Simon, or rather Dias, sat on his large bed after Sebastian left to get the medics.
He had neck-length dark green hair, bright green eyes, and a lean but athletic build fit for an eighteen-year-old.
Sunlight spilled across his sheets, painting gold over the emerald strands of his hair.
The silence of the room pressed against his thoughts as he tried to make sense of the memories that weren't his.
He had traveled 123 years into the future, taking over the dead body of Dias dos Auborne who met the conditions he set for his 'rebirth'.
Interestingly, unlike he expected, he didn't get reincarnated into his previous empire, but instead into an empire that rose after the death of the Emperor of Beasts and the Emergence."
"All that is still within the overall goal," Dias mumbled, before closing his eyes.
He delved into his body, focusing on his divine soul sea.
When his consciousness surfaced in his soul sea, endless white clouds stretched beneath him; an ethereal expanse he hadn't seen in what felt like centuries.
He didn't bother mulling over it; he had a priority.
He looked up, almost hesitatingly.
Then, he saw what he searched for.
"Tinker!"
He soared into the sky and landed on a floating mass of land.
The floating land was like a suspended paradise, alive with shimmering ponds and flowering trees and pants.
At its center stood a modest gazebo, and there, within a blue cocoon pulsing softly with mana, was Tinker.
"Tinker, we did it," Dias said softly.
After watching her for a few seconds, he turned and walked to the garden's edge.
Looking down at his now empty soul sea, he sighed.
'It was like another world just yesterday.'
But now, after being reborn with Tinker's ability that had been redesigned using artifacts and charged by his comrades' energies, it was empty down there.
His soul sea usually manifested a domain for each of his contracted beasts, but now, only Tinker remained.
At least that's how it was supposed to be.
Far down, on the surface of the clouds, he saw it. A blot of shadow amidst white.
A foreign land, dark and jagged, pulsing faintly with eerie green light.
'I've not seen this place before. Who is this?'
It was a land that had a dark feel. It was basically a small rock hill with some green rocks protruding out here and there.
Walking into the cave down the hill, Dias was met with more green rocks, this one glowing brighter than ever.
Deeper into the cave where it gradually became dim, Dias met no one despite reaching a dead end.
'I think I have an idea.'
Dias returned to reality, his eyes still closed, this time tugging on his connection with his beasts.
In one swift movement, he opened his eyes, hopped off the bed and crouched very low.
"It's you," he said.
A small wolf-like beast with dark green fur and bright green eyes, claws and even teeth, was hiding under his bed.
It trembled at the sight of Dias.
The moment their eyes met, the creature froze, hackles rising in memory of pain it once knew.
That was because of how the original Dias treated this poor beast after rejecting it.
After the death of the original body owner and his full rebirth process, he instantly assumed the contract would dissolve and the beast would flee.
He had even planned to look for it later, thinking it valuable… but who would have thought the bond would remain?
The wolf hesitated to come out, but because of its fear of Dias, it slowly came out.
It sat gently and pitifully looked at the floor.
Dias carried it up, holding it like a baby.
"Oh my, how would someone treat a cute little one like you so harshly?
"What is there to reject about you?
"If he were still alive, I'd kick him how he kicked you!"
While it was being patted, the wolf gave Dias a side eye, shook its head, and gave him another side eye.
Dias laughed, flicking its nose. "Why are you acting so bitter? I'm not that guy."
He raised the wolf high like a wise beast once did for the King of Lions, Simba, and grinned.
"Check my soul. You'll notice the difference."
The wolf, understanding its master's words, did as he said and soon, its mouth fell open in shock.
"You're a funny one," Dias mused. "I'll call you… Hati."
[You have named your contracted Shardfang Wolf, 'Hati'.]
[Your bond with 'Hati' grows stronger.]
"I guess you're excited, huh."
Another familiar interface came up.
- - -
Name: Hati
Race: Shardfang Wolf
Stage: Lesser
Level: 7 [89%]
Innate traits: Crystallized Fangs
Evolution Requirements: Core of a crystal-related common stage beast, blood of any beast (preferable crystal related), Raw Shard Dust (low tier mineral essence).
Conditions: Must lay in mineral-rich soil for a night.
- - -
Not paying attention to Hati yet, Dias expanded this familiar interface.
- - -
Name: Tinker
Race: Sylvae Sprite
Stage: Lesser
Level: 11 [12%]
Innate Traits: Healing Dust, Empathetic Link
Evolution Requirements: Essence of Growth (x3), Sylphroot (x2)
Condition: Must meditate for at least an hour for seven nights consecutively.
- - -
"Tsk. The problem with rare beasts is that the materials needed are as rare as them. I miss Naga and Sabor."
Dias opened the last section he was interested in.
- - -
Name: Dias don Auborne
Race: Human
Stage: High
Level: 2 [4%]
MP: 100%
Talent: Climatarch [S Rank] [Integrating: 80%]
Talent Skills: -
Other Skills: Contract Beast, Soul Sea Gate
- - -
"My perception was correct, I got the Talent."
Part of why Dias transferred his soul to another body was to merge with a Talent he obtained from a strong beast a few months before he died.
Satisfied, he turned back to Hati, who now lay cradled in his arms. He patted the wolf's head like a doting parent.
"My boy. I have bad news. Crystal beasts are very rare…" Dias mumbled before he smiled, "but fortunately for us, this era is different from the last!"
Hati looked at Dias for a while and started growling low.
"I'm confusing? Hmm, I get that a lot."
As he said that, Dias heard a knock on his door.
After granting permission, they entered.
Dias turned to them, still holding the wolf like a child.
Silence hung in the doorway as Sebastian, a medic, and his mother stared, each wearing the same stunned expression.
The same thought crossed everyone's mind:
'Sebastian was right. Something has changed about Dias.'