When I opened my eyes and saw Bessie the cow staring at me with those big, dopey eyes, I knew three things: One, I had transmigrated. Two, I was completely screwed. Three, I had exactly eleven chapters to change my fate before I became a forgotten punchline in someone else's story.
"Moo."
Yeah. A cow. My first creature partner in this world was a goddamn dairy cow.
I pushed myself up from the cold marble floor, my head throbbing like I'd been hit by a truck. Which, technically, I had been. The last thing I remembered from my old life was crossing the street, a horn blaring, bright lights, and then—
Nothing.
Until I woke up here.
The room around me was obscenely luxurious. Crystal chandeliers hung from vaulted ceilings, golden-trimmed furniture lined the walls, and floor-to-ceiling windows overlooked a sprawling modern city that looked like Tokyo had a baby with a fantasy RPG. Skyscrapers pierced the clouds, but between them, I could see massive flying creatures—wyverns, phoenixes, and things I couldn't even name—soaring through the air like pigeons.
Tamer Chronicle Online.
The realization hit me like a second truck.
I was inside the world of that trashy web novel I'd been reading during my lunch breaks. The one with the most generic OP protagonist, the most cliché underdog-to-hero storyline, and plot armor so thick you could use it as a bunker.
And I wasn't the protagonist.
I stumbled to the nearest mirror, and my reflection confirmed my worst fear.
Sharp aristocratic features. Slicked-back silver hair. Expensive designer clothes that probably cost more than my old apartment. Cold amber eyes that screamed "arrogant young master."
Ren Ashford.
Minor villain. Cannon fodder. The guy whose sole narrative purpose was to get humiliated by the protagonist in chapter 12 to establish how strong and righteous the hero was.
"Fuck."
"Moo?" Bessie tilted her head, concerned.
I looked down at the creature. She was underwhelming. A brown and white dairy cow, maybe waist-high, with a bell around her neck and the most placid expression I'd ever seen. According to the memories flooding into my brain—Ren's memories—this cow was my contracted creature. My partner. My ticket to becoming a professional tamer.
Except she was ranked F-minus.
In a world where creature ranking went from F to SSS, F-minus might as well have been "decorative pet" tier.
The door to my room slammed open.
"Young Master Ren!" A butler in an impeccable black suit rushed in, his face pale. "The Academy registration ceremony begins in one hour! You must get ready immediately!"
Right. The Tamer Academy entrance ceremony. The event where all new students would register, show off their first contracted creatures, and establish the social hierarchy for the next four years.
In the original story, this was where Ren Ashford made his grand debut as a pompous asshole. He'd mocked the protagonist Kai Vermillion for having a "mere slime" as his creature, publicly challenged him to a duel, and got his ass handed to him in front of the entire Academy.
The video went viral. Ren became a meme. His family disowned him out of shame. He disappeared from the story, never to be mentioned again.
Chapter 12. That's all the lifespan I had as a character.
"Young Master?" The butler looked worried. "Are you feeling unwell?"
I took a deep breath. "I'm fine. Give me ten minutes."
As the butler scurried away, I sat down on the edge of my bed and tried to organize my thoughts. Bessie ambled over and nudged my hand with her nose.
"Moo."
"Yeah, girl. We're in deep shit together, aren't we?"
The original Ren Ashford was an idiot. He had money, resources, a powerful family, and he'd wasted it all on arrogance and stupidity. But I wasn't the original Ren. I had something he didn't.
Knowledge.
I knew the plot. I knew who the protagonist was. I knew which events would happen and when. I knew that Kai Vermillion's "weak" slime was actually an Ancient Slime that would evolve into an SSS-rank Calamity Slime by chapter 200.
I knew that the beautiful ice queen Seraphina Nocturne—the villainess everyone loved to hate—would fall for Kai, get rejected, spiral into villainy, and die tragically at chapter 286 after being defeated by the combined forces of the protagonist and the heroine.
And I knew I had to avoid that entire shitshow.
My plan was simple:
Step one: Don't antagonize the protagonist. Stay under the radar. Survive past chapter 12.
Step two: Get stronger. Somehow.
Step three: Save Seraphina Nocturne from her tragic fate.
That last one was personal. Out of all the characters in Tamer Chronicle Online, Seraphina was the only one I'd actually cared about. She wasn't some one-dimensional villain. She was complex, tragic, and the author had done her dirty just to make the protagonist look good.
