In the base of Contract Beasts, there were numerous pathways, and at the end of each path, more routes branched out. The maze-like layout could easily confuse someone who wasn’t familiar with the area. Luckily, Qingyue Butterfly led the way, flying confidently towards one of the paths without hesitation.
During their journey, Qingyue Butterfly kept chattering away, but unfortunately, Qiao Sang couldn’t understand a word. However, the Fire Tooth Dog seemed to be having a great time conversing with it. From the dog's enthusiastic replies, Qiao Sang could guess that they were discussing things like, “You came from this place too?” “Yes, yes!” “Me too.”
After turning three corners and passing through two areas, they finally arrived at their destination—the activity hall. The layout inside resembled a courtyard. At first glance, she noticed that aside from Dragon-type and Fairy-type beasts, all other types were present. Among these, the Ghost-type beasts were the fewest, with only a handful lurking around, while Fire-type beasts were also scarce, numbering only a few.
A male staff member nearby was talking to three young people. “Most of the beasts in our base are here. If you can’t decide on which Contract Beast to bond with, you can get up close and personal with them first.” He continued, “The beasts here are predominantly gentle, so you don’t need to worry.”
Qiao Sang’s ears perked up at the conversation. She felt that her Fire Tooth Dog hadn’t been here before… As expected, the Fire Tooth Dog’s eyes sparkled with excitement and curiosity. If Qiao Sang wasn’t holding it, she was sure it would have dashed inside already.
“But there are some important things to be aware of—don’t take pictures of the Fire Sparrow when it’s unprepared, and the only Fire Tooth Dog in here just went through a breakup. It doesn’t care about anything right now. We brought it here to cheer it up, so as long as you don’t show too much affection in front of it, you’ll be fine,” the male staff member continued.
Qiao Sang was taken aback. She looked around and indeed saw a Fire Tooth Dog lying quietly under a stone, its eyes closed. This couldn’t be one of the ones that fought over a female Fire Tooth Dog, could it…? Where was the other one? Did it manage to win the female?
Just as she was pondering, Qingyue Butterfly flew in front of her at the right moment, remembering her owner’s advice—she had to treat customers well and make sure they didn’t feel neglected.
“Yueyue.”
“Yueyue, Yue, Yueyue.”
“Yue.”
Qiao Sang replied, “…”
The male staff member's voice was already fading in her mind as Qiao Sang decided to enter the activity area with her Fire Tooth Dog.
Not long into her stroll, a mostly green beast blocked her path. Qiao Sang recognized it as a Grass-type beast called Huang Bao Flower—a distinct feature being the yellow bud on its head, which had yet to bloom. Whenever the flower opened, it would signal its time to evolve.
The creature shyly presented a small yellow flower to her.
Qiao Sang’s eyes widened in disbelief. Oh my! Why did this scene feel so familiar?
While Qiao Sang was taken aback, Qingyue Butterfly dutifully began explaining what the Huang Bao Flower wanted. “Yue.”
“Yueyue, Yue.”
“Yue.”
Qiao Sang said, “Fire Tooth, translate for me.”
The Fire Tooth Dog began translating earnestly. “Yaya.”
“Ya.”
“Ya.”
Qiao Sang felt relieved. So it only wanted to be her Contract Beast—she thought it wanted something more…
As she understood Huang Bao Flower's intentions, she felt a twinge of sadness. It was such a wonderful beast, pretty, kind, and with good attributes. Unfortunately, she didn’t have the money… The exchange vouchers from the recent competition could only be used for beast eggs and wouldn’t cover a fully grown creature. Even if her endorsement fee arrived, it wouldn’t help; the price for Huang Bao Flower was around 500,000 Alliance Coins. It wouldn’t be right to spend all her earnings on it.
“I’m sorry,” Qiao Sang said, crouching down to refuse gently.
“Bao~” Huang Bao Flower shook its head and smiled, not seeming to mind.
Seeing this, Qiao Sang felt even more heartbroken. Such a good nature… Should she call Song Yuan to ask for her endorsement fee in advance...? After all, Huang Bao Flower ticked all her boxes. It would be best if contracting a beast was a mutual choice. But money…
While Qiao Sang wrestled with her indecision, Huang Bao Flower turned and approached a young man who had just entered.
“Bao~”
It held out the same little yellow flower, shy and bashful.
Qiao Sang sighed, realizing she had misread the situation. Most of the beasts here were gentle and not shy at all; after a few interactions, Qiao Sang felt her mood lifting.
Just as she was about to check out a small fire owl nearby, her Fire Tooth Dog suddenly stopped, tense as it stared at a tree.
She followed its gaze. A peculiar beast of yellow and gray hung upside down on a branch. It had no wings or legs but clung tightly to the limb. A yellow ring encircled its head, and its eyes were yellow with tiny gray pupils.
As if sensing the intense scrutiny, it looked over at them, its mouth curling into a mischievous grin.
Qiao Sang quickly hugged her Fire Tooth Dog and changed direction. Oh no! Why was there a Treasure-seeking Ghost here?!
Treasure-seeking Ghosts were not only bizarre Ghost-type beasts but also notoriously troublesome. They loved to hoard treasures, not the gold or jewels humans prized, but items they personally found fascinating. Anything that caught their interest would be tucked away.
The yellow ring on its head wasn’t just for show; it served as a storage space. It acted as a portal of sorts, allowing it to keep treasures within, which couldn’t be retrieved unless it chose to take them out.
It sounded useful, but some unscrupulous folks tried to contract Treasure-seeking Ghosts for their own gain, not knowing that these creatures tended to store strange items. This could lead to terrible misunderstandings and shame if someone happened to own a ghost who kept odd treasures.
Once, a man was reported for stealing items by his neighbor. When the police arrived, he didn’t resist and allowed them to search him to prove his innocence. When they summoned his Treasure-seeking Ghost, it retrieved women’s undergarments from its ring. The man spent ages explaining, but even after proving his innocence, he could never hold his head high in that neighborhood again.
Qiao Sang quickly turned and hurried away, worried she might have something interesting for the ghost.
However, just a step later, the Treasure-seeking Ghost glided into view in front of her.
Qiao Sang came to a sudden stop, narrowly avoiding a collision.
That was close—almost face-to-face…
The ghost wore a mischievous smile as it removed the ring from its head, presenting a gray egg with a yellow circle on it.
(End of Chapter)