The First Vampire Beast Tamer

"…What was that?" I whispered, loosening my grip on Paws.

Still dangling from my hand, Paws gulped. "I-I don't know, nya… but it sounded close, nya."

"Go check whose scream was that, nya," Paws said, his voice shaky despite his usual snark. He floated a little higher, as if distance would protect him, his tail flicking nervously like any normal scaredy-cat.

"Go check? Me?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Wait a second—who's the system here, you or me?"

Paws, clearly irritated by the obvious, rolled his eyes. "Obviously me, you dumb human, nya!"

"Okay, okay," I said, raising my hands in mock surrender. "You're the system. Who's more brave? Who's more superior?"

Now, I know what you're thinking—how could I, a mere mortal (or undead), outsmart this supposed system cat? Well, here's the thing: you're taking him too seriously. Paws is dumber than he looks.

As expected, Paws puffed out his chest like he was about to receive a medal, his expression shifting from fear to pride in an instant. "Me, nya! I'm brave, I'm superior, nya!" he declared, his tail wagging like a victorious banner.

"Perfect," I muttered under my breath, hiding a smirk. This was going exactly as planned.

"So… won't you be going, oh brave and superior Sir Paws?" I said, putting on the sheepiest voice I could muster, like I was just so unworthy to even ask. "I mean… I'm just so lowly, and you're just so brave and mighty, surely you'll take care of this for me, right?"

Paws twitched, his pride clearly struggling with hesitation. "W-Well… you are right, nya," he said, though his voice wavered. "I suppose it's only natural for someone as brave as me to go, nya!"

Hah, got him! I thought triumphantly, barely keeping the smug grin off my face. That's how you handle a stupid cat, folks!

Paws floated off toward the direction of the scream, his little ears perked up but twitching nervously.

But as I watched him float away, the eerie silence around me suddenly felt heavier. A shiver ran down my spine. Maybe I shouldn't let him go alone. I mean… not because I'm scared or anything, just… you know, backup. Yeah, that's it. Totally not because I was scared. It's just this stupid baby body making my heart feel sensitive or something.

I followed behind Paws, trying to shake off the creeping sense of dread. After walking for a while, the sound of flowing water reached my ears. Ahead of us, a small river snaked its way through the forest, its crystal-clear surface glinting faintly in the dim light.

And there, lying on the left bank of the river, was a little girl.

She looked so out of place in the eerie wilderness that I hesitated, my voice coming out in a nervous whisper. "Paws… who is that?"

Paws floated just above my head, his tail flicking curiously as he tilted his head. "I don't know, nya," he replied, his voice unusually quiet.

We both stared at the girl, the quiet sound of the river the only thing breaking the silence.

Paws floated toward the girl, hovering just above her with a curious expression.

"Hey! What the hell are you doing?" I hissed, keeping my voice as quiet as possible.

I hurried over, trying to figure out what that insane cat was up to. Paws, of course, didn't bother answering. Instead, he was prying open the girl's eyelids with his tiny paws, inspecting her like some mad scientist.

"Are you serious right now?" I muttered, grabbing him by the tail and yanking him away. I tossed him gently to the side and glared at him. "Get the hell out of here! Are you crazy?"

Realizing I'd just shouted, I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. Cool, cool… it's fine. Just relax, I thought. I turned my attention back to the girl, who was lying there motionless on the ground.

She couldn't have been more than five years old, her small frame delicate and unmoving. Her hair was almost silver, shimmering like moonlight, and cascaded around her like a soft veil. Her face was exquisite—beautiful and cute, almost doll-like. The clothes she wore were old-fashioned, resembling something out of Victorian high society. They looked expensive, too, the kind of outfit someone high-born would wear in this world.

I stared at her, caught off guard by how surreal she looked. "Damn… she's beautiful, isn't she?" I muttered absentmindedly, letting my thoughts slip aloud.

And that was it. The devil in feline form had been waiting for his moment.

"What did you say, nya? Beautiful, nya?" Paws said, his sarcastic tone cutting through the air like a knife. His eyes sparkled with pure mischief.

"Ohhh myyyy, nyaaa," he continued, his voice rising theatrically. "I never thought you had this… sort… of… nya!" His expression shifted to exaggerated shock. "She's just a child, nya! YOU PEDO NYAAAA!"

His voice was so loud and accusing, I half-expected the heavens to open up and drop an FBI squad on my head.

"Wait, wait, WAIT!" I shouted, waving my hands frantically. "I didn't mean it like that, you bloody cat! I was just admiring—"

"Admiring, nya?" Paws interrupted, gasping as if he'd just discovered some terrible secret. "Oooh, nya! What DIRTY thoughts were you cooking up, nyaaa?" His dramatic expressions and scandalized tone made it even worse.

"Shut up!" I growled, lunging at him, desperate to silence his nonsense before he caused any more damage to my reputation. "I swear, if anyone hears this—"

As I grabbed for him, Paws darted away, still shouting at the top of his lungs. "PEDO NYAAAA! SOMEBODY SAVE THE CHILD NYAAA!"

But before I could catch him, a sudden sound froze both of us in our tracks.

A loud, rustling noise echoed through the woods—brushes and branches snapping, the sound of something rushing toward us.

My body tensed as I turned to face the direction of the noise. Whatever it was, it was coming fast.