The atmosphere shifted.

The moment my father turned to his friend, his expression hardened.

“Alright. You’ve said enough." His tone was final. "I think you’ve overstayed your welcome."

His friend’s smirk didn’t falter. “Oh? Didn’t realize my presence was such a problem.”

My father didn’t waver.

“Thank you for bringing the golden body monkey,” he said, voice controlled. “If there’s anything new, I’ll contact you.”

His friend tilted his head, watching him carefully.

“We haven’t even eaten breakfast yet,” my father continued. "And my son hasn’t even bathed yet."

He wasn’t subtle.

Get out.

A sharp silence followed.

Then—his friend chuckled.

“Alright, alright.” He raised his hands in surrender. “I know when I’m being kicked out.”

He turned to me.

His gaze was knowing.

Something unspoken passed between us.

A silent agreement.

I didn’t have to say a word.

He knew.

And my father?

He knew it too.

But there was nothing he could do.

The seed was already planted.

We didn’t talk about it during breakfast.

Or lunch.

Or at all.

The topic of the Abyssal Tower was buried.

At least, for now.

Instead, life continued.

After eating, I turned my focus back to my golden body monkey.

He clung to me like a newborn, chirping softly, his tail flicking.

But there was a problem.

“What does he eat?” I asked.

Mother pursed her lips, tapping her chin. “I suppose we’ll have to figure that out.”

That meant a trip to the market.

But first—

A bath.

Clean, refreshed, and well-fed, I stepped outside with my monkey perched on my shoulder.

And of course—

Word had already spread.

A small group of kids from the neighborhood gathered outside my house, eyes wide.

“Akul awakened his artifact?!”

“He already formed a contract?”

“He got a grimoire?”

Excited voices buzzed around me.

I barely had a second to react before one of my friends rushed up—

A chubby little girl with round cheeks and big, expressive eyes.

She wasn’t out of shape—just soft-looking, plush. The kind of girl who definitely had snacks hidden somewhere.

“Akul, let me see your monkey!” she demanded, tugging at my sleeve.

I smirked. “Did you even say hello first?”

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She pouted. “You can’t just awaken and not show me!”

"Before I could respond— another voice cut in.

“Ohh, Chia’s being extra clingy today.”

A boy from the group snickered.

I rolled my eyes. Here we go.

The teasing started immediately.

“Akul, you sure you don’t like her?”

“She’s always stuck to you.”

“I bet she sneaks you extra snacks.”

Chia turned bright red.

“S-Shut up!” she snapped, flailing her arms.

I just grinned.

And shrugged.

“What’s wrong with liking someone who feeds me?”

The boys howled with laughter.

Chia made a gasping noise, covering her face. “Akul, you—”

I ruffled her hair.

“Relax.” I smirked. “You know I’m just messing with you.”

She pouted harder.

But I knew better.

She wasn’t actually mad.

She was just flustered.

“Alright, alright.” I held up my hands. “You all wanted to see it, right?”

I raised my grimoire.

A collective gasp.

The book hovered beside me, dark pages glowing faintly.

“That’s so cool…”

A few kids reached out, hesitant.

But the moment they tried to touch it, a pulse of mana pushed their hands away.

“Whoa!”

“It rejected me!”

I chuckled. “Yeah. My artifact isn’t for anyone else to hold.”

“But what about the monkey?”

I gestured to the golden body monkey, still perched on my shoulder.

“This little guy,” I said, grinning, “is my first contracted beast.”

The kids gawked.

“That’s insane.”

“You’re already a real summoner.”

Some of them looked jealous.

Others?

Amazed.

And Chia?

She was grinning.

Like she was proud.

And honestly?

For the first time since my awakening…

I felt normal again.

Like a normal twelve-year-old, showing off something cool to his friends.

And for now…

That was enough.

The town’s main street was alive with sound and movement.

Chatter filled the air, mixed with the occasional calls of merchants, the clatter of hooves—or more accurately, beast claws against stone.

This wasn’t a market filled with wagons and carriages.

This was a market built around beasts.

I walked beside my mother, Lina skipping ahead, and Chia at my side—our little group of friends trailing behind.

