The First Vampire Beast Tamer

"Ahhh… my head hurts…"

I groaned as I woke up, the pounding in my skull feeling like a war drum. Blinking a few times, I sat up, trying to make sense of my surroundings. "Where am I?" I mumbled, looking around.

It didn't take long to remember. I was inside the chief's tent, lying on the ground. "Huh... must've passed out," I muttered, rubbing my head. Standing up, I looked around the tent—it was empty. "Where did everyone go?"

Then, the noise hit me.

"Yayayaya! Hoooo! Tyayaya!"

"What the hell is that?" I whispered, following the loud sounds coming from outside. I stepped out of the tent, and my jaw almost hit the ground.

There was a full-blown bonfire party happening in the clearing. The forest surrounded the village-like setup, where big and small dogs were dancing around the massive bonfire. Their howls echoed into the night, wild and joyous. The firelight illuminated the scene, making the whole thing look like something out of a dream—or a fevered hallucination.

"They're celebrating your arrival, our savior, and the fact that you killed Zirthal, the Guardian Serpent," came a sudden voice from beside me.

I didn't flinch. After everything I'd been through, surprises had started losing their edge. Turning my head, I saw Captain standing nearby, his stance formal and protective, as though he'd been guarding the tent while I slept.

I pointed toward the commotion with a lazy gesture, my tone dry. "Now, after checking the nest, do you believe me?"

Captain lowered his head in submission, his voice humble. "I deeply apologize for the behavior we showed you, our savior."

Well, that was unexpected. But, honestly, I couldn't blame them. If a toddler walked up to me and claimed they'd killed a giant snake, I'd probably laugh them off too. So, I shrugged it off.

"Forget it," I said, waving a hand. "I'd probably act the same if the roles were reversed. Let bygones be bygones." I tilted my head toward the bonfire, curiosity sparkling in my eyes. "So… what am I looking at here?"

Captain followed my gaze to the clearing. "That," he said, nodding, "is a fruit we gathered from the forest for you. We thought you might be hungry after sleeping for so long."

My mouth watered instantly.

On second thought, aren't these dogs just adorable? I couldn't help but grin, my stomach growling in agreement. Looking up at Captain with wide, sparkling eyes, I clasped my hands together dramatically.

"Are you an angel?" I asked, my voice dripping with gratitude. "Sent from heaven just for me?"

I followed Captain toward the bonfire, where everyone was enjoying themselves.

The chief was seated near the center of the gathering, calmly watching the others dance and howl around the flames. As he saw me approaching, he stood up and let out a loud, commanding howl, one that seemed to reverberate through the clearing.

In an instant, the entire celebration froze. Every one stopped mid-movement, turning their heads toward me. Their eyes shone with admiration, curiosity, and something else—reverence.

Now, this… this was a little too much. I've never been the "center of attention" type, not even in my previous life. All this fanfare and adulation? Way outside my comfort zone. My palms were sweating, my legs shaking like a kid walking into their first day of school after being sweet-talked by their parents about how "it's going to be fine."

The chief began walking toward me, his commanding presence making the other wolves part like waves before him. I froze in place as he stopped just a few feet away.

He raised his voice, loud and booming, as he declared, "ASHMANE, BOW YOUR HEAD TO YOUR SAVIOR TO YOUR LORD—TO THE ONE WHO SLAIN THE GUARDIAN SERPENT!"

As if on cue, every one in the clearing dropped to the ground, bowing as low as possible.

To me.

The guy who doesn't even know if he'll survive another day in this crazy world.

It was surreal, like time itself had come to a standstill. The flames of the bonfire crackled, but no one moved. No one spoke. Everything was still and silent.

And then, amidst that silence, a sound echoed in my ears as a system window popped up.

>Congratulations! You have earned the loyalty of the Ashmane Direwolf Tribe.

You can now create a pact with the entire tribe and summon your tamed beasts anytime, anywhere.

>New Title Unlocked:

"Beast Lord"

I barely paid attention to the notifications, too overwhelmed by the sheer gravity of the moment. My mouth felt dry, and my voice wavered slightly as I said, "Please… stand up. Let's not ruin the mood. Carry on with the party, hah!"

The chief rose first, his towering frame blocking part of the firelight as he stepped closer. Without warning, he picked me up like a tuft of fur and plopped me onto his back. He howled again, his deep voice rolling through the air like thunder.

"KEEP DANCING, EVERYONE! TODAY WE CELEBRATE TO DEATH! HAHAHA!" he bellowed, his booming laughter shaking the clearing as the wolves resumed their wild celebration.

As the atmosphere came alive once more, the chief reached into a nearby basket, plucking some fruits and handing them to me. They looked bright, juicy, and downright irresistible.

"Please enjoy the night," he said, smiling warmly. "It's dedicated to you, our Lord."

For a moment, I forgot everything—the madness of this world, the dangers I'd faced, even the embarrassment of earlier. All I could think about was how delicious those fruits looked. My mouth was already watering as I reached for them.

But then the chief added, "Ah, in all this excitement, I forgot to ask—what may we call you? What is our savior's name?"

Without a second thought, still focused on the fruit, I replied casually, "It's Silas. Silas Thorne, at your service, Chief."

The chief nodded, his expression growing even more respectful. "Silas Thorne," he repeated, almost reverently. "A name that will be remembered in Ashmane for generations to come."

I didn't respond. I was already halfway through my first bite of fruit, savoring the sweet, heavenly taste.

As I took the first bite, the sweet and slightly sour taste practically exploded in my mouth. It was so good you wouldn't believe me. I felt my eyes roll back as I let out a satisfied groan. "Ahhh, it's so good, so good!" I raved, devouring the fruit like a ravenous beast, one piece after another, without stopping. It was as if the fruit itself was compelling me to eat more.

"Ohhh my, if you desire so much to be one with your lord, let me help you. Okay?" I muttered to the fruit, as if it could hear me.

"Just one more, I promise. Just one more and I'll stop... gulp..."

With a final swallow, the last piece of fruit disappeared. Perfection. Absolute bliss. I leaned back against the chief's soft, cozy fur, letting out a satisfied sigh.

I didn't know what kind of good deed I must've done in my past life to deserve this, but I was loving this life more than the last. Ahh, so good—just lazying around, no worries, no responsibilities, nothing.

Ahmmm...

...

...

As I lay there relaxing, I suddenly remembered something. Oh, right—the system notifications! I'd completely forgotten about them. Let's see what they have to say.

The first one caught my eye:

>Congratulations!

You have earned the loyalty of the Ashmane Direwolf Tribe.

"Direwolf Tribe?" I read aloud, and my body froze. Ohhhh. They weren't dogs.

"Damn!" I muttered, realization dawning. That explains why they're so big and majestic! And here I was, thinking I was on some "Journey to the Mysterious Island" setting or something. Totally understandable, my bad, my bad.

"Wolves, huh? Cool, I guess," I said to myself, mentally noting the correction.

Let's move on. Next notification:

The whole tribe is now pacted under your command.

My eyes widened. "Whoa! So I get to have an entire army of wolves under me to do my bidding?"

A wicked grin spread across my face. "Now that's what we're talking about! I'm not gonna lift a single finger from now on. MUAHAHAHA!" I chuckled, imagining my lazy self surrounded by wolves doing all the hard work.

Next up:

>New Title Unlocked: Beast Lord

"Huh, Beast Lord?" I frowned. "What's this? Just a fancy title, no effect or anything? Hmm, whatever. I'm still pleased with the pact. What more could we ask for, don't we?"

I gave myself a mental pat on the back, relaxing further into the chief's fur. Life was finally looking up.