Chapter 106

At the research institute, Professor Xie Qingwei was conducting an experimental test, and Feng Le was also there.

Mu Huiyue swiped her staff card and entered the lab, startled when she saw the senior, who was recording data with a pale face.

Feng Le had a very delicate and refined appearance, with a youthful face that, with a little grooming, could make him look androgynous. He rarely appeared this disheveled.

“Did you pull an all-nighter too, Senior Feng Le?” Mu Huiyue walked up to him. “I told you not to be reckless like Professor Xie—her ability to pull all-nighters comes from her Guardian Spirit keeping her going.”

“Uruuruuru…” The slender Guardian Spirit flew over to Mu Huiyue, agreeing with her.

With Xie Qingwei’s chaotic routine and her reckless lifestyle, if it weren’t for her Same Life skill supporting her, she might have already collapsed from exhaustion.

“I can’t help it. The University Attribute Research Exchange Conference is coming up, and if we don’t produce some decent results this year, not only will I risk extending my graduation, but our research institute’s funding will be slashed as well.”

Feng Le, with two deep dark circles under his eyes, looked at the new junior. Although his expression was tired, he still had plenty of energy, passing the recorded results to Mu Huiyue.

“This batch of experimental data shows explicit expression. Professor Xie’s idea is entirely feasible.”

“Is this the set of parameters you mentioned in the discussion group?” Mu Huiyue took a closer look.

In the two months since joining the research team, her expertise in dark attribute research had advanced rapidly, and she was now able to keep up with the theoretical formulas in the project.

“Yes, I went over the report you submitted again and made a new discovery.”

Feng Le said, and the rabbit plushie by his side expertly lifted the mouse, circling a set of data on the computer screen.

“The trigger for the increase in Contract Entropy is resonance, but the source of resonance should come from the pet itself, not from the Beast Master’s guidance.”

“Of course, a Beast Master’s guidance can also cause contract resonance. This has been the direction for most of the dark attribute research groups, including ours, up until now.”

“However, based on the case with you, it seems that resonance initiated by the pet and forming a connection with the Beast Master makes it easier to increase Contract Entropy, so I decided to experiment in this direction.”

Feng Le looked at his rabbit plushie. “I’ve tested it a few times with Rabbit, and as you saw, the results were all explicitly expressed.”

The vengeful spirit plushie raised its fluffy little hand, extending two short fingers and giving a “yay” gesture.

“However, fully understanding the thoughts of pets, and even reaching the level of emotional resonance, is not an easy task…”

“In most contracts, the Beast Master’s beliefs tend to take precedence, with the pet being more of an accessory. Very few humans actively try to experience the emotions of another species.”

After saying this, Feng Le couldn’t help but glance at Mu Huiyue. A Beast Master like her, who could increase Contract Entropy just by imagining the same scene as their contracted pets, was probably one of a kind in the world.

She truly regarded her pets as equals and companions for communication. Or perhaps, in Mu Huiyue’s consciousness, there had never been a distinction between “master and pet” from the very beginning. The pet was simply a placeholder, and the contract was the key that connected her to her companions.

“Well then, let me try your newly developed feature with White Fang,” Mu Huiyue summoned the little cloud dog.

On the summoning array with four levels of Beast Master markings, White Fang appeared, casually greeting both the humans and pets present.

“Do you want White Fang to learn Moonlight?” Feng Le asked.

Mu Huiyue had mentioned the issue with the Smoke Lotus Book Pages to them, so Feng Le and Professor Xie both knew about White Fang’s persistent difficulty in mastering Moonlight.

Whether in terms of attributes or potential energy within, White Fang should theoretically have the potential to learn Moonlight. After all, it had already learned the same B-level skill, Moonburst, when it was at the first stage of its growth phase.

After ruling out other possibilities, the only remaining reason was a contradiction in the traits.

If White Fang could increase Contract Entropy through belief and master Moonlight, it would indirectly prove that enhancing Contract Entropy could lead to pet evolution, and even alter Core Talent Skills, which would be feasible.

Mu Huiyue nodded, and Feng Le also began to feel a sense of anticipation, turning around to look behind him.

“Professor Xie, give Huiyue the resonance device and prepare for the next experiment! I’ll handle the recording.”

