Devourer's Legacy: I Regressed With The Primordial Crest
Chapter 71: First Beast Contract (3)

Chapter 71: First Beast Contract (3)

Renard stood in the empty room, just him, four walls, and the cage containing one very unhappy baby Keth’mor.

He’d chosen this room specifically because it was the most secure space available—no furniture to hide behind, no decorations that could create unexpected shadows, and most importantly, no way for a small serpent to slip away unnoticed.

The baby Keth’mor was coiled up in the far corner of its cage, looking absolutely furious about its current situation. Its brilliant blue scales seemed to shimmer with anger, and those golden eyes tracked Renard’s every movement like it was planning exactly where to bite him first.

Renard had to admit, even as a baby, the creature was impressive. Its scales already showed hints of the metallic sheen that would make adult Keth’mor nearly immune to most weapons. The golden eyes were bright and intelligent—this wasn’t some simple animal, but a thinking creature with its own personality and pride.

"Alright, little guy," Renard said softly as he approached the cage. "I know you’re scared and angry, but we need to have a conversation."

The snake’s response was immediate and clear—it hissed at him, a sound like steam escaping from a kettle. Its small body coiled tighter, ready to strike if he got too close.

Renard knelt down so he was at eye level with the cage. "I get it. Some humans hurt your mother and took you away from your home. You don’t have any reason to trust me."

Another hiss, this one even more aggressive. The baby’s head weaved back and forth.

"But here’s the thing," Renard continued, keeping his voice calm and steady. "You can either work with me, or you can spend the rest of your life in cages. Because that’s what’s going to happen if you don’t make a contract with someone. They’ll sell you to some collector who’ll keep you locked up just to show off to his friends."

The snake paused its weaving, those golden eyes fixed on his face.

Most people thought beasts were dumb animals that couldn’t understand humans. But Renard, who had spent a lifetime working alongside creatures of all kinds, knew better.

Beasts were intelligent. Not all of them, of course - just like there were stupid humans, there were stupid beasts. But he’d learned that many creatures could understand human speech, even if not the words, they could grasp the emotions behind them. Some of the smarter ones could even pick up on feelings and intentions.

That’s exactly what he was counting on now. If he could make this little serpent understand that he wasn’t an enemy, maybe he could avoid the struggle that was coming.

Slowly, very slowly, Renard reached for the cage latch. The baby Keth’mor immediately tensed, ready to defend itself. But Renard’s movements were careful and deliberate, giving the snake plenty of time to see what he was doing.

He opened the cage door and then sat back, not reaching inside.

"There," he said quietly. "The door’s open. You can leave anytime you want."

The baby snake stared at him in confusion.

For several minutes, neither of them moved. Renard sat patiently while the baby Keth’mor tried to figure out if this was some kind of trick. It kept looking from the open door to Renard’s face, clearly suspicious of the offer.

Finally, curiosity won over caution. The small serpent slowly uncoiled and slithered toward the cage opening. It paused at the threshold, golden eyes still watching Renard carefully, then emerged onto the table.

Immediately, it began looking for shadows to disappear into. But Renard had planned for this—the room was brightly lit from multiple angles, leaving no dark corners where the baby could hide.

The Keth’mor circled the table nervously, testing each potential escape route and finding none available. It was trapped, but not by bars this time. It was trapped by light and open space.

"I told you the door was open," Renard said gently. "I didn’t say escaping would be easy."

The snake turned to face him, and for the first time, Renard saw something other than pure hostility in those golden eyes. There was intelligence there.

"Here’s what I’m offering," Renard continued, extending his hand slowly toward the table. "Make a contract with me. Let’s work together."

The baby Keth’mor watched his approaching hand with focus.

Right when Renard thought the beast may have understood his words.... it attacked!

The small serpent lunged forward and bit down hard on Renard’s index finger. Its teeth weren’t fully developed yet, so the bite was more like being grabbed by very sharp needles than being stabbed. But the baby snake held on with grim determination, its golden eyes glaring at him with defiant pride.

"Ow," Renard said mildly, looking down at the small blue serpent hanging from his finger.

"Okay, you’ve made your point. You are a stupid snake."

The baby held on for another few seconds, then finally let go and dropped back onto the table. It coiled up again, but this time it didn’t retreat to the far edge. It stayed in the middle, watching him.

Renard examined his finger. There were small puncture marks where the teeth had gone in, but no real damage. More importantly, there was no venom—baby Keth’mor didn’t develop their poison glands until they were several months old.

"Feel better?" he asked the snake. "Got that out of your system?"

The small serpent tilted its head slightly, almost like it was considering the question.

Renard smiled. "Good. Now we can get down to business."

He pulled up his Providence status to check his abilities. The familiar blue text appeared in his mind:

[Providence State]

[Name: Renard Grim]

[Age: 14]

[Gender: Male]

[Zone: Essence Zone]

[Title: Devourer’s Heir]

[Blood Crest: Eternal Hunger (Primordial - Partially Awakened) | Wild Heart (Royal)]

[Crest Abilities: Devour (F) | Prajna (F) | Pact of the Wild (F) | Guardian Beast Sigil (F)]

[Stolen Abilities (0/2):]

[Devoured Abilities (2/2): Beast Mimicry (F) | Night Vision (F)]

[Sealed Abilities: Devourer’s Rage (F)]

It was time to use his Pact of the Wild ability.

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