Beasts of Valerius
I woke up in a world of interstellar beastmen and immediately adopted two un-shifted cubs I found in the wilderness.
After a month of careful nurturing, a rancher came looking for slave labor and set his sights on the beautiful little fox. Just as I was about to hand him over, a series of glowing text boxes materialized in front of my eyes.
[DON’T DO IT! DON’T DO IT! THAT’S THE YOUNG MASTER OF THE HOLT FAMILY!]
[Side character, keep him! When the Holts come looking for him, you’ll be set for life!]
I considered this for a moment, then offered the rancher the other cub—a scruffy, injured puppy.
The text boxes went wild.
[YES! IT’S THE DEMON KING! THE SIDE CHARACTER IS DOOMED!]
[You are looking at the apex predator of the entire Valerius Galaxy, the undefeated champion of 37 consecutive mech league tournaments!]
[Enjoy your three square meals a day in prison, side character. At least your future is stable!]
Me: …?
1
I froze, my hand hovering in mid-air.
The rancher grunted, impatient. "Well, miss? Are you selling or not?"
I looked down at Lucky, the little pup in my arms. He was tense, his back arched, ready to spring at a moment's notice.
I'd found Lucky and an elegant little fox, whom I’d named Foxy, on the same day. In this world, un-shifted cubs were still in their infancy.
Lucky was a terror. A month in, and he still wouldn’t let me near him. The toys I’d scrimped and saved to buy him were torn to shreds. The food I offered was unceremoniously kicked across the room.
Foxy, on the other hand, was a dream. He was soft and sweet, and he’d curl up with me every night, whining affectionately. After a long day of back-breaking labor, coming home to that beautiful little creature was the only thing that made it all bearable.
The rancher had offered me ten Alliance Credits a day to work on his farm. As a poor, displaced human, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
As if reading my mind, the text boxes flared to life again.
[You're the ditzy, sweet side character, not the villainess! Don't do something stupid!]
[The real villainess hasn't even shown up yet! Don't steal her lines!]
[This rancher is a cruel bastard! The hero will be beaten, and he'll blame you for it. He'll have you tortured!]
My hand trembled. I quickly pulled Lucky behind me and offered the rancher a strained, apologetic smile.
"Sorry, he's not for sale anymore."
I didn't know if the text was real, but I only had one life to lose.
After the rancher stormed off in a huff, I looked at the two cubs. Foxy’s fur was sleek and glossy; he practically radiated privilege. It was easy to believe he was some rich kid.
But Lucky… He was still filthy from refusing every attempt I made to bathe him, his fur matted with dried blood and dirt. His grey eyes were so cloudy they looked like they had cataracts. The galaxy's top warrior? This had to be a joke. Some kind of cosmic prank.
"Alright, time for dinner."
The fridge was nearly empty. I scraped together a "salad" of nutrient paste and canned meat. Foxy took one look at it, let out a pathetic whimper, and buried his face in my lap. I knew he found it disgusting.
"Sorry, little guy," I said with a wry smile. "We'll have something better tomorrow, I promise."
This planet was ruled by beastmen. Mechs and starships crisscrossed the sky. I didn't understand their technology, their culture, their anything. My only option was manual labor. It seemed that even in another universe, I couldn’t escape a life of grunt work.
Foxy finally relented, taking a few grudging bites before retreating to the sofa to sulk. The text boxes reappeared.
[Such a little manipulator! I'm melting, and I'm not even the one he's working on!]
[Send him to my house! Immediately!]
[Say goodbye to your old mommy, Foxy!]
[Where'd the Demon King go?]
That last one caught my attention. Right. Where was Lucky?
2
I found him in a dark corner of my bedroom, licking a wound on his paw. I approached slowly, holding out his bowl of food. He looked up, saw it was me, and immediately turned his back.
The text boxes were practically screaming at me.
[THE HERO IS ANGRY! COMFORT HIM, YOU FOOL!]
[He's mad you were going to sell him!]
[I've never seen the hero look like that! The side character is TOAST!]
I swallowed hard and pushed the bowl closer. "Eat up…"
He glanced at it, unimpressed.
"There's nothing else in the fridge," I mumbled, suddenly feeling pathetic. "I just had a tube of nutrient paste. You and Foxy are still growing, so I saved the canned stuff for you." The words tumbled out, a wave of self-pity washing over me. "I worked all day yesterday, and my boss refused to pay me. Said the design sketches I did weren't what he wanted."
Humans were a rare species here, and it was a miracle I wasn't locked away in some preserve. A long-dead Empress had passed a human protection act, allowing us some measure of freedom. But we were far from equal.
Lucky was silent for a moment, then he lowered his head and started to eat. Seeing him so focused, I brought over Foxy's uneaten portion.
"There's more here if you're still hungry," I said. "Sorry for… earlier. I know I've been giving Foxy the better treatment, but I've just been so broke..."
He froze, looking up at me. It was true. I had always favored the sweet, affectionate fox over the grumpy, standoffish pup. He let out a soft snort and turned away again. Such a moody little dog.
That night, I tossed and turned. Something had been bothering me, a detail I’d overlooked. The text boxes called me the "side character," and they called Lucky the "hero." Didn't that mean… I should be trying to get on his good side?
