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00:00On the first day of school, the teachers handed out magical animals based on grades.
00:04Valedictorian and class president Victoria didn't even hesitate.
00:07She walked straight up and grabbed the SSS tier white fox.
00:11I was dead last in the class rankings.
00:13I got assigned a single F tier brown bear.
00:16Then the ice apocalypse hit.
00:18Because I'd bonded with the brown bear, I shared its innate ability.
00:21Cold resistance.
00:22Victoria's white fox never had the chance to grow.
00:24On day one of the apocalypse, it froze to death.
00:27That wasn't the worst part.
00:28Fueled by jealousy, Victoria rallied the others and jumped me.
00:31They killed my bear.
00:33Then they roasted steaks right in front of me, while they ate.
00:35I was so overwhelmed with grief and died.
00:38When I opened my eyes again, I was back.
00:40Back to the day they handed out magical animals.
00:43As the dead last student of the werewolf academy, I was always picked last.
00:47And sure enough, the only magical animal left was the brown bear.
00:50I was reaching for it when Victoria suddenly shouted from across the room.
00:54Wait!
00:55She sprinted over, clutching a small white fox kit,
00:57and shoved it into my arms without a word.
00:59Then she picked up the brown bear from its crate.
01:02You take the white fox.
01:04I want the brown bear.
01:05The entire classroom went silent.
01:08Even Mr. Harris, our homeroom teacher, frowned.
01:10Everyone knew the white fox had the purest bloodline of any familiar in this batch.
01:14Its ancient lineage concentration was 80%.
01:17The brown bear's was barely 20, and it was considered a low-tier species.
01:21Mr. Harris leaned forward.
01:23Victoria, choosing your bonded animal isn't something to joke about.
01:26This determines your ceiling for the rest of your life.
01:30Sir, Riley needs this white fox more than I do.
01:34My grades are strong.
01:35I can train fast no matter what magical animal I bond with.
01:39But Riley's talent for cultivation is average.
01:42If she's also stuck with a low-blood-blood brown bear,
01:46her future is basically over.
01:49The class erupted in applause.
01:52Mr. Harris nodded approvingly.
01:54You are kind.
01:55A pure and selfless heart will carry you further than any familiar ever could.
02:00Then he turned to me and frowned.
02:03Why are you just standing there?
02:05Thank Victoria.
02:06I blinked.
02:07I held the white fox kit out toward her.
02:10It's fine.
02:11You don't have to swap.
02:12I actually kind of like the bear.
02:14Victoria pulled the brown bear closer to her chest.
02:16She looked at me the way someone looks when they've been wronged.
02:20You don't have to test me.
02:23I genuinely want to trade.
02:25I'm serious.
02:27Keep it.
02:29Before I could finish,
02:30something sharp bit down on the web of my right hand.
02:34I looked down.
02:35The white fox kit had bitten me.
02:38Then the fox pressed its tiny tongue against my skin and licked it clean.
02:43The fox had initiated a blood pact with me.
02:46So Riley wasn't being noble after all.
02:48She said she didn't want the white fox,
02:50but she went and blood pasted it the second she got the chance.
02:52She was just scared Victoria would take it back.
02:54Never seen someone play both sides that hard before.
02:57After the blood pact locked in,
02:59the white fox went drowsy and fell asleep in my arms.
03:01I sat there,
03:03listening to the whispers and feeling my face go red.
03:05They didn't know the truth.
03:07I genuinely did not want this fox.
03:10Because I knew something none of them did.
03:12In two weeks,
03:13this beautiful,
03:14high bloodline white fox
03:15was going to be completely useless.
03:18Well,
03:19almost none of them knew.
03:21Victoria knew too.
03:22The moment she gave up the white fox
03:24and fought me for the brown bear,
03:25I understood.
03:26She'd been reborn,
03:27just like me.
03:28I stared at the bear
03:29tucked against Victoria's chest.
03:31I'd been so close to it in my past life.
03:34We'd trusted each other completely.
03:36Now,
03:36Victoria had taken it.
03:38I could deal with losing the cold resistance.
03:40What I couldn't stand
03:41was thinking about
03:42whether the bear would be fed properly.
03:44Whether it would be treated well.
03:46I was staring at it
03:47when the bear slowly turned its head
03:48and met my eyes.
03:50Then it blinked.
03:51Once.
03:52Twice.
03:53Not once.
03:54Not three times.
03:55Twice.
03:56My chest lit up.
03:58Two blinks was a signal.
04:00A code we'd created together
04:01in our past life.
04:03The bear was using it now
04:04to tell me
04:04it remembered.
04:06It had been reborn too.
04:08I was still exchanging glances
04:09with the bear
04:10when something warm and soft
04:11wrapped around my fingertip.
04:13I looked down.
04:14My white fox had woken up.
04:16I'm not useless.
04:17The voice was haughty.
04:19Also undeniably baby soft.
04:21And stop staring
04:22at that chunky little lowlife.
04:24I poked the fox gently.
04:26Are you talking?
04:27The white fox gave
04:28an imperious little sniff
04:30and rolled over in my arms.
04:31I thought about what to call it.
04:33White fox felt too generic.
04:35Little fox felt too soft.
04:37I was going to call it
04:38Your Highness.
04:40My name is Leo.
04:41It announced.
04:42You can call me
04:43Your Highnesses if you want.
