Chapter 85

Seeing Flame Strike Meow’s change, the eerie blue flames in Ellen’s eyes flickered with a hint of sentiment.

“Clack, clack.” (Flame Strike Meow may not be the limit you can reach.)

The skeleton made a gentle clacking sound.

“Clack.” (Before evolution, I was just a low-level elite species—little skeleton.)

“Clack, clack.” (I believe the strength brought by a contract may go far beyond just the Beastmaster space.)

Flame Strike Meow, who had stood up in response to the words, paused for a moment and showed a thoughtful expression.

“Meow…”

It vaguely sensed what Ellen was describing, that the contract between extraordinary creatures and their human Beastmasters was a reciprocal relationship.

The contract enhances the Beastmaster’s physical condition, awakens different Beastmaster talents, and grants boosts from the Beastmaster space and talents through the pet.

But the power of the contract is not just these benefits; it also holds something warmer and more profound, a source of power that all extraordinary creatures long to pursue.

It is the power that even the Origin Spirits found moving in the beginning.

For Flame Strike Meow, it likely refers to the moment when it fought alongside Wen Li to defeat the Phoenix Fire, and it looked back at the human girl running toward it.

“Meow!”

Flame Strike Meow’s gaze became resolute. No matter the difficulties or obstacles, it would return to the Beastmaster’s side and fulfill the promise made during their first meeting.

The tall skeleton shrugged and made a crisp clacking sound.

“Clack.” (You should hurry back.)

“Clack, clack.” (Your Beastmaster might even think you ran away because you were jealous of your second partner.)

“Meow…” Flame Strike Meow couldn’t refute. Given Wen Li’s personality, she would indeed think that!

Unable to stay any longer, it thanked Ellen and White Fang, then flicked its flaming tail and quickly ran toward the nursery.

…

On the other side, Mu Huiyue and Wen Li were still talking while sitting on the edge of a flower bed.

“You said that Ah Meow might be afraid of falling behind…” Wen Li murmured to herself.

Mu Huiyue nodded. “The evolutionary form of the Red Fireworm has a monarch-type species, right? Rather than being possessive over the Beastmaster, I think, given Ah Meow’s personality, it’s more likely that it’s upset about the possibility of holding you back.”

“That fool… If I cared about species rank, I wouldn’t have given up on the contract with the Ember Sparrow in the first place,” Wen Li said, both angry and amused.

“The factors that determine the outcome of a battle are not just species and level differences. Not long ago, you defeated a mature-stage Force Rune Bear with an evolving Ellen,” Mu Huiyue responded.

“Besides, no one ever said Ah Meow can’t continue evolving, right? Based on the usual pattern of second-stage evolution, the high-level battle general species is not its limit.”

Wen Li wiped the corner of her eye while speaking.

Ah Meow didn’t have an evolutionary form because its core talent skill, “Flame Wheel,” didn’t have an advanced skill. Looking at the evolution pattern alone, it should have the potential for a second-stage evolution.

“Speaking of this, Mu Huiyue recalled the news she had seen earlier on the Bureau of Affairs forum.

‘By the way, the Flame Strike Cat indeed has a record of special evolutionary types…’

‘Huh?!’ Wen Li revealed an expression of surprise.

‘The Pokedex calls it [Flame Masked Cat], a high-level monarch species of both Fire and Spiritual Mind attributes. However, the evolution conditions have not been disclosed. It is said that the experience cannot be replicated in the secret realm.’

‘That Flame Strike Cat’s core talent skill is also not the usual [Flame Wheel], so this evolutionary type has not been made public.’

‘Flame Masked Cat…’ Wen Li’s eyes gradually brightened.

This name sounds really cool!

If the cat could evolve into a high-level monarch species in its complete form, it could join her in fighting in all public tournaments without being restricted by tier limitations.

No matter how harsh the evolution conditions are, it doesn’t matter—what others can achieve, she and the cat can definitely do too!

Thinking of this, Wen Li also couldn’t sit still.”

“Even though the cat doesn’t want to see her, the Beast Tamer, right now, Wen Li still wanted to find the cat as soon as possible to share this good news with it.

