"Let's gooo! Boss cleared!" I threw my hands in the air, chugged my soda, and let out a victorious laugh.
It was 2 a.m. I was deep into another gaming binge, surrounded by empty chip bags, half a cup of cold ramen, and my loyal second-hand gaming chair that made a squeeee every time I leaned back.
Name's Cian. Twenty-one. Unemployed. Professional degenerate. My hobbies include sleeping all day, grinding RPGs all night, and wondering why I'm still single while watching anime with ridiculously hot monster girls.
"God damn, she really said, 'Master, don't hold back...'" I muttered while watching a certain 18+ side quest unfold.
And just as I was about to dive into the real content... everything around me flashed white.
"What the—?!" My voice echoed.
The chair, the desk, the hentai—gone.
When the light faded, I wasn't in my room anymore. I was standing in the middle of a massive hall—stone walls, a red carpet, chandeliers the size of trucks, and a throne where a bearded king sat, flanked by knights and nobles.
"Oh crap. Did I die? Was that anime a documentary?" I whispered.
Four other people stood nearby, just as confused. Two girls and two guys. All about my age, wearing the same casual modern clothes—hoodies, jeans, sneakers.
A booming voice echoed from the throne.
"Welcome, heroes from another world!"
"Heroes?" I blinked.
The king stood. "Our kingdom is on the verge of destruction by the Demon King's army. We summoned five brave souls from another world... you... to save us. Please, each of you, say 'Status' to reveal your destined class and skill."
The girl to my left went first.
"Status!" she said, and a glowing blue panel appeared in front of her.
Class: Flame Valkyrie
Skill: Hellfire Wingblade (A-rank)
Everyone gasped.
"An advanced combat class! Incredible!"
The next guy stepped up.
"Status!"
Class: Divine Spear
Skill: Thunder Lancer (A-rank)
"Another chosen one!" cheered the nobles.
The third was a soft-spoken girl in a baggy sweater. She nervously said:
"Status..."
Class: Spirit Oracle
Skill: Voice of the Ancients (S-rank)
The hall exploded with applause.
"S-RANK?!"
Even the king stood from his throne. "A legendary class... truly a gift from the gods!"
The fourth guy grinned confidently.
"Status!"
Class: Shadowblade
Skill: Phantom Slash (A-rank)
"An assassin-type! A high-tier class again!" someone shouted.
Then... it was my turn.
All eyes turned to me.
Welp.
"...Status," I muttered.
The glowing panel appeared.
Class: Tamer
Skill: ??? (Evolution Bond)
...
Silence.
The king squinted. "Tamer?"
One of the nobles coughed.
"W-what's that skill mean?" another asked.
"I-I'm sure there's more to it..." I said awkwardly. "Maybe it's, like, hidden potential stuff, you know?"
The other four heroes were politely not looking at me.
Someone whispered, "Isn't that a support class for, like, weak monsters?"
Another muttered, "He didn't even get a defined skill... just a question mark?"
I looked back at the glowing blue panel. Seriously, what the hell was Evolution Bond?
The king cleared his throat, looking a bit stiff. "Well... every summoned hero has value, of course."
Liar.
"But since your role may be... non-combative... for now, we shall grant you enough gold to live freely."
A small pouch was tossed into my hands. I heard the coins jingle.
"Wait, that's it?" I blinked. "No team? No training? No hot elf mentor lady?!"
The king smiled nervously. "We encourage you to find your own path. Some heroes... bloom later."
Translation: Please leave before you embarrass us.
And just like that, I was being escorted out of the hall with a bag of coins, a confusing skill, and no idea what the hell I was doing.
"...Welp," I muttered as the castle gates shut behind me. "Guess it's just me, myself, and whatever the hell a Tamer does."
The night air was cool, carrying the faint smell of grass and smoke as I sat on a worn patch of dirt just outside the kingdom gates.
In my hands? A chunk of greasy meat on a stick. Some kind of roasted lizard beast, probably. Bought it from a stall run by a guy who had more flies on his face than teeth in his mouth.
I took a bite. It was tough, chewy, and weirdly spicy. But it was food.
"Not bad," I mumbled to myself, chewing slowly. "Not good, either."
The fire crackled lazily beside me, casting dancing shadows on the ground. The stars above were clearer than anything I'd seen back in the city. Kind of peaceful, honestly. Quiet. Still. For a guy just kicked out of a castle, it wasn't the worst vibe.
I took another bite, leaned back on my elbows, and stared at the night sky.
"As I said 'Status'," I muttered between chews, "I see my skills again... and sigh."
I swallowed, staring at the glowing panel that had popped up beside me.
Still the same.
Class: Tamer
Skill: ??? (Evolution Bond)
"...Yeah. Still looks like garbage."
The rented beast a few meters away snorted in its sleep.
I chuckled dryly. "Yeah, laugh it up, mutt. One day I'll figure this out, and then who's the useless one?"
The wind blew gently, rustling my messy hair.
I sat there in silence, chewing slowly, not knowing what tomorrow would bring—or if I'd even survive long enough to find out what this weird skill did.
But for now?
Just me, a campfire, and some mystery meat.
Just as I finished the last bite of my weird spicy meat, something shifted in the darkness.
Rustle.
I froze, chewing slowly like a squirrel mid-crime. My eyes darted toward the bushes near the firelight.
"...Please don't be a forest bear. Or a spider. Or a bear-spider."
Rustle. Rustle.
Stick in hand, I readied myself. The suspense was thick enough to butter.
And then...
Out waddled a small, fluffy creature. White fur, round little body, tiny paws. Its back was covered in soft quill-like spikes that shimmered faintly in the firelight. It had big round ears, button-black eyes, and a twitchy pink nose.
A hedgehog?
No. Not just any hedgehog.
A fantasy hedgehog.
It blinked at me.
I blinked at it.
It took a cautious step closer… then sneezed.
"...You're adorable," I blurted out.
The creature tilted its head and let out a soft little "Ffrrrt?" Like a mix between a chirp and a confused sneeze.
I lowered my stick. "You lost or something?"
"Fffrrt!" It stepped closer, cautiously, as if drawn by the warmth of my fire—or maybe my meat. I couldn't tell.
"You're not gonna explode, right? Or transform into some horrifying beast with fifty eyes?"
It paused… then blinked once, innocently.
"Right. That's comforting."
I watched it sniff near my backpack. Then, slowly, it turned to face me again—eyes wide and curious—and gave a little nod.
"You… understand me?"
It hopped lightly in place.
"No way… Are you smart? Or is this that anime thing where monsters are just naturally bonded to the MC?"
It chirped again, waddling right up to me and gently nudging my foot with its tiny nose.
"...You're not trying to rob me, are you?"
Boop.
That little nose tapped my ankle again. Soft, cool. Friendly.
I smiled.
"Alright. You win." I pointed at myself. "Cian. Recently summoned, currently jobless, possibly cursed with the most useless class."
It sat upright and tilted its head, like it was actually listening.
"I don't know how taming works, or what my skill does, or what the hell I'm doing here."
The creature blinked once… then gently climbed onto my boot and curled up beside the fire.
"...You wanna stay with me?"
A soft "Frrt."
"Heh." I leaned back with a sigh. "You're the first one to not look at me like I'm trash since I got here."
The wind blew softly around us. The stars twinkled.
I stared at the small, warm fluffball dozing beside me.
"Alright, partner. Let's figure this world out together."
And in the corner of my vision, just faintly—my status screen shimmered.
[New Companion Registered.]