Chapter 8
How to Accidentally Adopt a Monster
After breakfast—which Carol ate in her room because she wasn't quite ready to navigate the dining hall alone yet—she decided a morning walk would be good for her.
"Exercise is important when you're pregnant," Lumi said approvingly as Carol changed into a simple day dress. "Fresh air, gentle movement, it's all very healthy."
"Plus, you get to scope out the gardens before your tea date with your husband," Missy added with a knowing grin.
"It's not a date," Carol protested. "It's... strategic reconnaissance. And tea."
"Sure, Bestie. Whatever you need to tell yourself."
Carol ignored her and headed outside.
The morning air was crisp and clean, carrying the sweet scent of spring blossoms. The gardens were even more spectacular in the soft morning light—flowers blooming in vibrant colors, new leaves unfurling on the trees—and Carol found herself genuinely relaxing for the first time since waking up in this world.
This is nice, she thought, following a winding stone path between beds of roses. I could get used to this. Morning walks, beautiful gardens, no quarterly reports...
She rounded a corner near a particularly lush section of flowering bushes and stopped short.
Something was moving in the shadows.
Carol squinted, trying to make out what it was. The movement was quick, furtive—definitely alive, definitely not human.
"Um," she said quietly to her sprites. "What is that?"
"I don't know," Lumi whispered. "Should we leave?"
"Absolutely not," Missy said. "Investigate the mysterious creature! What's the worst that could happen?"
As if in answer to her question, the creature poked its head out from behind a rosebush, and Carol's heart melted instantly.
It was about the size of a small dog, with the most unusual coloring she'd ever seen—patches of black and white like a panda, but with the sleek body and pointed ears of a cat.
Its eyes glowed with a soft amber light, and as it turned, Carol could see it had two fluffy tails that twitched independently.
"Oh my god," Carol breathed. "It's adorable."
The creature's ears flattened against its head, and it ducked back behind the bush.
"It's skittish," Lumi observed. "Don't approach too quickly."
But Carol was already mentally activating her interface. If this is a game world, there has to be a way to scan creatures, right?
As if reading her thoughts, a new window appeared:
SCAN ACTIVATED
Creature Detected: Dreamweaver Cub
Level: 3 (Juvenile)
Threat Level: Minimal (Currently harmless)
Threat Level When Fully Grown: EXTREME (Highly dangerous apex predator)
Current Size: Small (approximately 15 lbs)
Adult Size: LARGE (approximately 400 lbs)
Abilities:
● Dream Weaving (Provides peaceful, restful sleep to bonded companions)
● Thermal Comfort (Generates soothing warmth, perfect for napping)
● Stealth (Can become nearly invisible in shadows)
● Future Abilities (Locked until maturity): Shadow Manipulation, Dream Walking, Apex Predator Combat Skills
Temperament: Skittish, cautious, food-motivated
Bonding Status: Unbonded (Available for familiar bond)
Favorite Foods:
● Dried fish (especially mackerel)
● Warm milk with honey
● Sweet cream pastries
Dislikes:
● Loud noises
● Sudden movements
● Being picked up without permission
Background: Wild Dreamweaver cubs occasionally wander into civilized areas seeking food.
They are relatively harmless at this age but will grow into one of the most dangerous predators in the realm.
The estate staff has been feeding this particular cub for approximately two weeks.
It has no pack and appears to be orphaned.
Warning: While currently adorable, Dreamweavers are apex predators when fully grown. Bonding is not recommended unless you can handle a 400-pound monster that can manipulate shadows and walk through dreams.
Would you like to attempt bonding? [YES] [NO]
Carol read the entire profile, her heart doing complicated things in her chest.
"It's a baby," she said softly. "An orphaned baby who provides good dreams and warmth for napping."
"It's also going to grow into a 400-pound apex predator," Lumi pointed out nervously.
"But look at its little face!" Carol gestured at where the creature was peeking out again, its glowing amber eyes watching her warily. "And it likes dried fish and sweet cream pastries. We're basically the same."
"You're going to bond with it, aren't you?" Missy asked, delighted.
