The dungeon was dank and narrow, each stone step echoing with the sound of dripping water. The air was thick with mana, heavy with the stench of monsters. But with Yelena and Katie at my side, I felt a strange mix of dread and reassurance.
Every creature that lunged at us was torn apart before it could even raise a weapon. Wolves, lizards, skeletal soldiers—it didn't matter. Yelena's claws froze and ripped through them, her silver fur bristling with unrestrained fury. Katie's vines lashed and constricted, snapping bones and choking life away while her sweet smile never faltered.
Their brutality unsettled me. Blood painted the walls, screams echoed long after the monsters fell silent. Yet at the same time… it was comforting. Disturbing, yes, but comforting, knowing they would do anything—kill anything—to keep me safe.
To them, I wasn't just their master. I was their world.
At last, we reached the heart of the dungeon.
The doors groaned open to reveal a wide chamber, lit by glowing crystals. Chains clinked faintly in the distance. At the center of the room was a figure—a girl, kneeling, with one leg bound by thick iron shackles bolted into the stone.
Her body was slim yet toned, her tan skin glowing faintly in the crystal light. Blue feathers adorned her arms, spreading outward into wide, powerful wings. Her hair matched, a cascade of bright blue tied with a feathered band, framing her vibrant emerald eyes. Her outfit was barely there, strips of fabric and leather hugging her curves, her long legs ending in sharp talons.
A harpy.
Her wings twitched nervously as she looked up at us.
Yelena's snarl cut through the air instantly. "Stay back, Master. She's just another monster. I'll kill her."
Katie's vines lashed eagerly, curling like snakes. "Yes. Don't be fooled by her face. She's still a danger. Let me crush her now."
The harpy flinched, raising her chained leg. "No! Please! Don't attack me!" Her voice cracked with desperation. "I'm not your enemy. I… I need your help."
I hesitated, frowning. "…Your help?"
She nodded quickly, feathers ruffling. "My people—they've been enslaved by the dungeon boss. I was captured when I tried to resist. He chained me here as his trophy." Her emerald eyes burned with shame and fury. "I can't free them alone. But you… you're strong. Please."
Katie's voice cut sharp. "Master, don't listen. She's lying. She'll lure you into a trap."
But Yelena tilted her head, her golden eyes narrowing. "…It's possible. Dungeon bosses can leave their lairs if they install a replacement monster in their stead. She could be telling the truth."
My eyes fell to the shackle on her leg, the iron biting into her skin, feathers frayed where she had struggled against it. The chain wasn't fake. It was real.
I stepped forward.
Katie's vines instantly blocked my path, her voice low and pleading. "Master, don't. You don't know what she'll do the moment she's free."
I brushed them aside. "I'm not going to ignore her."
The harpy's eyes widened as I knelt. My dagger glowed faintly as I sliced through the shackle's lock. With a final snap, the cuff broke loose, clattering against the stone floor.
She gasped, stumbling forward as she flexed her freed leg. "You… you really freed me…"
Her wings quivered as she looked at me, her voice soft. "What's your name?"
I straightened. "Max."
She smiled—a genuine, radiant smile that lit her whole face. "Max… Thank you. I'll never forget this."
Yelena bristled, stepping closer. "Master…"
Katie's eyes narrowed, her vines curling tighter.
But I only met the harpy's gaze and nodded. "We'll help. Tell us where your people are, and we'll free them."
She bowed her head deeply, her feathers brushing the ground. "Then… I entrust everything to you."
The bond-link pulsed between me and my familiars, their emotions boiling—Yelena's jealousy, Katie's suspicion, both wrapping around me in suffocating waves.
But I couldn't ignore the harpy's plea.
And as her emerald eyes met mine again, filled with gratitude and desperate hope, I knew this dungeon wasn't over.
This was only the beginning.
The dungeon behind us crumbled into rubble, its corrupted mana dissipating into the air. I turned to the harpy girl, who stretched her freed wings for the first time in who knows how long.
"Lead me to your village," I told her.
She blinked, then nodded, her feathers rustling. "Yes… I'll take you there. My name is Drum."
I tilted my head. "Drum?"
Her emerald eyes softened. "It's an old name, given by my people. Please… just call me that."
