unexpectedly close, and Kyro’s heart skipped a beat. It wasn’t something he consciously registered—more like a natural reaction carried over from the original Kyro’s lingering emotions.

“What is it, Erynn?”

“Uhm, there’s something different about you,” she said, tilting her head slightly. “You’re talking more now. And you didn’t even resist when I suggested going to Eterna Forest this time.”

“Because you kept insisting?” he replied with a faint smirk.

“Is that supposed to be the reason? Well, whatever. It’s good,” she said with a shrug.

They resumed walking.

Erynn led the way down a quiet corridor within the academy, eventually stepping outside and heading toward the women’s dormitory.

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Several students turned their heads to watch Erynn as she walked with Kyro, their presence together clearly drawing attention.

When they reached her room, Erynn opened the door and stepped inside. Kyro followed casually, his nonchalant demeanor catching her off guard.

“You don’t seem like the Kyro I used to know,” she remarked with a small smile.

Kyro narrowed his eyes. “Oh? Did you figure me out?”

“Is something wrong with your head?” she teased.

Once they were inside, Erynn pulled out a necklace with a diamond-shaped pendant.

“This,” she said, “is given to everyone with special access to Eterna Forest. The access won’t be stolen—it’s impossible because it’s encoded with the owner’s Mana. Even if someone else gets their hands on it, they won’t be able to use it.”

“What about me?”

“Don’t worry. It’s simple. As long as I’m holding onto you, you’ll automatically enter the portal with me.”

Kyro nodded.

She added, “Kyro, remember, we can’t stay in the forest for too long. We only have one hour before we’ll be forcibly removed.”

Kyro nodded, signaling that he understood.

Erynn activated the pendant with her Mana, and a swirling portal formed nearby, emitting a low humming sound.

She turned to him, took his hand without a word, and together they stepped into the portal.

The moment they crossed through, the portal behind them began to shrink until it vanished completely, leaving no trace behind.

Around them, lush greenery stretched endlessly, the air refreshingly cool. The soothing sound of flowing water added to the serene atmosphere.

Eterna Forest, much like Arcane Forest, is a fragmented world—a bridge between two realms. Whatever lies beyond this fragmented space remains a mystery. Here, people can mostly find eggs and beasts scattered across the region.

The concept is simple: explore the forest, find a potential soul-contract beast, form a connection, and secure the contract. Of course, it’s far from easy, as they only have one hour per visit. Luck plays a crucial role in this process.

“This place is truly magical,” Kyro remarked, taking in the enchanting surroundings.

“You've been to Arcane Forest right?”

“Yes, but this one feels... more magical.”

Without saying much more, they ventured deeper into the forest, wandering wherever their steps led them.

“You need to trust the feeling,” Erynn said. “It’s something inside you that guides you, and telling you where to go and which beast is meant for you.”

Kyro nodded slowly, though the concept still felt a bit absurd to him, a newcomer to this strange world.

Along the way, they encountered several creatures: a deer with flowers blooming across its body, a massive black cat with piercing yellow eyes lurking behind the trees, and the distant sound of a deafening roar, as if something was on the hunt.

If someone without a beast came to a place like this alone, it’d be as good as handing over their life!

“Erynn, can’t we determine the grade of a magical beast before forming a contract with it? Like, I know it’s not possible, but is there a trick? Maybe something like the color of the eggs?”

Erynn shook her head. “No, we can only learn a beast’s stats after the contract is formed.”

“Ah, it’s completely random,” he muttered.

Erynn walked a few steps ahead of him, intending to help him find a beast that might suit him.

Meanwhile, Kyro’s attention was drawn to a wolf pup sitting weakly on the ground. He paused, his gaze fixed on the creature. For a moment, he felt as if the little wolf was calling out to him, silently asking for help.

Damn, is this just a fake feeling? he wondered. Well, what’s the harm in trying?

Quietly, Kyro approached, crouching a short distance from the wolf, maintaining caution. After all, it was just a little wolf—what could go wrong?

Kyro couldn’t help but smile at the sight of the wolf. It was adorable, and the idea of having a magical wolf beast thrilled him. The possibility of owning one with an Epic or Unique grade was almost too good to resist.

Forming a contract with a magical beast in this forest involved two key steps. First, the tamer had to establish contact—either through eye contact for a beast or by transferring a small amount of mana if it was still in egg form.

If the beast accepted, the tamer would then channel more mana and offer a drop of blood to finalize the bond.

Kyro’s excitement grew when the wolf didn’t show any signs of hostility. It seemed like a promising start.

Feeling encouraged, Kyro bit the tip of his finger, ready to let a drop of blood fall onto the wolf pup to initiate the process.

But as he moved closer, the wolf pup suddenly sprang to its feet, its teeth bared in a snarl, and lunged at him.

Startled, Kyro stumbled backward and hit the ground hard, his heart racing.

From a distance, Erynn saw the commotion. Acting quickly, she commanded her rabbit to assist Kyro.

The rabbit swiftly transformed, growing to nearly the height of a human.

With sharp reflexes, it intercepted the wolf pup mid-lunge, shielding Kyro. In a single, fluid motion, the rabbit flung the wolf pup away with enough force to send it tumbling across the ground.

“Kyro, are you okay?” Erynn asked as she rushed closer.

“Yes, of course,” Kyro replied, brushing dirt off himself as he stood.

“Kyro, what is that?!” Erynn suddenly exclaimed.

“What?!” Kyro spun around to follow her gaze, only to see what had caught her attention.

It was an egg—a pitch-black egg with fiery patterns that glowed faintly like burning embers. The egg trembled slightly, and to Kyro’s shock, he noticed a drop of his blood resting on its surface.

Since when was that there? he wondered, confused. He was certain he hadn’t seen it earlier.

They both leaned in, curiosity etched on their faces as they observed the egg.

“Does this mean it’s forming a bond, Erynn?” Kyro whispered.

“Yes,” she replied. “It seems the egg is responding to your blood, and you’ve unintentionally started forming a contract with it.”

“Damn, is that even possible?” Kyro muttered.

They waited, watching intently as the first crack appeared on the surface of the egg’s shell.

Is this it? Does this mean I’m about to secure my first contract?!

Oh damn! Just what kind of beast could be inside this mysterious egg?