Triple X System

The name hit Kyle like a physical blow.

”Lucifer,” he breathed out, the word tasting like ash and venom on his tongue.

Instantly, the dark crimson in his eyes flared, turning a shade so deep it bordered on pitch black. The demonic energy coiled within his core thrashed violently, reacting to the name of the ruler who had orchestrated the ruin of everything he held dear. Rage, hot and suffocating, boiled up from his chest, but right beneath that fury was a sharp, piercing spike of shock.

A beast. A mere Rootcrystal Deer sitting in a hidden pocket of a corrupted forest, calmly declaring that it wanted the Demon King dead. It felt absurd. It felt impossible.

’Snow, what the hell is this?’ Kyle demanded internally, his mental voice sharp as a razor. ’How does a creature on this backwater planet even know that name? How is it aware of Lucifer?’

[Analyzing the target’s residual energy patterns, Host,] Snow’s voice chimed inside his mind, stripped of its usual playful sarcasm. [The creature’s spiritual resonance is incredibly dense. It is highly probable that this entity belongs to the category of Higher Beings. It isn’t a localized monster.]

Kyle’s brow furrowed, his thoughts racing as he stared at the glowing red eyes of the deer. ’A Higher Being? You mean like an Original? One of the primordial entities?’

[Negative,] Snow clarified immediately, a series of complex biological and spiritual charts scrolling past the corner of his vision. [Judging from the density and decay rate of its current aura, this being has been around for at most a couple of lifetimes. It does not possess the boundless, eternal authority of an Original. Furthermore, its power threshold confirms it is not a deity, a demigod, or an Original-level threat. Think of it as an ancient, highly evolved survivor rather than a god.]

Kyle absorbed the information, his suspicion only deepening. If it wasn’t a god, then it was mortal enough to bleed—and mortal enough to have a personal vendetta. He took a heavy step forward, his boots crunching against the pale, root-choked earth.

”An ancient survivor,” Kyle muttered aloud, addressing the beast directly. ”Fine. But why do you want him dead? What could a creature like you possibly have against the ruler of the underworld? What is your motive?”

The Rootcrystal Deer did not blink. It slowly tilted its head, the 24-meter crystal behind it casting a long, skeletal shadow over its sleek physique. When its telepathic voice echoed in Kyle’s mind this time, it carried a profound, hollow sorrow that made the surrounding red leaves still.

”I want him dead for the exact same reason that the guilt festers inside your heart,” the deer whispered. ”For the loss of everything you ever loved. Taken from you, burned to ash, and erased by his command.”

Kyle froze. The air in his lungs completely locked up.

A cold sweat broke out across his neck as a wave of intense paranoia washed over him. His memories—the hidden, bleeding wounds of his past that he kept locked away in the darkest corners of his consciousness—had just been laid bare by a beast. His hand instinctively flew to his chest, his demonic mana violently pulsing outward as a defensive reflex.

’Snow! It’s in my head!’ Kyle roared internally, his panic absolute. ’Check the logs! Is it invading my mind? How does it know about my past? Block the psychic connection right now!’

[Scrutinizing all internal and external data streams...] Snow’s voice rolled through his mind, tinged with genuine confusion. [Host, there is absolutely no trace of mental interference, telepathic probing, or cognitive breach detected within the System’s firewall. Your mind is completely sealed. The creature is not actively reading your thoughts or accessing your memory banks.]

Kyle’s heart hammered against his ribs. ’Then how the hell did it just say that?’

Before he could demand an answer from the beast, a harsh, shrill alarm blared directly into his auditory cortex.

*BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!*

**[WARNING: AGREIS-V ENVIRONMENTAL SUIT EXPELLED OF ALL POWER RESERVES. BATTERY LIFE: 0.00%.]**

**[WARNING: LIFE SUPPORT SYSTEMS FAILING. HAZARDOUS ATMOSPHERIC FILTRATION HAS CEASED.]**

Kyle gasped, turning his head sharply toward the mechanical pod strapped to his back. The steady blue status lights on Elara’s Aegis-V suit suddenly flickered, sputtered, and died, plunging the armor into an ominous, lifeless darkness.

”No, no, no! Not now!” Kyle panicked, his hands scrambling over the cold metal plates of the suit.

It had been over two consecutive days since they had been stranded on Kraken. The planetary atmosphere was completely saturated with an astronomical mass of dark energy—a toxic, corrosive miasma that was fundamentally lethal to baseline human physiology. Without the Aegis-V suit actively filtering the air and generating a localized bio-shield, the dark energy would flood her system. Elara would die within minutes, her organs failing from the spiritual corruption.

