Name is given by Death. These are not just words, but a sign, a symbol that you have been recognized. It is proof that death has become your family and the thread that connects you to death itself. By giving you strength, it also becomes a chain for control.

Death, in turn, does not interfere in the affairs of its apostles. But if someone is disobedient, they will be punished instantly.

"So, you're saying that death made him its apostle but didn't give him a name. Who is he?"

"A human," the interlocutor replied.

"Are you kidding me?... Well, forget it," said the hero, turning around. He saw a huge wolf, full of muscles but without skin or fur, just with slightly darkened flesh, as if it had just begun to decay.

Taking the sphere from the slime that had become after the decay of Alpha's previous flesh, the hero threw it right at Alpha. When it touched her, the sphere burst like a bubble, and all the black slime began to be absorbed into the muscles. The body began to shrink, and the sound of cracking bones was heard. Then the muscles began to blacken, and after that, the skin began to grow, followed by fur.

Before the hero's eyes appeared a small wolf, the size of an average dog. After everything was over, the little wolf did not get up. He just continued to sit on the sand.

"It's done. Only the soul remains... Hmm, what to do?" the hero thought. If he had more time, he would have studied these empty souls. But he had less than ten minutes left.

"Hmm... What if I... No, it won't work. Or maybe not... What if I don't? Ah, do you have a good book, soul?"

"Name is given by Death. It is not just words, but a sign, a symbol that you have been recognized. It is proof that death has become your family and a thread that ties you to death itself. By giving you strength, it also becomes a chain to control you.

Death, in turn, does not interfere in the affairs of its apostles. But if someone is disobedient, they will be instantly punished.

"So you mean that Death made him its apostle, but didn't give him a name. Who is he then?"

"A man," replied the interlocutor.

"Are you mocking me?... Mmm, it doesn't matter," said the hero, turning around. He saw a huge muscular wolf, but without skin or fur, only slightly darkened meat, as if it had just started to rot.

Taking the ball from the slime that became after the decay of the Alpha's previous flesh, the hero threw it right at Alpha. When it touched her, the ball burst like a bubble, and all the black slime began to be absorbed into the muscles. The body began to shrink, the sound of bones crunching was heard. Then the muscles began to darken, and after that, the skin began to grow, and then the fur.

Before the hero's eyes, a small wolf appeared, the size of a medium-sized dog. After everything was done, the little wolf did not get up. He just sat on the sand.

"Finished. Only the soul remains... Hmm, what to do?" thought the hero. If he had time, he would have studied these empty souls. But he had less than ten minutes left.

"Hmm... Do you have a good book, soul?"

"Yes, but what will you offer in exchange?" replied the book.

"This is my gift. For my... what's his name? Ah?... Mmm, never mind. This is my gift for him."

"Pay!"

"What a miser, that's all. Energy and the soul of a wolf and a gorilla. The first one has already completely fallen, and the second one is almost empty. But they are not suitable. So, I need another one. Come on, show me the list."

"Accepted. You can exchange all of this for the following souls: 1 Beast Soul, 2 Magical Beast Souls, 3 Holy Beast Souls."

"That's it? Where's the demonic one? Greedy creature, open it up."

"Pay!"

"Ah!!... You ungrateful bastard, a particle of humanity. With this, your master can heal his wounds a little."

"Accepted. You can exchange all of this for the following souls: 1 Beast Soul, 2 Magical Beast Souls, 3 Holy Beast Souls, 4 Demonic Beast Soul..."

"The soul of the Demonic Beast. The soul of the Black Hound."

"Accepted. Exchange starting in 3, 2, 1... Exchange successful. Thank you for the exchange."

"Wow, what a bitch. At least he said thank you... It's good to have the right kind of soul... With you, everyone's asshole will be blown out."

Taking the Black Hound's soul in his hand, he infused it into the body of the black wolf. After the soul entered the body, it began to change. Several spikes appeared all over the body, and two horns grew on the head. The tail with a needle at the end completely transformed and became similar to a dog's tail, and very soft to the touch.

His mouth filled with teeth, and the eyes that looked at the Duke turned black. Rising to his feet, the hound looked around in confusion, then tried to move one paw and then the other. It seemed as if he was learning to walk. Seeing the Duke in front of him, he began to sniff him.

"You gave me a good soul," said the Duke. "He'll adapt quickly and can think rationally, not just act on instinct. This is exactly what I need. Now I just need to give him a name. Not Yato, not Tenbris... Well, let the boy come up with a name for him. After all, I won't be taking care of him."

After petting the dog several times, the Duke put him on the sand, and he closed his eyes. After that, he looked at the tattoo where the book was sitting. Watching the tattoo, he began to reminisce about past days and even touched it several times. After a minute passed, he broke the silence, saying:

"I have to go. Teach and tell him about the price of my summoning and the gift."

"Mmm... Five more minutes. The lock... Oh right, I've been reborn." - Standing up, he looked at the black wolf.

The black wolf licked his face. Seeing the man stand up, the wolf stopped and stepped back a few paces. Then it sat down on the sand and watched him.

