Jayden stared at the notification that had appeared in front of him.

[Soul Bonding Complete]

[You have successfully established a pact with the Sapphire Sonic (Legendary)]

Then, a detailed informational window expanded in his vision, replacing the emergency warnings.

——————

Soul Bonding

*Type: Active

*Description: Enables the host to form a mutual pact with a beast, allowing shared understanding, emotional linkage, and power synchronization.

*Pact Forming Conditions:

-Requires direct contact or proximity.

-Pact is voluntary and cannot be forced.

*Core Mechanics:

-Host and beast experience each other’s memories briefly upon bonding.

-Clear communication between host and bonded beast.

-Emotions are shared bidirectionally; host and bonded beast can feel each other’s pain, intent, rage, and instinct.

-Soul-bonded beasts cannot be commanded. They retain full independence and autonomy. Loyalty must be earned through care, affection, and reciprocated allegiance.

*Benefits of Soul Bonding:

-Ability and Gene Sharing: Host can tap into bonded beasts’ energy and acquire their genes and abilities while bonded. This enables seamless Beast Energy Acquisition without the standard process requirements.

-Exp Generation: Bonded beasts generate Exp for host directly without Pack integration. And every kill made by a bonded beast awards double the base Exp (+100% bonus)

-Bonded beasts grow stronger as host levels up.

-Host can communicate telepathically with bonded beasts.

*Notes:

-Initial bonding process requires a strong will. Unsuccessful bonding can lead to death.

-Emotional feedback may destabilize or overwhelm host.

-Fatal damage or death of bonded beast causes severe mental and emotional backlash.

-Gene Sharing is currently unavailable (Unlock at Level 40)

——————

Jayden read through the info carefully his mind reeling. The soul bond pact was even more incredible than Luna had let on. The benefits were too good to be true. Double the standard Exp yield for every kill the sapphire sonic made? That meant F-Rank beasts would net him 40 Exp instead of 20.

But what was even more incredible was the Ability Sharing. He could acquire the Sapphire Sonic’s powers without needing to come in contact with her core.

Just then, the beast purred. But instead of an animalistic sound, a soft, childlike feminine voice echoed directly in his mind.

Master?

Jayden’s eyes widened. This must be the clear communication the system was talking about. It was like a universal translator had been installed in his brain.

"Hey," he whispered back aloud. "I’m Jayden. Not master. You don’t have to call me that."

The Sonic tilted her head, her glowing blue eyes blinking slowly as she processed the information. Then she nudged his hand.

Master. She said again.

"Okay," Jayden let out a tired chuckle. "Master it is."

Suddenly, her demeanor shifted entirely. She pounced forward, planting her heavy paws on his chest and letting out a series of demanding, low growls. And what arrived in his head from the growl was:

Crystals. More Crystals. Master give me crystals.

Jayden blinked, stunned by the sheer duality of the creature. She was an engine of absolute destruction, yet her mental state was remarkably akin to a demanding toddler.

He pulled five beast crystals from his inventory and held them up. She snapped them out of his palm, crunching through the dense minerals like they were hard candy, chewing each one with complete satisfaction.

Jayden watched her, a smile forming on his face. He’d finally done it. He’d made this beautifully majestic bundle of joy and destruction his ally.

It wasn’t exactly taming like he’d imagined. But it was close... and definitely better.

Just then a new notification appeared.

[New Tab Available: Bonded Beasts]

[Would you like to explore the new tab?]

Jayden opened the interface without hesitation.

<Bonded Beasts >

1.) Sapphire Sonic (Unnamed)

*Species: Sapphire Sonic

*Class: Legendary

*Rank: A

*HP: 1,200,000 / 1,200,000

*Ability: Super Speed (Speed Force)

*Options:

<Acquire Ability> | <Acquire Genes>(Locked)

[Please select a name for the newly bonded beast]

Jayden looked at the prompt, then looked down at the beast happily licking crystal dust off her paws. He thought back to her memories... to the moment she left the planet she was being hunted on. She had run so fast across the atmosphere—literally running on air molecules... that it looked as though she were flying through the clouds.

"Skye," Jayden said softly into the quiet mall.

[Name confirmed: Skye]

The beast paused, her ears perking up. She purred loudly, the vibrations humming in Jayden’s mind. 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Me? Master name me Skye?

