The roar of the crowd thundered across the arena. Neon lights cut through the air, holographic banners flickered with sponsors, and cameras zoomed in on every twitch of the competitors' fingers.
Ethan Vale sat hunched at his gaming station, the glow of his monitor reflecting in his dark, determined eyes. Sweat dripped down his temple, but his hands were steady. Around him, five teammates shouted frantically over the headset, but he tuned them out.
Focus. Just focus.
This was the grand final of the World Esports Championship, the culmination of years of sleepless nights, endless practice, and dreams fueled by instant noodles and caffeine. His team was down to their last chance. The digital battlefield had collapsed into chaos: flames, explosions, a storm of pixels.
One wrong move and everything was over.
"Vale, flank left! FLANK LEFT!" someone screamed in his ear.
Ethan's lips curled into a tight smile. "No. Watch this."
His hands moved faster than thought, fingers dancing over the keyboard and mouse. His champion lunged through the battlefield, weaving past enemy fire with impossible precision. The enemy team never saw it coming.
Click. Click. Click.
One fell. Then another. The arena screamed with every elimination. Ethan's eyes narrowed, adrenaline pumping like fire through his veins.
This is it. The last shot.
He leapt forward, blade flashing across the screen. The final opponent collapsed, and the word he had waited years to see exploded across the monitor:
VICTORY!
The arena erupted. Thousands of fans screamed his name. Teammates jumped from their chairs, hugging one another. But Ethan—he just sat there, staring at the screen, chest heaving.
He had done it. After years of being underestimated, called a no-lifer, mocked by his family, he was finally a world champion.
But then… the pain came.
It started as a sharp pinch in his chest, then a crushing weight. His vision blurred. The world tilted. He ripped off his headset, gasping for breath. The victory screen wavered, and the roaring crowd seemed to fade.
Not now. Not like this.
He tried to stand, but his legs buckled. He collapsed forward, the last thing he heard was his teammates shouting his name—before the world went dark.
---
When he opened his eyes, the world had changed.
He was lying on his back in the middle of a vast meadow. Grass swayed in the wind, glowing faintly with motes of blue light. The air smelled of wildflowers and something he couldn't place—raw, buzzing energy that prickled against his skin.
He sat up sharply. His gaming chair, the arena, the fans—gone.
Above, two suns hung in the sky, one blazing gold, the other pale silver.
"What… the hell?" Ethan whispered, his voice breaking in disbelief.
Before he could process anything further, golden text materialized before his eyes, glowing letters hanging in the air like a floating HUD.
[Welcome, Oathbound Hunter.]
Ethan froze. His heart raced as the text shifted into a series of rules:
[Core Rules of the Oathbound System]
1. You may bind monsters through oaths of blood.
2. You may only have three active companions.
3. Breaking an oath results in immediate death.
4. When a companion dies, part of your soul is lost.
The letters shimmered, then faded, leaving him trembling in silence.
"Is this… some kind of VR?" He shook his head. No headset. No computer. The grass was real beneath his palms. The air was sharp in his lungs. This wasn't a game.
It was a new world.
And he was trapped inside it.
---
A low growl broke his thoughts.
Ethan froze. The hairs on his arms stood on end. Slowly, he turned his head.
From the tall grass, eyes gleamed crimson. A wolf padded into view—its body made of shadows, smoke curling from its fur, fangs glistening with unnatural light. It was larger than any wolf he had ever seen, easily the size of a horse.
The system flickered again.
[First Trial: Subdue the Shadowfang Wolf to forge your First Oath.]
Ethan's throat went dry. His heart pounded in his ears. No weapon. No armor. Just himself, standing before a monster straight out of a nightmare.
The wolf's growl deepened. Its claws dug into the soil.
"Subdue?!" Ethan hissed under his breath. "How the hell am I supposed to fight that?!"
But then he remembered—the rules. The system had chosen this as his trial. If he didn't act, he was dead anyway.
The wolf lunged.
Instinct screamed louder than thought. Ethan rolled to the side, dirt spraying as the beast's jaws snapped shut where his throat had been. He scrambled to his feet, adrenaline tearing through him.
The system flickered again.
[Oath Ritual Available. Speak your vow while striking your target.]
"Strike? With what?!" Ethan snarled. His hands clenched into fists. He had nothing. No sword, no bow—nothing.
The wolf lunged again. This time Ethan met it head-on. He ducked under the snapping jaws and drove his fist into its side. Pain lanced through his knuckles, but the system flared:
[Blood Contact Established.]
Golden light seared across his vision. Words spilled from his mouth without thought, as if the system itself forced him to speak.
> "By my blood and will, I bind you! Serve me, and I shall guard your freedom. Betray me, and may this oath shatter us both!"
The wolf froze mid-snarl. Its crimson eyes widened, then dimmed. A circle of glowing runes erupted beneath them, encasing man and beast. The air trembled with power.
The wolf howled, shadows writhing around it—and then, slowly, it lowered its head.
The runes sank into the ground. The system chimed:
[First Oath Forged: Shadowfang Wolf.]
[Skill Acquired: Shadowstep.]
Ethan staggered back, chest heaving. The wolf now stood calmly at his side, its eyes no longer crimson but glowing faint blue. It bowed its head, a silent acknowledgment.
Ethan blinked at it, still shaking.
"…Did I just… tame a monster?"
The wolf huffed, as if in answer.
Then the system whispered one final message:
[Welcome, Hunter. Your journey begins.]
And as Ethan looked at the horizon, where jagged mountains and sprawling forests stretched endlessly beneath twin suns, a smile broke across his lips.
For the first time since his death, he felt alive.
---