The words formed instantly— burning themselves into the page.

━━━ ◇ ━━━

Trait: Primordial Hormonal Authority.

Affinity: Null.

Grade: Unique EX.

Rank: Unknown.

━━━ ◇ ━━━

I stared at the words.

And then I stared some more.

What…?

I expected something like Physical Mastery, Strength Affinity, or at the very least something related to my grimoire.

But this…?

Null Affinity?

What did that even mean?

My father said that every summoner has an affinity. It was the foundation for forming contracts.

Fire summoners contracted fire beasts.

Draconic summoners bonded with dragon-types.

Strength summoners specialized in physical creatures.

But I… had no affinity at all?

I frowned, gripping the grimoire tighter.

Then how am I suppose cultivate a summon beast?

My eyes drifted back to the trait’s name.

"Primordial Hormonal Authority."

It sounded powerful. Grand.

But also… completely unfamiliar.

I knew what authority meant. But primordial? Hormonal?

I had never heard those words before.

It didn’t sound like anything related to summoning. It wasn’t about commanding, strengthening, or enhancing beasts.

…Right?

I needed answers.

I turned the page.

━━━ ◇ ━━━

Trait Division: Six Branches

━━━ ◇ ━━━

This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

More golden text formed, neatly listing six separate sections beneath the trait.

1. Development Branch – (Growth & Evolution)

2. Recovery Branch – (Healing & Regeneration)

3. Bonding Branch – (Loyalty & State of Mind)

4. Battle Branch – (Combat & Endurance)

5. Control Branch – (Taming & Influence)

6. Learning Branch – (Skill Development & Intelligence)

I exhaled.

This was far more complex than I expected.

Most summoners had one or two skills linked to their trait. But I had… six entire branches?

Each one looked like an entire specialization by itself.

I was about to flip to the next page, eager to read more, when—

Knock. Knock. Knock.

I flinched, my fingers tightening around the grimoire.

"Akul? It’s me, your mother."

Her voice was gentle but firm, cutting through the early morning silence. "Your father is downstairs. His friend just arrived… and he brought the golden body monkey."

I hesitated.

My heart was still racing from what I had just read. The words Primordial Hormonal Authority echoed in my mind, heavy and unexplained. My fingers twitched, wanting—needing—to turn the page and keep reading.

But I couldn't. Not now.

I took a slow breath, closing the grimoire and sinking it back into my soul. The moment I withdrew, reality snapped into focus again.

I exhaled, running a hand through my hair.

"I'm coming," I called back.

I stepped toward the door, pushing it open.

The moment my mother saw me, her expression shifted.

Her eyes flicked over my face, searching, her brows furrowing just slightly.

"You look… lost in thought," she murmured.

I swallowed. Could she tell?

I tried to brush it off, forcing a small smile. "Just… a lot to think about."

She didn’t say anything right away. Instead, she reached out, gently adjusting my tunic like she always did when she thought I looked a little messy.

“That’s natural,” she said after a pause. “You just awakened yesterday. Everything must still feel… overwhelming.”

I nodded. That wasn’t exactly why I was distracted, but it was close enough.

As we walked down the hall, she glanced at me again.

“Did you find out something important?”

I hesitated.

Part of me wanted to tell her everything—about my trait, about my lack of affinity, about how nothing made sense.

But another part of me… wasn’t ready.

Not yet.

I shook my head. “I don’t know yet. I’ll need to look into it more.”

She studied me for a moment, then nodded. "Well, you have time. No need to rush understanding everything all at once."

We reached the staircase, the voices from downstairs growing clearer. My father was speaking with someone—his tone relaxed, carrying the weight of an old friendship.

“Before the bonding process starts, it’s important for them to spend time together.”

I slowed my steps.

“Since Akul has only just awakened, his beast space won’t be habitable yet,” the man continued. “It usually takes a month at the minimum before it stabilizes.”

A pause. Then my father’s voice. “So, you brought the beast early for them to get to know each other?”

“Exactly.”

I reached the bottom of the stairs, stepping into the main room.

A man stood beside my father, dressed in well-worn traveler’s clothes, his arms crossed. He had a sturdy build, with short, graying hair and sharp, observant eyes. In his left hand, he held a small wooden crate, the lid slightly open.

And inside…

A tiny golden-furred creature peeked out.

I stopped mid-step.

The golden body monkey was even smaller than I expected.

It was no bigger than my palm, its fur soft and sleek, shimmering slightly under the lantern light. Its large, round eyes blinked up at me, filled with curiosity. Its tiny hands clutched the edge of the crate, gripping it tightly as it observed the room.

It was adorable.

“He’s young,” my father’s friend said, glancing at me. “Not a newborn, but still in his early stages. He can eat on his own, but he’s at the age where he craves companionship.”

I stepped forward slowly, my gaze locked onto the monkey.

The little creature tilted its head, ears twitching slightly, its nose wrinkling as if trying to sniff the air.

"Perfect timing for bonding," my father mused.

His friend nodded. "At this stage, he's naturally inclined to seek comfort and attachment. If Akul spends enough time with him before the official contract, their bond will be stronger.”

My mother smiled softly, watching the scene unfold. "That sounds ideal."

The man turned back to me. "Do you want to hold him?"

I hesitated—but only for a second.

Then, slowly, I reached out my hand.

The tiny monkey watched me carefully. Its fingers twitched, its tail shifting inside the crate.

For a brief moment, a thought gripped me— what would happen when I touched it? Would my trait... react?

Would I feel something different?

The thought sent a shiver of anticipation down my spine.

And then, before I could overthink it, the golden body monkey jumped onto my hand—its tiny fingers gripping my skin, warm and impossibly light.