An odd name, maybe, but I didn't question it. She had already entrusted me with her freedom. That was enough.
The flight to her village was tense. Yelena padded at my side, eyes never leaving Drum, her tail twitching with restrained jealousy. Katie walked on my other side, her vines subtly curling around my arm as if to remind both of us who I belonged to.
Drum soared ahead, her powerful wings cutting through the sky as she guided us.
When we arrived, I understood why she was desperate.
The harpy village, a series of nests and stone perches high in the cliffs, was drenched in shadows. At its center stood a tall, pale figure. His crimson eyes gleamed like coals beneath the hood of his dark cloak. His aura was suffocating, thick with death.
A vampire.
And not just any vampire. An S-rank monster.
The harpies cowered in their nests, their wings folded tightly as they trembled under his presence.
Yelena growled low, her silver fur bristling. Katie's vines lashed the ground like whips. But when the vampire turned his gaze toward us, even they faltered.
"Ah… humans," he said, his voice smooth as silk. "And their pets. How quaint."
Then he blurred forward, faster than the eye could follow.
The battle was chaos.
Yelena lunged, her claws glowing with frost, but the vampire caught her wrist mid-swipe and hurled her into a boulder. Katie's vines whipped and constricted, but he simply tore through them with inhuman strength, his claws grazing her cheek and leaving a burning wound.
They weren't winning.
For the first time, I saw both of them fighting for their lives.
But I wasn't powerless.
"Drum!" I shouted. "Get into the sky!"
She looked back at me, confused. "But—"
"Do it!"
She obeyed, launching herself high into the air. I pulled out the one thing the vampire couldn't withstand: sunlight.
With Katie's vines holding him in place for precious seconds, I used my mana to carve a series of runes into the ground, amplifying the light filtering through the cliff cracks. Drum flapped her wings with desperate strength, whipping the currents into a cyclone that cleared the shadows.
The vampire shrieked as the light engulfed him, his cloak igniting. He tore free of Katie's grasp, his body smoking as he fled into the darkness beyond the cliffs.
The battle was over. For now.
The harpies descended from their perches, their voices ringing in gratitude. They bowed, wings fluttering as they cried out thanks for their salvation.
Drum landed before me, her wings trembling, her eyes wide with awe.
"You… you saved us. You saved me." Her voice quivered with emotion. "I can't… I can't stay here. I want to go with you, Max. Please. Let me travel with you."
I turned to Yelena and Katie, their bodies battered, their eyes wary.
"Is it okay?" I asked.
Yelena pouted, crossing her arms. "Only if she's as devoted to you as we are."
Katie smiled sweetly, though her eyes burned sharp. "Yes… she must prove herself. If her devotion wavers, she'll break."
Their words unsettled me, but I couldn't ignore Drum's plea.
I stepped forward, raising my hand. "Then I'll tame you. From now on, you're mine."
Her emerald eyes shone as she pressed her chest forward, accepting my mark. The Beast Tamer's Crest flared, and light engulfed her body.
When it faded, she was transformed.
Her form had shifted into something more ethereal, more divine. Her wings glowed with swirling mana, her feathers trailing like ribbons of stormlight. Her legs remained strong and taloned, but her thighs and hips had thickened, fuller and plumper. Her body was a perfect blend of grace and allure, the embodiment of the winds themselves.
An Evergale. A rare wind spirit born of harpy blood and sky.
She dropped to one knee, her wings folding as she bowed deeply. "I devote myself to you, Master. Body, heart, and soul."
Then, without hesitation, she rose, cupped my face, and kissed me.
Right there, in front of the entire harpy village.
Her lips were hot and fierce, her tongue quick and needy. My body stiffened in shock as the cheers of her people rang out.
Behind me, I felt the bond thrum violently. Yelena and Katie's emotions spiked—rage, jealousy, possessiveness—burning like fire and thorns in my chest.
Drum pulled away slowly, her lips curved into a smile. "From this day forward, I belong only to you."
The harpies applauded, oblivious to the storm brewing behind me.
And as Yelena and Katie stepped closer, their eyes locked onto Drum with predatory fury, I realized something dangerous.
This wasn't just another familiar.
This was another war waiting to happen.