Chapter 34: Click Click.

“Ellen…”

Mu Huiyue gazed at the small skeleton wrapped in a clear, radiant light.

Ellen’s form continuously stretched, merged, and transformed within the light until it finally stabilized.

Baiya was also captivated by the light of evolution, his gaze fixed unblinkingly on the ever-growing figure of his senior, Ellen.

After a long while, the light dissipated, and the small skeleton’s figure had vanished, replaced by the tall and upright adult skeleton now before Mu Huiyue.

It was evident from the size and shape of the bones that it belonged to a male. Originally no taller than her knee, it had suddenly grown to over one meter eighty.

At 172 centimeters, Mu Huiyue was already considered tall, but the evolved Ellen was even taller than her.

He appeared broad-shouldered and long-legged, with a bone structure so standard that he could immediately be used as a teaching model in a medical class. His bones were healthy and robust, glowing with a muted, forest-white sheen in the night.

The black mist swirling around him had become denser, wrapping around half of his body like thorns winding down his bones; another plume of black mist drifted behind him, resembling a flowing cape, its ends fading into smoke as it disappeared into the shadows.

A more obvious change was his skull, which had completely transformed into that of a young man.

The contours of the skull were sharp and defined, with a faint blue flame ignited in the right eye socket, resembling a burning ghostly blue rose.

The handsome skeleton stepped out from the black mist, his movements graceful and natural. The rose in his eye socket burned quietly, leaving behind sparkling blue embers like starlight, slowly merging into the mist behind him.

An invisible aura of intimidation spread out, gently stirring the surrounding black mist.

He looked like an undying king returning from this tomb mountain.

“Click click.” The skeleton’s jaws lightly clashed, producing the familiar clicking sound that Mu Huiyue recognized.

He opened his arms to his beast master. Mu Huiyue smiled slightly, took two steps forward, and embraced the evolved Baiya soldier.

Her wristband detected contact with a new extraordinary being and automatically popped up the information panel.

[Name]: Ellen (Baiya Soldier)

[Attribute]: Dark, Undead

[Race Level]: Low-level Monarch

[Growth Stage]: First Stage of Growth

[Core Talent]: Shadow Stealth (Dark B-level)

[Skills]: Intimidation (Dark B-level), Nether Flame (Fire B-level), Remains (Undead C-level), Bone Spike Ambush (Dark C-level), Calcification (Steel C-level), Soul Resonance (Undead C-level)

[Normal Hidden Energy Value]: 18,425 P

Before hugging Mu Huiyue again, Ellen carefully wrapped his slightly sharp ribs in black mist. After his evolution, he had finally realized his previous wish of wanting his beast master to bury her face in his embrace.

He glanced at the little dog wagging its tail excitedly on the railing, and a sense of joy from the evolution welled up within him.

Baiya could still only be held in Huiyue’s arms, yet he had already grown to a size capable of holding her in his embrace.

Now, he must be the most handsome and stylish Baiya soldier in the world.

However, it seemed that his beast master’s focus was somewhat different.

Mu Huiyue was staring at the information panel that had popped up on her wristband, her body trembling slightly, even forgetting to straighten up.

…Low, low-level monarch race Baiya soldier?

She repeated that line of information several times.

The wristbands provided by the Bureau of Affairs to the realm investigators are the most advanced versions, equipped with extraordinary biological sensing guides that record new species that may be encountered in the realms. The assessments for known species are nearly 100% accurate, with almost no possibility of error.

If the guide shows a monarch race, then it truly is a monarch race.

Moreover, the characteristics of all monarch races, whether it be the B-level skill of their core talent or the energy value that has more than doubled, indicate that the evolved Ellen is undoubtedly a monarch race.

The difference between monarch races and warlord races may seem like just one significant tier, yet there is an insurmountable chasm in between.

Elite races and warlord races represent the tiers with the highest population of wild extraordinary creatures in the realms, and they are also the ones most easily contracted by humans to become battle companions.

