Ian’s voice was steady and powerful, carrying a hint of mental suggestion.

"I... I am Gaga... and I will become the strongest Raven! Gaaah!"

The excruciating pain, however, only sharpened Gaga’s consciousness.

It "saw" the ancient, dust-sealed fragments deep within its bloodline.

A boundless Shadow World, a colossal Night Kite soaring on beating wings, its form shifting freely between reality and shadow, its talons shredding prey, its cry making a hundred beasts tremble...

"Shadow... Jump..."

It murmured, and with a soft CRACK, an invisible shackle within its body began to fracture.

But the energy was too berserk!

The bloodlines of the Flowing Wind Shadow Crow and its own Shadow Night Kite, though both avian, possessed conflicting attributes.

Wind and shadow, speed and Concealment—the two forces intertwined, tearing at each other, threatening to rip it apart from within.

"Ian... I’m being torn apart... Ga..."

Gaga’s voice grew weaker and weaker, and fine beads of blood began to seep from the surface of its body.

Ian’s gaze hardened. He knew the most critical moment had arrived.

Without hesitation, he channeled his own completely vaporized Spiritual Power back into it through the Soul Contract.

It wasn’t a crude infusion, but a gentle, nourishing flow—like a spring breeze turning to rain—that nurtured Gaga’s crumbling Soul Origin.

"HUMMM..."

The channel between their souls lit up with a gentle, silver-white radiance.

Like parched earth welcoming a timely rain, Gaga’s fading consciousness rapidly stabilized and grew stronger.

"This... feels so good... Ga..."

It muttered under its breath. Though its body was still in agony, its mind was incredibly lucid.

It even found the energy to complain. "Ian, why does your soul... taste a bit like grilled fish? Ga, I’m hungry..."

The corner of Ian’s mouth twitched. "...Focus on your breakthrough!"

"Oh..."

Gaga refocused, concentrating all its might on guiding the two bloodlines to fuse within its body.

The wind-attribute energy was gradually tamed, integrating into its wings and bones to enhance its speed and sharpness.

The Shadow Attribute, meanwhile, seeped deep into its marrow and blood, resonating with the [Shadow Stealth] Talent and evolving toward [Shadow Jump].

Time ticked by, second by second...

Inside the tent, energies of cyan and black intertwined and churned, at times forming a whirlwind, at others sinking into the shadows.

Gaga’s body shifted repeatedly between huge and miniature. The color of its feathers gradually changed from pure black to a profound, dark cyan, while its beak and claws took on a cold, metallic glint.

Finally, a light CRACK!—like the sound of shattering glass—emanated from within Gaga’s body.

Immediately after, a vast aura of life erupted forth!

"GAA!!"

A clear, resonant caw pierced the Barrier, echoing throughout the cavern.

Gaga suddenly spread its wings. Its wingspan stabilized at around four meters, no longer expanding uncontrollably.

Its feathers had turned a complete dark cyan, their edges shimmering with faint, shadowy ripples.

Its eyes were now one gray and one cyan. The gray light of its left eye, the [Omen Eye], had grown more profound, while its right eye held a new hint of the wind’s sharpness.

With a light flap of its wings, its form vanished with a WHOOSH, reappearing a second later in another corner of the cavern.

It wasn’t flight, but a direct passage through the shadows.

[Shadow Jump], preliminarily mastered.

"I did it! Ga! I’m a Tier One Extraordinary Creature now!"

Gaga excitedly blinked around the cavern, at times moving stealthily through the shadows, at others firing sharper, more condensed Wind Blades.

Ian let out a long sigh of relief, retracting his somewhat weary Spiritual Power as he pulled up the status panel.

[Summoned Demon: Raven Gaga (Brother Bage)]

[Contract Type: Equal Soul Contract]

[Realm: Tier One Extraordinary Creature (Initial)]

[Bloodline: Ancestral Mutation: Shadow Night Kite (Awakened)]

[Talent: 1. Primordial Transformation (Enhanced): Body size range expanded. Maximum wingspan of twelve meters, can shrink to the size of a fist. Transformation speed increased.

