Reed sat awkwardly at the reception counter while holding the registration form in his hands.
The lively noise of the Adventurer Guild echoed around him. Adventurers laughed loudly while others argued over quests near the request boards.
Meanwhile, Mr. Tabby proudly sat on top of the counter while receiving attention from the fox-eared receptionist.
"What an adorable Companion Beast," she said while gently scratching his chin.
"Meow~"
Mr. Tabby lifted his head proudly as if accepting worship from his followers.
Reed helplessly smiled.
Somehow… Tabby was adapting to this world faster than he was.
The receptionist eventually placed several papers in front of him.
"Please fill these out."
Reed looked down at the form.
Name.
Age.
Place of Origin.
His hand paused.
"…Uh."
The receptionist tilted her head.
"Is something wrong?"
Reed awkwardly looked toward Kael who stood nearby with his arms crossed.
"I don't think writing 'Earth' would help much."
Kael sighed lightly.
"Just write unknown for now."
Reed nodded and continued filling out the form.
Thankfully, the written language strangely felt understandable despite being in another world.
Maybe it had something to do with being transported here.
After finishing the paperwork, the receptionist collected the documents before taking out a black metallic plate engraved with glowing lines.
"This is the Status Artifact used for guild registration."
Reed blinked curiously.
"It records your personal information through mana," Kael explained.
Mana again.
Reed still wasn't fully used to hearing fantasy terms casually.
"Place your hand on top."
Reed slowly obeyed.
The moment his palm touched the cold surface—
Faint blue light spread across the plate.
Glowing symbols slowly began appearing one after another.
The receptionist calmly read them aloud while writing things down.
"Name: Reed Vale."
The symbols shifted.
"Age: Twenty."
More glowing text appeared.
Then suddenly—
The light flickered strangely.
"…Hm?"
The receptionist frowned slightly.
Kael narrowed his eyes.
"What happened?"
The artifact glowed again before stabilizing.
The fox-eared woman stared blankly at the result.
"There's no Spirit Beast signature…"
Nearby adventurers immediately overheard.
"No Spirit Beast?"
"What?"
"That's impossible."
Murmurs spread throughout the guild hall.
Reed slowly removed his hand from the plate.
"…Is that bad?"
Kael answered calmly.
"In Beastrium, every person born into this world possesses a Spirit Beast."
Reed quietly nodded.
"So because I came from another world…"
"You exist outside this world's natural laws,"
Kael finished.
The surrounding whispers immediately grew louder.
"So the rumors are true…"
"A real outsider…"
"One of those truck victims…"
Reed's face twitched slightly.
He really hoped that wasn't an actual term people used.
The receptionist continued staring at the artifact.
"…But the artifact still detected a Class."
Kael looked toward her.
"What is it?"
The glowing symbols slowly settled.
Class: Soulbound
Several adventurers nearby frowned.
"Soulbound?"
"I've never heard of that class before."
"A unique class?"
Kael crossed his arms thoughtfully.
"…Interesting."
Reed looked confused.
"What exactly does Soulbound mean?"
Kael glanced toward Mr. Tabby resting proudly on the counter.
"In Beastrium, Classes represent a person's natural talent and affinity."
The receptionist nodded.
"Most are related to combat styles or mana specialization."
"Swordsman, Mage, Scout, Healer… things like that," Kael continued.
"But occasionally, rare classes connected to unique traits appear."
Reed listened carefully.
Kael's gaze remained on Mr. Tabby.
"A Soulbound class likely means your talent revolves around forming an exceptionally deep bond with a single Companion Beast."
Reed blinked.
"A single one?"
Kael nodded.
"In this world, true Companion Bonds are rare. Most people only ever form one genuine bond in their entire life."
The receptionist softly smiled.
"A Companion Beast isn't simply a pet. It is a lifelong partner."
Reed looked down toward Mr. Tabby.
The gray cat lazily opened one eye before rubbing against his arm.
Reed gently petted his head.
Then a loud laugh suddenly echoed nearby.
"So what if he has some fancy rare class?"
A muscular adventurer looked toward Reed mockingly.