04:45I flicked its forehead.
04:46Who taught you
04:47to be this dramatic.
04:49Up front,
04:50Mr. Harris was explaining
04:51how to draw binding circles
04:52on the board.
04:53Most bonds were initiated
04:55by humans
04:55since magical animals
04:57were naturally proud creatures.
04:59Young kits were gentler
05:00than adults,
05:01but it was still extremely rare
05:03for a familiar
05:04to seek out a bond
05:05on its own.
05:06Everyone began
05:07attempting their bonds.
05:09Everyone except me
05:10since I'd already been
05:12forcibly claimed
05:12by a fox.
05:14Leo,
05:15I said quietly,
05:16why did you bond with me?
05:18I didn't like
05:18that other girl.
05:20She smells.
05:22Smells?
05:23I kept my voice low.
05:25Victoria is literally
05:26the most popular girl
05:28in school.
05:29Half the guys here
05:30would say she smells amazing.
05:32Those guys are blind.
05:34Leo said flatly.
05:35Achoo!
05:36They can't see
05:37the rod underneath.
05:39And me?
05:40Leo buried its nose
05:42in my sleeve.
05:43Its voice came out
05:44slightly strangled.
05:45You're fine.
05:47You're kind of sweet.
05:49I started scratching
05:50under Leo's chin
05:51while the class droned on.
05:53White fox fur
05:54had a reputation
05:55and it delivered.
05:57Impossibly soft,
05:58dense like a cloud.
06:00I scratched its ears,
06:01squeezed its belly,
06:03and eventually
06:04couldn't help
06:04reaching for its tail.
06:06They say you should
06:07never touch a fox's tail.
06:09But Leo was basically a kid,
06:11so the usual
06:12rules didn't apply.
06:14The moment my hand
06:15settled on the tail,
06:17Leo went completely rigid.
06:18Through the white fur,
06:20I could see its skin
06:21flush faintly pink.
06:22Stop it!
06:23What is wrong with you?
06:25It sounded exactly like
06:26someone who'd just been
06:27caught off guard
06:28and was deeply,
06:29mortifyingly flustered.
06:31I pulled my hand back,
06:33keeping my expression neutral.
06:35Calm down.
06:36You've got a very active imagination.
06:39Leo's eyes welled up immediately.
06:40It snapped its head away
06:42and refused to look at me.
06:44Across the room,
06:45Victoria successfully completed
06:46her binding circle.
06:47A flash of pleasure
06:49crossed her face.
06:50She directed it toward the bear.
06:52The circle activated,
06:54spinning fast around the bear.
06:55Inside the light,
06:57the bear quietly reached out
06:58and made two small adjustments
07:00to the formation.
07:01The standard equal bond
07:03shifted,
07:03without a sound,
07:04into a master-servant bond.
07:07The bear was the master.
07:09Victoria was the servant.
07:10It was a technique
07:11we'd discovered together
07:13in a ruin,
07:14years ago,
07:14in another life.
07:15The bear was now using it
07:17to put a leash
07:18on Victoria.
07:19The bear caught my eye
07:20across the room,
07:22satisfied,
07:22proud of itself.
07:24Under the table,
07:25I gave it a thumbs up.
07:27You are so manipulative.
07:30Leo muttered into my ribs.
07:31I was pinching its soft,
07:33borderline boneless
07:34little cheek.
07:36Me?
07:36How?
07:37You touched my tail
07:39and then stared at that
07:41chunky lowlife
07:42for five whole minutes.
07:44You were making eyes at it.
07:45Leo's voice was escalating
07:47toward genuine grievance.
07:48I added another item
07:50to my mental description of it.
07:51Prone to completely
07:53unhinged jealousy.
07:55After class ended,
07:57Mr. Harris handed out
07:58cultivation supplies.
07:59One week's worth
08:00per student.
08:01I kept a single
08:02mana crystal for myself.
08:04I fed everything else
08:05to Leo.
08:07Nineteen crystals.
08:08Leo crunched through them
08:10like chips.
08:11We hadn't even left
08:12the classroom.
08:13The class watched
08:14in disbelief.
08:15Is she serious?
08:17That's a week's worth
08:18of cultivation resources
08:19and she just fed
08:20all of it to the fox?
08:21Did she even listen
08:22in class?
08:23Magic animals have
08:24slow growth cycles.
08:25You're not supposed
08:25to rush them.
08:26The mana crystals
08:27are supposed to be
08:27for her own cultivation.
08:29The white fox
08:29bonded with her
08:30for nothing.
08:31Some students
08:32should note,
08:34mana crystal applications
08:35are limited.
08:37The school won't
08:38give you more
08:39if you waste them.
08:40He was clearly
08:40talking about me.
08:41I smiled pleasantly.
08:43Understood, sir.
08:44Honestly,
08:44in my past life,
08:45I'd always been
08:46generous with the bear.
08:48Most students
08:48kept a 4 to 1 ratio
08:50for themselves.
08:51I split everything
08:5250-50.
08:53Equals deserved
08:53equal shares.
08:54But this?
08:55Nineteen for Leo.
08:57One for me.
08:58This was something else
08:59entirely.
09:00It wasn't generosity.
09:02It was self-preservation.
09:04Because Leo and I
09:05had a blood pact.
09:06A standard equal bond
09:07meant one partner's death
09:08didn't affect the other.
