Category: I’m Surrounded by My Own Pets!

Chapter 13: Lian Xing’s Stockings

Advanced Theory Course. Less than three minutes after the exam began, Lian Xing handed in a blank paper and left the classroom with a swagger. Watching the golden-haired girl’s elegant retreating figure and pristine white stockings, the lecturer adjusted her glasses with a deadpan expression. Did you even come here to take the test?

…

…

Leaving the classroom, Lian Xing walked towards the trading area, deep in thought. Because her predecessor had been so lazy, she couldn’t extract any useful information from her memories and didn’t know if the area Youlan Academy was located in was considered a beginner’s zone.

However, if the system was identical to Pet Beast Evolution Battle, then the concepts of Shining and Fallen Species couldn’t be nonexistent. It was just that the newbies here were likely unaware of them.

A few minutes later, Lian Xing arrived at the academy’s combat skill card vending area. To gain training experience quickly, she had to defeat enemies stronger than herself. Constantly beating weaker opponents wouldn’t lead to much improvement.

So, it was time to choose a combat skill for the Moonlight Rabbit…

The combat skill card store, usually bustling with students, was now deserted. After all, today was the final exam day, and most students were busy trying to earn those precious credits. Only the 36 Supernovas could wander around freely.

Incidentally, the two-month holiday would begin tomorrow.

And the highly anticipated Academy League would commence in a month.

A super league gathering hundreds of academies, broadcast live, with only the 50 teams that emerged from the qualifiers able to participate in the on-site battles.

Of course, Lian Xing wouldn’t be participating. She couldn’t even make it to the reserve team.

Quickly, Lian Xing arrived at the White Quality combat skill section for Biological Species. A dazzling array of…holy white legends.

She currently had only 13 credits, so Blue Quality combat skills were out of the question.

[Regeneration (White): Based on the pet beast’s Spirit attribute, slowly increases health regeneration, cannot regenerate severed limbs, 8 credits]

[Weightlifting (White): Increases the pet beast’s Strength attribute by 3 points, 8 credits]

[War Cry (White): Intimidates nearby targets with lower Spirit attribute than self, 12 credits]

[Swordsmanship (White): Based on the pet beast’s Speed attribute, slightly increases the power when using sword-type Weapon Species, 14 credits]

[Heavy Blow (White): Based on the pet beast’s Strength attribute, slightly increases the power when using hammer-type Weapon Species, 14 credits]

[…]

[…]

[Sweep Kick (White): Based on the pet beast’s Strength and Speed attributes, performs a sweep kick, with a chance to knock down the target, 30 credits]

[Training Bonus (White): Pet beast gains training points faster, 80 credits]

After looking around the counter, Lian Xing had a general idea. However, the prices of the last two combat skills were outrageous.

Sweep Kick, a valuable control skill, also benefited from two attributes, and its price was close to that of a Blue Quality combat skill.

Training Bonus was even more expensive than most Blue Quality combat skills, rivaling some unpopular Purple Quality ones. In the game, it was like a ridiculously expensive experience boosting set that remained useful even in the late game.

However…

Lian Xing was disdainful. After all, the higher the level, the harder it was to gain training points, mainly through fighting higher-level opponents. Fighting above one’s level wasn’t easy to achieve. Wasting a skill slot on this combat skill would only make it useful for bullying weaker opponents.

Weaklings who leveled up by constantly bullying weaker opponents were just…fodder for the protagonist in novels…

Lian Xing didn’t want to be one of those brainless, busty female side characters.

So, Training Bonus? No thanks.

“I’ll just choose one as a placeholder for now and replace it after evolving to High-Tier~~~”

“Weightlifting, War Cry, Regeneration…they’re all decent…”

“It’s just that the White Quality combat skill boost is too small, not satisfying enough. It seems I’ll have to go outside the city later…” Looking at her meager 13 credits, Lian Xing sighed helplessly, her excitement for buying a new combat skill gone.

At this stage, besides…certain activities, there weren’t many good ways to earn money. Hunting wild pet beasts outside the city required joining a group. Students were forbidden from leaving the city alone without special permission.

After a few minutes of deliberation, Lian Xing finally chose the White Quality combat skill, Weightlifting.

An extra 3 points in Strength. Better than nothing, and it would help the Moonlight Rabbit’s throwing power and speed with the Golden Wheels.