"I need to get it some food first." Carol was already backing away slowly so as not to startle the creature. "The scan says it likes mackerel. The kitchen should have some, right?"
"My lady, this might not be wise—" Lumi started.
But Carol was already speed-walking back toward the main house, her mind made up.
◆◆◆
The kitchen staff looked absolutely terrified when Carol appeared in their domain for the second time in two days.
"Your Grace!" the cook—whose name Carol really needed to learn—practically jumped. "Is something wrong with breakfast? I can prepare something else—"
"No, no, breakfast was perfect," Carol said quickly. "I was wondering if you had any dried fish? Preferably mackerel?"
The entire kitchen went silent.
"Dried... fish, Your Grace?" The cook looked bewildered.
"Yes. Oh, and some warm milk with honey if possible. And maybe a sweet cream pastry?" Carol paused. "Actually, make that two pastries. One for me."
The cook glanced at her assistants, who all looked equally confused, but nodded. "Of course, Your Grace. Right away."
Within minutes, Carol had a small basket with dried mackerel, a bowl of warm honeyed milk, and two delicate cream pastries that smelled absolutely divine.
"Thank you so much," Carol said sincerely. "This is perfect."
"May I ask..." the cook said hesitantly. "What is this for, Your Grace?"
"The garden cat," Carol said. "The skittish one with two tails. I want to make friends with it."
Understanding dawned on several faces.
"Oh, the little Dreamweaver!" one of the younger kitchen maids said. "We've been leaving scraps for it, but it never lets us get close."
"It's such a sweet thing," another maid added. "Though Cook says we shouldn't encourage it too much since they get dangerous when they grow up."
"I'll be careful," Carol promised, already heading back outside.
Behind her, she could hear the whispers starting.
"The Duchess is feeding the garden cat herself?"
"She said thank you again. She keeps saying thank you."
"Do you think she's actually being nice now?"
"Or it's an elaborate plot..."
Carol smiled to herself. Let them wonder. She had a magical creature to befriend.
◆◆◆
The Dreamweaver cub was still in the same area when Carol returned, though it had ventured slightly out from behind the bushes. It froze when it saw her, its twin tails puffing up defensively.
"Hey there, little one," Carol said softly, kneeling down on the garden path about ten feet away. She set the basket down and pulled out the dried mackerel. "I brought you something."
The creature's nose twitched. Its ears perked up slightly.
"I heard you like fish," Carol continued, placing a piece of mackerel on the ground and sliding it gently toward the creature. "This is mackerel. It's supposed to be really good."
The cub watched her warily, but its eyes were definitely on the fish.
Carol slowly backed up a few steps, giving it space.
The creature hesitated for a long moment, then crept forward cautiously. It sniffed the air, then the fish, then finally—delicately—picked up the mackerel with its teeth and retreated back to its safe spot to eat it.
"Good job," Carol murmured, placing another piece on the ground, this time a bit closer to where she sat.
The cub ate the first piece, licked its whiskers (all of them—it had more whiskers than a normal cat), and eyed the second piece.
This time, it approached more quickly.
Piece by piece, Carol drew the creature closer, until finally it was eating from her outstretched hand, its rough tongue tickling her palm as it licked up the last bits of fish.
"You're so beautiful," Carol whispered. Up close, she could see that its fur was incredibly soft-looking, and its glowing amber eyes held surprising intelligence. "And you're all alone out here, aren't you?"
The creature made a soft meowing sound that went straight to Carol's heart.
"Would you like to come with me?" Carol asked softly. "I have a very comfortable room with lots of pillows. And I take excellent naps. Your dream-weaving ability would be very appreciated."
She held out the bowl of warm honeyed milk.
The cub sniffed it, then began to lap it up enthusiastically, moving closer until it was practically in Carol's lap.
Slowly, carefully, Carol reached out and gently touched the soft fur on its head.
The cub paused its drinking, looked up at her with those glowing amber eyes, and made a decision.
It pushed its head into her hand, purring.
The game interface blazed to life:
FAMILIAR BOND FORMING!
Dreamweaver Cub has accepted you as its bonded companion!
