The day broke quietly, a fragile peace settling over the jungle in the wake of the ruin's collapse. Jonash felt the weight of it all—Eryk's loss, the artifact clutched tightly in his hand, and the unrelenting uncertainty of their next steps. Ava sat across from him, absently running a hand through her tangled hair. Neither had said much since they'd made camp, and the silence felt heavier with every passing minute.
It didn't last long.
"New objectives unlocked: Beast Taming Protocol Activated."
The system's voice rang out like a bell in their heads, startling them both. Jonash sat up straight, while Ava froze mid-motion. A translucent interface appeared before them, its glowing text filling the space between them.
"Objective: Capture and tame a Class 1 beast. Rewards: Basic Beast Bonding Module, Nutritional Rations x3. Penalty for failure: None."
"Beast taming?" Jonash muttered, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. "What is this, some kind of twisted Pokémon?"
Ava didn't laugh. She rarely did these days. Instead, she leaned closer to the interface, her sharp eyes scanning the words. "It's not giving us much of a choice, is it?"
Jonash snorted. "When does it ever?"
Still, his curiosity was piqued. The idea of taming a beast, of having something on his side in this brutal world, was tempting. He'd barely survived the last few encounters, and they were getting harder each time. A tamed creature could be the edge they desperately needed.
Or, it could kill them. That thought lingered uncomfortably as Jonash stood, dusting himself off. "Alright," he said, forcing a note of determination into his voice. "Let's figure out how this works."
They moved cautiously through the jungle, the thick canopy above casting dappled shadows on the forest floor. Jonash kept the artifact in his satchel, wrapped tightly in cloth. It hadn't done anything strange since they'd left the ruins, but he wasn't taking any chances.
The system's next message appeared as they walked.
"Hint: Class 1 beasts are typically docile but may become hostile if provoked. Use environmental factors to your advantage."
"Docile, huh?" Jonash muttered under his breath. "I'll believe it when I see it."
Ava shot him a glance. "Let's not provoke anything, then."
The jungle came alive around them as they ventured deeper. Birds with bright plumage darted between the trees, their calls echoing like musical notes. Small creatures scurried through the underbrush, quick flashes of movement that disappeared almost as soon as they appeared. For a moment, Jonash let himself believe that this place wasn't all bad.
That illusion shattered when they found the tracks.
Large, clawed footprints pressed deep into the soft earth, leading toward a dense thicket. Jonash crouched down to inspect them, his fingers brushing against the edges of the indentations. "Looks fresh," he said.
Ava knelt beside him, her brow furrowed. "Whatever made these... it's big. Too big to be 'docile.'"
Jonash straightened, gripping the makeshift spear he'd fashioned the day before. It was hardly more than a sharpened stick, but it was better than nothing. "Only one way to find out."
Ava looked like she wanted to argue, but instead, she nodded. Together, they followed the tracks, their movements slow and deliberate.
The beast wasn't hard to find. It was drinking from a shallow stream, its massive form crouched low as it lapped at the water. At first glance, it looked like a bear, but its body was covered in short, silver fur that shimmered like metal in the sunlight. Long, curved claws glinted as they sank into the muddy bank.
Jonash swallowed hard. "Class 1, huh?" he whispered. "Sure doesn't look like it."
Ava pulled him back, her expression tense. "What's the plan?"
He glanced at the beast again, then at the surrounding area. The stream ran through a narrow gorge, flanked by steep, rocky walls. A fallen tree lay nearby, its branches forming a natural barrier. If they could lure the beast into the gorge, they might have a chance to trap it.
"Okay," Jonash said, keeping his voice low. "We lead it into the gorge, block its escape with the tree, and then... I don't know, try not to die?"
Ava raised an eyebrow. "That's your plan?"
"Got a better one?"
She didn't, so they moved into position. Ava climbed onto a ledge overlooking the gorge, ready to push the tree when the time came. Jonash crept closer to the beast, his heart pounding so loudly he was sure it would hear him. He picked up a rock and hurled it with all his strength.
The rock struck the beast squarely on its flank. It roared, a deep, guttural sound that reverberated through the gorge. Jonash's stomach dropped as the creature turned toward him, its glowing yellow eyes locking onto his.
"Oh, crap."
The next few moments were a blur. The beast charged, its massive claws tearing through the ground as it barreled toward Jonash. He turned and ran, his legs moving faster than they ever had before. The gorge loomed ahead, and he prayed Ava was ready.
"Now!" he shouted as he dove into the gorge, landing hard on the rocky ground. He rolled to the side just as the beast skidded to a stop behind him, its claws scraping against the stone.
Ava pushed with all her might, and the fallen tree toppled into place, blocking the beast's escape. For a moment, it worked. The creature was trapped, its massive body wedged between the narrow walls of the gorge.
Jonash scrambled to his feet, his spear at the ready. "Okay, now what?"
The beast didn't give him a chance to figure that out. With a furious roar, it slammed its body against the walls of the gorge, shaking the ground. The tree shifted, and Jonash's heart sank.
"It's too strong!" Ava called from above. "We have to—"
The beast broke free.
Jonash barely had time to react before it was on him. He thrust his spear forward, the sharpened tip grazing the creature's side. It roared again, swiping at him with claws that came dangerously close to his face.
"Not like this," he muttered, his grip tightening on the spear. "I am not dying like this!"
The system's voice chimed in at the worst possible moment.
"Hint: Class 1 beasts respond to food offerings. Try using local resources to gain their trust."
"Food?" Jonash shouted, dodging another swipe. "Are you kidding me?"
Ava scrambled down the gorge's wall, landing beside him. "What food? We don't have anything!"
Jonash's mind raced. The system had said to use local resources. He scanned the area, his eyes landing on a cluster of bright red fruits growing on a nearby bush. It wasn't much, but it was all they had.
"Ava, cover me!" he shouted as he darted toward the bush. The beast lunged after him, but Ava stepped in, throwing rocks and shouting to distract it.
Jonash grabbed as many of the fruits as he could, stuffing them into his satchel. "Please work," he muttered under his breath as he turned back to face the creature.
The beast growled, its yellow eyes fixed on him. Slowly, Jonash held out one of the fruits, his hand trembling. "Here," he said, his voice shaky. "You want this, right?"
For a moment, nothing happened. Then, to his astonishment, the beast sniffed the air and took a cautious step forward. Jonash stayed perfectly still as it approached, its massive jaws opening to reveal rows of sharp teeth.
It snatched the fruit from his hand and devoured it in a single bite.
"Holy crap," Jonash whispered.
The beast sniffed at him again, its eyes losing some of their feral intensity. Slowly, cautiously, Jonash reached out and touched its silver fur. It didn't attack.
The system's voice chimed in again.
"Congratulations! Beast Tamed: Silverclaw. Reward unlocked."
Jonash let out a shaky laugh, relief flooding through him. Ava approached cautiously, her eyes wide with disbelief. "You actually did it."
"Yeah," Jonash said, still in shock. "I guess I did."
They didn't have long to celebrate. As they left the gorge, Ava spotted something that made her blood run cold: footprints. Human footprints.
"Jonash," she said, her voice low. "We're not alone."
Jonash followed her gaze, his stomach sinking. The footprints were fresh, leading in the same direction they were headed.
"Someone's following us," Ava said, her hand resting on the hilt of her dagger.
Jonash tightened his grip on Silverclaw's fur, his mind racing. Whoever it was, they were close. Too close.
And they had no idea what their intentions might be.