More importantly, as her core main battle pet beast, the Moonlight Rabbit couldn’t focus solely on agility in the long run. It needed to allocate some points to Strength and Speed. All-around development was the key.

“…”

“…”

“Hey, Lian Xing, are you here to buy a new combat skill?” Just as Lian Xing walked to the counter, listlessly, a familiar voice called out from the entrance.

Turning her head, she saw a beautiful woman with peach-colored curly hair and black stockings. It was Tao Wan, the seventh-ranked Supernova.

Tao Wan was Lian Xing’s classmate in the Mechanical Species advanced course. Although they hadn’t attended classes together for a long time, they occasionally played virtual battles online.

Tao Wan’s face was youthful, but her heart-shaped pupils held a charm that didn’t match her age. And her curvaceous figure…provided Lian Xing with ample material for…daydreaming during boring classes.

“Mm…” Lian Xing nodded listlessly.

Seeing Lian Xing’s lifeless attitude, Tao Wan followed her gaze down to the White Quality combat skill card in her hand.

A Biological Species White Quality combat skill, Weightlifting…?

Seeing this, Tao Wan immediately understood the reason for her dejection.

“You’re one of the Supernovas, yet you’re this broke? Well, everyone struggles when they first start raising their second pet beast. Just grit your teeth and get through it. Don’t resort to any…unconventional methods…” Tao Wan said gently, offering kind advice.

However, Lian Xing rolled her eyes.

“Heh, unless someone gives me a shiny card for free, I’ll never stoop to that ~~”

“You’re actually considering it!?”

“Wait, shiny card? What’s that…?”

“Uh, a shiny card is just…above Black…never mind, I misspoke. Forget what I said~~~” Lian Xing stopped mid-sentence, realizing her mistake.

Perhaps this place had never even seen a Black Quality combat skill, let alone a Shining level one.

Tao Wan nodded, not thinking too much about it. The “shiny card” Lian Xing mentioned must be a Gold Quality combat skill, right? After all, Gold Quality combat skill cards had gorgeous designs, sparkling like her hair and eyes. Calling them “shiny cards” wasn’t wrong…

But…could she really…acquire Lian Xing with just one Gold Quality combat skill?

Tao Wan subtly glanced at Lian Xing’s slender legs in white silk stockings, then quickly shook her head, dismissing the thought. She didn’t dare dwell on it any longer. Taking a deep breath to calm herself, she took out a dozen Blue Quality cards from her backpack and placed them on the counter, preparing to trade with the clerk.

Meanwhile, Lian Xing’s eyes almost popped out of their sockets.

“Tao Wan, what’s going on? Did you rob the academy’s inventory!?”

“…”

“Of course not. This is the result of our team hunting all night in the wilderness. It’s not all mine. I have to hurry back after the trade.”

“And let me be clear, I’m not giving you anything for free!!”

Despite saying that, Tao Wan, out of their friendship, showed Lian Xing her inventory.

Lian Xing ignored the other categories and went straight to the Biological Species combat skills.

[Rapid Regeneration (Blue): Based on the pet beast’s Spirit attribute, rapidly increases health regeneration, cannot regenerate severed limbs]

[Stun (Blue): Based on the pet beast’s Strength attribute, attacks have a chance to stun]

[Roar (Blue): Based on the pet beast’s Spirit attribute, releases a shockwave through a roar, dealing damage to all hostile targets within 100 meters based on the difference in Spirit attributes]

[Sand Toss (Blue): Based on the pet beast’s Agility and Strength attributes, moderately increases the power of thrown Weapon Species; doubles the bonus when throwing items or other objects]

The moment she saw Sand Toss, Lian Xing’s heart almost stopped.

A perfect match for the Giant Moonlight Rabbit!!!

With this combat skill, even without the Golden Wheels, as long as she increased the Moonlight Rabbit’s Agility and Strength attributes, it could deal terrifying damage on its own.

Even after evolving to High-Tier, this combat skill would still be very powerful.

“I plan to auction Stun and Roar. As for Rapid Regeneration and Sand Toss, I can sell them to you at market price.”

“But, you probably don’t have the money…” Tao Wan asked tentatively, watching the stars in Lian Xing’s eyes twinkle. Having spent some time with Lian Xing, she knew very well how…persuasive she could be.