"He still doesn't have a Spirit Beast."
Several others chuckled.
"And that tiny cat is supposed to protect him?"
Reed awkwardly scratched his cheek.
Honestly…
That was a fair concern.
Then—
"Meow."
Mr. Tabby slowly stood up.
The gray cat calmly stared at the laughing adventurer.
"…What?" the man scoffed.
A second later—
A gray blur flashed across the guild hall.
SLAP!
Fresh claw marks instantly appeared across the adventurer's cheek.
The entire guild froze.
Mr. Tabby gracefully landed back onto the counter before flicking his tail arrogantly.
Silence lingered briefly—
Then the guild exploded with laughter.
"Hahaha!"
"He got scratched by a cat!"
"That thing's fast!"
Even the receptionist covered her mouth while laughing softly.
The embarrassed adventurer turned bright red.
"T-That demon cat—!"
"Meow."
Mr. Tabby looked down at him with complete superiority.
Reed stared blankly at the cat.
"…You're enjoying this way too much."
Kael lightly shook his head while hiding a faint smile.
"Your Companion Beast possesses unusually high intelligence."
Eventually, the receptionist finished processing the registration.
She handed Reed a black guild card.
"This is your Adventurer Card. Do not lose it."
Reed carefully accepted the card.
The smooth black surface shimmered faintly before glowing letters slowly appeared.
Name: Reed Vale
Rank: F
Class: Soulbound
Spirit Beast: None
Companion Beast: Gray Tabby Cat
Reed quietly stared at the words.
For the first time since arriving in this world—
He finally possessed something resembling an identity again.
The receptionist then pointed toward the guild hall's massive request board.
"F-rank adventurers are limited to beginner quests."
Reed looked toward the wall filled with papers.
Herb gathering.
Package delivery.
Cleaning monster remains.
"…Monster remains?"
The receptionist smiled awkwardly.
"Someone has to do it."
Reed suddenly felt nervous about becoming an adventurer.
Kael tossed the small leather pouch from earlier toward him again.
"Your support funds."
This time, Reed reluctantly accepted it.
"…Thank you."
"You'll need it," Kael replied calmly.
The receptionist then handed him a small silver key.
"The guild arranged temporary lodging for new adventurers."
Relief immediately appeared on Reed's face.
Honestly, after dying, reincarnating, and nearly becoming wolf food, the idea of a bed sounded heavenly.
Kael gestured toward the exit.
"Come. I'll show you the inn."
As they stepped outside, the evening sky had already turned orange.
Lantern lights slowly illuminated the streets of Lunaris City while merchants packed away their stalls for the night.
Compared to earlier, the city now felt calmer.
Reed quietly followed behind Kael while observing the glowing fantasy city around him.
Even now, it still felt unreal.
Eventually, they stopped before a modest three-story inn with a silver bird emblem hanging above the entrance.
"The Silver Nest," Kael said. "A guild-affiliated inn."
The innkeeper respectfully greeted Kael before handing Reed his room key.
"Room twelve."
Reed bowed gratefully.
"Thank you… for everything today."
Kael remained silent briefly before speaking.
"The world of Beastrium is not kind to weak people."
His sharp gray eyes briefly shifted toward Mr. Tabby.
"But strength is not determined solely by Spirit Beasts."
Then he looked directly at Reed.
"A bond chosen by the heart may someday surpass one decided by fate."
With those final words, Kael turned and disappeared into the evening crowd.
Reed quietly watched him leave before finally heading upstairs toward his room.
The room itself was simple.
A bed.
A table.
A small window overlooking the glowing city below.
Yet somehow…
It felt warm.
Mr. Tabby immediately jumped onto the bed before curling into a fluffy ball.
Reed softly laughed while laying down beside him.
"What a crazy day…"
Yesterday, he died beneath a crimson sky.
Today, he became an adventurer in another world.
A man without a Spirit Beast.
A Soulbound.
As Reed slowly closed his eyes, Mr. Tabby moved closer beside him and softly began purring.
Listening to that familiar sound—
For the first time in years—
Reed fell asleep peacefully.