Chapter 33: Click, Click, Click

The young boss of the bookstore, feeling cornered and at a loss, had no reason to refuse the proposal that was put forth. After all, Mu Huiyue had just helped her reunite with her beloved book spirit.

As soon as she received the check from Mu Huiyue, it felt like a dream. A high school student could casually write a check? Who exactly was Mu Huiyue?

Then, a thought struck her. The only prominent person with the surname Mu in Changning City was that one. Plus, Mu Huiyue had a little cloud dog with her.

In the blink of an eye, all the problems that had plagued her seemed to dissipate with the arrival of this girl. The misunderstanding between her and her book spirit was resolved, and the bookstore could continue to operate.

Holding the check, Ro Yin felt lost for words. Expressing her gratitude verbally felt trivial compared to the genuine financial assistance Mu Huiyue had provided.

Lacking experience in business dealings, her voice trembled a bit as she stammered, “I—I’ll organize the contract and the subsequent operational materials as soon as possible…”

“There’s no rush. I can’t sign the contract for two more months,” Mu Huiyue replied with a smile.

With a couple of months left until her eighteenth birthday, all the checks she had written so far had come from her allowance. Once she turned eighteen, not only would she take over the management of the bookstore, but parts of her parents’ businesses would also officially be transferred to her name.

She chose Ro Yin not only because she saw potential in the bookstore but also due to the deep emotional bond Ro Yin shared with her book spirit.

A Beastmaster willing to invest in their pets and cherish their connections would likely get along very well with Mu Huiyue.

“I—I won’t let you down, Mu Huiyue,” Ro Yin said after much internal struggle.

“Okay, let’s leave it at that for today. You have my contact information, so feel free to reach out if you have any questions,” Mu Huiyue said with a smile.

With her main purpose for visiting the bookstore nearly accomplished and having gained some unexpected rewards, she felt satisfied with her trip.

“Oh, by the way, your little skeleton should be on the verge of evolving, right?”

Ro Yin suddenly asked, “I apologize… It might just be my habit as a nurturing major, but I rarely see such a lively and healthy little skeleton, so I couldn’t help but observe for a while.”

“Ellen is indeed approaching the tenth stage of its juvenile phase,” Mu Huiyue nodded in acknowledgment.

The little skeleton popped its head out from the shadows, its hollow eye sockets glancing between the two girls as it emitted a soft clicking sound.

“Click, click!” (I’m about to evolve soon!)

No matter how many new skills the little dog learned, as long as…

If it can evolve ahead of schedule, then Ellen will be the most powerful pet of all!

Ro Yin’s eyes lit up with realization as she suggested, “In that case, how about considering the East Bay Cemetery as the evolution location?”

“The cemetery?” Mu Huiyue paused for a moment, taken aback.

When it came to Ellen’s evolution, she had primarily focused on absorbing extraordinary resources, not really thinking about the evolution site. However, she knew that many extraordinary creatures could experience different effects based on where they evolved. Unfortunately, there was little data on nurturing little skeletons, so she had never learned about the differences in evolution locations for them.

“My thesis is on psychic-type pets,” Ro Yin explained, “but in my research group on nurturing, there are classmates who specialize in the undead.

“In places rich with necromantic energy, undead extraordinary creatures receive certain benefits during evolution. That’s a result of his research. different types of necromantic energy can also lead to varying effects. For contract beasts, the strongest energy naturally comes from their Beastmasters.”

“Click, click?!”

Ellen’s jaw dropped slightly, a look of sheer horror on its bony face. It didn’t need the death aura of its Beastmaster! Mu Huiyue wouldn’t be restructured—when humans died, they truly died! Ellen had gone to great lengths to save her from the secret realm!

“I certainly didn’t mean for you to absorb the death aura of your Beastmaster…” Ro Yin couldn’t help but chuckle at Ellen’s exaggerated expression.

“Besides the aura from Beastmasters, there are also differences in types of undead and remains. The classmate specializing in the undead used the Shadow Hound as a sample.

“Shadow Hounds are undead extraordinary creatures formed from animal remains, and he let the Shadow Hound evolve near a slaughterhouse on the outskirts of the city, where it was being mass-produced.

“The high-level elite species Shadow Hound evolves into the mid-tier battle-type species Hellhound. That classmate’s Hellhound then evolved into a high-level battle-type, gaining a B-rank non-core skill.

“Furthermore, influenced by the type of remains, it acquired the Wrath characteristic, making it more irritable and aggressive, which increased the power of its attack skills.”

Ro Yin paused for a moment before continuing, “For little skeletons, the best evolution location would likely be a cemetery where human remains are buried, right?

“The East Bay Cemetery was once a combined secret realm, a burial ground since the Great Yan era, and there is no larger cemetery in the Star Continent.”

“Ah, I see.” Mu Huiyue stroked her chin, glancing at the young bookstore owner. “Thank you for the suggestion, Ro Yin. I will take Ellen there.”

“Let’s go check it out.”

…

After returning home from the Yan Luo Bookstore, Ellen dedicated several days to training diligently in the training ground.

With high-intensity exercises, a copious amount of dark-type crystals, and the Bluish Immortal Flower, he finally reached level ten of his juvenile phase, inching closer to the critical point of evolution.

After fully absorbing the Bluish Immortal Flower hidden in his shadow, Ellen felt he was in peak condition, ready to evolve at any moment.

So, Mu Huiyue chose a dark, windy night to take her two pets to the East Bay Cemetery.