09:09A blood pact
09:10was different.
09:10If Leo froze to death
09:11on day one of the apocalypse,
09:13the same way the white fox
09:14died in my past life,
09:15I died too.
09:16Leo's survival
09:17wasn't kindness.
09:18It was my only chance
09:19to live.
09:20The mana crystals
09:21were an investment
09:22in not dying.
09:24After class,
09:24students scattered
09:25to train on their own.
09:27I carried Leo
09:27toward the exit,
09:29and Victoria
09:29stepped half in front of me.
09:31I know you've been
09:31reborn too, she said.
09:33This time,
09:34the cold resistance
09:35belongs to me.
09:37Then I hope you enjoy it.
09:39You and your useless
09:40little fox
09:41can look forward
09:41to freezing on day one.
09:43I gave you a chance
09:44to be useful to me.
09:45You threw it away.
09:46Leo peeled open
09:47one eye from inside my arms,
09:49completely unimpressed.
09:54Victoria's composure
09:55shattered instantly.
09:56She stumbled backward.
10:00What is wrong with you?
10:01Get that disgusting thing
10:02away from me!
10:03I turned and walked away,
10:05barely holding in a laugh.
10:06The mana crystal problem
10:07was serious, though.
10:09I needed a massive supply,
10:10and I needed it fast.
10:12I was thinking about it,
10:13absently pulling at Leo's fur,
10:15when I remembered.
10:16Before the ice apocalypse
10:17hit in my past life,
10:18a news outlet
10:19had exposed
10:20a small mana vein.
10:21Based on timing,
10:22nobody should have
10:23found it yet.
10:25When I reached
10:26the rough coordinates
10:27I'd memorized,
10:29Victoria was already there.
10:33She'd brought
10:3320-plus workers,
10:35and they were already
10:36mine in the vein.
10:37I stood at the outer edge
10:38and watched them
10:39haul out crystal
10:40after crystal.
10:42Leo pressed its nose
10:43to the window.
10:44I covered Leo's eyes.
10:46Low-quality crystals here.
10:47Let's go find
10:48something better.
10:49Then,
10:50from somewhere
10:51inside my head,
10:52a voice crackled to life.
10:53I stopped walking.
10:55Sis,
10:56is that you?
10:57You can do telepathy now.
11:00Victoria spent
11:01serious resources on me.
11:02I can project thoughts
11:04directly.
11:05Sis,
11:06take Leo
11:07and find somewhere to rest.
11:09Once they're done mining
11:10and clear out,
11:11I'll call you back.
11:12I finished the mental exchange
11:14and came back
11:14to the present moment.
11:16A very large,
11:17very imperious
11:18fox face
11:19was approximately
11:20two inches
11:21from my nose.
11:22Leo had both front paws
11:24planted on my shoulders.
11:26What were you doing
11:27just now?
11:28You were mentally
11:29cheating on me.
11:31I grabbed it
11:32by the scruff
11:32and I squeezed
11:33one soft cheek
11:34by way of reprimand.
11:35Leo,
11:36watch your voculary.
11:38I'm not wrong.
11:39I can smothe a bear
11:40on your thorns.
11:42Was that the chunky low knife?
11:43I raised an eyebrow,
11:44sharp nose.
11:46For your information,
11:47Leo continued
11:48voice climbing.
11:49When a white fox
11:50makes a blood pact
11:50with someone,
11:51that person
11:51is their bonded maid.
11:53For life.
11:54You can't have secret meetings
11:56with a brown bear.
11:58Yeah,
11:58you're a child.
11:59Do you even know
12:00what partner means?
12:01Leo's eyes
12:02immediately filled
12:02with tears
12:03that refused
12:03to actually fall.
12:04It waved
12:05its tiny paws
12:06in what appeared
12:06to be an angry,
12:07thrashing,
12:08swimming motion.
12:09I leaned forward
12:10and stuck my tongue
12:11out at it.
12:12A small,
12:12damp nose
12:13pressed against my cheek.
12:15Before I could react,
12:16the culprit
12:16had already retreated.
12:18Voice very small.
12:19I kissed you.
12:20That means you're mine now.
12:22Nobody else
12:23is allowed
12:23to kiss you there.
12:24Leo had just
12:25made a move on me.
12:26A very small,
12:27very smug,
12:28very baby-toothed move.
12:29I pulled myself together
12:31and went to find
12:31somewhere to wait.
12:32I reclined in the car
12:33with the air conditioning running,
12:35watching a nature documentary
12:36on the center screen.
12:38The documentary put me to sleep
12:40almost immediately.
12:41When I woke up,
12:42it was dark.
12:45Right on cue,
12:47the bear's voice
12:47appeared in my head.
12:49Sis,
12:50come now.
12:51They're gone.
12:52Leo was staring up at me,
12:53suspicious and accusatory.
12:55My conscience flickered.
12:56This was exactly the energy
12:58of someone
12:59who'd just been caught.
13:00We were just talking.
13:02I'm not listening.
13:03I'm not talking to you
13:04for the rest of the day.
13:05Just as the bear had said,
13:07the area was empty.
13:08All that remained
13:09was a concealment formation
13:10to hide the vein's location.
13:12The bear deactivated it
13:14from inside
13:14and poked its head out.
13:16Sis,
13:17over here.
13:18It had grown enough
13:19to speak through.