Wen Li suddenly stood up, intending to tell Mu Huiyue that she was going to find the cat, when she saw a familiar shadow pass by the entrance of the nursery.

A feline pet beast, the size of a black panther, moved swiftly with its tail burning with flames, held high behind it—just the way she liked it most.

‘Meow!’ The Flame Strike Cat ran straight toward her.

‘Cat!’ Wen Li was overjoyed and caught her most important partner.

The pair of them hugged for a long while, and when they separated, their eyes were both a little teary.

They both spoke at the same time, but the first words from each were apologies to the other. Then, they exchanged a knowing smile.

Mu Huiyue couldn’t help but curve the corners of her lips. She turned her head and saw the small cloud dog following behind, as well as the Tooth Soldier returning to its shadow.

‘Thank you for your hard work, Ellen, White Fang.’ She bent down, picked up the small cloud dog, and petted its head. ‘You did a great job.’

‘Woof!’ White Fang squinted and rubbed against the Beast Tamer’s palm.

The shadow beneath her feet rippled, and Mu Huiyue heard Ellen’s soft click.

…

The unexpected situation with the Flame Strike Cat running away was resolved, and in the end, Wen Li contracted a Fire-type warrior species, the Crimson Fireworm, from the nursery.

The cultivation period for insect-type pets is relatively short. With Wen Li’s [Burning Blood] talent nurturing it, if everything went smoothly, it would complete its tier evolution before the start of this semester’s [College Battle Preliminaries].”

“Wen Li’s goal was to cultivate a high-level monarch species, the [Fire Moth].

This is the most powerful known evolution of the Crimson Fireworm, with a heat comparable to the sun’s divine fire, and a variety of eerie insect-based skills. It is formidable both in offense and support.

Cultivating the Fire Moth requires a large amount of fire-type resources, and after it cocoons, it needs to be kept at a high temperature with continuous fire nurturing for 24 hours until the moment of hatching.

During this time, the cocooned Crimson Fireworm must always feel the presence of the Beast Tamer. Many Beast Tamers attempting to cultivate the Fire Moth struggle to meet these conditions simultaneously, leading to failed evolutions.

However, in Wen Li’s case, theoretically, all she needed to do was place the cocooned Crimson Fireworm in the Beast Tamer’s space, where her [Burning Blood] talent would automatically maintain the high temperature.”

“This was also the main reason why she decided to contract the Crimson Fireworm after considering everything.

The newly born Crimson Fireworm was only tiny, and Wen Li could easily hold it in one hand.

The Flame Strike Cat leaned in and gently sniffed at the little creature that was about to become its companion.

Just this little worm… can it really become Wen Li’s help?

As it breathed, a few strands of high-temperature flames emanated. The Crimson Fireworm in Wen Li’s palm seemed to smell something delicious and wriggled, raising its round little head.

The Crimson Fireworm flicked its tail, and the few strands of drifting flame were immediately sucked in, completely absorbed into its tiny body.

The little worm slowly let out a contented burp, curled up, and lay down in Wen Li’s palm.

“That’s great, it seems like it really likes your flame, Cat,” Wen Li said with a smile.

“Meow…” The Flame Strike Cat retracted its paw that had been trying to poke at the Crimson Fireworm.

“Too bad Huiyue couldn’t contract a suitable pet,” Wen Li turned her head and looked at her friend, who had come up empty-handed, feeling a bit guilty.

Huiyue had spent the whole time helping her find the cat, delaying her own plans.

Mu Huiyue smiled and shook her head. Contracting a new companion couldn’t be rushed. After all, this was a [lifetime contract], and she also wanted to carefully consider her choice.

Not just for Beast Tamers, but for pets as well, it was a two-way selection.”

“The Crimson Fireworm Wen Li contracted was the boldest of all the ones at the nursery. It showed no aversion to battling and was perfectly suited to her temperament.

Meanwhile, the wood-type pets at the nursery were mostly calm and gentle in nature. Mu Huiyue still hoped that her third companion could, like Ellen and White Fang, possess a strong and unyielding fighting spirit.

