"Mmm… ngh…"
Avelia let out a contented sigh, laced with a soft, sticky echo.
She straightened up lazily, and several of her tentacles dexterously coiled up a new dark crimson dress from the edge of the bed, draping it gracefully over her slender figure.
Kylen felt his legs grow a little weak. Ever since he'd met Avelia in that dark alley the evening before, he'd hardly had a moment to rest properly.
But… her condition had improved dramatically, visible to the naked eye.
The hideous wounds on her skin were gone entirely, replaced by a smooth, jade-like fairness.
Even the severe weakness from her depleted life force had faded significantly, leaving her radiant with vitality.
Kylen glanced around the room rosewood decorations emitting a faint fragrance, exquisitely carved ivory artworks, a warm fire flickering in the fireplace. Everything was steeped in an air of classical luxury.
How long had she existed?
This somewhat bold question lingered on Kylen's tongue for a moment, but he finally swallowed it back.
A faint smile curved Avelia's lips. One tentacle tapped his nose gently.
"Little one, what are you daydreaming about again?"
Kylen pulled himself together and said, "Avelia, come home with me. I haven't told my parents yet that I got into the academy."
In fact, he'd been "missing" since the night before his family must be worried sick.
"Mm, I can." Avelia nodded, then added in an uncompromising tone, "But starting today, you'll live here with me."
"No problem." Kylen agreed without hesitation. His own home was just a regular three-bedroom apartment with average sound insulation.
If Avelia lived there, there was no guarantee they wouldn't get complaints from the neighbors because of certain noises.
...
At Kylen's home, his father Owen, and mother Lydia, were chatting quietly in the kitchen while preparing dinner.
"Our son's been out with Jessica for a whole day and night. Do you think… could they be… are we about to have a grandson?" Lydia guessed, a hint of anticipation in her voice.
Owen shook his head, lit a cigarette, and furrowed his brows tightly. "I always thought Jessica had an active mind.
Now that she's a Contractor, I'm afraid… sigh, our son just wasn't lucky enough. I keep thinking about the gap between them in the future…"
Lydia's brows furrowed even deeper. The spatula in her hand tapped the edge of the pot unconsciously.
"What if… we sell the house? We can pool our money to buy some contract crystals for our son! If he can successfully contract an abyssal creature, he can become a Contractor too!"
Owen's fingers, which held the cigarette, trembled slightly. It was an enormous decision; this house was their family's only fixed asset.
Even with all their savings combined, it would barely be enough for a gamble. Besides, their young daughter was still in school…
Lydia looked at her husband's hesitant expression, her tone growing urgent.
"Well? Can we do it or not? We can't hold our son back! Trust me, sell the house. With over a hundred thousand Imperial Coins we've saved, if our son and Jessica can just…"
Before Lydia could finish, the door opened. Kylen, who'd just heard the words "sell the house," froze.
Wait, he'd only been out for a day, how was their family already about to lose the house?
"Wait a minute! Dad, Mom, sell the house? Housing prices are dropping so much right now, even if you wanted to sell it, you'd need a fool willing to take it off our hands!
Also… when did our family save so much money?"
Lydia was startled by her son's sudden appearance. The spatula in her hand clattered to the counter.
"Oh! You scared me to death!"
Owen walked over to Kylen, patted his shoulder heavily, and said in a solemn tone, "Son, your mom and I talked it over. We've decided to sell the house to get you some contract crystals… We can't hold you and Jessica back from your future."
Kylen froze for a moment, then realized right, when he'd left the day before, he'd casually said Jessica had asked him out.
Kylen let out a helpless chuckle.
"Okay, Dad, Mom, stop worrying about this for no reason. Jessica and I have broken up."
Owen and Lydia were shocked at first, then exchanged glances. Both saw bitterness and understanding in each other's eyes.
Was it because their family's conditions were too poor that they'd held their son back?
Lydia opened her mouth, wanting to comfort her son, but didn't know where to start. The atmosphere turned awkward for a moment.
Kylen cleared his throat to break the silence.
"Ahem… but after I broke up with Jessica yesterday, something… unexpected happened. In short, I'm a Contractor now! Avelia, come over here for a second."
"What?" Owen and Lydia stared at their son in surprise.
How had he suddenly become a Contractor? Hadn't he said he had no talent?
Then, they saw a tall, stunningly beautiful woman walking out from behind Kylen. She was around five feet eight inches tall.
She'd deliberately styled her striking red hair into an elegant bun more acceptable to ordinary people and wore a cool-toned dress paired with opaque black stockings.
Even by the strictest aesthetic standards, not a single flaw could be found in her.
"Hello. I… am Kylen's contracted creature, and also his lover—Avelia Selis."
Owen and Lydia stood frozen in place, unable to process this overwhelming amount of information for a moment.
Before they could even feel sorry about their son breaking up with Jessica, this perfectly flawless "daughter-in-law" had appeared at their home!
Owen immediately put on a smile and nodded repeatedly.
"I always thought Jessica wasn't right for you! You rascal, why didn't you tell us you were bringing your girlfriend home in advance!"
