Yusuf looked down. "YOU HAVE NOTHING TO GIVE?" His words were sharp, carrying the weight of a true guardian of the Void Sea—one worthy of deciding life and death.
But Ray truly had nothing to offer. He had come here with a few coins given by his best friend, Sam—the one person who always helped him. Even that money had almost run out, spent on bare necessities for this journey.
Ray stood firm, staring up. "I have nothing to give you," he shouted, trying to make sure his voice reached the towering figure.
"THEN YOU CANNOT ENTER THE TRIAL."
Ray's breath caught. He wanted to plead, to beg—but the shift in Yusuf's gaze after chanting those words made it clear: no amount of desperation would change his mind.
Ray lowered his head, his thoughts spiraling, scrambling for something—anything—he could offer in trade.
Yusuf stood still, respectful, almost as if he wished he could help. But as the silence dragged on and Ray remained wordless, Yusuf finally spoke again. "THEN MAY I TAKE SOMETHING FROM YOU?"
Ray's eyes widened with a spark of hope. His voice cracked, but he shouted, "Ye…yes! You can take anything from me if it means I can enter this trial!"
"VERY WELL, LITTLE SOUL," Yusuf replied, extending a palm vast as a mountain toward him. "GIVE ME THE GREEN STONE NECKLACE YOU ARE WEARING."
Ray blinked, confused. "Wait… I don't have any necklace."
"YOU HAVE IT, CHILD."
Ray's fingers moved instinctively to his chest, brushing against something solid beneath his shirt. Startled, he pulled it out—a necklace. The green stone pendant attached pulsed like it was alive, swirling with misty patterns that moved like clouds trapped within crystal.
Ray stared at it, frowning. This was not something he remembered owning. He had never seen it before in his life.
"YOU CAN TRADE IT FOR THIS TRIAL."
He took one last look at the mysterious pendant before placing it onto Yusuf's massive hand. As it touched the skin, a golden bubble enveloped the necklace and with a soft snap, it vanished into thin air.
Ray straightened his back. "So now… can I go?"
Yusuf stood slowly, his towering form rising once more. He stared down at Ray, golden eyes distant, as if remembering something. "YOU ARE A LOT LIKE HIM," he said softly, voice layered with memory and meaning.
Ray stood still, confused. Before he could ask who 'him' was, the whirlpool began to widen, pulling his boat slowly toward its center. Ray gripped the boat's edges tightly, struggling to keep it steady.
"GOOD LUCK, LITTLE SOUL," Yusuf's voice echoed, growing distant. "I HOPE TO SEE YOU AGAIN."
The sound faded as Ray slipped deeper into the churning dark. The boat drifted from beneath him, and the portal—his last glimpse of light—narrowed, then shut.
"ARRRHHHHHHHHHH!" he screamed into the void.
Anyone else might have used the Flying Echo or Windstep Echo—systems designed for moments like this. But Ray had no system. His fall was raw, unassisted. All he could do was hope that the landing wouldn't kill him.
___
"Why aren't you eating anything and just staring at me like that?" asked a woman in her thirties, her hair tied in an old-fashioned bun, her dress worn but lovingly mended. She smiled gently at Ray, who sat at the dining table, fork and knife frozen mid-air.
Yes… he remembered this.
This was that day. The day he had the happiest meal of his life. The day he turned fourteen and received the letter from Aetherdeep Academy.
Everyone joins the academy at fourteen. And so did Ray.
It was the happiest moment of his life—because his dream was finally within reach: to become the greatest system user, just like his father.
His father… who had vanished mysteriously one night on Ray's birthday.
They said his father was a great beast tamer. No—the greatest beast tamer.
There were tales of him taming even the wildest creatures—not by force, but with compassion.
Ray had always wanted to be like him. A man who didn't just command beasts, but loved them.
"Your father would've been so happy if he were here right now," the woman said, setting a humble bowl of noodles in front of him, his favorite. Yeah it was also his birthday. Deep lines of pain and hardship were etched into her face—but her eyes still held love.
Ray wanted to speak, but something gripped his throat. No words came out.
'No, Mom. I didn't become like him. I failed. If Dad were here, I wouldn't even be able to look him in the eye.'
He scratched at his throat, desperate to speak—to tell her everything he had buried inside.
She sat beside him, resting a hand on his head with a soft pat. "I'm sure one day you'll be as great as your father. And when that day comes, he'll be smiling down on you from heaven."
Ray's fingers curled around the edge of the tablecloth. His chest burned with every word.
He wanted to scream. To tell her everything he had suffered.
He wanted to admit that he had failed—that he wasn't the boy she believed in.
His heart pounded, suffocating under the weight of the moment.
He couldn't take it anymore.
She kissed his forehead and gently tucked a loose strand of hair behind his ear. "We both believe in you, Ray. Our son is going to become the greatest system holder ever."
Ray shot up from his seat. The sudden movement knocked over the dishes—ceramic shattered against the floor. The bowl of noodles landed near his foot, splashing broth onto the ground.
But he didn't look up. He couldn't.
He didn't have the strength to see her face. Not when he was about to scream—
"NOOOO! I DIDN'T BECOME WHAT YOU WANTED ME TO BE! I'M JUST A USELESS—"
His eyes snapped open. His scream was cut short by what he saw around him.
He was lying on ground in the middle of a market street. Dozens of figures walked past him, ignoring his presence.
Then he saw it—a hairy leg.
A very hairy leg.
Ray tried to sit up, but pain surged through his head. "Argh…" He clutched his temple and blinked rapidly.
His eyes widened.
Then he rubbed them. Once. Twice.
The scene didn't change.
"Wait… Is this… Beast World?"
It was night. A bustling market full of red lanterns and glowing stalls lit the streets in a deep, warm hue. And on those stalls—animals.
Walking on two legs.
Wearing clothes.
"Oh, Selena, why did you buy this defecated slave?" purred a white-furred cat in a silk kimono, tail flicking behind her. She held the paw of a male cat… a surprisingly handsome one.
Wait—Why did I just call a cat handsome?!
"Slave?" Ray's gaze dropped to his wrists. Something cold clung to them.
Shackles.
Heavy ones.
Chains trailed from them… and they were being held by a deer.
A deer in Chinese-style robes.
"Oh, you don't know?" the female deer said sweetly, waving her hand with a delicate flourish. Her voice dripped like honey. "I picked this one because he has a great body."
Ray immediately wrapped his arms around himself, his face going pale.
"MOM, SAVE YOUR INNOCENT SON!" he screamed.
Meanwhile in a market far from his beast world....
"Why do I feel like my useless son is screaming from somewhere" his mother said picking apples from a stall "whatever..." she said flatly and started her bargaining with the shop keeper
***
"It's look like no one really care about our MC's innocence. What on me?" I shrugged walking away from my laptop and stretching my body "I am going to drink some coffee until I decide what I will do with him" a slow smirk plays on my face