Before long, Maya had fallen asleep in Cedar's arms.
Cedar looked down at her, a gentle smile forming on his lips.
He carefully stood up, holding her close so as not to wake her.
Step by step, he carried her to her room, making sure to avoid any noise.
After laying Maya down on her small bed, he pulled the blanket over her, making sure the blanket was wrapped securely around her.
As he turned to leave, he noticed the light from the living room spilling into the hallway.
Walking over, he found his parents sitting there, wide awake.
His father looked up first, his expression softening when he saw Cedar.
"Have you eaten yet?" his father asked.
Cedar paused, not expecting the question, but he nodded.
"I'm fine, Dad." he replied, scratching the back of his head awkwardly.
His mother gave him a warm, relieved smile.
"You must be tired. Eat something, then rest." she said gently.
They didn't ask why he was late.
They didn't demand an explanation.
They just wanted to make sure he was okay.
This warmth was new to Cedar, unfamiliar but strangely soothing.
On Earth, he had no one.
He was an orphan, used to silence and emptiness.
Now, he had people waiting for him.
Cedar nodded and headed to the kitchen, grabbing a small bowl of rice and vegetables left for him.
His parents exchanged a few quiet words before heading to their room.
The meal was simple, yet it filled him with a warmth he couldn't describe.
After finishing, he headed back to his room.
Their house was small, much smaller than the villa he used to live in back on Earth.
Yet this one felt more like a home.
"A lot happened today." he muttered to himself.
"I don't even know where to start."
But one thing was clear.
This was his second chance at life.
"I should treasure it."
This time, he had a family, aside from Cypher.
From the original body's memories, he knew that the boy hadn't been close to his parents.
The boy had resented them for being poor, for being powerless.
They were ordinary humans, neither beast tamers nor wealthy.
But Cedar didn't care about any of that.
For the first time in a long time, he felt like he had something worth protecting.
He closed his eyes, a small smile on his lips.
"I'll do better this time."
Another day arrived.
Cedar sat at the breakfast table with his new family.
The warmth of the meal and their smiles made the simple morning feel special.
After finishing, he stood up, ready to leave.
"I'm going out. I'll be back later." Cedar told his parents.
His father, who had been quietly drinking his coffee, reached into his pocket.
Without saying a word, he slid a 500 UPD bill into Cedar's pants.
"Spend it for your beast." his father whispered.
The gesture hit him harder than he expected.
500 UPD wasn't a small amount for his parents.
It was more than a week's worth of hard-earned money.
His father, a construction worker, earned every bit of it with his hands, and his sweat.
It wasn't easy for him.
Cedar opened his mouth to protest, to return the money, but before he could say anything, his father placed a firm hand on his shoulder.
"Use it well, son. Congrats on being a beast tamer."
Cedar felt a lump form in his throat.
He couldn't remember the last time someone cared for him this much.
His father patted him once more on the shoulder.
"Go on. Don't worry about it."
"Thanks, Dad."
Cedar nodded.
It was overwhelming to have a family that believed in him.
He would never take this for granted.
Cedar stepped out of the house, taking a deep breath of the fresh morning air.
Today, he had three goals in mind.
First, to gather more knowledge about this world.
Second, to purchase another beast to contract if possible.
And lastly, he needed to find a way to earn money.
Strength was his primary goal, but money was the means to achieve it.
Without money, there were too many limitations in this world.
His journey today began with the local public library in town.
Upon arriving, he let Cypher out.
Cypher leapt from his shoulder and landed on the floor.
Cedar looked down at his companion.
"Cypher, do you still have all the capabilities you had before?"
[Yes, Master. All systems are fully operational.]
"Okay. That's good." Cedar smiled, relieved.
Together, they moved through the aisles of books, gathering anything that could be useful.
Books related to beasts, qi, herbs, and more.
Cedar sat down at a nearby table, flipping through a book about beast taming, his eyes scanning the pages in silence.
Cypher, on the other hand, went through each book with lightning speed, flipping the pages faster than the eye could follow.
It might have appeared as though Cypher was simply turning pages, but in reality, each one was being scanned and recorded into his memory.
Cypher's capabilities were far beyond human comprehension.
As an A.I., he had near-infinite storage within his mind, allowing him to absorb information at a speed that would leave any scholar in awe.
Every word, every piece of information was stored in Cypher's mind.
The advantage of being an A.I. was vast.
Every now and then, Cedar glanced at Cypher, who had already scanned several books in mere minutes.
With Cypher by his side, he had a vast resource of knowledge at his disposal.
As time passed by, Cedar couldn't help but notice the curious glances from the few people inside.
It was strange, but understandable.
After all, a monkey beast flipping through pages of books was not something one saw every day.
One person looked over, their eyes wide, as they whispered to their friends
"Did you see that? A monkey... reading a book?"
Another person raised an eyebrow, clearly confused.
"I mean, I know some beasts are smart, but... is that monkey actually reading?"
Even a young woman came closer who couldn't contain her curiosity, she leaned in.
"Is that monkey actually reading?"
Even a young woman, unable to contain her curiosity, leaned in closer.
"Is that monkey actually reading?"
Cedar glanced at her, then back at Cypher.
"Don't mind him." Cedar replied.
"He's a fast learner."