"I've told you all before—since you don't have any money, you can get someone to pay for it!"
A ferocious voice rang in his ears, like the wailing of a vengeful ghost.
"Brother, save me!"
"Elder brother!"
The desperate wails filled his mind. Hearing the word brother, Leo just wanted to wake up quickly, but his head felt so heavy he couldn't even open his eyes.
"Stop screaming. No one can save you…"
It was that same cruel voice again.
Fragments of memory began to flood Leo's mind, and he suddenly realized that he seemed to have arrived in another world.
This world was different from the one he knew—here, people had supernatural powers.
Leo was still himself, but the voice calling for help belonged to his sister, Mia. She had died in his original world. A month ago, Leo had borrowed a large sum of money to treat Mia's illness. He believed that if he could awaken his ability, he would receive financial support from the Ability Association and could repay the debt.
But things didn't go as planned. He only awakened a minor ability—Beast Mastery. This ability wasn't even recognized by the Ability Association, leaving him unable to exchange it for money.
Now, the debt collectors had arrived. Unable to pay, Leo was beaten unconscious, and Mia was about to be taken away.
Rage filled Leo's mind. In his original world, Mia had been kidnapped and killed. He had already endured the agony of losing her once—he refused to lose her again.
"Wake up, wake up!"
He urged himself desperately. His fingers twitched, a faint sign of returning strength.
"Brother…"
Mia's voice became faint and distant.
"No, it's not fast enough—it has to be faster!"
Leo pushed himself harder. Then, out of nowhere, a mechanical voice echoed in his mind.
[ The Fusion System is activating… Scanning host body. ]
[ Binding complete.]
[ Detected: Two souls within the host body. Commencing automatic fusion. ]
[ Host ability: Beast Mastery. Reward: Two random beasts, two universal fusion worms, and two fusion opportunities. ]
[ Host ability: Expansion. Reward: Two random ability draws and one fusion opportunity. ]
[ Mission initiated: Save Mia. ]
[ Body restoration complete. Good luck, host! ]
The moment the voice faded, Leo felt his body recover fully. His eyes snapped open, taking in the sight of a ransacked house, broken furniture and shards scattered everywhere.
He rushed to the window. Outside, two burly men were dragging Mia toward a car about 30 feet away.
"If she gets in that car, I'll lose her forever!"
Leo's mind raced. He suddenly remembered the reward: two beasts. Concentrating on his newly awakened Beast Mastery ability, he summoned them. In a flash, a white fox and a white cat appeared before him.
But his heart sank. These were ordinary beasts—common and unimpressive compared to the powerful creatures he had imagined.
"How do I fuse them?"
He muttered under his breath. Suddenly, two glowing orbs appeared before him.
[ One White Shadow Cat and one White Fur Fox detected. Two universal fusion worms will be consumed. Proceed with fusion? ]
The mechanical voice spoke again.
"Do it!" Leo shouted without hesitation. He knew this was his only chance to save Mia.
The fox and cat transformed into glowing orbs of light, and two silkworm-like insects emerged from Leo's body, merging into the orbs.
The orbs rapidly expanded and then fell to the ground. When the light dissipated, a two-meter-tall white jade cat and a one-meter-tall silver fox stood in their place.
[ Congratulations, host! Fusion successful. You have obtained the A-rank White Cat and A-rank Light Fox, both level-two beasts. ]
[ All fused creatures will obey the host completely and be one level higher than the host. ]
Leo stared at the two beasts in awe, his heart pounding with excitement. He pointed at the men dragging Mia.
"Go! Bring Mia back!"
At his command, the White Cat broke through the window, followed by the Light Fox.
The two beasts moved like lightning, closing the distance in an instant. The men didn't even have time to react before the White Cat slammed into them, sending them flying.
"Ahhh!"
Their screams filled the air as the Light Fox leaped gracefully, wrapping Mia in its tail and placing her securely on its back before landing smoothly.
"Thud!"
The two men hit the ground hard, groaning in pain.
With Mia secured, the beasts returned to Leo, leaping back through the window. Leo breathed a sigh of relief as he caught sight of his sister's tear-streaked face.
"Brother…"
Mia sobbed as she threw herself into his arms, trembling uncontrollably.
Leo hugged her tightly. Though he knew this wasn't the same Mia from his original world, seeing her face, hearing her cries, and sensing her fear filled him with an overwhelming sense of purpose.
"Don't worry, Mia. I'll protect you," he said gently.
At that moment, the system's voice returned.
[ Mission: Save Mia—completed. Rewards: 500 points, one fusion opportunity, 1,000 energy points, and one universal fusion worm. ]
[ Store function unlocked. ]
[ Warehouse function unlocked. ]
[ Random draw function unlocked. ]
[ New missions acquired
1. Earn enough money to pay off the debt within three days.
2. Go to the hospital and confront the debt collectors attempting to take Mia away to pay the debt. ]
Hearing this, Leo's confidence soared. Although he didn't fully understand the system, it was clearly a lifeline.
But his relief was short-lived. The two debt collectors, now trembling but still determined, returned to the doorway.
They stared at Leo and his two beasts, their eyes filled with fear, but they managed to bark out a threat.
"You think this is over? You attacked us without paying your debt! You—"
"Enough!" Leo cut them off coldly, his expression unreadable.
"I'll repay the debt in three days. Tell your boss that he'll get his money, plus an extra 3% interest for the delay."
The men exchanged nervous glances. They didn't believe Leo, but with those beasts by his side, they didn't dare press further.
"Fine. But if you don't pay, we'll bring a dozen men next time and make you regret it!"
They turned to leave, but the beasts growled menacingly, sending them running in panic.
Leo knew staying here was no longer safe. He quickly turned to Mia.
"Pack whatever you need. We're leaving now," he said firmly.
Mia nodded, still shaken, and began gathering a few belongings. Together, they prepared to escape to safety.