”Elara! Hang on!” Kyle growled, desperately channeling his own mana into the suit’s emergency ports, but the technology was incompatible with raw, demonic energy. The suit hissed, venting a stream of stagnant air as the internal temperature began to drop rapidly.

She was his only link left. She was the key to finding Yua on this godforsaken planet. If she died here, his entire purpose would fracture.

”Her fragile mortality is rapidly reaching its expiration,” the deer spoke calmly, watching Kyle’s frantic movements with detached interest. ”The dark energy of Kraken spares no unawakened flesh. But... I can offer a solution. A guarantee for her survival.”

Kyle snapped his head around, his teeth gritted so hard they threatened to crack. ”What solution? Fix her! Now!”

”Nothing in this universe is granted without a price, Demon,” the deer replied, stepping closer until it stood right at the edge of the clearing. ”I will preserve her life. In exchange, you will bind your path to mine. We shall form a pact.”

**[ALERT: Target is proposing a Companion Contract.]** Snow’s notification flashed in front of his eyes.

”A pact? What kind of pact?” Kyle demanded, his eyes darting between the dying light of Elara’s pod and the cryptic beast.

”A Blood Pact,” the deer explained, its red crystal forehead beginning to glow with an intense, blinding light. ”We shall merge not only our blood, but our very souls together as life companions. Wherever you walk, I shall walk. But my physical manifestation requires a continuous tether. To sustain my existence and catalyze our mutual growth, I must constantly feed upon a portion of your life force.”

Kyle’s eyes narrowed to slits. ’Snow, analyze the parameters of this deal. What’s the catch?’

A detailed data sheet materialized in Kyle’s vision, outlining the hidden mechanics of the proposed bond.

**[COMPANION BOUND SYSTEM: UNLOCKED VIA PACT]**

* **Host Constraints**: The beast companion will possess a unique, independent evolution path and a mini-system visible exclusively to the Host.

* **Resource Drain**: Requires a constant, passive consumption of the Host’s Life Force/Vitality stats to fuel the companion’s leveling parameters.

* **Host Benefits**: Grants the Host direct access to a portion of the companion’s unique skill tree, attribute modifiers, and the ability to summon the companion across any distance or battlefield.

Kyle stared at the floating text, his mind working at overclocked speeds. ’This sounds too good to be true. Snow, give me the baseline risks.’

[The parameters are highly authentic, Host,] Snow answered, her voice dropping into a formal, advisory tone. [Bonding with a beast companion is a absolute life contract. It can only be nullified by the literal death of one party or a severe, catastrophic breach of the core agreement. Furthermore, you must remember your racial limitations. A Demon can only choose a maximum of two beast companions in their entire existence. Accepting this creature will permanently fill one of your available soul slots.]

”Choose swiftly, young demon,” the deer urged, its voice carrying the weight of the ticking clock. ”Her heartbeat falters.”

Kyle looked back at the Aegis-V suit. Through the small, translucent visor of the pod, he could see Elara’s face paling, her breathing becoming shallow and ragged as the invisible dark energy began to seep through the seals.

He didn’t have a choice. He couldn’t let her die. Not when he was this close.

”Do it,” Kyle growled, baring his teeth. ”I accept the deal. Save her!”

The moment the words left his mouth, the earth beneath them violently rumbled. A deep, tectonic vibration shook the entire clearing, causing the ancient 32-meter roots to shift and groan.

[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION: LIFE CRYSTAL ENGAGED BY TARGET ENTITY.]

The giant 24-meter red crystal embedded in the ancient tree flared with an blinding, incandescent crimson light. A concentrated beam of pure, raw vitality shot out from the heart of the tree, striking the Rootcrystal Deer before refracting directly into Elara’s mechanical suit.

CRACK!

The metal plates of the Aegis-V suit didn’t break, but they were instantly enveloped in a thick, swirling vortex of brilliant red energy. The dark energy that had been creeping into the pod was violently purged, disintegrated by the sheer density of the life force pouring into the chamber.

Kyle watched in absolute awe as the crimson glow seeped through the metal seams, sinking directly into Elara’s skin. The deathly pallor on her face vanished, replaced by a radiant, healthy flush. Her chest began to rise and fall in a deep, peaceful rhythm.

[SYSTEM ALERT: Target’s Vitality Status updated. The Life Crystal has established a localized planetary ward around individual: Elara. Vitality boosted to maximum threshold. Immunity to Kraken’s Dark Energy granted for a maximum duration of: 3 Weeks (21 Days) without the requirement of an environmental suit.]