As Ro Yin had described, this cemetery was indeed the largest in the Star Continent, stretching far from East Bay Mouth and occupying an entire stretch of the back mountain.

The entrance to the cemetery was located right by East Bay Mouth, requiring a climb along the path up the mountain.

Gazing around, the tomb hills appeared lush even in the night, but instead of plants, there were gravestones of varying shapes and sizes from different eras.

Occasionally, the gaze caught sight of some withered trees, their twisted black shadows curling in the night, while three-eyed black crows with crimson eyes perched on the dry branches—an ordinary sight in the cemetery and a common dark-type extraordinary creature known as the Scarlet-eyed Crow, an elite mid-tier species.

Beneath the dead trees, shadows slinked along the ground, their rough branches stretching out and entwining around the gravestones, leaving mottled dark marks.

These were night-active dark and wood-type extraordinary creatures known as the Swaying Tree Shadows, a mid-tier battle type.

As the night wind blew through the mountains, the rustling of leaves was absent; instead, the eerie sounds created by the oddly shaped gravestones echoed, resembling the whimpering of unknown creatures or the haunting whistles of the wind, mingled with the hoarse cries of a Scarlet-eyed Crow, making the cemetery feel even more sinister.

Baiya, who trotted beside Mu Huiyue, let out soft whimpers. When another gust of wind swept through, he could no longer bear it and stopped, trembling in place.

Bending down, Mu Huiyue picked up the shivering white-haired puppy, who nestled into her arms, burying his head in the warmth of her embrace, as if it were the safest place in the world.

“Are you afraid of the undead, Baiya?” Mu Huiyue chuckled, gently stroking the little guy’s soft, fluffy fur.

The little cloud dog let out a couple of soft whines, nuzzling closer, unwilling to leave her warm embrace.

Although he was a dark-type pet, at the end of the day, he was still a baby just over two months old—wasn’t it perfectly normal to be afraid of the undead?

The cemetery was filled with an indescribable sense of horror and eeriness, and the young Baiya couldn’t yet overcome his fear at any moment.

Moreover, the beastmaster he could rely on was right beside him.

If only undead creatures smelled as delightful and healthy as Ellen did…

Baiya lifted his head slightly, his keen dark-type instincts immediately spotting the swirling shadows behind Mu Huiyue in the air. Startled, the little dog shrank back and quickly buried himself again in the warmth of her embrace.

Mu Huiyue chuckled, holding Baiya close as they continued up the mountain path.

Besides the Scarlet-eyed Crows, the cemetery was teeming with various dark and undead extraordinary creatures. Most of them belonged to elite species, and Mu Huiyue suspected that even more powerful and higher-tier wild extraordinary beings lurked here, as dark and undead creatures had many ways and skills to conceal their forms.

The mountain path was deserted, filled only with the sound of the whistling night wind, making Mu Huiyue’s solitary figure stand out even more.

She seemed oblivious to how daring it was to venture alone into the cemetery at night.

While searching for a suitable spot for Ellen’s evolution, she recalled the cemetery map she had reviewed before entering and combined it with her on-site observations. She concluded that the best location would be the pavilion built at the top of the mountain, which provided a resting place for visitors paying their respects.

From there, she could survey the entire cemetery while having a spot to rest without worrying about disturbing the ancient gravestones around her.

The night elongated her shadow, deep and dark against the stone steps, while a tiny skull peeked out from the shadow, hollow eyes observing the beastmaster’s back before disappearing again.

After quite a while, Mu Huiyue finally reached the pavilion at the mountaintop.

From this vantage point, the cemetery appeared much livelier.

Numerous undead extraordinary creatures floated near the gravestones, some locking eyes with each other, while others gathered in groups of four or five, seemingly communicating.

Floating in the air were star-like bluish phosphorescent lights, illuminating the cemetery despite the absence of a moon, preventing it from being engulfed in darkness.

Ellen fully emerged from the shadows, scampering over and leaning on the pavilion railing, joining Mu Huiyue in observing the bustling cemetery beneath them.

The little skeleton tilted his head, gazing at his favorite beastmaster.

“Clack clack?” (Aren’t you scared of the undead, Huiyue?)

Thinking back, Mu Huiyue certainly didn’t display the fear most humans did toward undead creatures.

When she had first encountered him in the secret realm, she was filled with curiosity rather than dread.

Ellen waved, urging himself to come closer for better communication.

“Hmm… if I had to say what scares me, it’s more about the terrifying type, like the Lickers,” Mu Huiyue reflected with a smile. “But as for the undead, I’m not really afraid.”

This world truly has ghosts—they can be seen and touched, categorized as undead extraordinary beings that can communicate and even form contracts, just like Ellen.

Mu Huiyue glanced at the little skeleton beside her.

“The most important thing is, even if we encounter dangerous undead, Ellen will protect me, right?”

Her voice, warm with a smile, deeply imprinted on Ellen’s senses. In that moment, he felt as if a heart he didn’t possess thudded heavily in his chest.

An indescribable, intense emotion surged through their contract, far surpassing the mere sense of belonging Ellen craved from his beastmaster. It was something deeper, an overwhelming power that made him tremble all over, igniting his very soul.

“Clack, clack clack…”

(Yes, no matter what danger arises, I will protect Huiyue…)

For that, Ellen knew he had to continuously grow stronger, to evolve, until he could safeguard his most important beastmaster, allowing her to go anywhere she wished and achieve all her dreams.

The swelling emotions seemed to take on substance, as a bluish glow enveloped the little skeleton’s body, and the energy of life erupted from within.

In that instant, the light of evolution blossomed.