The silence after the battle was deafening. Ethan stood frozen, chest rising and falling with ragged breaths, staring at the massive wolf now calmly sitting beside him. Its shadowy form seemed less monstrous, its body shimmering faintly with silver patterns—marks of the bond that had just been forged.
He could hardly believe it.
A few minutes ago, this beast had been intent on tearing his throat out. Now, it watched him with loyal, glowing eyes, as if waiting for a command.
"…This is insane." Ethan muttered under his breath.
The system interface reappeared before him, golden letters suspended in the air:
[Companion Bound: Shadowfang Wolf]
Name: Unassigned
Rank: F (Growth Potential: ???)
Skills: Shadowstep (Active), Keen Senses (Passive)
Loyalty: 55%
Bond Synchronization: 12%
Ethan squinted. "F rank? That doesn't sound promising."
The wolf growled softly, as though it understood the insult. Ethan raised his hands. "Alright, alright. Don't bite my head off. You're still the only friend I've got here."
The loyalty meter flickered up to 56%.
"…Wait, does talking nicely actually raise loyalty?" he muttered.
The wolf's tail swished once.
Ethan laughed weakly. "This is basically a gacha game, isn't it? Except… if I screw up, I die for real."
His eyes drifted to the loyalty number again, and the warning he had read earlier came back to him.
> Breaking an oath results in immediate death.
When a companion dies, part of your soul is lost.
He shuddered. That meant his life was literally tied to the creature beside him. Not only his life—but his soul.
"This world doesn't mess around…"
---
The wolf suddenly stiffened. Its ears twitched. A low growl rumbled in its throat as it turned toward the tree line at the edge of the meadow.
Ethan tensed. "What is it now?"
The wolf's eyes gleamed, and a window of text appeared:
[Danger Detected: Hostile Entities Approaching.]
Branches cracked. The sound of snapping twigs echoed closer.
Ethan's pulse quickened. He crouched low, peering into the shadows. Shapes emerged—three humanoid figures with mottled, gray-green skin, long arms dragging crude iron blades across the ground. Their eyes glowed faint yellow.
"Goblins," Ethan whispered, recognizing them instantly from every fantasy game he'd ever played.
Except these goblins weren't cartoonish. They were lean, muscular, their jagged teeth glistening with drool. And the stench that rolled off them was putrid, like rot and damp caves.
The wolf growled louder. Its fur bristled, shadows curling around its paws.
The goblins shrieked in unison, rushing forward with murderous intent.
---
[Combat Tutorial Initiated.]
Command your companion to attack.
Synchronization increases when fighting together.
Defeat enemies to gain Essence.
Ethan's mind raced. "Command? How?"
As if in answer, a single word pulsed in his head—an instinct granted by the bond.
"Attack!" he shouted, voice trembling.
The wolf blurred, vanishing into a streak of black mist. In an instant, it reappeared behind the first goblin. Slash! Its fangs tore through the creature's spine, dropping it with a wet gurgle.
Ethan's eyes widened. "Holy—"
The second goblin swung its jagged blade at the wolf. Ethan's instincts screamed. Without thinking, he lunged forward, grabbing a stone from the ground and hurling it at the creature's head.
Crack! The goblin snarled, staggering from the blow. The wolf took advantage, leaping onto its chest and ripping out its throat.
[Bond Synchronization +3%.]
The notification flashed before Ethan's eyes, but he barely processed it. The last goblin shrieked and barreled straight toward him.
His blood froze. The beast raised its weapon, and for a split second, he saw death flashing toward his skull.
Move!
The wolf slammed into the goblin from the side, knocking it sprawling. Ethan scrambled backward, heart hammering, until he realized the creature had dropped its weapon.
He snatched it up—a crude iron blade, heavier than it looked.
The goblin struggled to rise, but Ethan raised the sword high and drove it down with every ounce of strength he had.
Thud!
The goblin twitched once. Then went still.
---
Ethan collapsed to his knees, panting, knuckles white around the hilt of the bloodied weapon. His entire body shook, his stomach churning.
He had just killed something. Not pixels. Not NPCs. A living, breathing creature.
The wolf padded to his side, nudging his shoulder with its nose. Ethan glanced at it, eyes wide.
"…We're really in this together, huh?" he whispered.
The wolf huffed softly, then sat beside him, shadows curling protectively around its form.
The system chimed.
[Trial Complete.]
First Oathbound Companion: Shadowfang Wolf
Synchronization: 15%
Loot Gained: 12 Essence, Crude Goblin Blade
Title Unlocked: Novice Hunter
[Main Quest Unlocked: The Bound Hunter's Path.]
Ethan stared at the glowing letters, still trembling. Then, slowly, a grin tugged at his lips.
He was terrified. Confused. Trapped in a world that wanted him dead.
But he wasn't alone.
And for the first time in his life, he wasn't just playing a game. He was living one.
"Alright," he whispered, standing shakily as the wolf rose beside him. He tightened his grip on the crude blade, eyes narrowing at the horizon.
"Let's see what this world has in store for us."
The wolf howled, the sound echoing across the twin-sunned sky.
And Ethan Vale, the gamer who had died at the peak of victory, took his first true step as the Oathbound Hunter.
---