Bond Status: Forming... 50%... 75%... 100%
BOND COMPLETE!
Congratulations! You have bonded with your first familiar!
Please name your companion:
[Name: _____________]
Benefits of Bond:
● Familiar will remain loyal to you for life
● You can sense each other's emotions and general location
● Familiar's abilities will benefit you (peaceful dreams, warmth during rest)
● Familiar will grow stronger as you level up
● Familiar will protect you (when fully grown and terrifying)
Warning: You are now responsible for a creature that will grow into an apex predator. Please ensure adequate food, shelter, and training. Also, your husband will probably have opinions about this.
Carol looked down at the small creature now curled contentedly in her lap, purring like a tiny engine.
"I'm going to call you Mochi," she said. "Because you're soft and sweet and absolutely perfect."
Mochi meowed softly in response, his twin tails curling around her wrist.
NAME ACCEPTED: Mochi
Achievement Unlocked: "Accidental Beast Tamer"
Reward: +10 Affinity with Magical Creatures, Familiar Slots +1, Title: "That Idiot Who Bonds With Dangerous Things"
New Quest Unlocked: "Caring for Your Terrifying Future Pet"
● Feed Mochi daily (0/7 days)
● Provide comfortable sleeping area (0/1)
● Introduce Mochi to your husband without him panicking (0/1)
● Begin basic training (Optional, but recommended)
Reward: 200 XP, 50 Gold Crowns, Mochi's loyalty increases, Your husband questions your life choices
"This is amazing!" Missy squealed. "You've adopted a future murder machine! I love it!"
"It's a BABY murder machine," Lumi said, though she was smiling at how Mochi was nuzzling Carol's hand. "And it is very cute. But Your Grace, the Duke might not approve of you bringing a wild creature into the estate."
"Mochi is not a wild creature," Carol said, gently scratching behind the cub's ears. "He's my familiar. My companion. My emotional support dream-weaver."
"He's going to be 400 pounds," Lumi pointed out.
"Then I'll have a 400-pound emotional support dream-weaver," Carol said firmly. "Look at him, Lumi. Look at his little face."
Mochi chose that moment to yawn, showing tiny needle-sharp teeth, then immediately curled up and fell asleep in Carol's lap.
"Oh no," Lumi said. "You're completely attached already, aren't you?"
"Completely," Carol confirmed. "He's mine now. No one is taking him away from me."
She looked down at the sleeping cub, feeling a fierce protectiveness surge through her. This small creature had been orphaned, alone, surviving on scraps from kitchen staff. Now he had a home. He had her.
And if anyone had a problem with that—well, she'd just have to use her new Puppy Eyes (Husband Edition) skill to convince them otherwise.
Speaking of which...
Carol checked the position of the sun. Still morning. She had a few hours before tea time.
"I should probably introduce Mochi to my room," Carol said. "Get him settled. Make him a comfortable bed."
"You're going to spoil him," Missy observed.
"Obviously. He's my baby now."
"He's going to be a giant apex predator."
"My giant apex predator baby," Carol corrected, carefully standing up while cradling the sleeping Mochi. "Come on, let's get you somewhere soft to nap."
As she walked back to the estate with her new familiar sleeping contentedly in her arms, Carol couldn't help but smile.
She'd been in this world for less than two days and she'd already:
● Chosen the laziest possible skill path
● Started fixing her terrible reputation
● Had a surprisingly nice dinner with her terrifying husband
● Adopted a magical creature that would eventually become a 400-pound shadow-manipulating dream walker
Her survival rate was still probably only 2%, but at least she'd have good naps and a very loyal (if eventually terrifying) companion.
"This is going well," Carol announced to her sprites.
"You have very low standards for 'going well,'" Lumi said.
"I have realistic standards for someone with seven active death flags and a baby on the way," Carol corrected. "Now come on. Mochi needs pillows. Lots of pillows."
She had approximately five hours until tea with Caspian.
Five hours to get Mochi settled, prepare herself mentally for more blushing and awkward conversation, and maybe practice her Puppy Eyes skill in the mirror.
This was going to be interesting.