The researcher was quickly collected by the Inquisitor before she could escape their grasp. She was proof that their method might actually work on a larger scale, unless it was proven that the outcome was a result of Karl’s interference.
“The Moor Cat enclosure is this way. Monarch Karl, how certain are you that this will be feasible?” The Inquisitor asked, without removing his hand from the researcher, who was engrossed in conversation with her bird.
“With Moor Cats? I would say the chance is slim. If we go to the Cerro pens, I think that they will have good luck. Lightning Cerro love to meet new friends and expand their herd.”
The other officials looked like they were much more set on the Moor Cats than the Inquisitor was, but he was likely the only one of the group that really realized that trying to bond the Moor Cats was likely to get many of these cadets killed, even if they succeeded.
“These are the cat cages. Is there anything you need to do in preparation?” The military representative asked.
“I need to go speak with the mother cat first. Is she in the same cage as the little ones?” Karl asked.
“No, they have been separated for safety now that the young ones are on solid food.” freewebnvel.com
Karl sighed and shook his head, then walked to the door with a full-grown Moor Cat in it.
“If you would kindly open the door, I will go speak with her.”
The University staff and officials all looked at him like he was crazy.
“Sir, that Moor Cat is not sedated. You can’t go in there.”
“I thought that you were trying to train them to help you? If you have to sedate them to be near them, you’re clearly failing. But I’m not concerned. Open the door.”
One of the researchers shrugged, then took out what looked like a smoke grenade, likely of sedative gas, expecting Karl to be attacked.
He stepped through, then closed the door behind him as the massive Moor Cat, taller on all four feet than Karl was standing upright, stared at him.
“Good afternoon, my name is Karl. These gentlemen would like to form a life bond with your cubs. The young humans, that is. Is that permissible to you?” He asked.
The big cat growled and glared at him, but Karl continued anyhow.
“What about one of them? There is one of them brave enough to pet a full-grown Winged Void Badger.” Karl offered.
The cat looked curious, but kept its hostile stance.
“The cubs will have to agree to the contract, of course. But I am going to offer each of the cubs the chance to pick a partner.” He continued.
One massive paw flashed out, and Karl raised a hand to stop it, letting the force slide him across the floor a little, but a simple swat wouldn’t harm him.
That got the Moor Cat’s interest.
“Oh, I think that I get it. You don’t have any respect for the weak humans, so you don’t want them dragging down the futures of your cubs.” Karl guessed.
The cat rumbled in agreement, then snarled at the humans outside the cage.
[System Quest Activated] If they die, they die.
{Use the contract tokens to allow each recruit one attempt to bond with a magical beast and activate their system assignment.}
Ten tokens appeared in Karl’s hand, and he smiled at the Moor Cat.
“See, these are the tokens, nothing dangerous. The humans will use one to try to bond with a new partner. Then your cubs can show them how powerful a Moor Cat is.”
The big cat wasn’t happy with him, but it reluctantly nodded, and Karl turned halfway to knock on the door.
Showing his back to the mother cat would be rude, so he sidestepped through the door before turning to face the students.
“You might want to bring a cleric. I suspect that this might not go how they were hoping. The cats need to be fully cognizant and unrestrained for the next part.” Karl explained.
[That wasn’t part of the rules.] Cara reminded him.
[The bond isn’t instant. Nothing is stopping them from turning on the cadets later tonight when the drugs wear off, if they’re trapped that way.]
[When you put it that way…] Cara wasn’t sure which would be funnier. Watching the cats, which were nearly her size already, beat up cadets, or knowing that they would wake up from a drugged stupor later and tear apart the Elite from the inside out.
They went one cage over to where the kittens were receiving instructions from their mother, and the cadets approached the bars with determined looks.
“Alright, we will do this one at a time. Who wants to go first? All you have to do is prove to your chosen partner that you are worthy.” Karl asked.
The guy who had tried to pet Cara raised his hand and stepped forward, as did one of the kittens, who had paused its grooming mid blep and still had its tongue sticking out as it came to rub against the bars.
The mother cat was visibly embarrassed at such behaviour, but the two were clearly fond of each other.
Karl grabbed the key card from one of the researchers and stepped inside the cage.
“You, follow me. I will use this token, and you have one chance to make your choice believe that you are a suitable lifetime partner for them.”
Karl activated the token as the man crouched to hug the cat and murmur something in its ear before he was tackled and licked, then turned into a pillow as the cat simply curled up on top of him.
The cadet laughed as the huge kitten kneaded his leather armour with its paws, then the baby Moor Cat vanished, and the bond was completed.
His class was {Beast Ranger}, which was somewhat close to what Karl had expected, and while it wasn’t a Beast Master, he had a Moor Cat and a class, so it was certainly what anyone would call a resounding victory.
“Well, that’s one for one. We’re off to a good start. Who is next?”
A confident young cadet swaggered into the cage, then gestured to the largest of the kittens. “Bring me that one.
I mean, I would like that one, please, Monarch.” He corrected as he realized who he was making demands of.
Karl caught the mother cat’s smirk, and ushered the successful candidate out of the room.
Karl motioned for the Moor Cat Alpha cub to come forward, and activated the token.
As soon as he did, the cat growled, and the token put up a shimmering black and green barrier over Karl, then a second one over the cage.
“Oh, it looks like this is a test of worthiness. Good luck, young cadet.”
“What the hell? Are you not supposed to give me a Moor Cat?” The cadet demanded as the cub began to stalk him.
“That’s not how it works. You have to prove you’re worthy as a partner. I have been informed that you’ve been trained as a special forces soldier. You’ve got this, it’s just a kitten.”
The cadet drew a training sword and the kitten growled, as did the mother. Weapons were cheating in their minds. But that didn’t matter for long.
The cat pounced, and the cadet was too slow to respond. Four black claws tore his face open, popping an eyeball, and then continued slashing down the front of his armour, while the other front paw tore apart his sleeve as he flailed helplessly at the kitten’s back.
The Inquisitor tried to cast something, as did the cleric outside, but Karl could see the spells hitting the barrier.
“Monarch, do something.” The Inquisitor demanded.
“What exactly? Shatter a divine barrier to save a cadet from his hubris? I’m not certain I can manage that. The barrier should fade once the test is over.” Karl replied calmly.
“He will be dead by then.” The priest reminded him. “That’s very much a ‘you’ problem, not a ‘me’ problem. Or we can call High Priestess Lotus over, as she can resurrect the failed candidate if she gets here in time.”
The white robed cleric sighed, then winced as the kitten tore the throat out of the cadet, then proudly strutted away as the barriers fell.
“See. All as the gods intended. Who wants to go next?”