My golden body monkey sat perched on my shoulder, tiny hands gripping my tunic. His round eyes darted around, taking in the world for the first time.

He wasn’t the only beast here.

Not by a long shot.

Beasts were everywhere.

I had always known this—growing up in a summoner’s town, how could I not?

But today, I saw it differently.

Because now, I was one of them.

I wasn’t just looking at them as a bystander.

I was looking at them as a summoner.

A merchant sat behind a stall filled with exotic mana-infused fruits—but he wasn’t the one carrying them.

A large six-legged reptilian beast stood beside him, its muscular frame covered in glistening, scale-like fur. The merchant casually tossed a crate onto its back, the creature barely shifting under the weight.

A living pack animal.

Down the road, a woman rode a massive, feline-like creature with sleek black fur and piercing yellow eyes. It moved without reins, following her unspoken commands with absolute precision.

A living mount.

A group of armored guards walked past us, their boots clicking against the stone—but they weren’t alone.

By their sides, shadowy hounds padded silently, eyes glowing with faint mana light. Their presence alone was enough to keep the street orderly, citizens stepping aside out of respect—or fear.

Living law enforcers.

A skybeast swooped overhead—a gigantic, bird-like creature with elongated wings and a glowing crest.

Its rider sat comfortably on its back, scanning the market from above.

A living scout.

Everything—absolutely everything—in this town revolved around beasts."

“Look, look!” Lina gasped, pointing ahead.

A massive, horned beast stomped down the street—four tusks curving outward, thick armored plates covering its sides.

People quickly stepped aside as the merchant riding it barked commands, maneuvering the creature toward a trading post.

Lina giggled, excited. “It’s so big! Akul, can we get one?”

I chuckled. “And where exactly would we put it?”

Chia laughed beside me. “She’d probably make you carry it.”

Lina pouted. “You don’t know that.”

I smirked. “Oh, I know that.”

Lina huffed but got distracted again immediately.

Everywhere she looked—something new, something exciting.

But me?

I wasn’t just looking at the cool factor.

I was observing.

How summoners commanded their beasts. How they used mana to reinforce their orders.

How some beasts responded instantly while others hesitated—a sign of weaker bonds or incomplete training.

And most importantly…

I wondered.

Could my trait affect them too?

Could I see their potential?

Could I manipulate their growth?

The idea thrilled me.

But I’d have to test it first.

The deeper we walked into the market, the more specialized stalls we saw.

And each one catered to summoners and their beasts.

A stall selling beast armor displayed reinforced leather for quadrupeds, chainmail for reptilian creatures, even enchanted plating for more exotic summons.

Another had mana-infused treats designed to boost a beast’s stamina or reinforce their bond.

One particularly crowded area showcased combat techniques.

A grizzled old summoner stood at the center, his beast—a hulking, gorilla-like creature with flaming fists— demonstrating powerful strikes.

People watched in awe as it smashed a reinforced training dummy into splinters.

But something even more interesting caught my eye.

A beast auction.

A large, raised platform stood ahead, surrounded by a thick crowd.

At the center—a creature inside a reinforced mana cage.

It was a quadrupedal beast, sleek and lean, its fur a shifting shade of deep blue.

It snarled, ears flat, muscles coiled to strike.

“This fine specimen,” the auctioneer boasted, “is a Shadowfang Wolf! Agile, fast, and perfect for night operations. Bidding starts at five gold.”

People murmured, interested.

I paused, watching.

Not just the wolf.

The process.

The way the beast reacted to its surroundings.

The instinctive distrust in its eyes.

The subtle muscle tension that told me it was planning to escape.

I could see it.

Even without touching it. Even without activating my eyes—I could feel the restriction in his body.

I clenched my fist.

My ability was already at work.

I understood this beast.

Its fear. Its resistance.

Its untapped potential.

And just for a moment—

I wondered what it would be like to set it free.

“Akul.”

I turned.

Mother had a knowing look.

“Come on,” she said. “We still need to find food for your monkey.”

I exhaled, nodding.

I let go of the thoughts of auctions, contracts, and power.

For now.

For now… I was just a boy.

A summoner with his first beast.

And I needed to make sure he was well-fed before I tested my powers on him.