Chapter 8 The Bonding Lesson (And Also a Lot of Bugs)
Kai woke up before the sun rose.
His body was still buzzing with that strange new energy from his level up. He felt stronger than yesterday, faster too. But he knew it wasn't enough. He needed to be stronger. Much stronger.
He grabbed Pugzooka, who was still asleep on the floor, and shook him awake.
"Wake up. We're going to train."
Pugzooka groaned and opened one eye. "It's still dark outside."
"Exactly. That's how you know it's training time."
"That's how you know it's crazy time."
Kai dragged the complaining beast out of the shop and into the forest. The morning air was cold and damp, and the only sounds were birds and insects waking up.
"I don't see any beasts," Pugzooka said, yawning.
"Then we'll find some."
They walked deeper into the forest. After about twenty minutes, Kai spotted a small beast drinking from a stream. It was a Common type—a horned rabbit with sharp teeth and twitchy ears.
"Perfect," Kai said. "That's our target."
Pugzooka looked at the rabbit. "It's a rabbit."
"It's a beast. And it's weak."
"Kai, it's a rabbit."
"Rabbits can be dangerous."
"Rabbits eat grass."
"This one has horns."
Pugzooka sighed. "Fine. But if I get hurt, you're carrying me back."
Kai stepped forward, ready to command Pugzooka to attack. But then he had an idea. A stupid idea. The kind of idea that only someone who had never been in a real fight would have.
"Wait," Kai said. "I want to try something."
"What?"
"Hold on."
Kai walked toward the horned rabbit. The rabbit looked up at him with its beady red eyes. It didn't seem scared. It seemed annoyed.
"Okay," Kai whispered to himself. "I'm stronger now. Twice as strong as a normal person my level. I can do this."
He clenched his fist and threw a punch at the rabbit.
The rabbit hopped out of the way. Kai stumbled forward, lost his balance, and fell face-first into the stream.
Pugzooka watched from the bank, his tiny face unreadable. "That went well."
Kai sat up, sputtering water. "It dodged!"
"Rabbits dodge. It's what they do."
"I almost had it."
"You fell."
"I fell because of the water."
"You fell because you're clumsy."
Kai climbed out of the stream, soaking wet. The horned rabbit was still standing there, staring at him like he was the stupidest creature it had ever seen. Then it hopped away, completely unharmed.
"Stupid rabbit," Kai muttered.
"You punched a rabbit," Pugzooka said. "And missed."
"I'm just warming up."
They continued deeper into the forest. Kai tried again with a different beast—a small lizard with spikes on its back. He threw another punch. The lizard hissed at him. Nothing happened. His fist connected with the lizard's side, but it was like punching a rock. The lizard didn't even flinch.
"It didn't work," Kai said, shaking his sore hand.
"Obviously. You're not a beast. You're a master. Masters don't fight like that."
"Then how do they fight?"
Pugzooka opened his mouth to answer, but he didn't know either.
-
Hours passed. Kai kept trying. He fought lizards, bugs, and even a very confused squirrel. Nothing worked. His punches had no effect. His kicks were useless. Every beast he attacked looked at him like he was a joke.
He was sitting on a fallen log, exhausted and frustrated, when a voice came from the trees.
"You're doing it wrong."
Kai jumped and spun around. A man was standing nearby, leaning against a tree like he had been there the whole time. He was wearing a dark cloak with a hood that covered most of his face, but Kai could see a hint of a beard and a pair of sharp, amused eyes.
"Who are you?" Kai asked.
"Someone who's been watching you fail for the past hour," the man said. "It was entertaining."
"Thanks for the compliment."
"It wasn't a compliment."
Kai frowned. "Look, I don't have time for this. I'm training."
"No," the man said, pushing off from the tree and walking closer. "You're flailing. There's a difference."
He stopped a few feet away from Kai. Up close, Kai could see that the man was older, maybe in his forties, with gray streaks in his beard and a calm, knowing expression. He carried no weapons and had no beast with him.
"What do you want?" Kai asked.
The man smiled. "To help you. If you're willing to listen."
Kai hesitated. The last time he trusted a stranger in the forest, he ended up tied upside down. But something about this man felt different. He didn't have the fake friendliness of Neljun. He had the quiet confidence of someone who knew what he was doing.
