Sophia stirred, her mind sluggishly cwing its way back to awareness. The world around her was a haze until, slowly, it began to sharpen.

  As crity returned, a sudden jolt of fear shot through her, and she sat upright, heart pounding as her surroundings snapped into focus.

  Her breath caught in her throat.

  She knew exactly what she had done. The ritual hadn’t been an accident; it was deliberate—a summoning aimed at the abyss.

  Months of obsessive research had brought her to this moment. She had delved into forbidden texts, painstakingly assembling fragments of lore that others dared not even acknowledge.

  Summoning from the abyss wasn’t just dangerous—it was a crime, punishable by lifetime imprisonment or, worse, execution.

  Still, she hadn’t acted recklessly. She’d been painstakingly thorough.

  She had studied the beasts of the abyss in depth—their habits, their natures, even the offerings that could pcate them.

  Her conclusion had been clear: control was possible.

  With meticulous care, Sophia prepared. She created a scroll inscribed with powerful binding spell and as a contingency, she crafted another—a silent explosive spell to destroy the altar and end the ritual should things go wrong.

  But all her pnning unraveled in a single, devastating moment.

  Instead of a creature she could manage, Sophia had unleashed something far beyond her comprehension.

  The memory of it sent an icy chill down her spine. She could still feel its presence, as if it had bypassed every ward and protective amulet to crawl deep inside her being.

  In that moment, Sophia understood with certainty: this wasn’t a beast she could hope to control.

  ***

  As Sophia’s eyes darted frantically around the room, the weight of her actions came crashing down on her.

  “What have I done…” she whispered, her voice trembling.

  The offerings she had meticulously prepared were gone, consumed by the ritual, and the beast she’d summoned was nowhere in sight.

  “Did it… escape?”

  Her stomach churned at the thought, and tears began to well in her eyes as panic tightened its grip on her.

  Then, she felt it—a gentle touch that pulled her back from the edge of despair.

  Looking down, she froze. A small paw rested lightly on her thigh.

  Startled, her gaze followed the paw to its source: a creature that, at first gnce, resembled a cat—but it was far from ordinary.

  Its bck fur shimmered with an otherworldly sheen, and its eyes, equally dark, seemed to hold an endless depth.

  Sophia blinked, momentarily disarmed. The creature was impossibly adorable, and for a moment, her heart softened.

  But the calm didn’t st. A wave of confusion soon took its pce.

  "Where did this cat come from?"

  She had performed a summoning from the abyss—a ritual designed to call forth a formidable beast.

  This small, adorable cat felt completely out of pce.

  Then, she felt it—a strange, subtle stirring deep within her mind. It wasn’t words, but some other form of communication. Yet, somehow, its intent was clear.

  It wanted something.

  A name.

  Sophia’s mind raced.

  "Don't tell me... is this cat the beast I summoned?"

  The thought that this harmless, adorable cat could be tied to the terrifying beast she had called forth was impossible to grasp.

  "Did it accept my contract? But I haven’t even made preparations for it."

  The cat tapped her thigh again, its wide eyes fixed on her with a commanding intensity.

  Sophia froze.

  Its cuteness was overwhelming, and the cat’s endearing actions were making it harder to hold onto her confusion.

  Then, as if a realization struck her, Sophia blinked.

  “Right, I need to give you a name. Uh... I’ll name you... Seraphix.”

  As the words left her mouth, a sharp, searing pain shot through her right arm. She winced, but kept her composure. Gncing down, she saw an intricate pattern etching itself into her skin.

  “What in the world?!!!”

  The pattern was intricate, resembling moons and stars, its beauty undeniable. Yet, the elegance was overshadowed by the implications of its design—particurly the strokes.

  The pattern had nine strokes.

  ***

  Strokes held immense significance in beast-taming.

  Each stroke signified a level of power—a one-stroke beast would never dare challenge a two-stroke, and so the hierarchy continued.

  Most tamers could only manage beasts with up to seven strokes, while eight-stroke beasts were rare and a mark of legend.

  Nine-stroke beasts, however, were the stuff of myths.

  No records of their existence had ever been found, and with eight-stroke beasts regarded as the pinnacle of beast, many believed nine-stroke beasts simply didn’t exist.

  Yet here she was.

  Sophia stared at the pattern etched into her hand, disbelief growing as the pattern’s meaning sank in.

  If the rules of strokes were correct, there was no denying it—she was now bound to a beast more powerful than even the legendary eight-stroke beasts.

  The realization hit her like a bolt of lightning.

  “A nine-stroke beast... serving me? ... I did it... I actually did it!!!”

  ***

  As I watched Sophia, my new master, reveling in her frantic joy, a thought crossed my mind.

  'It seems that communication isn't much of a problem.'

  When I spoke, she seemed to understand my intent, and when she spoke, I could somehow grasp hers as well.

  Shifting my attention, I refocused on my updated status window:

  ---

  Seraphix

  Level: 1 Mana Capacity: 3 Occupation: Beast (cat) tamed by Sophia Kovalevska

  Strength: 1 Intelligence: 1 Agility: 1 Dexterity: 1 Vitality: 1

  Skills: Transmogrify Essence, Veil of the Abyss, Essence Devour

  ---

  I noticed that both my name and occupation had changed.

  And then... wait, my mana?

  I remembered it being four before, but now it had dropped to three.

  'Did it cost mana for me to accept Sophia as my master? Shouldn't that have been on her?'

  I couldn't help but feel irritated.

  'Am I being scammed? Just minutes after being summoned into this world?'

  Taking a breath, I forced myself to calm down and rethink the situation. Compining wouldn't change anything. One thing was clear: the status window wasn’t being transparent about mana consumption.