13:20The white fox in my arms
13:21took one look at the bear
13:23and immediately
13:23bared its teeth.
13:25Leo's going through a phase.
13:27The bear took the lead.
13:29That thing is a fake,
13:30nice snake in the grass.
13:32Get your hand off me.
13:33I'm going to bite it.
13:34I am biting it today.
13:36Lylee,
13:37don't hold me back.
13:38It went on like that
13:39for a while.
13:40I didn't address it.
13:42I looked at the bear.
13:44Its aura drifted
13:45quietly around it,
13:46steady and calm.
13:47I released Leo
13:48and let it jump to the ground.
13:50Leo hit the dirt,
13:51spun around,
13:52and stared at me.
13:53Its expression said
13:54it had not expected me
13:55to actually let go.
13:57It shuffled forward
13:58at approximately the speed
13:59of a very indignant caterpillar.
14:01Every few steps,
14:02it looked back at me.
14:03On its fourth look back,
14:05it hesitated.
14:06You're not stopping me?
14:08What if your little buddy
14:09gets actually hurt?
14:12I glanced at the bear's aura.
14:14After absorbing
14:15a solid hall of mana crystals,
14:17it was running at easily
14:1850 times the observant output.
14:20Whether Leo would be the one
14:22undoing the herding
14:23was very much
14:24an over-the-question.
14:25It's fine.
14:27Show me what you've got.
14:28If you win,
14:29you'll have my full
14:30and undivided attention forever.
14:33Leo glanced at the bear,
14:35felt the weight of that aura,
14:36thought about it
14:37very carefully.
14:39Slowly,
14:39reluctantly,
14:40it walked back
14:41and sat down
14:42next to my feet.
14:43Fine.
14:44You showed good remorse
14:45this time.
14:47I'll let the secret meeting go,
14:49but don't let it happen again.
14:51Inside the vein,
14:52the bear had divided
14:53the crystal stockpile
14:54into three piles,
14:56one very small pile
14:57for itself,
14:58a medium small pile,
15:00and a pile roughly
15:01the size of a small hill.
15:03Leo's eyes went green,
15:05literally luminous.
15:07This is all I need, sis.
15:08A voice in my head.
15:10Okay, that chunky thing
15:11is definitely not in two.
15:13Sis,
15:14this one's for your cultivation,
15:17and that one's
15:18for my little sibling.
15:19The bear pointed
15:19to the medium pile
15:20and the mountain.
15:21Riley,
15:22it does not have feelings for you.
15:24I have been worried for nothing.
15:25Run everything
15:26through the romance filter,
15:28don't you?
15:28I do not.
15:29I flicked Leo on the forehead.
15:31I said simply,
15:33mana crystals.
15:34Leo went quiet
15:35and well-behaved immediately.
15:36If we take all of this,
15:39won't Victoria figure out
15:40it was you?
15:41She does everything
15:42I say right now.
15:44Full compliance.
15:46Victoria stared
15:47at the hollowed-out vein
15:48with all the color
15:49drained from her face.
15:51You used all of it?
15:52You used every single crystal?
15:54The bear sat on its haunches,
15:56eyes wide and guileless.
15:58Under the rules
15:58of its master-servant bond,
16:00it only had to give
16:01basic responses.
16:02The truth was not required.
16:04I don't know.
16:05I was asleep all night.
16:06Maybe the vein just ran dry
16:07on its own?
16:08Victoria shook with rage.
16:10She brought her entire crew back
16:12and tore the cave apart.
16:14Not a single crystal shard remained.
16:16She stared at the bear
16:17for a long time.
16:18Something felt wrong.
16:19She could tell.
16:21But the bond formation
16:22read completely normal.
16:23The bear's cultivation aura
16:24showed no irregularity.
16:26She had no choice
16:27but to swallow it.
16:28Useless, she snapped.
16:30I just left you for a moment
16:31and you couldn't even
16:33hold off a bunch of stones.
16:34The bear let its ears droop.
16:36Internally, it was ecstatic.
16:37It sent a message to me.
16:39Sis, she tried to hit me just now.
16:42The bonds punished her for it.
16:44Hidden in the brush nearby,
16:45I pressed my face into Leo's fur
16:47to muffle my laughter.
16:49Good.
16:50She tried to steal from us.
16:51The traitor earned it.
16:52I tugged one of its ears.
16:53Don't call the bear that.
16:55It's our teammate.
16:56It looked away
16:57but its tail quietly curled
16:59around my wrist
17:00warm and soft
17:01and completely involuntary.
17:03Once Victoria and her crew were gone,
17:06we slipped into the cave.
17:07The bear had already bundled
17:08the crystal stockpile with vines.
17:10Multiple bundles.
17:11Organized and ready.
17:13Sis, these should keep
17:14the little one fed for a while.
17:17Leo's eyes locked on the pile
17:18and did not move
17:19and started crunching.
17:21The sound echoed through the cave
17:22like someone eating gravel.
17:24He loaded the crystals into the car.
17:26They filled most of the trunk.
17:27The bear couldn't come with us.
17:28It had to stay
17:29and keep up the performance.
17:30Before we left,
17:31it said,
17:32Sis, the apocalypse is ten days out.
17:34Stock up on supplies.
17:35Be careful.
17:37Don't let her spot
17:38the cracks in your act.
