Chapter 122: Second Contract

Terrence continued reading through the rapid stream of glowing system notifications expanding before his eyes.

’Seems like I didn’t even need to go out of my way to discover these functions myself,’ he noted internally, watching as the blue holographic interface expanded into detailed sub-menus. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

[Enhanced by the Beast Supplier Stage 3 Authority, the overall success rate of capturing and contracting any wild or rift beast upon the first or second encounter has been permanently increased by 30%!]

[Tamer mental backlash and soul recoil damage taken during forced or contested contracts decreased by 10%!]

A sudden, sharp breath escaped Terrence’s lips as his eyes locked onto the numbers. His fingers twitched against the armrest of his swivel chair, a fierce surge of adrenaline washing straight over his chest.

’Shit... this really is an absolute jackpot!’

"Well..." Terrence suddenly stood up as he looked around his shop. A smile that couldn’t be swept away stuck to his lips.

’It is time for Avery’s contract.’

With a flick of his wrist and a quiet mental directive, a bright, refined spatial rift expanded in the middle of the empty storefront. From the soft glow emerged Avery, the delicate yet majestic avian beast he had brought back from his Nexus harvest.

The creature landed gracefully on the wooden railing beside the glass counter, its sharp, intelligent eyes fixing onto Terrence. Its feathers shimmered with faint mana, rustling softly as it lowered its head in an innate gesture of respect.

Terrence stepped closer, his chest warming as he slowly extended his hand.

"Let’s do this, Avery," he whispered, gently placing his palm against the sleek, warm feathers at the crest of Avery’s head.

He closed his eyes, instantly reaching past the cold administrative interface of the shop’s system to tap into his newly awakened Beast Taming Exclusive Talent.

The moment his consciousness crossed the threshold, the world around them seemed to fall away into complete silence. The familiar sensation rushed over him—a glowing, golden sphere of soul light enveloping them both, radiating a calm, profound resonance that bound their spirits together.

Through the forming pathway of the soul contract, a voice, crystalline and soothing, echoed directly within Terrence’s mind.

"Master..."

Terrence felt a sudden shiver trace down his spine. Even though he had just experienced it with Noir moments ago, hearing Avery’s gentle voice inside his soul still gave him an unmistakable jolt of emotion.

’Avery,’ Terrence thought back, his lips curving upward within their shared mental space. ’You’re ready for this too?’

"I have always been ready, Master," Avery replied smoothly, its soul projecting a feeling of pure, unshakeable devotion. "Ever since you pulled me from the rift and gave me a place in your sanctuary, my loyalty has belonged to you. I could feel your purpose, your burden, and your strength. To officially bind my soul to yours is an honor I freely choose."

Terrence’s grip softened against the avian’s head.

’Even knowing what lies ahead? The Lee Family, the battles, the risk... you know I’m walking straight into a storm.’

"Then I shall be the wings that carry you through it," Avery answered without a single second of hesitation. "Where you command, I will fly. Whatever enemy stands in your way, I will strike down. Please, establish the bond."

The light surrounding their souls flared into a brilliant, harmonious beam, locking their existence into a seamless unity. The depth of the connection grew denser by the second, overwhelming Terrence with the absolute purity of the beast’s trust.

[You have successfully accepted the soul contract!]

[Congratulations! You are now the official master of Avery. Please command it well!]

[Because of the passive effect of the Beast Taming Exclusive Talent, the soul contract binding threshold for Avery has been established at 100 percent absolute loyalty!]

Terrence opened his eyes, taking a deep, satisfying breath.

Both of his contracted beasts rested back inside the Beast Sanctuary. Now, his next agenda was to study the next reward in line.

"The Beast Supplier Stage 3 Authority had some great effects and enhancements on the System’s features. I guess that’s it for the new features unlocked."

Terrence leaned against the counter, tapping his chin thoughtfully as he reviewed his journey so far.

"Stage 1 was mostly basic functions—simple missions, then getting baseline control of the listed store beasts. Then, Stage 2 opened up Major and Daily Missions, alongside the Gacha Shop’s endless wonder. Wow... I have really grown much stronger in terms of authority over the system. I wonder how much more powerful I will become if I reach a hundred percent authority and unlock even higher stages. Can I even be normal like others at that point?"

Terrence chuckled softly, shaking his head.

"As if I am normal anyway."

Then, the specific feature window for the Sanctuary Spatial Anchor Array appeared floating on the golden interface. Just like the Gacha Shop, another detailed menu materialized the moment he clicked on it mentally.

By his side, the crisp golden window expanded fully.

[Sanctuary Spatial Anchor Array]

[This Technology projects selected beasts resting inside the Beast Sanctuary into live, interactive displays. You can customize the exact biome environment you want to showcase depending on your preference and the beast’s elemental nature. Customers can easily view and inspect your beasts without having to worry about physical space management within the shop.]

[Do you want to deploy this feature? Yes | No]

[Warning: This is a high-tier advanced technology not currently existing in the world. Deploying this publicly will bring significant unwanted attention from rival factions.]

Terrence felt his heart skip a sudden beat reading the extraordinary nature of the reward.

Questioning if this spatial anchor was real didn’t even enter his mind. How could such an impossible thing exist unless his System was providing it?

Not that he cared about its mysterious origins anyway; he desperately wanted to deploy it right now.

His eyes narrowed with intense determination as his thumb hovered over the floating holographic prompt. Unwanted attention was an inevitable obstacle on his path, but this technology was the exact leverage he needed to revolutionize his business and shake the foundation of the elite taming market.

Without an ounce of hesitation left in his chest, Terrence pressed [Yes].