This Beast-Tamer is a Little Strange

Kain stood still, running through possibilities. He definitely knew that the egg had been collected by him, but it was unlikely for the Vera to make a mistake and misplace it.

That left him with one possibility: the egg had ended up somewhere other than in the System.

As his thoughts churned, his mind drifted toward an overlooked possibility. His star space.

Queen, when he first contracted her, had brought honey and parts of her old hive into the star space. Therefore, he knew that select objects, especially those created by the spiritual creature, could be brought into the star space.

"But the egg isn't related to any of my spiritual contracts…" he muttered. Then his gaze sharpened as he remembered something peculiar that happened when he was forming his third star.

When forming it, a planet resembling an ancient Earth had materialized within his star space. It was completely devoid of spiritual power and at the time, he'd been perplexed by if it even had a purpose, moreover he'd gotten so busy since then that he hadn't been able to explore it in more detail.

"The egg couldn't survive in this world's spiritual environment," Kain said to himself, pacing. "But my star space… That planet…" His voice grew quieter as a realization took hold. "It's exactly what the egg needed to hatch."

The more he thought about it, the more certain he became.

Likely when he was trying to collect the egg, either the System had instead redirected it to his star space, or the planet that had formed sensed its compatibility with the egg itself and collected it itself.

Driven by a mix of urgency and curiosity, Kain closed his eyes and willed his consciousness into his star space.

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Inside the boundless dark space of his star space, Kain's consciousness floated amidst the only four sources of light: three spiritual stars that were the homes of Bea, Queen/Eve, and Aegis respectively; and a fourth planet that resembled his old Earth but with all of the continents connected.

Focusing on the green and blue planet, Kain suddenly appeared on its surface—it was almost as though he'd been transported to a completely separate world, unlike the sense he gets when examining his other spaces which he feel like the inside of intricately designed space rings that are perfectly tailored to each contract, but he is unable to enter himself.

The air of this "earth" was crisp and untouched, free from any trace of spiritual power.

The planet was stark and lifeless, without even the slightest sign of life, including vegetation. Jagged mountain ranges reached toward the sky. Plateaus and canyons stretched endlessly, their surfaces rough with weathered stone and coarse gravel.

Rivers of dark, silvery water wove through the desolate landscape, reflecting the faint glow of 3 different coloured stars on their surface.

The ground crunched beneath Kain's feet as he walked, his every step amplified in the oppressive silence.

Following a faint draw due to his connection with the planet, which seemed to be directing him towards what he desired, he made his way toward a clearing where the land sloped gently downward into a shallow basin.

At its center, nestled among a patch of smooth, glass-like stones, was the golden egg.

Kain's breath caught as he approached. The egg looked different now. Its surface, once pristine and unblemished, was marked with delicate, glowing cracks that pulsed faintly, casting dim light onto the surrounding stones.

A subtle warmth emanated from it that he felt as he knelt beside it and touched its surface. It looked as though it would hatch soon.

"This world… It's perfect for you, isn't it?" he murmured, his voice barely audible in the vast emptiness. "Perhaps we were really destined for each other…"

The egg seemed to respond to his words, its glow intensifying for a moment before settling back into its soft, rhythmic pulse. Kain studied it closely, noting how its once-uniform surface now seemed alive, shifting ever so slightly as though something within was preparing to break free and was just waiting for him to do so.

The warmth radiating from it grew stronger, and a sudden surge of connection jolted through him.

A contract? But he hadn't formed his fourth star yet. Moreover, whatever kind of bond this was didn't feel like his contract with Bea, Eve, or Aegis. Or even like his secondary and tertiary contracts with Queen and the Vespid guards.

His contracts with them were deep, and equal partnerships. He could sense that they were life-or-death partners and that the end of one would greatly harm the other.

This was different. It was almost as deep, but the nature of the connection was different.

The being within the egg felt entirely subordinate to him rather than an equal contract, its life completely based on his will. If he desired, he could extinguish it with a thought—an unnerving power that he vowed to never abuse.

Despite the sudden connection with a creature he hadn't even seen yet, Kain felt an overwhelming fondness for the spiritual creature inside, as though it were an extension of himself.

The egg's surface began to fracture, the cracks spiderwebbing outward with a soft, melodic hum. A faint golden light spilled out, casting long shadows across the rocky terrain. The egg trembled in his hands, and with a final, resonant crack, it shattered.

The fragments dissolved into shimmering motes of light that scattered into the air, leaving behind a small, golden serpentine figure curled in the basin.

Looking closer, Kain realized based on the claws it had, that it wasn't a snake, but it looked like one of the dragons native to the eastern continent.

Its gold scales shimmered with a faint iridescence, catching the limited light from the stars above. Tiny, delicate antlers were growing from its head, and a pair of round, inquisitive eyes blinked open, locking onto Kain with a teary and innocent gaze.

Kain couldn't help but marvel at the creature. Before awakening his affinity, it had been his dream to form a contract with a dragon—and now that dream seems to have been granted in a different way...

It let out a soft, trilling sound, almost musical, as it rose slightly off of the ground—flying despite the lack of any wings.

He could sense its thoughts, though they were simple and unformed—an overwhelming trust in him, a quiet dependence.

Kain knelt before the egg, his hand hovering over its golden surface. The warmth radiating from it grew stronger, and as his fingers finally brushed against it, a sudden surge of connection jolted through him.

This wasn't like the bonds he had with Bea, Queen, or Aegis. Those connections felt like friendships—equal and cherished partnerships. This was different. It was deeper, more absolute. The being within the egg felt entirely subordinate to him, its life intrinsically tied to his will. If he desired, he could extinguish it with a thought—an unnerving power he knew he'd never abuse.

Yet, instead of being disturbed by the connection, Kain felt an overwhelming fondness for the creature inside, as though it were an extension of himself. A fragment of his soul.

His fingers pressed more firmly against the egg's surface, and the glowing cracks spread rapidly, the faint pulses growing brighter and faster. It was waiting for him—waiting for his touch, his acknowledgment—to awaken.

"Alright," Kain whispered, a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Come into this world."

The egg's surface began to fracture, the cracks spiderwebbing outward with a soft, melodic hum. A faint golden light spilled out, casting long shadows across the rocky terrain. The egg trembled in his hands, and with a final, resonant crack, it shattered.

The fragments dissolved into shimmering motes of light that scattered into the air, leaving behind a small, serpentine form curled in the basin.

A golden dragon—sleek and elegant, its body long and sinuous like the dragons of ancient Eastern myths. Its scales shimmered with a faint iridescence, catching the light of the stars above. Tiny, delicate antlers crowned its head, and a pair of sharp, inquisitive eyes blinked open, locking onto Kain's gaze.

Kain couldn't help but marvel at the creature. It was no larger than a housecat, its movements deliberate and graceful as it stretched its lithe body for the first time. It let out a soft, trilling sound, almost musical, as it coiled slightly around itself, seemingly testing its new form.

As the dragon rose, Kain felt their bond solidify further. He could sense its thoughts, though they were simple and unformed—an overwhelming trust in him, a quiet dependence.

"Welcome to the world," Kain murmured, reaching out to gently stroke the dragon's head. It leaned into his touch, its scales warm and smooth beneath his fingers.

The ground beneath them pulsed faintly. For the first time since the planet's formation, Kain sensed spiritual power on it. It was faint—almost imperceptible—but it was there.

The lifeless terrain seemed to hum with a new energy, as though the dragon's birth had awakened something dormant within this world.