17:40The bear grinned
17:41in its easy, unbothered way.
17:43She does whatever I tell her.
17:45We're fine.
17:45We drove back.
17:46Leo sat in the passenger seat
17:48with a crystal in both paws,
17:49crunching contentedly,
17:51like a squirrel
17:52that had found
17:53an entire winter's worth of food
17:54in one afternoon.
17:58Watching it,
17:58I thought about the bear
18:00in my past life,
18:01always saving the best
18:02of everything for me.
18:04The shape of that care
18:05was different now,
18:06but the feeling was the same.
18:07Back in the city,
18:08I skipped my apartment
18:09and went straight
18:10to the largest supermarket.
18:12I loaded two carts
18:13with everything useful.
18:15Compressed ration bars,
18:16canned goods,
18:17bottled water,
18:20instant food.
18:21Leo rode in the cart,
18:23pointing,
18:23More of those chocolate ones
18:25and the meat jerky,
18:26the spiced kind.
18:27I loaded both.
18:28The store staff watched me
18:30with visible unease.
18:31I didn't slow down.
18:32In ten days,
18:33none of this would matter
18:34to them anyway.
18:35Beyond food and water,
18:36I grabbed thermal underlayers,
18:38sleeping bags,
18:39flashlights,
18:40batteries,
18:41lighters,
18:41a few sharp kitchen knives,
18:43a hand axe,
18:44anything with practical value
18:45in sustained sub-zero conditions.
18:47Two full carts.
18:48I drove home to my apartment
18:50and spent an hour
18:51hauling everything upstairs.
18:52The living room,
18:53the bedroom,
18:54the balcony.
18:54All of it stacked
18:55floor to ceiling.
18:56Leo sprawled across
18:57a pile of chocolate bars.
18:59Its tail swayed slowly.
19:00I collapsed onto the couch,
19:02completely winded.
19:05Not bad.
19:06You actually know
19:07how to shop.
19:10These are retinif only.
19:12Our survival supplies.
19:14The next several days,
19:15I took Leo to different locations
19:16every day
19:17and kept stocking up.
19:18The pharmacy,
19:20cold medicine,
19:21fever reducers,
19:22antibiotics,
19:22bandages,
19:23antiseptic,
19:24the outdoor supply store,
19:26a tent,
19:27climbing rope,
19:28anti-slip boots,
19:29a hardware store
19:30for gas canisters
19:31and basic tools.
19:32My apartment ran out of space.
19:34I rented the unit next door
19:35and the one upstairs.
19:37Both became storage.
19:39Victoria texted a few times,
19:41cheerful and fake,
19:42asking how I was doing,
19:44casually mentioning
19:45that her brown bear
19:45had broken through
19:46to tier two.
19:47I sent her three word replies.
19:50I already knew.
19:51Everything the bear showed her
19:53was deliberate.
19:54Every breakthrough
19:55was calculated theater,
19:57designed to keep her compliant.
19:59Leo's growth
20:00was outpacing everything
20:01I'd projected.
20:02It ate crystals,
20:04slept,
20:04and woke up
20:05noticeably larger each time.
20:07It had started out
20:08the size of a kitten.
20:09Now it was halfway
20:10to the size of a medium dog.
20:12Its fur had deepened
20:14to a white so pure
20:15it was almost blinding.
20:17And its eyes had shifted
20:18from pale
20:19to a vivid,
20:20saturated crimson.
20:21The kind of beauty
20:22that made it hard
20:23to look away.
20:24Its cultivation aura
20:26was also deepening fast.
20:28Something close to tier three
20:29was stirring at the edges.
20:31I was combing through
20:32Leo's fur
20:33when it went still.
20:34Something's happening.
20:37In my bloodline,
20:39there's pressure building.
20:41My pulse jumped.
20:43The white fox
20:44in my past life
20:45had never awakened
20:46any ability at all.
20:47It died before
20:48it had the chance.
20:49Was this what happened
20:51when you gave a white fox
20:52proper resources
20:53and a blood pact?
20:54An early awakening?
20:56Don't force it,
20:57I said quietly.
20:59Let it come on its own.
21:00Leo closed its eyes.
21:02A soft, white light
21:03kindled across its fur.
21:05The mana crystals
21:06around it began
21:07losing their glow,
21:08all that energy
21:09pouring steadily
21:10into Leo's body.
21:11A small spiral
21:13of concentrated mana
21:14formed around it,
21:16rotating slowly.
21:17Its fur stood up
21:18along its spine.
21:20Its tail filled out further.
21:21The individual hairs
21:23catching the light
21:23like fiber optic threads.
21:25An hour passed.
21:27The light faded.
21:29Leo opened its eyes
21:30and there was
21:31something new in them.
21:32I awakened.
21:33What did you get?
21:34Leo tilted its chin up,
21:36tail flicking
21:37with casual superiority.
21:39A small,
21:40perfectly formed
21:41spike of ice
21:42materialized
21:43from empty air
21:44and dropped to the floor
21:45with a clean,
21:46crystalline tap.
21:48Ice manipulation
21:49and void storage.
21:50I stared.
21:52Ice manipulation.
21:54In an ice apocalypse,
21:55an ice affinity ability
21:57wasn't just useful.
21:58It was like being native
22:00to the environment
22:00everyone else was trying
22:02to survive.