  Now that I looked closer, there was no mention of mana costs in the skill descriptions, even though I’d clearly used mana.

  I’d have to be more cautious about this status window moving forward.

  For now, I had a clear goal. I needed to find a way to increase my mana.

  ***

  Lost in thought, I watched Sophia gleefully jumping and running around her room.

  'Did she just do a forward roll?'

  I ignored her and turned my focus inward.

  Though I could manage communication, I still struggled with reading. Plus, I needed to learn the basics of this world’s culture. I couldn’t risk accidentally offending someone powerful—especially when my stats were lower than those of a teenage girl.

  Suddenly, I felt something blocking my view. It was Sophia, drenched in sweat and breathing heavily.

  'Looks like she’s finished her night exercise.'

  She stood there, grinning widely, watching me like I was the Christmas present she’d always wanted.

  From our earlier interactions, one thing was clear: she saw me as something powerful, though I had no idea why. For now, I’d need to uphold that image—it could prove useful for obtaining the necessities I needed.

  Then, my cat's nose twitched.

  I gnced at Sophia and pointed with my paw to the damp spot in front of me.

  “Clean it.”

  ***

  Sophia’s face flushed with embarrassment as the weight of her mistake sank in.

  'What have I done...'

  Now that she had calmed down a bit, the events of her summoning repyed in her mind. Her first impression on her newly tamed beast, Seraphix, could not have been worse.

  Not only had she passed out after the ritual, but she had also wet herself in front of him.

  Mortified, she moved with a burst of energy, cleaning herself and scrubbing the wet floor at a speed faster than when she’d been running around before.

  Once finished, she grabbed her notebook, flipping through its pages carefully. Next, she retrieved a silver scroll from beneath her bed and pced it reverently on the altar.

  Raising both hands, she focused herself. The small gemstone embedded in the ring on her right hand began to glow faintly.

  “Good,” she muttered under her breath. “I still have some mana left in the ring.”

  Moments ter, an intense golden fme erupted from the altar, consuming everything in its path. Strangely, despite the bze's brilliance, no heat radiated from the fire.

  "Cal really is amazing," she mused, admiration coloring her tone. "To think he could craft something like this."

  When the fire finally died down, not a trace of the objects remained—no ash, no dust, just emptiness.

  Suddenly, A gentle tug at her ankle broke her train of thought. Sophia looked down to see Seraphix, his gaze fixed on her right hand.

  “Give me that ring.”

  Startled by his sudden request, Sophia scrambled to remove the ring and offered it with both hands, as though presenting a crown to a king.

  “S-sir Seraphix, please…” she stammered, her voice wavering.

  Seraphix studied the ring for a moment before opening his mouth and swallowing the gemstone whole.

  Sophia’s eyes widened in shock.

  'He’s hungry? Of course—he’s from the abyss. He needs constant sustenance!'

  Panic setting in, she bolted out of her room, the door smming open as she raced toward the kitchen.

  “Sir Seraphix, please wait a moment! I’ll find you something better!”

  ***

  My mana has increased to 26.

  It seems my instincts were correct. Yet, calling it "instinct" feels strange.

  It’s as natural as walking, as if this knowledge is an extension of myself, like my own feet and... paw.

  With my mana replenished, I don’t have to worry about it for now. Sophia will serve as a convenient source of more of those stones.

  Though having a "Pee-pants" as my master is still unsettling, she has her uses. Judging by this opulent room, she must be some sort of noble in this world.

  Thinking about her brings back the memory of her running around the room.

  'I suppose she’s just a child at her age.'

  Normally, I can’t stand having children around me—they’re usually a constant source of irritation.

  But Sophia… she feels different somehow.

  Suddenly, a distant memory surfaced in my mind.

  'Right... she also has a simir name.'

  My reminiscence was cut short when someone stepped into my view again.

  'This girl really has no sense of personal space.'

  “S-Sir Seraphix, I brought you some food,” she stammered, holding out a tray with trembling hands.

  ***

  In the kitchen, surrounded by an assortment of food, Sophia grabbed a loaf of bread and a gss of milk—her personal favorites.

  On her way back to her room, she couldn’t resist taking a bite of the bread and sipping the milk.

  She justified it to herself: 'I just need to make sure they taste perfect.'

  Once back in her room, she presented the tray to Seraphix, completely unaware of the faint trace of milk lingering on her lips.

  Seraphix stared at her silently for a moment before lifting a paw and pointing at the table.

  Sophia froze as an odd sensation stirred deep inside her. She instinctively understood what he wanted.

  'He wants to eat on the table… That’s normal, right?' she reassured herself, trying to keep her composure. 'This is just how Sir Seraphix communicates.'

  But a new problem quickly arose.

  'How does one even lift a nine-stroke beast without offending it?'

  Before she could spiral into overthinking, Seraphix solved the issue for her. He raised his two front paws in a clear signal, as if asking to be picked up.

  Sophia’s heart was thrown into turmoil.

  'Too… cute!!!'

  She clenched her fists, resisting the overwhelming urge to hug him like an ordinary house cat.

  'This is a nine-stroke beast! A nine-stroke beast!!!'

  Carefully, she scooped him up, her hands sinking into the surprisingly soft bck fur. She swallowed hard, stunned by the luxurious sensation under her fingertips.

  Gently, she pced Seraphix on the table, setting the pte of bread and milk in front of him.

  Sophia stood by, watching intently as Seraphix began to eat, his small mouth nibbling at the bread with surprising delicacy.

  Her fists tightened involuntarily.

  'I want to pat…'