Professor Xie Qingwei was focused on fiddling with two dark-colored crystalline devices. Upon hearing this, she casually tossed the completed devices to Mu Huiyue and gave her a slight nod.

“Just start it up in the closed laboratory. You’re familiar with the remaining steps.”

With that, she lowered her head to continue her work.

Feng Le, who had just pulled an all-nighter, showed no signs of needing rest. Excitedly, he activated the observation device and got ready to start recording.

The guardian spirit flying in the air looked from one to the other, shaking its head helplessly before flying off to grab energy drinks.

Mu Huiyue took the Resonance Device that Professor Xie had tossed to her.

It was a special device made using the highest purity dark-element crystals as the base, with carefully adjusted internal energy flow. It could connect and amplify the emotional energy in the contract, triggering a resonance phenomenon to increase Contract Entropy.

Professor Xie had named this device the Resonance Crystal, with a pair designed for both the Beast Master and the pet to wear.

When she was creating the device, Professor Xie hadn’t distinguished between the roles of the Beast Master and the pet. However, the internal parameters were adjusted according to the mainstream academic approach of the past, and the experimental results over the past week had not been ideal.

It wasn’t until the day before that Feng Le, with his wild imagination, adjusted the parameters to prioritize the pet’s emotions. This adjustment resulted in a significant improvement in the Resonance Crystal‘s effect.

He and the vengeful spirit plush were the first experimental group, and Mu Huiyue and White Fang were about to become the second group.

Mu Huiyue placed one of the Resonance Crystals around White Fang’s neck, put the other one on herself, and they both entered the closed laboratory together.

The dimly lit environment made the dark-elemental White Fang feel comfortable. Its flowing cloud-like tail brushed against its Beast Master’s side, not entirely sure what it needed to do.

“White Fang might not remember the memories from when you were born… Let’s recall how we felt during our contract,” Mu Huiyue said, gently rubbing the little white dog’s head. “What is the most important thing to you, White Fang? What do you want to achieve?”

“Woof woof!” White Fang wagged its tail.

The Beast Master’s words were correct. Compared to the vague memories from birth, White Fang had a much clearer recollection of the emotions it experienced when the contract was formed.

On that day, it met Mu Huiyue, a Beast Master who was willing to pick it up on the battlefield, pet its head, and offer kind words.

She had passed by the little cloud dog with the Flame of Light and instead chose White Fang, whose core talent was just Howl.

She gave it the name “White Fang.”

White Fang liked this name, liked everything the Beast Master had given it.

Whether it was the gentle pats on its head, burying her face in its belly fur, or making delicious food for it… White Fang liked everything about Mu Huiyue.

Of all these things, its favorite moment was, of course, winning on the battlefield and then running towards her.

The Beast Master’s smile and praise were the most wonderful things in the world.

Although it was a normal little cloud dog with an underwhelming core talent, it had met a Beast Master who would steadfastly choose it, who cared about its feelings, who wanted to know what was most important to it and what wishes it wanted to fulfill.

White Fang’s emotional preference was human praise, but it wasn’t just human praise.

As a little cloud dog with the Cloud Flow trait, it was born with the dark-elemental attribute capable of emotional perception. Its core talent, Howl, was an auxiliary skill designed to enhance its status. This was the shape of its soul, the deep desire within its consciousness.

It wanted to meet the most special partner, form a close bond with them, chase dreams together, and accomplish all kinds of things.

No matter what the partner wanted to do, White Fang would strive to help them, and then, as they overcame obstacles, faced challenges, and achieved victories, it would hear her heartfelt admiration and praise.

Now, White Fang had already obtained the most important and most desired treasure—its journey was alongside this special partner, walking the joyful path toward fulfilling those dreams.

Whether it was leveling up, evolving, learning new skills, or anything else… White Fang would achieve it, all for the sake of victory.

Because it was bound by contract to Mu Huiyue.

The resonance crystal around the little cloud dog’s neck emitted a burst of dazzling brilliance, while Mu Huiyue, holding her own, also felt a dark glow emanating from the surface.

She was delighted to accept White Fang’s intentions. From the moment she met it at the breeding base and formed the contract, she had shared the same sentiment.

Isn’t the contract between humans and extraordinary creatures just this kind of connection?

White Fang was grateful to have met her, and Mu Huiyue was equally grateful to have White Fang.