However, it turned out she had still overestimated Lian Xing’s bottom line.

In the next second, under the incredulous gazes of Tao Wan and the clerk, Lian Xing bent down and slowly rolled down one of her pristine white stockings, revealing her creamy, smooth, and fair leg. Then, with a look of indignant resignation, she handed the fragrant stocking to Tao Wan.

“Hold this as collateral for ten days. Within ten days, I’ll compensate you with two Blue Quality combat skills of the same value…”

“…”

“…”

After finishing her statement, as if she were the one suffering a great loss, Lian Xing, without waiting for Tao Wan’s reply, grabbed Sand Toss and quickly left the store. As for the White Quality combat skill Weightlifting she had chosen earlier, she casually left it on the counter.

White Quality combat skill? No thanks!

Standing at the counter, holding the soft, stocking in her hands, Tao Wan stared blankly as the golden-haired girl’s figure disappeared.

After several minutes of stunned silence, she finally managed to utter the word: “Bandit…”

As Tao Wan’s slightly aggrieved voice faded, she carefully and preciously stored the stocking in her backpack, attracting an even more bewildered and shocked look from the clerk.

What the…you actually accepted it!?

Chapter 12: The Eight Evolutionary Paths

After returning from the virtual battle space, Lian Xing was quite satisfied with her performance. The Moonlight Rabbit’s Flexibility Enhancement talent not only made its body more agile but also allowed it to easily carry heavy objects, enabling the high-speed rotating Golden Wheels to be thrown repeatedly without pausing, achieving a highly efficient ranged attack cycle. Coupled with the Golden Wheel’s Heavy Metal talent, its trajectory was almost unaffected by resistance or the environment, and its power was terrifyingly high.

With this, this system was enough to handle most lineups…

“Next is to increase training points and choose combat skills~~” Lian Xing opened her information panel while pondering.

However, when she saw the information displayed, she froze.

[Giant Moonlight Rabbit gained insight in the last battle, Training Value increased by 2 points]

[Golden Wheel gained insight in the last battle, Training Value increased by 5 points]

“Huh?”

“The Golden Wheel jumped 5 levels at once!?” Lian Xing blinked and muttered in disbelief.

This phenomenon could only mean one thing: her opponent, Wind God Academy #4’s Translucent Phantom Dragon, must have been at level 20 or higher. Fighting above one’s level, life-or-death battles, and gaining new insights could significantly increase a pet beast’s training value.

Judging by her opponent’s performance, she had assumed they were only around level 14 or 15…

But based on the experience gained, the Translucent Phantom Dragon must have been over level 20, with its second Arcane Art already unlocked, not far from High-Tier evolution.

“What’s going on? Can someone of that level even participate in the Academy League…?”

“My lineup is completely basic!?”

After a moment of confusion, Lian Xing didn’t think too much about it, simply dismissing her opponent as a flower vase who relied on…certain methods to become stronger, lacking real battle experience.

And in fact…

That was…pretty much the case!!!

…

…

As night deepened, Lian Xing didn’t start another battle. After showering, she lay in bed. She hadn’t slept properly in three years in her past life and needed to catch up.

Before going to sleep, remembering that she had classes tomorrow, Lian Xing got out of bed and opened her wardrobe, making sure she had clean clothes to wear. She only had three sets of school uniforms to rotate.

However…

Fishnet stockings, 80D stockings, 0D stockings, suspender stockings, semi-transparent stockings, thigh-high stockings…all kinds of white silk stockings were available.

There were also a few styles that were too…revealing for public wear, meant only for…private viewings, which Lian Xing wouldn’t consider for now.

As for going bare-legged, that was even less likely. In her eyes, going out without stockings was no different from running around naked…

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The next morning, Youlan Academy.

In the advanced theory class, under everyone’s gaze, a golden-haired, starry-eyed girl with bun hairstyles sat with her legs crossed, fiddling with her white silk stockings, attracting strange looks from the surrounding students.

Youlan Academy didn’t separate students by year. Every student had only five years of enrollment. Completing a regular course earned 1 credit, while an advanced course earned 3.

Accumulating 5 credits allowed for a random draw of a White Quality combat skill.

10 credits allowed for the selection of a common Juvenile Species pet beast.

20 credits allowed for a random draw of a Blue Quality combat skill.

