Bruce

Biodata

Feature	Details
Name	Bruce (布鲁斯)
Alias(es)	“Dog Mage” 291
Species/Race	Holt Region Cattle Dog 2
Gender	Male 46
Affiliation	Hoxi/He Xi Atmesia; Dragon Fang adventurer team 46
Occupation/Role	Magical pet and canine contracted monster; tracker, scout, and combat companion 46
Status	Alive 534
First Appearance	Chapter 1

Power Progression

Stage / Realm / Level	Chapter	Notes
Nortonholt Common Tongue	1	Hoxi draws and gifts Bruce a trait granting spoken and written Nortonholt Common Tongue, allowing him to communicate with humans.
Shadow Dodge	111	Hoxi grants Bruce the trait; Bruce can merge into shadows, making him highly effective at scouting and ambushes.
Sleepy Knight’s Bracelet	113, 168	The bracelet improves Bruce’s strength and stealth. Its awakening raises him to level 11; Hughes’s blessing temporarily brings him to level 12.
Weak Red Dragon Bloodline	133	Bruce develops fire-resistant scales, flame breath, Burning Claw, and fire-based aerial movement; emotional arousal strengthens the bloodline’s output.
Thick Hide	162, 168	Hoxi temporarily transfers Thick Hide to improve Bruce’s resistance to physical impacts during the Gnoll fight.
Extraordinary Lifespan	267	Hoxi selects and transfers an entry that extends Bruce’s lifespan.

Background / History

Bruce was Hoxi Atmesia’s brown-and-white dog when Hoxi transmigrated into the magical world. Three days after the transmigration, Hoxi used his trait-drawing system to gift Bruce Nortonholt Common Tongue, making the dog capable of speech and literacy. Bruce quickly became Hoxi’s most trusted companion and shared his goal of eventually reaching Fernandez. 1

Early in their travels, Bruce accompanied Hoxi into the forest, where he openly worried about who would protect them if they encountered a powerful creature. Although he dreamed of learning fire magic, he initially recognized that he was still physically just a dog. 2

When Hoxi registered as an adventurer under the name Galen, he introduced Bruce to Dragon Fang as his juvenile canine contracted monster. Bruce’s sharp smell and hearing made him useful for tracking and vigilance, while his ability to speak made an immediate impression on Hulk, Belt, Laila, and Zoya. 46

Hoxi steadily strengthened Bruce with extracted traits and equipment. Shadow Dodge turned him into a capable infiltrator, while the Weak Red Dragon Bloodline finally fulfilled his ambition to wield fire—though its first manifestation set his hindquarters ablaze. 111 133

Appearance

Bruce is a brown-and-white cattle dog whose ordinary hound-like appearance contrasts sharply with his intelligence, speech, and magical fire abilities. 1 498

• Brown-and-white muzzle, wet black nose, and intelligent brown eyes. 1
• Generally resembles a well-proportioned hunting hound with a glossy coat. 498
• His Red Dragon bloodline transformed his skin into fire-resistant scales and left part of his hindquarters and tail area scorched bare. 133 498
• Can emit flames from both his mouth and hindquarters. 135 347

Personality

Bruce is deeply loyal to Hoxi and regards him as the person he trusts most. He worries about Hoxi’s health and safety, follows his instructions even when reluctant, and becomes fiercely protective when Hoxi or his companions are threatened. 1 85 258

He is also food-motivated, vain, mischievous, and easily flattered. Meat pies, bones, sweet biscuits, and the prospect of attention can quickly change his attitude. He enjoys acting knowledgeable around others—particularly Lionel—even when his “fire magic techniques” are mostly pranks. 76 347

Despite his comic behavior, Bruce has considerable ambition. He rejects the idea that his potential comes solely from inherited bloodline, insists that he has improved through hard work, and dreams of one day possessing a lair of his own. 451 498

Abilities & Skills

Speech and Literacy

Bruce received Nortonholt Common Tongue from Hoxi’s system.

• Speaks with humans and introduces himself without prompting. 46
• Can read books and converse with the mage Bruno. 324
• His speech allows him to serve as an unusually capable magical pet and intermediary. 46 347

Tracking and Detection

Bruce’s natural canine senses make him a reliable scout.