After completing the adoption procedures at the nursery, Mu Huiyue said her goodbyes to her friend.

Wen Li was going to the fire-type training ground to test out the Crimson Fireworm’s abilities, while Mu Huiyue headed to the Dark-type research institute to assist Professor Xie with the regular health check data recording.

Ellen and White Fang were currently key subjects under observation in the project group, especially regarding the changes during their absorption of B-class extraordinary resources. Xie Qingwei would record and test their data at least every three days.

Today, Feng Le had class, so only Xie Qingwei was in the research building, along with the guardian spirit by her side.

Mu Huiyue’s two pets were already very familiar with the health check process. White Fang rushed toward the examination table as soon as it entered, picking up the devices with magnetic strips. One was for Ellen, the other for itself, carrying out the actions with great skill.

While recording the data, Xie Qingwei chatted lightly with Mu Huiyue, asking about her recent studies.

In fact, this top student in the battle department didn’t need Professor Xie to worry about her academics. Her solid foundation had even brought the guardian spirit, who had stayed up all night to make sure Feng Le passed his retake exam, to the verge of tears.”

“After a while, Xie Qingwei looked at the data recording device, showing a slightly surprised expression.

‘Did something special happen today?’ she asked, looking at Mu Huiyue.

Mu Huiyue thought for a moment and briefly explained that she was planning to contract a wood-type pet from the nursery, and told her about the situation between Wen Li and the Flame Strike Cat.

Afterward, she asked, ‘Is there anything unusual in the data?’

‘Ellen and White Fang’s contract entropy both showed significant fluctuations today… especially Ellen’s.’

Xie Qingwei pondered and said, ‘Normally, such values only appear when a special contract is newly formed. After stabilizing for a period of time, there shouldn’t be significant changes.’

[Contract Entropy] was a concept proposed by Xie Qingwei to measure the strength and resonance of the bond between a Beast Tamer and their pet.

Generally speaking, when a contract is first completed, the [Contract Entropy] will fluctuate at its peak. Afterward, it gradually stabilizes as the Beast Tamer and pet develop mutual understanding. When both reach a certain resonance state, there will be another peak fluctuation.

This resonance typically occurs in tense battles, where the Beast Tamer and their pet synchronize their thoughts, creating miraculous comebacks.

Dark-type pets are more sensitive and inclined to emotions, so their [Contract Entropy] is more prone to fluctuations. Xie Qingwei believed this had a strong connection to their evolutionary state, and she carefully observed and recorded these changes.

Ellen and White Fang’s [Contract Entropy] had always remained at a high level, but today there was an even higher peak fluctuation, which intrigued Xie Qingwei.”

“The牌牙兵 (Paiya Soldier), who had been listening to their conversation, made a thoughtful clicking sound.

‘Click, click…’ (When I was persuading the Flame Strike Cat, I did recall my contract with Huiyue, and the emotions I felt during the previous evolution…)”

(Note: “牌牙兵” is translated as “Paiya Soldier” but could be interpreted differently depending on the context or naming conventions within the novel.)

“‘Click, click?’ (The feedback from the contract might not just be the bonus from the Beast Taming Space and talents?)

Mu Huiyue translated Ellen’s words for Professor Xie, and upon hearing them, Professor Xie fell into deep thought.

‘So, you’re suggesting that deepening the contract between the Beast Tamer and their pet could bring substantial increases and changes to the pet, Ellen?’

‘Click.’ (Based on my own feelings, yes.)

‘Click…’ (It’s just difficult to objectively measure the way and extent of this [deepening]…)

Xie Qingwei stroked her chin, her eyes slightly shining. ‘That’s an interesting idea.’

She had gained some new ideas for adjusting her experiments and quickly opened her computer to record the insights she had just had.

These questions that couldn’t be resolved right away were happening every day, but Professor Xie was never bothered by them.

The more accumulated, the farther she was going on this unexplored path.

Professor Xie was in a good mood. Reflecting on Mu Huiyue’s earlier words, she turned to her and said:

‘By the way, Huiyue, if you want to contract a high-quality wood-type pet… why not consider going to the Harvest Festival in Xizhou?'”