22:03And void storage,
22:04one of the rarest abilities
22:06in existence.
22:07In my past life,
22:09people with spatial abilities
22:11could name their price
22:12at any base.
22:13Every faction wanted them.
22:15Leo,
22:16I said
22:17and pulled it into a hug.
22:18I kissed the top of its head
22:20without thinking.
22:21Leo's ears went crimson,
22:23its entire body locked up
22:24for half a second.
22:26Then it twisted away,
22:27deeply offended.
22:29Stop doing that.
22:31Its tail, however,
22:33had already wrapped around
22:34my wrist again,
22:35the same involuntary habit.
22:37I smiled and squeezed its cheek.
22:40My little highness
22:41is absolutely terrifying.
22:43We're going to be fine out there.
22:46Leo made a dismissive sound
22:47and climbed back into my lap
22:49to resume eating crystals.
22:50Three days out from the apocalypse,
22:53the temperature had already
22:54started dropping.
22:56Daytime lows were hitting
22:57negative 15.
22:58People on the street moved fast,
23:01buried in their puffer coats.
23:03News coverage was starting
23:04to pick up on the anomalous
23:05cold snaps.
23:07Experts offered competing theories.
23:09Extreme weather pattern,
23:11greenhouse rebound effect.
23:13Nobody said what was actually happening.
23:16Nobody saw what was coming.
23:18Victoria called.
23:19She sounded casual
23:20and then deliberately didn't.
23:22Riley,
23:23my bear just hit tier three peak,
23:25almost to tier four.
23:26I'll be able to take care of myself
23:28once things get rough.
23:30A pause pointed.
23:32How about you?
23:33Has your little fox
23:34even hit tier one yet?
23:37It's fine, tier three, roughly.
23:40Silence on the other end,
23:42then a short dismissive laugh.
23:44Riley,
23:45you don't have to make things up.
23:47White fox maturation timelines
23:49are long.
23:49There's no world where it's already tier three.
23:52Another pause.
23:54Look,
23:54if things get too hard,
23:56you can come to me.
23:57You can work for me.
23:58I'll keep you alive.
24:00I hung up.
24:01Leo was lying next to me,
24:03expression flat.
24:04She thinks tier three peak
24:06is impressive.
24:07It said.
24:08When I hit tier four,
24:10I could end her
24:11or one thing.
24:12I scratched behind its ear.
24:14Don't get careless.
24:16Victoria is reckless,
24:17but her family has real reach.
24:18When the apocalypse hits,
24:20she'll have numbers.
24:21We play it smart.
24:22Leo pressed its nose down
24:24onto its paws,
24:25still eating crystals.
24:27Those last three days,
24:28I didn't go out.
24:29I stayed home with Leo
24:30and we trained together.
24:32Leo had already gotten
24:33a solid handle on his boy storage.
24:35The space inside wasn't enormous,
24:37roughly the size of a basketball board,
24:40but more than sufficient for supplies.
24:42We loaded the majority
24:43of what I'd stockpiled into the board.
24:45My own cultivation
24:46was moving faster
24:47than I'd expected.
24:48The blood pack
24:49shared mana flow between us
24:50and with the crystals
24:51on top of that,
24:52I'd pushed to tier two mid-level.
24:54Not close to Leo or the bear,
24:57but solidly mid-range
24:58for a human practitioner.
25:00The night before the apocalypse,
25:02the temperature had already dropped
25:03to negative 30.
25:05Outside,
25:05the snow came in heavy diagonal sheets
25:08and the wind sounded
25:09like something screaming.
25:10I stood at the window
25:11and looked at the city
25:12disappearing under white.
25:14In my past life,
25:15I had been so afraid,
25:17so completely alone.
25:19This time,
25:20I had the bear
25:20and I had Leo.
25:22That was enough.
25:23Leo came and pressed
25:25against my leg.
25:26Its head reached my hip now.
25:27Stop stressing.
25:29It said.
25:30I'm here.
25:31Nobody touches you.
25:32I crouched down
25:33and pulled it close.
25:34I know.
25:35We're going to make it.
25:36The bear checked in
25:37through telepathy.
25:38Sis,
25:39Victoria and her people
25:40have retreated
25:41to her family's
25:42underground facility.
25:44Good supplies,
25:45good infrastructure.
25:46I've already made
25:47some adjustments down there.
25:48We'll figure out
25:49what that means
25:50once the apocalypse hits.
25:52Good work.
25:53Stay safe.
25:54I didn't sleep.
25:55When morning came,
25:56the world outside had ended.
25:58Negative 50 degrees.
25:59The window panes
26:00had cracked from the cold,
26:01ice flowers blooming
26:03across the glass.
26:04Outside,
26:05cars had frozen
26:05into sculptures.
26:06People who had been
26:07caught in the streets
26:08were down and still.
26:09The power grid was gone.
26:11Communication networks
26:12were gone.
26:12The city was silent.
26:14The ice apocalypse
26:15had arrived.
26:16I layered on everything
26:17I had,
26:17pulled on my hat and gloves,
26:19held Leo against my chest,
26:20and walked out of the apartment.
26:22The wind hit my face
26:23like something solid,
26:24a burning cold
26:25that cut through
26:26even the layers.
26:27But Leo and I
26:27both had cultivation auras
26:29as a buffer.
26:30Leo's ice manipulation
26:31shaved off another layer
26:32of the cold
26:33on top of that.
