Hoxi and Bruce

The autumn morning, still thick with sleepiness, permeated the small town of Plint in Nortonholt County.

Hoxi Atmesia was sprawled by his window, his gaze fixed on a figure in the distance, drenched in sweat under the morning sun—the maiden Isla was practicing her morning knightly drills.

Her long golden hair was tied into a bun at the back of her head, with a few stray strands escaping their confines, damp with sweat and clinging to the flushed skin of her neck and forehead.

Crystal beads of sweat rolled down her rosy cheeks, seeping into the collar of her linen shirt.

At this moment, she gripped her training sword with both hands, raising it high above her head.

With a deep breath and a soft grunt, the sword tore through the air, slashing down!

Her fitted linen shirt tightened instantly, outlining the slender, supple, yet powerful curve of her waist.

Hoxi's gaze followed the fluid lines upward.

"It's quite round, isn't it?"

He nodded subconsciously, his eyes still fixed on the distance.

"From an astronomical perspective, a few minutes after sunrise, atmospheric refraction evens out, and the sun returns to a nearly perfect circular shape..."

"Hoxi, I hope you're talking about the sun."

A slightly stiff voice interrupted him.

Hoxi lowered his head. A brown-and-white muzzle rested on the windowsill, its wet black nose twitching slightly. Intelligent brown eyes were casting a slightly disdainful sideways glance at him.

It was his dog, Bruce.

That he could speak was no miracle.

Three days ago, when Hoxi transmigrated to this world of magic, a mysterious ball of light appeared in his mind.

Through simple exploration, he understood its core: it was a system that allowed him to gain "parsing points" by increasing others' favorability and use those points to draw "traits."

These traits could even be "gifted" to other targets.

So, after spending a day greeting townsfolk repeatedly to earn 10 points, Hoxi drew and gifted Bruce his first trait—

[Nortonholt Common Tongue]: You have mastered the common tongue of the Nortonholt region and its written form.

"Hoxi, you promised me we'd go to Fernandez!" Bruce lowered his voice, as if sharing a secret. "I heard a bard sing about it; the girls there don't wear pants, and their thighs are blindingly white."

"Of course, we're best buddies. But they wear skirts."

[Holt Region Cattle Dog · Bruce's Favorability Increased, Parsing Points +5]

Bruce's eyes immediately dimmed. "But will you... just die inexplicably like the old master? You collapsed the other day..."

Hoxi froze. He knew what Bruce was worried about.

The original owner of this body hadn't died "inexplicably" like his father.

It was because the Atmesia family bore an ancient pact with a demon:

If a descendant failed to awaken the sorcerer's talent within their bloodline by adulthood, not only would the power granted by the demon be revoked, but even their innate human bloodline power would be stripped away by the pact, leaving them a frail invalid until death.

And this once-prominent family's bloodline power had dwindled in recent generations, with no one able to awaken as a powerful sorcerer.

Less than a month remained until his adulthood.

The original owner, in despair, had taken an unknown secret medicine, leading to his death and allowing Hoxi to transmigrate here.

The thought of his hard-won new life potentially repeating the family's fate, turning him into a frail invalid to quietly decay in an unnoticed corner, sent a shiver down his spine.

He had to find a way.

That ball of light was his only lifeline: to draw traits that could reverse this body's destiny.

Looking at the furry creature before him, he remembered the little mongrel he used to own.

He stroked Bruce's head. "Bruce, do you trust me?"

"Of course, you're the one I trust most."

"That's enough," Hoxi said, his voice quiet but exceptionally firm. "I'll find a solution. We'll go to the magic capital—Fernandez—together."

[Holt Region Cattle Dog · Bruce's Favorability Increased, Parsing Points +5]

"Skipping training again?" a clear voice sounded by the window.

Isla had finished her practice at some point and was now standing outside the window.

She stared at the half-hearted guy before her. A hint of annoyance in her azure eyes quickly dissipated by more than half as she met his gaze.

A few weeks ago, Hoxi had actively sought out her teacher—Old Knight Edwin—hoping to learn basic knightly skills.

The old knight readily agreed and assigned her the task of basic instruction.

Isla taught meticulously, and Hoxi learned with exceptional seriousness. But in the past few days, this guy had suddenly stopped showing up.

She disliked this kind of half-hearted behavior.

"Basic knight training isn't... as difficult as you might imagine," Isla said, trying to keep her tone even, but a hint of admonishment couldn't help but slip out. "Giving up so easily..."

Hoxi looked into her clear blue eyes, a sense of helplessness welling up within him.

I'm not someone who likes to give up halfway, but time just didn't allow it.

Originally, Hexi had chosen to become a knight, which might have also granted him the extraordinary power to change his fate, but that path was too long, and the time left for him was dwindling.

He had to abandon this inefficient method and search for opportunities to quickly gain points.

"Isla," Hexi gently interrupted her, a sincere apology on his face. "I won't be coming to future training sessions. Thank you so much for your help during this time."

Seeing the disappointment in Isla's eyes, he took a small item from his pocket and handed it to her—a hair tie meticulously woven from supple cowhide, its style simple yet elegant.

Isla's beautiful blue eyes widened slightly, showing a hint of surprise.

Her fingertips unconsciously reached out and took the small object.

The leather band felt cool to the touch, yet it possessed excellent resilience and a gentle elasticity.

The words of refusal were on the tip of her tongue but unexpectedly got stuck.

How could this guy, like a block of wood, notice... my daily struggle with that unruly blonde hair every morning?

By the time she came to her senses and prepared to say something else, she saw Hexi wave his hand and turn to walk towards the woods outside the town with Bruce.

Watching his figure recede into the distance, Isla felt the still-warm leather tie on her fingertips, and the words she had held back finally burst out:

"T-tonight!" she suddenly raised her voice, then abruptly lowered it. "...Would you... like to go to the dance with me?"

The last few words were as light as a mosquito's hum, dissipating into the wind.

Hexi's footsteps didn't falter, as if he hadn't heard.

On the rustling, leaf-strewn forest path.

Hexi's attention was captured by the faint golden text appearing in his vision, completely oblivious to the girl's shouts and frustration behind him.

[Human · Isla's Favorability greatly increased, Analysis Points +15]

He unconsciously fiddled with the spare hair tie in his pocket, understanding dawning on him.

Giving gifts was indeed effective.

[Name: Hexi Atmesia]

[Race: Human]

[Level: 7]

[Class: None]

[Physique: 6] (Vitality, Stamina, Recovery, Toughness)

[Strength: 6] (Explosive Power, Absolute Strength, Physical Damage)

[Agility: 7] (Reaction Speed, Body Coordination, Precise Operation, Dynamic Balance)

[Intelligence: 10] (Logic, Knowledge, Memory, Analysis & Reasoning)

[Willpower: 10] (Faith, Intuition, Inner Perception, Mental Resistance)

[Charm: 16] (Personal Power, Leadership, Persuasiveness, External Appearance)

[Skills: None]

[Status:

Contract with Salamachis: Your bloodline power will be drained in 28 days]

[Equipped Traits: Empty, Empty]

[Available Traits:]