100 credits allowed for a random draw of a Purple Quality combat skill.

Lian Xing had always been lazy. In her year of enrollment, she had only accumulated a little over 10 credits, which wasn’t as efficient as…other methods.

Soon, the lecturer in charge of the advanced course walked into the classroom, carrying a stack of test papers. She glanced at Lian Xing, sitting at the back of the classroom, with a strange expression and said, “The Academy League is about to start, Lian Xing, why are you still attending classes? Shouldn’t you be preparing to compete for a main team spot?”

“Supernovas are exempt. You can get credits without taking the final exam.”

“…”

“…”

“Ah, are there any benefits to participating in the Academy League?” Lian Xing asked, slightly stunned.

In her impression, there were no substantial benefits to participating in the Academy League. Even winning the championship didn’t offer any monetary rewards.

Come to think of it, the number of students in the classroom had indeed decreased recently. It seemed they were all competing fiercely for a spot on the Youlan Academy reserve team.

“Benefits!?” Hearing Lian Xing’s straightforward question, the advanced course lecturer was taken aback. Participating in the regional Academy League, gaining ranking and glory, and showcasing one’s strength and lineup in front of billions of viewers…weren’t those benefits enough?

The endorsement fees and follower counts alone that the Top Ten of the previous league received were far more valuable than any other reward! From then on, they wouldn’t even need to…resort to certain methods to live comfortably and earn a fortune. Even she, as a lecturer, was envious.

Of course, she couldn’t promote such materialistic and…unethical views in class.

It was a pity. With Lian Xing’s looks, participating in the league would definitely attract a lot of attention to Youlan Academy…

The lecturer felt a bit regretful but didn’t persuade her further, handing out the test papers for today’s exam.

After receiving the test paper, Lian Xing scanned it briefly, her expression showing a lack of interest. The questions were too simple, even a fool could get a perfect score, so she didn’t even bother writing the answers.

Question 1: Please list the five Mid-Tier evolution paths of the Fire Cloud Mushroom.

Question 2: Please list the five Mid-Tier evolution paths of the Water Elemental.

Question 3: Please list any three High-Tier Weapon evolutions of a Mid-Tier Weapon Species pet beast.

Question 4: Please list any three High-Tier Elemental evolutions of a Mid-Tier Elemental Species pet beast.

…

…

Question 17: How many evolution paths are there for pet beasts? Select the number and list them.

Option A: 5

Option B: 6

Lian Xing didn’t even bother writing the answers to the previous questions, but when she reached question 17, her expression suddenly changed.

Because the options provided were simply wrong…

Shouldn’t the correct answer be 8!?

“Something’s not right…”

“Did the lecturer make a mistake, or…does she simply not know the correct answer?”

“No, even if it’s a mistake, 6 is way off!?” Lian Xing muttered, bewildered.

There were 8 evolutionary paths for pet beasts. This was common knowledge.

The five basic evolution paths: Biological, Weapon, Mechanical, Viral, and Elemental.

And—

The three special derived evolutions, rare, unique, and irreplaceable.

Representing the primal bloodline, the source of all myths, the origin of evolution — Ancient Species!

Continuously extracting essence during evolution, ultimately surpassing all original paths, reaching the pinnacle of evolution — Shining Species!

A synonym for destruction, the cancer of the world, forced to evolve through mutation due to excessive environmental damage — Fallen Species!!

Lost in thought, Lian Xing’s starry eyes narrowed.

So, the Youlan Academy she was in was just a backwater corner of this world?

They didn’t even know about the Shining and Fallen Species.

It seemed that the Beast Tamers here hadn’t even touched the true core…

Chapter 11: The Top Ten

Virtual Battle, Desert Map.

Facing the terrifying power of the Golden Wheels, the Storm Pupil was blasted into smithereens in a single exchange. In reality, a defeated pet beast would enter a revival cooldown lasting several days, and the pain of death would also impact the Beast Tamer’s spirit, making recovery difficult.

But this was a virtual battle. As long as not all pet beasts were defeated, there was still a chance to turn the tables!

Carried in the mouth of the Viral Species Translucent Phantom Dragon, Wind God Academy #4 watched the golden-haired, starry-eyed girl with a faint smile in the distance, her pupils constricting slightly.

