In front of the double doors, Cassian and Elisa stood.
Elisa's Eclipse Cat, which she had named Yuki, was at her feet, purring softly. Meanwhile, Rea was curled snugly around Cassian's wrist, her red eyes observing everything with mild curiosity.
Elisa looked up at Cassian with excitement and, hesitating slightly, said, "Brother, you also came here to bond? What a coincidence!"
Cassian sighed. He had only intended to bond with Rea and leave quietly, but he had bumped into Elisa just as she was about to open the door.
"Yeah," he replied flatly. "Let's get this over with."
He pushed the doors open, and Elisa eagerly followed him inside.
The room was large, with rows of shelves filled with swords, scrolls, orbs, and various other items.
It resembled a treasury, though its contents were of lesser rarity and power.
Real treasury of is far beyond this.
In one corner of the room sat an old man with deep wrinkles lining his face. He observed the two siblings as they approached.
"How can I help the young masters?" the old man asked respectfully.
Elisa spoke up with a bright smile. "Uncle Benson, we want to bond with our beasts. Can you give us the bonding scrolls?"
Benson smiled warmly. "Ah, for that. Master Mark mentioned you'd need them, so he entrusted me with the two highest-grade bonding scrolls for you both."
He turned to the shelf behind him, retrieved two ornate scrolls, and placed them carefully on the table.
Elisa's eyes sparkled as she examined the scrolls. Then she turned back to Benson and asked, "Uncle Benson, can you explain how to use them?"
Benson chuckled softly and began explaining. "It's not complicated. Both you and your beast need to sign the scroll. But…"
He paused for effect. "…If the beast refuses to bond with you, the scroll will self-destruct, and you won't be able to use it again."
Benson then launched into a detailed lecture on how to bond with beasts and care for them. Elisa listened attentively, her focus unwavering, while Cassian stifled a yawn.
Cassian already knew the process, so the old man's lecture felt like an unnecessary delay.
As Benson droned on, Yuki (the Eclipse Cat) approached Cassian and affectionately rubbed against his leg.
Cassian crouched down, his lips curving into a small smile as he patted her gently.
Memories of his past life as Rio surfaced. He remembered his cat back on Earth, a source of comfort and joy in a life otherwise filled with hardship.
"Who's a cute little baby, huh?" Cassian murmured, his voice soft.
"Meow~" Yuki responded, closing her eyes in affection.
'Eclipse cat can sense affection towards them and being a cat lover, it's obvious she will come to me' Cassian smiled as he thought that.
"You know, if I didn't already know Elisa would bid for you, I might have taken you myself," he added with a chuckle.
"Meoww~"
Rea suddenly tightened her coil around Cassian's wrist and glared at him intensely.
"Then what about me?" she hissed possessively.
Cassian glanced at her, unbothered by the slight pressure on his wrist. "I'd have bid for you too, obviously."
"You clearly love her more than me. Hmph," Rea pouted, loosening her grip.
Cassian opened his palm and said, "Stop sulking. She's Elisa's beast, but you're my one and only."
Rea stared at him for a moment before resting her head in his palm. Cassian smiled faintly as he began to stroke her head with his thumb, her tense body relaxing under his touch.
By the time Benson finished his lecture, Yuki had already returned to Elisa's side, her small form radiating satisfaction.
"Me first! Me first!" Elisa exclaimed, practically bouncing in place.
Cassian nodded, gesturing for her to go ahead.
Elisa beamed and crouched down. "Come, Yuki," she called, reaching out to pick up the little cat.
But Yuki was quick and darted away effortlessly, evading her grasp.
Elisa pouted. "Come on, don't be like that!"
She tried a few more times, each attempt ending the same way... Yuki slipping out of reach with remarkable agility.
Finally, Elisa huffed and gave up on chasing her. Instead, she picked up the bonding scroll from the table and unrolled it. Her eyes skimmed past the text written on it, focusing only on the two blank boxes at the bottom.
"Yuki, come here," she called again, her voice softer this time.
Yuki approached cautiously, and Elisa pressed her thumb onto one of the boxes. When she lifted it, a clear imprint of her thumb was left behind.
"Your turn," she said to Yuki.
The intelligent Eclipse Cat seemed to understand and placed her front right paw on the other box. When she lifted it, a perfect print of her paw remained.
Moments later, the scroll began to hover in the air. It glowed faintly before disintegrating into dust.
Half of the shimmering dust drifted toward Elisa, sinking into her skin, while the other half entered Yuki.
Once the scroll had completely disappeared, two new marks appeared above Elisa's head: one shaped like a sun and the other like a crescent moon.
Benson clapped his hands once. "Congratulations! A bond has been successfully formed."
Unable to contain her excitement, Elisa jumped up and down a few times. "Yes! Yuki and I are one now!"
She crouched again, eager to pick up Yuki, but the little cat evaded her once more.
Elisa's enthusiasm turned into frustration, and tears welled up in her eyes. "Why are you ignoring me?" she whined.
Cassian stepped forward and gave her a light bonk on the head. "You're smothering her with too much affection," he said bluntly. "You're overwhelming her, dumbfuck."
Elisa looked at him, then back at Yuki with renewed determination.
This time, she approached Yuki slowly, keeping her emotions in check. Gently, she extended her hand toward the cat's head.
Yuki didn't evade this time. Instead, she closed her eyes and allowed Elisa to pat her.
Elisa's face lit up with a radiant smile as she stroked Yuki's soft fur. She glanced at Cassian and said earnestly, "Thank you, brother."
Cassian clicked his tongue in annoyance. "Tch."
Cassian picked up his scroll and opened it.
With this scroll, he and Rea would finally form their bond.
He glanced at the Highest Grade Bond scroll in his hands.
There were four types of bonding scrolls: Low Grade, Mid Grade, High Grade, and the Peak or Highest Grade.
The Low and Mid-Grade scrolls established a bond, with the difference being the strength of the connection.
The High-Grade scrolls offered a stronger bond, and the user could gain one skill from their beast.
The Peak or Highest Grade scrolls went beyond that... they forged the strongest bonds, allowed the user to choose two skills from their beast, and provided the freedom to select them at any time, ensuring no rushed decisions.
Cassian placed his thumb on one of the empty boxes, leaving a clear imprint.
Rea slid off his wrist and placed the tip of her tail on the other box.
The same phenomenon occurred as with Elisa's bonding process... the scroll hovered in the air, glowed, turned to dust, and split into two halves.
The dust merged into both Cassian and Rea.
A white aura enveloped Cassian, but unlike Elisa, no marks appeared above his head.
Then a cheerful voice echoed in his ears. "Yeahhh, we're one now!"
Rea's voice was filled with excitement as she curled back around his wrist, clearly content in her favorite spot.
Elisa approached him with a bright smile. "Congratulations, brother!"
Cassian clicked his tongue lightly, pretending to be indifferent. "Yeah, thanks, I guess."
Though he acted nonchalant, there was a hint of satisfaction in his voice.