In contrast, the monarch race signifies that the extraordinary creature possesses the immense potential to become the king of its kind and the master of the realms.

Pets of the monarch race are essentially capable of fulfilling all societal roles that require pets, including dangerous occupations like those of the Bureau of Affairs executors.

The combat power of the complete form of the monarch race is also the threshold to becoming a master-level beast master.

Mu Huiyue held Ellen in a daze for quite a while until he let out a puzzled clicking sound. She looked up, still feeling it was unbelievable.

In the original plan, Ellen becoming a Baiya soldier of the high-level warlord race after a period of evolution would have already placed him at the pinnacle of his kind.

After all, in the knowledge that Mu Huiyue had learned from textbooks, there had never been a case of crossing over to evolve into a different major race. A low-level elite race skeleton could only reach the limits of the high-level warlord race after a period of evolution.

The decisive factor in this was the small skeleton’s core talent, which was D.

The D-level undead skill Reorganization.

The higher-level skill of Reorganization is the C-level undead skill Remains, and the core talent of C-level skills is a hallmark of the warlord race.

Ellen’s current core talent is the B-level dark skill Shadow Stealth, which is the higher-level skill of the C-level dark skill Shadow Concealment.

The B-level core talent skill is one of the most significant characteristics of the monarch race, and Shadow Stealth has an already discovered A-level higher skill, which means that Ellen now even has the potential for a second evolution into the emperor race.

Is it possible for core talent skills to change during the evolution process…?

Mu Huiyue carefully recalled the beast master knowledge in this world and was certain she had never seen similar records anywhere.

Core talent skills are important criteria that determine a pet’s upper limit and potential.

The closest example to her is Baiya. If the core talent of the little cloud dog could change during its evolution, then Baiya, who has outstanding aptitude but an unsatisfactory core talent skill, should be given significant attention by the breeding base.

Perhaps some unique and rare beast master talents can provide a certain degree of assistance and change to a pet’s core talent, but a direct change during evolution…

Even though Mu Huiyue had only been in this world for a few months, she understood what this meant for both beast masters and their pets.

Looking back, Ellen’s familiarity with Shadow Concealment was indeed higher than with the core talent of Reorganization.

He only used Reorganization in battles and training, while Shadow Concealment was almost used as a daily passive state; whenever he returned from the beast space to reality, he spent most of his time in Mu Huiyue’s shadow.

The skill book for Shadow Concealment was drawn from the card pool; could it be that the skill rewards obtained in the “Spirit Ranch Story” system could transform into core talent skills?

There were too many questions swirling in her mind, and Mu Huiyue couldn’t think of a reason at the moment. She could only temporarily keep these questions to herself and see if there would be an opportunity to resolve them later.

At least now she knew that core talent skills could potentially change after evolution, which provided a viable direction for Baiya’s evolution.

“Click click?” Ellen’s long fingers gently poked the soft cheek of his beast master.

Why did Huiyue look like she was still in a daze…? Was there something wrong with his evolution?

Mu Huiyue shook her head and smiled at the handsome Baiya soldier. “No… I was just marveling at how amazing Ellen is!

A Baiya soldier of the monarch race!

Even when considering the world at large, Mu Huiyue felt a sense of pride.

There will never be a second beast master who can contract a Baiya soldier of the monarch race.

Finally coming back to her senses after the surprise of the evolution, Mu Huiyue then looked at the changes on the skill list.

In addition to the bone spike ambush skill that she had just mastered not long ago, all of Ellen’s skills, including his core talent, had simultaneously achieved breakthroughs during his evolution.

First was the newly awakened B-level skill Intimidation.

Intimidation is a hallmark skill of the monarch race. By utilizing its own energy, it influences the surrounding aura, suppressing the racial potential and growth tiers of opponents that are lower than itself.

This skill is the prototype of domain-type skills.

When this skill evolves further, it becomes the signature skill of the emperor race: Emperor’s Domain.

