Emptiness.
After the extreme rage and grief, all that remained for Jasper was a cold, boundless emptiness. Jojo's presence, that warmth in his pocket, had vanished completely from this world.
He curled up on the cold floor like a puppet whose soul had been ripped out, his eyes staring blankly at the small black lizard.
Nidhogg.
The wyrmling, heir to a mythological name, was surveying this strange world with its dark-gold vertical pupils, full of curiosity and vigilance, along with the human before it who radiated an intense aura of sorrow. It took a tentative step forward, its small claws making a faint scratching sound on the floor.
Jasper's body trembled violently as a wave of disgust and hatred washed over him.
"Don't come any closer," he said, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper.
Nidhogg stopped, tilting its small head, seemingly unable to comprehend the hostility.
[Acting Method unlocked.] The system's voice rang out coldly, breaking the dead silence. [Sequence 9 - Beast Tamer, Acting Principle: Establish an absolute bond with your companion based on trust, not fear. Understand its desires, respect its will. You are no longer master and servant, but symbiotic souls.]
"Companion?" Jasper let out a bitter, cold laugh in his mind. "It killed my only companion!"
[Incorrect,] the system corrected. [I killed it, with your permission. And it is the only hope you gained from that sacrifice. On the path of advancement, an Extraordinary One can become a monster at any moment due to losing control of their power. The Acting Method is the only way to digest the potion's power and maintain your sanity. You must 'act' as a Beast Tamer. Otherwise, you won't even have the luxury of going mad; you will simply rot where you stand.]
Jasper's breath caught in his throat.
[Acting Hint: A true Beast Tamer builds a connection with their powerful and dangerous companion. You protect it, and it protects you. This is the first step to digesting the potion.]
The system's words were like a bucket of ice water, extinguishing some of his burning rage but plunging him into an even deeper abyss.
He had to... build a bond with the "murderer" who killed Jojo? What a cruel irony.
He slowly climbed to his feet, his body stumbling from numbness. Without another glance at Nidhogg, he began to silently pack. He found the sharpest fruit knife in the kitchen and tucked it into his coat. He pulled a worn-out backpack from under his bed and stuffed a bottle of water and two dry pieces of bread inside.
This was all his equipment.
He glanced at the bank card on his nightstand. Balance: 832 yuan. Not even enough to buy the most basic set of leather armor.
As he shouldered the backpack, the small black lizard, Nidhogg, scurried on its four short legs, quickly climbing up his pant leg, up his body, and finally settled on his shoulder, gripping his collar tightly with its small claws.
Jasper's body went rigid, but in the end, he didn't shake it off.
He walked out of the room without a sound, pausing for a moment as he passed his parents' door. Through the crack, he could clearly hear his mother's slightly weary breathing, a result of her exhaustion.
An immense wave of guilt washed over him. He had not only stolen the family's last savings but was also about to embark on a path where death was almost certain.
"Wait for me..." he murmured in his heart. "Wait for me to come back."
Half an hour later, Jasper stood at the entrance to the "Land of Jackals."
It was a low-level dungeon area cordoned off by the authorities, its entrance a distorted spatial rift that emanated an ominous aura. The air was filled with a strange smell, a mixture of rust and decaying plants. The cold morning wind howled as it swept across the ground, kicking up sand and stones, sounding like the whispers of malevolent ghosts.
He glanced at Nidhogg, perched quietly on his shoulder, and felt its faint body heat, but his own heart was a block of ice.
He had never felt so alone.
Taking a deep breath, Jasper hesitated no longer. Carrying his exhaustion and the ashes in his heart, he stepped into the twisted darkness.