Lydia shot her husband an annoyed look. Men really did change their stance that quickly.
"Hello! I'm Kylen's mom, Lydia. You said just now… you're a contracted creature?"
Kylen explained, "Mom, haven't you read the information on the Contractor's Guild website? Many high-ranking entities with top sequence rankings can take human form.
Avelia's situation is even more special; she's lived in human society for a long time.
Don't you remember that news interview you saw on the holographic screen the day before yesterday?
You even said back then that you hoped I could find a talented girlfriend like 'Avelia Selis.'
Now I've brought her here, and you don't recognize her anymore?"
Lydia suddenly remembered the headline news about the genius girl from Saint Laurent Academy she'd seen a few days ago. She was so shocked that her mouth hung open.
"Welcome! Oh my god… Owen, stop standing there like a fool! Where's that top-quality black tea you've been saving? Go make some! You rascal, why didn't you tell us earlier! I haven't prepared anything…"
In stark contrast to the warm bustle at Kylen's home, the atmosphere in the VIP ward of Saint Laurent City's First Hospital was cold and oppressive.
The lead surgeon, with an expressionless face, said to a middle-aged man with a gloomy expression, William's father, Gareth Vander, "Mr. Vander, my professional advice is that we must perform a removal surgery.
The tissue in that area has completely necrotized because all the blood was drained from it. If we don't remove it, it will likely cause a more severe infection and threaten his life."
Lying on the hospital bed was William, who still twitched occasionally from intense pain even in his unconscious state.
After he'd been rushed to the hospital, his father Gareth, had arrived immediately, accompanied by Jessica, whose face was as pale as a sheet.
...
Jessica covered her mouth, barely holding back her fear and disgust.
She'd just agreed to date William, but not only had she been humiliated in front of Kylen by that red-haired woman today, but her new boyfriend was now facing such a cruel fate.
These successive blows left her on the verge of collapse.
Gareth Vander clenched his teeth so tightly that his jaw muscles bulged. He forced out a single word through gritted teeth.
"…Do it."
After the lead surgeon left, Gareth and several other members of the Vander family turned their cold gazes to Jessica, who was trembling with fear.
"You're the girlfriend William just started dating?" Gareth's voice was low and menacing. "Tell me, what really happened?"
Jessica didn't dare to hide anything. She stammered through the entire story, even adding extra details to smear Kylen in the process.
A ferocious smile curved Gareth's lips.
"Heh, so it was that boy Kylen's contracted creature who crippled my son? Good… very good… Kylen…"
From the ward came William's weak but terror-filled wail.
"No! What are you going to do? Dad! You can't let them cut it off! Please, let me keep it!"
Gareth walked into the ward, looking at his son's pale face, both heartbroken and helpless.
"Son, we have to do it. Otherwise, you might not even survive. Don't lose hope. When you're promoted to a Six-Star Contractor in the future and master high-tier regeneration ability… maybe… there will be a chance to regrow it."
William, in tears and snot, clung to this like a lifeline.
"R-really?"
Gareth nodded firmly.
"Of course. Don't worry, son—I'll make that bastard pay for this!"
At the mention of Kylen's name, a venomous light flashed in William's eyes. He screamed hoarsely,
"Dad! I want him dead! I want to watch him be tortured to death little by little! No… leave him alive! I want that humanoid contracted creature of his! When I… when I recover, I'll humiliate them in front of his face! Ugh… aaaaah!"
The family butler standing beside them whispered in a cautious tone, "Master, after all, it was Young Master who made the first move. We don't have the moral high ground here…"
The empire still had laws; after all, they couldn't just brazenly kill someone.
A fierce glint flashed across Gareth Vander's face.
"Hmph, isn't he taking the entrance test tomorrow? Go— 'adjust' the difficulty of his test to the highest level!"
The butler understood immediately, a sinister glint in his eyes.
"Understood, Master! What a brilliant plan! No One-Star Contractor could possibly survive that difficulty. As long as he can't get into the academy and loses the academy's protection, we'll have plenty of ways to kill him slowly."
Gareth Vander nodded, a cruel smile curving his lips.
"Good."
Students at Saint Laurent Contract Academy, as reserves for fighting the abyss, had to undergo a life-or-death test that was close to actual combat without any preparation.
Although the academy would take protective measures and theoretically ensure the participants' safety, there were always "accidents" that happened. Of course, not everyone went into the test truly unprepared.
...
After staying at Kylen's home for a short while and chatting happily with his parents, Avelia left early with Kylen, claiming they had an important entrance test the next day.
Once they walked out of the house, the relaxed expression on Avelia's face faded, and she grew somewhat serious."Little one, we need to prepare in advance for tomorrow's entrance test."
Kylen was still caught up in the "glory" of the day. He waved a hand dismissively."Oh? Could there be any new students stronger than us?"
Avelia had instantly defeated William and his Blazing Lion. What other opponent was there to worry about? The two of them were practically invincible!
Avelia looked at him, a meaningful, faint smile curving her lips.
"Probably not among the new students. But that test… has a pass rate usually less than thirty percent. It's a death test, after all."
Kylen's smile froze instantly.
"Huh?!"