• Tracks targets through scent, including a suspicious figure through Rose Town. 98
• Led Dragon Fang to the source of blood in a Kobold mine. 117
• Detected and exposed an invisible attacker by biting their thigh. 503
• Can locate allies over long distances by scent. 412

Shadow Dodge

Shadow Dodge lets Bruce conceal himself in darkness and strike from unexpected angles.

• His body becomes difficult to discern after entering shade. 111
• Used for reconnaissance, infiltration, and hiding during dangerous encounters. 139 259
• Combined with his small size and agility to ambush Gnolls from the flank. 168

Weak Red Dragon Bloodline

Bruce’s Red Dragon bloodline gives him destructive fire abilities and enhanced resilience.

• Breathes concentrated flames capable of scorching enemies and disrupting spellcasting. 135 258
• Uses Burning Claw to tear through shields and burn opponents at close range. 135 168
• Uses fire from his hindquarters for sudden changes in direction while airborne. 135
• His fire breath helped Hoxi weaken an enemy mage’s shield. 260
• His maximum output depends on intense emotion, especially anger. 136
• Early use was unstable and repeatedly set his hindquarters on fire. 133

Combat Coordination

Bruce fights effectively alongside Hoxi rather than independently.

• Hoxi can use telepathic communication to coordinate with him silently. 144 215
• Hoxi can observe through Bruce’s eyes using Eye of the Storm, turning Bruce’s scouting into remote reconnaissance. 215
• He combines his flames and claws with Hoxi’s Earth Spike Technique to interrupt and overwhelm spellcasters. 258
• Protected the injured Kazmir during the wasteland spider and wyvern attack. 408

Equipment / Items

• Sleepy Knight’s Bracelet — Improves Bruce’s strength and stealth; its awakening contributes to his rise to level 11. 113 168
• Short sword — Carried in his mouth while accompanying Hoxi through Blackwater Swamp. 202

Relationships

• Hoxi / He Xi Atmesia — Owner, master, and closest companion. Hoxi gifts Bruce traits, trains his powers, and extends his lifespan; Bruce trusts him completely and calls him “Mistress.” 1 133 267
• Zoya — Bruce accepts Zoya as his “Mistress” and tries to encourage a relationship between her and Hoxi. 223 324
• Dragon Fang — Accepted as Galen’s unusual contracted monster and contributes tracking, scouting, and combat support to the team. 46 111
• Lionel — An admiring listener who treats Bruce as an authority on fire magic, allowing Bruce to indulge his mischievous side. Bruce later borrows 15 Gold Shields from him. 347 498
• Kazmir — Bruce guards Kazmir after the bard is severely injured fighting a wyvern. 408
• Fivik — Remains with Bruce while Hoxi is absent and later discusses the dangers of dragon lairs in front of him. 311 451

Story Role / Major Arcs

• Early companion — Supports Hoxi after his transmigration, gains speech through a gifted trait, and accompanies him into the forest to seek stronger traits. 1 2
• Dragon Fang recruit — Joins Hoxi’s adventuring life as a tracker and contracted monster, earning the team’s acceptance despite his unusual speech. 46
• Scout and ambusher — Gains Shadow Dodge and becomes increasingly effective at stealth, tracking, and surprise attacks. 111 168
• Red Dragon awakening — Receives the Weak Red Dragon Bloodline, struggles to control its flames, then humiliates and defeats members of the Shadowless Squad who mock him. 133 135 136
• Black-robed enemy battles — Works with Hoxi against hostile spellcasters, disrupting spells with fire breath and close-range flame attacks. 258 260
• Academy companion — Demonstrates literacy and speech before Bruno, then becomes Lionel’s self-appointed and highly questionable fire-magic instructor. 324 347
• Later adventuring — Continues serving as a fire-support fighter, protector, tracker, and detector of hidden enemies. 408 503

Notable Quotes

“Hello everyone, I’m Bruce. Male, likes females.” 46

“I, Bruce, have never relied on any parents! I got where I am today through my own day-after-day hard work!” 498

Trivia

• Bruce’s first extracted trait was Territory Scent Mark, a urine-based ability for precisely marking boundaries and important locations. 2
• He requires roughly fifteen hours of sleep per day under his normal routine. 23
• He was once mistakenly addressed as “Miss Bruce” during an attempt to conceal Zoya’s identity. 355
• Bruce wants a lair of his own and believes his ability to have several puppies per litter could make him more “efficient” than a dragon. 451