The warehouse office was quiet again.
Aria sat on the leather sofa. In her hand, the [Evolution Crystal] from the Licker glowed with a sinister red light.
It pulsed, like a beating heart.
"Tier 1," Aria whispered.
In the previous life, it took her six months to find one of these. Now? She had it on Day 2.
She didn't hesitate. She threw the crystal into her mouth and swallowed it dry.
Gulp.
For a second, nothing happened.
Then—Fire.
It started in her stomach and exploded into her limbs. It felt like someone was pouring molten lava through her veins.
"Nngh!"
Aria gritted her teeth. She didn't scream. She curled up on the sofa, clutching her chest.
Her bones cracked audibly, breaking and reshaping to be denser. Her muscles tore and knit back together, becoming tighter and more explosive.
Black, sticky substance oozed from her pores—the impurities of a mortal body being expelled.
The pain lasted for ten minutes. To Aria, it felt like ten years.
Then, it stopped.
Aria opened her eyes.
The world looked... different.
She could see the dust particles floating in the air. She could hear the heartbeat of a rat three rooms away.
She walked to the bathroom mirror.
She wiped away the black sludge. Underneath, her skin was no longer just pale; it was flawless, glowing with a jade-like luster. Her black hair was smoother than silk. Her red eyes were brighter, sharper.
She looked beautiful. Dangerously beautiful.
[Ding!]
[Evolution Successful.]
[Rank: Tier 1 Awakened.]
[All Attributes doubled.]
[Trait Evolved: "Perfect Body" - You are immune to all diseases and low-level poisons. Your metabolism is 100% efficient.]
Aria clenched her fist. The air popped from the pressure.
"Good."
She felt hungry. Starving.
She walked to the kitchen area of the office. She remembered opening a premium can of Bluefin Tuna earlier but not finishing it.
She entered the kitchen.
She stopped.
The can of tuna was empty.
Sitting on the counter, licking its paw, was a cat.
It was black. Not just dark fur, but abyssal black. It seemed to absorb the light around it. Its eyes were a stunning violet color.
It wasn't a normal cat. It was the size of a small leopard.
Aria narrowed her eyes.
[Eye of Truth Activated]
[Target: Mutated Feline (Tier 1)]
[Name: None]
[Ability: Shadow Walk, Void Claw]
[Danger Level: High]
[Current Mood: Annoyed that the tuna is finished.]
A Tier 1 monster? Inside her base?
"You stole my food," Aria said coldly.
The black cat stopped licking its paw. It looked at Aria. It didn't run.
Instead, it looked at her with pure disdain. It meowed, but the sound was low and raspy.
"Meow." (Translation: Bring more.)
Aria smirked. "Audacious."
She moved.
[Shadow Step.]
She appeared instantly behind the cat, reaching for its neck.
Swish.
She grabbed... air.
The cat had vanished.
It reappeared on top of the refrigerator, looking down at her. Its violet eyes mocked her speed.
"Oh?" Aria's interest peaked. "You can use shadows too?"
The cat yawned. Its tail flicked. The shadow of the tail seemed to detach from the wall and slice through a nearby cereal box.
Slash.
The box was cut cleanly in half.
A warning.
Aria laughed. She didn't feel threatened. She felt delighted.
"You are strong," she admitted. "And you have good taste in food."
She opened her [Dimensional Storage].
She pulled out a fresh, whole salmon she had looted from the frozen section.
The cat's ears perked up. Its nose twitched.
Aria held the salmon in one hand, her other hand resting on her knife.
"We can fight," Aria said, her voice smooth. "I will kill you, skin you, and make a scarf. It will be a hassle, but I will win."
The cat hissed, fur standing up.
"Or," Aria continued, tossing the salmon onto the floor. "You work for me."
The cat looked at the salmon. Then at Aria. Then at the salmon.
It was a Tier 1 beast. It had intelligence equal to a human child. It knew Aria was dangerous. It also knew the fish smelled amazing.
The cat jumped down.
It didn't eat immediately. It walked over to Aria's leg.
It rubbed its head against her ankle. Once.
[Ding!]
[Mutated Beast "Shadow Cat" wishes to form a Soul Contract.]
[Accept?]
"Accept," Aria said.
A violet crest appeared on the cat's forehead, then faded.
[Pet Obtained.]
[Loyalty: 50% (It stays for the food.)]
The cat immediately ignored her and started tearing into the salmon.
Aria crouched down and stroked its fur. It felt cold, like touching liquid shadow.
"You are black as night," Aria mused. "I'll call you Onyx."
Onyx ignored her, chewing on a fish bone.
Aria stood up, feeling satisfied.
She had a base. She had power. And now, she had a guardian for when she slept.
She walked to the window. The armored van from the Vultures was parked outside.
"Onyx, finish eating," Aria commanded. "We are going out."
The cat looked up, fish hanging from its mouth.
"Meow?" (Where?)
Aria pointed at the burning city skyline.
"To the Shopping Mall," she said. "I need new clothes. And I need to kill the Mall Manager."
[Target Locked: The Shopping Mall]
[Objective: Establish a secondary outpost & Loot the Luxury Brands.]