"I'm listening," Kai said.
The man nodded and sat down on a nearby rock. "You're a new Beast Master. I can tell. You try to fight like a soldier instead of a master. That's your first mistake."
"So what should I be doing?"
The man leaned forward. "A Beast Master doesn't fight with his fists. He fights with his beast. But more than that, he fights with his beast's skills. That's how masters fight each other. They share their beast's abilities."
Kai blinked. "Share?"
"You need to bond with your beast. Truly bond. Not just command them to attack. You need to form a connection. When you do, you'll be able to use their skills as your own."
"How do I do that?"
The man shrugged. "That's different for every master. For some, it's a ritual. For others, it's a moment of trust. But it starts with you understanding that your beast isn't just a tool. They're a partner."
Pugzooka, who had been sitting quietly next to Kai, twitched his ears. Kai saw the look in his eyes. He was listening.
"Is that it?" Kai asked. "Just... bond?"
"Just bond," the man repeated. He stood up and stretched. "I've said enough. The rest is up to you."
"Wait," Kai said. "Who are you? Why are you helping me?"
The man walked back toward the trees, his cloak swishing behind him. "Let's just say I have a soft spot for idiots with potential."
Then he was gone. Just like that. No sound, no trace. Like he had never been there.
Kai stared at the empty space where the man had been. "Did that really happen?"
"I think so," Pugzooka said. "I mean, I heard him too. Unless I'm also imagining things."
"He said we need to bond."
"Great. How do we do that?"
Kai thought about it. He looked at Pugzooka. The little beast looked back at him.
"I guess... we just need to trust each other," Kai said. "Completely."
"That's it?"
"I think so."
They stared at each other for a long moment. Then Kai did something he had never done before. He crouched down and held out his hand to Pugzooka, palm open.
"I'm sorry," Kai said. "For treating you like a tool. For dragging you into danger. For not listening to you."
Pugzooka blinked. "Who are you and what did you do with Boss?"
"I'm serious."
"So am I. This is weird."
"Do you trust me?"
Pugzooka was quiet for a moment. Then he stepped forward and placed his tiny paw in Kai's open hand.
"You're an idiot," Pugzooka said. "But you're my idiot. Of course I trust you."
A warmth spread through Kai's chest. It wasn't physical. It was something deeper. Something that felt like a door opening inside him.
And then the System screen appeared.
[ BOND ESTABLISHED ]
[ You and your beast are now officially bonded. ]
[ Your beast's skills are now accessible to you. ]
[ Warning: You cannot damage beasts directly. Only beast skills can harm other beasts. ]
[ Good luck. You'll need it. ]
Kai read the screen twice. "So that's it. We're bonded now."
Pugzooka looked at the screen too. "Does that mean you can use my skills?"
"I think so." Kai looked at his hands. "How do I... wait, I can't hurt beasts? The System said I can't damage them."
"Then stop punching them and use my skills."
"I don't know how."
Pugzooka sighed. "Figure it out. You're the master."
-
Kai spent the rest of the day trying to figure out how to use Pugzooka's skills.
He found another weak beast—a giant beetle with a hard shell. He focused on the bond between him and Pugzooka, and suddenly, he felt something. A connection. A line of energy linking them.
He concentrated, and a blue glow appeared around his hand. The glow shaped itself into something familiar—a set of sharp teeth, just like the shadow that appeared behind Pugzooka during Vicious Bite.
"I can do it," Kai whispered. "I can use Vicious Bite."
He stepped toward the beetle and swung his hand. The shadow teeth bit down on the beetle's shell, and for the first time, he actually did something. The beetle stumbled backward.
Then the System appeared.
[ ERROR ]
[ Masters cannot directly damage beasts. ]
[ Please command your beast to attack instead. ]
Kai blinked. "What?"
The screen flashed again.
[ Only beast skills used by the beast itself can damage other beasts. ]
[ You can use your beast's skills, but they will have no effect. ]
[ The damage must come from the beast. ]
[ The bond allows you to fight alongside your beast, but your beast must land the final blow. ]
Kai stared at the screen, then at the beetle, then at Pugzooka.
