Chapter 6: Clack, Clack, Clack

After lunch, Mu Huiyue finally decided to get out of bed and tidy herself up.

The little skeleton helped clear the dishes, returning them to the cafeteria. Mu Huiyue quickly washed her face and brushed her teeth, then let out a small yawn. She immediately felt tired again, almost tempted to crawl back into bed.

The doctor’s words had been a bit difficult to fully grasp, but the gist of it was clear: if it weren’t for her rare Beast Space ability, the aftereffects of traveling through the secret realm without protection wouldn’t have been so simple. Feeling just a bit exhausted was the least of her worries.

Her health report didn’t mention anything about a second Beast Master ability. For now, the secret space she shared with Eren was something only Mu Huiyue and her skeleton companion knew about.

Regarding the system functions in Elf Ranch Story, during her few days of rest at home, Mu Huiyue took the time to thoroughly explore the features. Most of the functions were similar to the mobile games she had played before, only this time, they were more tailored for nurturing the extraordinary creatures of this world, rather than the fantasy elves of the original game.

At the moment, there was only a barren World Tree in her Beast Space. Before unlocking any other facilities, it seemed the only option available was to draw cards.

Of course, drawing cards was an art in itself.

Let’s not even get into the advanced techniques. The basic skill was to leverage the card pool’s bonuses.

Like most mobile games, the items in Elf Ranch Story’s card pool were divided into four ranks: White (N), Blue (R), Gold (SR), and Rainbow (SSR). The further you went, the rarer the items, but also the smaller the chances of drawing them.

Single draws were more likely to yield common N and R items, while a ten-roll guaranteed at least one SR-tier item, thanks to the game’s “safety net.”

Mu Huiyue’s previous pulls had given her a simple N-tier physique fruit, and an R-tier C-level skill book titled Shadow Cloak.

Back in the mobile game era, Elf Ranch Story often held limited-time events. During these events, special rare items and exclusive elf characters were drawn. On regular days, the card pool was a mixed bag, with anything and everything up for grabs.

Mu Huiyue didn’t see any event promotions on the game interface, and even the item list for the usual card pool was missing. However, the ten-roll guarantee still remained.

Earlier, her single draws in the secret realm had been out of necessity. Now that the danger was gone, Mu Huiyue decided to tackle the newbie tasks first, build up to a ten-roll, and ensure she got at least some gold-glimmering rewards.

She opened the task bar and scrolled down through the available missions.

[Newbie Task: Contract your first pet.] (Completed √)

[Newbie Task: Learn a skill.] (Completed √)

[Newbie Task: Try feeding your pet.] (Incomplete ○)

[Newbie Task: Engage in a battle.] (Incomplete ○)

[Newbie Task: Develop a ranch facility.] (Incomplete ○)

…

Including the tasks she’d already completed, Mu Huiyue only needed to feed her pet and complete her first battle to gather enough spirit water drops for a ten-roll.

She glanced at the task for feeding her pet. It had been days since leaving the secret realm, and she still hadn’t fed the little skeleton anything. Despite that, the little guy was still full of energy, even helping the mentally drained Beast Master. Mu Huiyue had completely forgotten about feeding it.

But, what exactly should she feed the little skeleton?

Mu Huiyue fell into deep thought. Most extraordinary creatures had feeding habits related to their forms. Animals and plants were easier to figure out, but creatures of elemental forms often consumed energy corresponding to their attributes. But what about undead creatures?

Eren hadn’t returned yet, so Mu Huiyue didn’t have anyone to ask. She decided to pull out her phone and search for answers.

The internet in this world had developed rapidly, and with the existence of mental beasts, language barriers were no longer an issue. True zero-distance communication was now possible.

Several pages of results popped up, clearly, she wasn’t the only one asking. Mu Huiyue clicked on the first link.

[What do little skeletons like to eat?]

I work at a haunted house in an amusement park. Recently, we got a batch of little skeletons, and they’ve been working for almost a month without eating anything. They seem to be doing fine, but what should I feed them?

1L: That’s beyond my knowledge, moving on.

2L: Little skeletons are definitely undead. Do they even need to eat?

4L: Technically, all extraordinary creatures take in energy somehow to sustain themselves, so the little skeleton must eat something.

5L: Isn’t there a lot of urban legends? Undead creatures suck human life force or something… Are the little skeletons eating the life force of the guests?

