I Became A Starter Beast

The sun was about to set in an hour, but instead of heading towards the train station, Aster stopped first in a park near it.

He found a bench near the small park lake where the Skating Swans glided on the water, performing a mesmerizing dance. 

The kitten admired their grace as he sat next to Aster.

'It's like figure skaters in my previous world.' 

“Hey." Aster called him, and he waited until both of their eyes met before he continued, “Do you understand me, right?”

The kitten was about to shake his head but stopped itself before deciding to nod up and down instead.

“I'll get straight to the point, so please raise your right paw if yes; your left paw if no.” Aster saw him nod, and just like he said, he didn't waste time.

“Are you willing to make a contract with me?”

As one graceful swan leapt, making an elegant spin mid-air, the kitten in front of him only tilted his head.

”Right, I forgot you're just an infant.”

“Hisss!”

The kitten suddenly showed a hurtful look when he heard that.

“Sorry, sorry, I didn't mean it like that.” Aster smiled wryly while scratching his head.

"Contract, or human-beast contract, is something that your and my ancestors agreed upon after the demons invaded our planet.”

The black-white kitten in front of him widened his eyes, and his tail was dancing like seaweed under the sea.

“It is basically an equal agreement between humans and beasts, so that they both grow stronger and support each other against the invaders.” Aster paused in his words and took a glance at the distant setting sun.

“I want to tell you more about it, but it's going to get dark soon. So, are you willing to have a contract—to become stronger with me?” the young man assured him, “I promise that you will.”

The kitten stared into his clear and confident amethyst eyes. In them, he could see the reflection of what he had become.

A small, weak, and unnoticeable existence.

'Except for my form, nothing really changed.

I'm the same man, with anger issues and lazy personality inside. However, my world had changed into something much crazier, I thought it's all like Pekpekmon, but demons invading it? What's this, a nightmare mode nuzlocke!?

Still it's a chance to change, to break free from being average. If I did well in this chaotic world, then I might become as strong as those protagonists I looked up to... no, with this person—'

The kitten finally decided, it's white right mitten was raised like an eager student in class.

'I can!'

Aster smiled widely before showing his palm toward him. “Put your paw on top of mine.”

The kitten did as he told him; he then suddenly felt something refreshing gushing out of Aster's palm and entering his.

“Do you feel it? That's my mana. You have yet to form a Star Vessel, so you have none of it; that's why I'll transfer some to you to ease the contract creation.”

This process can be done more easily back in the beast store, but it seemed to Aster that Jenny had misunderstood that this kitten was for his sister.

'There could be a chance that someone working for the company would notice something. I'm sorry for Ms. Jenny, but this is for my own good.' while Aster was washing out his guilt, the kitten was fully engrossed in the mana going inside his body.

It was a new feeling for him, but the term 'mana' isn't. It is as common as grass in his world, as it is present in most fantasy stories.

That's why he knew that he had to familiarize himself with this foreign energy sooner.

And his focus did bore a result.

He noticed that the mana Aster is giving him is not being efficiently transferred to his body; instead, there are some strands of mana flying back to the atmosphere.

His eyes followed one of the strands as they got released into the sky, spiraling like dandelions swept up by the winds.

'What the...' 

His tiny mouth was left open as he gazed at the sky. Gone was its blue hue; instead, there were gigantic spirals filled with colors both known and unknown; they kept spinning on and on like cyclones gone wild.

'It's like a scene out of dreams.' 

“What're you looking at?” Aster followed his gaze and saw nothing but the light purple sky.

His eyes widened in surprise after he remembered something he heard from his teacher. 

“They say that some beast has eyes that can see the mana in the atmosphere. Can you see something?”

The kitten looked back at him and nodded his head. His answer left Aster so excited that his control over his mana turned erratic, creating more waste.

“Mreow!"

“Sorry, sorry, I was just surprised.” he focused on controlling his mana for a while before he added, “My teacher said that those beasts that could see mana are always strong and capable. You're amazing, you know?”

The kitten nodded his head arrogantly when he heard that, but he is a mature man, so he quickly brought his thoughts back on absorbing the young man's mana. 

With no more interruption, the process came to an end no more than 5 minutes later.

Once again, Aster looked straight into the kitten's golden eyes and asked. ”Are you ready?”

The kitten raised his right paw to answer.

“Usually it is done through a blood pact, but since you can understand my words, we can do a verbal one instead.”

His words made the kitten's tail spike in fright.

Pretending not to notice, Aster held out his right hand once again, and the kitten followed, putting his paw on top.

“Follow my vow.

”I, Aster Night, vow to you...” he suddenly stopped mid-sentence and smiled in embarrassment when he realized an important thing. “I still didn't give you a name.”

'I do have a name though, but it's a new world, so a new name is a must!' the kitten thought, and he looked at the young man with expectant eyes. 

'Make it cool!'

Aster felt the pressure in his gaze, making him turn his head away from him. His eyes then brightened as he looked at the last light and the encroaching darkness.

“Twilight... What about Twilight?”

The kitten nodded, his tail swaying in a faster beat. Aster smiled when he saw that, and then his eyes turned serious.

”I, Aster Night the Human, vow to you, Twilight the Beast, that I will be your comrade that will help you achieve your dreams, until one of us dies.” the young man solemnly uttered, and the kitten followed.

'I, Twilight the Beast, vow to you, Aster the Human, that I will be your comrade that will help you achieve your dreams, until one of us dies.'

Under the dusk, the twilight and the night star voiced out their contract like an ancient covenant.

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