"So I can use the skill," Kai said slowly, "but it doesn't do damage?"
"Looks like it," Pugzooka said.
"Then what's the point?"
"Maybe you can use it to distract?"
Kai tried. He used Vicious Bite again, and the shadow teeth distracted the beetle long enough for Pugzooka to run in and bite it for real. It wasn't a powerful attack, but it worked. The beetle stumbled again.
"That's the idea," Kai said. "I distract. You attack."
"Okay," Pugzooka said. "But next time, warn me first."
-
For the next two days, Kai and Pugzooka trained in the forest.
They fought everything they could find—bugs, lizards, small rodents, and even a pair of angry birds that chased them for ten minutes. Most of their fights were against Larvae Grubs, the weakest beasts in Veridia.
Kai would use Vicious Bite to distract the grubs, and Pugzooka would bite them for real. It was slow. It was boring. And it smelled terrible.
"Another grub," Pugzooka said on the second day, looking at a fat white creature wiggling on a log. "I'm so tired of grubs."
"Grubs give experience," Kai said. "That's what matters."
"I want to fight something bigger. Something with teeth. Something that fights back."
"You fought a Sparkpaw Cat. It almost electrocuted you."
"That was one time."
"You were running for your life."
"Technicalities."
Kai ignored him and commanded Pugzooka to attack. The grub wiggled. Pugzooka bit it. The grub stopped wiggling. The System screen appeared.
[ VICTORY! ]
[ EXPERIENCE GAINED ]
[ LEVEL UP! ]
[ Kai Zang - Level 3 ]
[ Pugzooka - Level 3 ]
[ SKILL UPGRADED: Vicious Bite+ → Vicious Bite++ ]
[ SKILL UPGRADED: Stink Bomb+ → Stink Bomb++ ]
[ NEW SKILL UNLOCKED: Quick Dash ]
Kai felt the familiar wave of warmth wash over his body. His muscles relaxed. His head cleared. He felt faster, stronger, sharper.
"I leveled up again," Kai said, flexing his arms. "I feel amazing."
"Me too," Pugzooka said, jumping in the air. "I feel like I could fight a hundred grubs!"
"Let's not get crazy."
"Fine. Fifty grubs."
"Still crazy."
Kai looked at the sky. The sun was setting on the second day. Tomorrow was the third day. The day Rino had given them to pay.
"We're running out of time," Kai said. "We need to be ready."
"We've been fighting grubs for two days. We're probably ready."
"Probably isn't good enough."
"Then what is?"
Kai didn't answer. He looked out at the darkening forest and thought about Mira. She was out there, trapped in Rino's hideout. She was probably scared. Probably angry. Definitely calling Rino names.
"I'm not giving up on her," Kai said quietly.
Pugzooka looked at him. "I know."
"Even if it's stupid."
"Especially if it's stupid."
Kai smiled. Then he picked up Pugzooka and carried him back toward Dustwell.
Tomorrow, they would face Rino.
-
The next morning, Kai woke up at dawn.
He didn't feel nervous. He felt calm. Ready. He had leveled up twice. He had formed a bond with Pugzooka. He had fought dozens of beasts and survived.
He was still weak compared to Rino. He knew that. But he wasn't as weak as he used to be.
He walked out of his room and found Heston in the main shop. The old man was pacing, his face pale.
"It's today," Heston said. "The deadline."
"I know."
"Do you have a plan?"
Kai looked at Pugzooka, who was sitting on the counter, grooming his smelly tail.
"Yeah," Kai said. "I have a plan."
"What is it?"
"I'm going to walk into Rino's hideout and get Mira back."
Heston stared at him. "That's not a plan. That's suicide."
"It's both," Kai admitted. "But it's the only plan I have."
He walked toward the door.
"Wait," Heston called after him. "At least take something. A weapon. A—"
"All I need is Pugzooka," Kai said. "He's the only weapon I need."
Pugzooka looked up from his tail. "Did you just call me a weapon?"
"In a good way."
"Stop being nice. It's weird."
Kai opened the door and stepped outside. Dustwell was quiet, the streets empty. Everyone was still asleep.
He started walking toward Rino's hideout.
It was time to end this.
