Chapter 104: Chapter 104: Noah’s beasts Chapter 104: Noah’s beasts Outside, in a secluded spot deep within the demon continent—a dense forest teeming with beasts of every shape and size—Noah and Neko sat side by side. Before them, a river flowed quietly... black as night. The silence between them wasn’t tense, but it wasn’t exactly easy either. Awkward, yes—but subtle. Noah wasn’t sure how to break the ice, and Neko... well, she was still embarrassed. She’d cried her eyes out after just two sentences from him earlier. ’Arghh... so embarrassing. Why am I so emotional these days?’ Neko cringed inwardly, fidgeting as her eyes darted around the quiet forest. Noah noticed it all and smiled softly. "You’re really cute, Neko," he said. The moment the words left his lips, Neko whipped her head toward him. She stared for a second, then huffed and looked away. "Now you’re trying to butter me up. Hmph." Noah smiled wryly. "I know, Neko. I know I’ve been neglecting you since we came to the academy." "But you know it wasn’t intentional." He gently took her chin, making her meet his gaze. Silver eyes met purple. "You know how important you are to me. How could I ever intentionally neglect you?" "Am I really that important, Noah?" she asked, her eyes sharp and unwavering. "Ever since we got here, I’ve been invisible to you. You keep chasing other girls—stacking them up like trophies, while I... I’m just here. Forgotten." Her gaze pierced right through him. "And the whole thing with Zara? Was that just an excuse to push me aside?" Noah’s heart clenched. He’d screwed up—badly. He’d been so focused on gaining more girls and power, he’d overlooked something vital. Affection. Yes, Neko’s feelings hadn’t wavered—they were still rock-solid at 90%. But that was Neko. She’d been by his side since childhood. She was there from the very beginning. Her feelings were real, deep-rooted... hard to shake. But what about the others? Anya? Sophie? Dominique? Even Yuki? And what about the women he’d meet in the future? Would he keep neglecting them too? Always busy chasing power, fighting for supremacy, collecting more women just to hinder Elijah and boost his own strength? ’That won’t do,’ he thought grimly. His system was clear: if any woman’s affection dropped below 70%, he’d lose everything he’d gained from her. Disastrous. He couldn’t let that happen. But still— ’System, you’re such a pain. Who told you to make such a huge downside?’ [It was never meant to be a downside, Host. Once affection passes 70%, it’s extremely hard to drop. But remember, I warned you from the start: only true bonds matter. Don’t collect women just for power.] [Don’t do that.] [Collect them because you truly see something in them—because you want to be with them. Host, you’re going to live a long life.] [How will it feel to be stuck with someone you don’t even like... forever?] Noah read the messages calmly and nodded to himself. The system was right. He couldn’t afford to be greedy. If he pursued every woman just for power, all his relationships would end up shallow, hollow. His mind raced through these thoughts at blinding speed—barely a few seconds passed. Now an S-rank, someone who had transcended his old self, his mind was sharper and faster than ever. He reached out and grasped Neko’s hand. "You going to Zara was never about distancing you from me," he said, voice steady. "I think you’re forgetting something, Neko." "You were my first companion. You don’t know—you can’t know—but the night I found you? It changed everything. It made me who I am today." He locked eyes with her, deep and unwavering. "You, Neko. No one else. Your importance to me is far greater than you think. I’ll never forget the one who helped me take my first step." Neko’s heart pounded. She could feel the sincerity in his eyes. "So yes... I made a mistake. I didn’t take care of you the way I should have. I was too busy... too caught up in things I didn’t want any of you to know about yet." He took a deep breath, his voice gentle but resolute. "But that’s over now. From today on, I’ll be there—for you, Neko. For all of you." He smiled, warm and full of care. "So forgive me... for making you feel unwanted, for making you feel like you weren’t enough. For