The attribute of Intimidation is determined by the attributes of the extraordinary creature itself.

For Ellen, Intimidation is a dark-type skill.

The Intimidation skill is also affected by attribute weaknesses. When facing an opponent with an attribute that counters its own, the effectiveness of Intimidation will be diminished, even if both are of the monarch race.

Next is the B-level fire skill Phantom Fire, which evolved from the C-level skill Phosphorescence.

This is the second B-level skill that Ellen possesses. Compared to its phosphorescent form, the temperature has decreased on a physical level, transforming it into an attack skill that directly affects the mind and soul.

Even with fire resistance, it is challenging to withstand the damage caused by Phantom Fire. After being burned, there is a certain probability of entering a state of fear, making it difficult to use skills.

The third skill is Calciumization, a C-level steel-type skill evolved from the D-level status skill Bone Fluid.

The skill effect can alter the bone structure, making it harder and capable of breaking steel while retaining the properties of Bone Fluid, allowing the bones to cover key areas and enhance both attack and defense.

The fourth skill is Remains, a C-level undead skill evolved from the D-level status skill Reorganization.

Originally Ellen’s core talent skill, it has also completed its evolution after becoming an ordinary skill.

The skill effect of Remains goes a step further than Reorganization. Even if the bones are completely shattered into powder, they can be reassembled back into their original form. Additionally, when receiving fatal damage, the user can break free from the Remains and be reborn.

However, according to Ellen’s description, the number of times the Remains can be reborn is currently limited to just once. After being reborn, it enters a weakened state and is unable to fight, making it a skill that should ideally not be used unless absolutely necessary.

The fifth skill is the C-level dark-type attack skill Bone Spike Ambush.

This skill evolved from the E-level skill Bone Club Strike during a minor evolution and is capable of condensing…

Dark attribute energy forms hard bones that are used for direct attacks.

For Ellen, the greatest advantage of Bone Spike Ambush is that after hitting the target’s vital point, it can create a stiffness effect lasting up to 3 seconds, allowing him to gain an advantage in most battles.

In addition to this, Ellen has also newly awakened a C-level undead skill, Soul Quake.

Similar to Phantom Fire, this is also an attack skill that directly affects the mind and soul.

It causes difficult-to-resist damage to living beings through special soul fluctuations. When activated, it produces a brief mental deterrent effect, and this deterrent effect can stack and cause damage after multiple hits, making it particularly effective against beings with weak mental resistance.

Lastly, Ellen’s core talent skill evolved from the C-level status skill Shadow Concealment to the B-level dark skill Shadow Stealth.

If Shadow Concealment requires activating the skill to merge into the shadows, then Shadow Stealth is truly a passive state skill.

Now, Ellen can freely infiltrate into any shadow within the skill’s range, no longer affected by the surface area or state of the shadow.

The essence of this skill is actually to allow the beast to come closer and grasp the existence of the Shadow Realm.

During the time of Shadow Concealment, it could only operate on the surface of the Shadow Realm, thus being influenced by the state of the surface shadows and unable to interact with the real world.

After entering Shadow Stealth, the beast can freely roam within the Shadow Realm and utilize the interaction between the realm and the real world to achieve additional skill effects.

For example, manipulating changes on the shadow’s surface, or even projecting a certain proportion of solid forms from the shadow, using the shadows for attacks and bindings.

When in the Shadow Stealth state, unless affected by skills that can influence the Shadow Realm, this state is almost immune to all other attack-type skills.

As a core talent skill, Ellen’s control over Shadow Stealth is more precise; he can even allow other dark attribute beings to enter the Shadow Stealth state through spatial interaction.

Realizing this, Ellen elegantly extended his hand to his beastmaster, making an inviting gesture.

“Click, click?” (Do you want to give it a try, Huiyue?)

“Can I too?” Mu Huiyue placed her hand on the long bones of the bone soldier.