6L: Dude, that’s pretty direct. Now I’m not so sure about going to the haunted house…

7L: To reply to 5L, succubi feed on human desires, not life force. It has nothing to do with undead creatures.

8L: Succubi are high-ranking dark-type creatures. If there was a chance to contract one, I’d be more than happy to let them drain my desires.

Original Poster: No, no, the NPCs in the haunted house make sure to keep guests safe. We don’t use any creatures with negative effects. Actually, these little skeletons are very professional. They’re perfect for guests who don’t like hardcore horror. Last month, our branch’s sales increased a lot. I just feel bad they’ve been working for so long without food, they’re really going all out…

…

22L: Let me explain in detail. Little skeletons are both dark-type and undead-type extraordinary creatures. Some races in these two attributes tend to “feed on emotional energy,” to put it plainly, it’s the emotions that intelligent beings—especially humans—produce. The succubi mentioned above actually feed on “desire,” so they don’t take life force, but rather the sense of emptiness humans feel after losing their desires.

According to research, the little skeletons prefer the least harmful type of emotional energy. They mostly like the “acceptance” or “sense of recognition” that humans feel toward them. The fact that these little skeletons have worked for a month without food suggests that the OP has a very strong sense of recognition toward them.

23L: Wow, I’ve never heard of a pet that eats emotions before!

24L: To clarify, they don’t actually consume emotions. These extraordinary creatures just need to be around emotions that match their feeding preference to gain energy, especially from their contractors. As long as the OP is treating them well, they won’t be greatly affected.

Original Poster: Yep, I haven’t felt any emotional influence from them. I just feel bad because they work 24/7, never resting, and they still haven’t even gotten a bite to eat. It’s not easy for them…

26L: After reading what the OP said, I can’t help but empathize…

27L: So, this level of recognition and acceptance can actually make all the little skeletons work so seriously?

28L: I get why the boss bought the little skeletons now. This isn’t just a case of free labor. They’re truly powered by love—the capitalists must be crying tears of joy.

30L: So the OP doesn’t have to worry about them not eating. As long as you genuinely treat them like good coworkers, the little skeletons will eat well and keep working.

But thinking in terms of nurturing pets, you could give them more milk to boost calcium. When their bones are healthy and full of calcium, they’ll naturally be able to form more bones outside of their skills, which could lead to their evolution into Bone Guards.

31L: The person above must be an expert in the field. I’ve never seen such a clear and detailed answer before. Thank you!

32L: Can a Beast Master really contract a little skeleton…?

…

As Mu Huiyue scrolled through the thread, most of the comments became idle chit-chat or playful banter. She noticed the ID of the person who answered her question—Don’t Pinch My Cigarette. She saved the reply, amused by the lack of any researcher-like vibe from the user, but the explanation about why little skeletons didn’t need regular food was clear and logical.

Mu Huiyue felt confident in this. Eren was her first contracted pet, her most important partner. That bond would only grow stronger with time, and from now on, her little skeleton would never know what it felt like to be “hungry.”

Just then, Eren returned after delivering the tray, its tiny legs pattering as it ran back to Mu Huiyue’s side.

Mu Huiyue smiled as she gently patted its skull and reached for the unopened bottle of milk on the table, offering it to the little guy.

“From now on, Eren, you’ll have a bottle of milk every morning and night.”

“Click-clack?” (Don’t you dislike milk, Huiyue?)

The bottle was the one Mu Huiyue had left untouched earlier—out of everything on the plate, it was the only thing she hadn’t opened, clearly not a fan of milk. Of course, Eren didn’t mind drinking it for her.

“Well, that’s part of it… ahem, the milk is to boost calcium, keep your bones healthy, and make you stronger, Eren.” Mu Huiyue said with a serious expression.

“Click-clack!” (I’ll do my best!)

The little skeleton nodded earnestly, unscrewed the cap, and tilted its head back to gulp the milk down in one go.

Mu Huiyue couldn’t help but glance at its hollow ribs—wasn’t it curious, even for a Beast Master? Where did the milk go?

Eren gulped it down quickly, the milk flowing through its jaw bones and dissipating into black mist before it could even reach its chest cavity, not a single drop wasted.

So, the black mist really is part of its body, huh?

Satisfied with her curiosity, Mu Huiyue opened the Beast Space’s game interface. The first feeding task had been completed, and she received three Spirit Water Drops as a reward.

She looked over at the energized little skeleton and grinned. “Next up—your first battle!”