Morning arrived quietly. Warm sunlight streamed through the gaps between the curtains and into the room. One hit him right on his face.

Silver opened his eyes slowly. The first thing he noticed was the absence of pain. The second thing he noticed was how strange that felt.

He sat up then experimentally rolled one shoulder. When he didn’t feel any pain, he bent sideways, but also nothing. Even his bruises had vanished.

Silver stared at himself.

"...This will always surprise me."

[Recovery Complete.]

The system sounded as emotionless as ever.

Silver stretched, every movement felt lighter and cleaner. His body hadn’t merely recovered, it felt stronger than before. The accumulated fatigue from the expedition had vanished entirely.

A pleasant surprise. It felt good to feel the constant weight in his body disappear.

Suddenly, he remembered something. The young ape core he had stored safely inside the system after killing it.

Silver sat up fully.

"System," he internally called.

[...]

"Can I integrate the ape core?"

There was a brief pause then several windows appeared.

[Analysis Complete.]

Integration Available.

Target: Boneplate Ape

Type: Strength

Tier: 3 𝒻𝑟ℯℯ𝑤𝑒𝑏𝑛𝘰𝓋𝑒𝓁.𝒸𝑜𝘮

Compatibility: High

Silver nodded slowly. That part made sense especially with his soul. The real question came next.

"Will it affect my space abilities?"

[No.]

That was reassuring.

"Will it interfere with my first tattoo?"

[No.]

Another good answer that almost made him smile. Silver crossed his arms.

"What about the usual waiting period?"

That part really mattered. Every contractor knew the rule, after obtaining a tattoo most people waited. Sometimes it took weeks or months depending on how cautious a contractor is.

The soul needed time to stabilize before accepting another integration. Trying to force it could damage the soul. In severe cases, kill the contractor.

The system answered immediately.

[Host Status differs from standard contractor parameters.]

Silver narrowed his eyes. Although he had had his limits removed, he was still just a new contractor. It’s best to be cautious.

"Explain."

[System Assisted Synchronization Active.]

Several additional screens appeared.

Current Soul Stability: 98%

Recommended Minimum: 60%

Silver blinked. He could never get used to that number.

[Conclusion:]

Immediate integration possible.

Risk: Negligible

Silver sat quietly as he thought. This was another advantage, another cheat he somehow had. A rookie contractor integrating two beasts within days of each other would sound insane.

Yet according to the system, he could safely do it. His gaze drifted toward the morning sunlight then back toward the notification.

The answer felt obvious.

"Begin integration."

[Integration Accepted.]

[Retrieving core.]

A golden light appeared above his palm, and the stored core emerged. Unlike the squirrel’s essence, the ape’s core looked powerful and dense, almost heavy. Even sitting motionless, it radiated strength.

Silver immediately understood why contractors respected beast cores so much. They weren’t merely materials, they were condensed evolution and power.

The core floated forward, toward his chest to the existing tattoo and sank in. Silver expected pain; instead, he felt immense pressure, like a weight settling into his body.

The golden energy started to spread. His muscles immediately tightened. The sensation spread everywhere every fiber of his body seemed to awaken.

The experience felt completely different from the squirrel. The space beast had felt light but this felt heavy.

Silver gritted his teeth. The sensation intensified. A second tattoo began forming along the right side of his chest.

Golden lines emerged beneath his skin. A roaring ape silhouette slowly started taking shape.

The process lasted several minutes then a pulse erupted throughout his body.

Silver’s eyes snapped open. The room seemed smaller, not physically, he simply felt much stronger.

The integration completed

[Integration Successful.]

New notifications immediately appeared.

[Second Beast Tattoo Acquired.]

Species: Boneplate Ape

Type: Strength

Tier: 3

[Ability Acquired.]

Primal Strength Lv1

~ Passive Ability

• Increases physical power and muscular efficiency.

[Ability Acquired.]

Iron Bones Lv1

~ Passive Ability

• Improves skeletal durability and resistance to impact.

Silver inhaled slowly then stood. The movement felt effortless. His body obeyed instantly. He walked toward a training weight resting in the corner of his room.

A decorative piece.

It was heavy enough that normal people struggled moving it. Silver grabbed it casually and effortlessly lifted it. He paused then looked at it.

"... Oh, this is better than expected," he mummbled to himself.

The weight felt far lighter than it should have, still, he could feel its weight. The difference wasn’t subtle.

The ape’s power had integrated perfectly. He felt as though the combination was almost perfect at the moment.

His space tattoo granted mobility.

His ape tattoo granted strength.

The combination felt natural and balanced.

The system appeared again.

[Synergy Detected.]

Current Build Assessment:

• Mobility-Type Combatant

• High Burst Potential

• Above Average Survivability

Silver smiled. For once the future seemed to be moving exactly the way he wanted. He just had to cross that one step during the meeting then he could prepare himself for the date with Ravenna. He was already starting to get excited.

But before he could busk in his newfound excitement, something embarrassing came to mind.

"System, can you show me the dating guide?"

[Basic Dating Guide Available.]

Open?

YES / NO

Silver hesitated. He had once been a soldier. He was a full adult and a functioning member of society; surely, he didn’t need a dating guide.

Three seconds later, a small sigh left him.

"Open."

[BASIC DATING GUIDE]

Objective: Increase positive emotional experiences between Host and Target.

Common Mistakes:

• Talking only about yourself.

• Staring excessively.

• Discussing former romantic interests.

• Treating the interaction like an interrogation.

• Bragging.

• Attempting to impress through wealth alone.

Silver immediately felt attacked, especially the staring and wealth part.

Recommended Behaviors:

• Listen actively.

• Ask questions.

• Be honest.

• Avoid pretending to be someone else.

• Observe target preferences.

Silver nodded. That was reasonable.

The guide continued.

Warning:

Every individual possesses unique preferences.

No universal strategy exists.

Silver almost laughed. That was probably the most useful advice so far. The guide wasn’t teaching manipulation it was teaching common sense. This honestly explained why most people ignored it.

The final section appeared.

Target Analysis:

Ravenna Arkland

Known Positive Responses:

• Genuine concern

• Practical assistance

• Honest communication

Known Negative Responses:

• Excessive arrogance

• Condescending behavior

• Obvious manipulation

Silver stared.

"...That seems obvious enough," he mummbled to himself, "I think I can pull this off without being weird. Just stick to the basics"

Silver dismissed the screen. At least now he possessed slightly more confidence. Unfortunately, his brain immediately reminded him of another problem.

What exactly did people do on dates in a post-apocalyptic world?

The old Earth answers probably didn’t apply. You couldn’t exactly visit a beach that had been eaten by giant beasts.

He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his hair. The thought would require more consideration later. For now, he had training.