"What kind of wolf is this, and where is it from? What happened after I fell asleep? Ah, the pain...mmm... it hasn't gone away. What is this pain?" Suddenly, a blue panel appeared with the words:

"Congratulations. You survived this battle. But it's too early to celebrate. This world is full of danger and monsters thirsting for your soul."

"Can you tell me who he is and where he came from?" he asked, pointing to the black wolf wagging its tail.

"This is the Black Hound, a demonic beast. It can control shadows and, like any magical creature, can evolve. To do this, you need to feed it magical items or souls. It has several dog leashes. Description: The Black Hound is located in the upper layers of hell. It hunts enemies hiding in the shadows. Shadows are like home to it. And those who try to disturb it will experience what darkness is like."

"Cool... But where did he come from?" he almost shouted and pointed his finger at the wolf, who wagged its tail and turned its head away.

"This is your reward!" replied the stranger.

"What reward for?" skeptically asked the first one.

"For survival. In addition, you get access to tasks. They are not mandatory, but completing them can be rewarded with very valuable items," explained the stranger.

"Show me the tasks," requested the first one.

"Here are the tasks:

Learn to survive. You are still too weak. To increase your chances of survival, learn to use one offensive spell.

Ways of the Necromancer. A necromancer without tools and servants is nobody. Create your first staff that you will command.

Undead. The dead are like air to a necromancer. But sometimes it's better to have a few strong ones than many weak ones. Kill a few strong enemies and turn them into undead," the stranger read.

"Hmm. This sounds more like an RPG. Who are you, book? Tell me, what did I pay for this summoning, and what is humanity?" the first asked.

"Summoning uses the help of Ancestors to temporarily transfer control of the body to one of the previous owners. Summoning requires energy and humanity to be paid. Energy, which is in you and in my reservoir, is called necro energy or energy of the dead. It is gathered from corpses and ghosts. Humanity is a part of the soul that represents everything that can be called human. Without it, you will lose all emotions and become numb. Humanity is also called faith, which every believer must have. Currently, your soul is wounded and needs healing."

"I don't understand what humanity is. Energy is understandable, but something's wrong with this. Could you explain it differently?"

"Imagine a bottle of water. You can fill it, but you can't take the water out without breaking the bottle and creating a hole. In this case, the bottle is your soul, and the liquid inside is humanity, representing your life, feelings, and emotions. Humanity is the energy that nourishes your soul and allows you to preserve the human element. I hope you understand now."

"I understand, but how to heal my wound?"

"You must consume the soul. The more powerful the enemy, the stronger their soul. Be careful, a strong soul may resist yours and strive for dominance. If you lose, you'll become a slave or disappear."

"I can't understand what humanity is and what to do with an adult wolf, or rather, a dog... Come here."

Upon hearing the command, the black hound stood up and approached its owner.

Seeing how the dog joyfully began to lick his hand, he allowed her to enjoy it for a moment. Then the dog sat down on its haunches and began to wag its tail from side to side.

"Truly like a dog. Do you have a name?" he asked, looking at his hand. After this, he instinctively wiped his hand on himself. "Damn, I forgot I'm naked."

Looking at the dog, he noticed that she shook her head from side to side. Answering his question, she said she didn't have a name.

"How can I call you then? Maybe Imperium... No, then maybe Annino?"

Upon hearing the suggested name, the dog thought for a few seconds. Then she stood up and began to jump and play.

"As I understand it, you're happy. Then it will be Annino, or just Ann, or even An. And now let's go. I don't want any more surprises. But first, we need to gather our things."

As soon as he finished speaking, the dog, like hot wax, ran into the shade. He waited for a few seconds, then returned with all the belongings.

There was a wooden stick, a beetle horn, a saw, as well as teeth and a few hairs from a bat. The only thing missing was his cloak. He forgot he was already wearing it. The most important thing was how to carry all these things.

"Hey, Annino, can you somehow keep these things in the shade?"

The dog looked for a few seconds and nodded in response, confirming its readiness to carry out the task. After that, it went to the blue panel that read:

"Attention: The world that uses the Black Hound is small, and it will take time to transport or retrieve necessary items. Therefore, I recommend being more careful and selective about what you want to give your servant."

"So, I only need to give away those things that I definitely won't need in battle. Now please move those items," the man said.

Annie took the objects in her mouth and disappeared for a few seconds to transport them to her small world. After completing the task, the dog returned and sat down, barking a few times to let her owner know everything was ready.

"Good girl. You did so well," the man praised the dog, petting her head for a few minutes. Then he stood up and looked around, saying thoughtfully, "Where should we go now? Staying here would expose us to danger. Hm, Annie, do you sense any enemies nearby?"

The dog barked a few times at her owner and then pointed her head in a direction.

"What are you trying to tell me? I don't understand. Book, do you understand what he's saying?" the man asked.

"He warned you that enemies are in that direction," the book replied.

"Okay. Then let's go in the opposite direction," he said, turning around and slowly walking away from where he woke up. The dog happily followed him.

Looking at his hands, he noticed his copy, which he had restored while waiting for Annie. He saw a lot of sand covered in blood and meat, as well as rocks and one huge stone, but they all disappeared behind the trees. Only now did he realize that there were a few trees near the burrow. But that no longer mattered. They needed to get away as far as possible now.