If I was stuck in this world, I'd be damned if I let that happen.
"Alright, Bessie." I stood up and looked at my partner. "I don't know how we're going to do this, but we're going to survive. No getting humiliated. No becoming a meme. We're going to—"
A translucent blue screen materialized in front of my face.
[SYSTEM INITIALIZATION COMPLETE]
[Welcome, User: Ren Ashford]
[Universal Tamer System Activated]
I froze.
A system? I had a goddamn cheat system?
More text appeared:
[MAIN QUEST UNLOCKED: Survive Past Chapter 12]
Objective: Do not follow the original plot. Avoid confrontation with Kai Vermillion at the Academy entrance ceremony.
Reward: System Shop Access, First Evolution Stone
Failure: Death by plot correction (seriously, don't test this)
[TUTORIAL QUEST: Appraise Your Creature]
Use the Appraisal function on your contracted creature.
My hands trembled slightly as I focused on Bessie. A thought, a mental command, and another window appeared:
[CREATURE APPRAISAL]
Name: Bessie
Species: Common Dairy Cow
Rank: F-
Level: 1
Skills:
Tackle (F) Moo (F) Milk Production (E)
Hidden Potential: ★★★★★ (MYTHIC)
Evolution Paths Available: 3
Note: This creature possesses unprecedented evolution potential. With proper training and resources, can surpass natural rank limitations.
I stared at the screen.
Five stars. Mythic potential.
Bessie the cow could become a powerhouse.
A laugh bubbled up from my chest. Then another. Before I knew it, I was laughing like a maniac while Bessie watched me with concern.
"Moo?"
"Bessie, you beautiful bovine bastard." I knelt down and scratched behind her ears. "We're going to be just fine. Better than fine. We're going to flip this entire story on its head."
[TUTORIAL QUEST COMPLETE]
Reward: Basic Evolution Guide added to System Database
I quickly skimmed through the evolution guide. According to the system, creatures could evolve beyond their natural limits through three methods:
Level grinding and experience Special evolution stones and materials Synchronization rate with their tamer
The higher my bond with Bessie, the stronger she could become.
I could work with this.
A knock at the door interrupted my thoughts. "Young Master Ren! The car is ready!"
Right. The Academy ceremony. The first major plot event.
In the original timeline, Ren would arrive in a flashy sports car, flaunt his wealth, mock everyone with "inferior" creatures, and set himself up as the villain everyone loved to hate.
Not today.
"Change of plans," I told the butler as I walked out. "We're taking the subway."
The butler's face went white. "The the subway, Young Master? But the family tradition—"
"Screw tradition. We're taking the subway."
If I was going to survive in this world, I needed to be smart. The protagonist had plot armor, sure, but I had knowledge and a cheat system.
And most importantly, I had Bessie.
As we made our way through the Ashford family mansion, I caught sight of a news broadcast on one of the massive TV screens in the hallway.
"—preparations for the Tamer Academy entrance ceremony are underway. This year's incoming class is said to be one of the most talented in decades, with several students already possessing B-rank and A-rank creatures—"
The camera panned to show the Academy grounds. A massive campus that looked like Hogwarts crossed with a modern university. Thousands of students and their creatures milling about.
And there, being interviewed by a reporter, was a familiar face.
Silver hair tied in a high ponytail. Icy blue eyes. An elegant posture that radiated cold authority. Next to her stood a massive white wolf with crystalline fur—a Fenrir, SS-rank.
Seraphina Nocturne.
My heart clenched.
She was even more beautiful in person than in the novel's descriptions. But what struck me most was the loneliness in her eyes. The walls she'd built around herself.
In the original story, she was the untouchable Ice Queen. The villainess.
But I knew the truth. She was just a girl who'd been hurt too many times, who'd learned to freeze her heart to survive.
Not this time, I thought. I'll change your fate. I promise.
"Young Master?" The butler looked concerned. "Are you certain about the subway?"
I tore my gaze away from the screen. "Yeah. I'm certain. Let's go, Bessie."
"Moo!"
As we left the mansion, I felt a strange sense of determination settling over me.
The original Ren Ashford was a footnote in someone else's story.
But I was going to rewrite the entire damn book.
[MAIN QUEST UPDATED]
New Objective: Arrive at Tamer Academy without incident
Time Remaining: 47 minutes
Let the game begin.