making you feel unloved." "You’re my Neko. My divine beast. My contracted beast. And my first light." Tears welled in Neko’s eyes, falling freely down her cheeks. She quickly wiped them away, smiling through her tears. "Why am I always crying these days?" she whispered, laughing softly. Noah pulled her into a tight hug. "I love you, Neko. Never doubt that." She nodded against his shoulder, holding him tightly. "I love you too, Noah... so much." [Ding!] [Neko’s feelings for you have reached 95%.] Noah smiled to himself. "And it’s not over yet." He pulled back from the hug, looking at her with a spark of excitement. "I’ve got a gift for you." Neko pouted, clearly not ready for the hug to end, but still asked, "What gift?" Noah raised his hand and gently pressed it to her forehead. "You and your mother are divine beasts of ice, right?" Neko nodded. Noah’s grin widened. "Let’s make you... more than that." "W-wait, Noah—what do you mean, ’more than that’? What are you doing?" Before Neko could react, he spoke again. "Give her the talent." A surge of deep, powerful energy flowed out from him, straight into Neko. It was the talent Echidna had promised him. Talent: Black Flame (S-rank). The moment it entered Neko, sinking deep into her soul, Noah didn’t hesitate. "I’m sorry, dear—but brace yourself." He activated Ultimate Fusion. "Fuse the two talents." A dome of white light enveloped Neko. Seconds later, her screams echoed through the forest—but Noah had already set up a sound barrier. Inside, ice and black flame raged wildly, freezing and burning everything they touched. That day, Noah performed his first-ever talent fusion. Child of Ice (S-rank) + Black Flame (S-rank). Minutes passed before the dome of light shattered. And there she stood—changed. Neko’s black hair shimmered like dark flames, flickering and dancing—a flame that looked cold, not hot. Her eyes stayed the same deep purple, but on her forehead, a tattoo had appeared: half flame, half ice. She had awakened a brand-new talent. SSS-rank talent: Blackfrost. A power of ice that could freeze anything. And flames that would burn endlessly—until she willed them to stop. She raised her hands. In one palm, a shard of black ice appeared. In the other, black flame flickered to life. She turned to Noah, eyes wide with shock and awe. {Ding!} {Your talent has changed.} {You are no longer a divine beast of ice.} {You are something more.} {Your bloodline has evolved to match your new talent.} {You are the first Divine Beast - Ba’astara with this bloodline.} {Title received: The Prime.} {Your existence level has been greatly strengthened.} Neko stared at the notifications, stunned. "Do you like my gift?" Noah asked with a smug grin. "If not, tell me—I’ll give you more." But Neko just looked at him, utterly speechless. Noah laughed softly. "Alright, alright. Let me explain..." ... While Noah and Neko were having their moment— Back in the human domain, deep in the forest where Elijah had his first mission... Inside a dark cave, a beast sat motionless. A wolf, its body scarred with golden sword marks. If Elijah were here, he’d recognize it instantly. The beast he’d been supposed to kill—but hadn’t succeeded. Moments later, the beast transformed into a human. A young man, wolf-like in appearance. Someone Noah would recognize too. Premier. His very first beast. Premier cursed under his breath. "Damn master... sending me to fight those monsters and then ignoring me." He scowled, glaring at the sword scars covering his body. "Damn that guy with the golden sword... what was that thing? I still can’t heal!" Just as he was about to continue cursing Elijah’s entire bloodline, a shadow stirred in front of him. Shadeva appeared, her figure stepping out of the dark. "So... you’re Premier? Noah’s beast?" Premier’s eyes sharpened, instantly on guard. "Who the hell are you, woman? And how do you know that damn master of mine?" Shadeva’s eyebrow twitched. "Okay, brat," she muttered. "Looks like you need a lesson." Her big-sister instincts kicked in full force—she couldn’t stand watching a kid like Premier cursing nonstop. And so— That day, Premier unwillingly gained a new "strict big sister." A nightmare he’d never seen coming. —End of Chapter 104—