26:34We could bear it.
26:35The streets were a wreck.
26:36Abandoned vehicles everywhere,
26:38frozen bodies
26:38half buried in the drifts.
26:40Mutant beasts
26:41prowled the snow
26:42between the cars,
26:43eyes sharp and predatory,
26:45tracking us as we passed.
26:46The apocalypse
26:47had done something
26:47to the wildlife.
26:48The extreme cold
26:49triggered genetic shifts,
26:51and what came out
26:52the other side
26:53was faster,
26:54meaner,
26:54and far more adapted
26:55to the temperature
26:56than anything
26:57that had existed before.
26:58Leo dropped out of my arms.
27:00Its body expanded
27:01in one smooth motion,
27:02doubling in size.
27:03The white fur settled,
27:05dense and wind-resistant.
27:06Its eyes locked
27:07onto the nearest creature
27:08with the calm
27:09of something
27:10that had already
27:10decided the outcome.
27:11You're looking at my person.
27:14Bad call.
27:15Its tail swept sideways.
27:16Six ice spikes
27:17launched simultaneously.
27:19They punched
27:20through the throats
27:20of the closest mutants
27:21before any of them
27:22could react.
27:23The bodies dropped
27:24and were still.
27:25Completely ridiculous,
27:26completely dramatic,
27:27completely reliable.
27:28We moved
27:29toward the city center.
27:30That was where
27:30the survivor base was.
27:32In my past life,
27:33the government
27:33had organized
27:34several large-scale shelters
27:35in the weeks
27:36after the apocalypse hit.
27:38The central base
27:38was the biggest
27:39and the safest.
27:40Two hours on foot.
27:42Then the base
27:43appeared through the blizzard,
27:44a ring of steel walls
27:45rising over 10 meters.
27:47Soldiers posted
27:48on the upper walkways
27:49with rifles
27:50scanning the perimeter.
27:52A crowd of survivors
27:53was already queued
27:54at the gate.
27:54We joined the line.
27:56The couple ahead of us
27:57had a baby pressed
27:58to the woman's chest.
27:59The baby was crying.
28:00The woman's face
28:01was hollow.
28:02The man looked like
28:03he hadn't slept in days.
28:05The woman said
28:05to the soldier
28:06at the checkpoint,
28:07She hasn't eaten
28:08in three days.
28:09The soldier's expression
28:10didn't move.
28:11Entry requires
28:12a resource payment.
28:13Ten pounds of food,
28:15five bottles of water,
28:16or one warm garment.
28:17No exceptions.
28:19The man's voice cracked.
28:20Everything we had
28:21was taken by a mutant pack.
28:24We have nothing left.
28:27Please.
28:28Policy is policy.
28:29The woman started crying.
28:31The baby cried laughing.
28:32I'd been there before.
28:34I knew what it felt like
28:35when every door was shut
28:36and there was nothing left
28:37to bargain with.
28:39I reached into my pack
28:40and pulled out two cans
28:41and a water bottle.
28:42I held them out
28:43to the couple.
28:44Use these for your entry fee.
28:46They turned around.
28:48The woman looked at me.
28:49You're a good person.
28:50You're a good...
28:51I smiled and didn't say anything.
28:54Leo made an irritated noise
28:55beside me.
28:56You're going to keep
28:56doing this, aren't you?
28:59Helping complete strangers.
29:01We might need
29:01a stranger's help
29:02someday too.
29:03Leo said nothing more.
29:05But it didn't argue.
29:07When we reached the checkpoint,
29:08the soldier looked at Leo
29:09and went wary.
29:11Handed over five pounds
29:12of rations.
29:13Is that enough?
29:15The soldier checked it.
29:16Nodded.
29:17You can go in.
29:18We were almost through the gate
29:19when a familiar voice
29:20called from behind us.
29:23Riley!
29:24I turned.
29:25Victoria was pushing
29:26through the crowd,
29:26surrounded by a cluster of people,
29:28with the brown bear
29:29walking calmly at her side.
29:31She was wearing
29:32an expensive puffer coat,
29:33her face perfectly composed
29:34and confident.
29:35Her group had weapons.
29:37I didn't expect you
29:38to make it this far.
29:39She looked me over
29:40with a slow,
29:40deliberate appraisal.
29:42I guess that fox of yours
29:43isn't completely decorative.
29:45Leo's fur went electric.
29:46Its body expanded,
29:48hackles lifting,
29:49lips pulling back.
29:50Say that again.
29:51Victoria took a step back
29:52without meaning to,
29:53then collected herself
29:54and shifted behind the bear.
29:56The bear stepped forward
29:57and positioned itself
29:58between them.
29:59It glanced at me.
30:00Its expression said,
30:01I know.
30:02I tried to stop her.
30:03She wouldn't listen.
30:04I looked back at it
30:05and gave a small signal.
30:07Not now.
30:07Too many people.
30:08What happens to us in there
30:09has nothing to do with you.
30:11I said,
30:12and pulled Leo
30:13toward the gate.
30:14Hold on.
30:14Victoria's voice sharpened.
30:16Riley,
30:17you think a tier three fox
30:18is enough to hold
30:19any ground in there?
30:20This base runs on strength.
30:21My bear is tier four.
30:22That makes me
30:23the top of the food chain here.