2. Omen Eye (Enhanced): Illusions are more realistic. Can cause prolonged mental confusion in targets with weaker Spiritual Power.

3. Wind Blade Control (Enhanced): Overall increase in Wind Blade quantity, speed, and cutting power. Can briefly form a small storm of Wind Blades.

4. Shadow Stealth (Evolved to Shadow Jump): Allows short-distance teleportation through shadows. Consumes Shadow Energy.

5. Extraordinary Wisdom (Enhanced): Further increases thinking speed and learning ability.

6. Shadow Messenger (Rudimentary): Greatly increases affinity for shadowy environments. Can slightly manipulate Shadow Energy to strengthen self or interfere with enemies.]

[Potential Rating: Extremely High. Shadow Traits are beginning to manifest.]

"Not bad." Ian smiled.

After its breakthrough, Gaga’s power was now firmly at the Tier One level. Combined with its strange and versatile Talents, it could reliably hold down a Level One Wizard in combat and pose a significant threat.

This would undoubtedly be a huge help in the upcoming Demon Hunting War.

"Ga! I feel like I could take on ten of my old self!"

Gaga landed back on Ian’s shoulder, preening its feathers smugly. "It’s just... I think I’m hungry again."

Ian shook his head in resignation and took out the prepared Blood Essence to feed it.

Ian smiled and patted its head. "Come on. Time to fulfill my promise. Let’s go fishing."

"Yay! Ga!"

On the outskirts of the Silent Death Mountain Range, a clear stream glistened silver under the moonlight.

Gaga circled excitedly just above the water’s surface, its sharp eyes locked onto the shadows below.

"There! Ga! That’s a fat one!"

It dove in a flash, its claws precisely snatching a large, thrashing fish. With a smug flick, it tossed its catch onto the bank. "Look at what I did! Ga!"

Ian chuckled, picking up the fish and cleaning it with deft movements.

He gathered some dry branches, and with a snap of his fingers, a small flame leaped to life, igniting a campfire.

He then took some simple spices from his Dimension Bag, which he had ground and mixed himself based on memories from a past life.

"I’ll let you taste something a little different."

Ian propped the skewered fish over the fire, turning it expertly. Fat dripped into the flames with a SIZZLE, and the aroma of spices began to fill the air.

Gaga perched on a nearby stone, its neck stretched out, its small eyes fixed unblinkingly on the fish as it turned golden brown, swallowing from time to time.

"It smells so good... completely different from when I cook them myself! Ga! How much longer?"

"What’s the rush? It won’t be flavorful if it’s not cooked long enough." Ian deliberately took his time sprinkling on the last bit of fine salt.

Finally, with its skin crispy and its flesh snow-white, the fish was ready. Ian tore off a piece, blew on it, and handed it to the eager Gaga.

"GAW!" Gaga snatched it in one bite. It flapped its wings from the heat but refused to spit it out.

It mumbled indistinctly, its beak full, "So hot! But... so delicious! Ga! What kind of Magic is this?"

"It’s not Magic, it’s craftsmanship." Ian tore off a piece for himself, eating it slowly. "Like it?"

"I love it... Ga!" Gaga devoured the piece in a few quick bites, licking its beak for any last morsel.

It tilted its head and sidled up to Ian, looking at him with an expectant gaze. "Ian, am I your best partner?"

Ian nodded, pulling Gaga into a hug.

"In that case, you have to grill more fish for me from now on, Ga!"

Ian looked into its sparkling eyes and ruffled the feathers on its head. "You’ll get all you can eat."

"Ga..." Gaga’s joyous caw broke the silence of the Wilderness. In the firelight, the figures of the man and the bird flickered in and out of darkness.