The light from the resonance crystals swirled, and intense emotional energy intertwined, creating a resonance that pulsed like the beat of a heart.

The little cloud dog lifted its head, its golden eyes looking at the Beast Master, the pupils like shimmering glass, radiating with brilliant light.

“Wang woo!” (Let me fight, Mu Huiyue!)

Feng Le, who was in charge of the recording, was about to make sparks fly from pounding the keyboard. Mu Huiyue told him the meaning of the white tooth, and he scratched his head, stood up, and walked into the sealed laboratory with the vengeful spirit puppet.

The person in charge of the recording was now Professor Xie Qingwei, and the guardian spirit had helped adjust all the observation devices.

After a significant enhancement of the [Contract Entropy] through the Resonance Crystal, this was the first time a behavior pattern initiated by the pet had occurred. The key breakthrough might lie here.

Feng Le’s vengeful spirit puppet was a low-level warrior-type pet, at the ninth stage of the growth period, on par with White Fang and a worthy opponent.

He activated the protective layer in the sealed laboratory. The space here was roughly equivalent to half the size of a battle arena, barely enough for a temporary duel.

White Fang looked at its opponent, the worn-out rabbit puppet slowly floated into the air, pulling out a bloodstained kitchen knife from its frilly little apron.

Feng Le swallowed hard. As a student majoring in attribute research, he didn’t often participate in battles, but his main pet, the rabbit, was no weakling.

“Rabbit, use the Shadow Kitchen Knife!”

C-grade Shadow-type Skill: Shadow Kitchen Knife. Numerous identical bloodstained kitchen knife projections appeared in front of the vengeful spirit puppet, all rushing toward the direction of the Little Cloud Dog.

“White Fang, Dark Strike!”

The Little Cloud Dog leaped up using Shadow Step. The dark environment of the sealed laboratory enhanced the power of dark-type skills, making the Shadow Step even more agile. However, the Shadow Kitchen Knives were also strengthened, completely blending into the shadows, making their trajectory impossible to discern.

White Fang, using the moonlight as cover, narrowly dodged dozens of attacks, but in the end, it was struck by the Shadow Kitchen Knife, letting out a painful wang woo.

Mu Huiyue sensed something and took out the [B-grade Skill Book: Moonlight] from the Beastmaster Space.

The Little Cloud Dog’s body began to shimmer with tiny, faint sparks, resembling silver-white moonlight, which stood out in the sealed laboratory.

Just like when fighting the Forget-Me-Not King Flower, White Fang would definitely break through its limits and achieve new growth in order to secure victory.

Its golden eyes turned toward the vengeful spirit puppet floating in the air, the place where it had been struck by the Shadow Kitchen Knife was already fully healed.

B-grade Dark-type Recovery Skill: Moonlight, successfully taught.

Mu Huiyue immediately sighed in relief, and Feng Le also recalled his vengeful spirit puppet. If it had come to a real fight, Rabbit would definitely have been injured, but the experimental goal had been achieved.

White Fang walked toward its Beastmaster, still glowing with a silvery light like moonlight. Its long tail trailed behind it, like clouds at the edge of the moon.

The glow gradually faded after some time. Mu Huiyue squatted down, picked up the white-furred little dog, and gave a good, affectionate scratch at its thick neck fur.

“Well done, White Fang.”

“Wang woo!”

The two of them walked out of the sealed laboratory with their pets, and Xie Qingwei, who was in charge of the recording, looked at the data, her emotions still unsettled.

“The light just now was not only [Moonlight], but also a sign of evolution, Mu Huiyue,” Xie Qingwei said, looking at her student.

White Fang’s core skill, [Howl], had not shown any signs of an advanced skill, which was the primary reason it had been considered incapable of evolving.

But now, it had shown signs of evolutionary light.

Regardless of the final outcome of the evolution, White Fang would certainly break through the limitations of its core skill, bringing new possibilities.

“Once White Fang fully absorbs [Frost Night Ice Flower] and is fully prepared, it can attempt to evolve.”

Xie Qingwei’s speech sped up with excitement. She continued, “Before that, we’ll take care of adjusting the Resonance Crystal. Mu Huiyue, please submit a report on today’s experimental process.”

Mu Huiyue nodded, gently patting the little dog’s fluffy head in his arms.