30:25You have two options.
30:26Fall in line
30:27and work under me,
30:27or I make sure
30:28you can't move in this base
30:29without running into a wall.
30:30The crowd around the gate
30:31had started paying attention.
30:33Tier four was rare
30:34in the early apocalypse.
30:35People recognized
30:36what that meant.
30:37I let the moment sit
30:38for exactly one breath.
30:40Then,
30:41I looked at Leo.
30:42Leo understood
30:42without being told.
30:44Its cultivation aura
30:45detonated outward.
30:46Tier four pressure
30:47rolled across the gate plaza
30:49like a physical force.
30:50The snowflakes still drifting
30:51in the air
30:52simply stopped moving.
30:54The cold deepened
30:55noticeably.
30:56Several people
30:56stumbled back.
30:58Victoria's face
30:59lost its color.
31:00That's not possible.
31:02How is your fox
31:03already tier four?
31:04Leo tilted its chin up
31:06to a frankly insufferable angle.
31:08You assumed your bear
31:09was the ceiling
31:10embarrassing the stake.
31:12The bear chose that moment
31:13to release its own tier four aura
31:15alongside Leo's.
31:16Two tier four signatures
31:18layered together.
31:19The crowd scattered
31:20back from the gate,
31:21half of them
31:22barely staying upright.
31:23Victoria stood there,
31:24mouth open,
31:25staring between Leo
31:27and the bear.
31:27The bear,
31:28which was supposed to be hers,
31:30aligned with the girl
31:31she'd been trying to humiliate.
31:33She tried to form words,
31:35couldn't find them.
31:35I walked through the gate
31:36with Leo
31:37and the bear
31:37on either side of me
31:39and left Victoria
31:40and her group
31:40at the entrance
31:41with whatever was left
31:42of the impression
31:43she'd tried to make.
31:44Inside,
31:45we were brought
31:45to a registration desk.
31:47Name,
31:47cultivation tier,
31:48magical animal.
31:49The soldier processing
31:50our forms looked at Leo's
31:51tier four listing,
31:52then at the bears
31:53and spent a long moment
31:54saying nothing.
31:55Then the professionalism
31:57kicked back in,
31:58somewhat overcorrected.
32:00Ms. Riley,
32:01with two tier four
32:02familities,
32:02you qualify for our
32:03highest tier accommodations.
32:04We'd like to offer you
32:05a room in the VIP wing.
32:06Independent room,
32:07heating system,
32:08full resource allocation.
32:09That works.
32:10Can I get an additional room
32:11for my companion?
32:12Of course.
32:13Absolutely, right away.
32:14A soldier escorted us
32:15to the VIP wing.
32:16It was its own building
32:17near the center of the base.
32:19Inside,
32:19functioning radiators,
32:21hot water,
32:22a private bathroom,
32:23a small kitchen,
32:24a sitting area.
32:25The soldier handed me
32:26a key card
32:26and stepped back
32:27with the careful deference
32:28usually reserved
32:29for people who could
32:30level buildings.
32:31I opened my room
32:32and started pulling supplies
32:33out of Leo's void storage,
32:35organized the space,
32:36stacked what we needed.
32:37Leo jumped onto the couch
32:38and stretched its full length,
32:40tail hanging off the edge.
32:42Finally,
32:43that walk was miserable.
32:45The bear appeared
32:45in the doorway,
32:46eyes warm.
32:47Victoria and her group
32:48got assigned
32:49to general housing.
32:51Leave her alone.
32:52Let's rest
32:53and get our bearings.
32:54Over the following days,
32:54we mapped the base.
32:56Around 5,000 survivors.
32:58The majority were civilians
32:59with no cultivation ability
33:00and no magical animal.
33:02A small fraction
33:03had some level of training
33:04and bonded mates.
33:05The base ran
33:06a strict allocation system,
33:08resources distributed
33:09by contribution level
33:10and cultivation tier.
33:11Victoria established
33:12herself quickly.
33:13The tier 4 bear
33:14was enough to pull in followers
33:15and she assembled
33:16a decent sized crew
33:17within the first week.
33:18She used them
33:19to push people around.
33:20The kind of entitlement
33:21that survives context changes
33:23because it was never
33:24really about context.
33:26One afternoon
33:27in the base cafeteria,
33:28she walked in with her group
33:29and found us eating.
33:30You have some nerve.
33:32These rations are for people
33:33who actually contribute,
33:34not passengers
33:35who coast on the strength
33:36of their magic animal.
33:37Leo set down its jerky strip.
33:38Its eyes went flat.
33:39Repeat that.
33:40Victoria was visibly unnerved
33:42but committed.
33:43I called you a passenger.
33:45Your fox got lucky
33:46hitting tier 4.
33:46That doesn't make you
33:47anything special.
33:48I set my chopsticks down,
33:49stood up and said,
33:50Then let's settle it.
33:51If you win,
33:52I don't set foot
33:53in this cafeteria again.
33:54If I win,
33:55you leave the base
33:56and stop terrorizing
33:57everyone in it.
33:59Victoria's expression lit up.
34:01She'd wanted this for days.
34:03Deal!
34:04Don't cry when you lose.
34:05People crowded in
34:06from three directions.
34:07Don't cry when you lose.
34:07Don't cry when you lose.
34:07Don't cry when you lose.
34:07Don't cry when you lose.
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