“Click.” (Huiyue possesses dark attribute enhancement talents, so she can also be considered a ‘dark attribute’ human.)

Ellen gently clicked, flipping his palm to grasp the beastmaster’s hand.

The surroundings suddenly darkened, and Mu Huiyue felt as if she had fallen into a dark ocean.

The colors in her vision faded in an instant, leaving only the cold water flowing over her head.

It took her a while to adapt to the state of entering the shadow space.

This sensation was quite wonderful; everything around her was a swirling mass of dark shadows. She could vaguely tell that she was still in the pavilion on the mountain top, but even the pavilion’s outline had turned into a blurry shadow.

The world was shrouded in darkness, and the only thing real was Ellen, who held her hand in front of her.

She could not breathe in the shadow space, so Ellen didn’t stay long. Soon, the dark tide receded, and color and light returned to Mu Huiyue’s senses once again.

Although it was deep night, the nighttime reality was still rich in colors, entirely different from the shadow space.

Mu Huiyue gently exhaled, realizing she was standing on the mountain path, several dozen meters away from the pavilion.

The cemetery mountain at night was completely enveloped in shadows, and for Ellen now, it was the freest ocean; he could follow the shadows anywhere.

Ellen did not let go of the beast master’s hand and once again led her into the shadow space.

This time, Mu Huiyue could see more clearly. The shadow space resembled a monochromatic pixel layer drawn from the real world, where everything inside overlapped with the reality but only revealed blurry dark shadows.

She saw large shadows rushing swiftly past her from behind; those were the positions of the layers of tombstones in the real world. The mountain path beneath her feet transformed into a winding, thin layer of gray mist, and ahead, she could vaguely see the blurry outline of the pavilion.

Ellen suddenly darted forward, and as they exited the shadow space, the beast warrior and the human girl found themselves back in the center of the pavilion.

“Woof—! Woof—!”

Without waiting for Mu Huiyue to steady herself, Baiya leaped into the beast master’s arms.

Mu Huiyue felt the small dog’s body trembling slightly, whimpering constantly, appearing even more frightened than before, as if it had encountered some unbearable horror.

“What happened, Baiya?”

She patiently stroked Baiya’s back until the little dog stopped shaking.

“Woof…” The little cloud dog looked up with tear-filled eyes.

Since forming a contract with Mu Huiyue, it had long since grown accustomed to the beast master’s presence. Even at an unseen distance, it could sense the close connection from the contract and the beast space.

However, during those long seconds just now, Baiya completely lost its connection to Mu Huiyue. Her presence had vanished entirely, the contract echoed nothing back, as if heaven and earth could no longer find her.

Baiya had never experienced such fear.

The howling night wind and ghosts, the feelings of being overlooked no matter how hard it tried in its memories, even the regret of losing in a match…

In all of its past experiences, no scene had terrified it more than Mu Huiyue completely vanishing.

“In the shadow space, even Baiya can’t feel anything…”

Mu Huiyue finally understood the little dog’s whimpering. She gently rubbed its head, lifted Baiya up, and kissed its wet nose.

“I’m sorry. Next time I’ll let Baiya know in advance. No matter what happens, our contract will never disappear,” Mu Huiyue said earnestly, laughing a bit when the dog licked her cheek.

She handed the little cloud dog back to Ellen. “Ellen, why don’t you let Baiya try the feeling of shadow stealth too?”

“Click.” The eerie blue flames in the skeleton’s eye sockets flickered.

Although a bit reluctant, Ellen took the shivering white-haired puppy by the scruff of its neck.

After all, practicing shadow stealth with Baiya would definitely be useful in their future double battles, so they might as well start training.

The little cloud dog’s figure vanished into thin air, only to reappear in a nearby graveyard a few seconds later. Mu Huiyue heard Baiya’s panicked yet slightly excited barking and couldn’t help but curl her lips into a smile.

The human girl sat down in the cool pavilion at midnight, gazing at the increasingly lively graveyard.