After a month of careful nurturing, a rancher came looking for slave labor and set his sights on the beautiful little fox. Just as I was about to hand him over, a series of glowing text boxes materialized in front of my eyes.
[DON’T DO IT! DON’T DO IT! THAT’S THE YOUNG MASTER OF THE HOLT FAMILY!]
[Side character, keep him! When the Holts come looking for him, you’ll be set for life!]
I considered this for a moment, then offered the rancher the other cub—a scruffy, injured puppy.
The text boxes went wild.
[YES! IT’S THE DEMON KING! THE SIDE CHARACTER IS DOOMED!]
[You are looking at the apex predator of the entire Valerius Galaxy, the undefeated champion of 37 consecutive mech league tournaments!]
[Enjoy your three square meals a day in prison, side character. At least your future is stable!]
Me: …?
1
I froze, my hand hovering in mid-air.
The rancher grunted, impatient. "Well, miss? Are you selling or not?"
I looked down at Lucky, the little pup in my arms. He was tense, his back arched, ready to spring at a moment's notice.
I'd found Lucky and an elegant little fox, whom I’d named Foxy, on the same day. In this world, un-shifted cubs were still in their infancy.
Lucky was a terror. A month in, and he still wouldn’t let me near him. The toys I’d scrimped and saved to buy him were torn to shreds. The food I offered was unceremoniously kicked across the room.
Foxy, on the other hand, was a dream. He was soft and sweet, and he’d curl up with me every night, whining affectionately. After a long day of back-breaking labor, coming home to that beautiful little creature was the only thing that made it all bearable.
The rancher had offered me ten Alliance Credits a day to work on his farm. As a poor, displaced human, it was an offer I couldn’t refuse.
As if reading my mind, the text boxes flared to life again.
[You're the ditzy, sweet side character, not the villainess! Don't do something stupid!]
[The real villainess hasn't even shown up yet! Don't steal her lines!]
[This rancher is a cruel bastard! The hero will be beaten, and he'll blame you for it. He'll have you tortured!]
My hand trembled. I quickly pulled Lucky behind me and offered the rancher a strained, apologetic smile.
"Sorry, he's not for sale anymore."
I didn't know if the text was real, but I only had one life to lose.
After the rancher stormed off in a huff, I looked at the two cubs. Foxy’s fur was sleek and glossy; he practically radiated privilege. It was easy to believe he was some rich kid.
But Lucky… He was still filthy from refusing every attempt I made to bathe him, his fur matted with dried blood and dirt. His grey eyes were so cloudy they looked like they had cataracts. The galaxy's top warrior? This had to be a joke. Some kind of cosmic prank.
"Alright, time for dinner."
The fridge was nearly empty. I scraped together a "salad" of nutrient paste and canned meat. Foxy took one look at it, let out a pathetic whimper, and buried his face in my lap. I knew he found it disgusting.
"Sorry, little guy," I said with a wry smile. "We'll have something better tomorrow, I promise."
This planet was ruled by beastmen. Mechs and starships crisscrossed the sky. I didn't understand their technology, their culture, their anything. My only option was manual labor. It seemed that even in another universe, I couldn’t escape a life of grunt work.
Foxy finally relented, taking a few grudging bites before retreating to the sofa to sulk. The text boxes reappeared.
[Such a little manipulator! I'm melting, and I'm not even the one he's working on!]
[Send him to my house! Immediately!]
[Say goodbye to your old mommy, Foxy!]
[Where'd the Demon King go?]
That last one caught my attention. Right. Where was Lucky?
2
I found him in a dark corner of my bedroom, licking a wound on his paw. I approached slowly, holding out his bowl of food. He looked up, saw it was me, and immediately turned his back.
The text boxes were practically screaming at me.
[THE HERO IS ANGRY! COMFORT HIM, YOU FOOL!]
[He's mad you were going to sell him!]
[I've never seen the hero look like that! The side character is TOAST!]
I swallowed hard and pushed the bowl closer. "Eat up…"
He glanced at it, unimpressed.
"There's nothing else in the fridge," I mumbled, suddenly feeling pathetic. "I just had a tube of nutrient paste. You and Foxy are still growing, so I saved the canned stuff for you." The words tumbled out, a wave of self-pity washing over me. "I worked all day yesterday, and my boss refused to pay me. Said the design sketches I did weren't what he wanted."
Humans were a rare species here, and it was a miracle I wasn't locked away in some preserve. A long-dead Empress had passed a human protection act, allowing us some measure of freedom. But we were far from equal.
Lucky was silent for a moment, then he lowered his head and started to eat. Seeing him so focused, I brought over Foxy's uneaten portion.
"There's more here if you're still hungry," I said. "Sorry for… earlier. I know I've been giving Foxy the better treatment, but I've just been so broke..."
He froze, looking up at me. It was true. I had always favored the sweet, affectionate fox over the grumpy, standoffish pup. He let out a soft snort and turned away again. Such a moody little dog.
That night, I tossed and turned. Something had been bothering me, a detail I’d overlooked. The text boxes called me the "side character," and they called Lucky the "hero." Didn't that mean… I should be trying to get on his good side?
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