Jayden smiled and nodded. "Yes. You are Skye."

The sapphire sonic exploded into motion, quite literally. She immediately began jumping around him in a literal blur of blue light, her childlike joy overwhelming their mental link.

Yay! Master name me Skye! I am Skye!

Jayden laughed. It was fascinating. She was physically massive and incredibly lethal, yet her mental state was entirely that of a child. She was really still just a cub.

He was about to explore the Ability Acquisition tab, when his enhanced hearing picked up the distinct, cautious crunch of glass underfoot near the main concourse.

He focused more on the sound until he could hear it; Three heartbeats. Moving together. And approaching his location.

Jayden immediately stood up, his posture rigid. "Skye, go," he spoke using their telepathic link. "Find somewhere to hide, quickly."

Okay, master! she chirped, before vanishing into the shadows of a nearby clothing outlet in a silent streak of blue.

A few seconds later, a hesitant, terrified voice echoed across the atrium.

"Jayden?"

He turned to see Tasha, Jessica, and Cassandra standing at the edge of the blast radius. They hadn’t fled the mall entirely; they had waited in the perimeter to make sure he survived.

The moment they saw him standing amidst the rubble, alive, they broke into a sprint. They hit him in a combined, desperate hug, burying their faces in his jacket. Jayden hesitated for a second before wrapping his arms around them, grounding himself in their presence.

"I’m glad to see you guys too." He said with a smile.

When they finally pulled away, Cassandra took a step back, her eyes tracing the lines of his dark tactical suit. "So... you really are the masked vigilante." She let out a shaky breath. "I had my suspicions when I saw the news reports, but I wasn’t too sure until Tasha called your name earlier."

Jayden rubbed the back of his neck, his expression tight. "Yeah. It’s me. I really wish you guys didn’t have to find out like this."

Jessica scoffed, folding her arms over her chest, though her eyes were still rimmed with red. "Please. Tasha and I already knew. Did you really think we bought that terrible excuse you gave Dad the other day?"

Tasha stepped forward. She looked down at the incinerated, unrecognizable remains of Tazer, and a visible shudder ran through her. "I actually hoped we were wrong, Jayden. Look at what happened here," she motioned to the visible wreckage around them. "These men didn’t come to rob the mall. It was a trap, specifically designed to lure you out." She looked up at him, her eyes pleading. "Why are you even doing this? Do you really have to play the hero? It’s too dangerous."

Cassandra looked away, her voice dropping to a guilty whisper. "I think... I think he’s doing it because of me," she muttered softly. "After he killed that pioneer and saved me from that facility, the syndicate must have started digging into him. He’s going after them first so they can’t track him back to us."

Tasha paused, her breath catching. She looked deeply into Jayden’s eyes. "Is that true? You’re doing all this... to protect us?"

Jayden met her gaze and nodded firmly. "It’s the only way to ensure they never harm you guys. I can’t let them have the initiative." He turned to Cassie. "And don’t blame yourself for what’s happening. This was my decision. I knew exactly what I was stepping into the moment I made contact with Big T."

All three girls furrowed their brows in unison.

"Who the hell is Big T?" Jessica asked.

Jayden winced internally. He had slipped. "Nobody," he said quickly. "It’s not important right now. What’s important is that you guys trust me, and you don’t breathe a word of this to anyone. Can you do that?"

Tasha stared at him for a long, heavy moment before letting out a defeated sigh. "Fine. We support you. But I swear to God, Jayden, if you die playing vigilante, I will kill you myself."

Jayden offered a weak, grateful smile. "Noted."

"If you ever need my help, Jayden, you let me know," Cassandra added, her tone fiercely serious. "I owe you my life."

"Thanks, Cassie," Jayden said. He turned to check on Jessica, but she wasn’t paying attention to the conversation anymore. Her eyes were fixed on the ruined storefront of a high-end boutique behind them.

"Um... guys?" Jessica murmured, slowly pointing a trembling finger toward the ruined storefront behind Jayden. "Is it just me, or is that a beast hiding behind that headless mannequin?"

Tasha and Cassandra followed her gaze. There, peeking awkwardly out from behind a toppled rack of designer coats, was Skye. She was doing a remarkably terrible job of hiding, her bright blue eyes locked onto the group, projecting an aura of intense curiosity.