As Rheo walked into the living room, a cute little girl of around twelve years was tinkering with a teddy bear.
This teddy bear was patched all over such that it looked like one straight out of a horror movie.
Seeing this toy in reality, Rheo's heart jumped with fright.
Terrified, he even stumbled back a little, however, seeing as the little girl's hand stitch it up with a needle made him calm down.
Seeing the little girl's cute face, Rheo scratched his already tousled black hair with an awkward expression and let out a forced short laughter.
He cleared his throat.
"Little sister don't worry I will buy you a new one when I become a monster ranger.
His little sister looked at him with a strange expression, as if she weren't expecting much from Rheo, and as a big brother, it really pained him to the heart.
"Big brother should try to get stronger and rank up first, what can you buy when you die?"
Rheo face wrinkled exasperatedly, he didn't want to enter into an argument this morning so he kept quiet, after all, becoming a monster ranger was one thing, but surviving in a Monster Lair was another, without a capable monster companion, there was no way a human could survive in lowest tier lair, so she was a little bit right.
"Wait, speaking of monster pet, where is Raizen?"
Rheo's mind wandered to where the steel feather thunder falcon was.
His little sister glared at him again.
"Since big brother hasn't bought its food for about a week, the poor bird monster had to go out and find some means, it is a bird of prey after all"
As if it was obvious, little sister launched another blow of words at Rheo.
"Give me a break, little sister"
Rheo made a gloomy expression.
Since he had been working so hard for the past week to save up money for his guardian academy contract registration, he had been mindless of the bird monster, it was now today which was the day of the contract that he remembered he had a Monster Pet.
Little sister finished what she was doing and put down the teddy bear on the couch, she went ahead and switched the TV on with her cheek puffed.
Immediately, the TV turned on to a news channel, and the newscaster—a slightly busty lady—was just about to begin the report.
~The boss of the Commander-tier monster lair, Black Stone Island, has just been confirmed. As an Elite-grade monster, the association has officially upgraded the lair's classification to Elite. However, all the species of monsters within the lair have yet to be identified.
Starting next week, the association will open the lair for certified monster rangers to clear. Since it's located on an island, a joint operation will be required to reclaim this vital territory, which serves as New Pearl's main oil field~
Briefly, the busty newscaster was replaced with a window of economic analytics, an interface displaying how New Pearl's economy had declined since the formation of a monster colony on the island.
****
A decade ago, an unknown magical energy suddenly tore through the earth's atmosphere, mutating almost every living creature except humans.
These mutated creatures were called monsters.
At that time, humans began teetering on the brink of extinction!
These monsters were so formidable that many could outrun bullets and even guided missiles! While the carapace of lowest-grade earth-type monsters couldn't even be scratched by any artillery or nuclear weapon!
During the Great Apocalypse, when humanity teetered on the brink of extinction—losing homes, families, and nearly everything—some human scientists, enslaved by humanoid monsters, discovered a way to form contracts with their captors. Through this newfound method, humans—ever adaptable and driven by knowledge—began to reclaim their place in the world. After all, knowledge is power.
During the apocalypse, Rheo's mum was also caught up in the monsters' rampage, and since the time he had matured, he had sworn to protect his family no matter what.
However, it seemed fate had other plans, as his only parent was later reported missing in a scientific expedition while the other team members returned.
Rheo couldn't help but think there was more to it. His father had been a top monster scientist, yet there was never a second expedition team sent to find him.
Rheo had sworn to uncover the truth. But to do that, he would need power, he would need money, and most of all, he would need answers.
Rheo clenched his right fist, fully determined.
Just then, a glistering silvery figure from the distance caught his eyes, it was diving down with an incredible speed such that his eyes failed to track its movement after the first time.
It was when it had landed at the entrance of the living room that Rheo was able to see the true form of the glistering silvery figure.
''It seemed little sister opened the door wide so Raizen could enter freely when it came from hunting'
This bird monster of the peregrine falcon species in Earth pre mutation era had mutated into a steel feather thunder falcon, an Iron-grade monster.
Rheo looked at the monster pet satisfactorily.
The bird-type monster was now slightly bigger with its feathers giving off a metallic luster and its black talons tips glistering terrifyingly.
The monster pet flew to little sister who started stroking its hairy neck, it would then open its beaks and let out an adorable cry when it felt good from the stroking.
Rheo checked the time, it was 8: 40 AM, which meant, in about twenty minutes, the association head office would be opened for contract.
"Raizen"
He called, and as if it was done getting petted, the bird monster flew and perched on Rheo's shoulder turning its head away sharply as if it wasn't interested in going.
The bird monster behaved strangely, it was very attached to his little sister but when Rheo called it, it would obey him in one call.
Raizen wasn't just any bird-type monster.
It was a gift—Rheo's twelfth birthday present from his father.
Since that day, he had sworn to become a great monster ranger.
Rheo took it from his shoulder and went ahead to stroke its hairy neck.
For a steel feather, it didn't seem hard at all, but the truth was that the feathers hardened when the monster was in flight, giving off a steel-like luster.
However, touching the feather did feel cold, like a metallic surface.
"Here here here"
Rheo stroked its warm hairy neck but it seemed too stoic to let out a sound, after multiple stroking, its beak parted open and multiple screech sounds broke out while closing its eyes and madly flapping its lustrous wings.
As it let out a cry, Rheo's eyes caught the single sharp tooth of the bird, the glistering sharp tip made a cold run down his spine.
"What a killing machine!"
Rheo released it and the Thunder Falcon flew and perched on his shoulder with a happy expression.
Raizen, the steel feather thunder falcon was terrifying when diving, the sharp edges of its steel feather cutting through the air at high speed that even some small iron-grade monsters would probably be cut in half, and medium and mega iron-grade monsters would definitely receive fatal slash from it.
And since it was a dual-type monster with earth and electric attributes, Rheo thought that it would unlock a very useful combat power when contracted, some monsters can't use their magical abilities until when contracted, that was when they would unlock them, and these type of monsters, although not all, usually grant their masters some abilities.
Although Raizen didn't have any special ability, but its defensive and offensive steel feather and offensive sharp black steel talons couldn't be underestimated.
Well, these were just part of its physical characteristics as a monster and even Rheo couldn't help but smile when he looked at it,
After all, 'Thunder' was in its name. Maybe… just maybe, it would let him fire a lightning beam.