“Not a gimmick, but a real threat!?”

“That power…it’s not something an ordinary Mid-Tier Weapon Species can achieve!!”

“Speaking of which, with such a low-cost lineup, I wonder if she’s…you know…”

“Buzzzzz—”

Just as Wind God Academy #4 was inwardly criticizing Lian Xing, a roaring, explosive whistling sound suddenly came from the side. She turned her head in disbelief, seeing the Golden Wheel that had missed earlier tracing a large arc in the air, glowing with golden lightning, returning towards them.

That speed…

There was no time to dodge!!!

“Whoosh—”

In the next second, with a deafening sonic boom, the two golden rings grazed her scalp. Just as the Translucent Phantom Dragon and the silver-haired girl were about to be smashed to pieces, the shackles on the dragon’s limbs suddenly broke. Its stumbling form accelerated explosively, transforming into a silver blur and dodging the Golden Wheels’ attack.

[Talent: Phantom Acceleration — Increases movement speed by a high percentage based on base movement speed, and blurs the body’s outline]

[Combat Skill: Advanced Acceleration — Significantly increases base movement speed]

[Combat Skill: Advanced Sprint — Greatly increases movement speed for a short period, but consumes stamina faster]

[Training: 23 points in Speed Enhancement, first Speed Arcane Art (Speed Amplification), second Speed Arcane Art (Stability Sprint)]

At full power, the Translucent Phantom Dragon weaved through the desert like a silver phantom, its movements too fast for the naked eye to follow. It circled, wary of the Golden Wheels’ return trajectory, while rapidly closing in on the Giant Moonlight Rabbit.

“Oh?”

“Full speed build? Interesting…”

“It seems normal attacks will be difficult to land~~~”

Seeing this, Lian Xing blinked with interest, the star patterns in her eyes twinkling.

A few seconds later, the two golden lights flew back, one after the other. The Giant Moonlight Rabbit easily caught the rapidly returning Golden Wheels with a “Clack.” Then, without a moment’s hesitation, its massive body tilted and spun on its toes, utilizing the momentum and inertia from catching the Golden Wheels. Its two ears twisted wildly…

In the next second, its thick, soft ears crossed, and with a javelin-throwing motion, it flung the Golden Wheels out again.

“Boom!!!!”

The exploding Golden Wheels transformed into two straight golden lines, piercing through the hundred-meter desert terrain, whipping up sand and dust, leaving only blurred afterimages in their wake. Golden shockwaves erupted along their path.

One blocked the Translucent Phantom Dragon’s escape route.

The other targeted the area it would pass through in a few seconds.

The roaring golden light grew larger in Wind God Academy #4’s pupils, but she had no time to react.

“Boom!!!!”

“Whoosh!!!!!”

In an instant, with two deafening roars, the golden shockwaves, like laser beams, pierced straight to the edge of the desert map without stopping.

The thunderous sounds and golden light along their path slowly dissipated.

As the dust settled, the Translucent Phantom Dragon, now only half intact, stumbled a few steps before collapsing to the ground with a “Thud.” Its upper body and its owner had been turned into mush, a gruesome scene resembling a watermelon dropped from a thousand meters.

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Wind God Beast Taming Academy, Team Training Room.

In the futuristic training room, five exquisite silver virtual devices were lined up side by side.

Suddenly, the silver-haired girl with the ID Wind God Academy #4 jolted awake, her face pale and her heart pounding.

“What was that just now?”

“Seamless throws!?”

Clearly, the Giant Moonlight Rabbit’s chain throws had caught her and the Translucent Phantom Dragon completely off guard. Generally, thrown Weapon Species attacks had a wind-down process: power dissipation, deceleration, and then a pause before the next attack.

But the Giant Moonlight Rabbit, with its flexible ears, skipped this process entirely, performing continuous high-speed throws without any pause or deceleration!

Facing the Golden Wheels that were thrown at maximum speed with no warning, the speed-focused Translucent Phantom Dragon didn’t even have time to dodge…

And, it seemed like the opponent hadn’t even used any combat skills?

Defeated by a basic lineup…?

“What’s wrong? Judging by your expression, you lost badly again?”

At that moment, a cold voice came from the side, sending shivers down Wind God Academy #4’s spine.

She turned stiffly, seeing a naked, white-haired girl sitting with her legs crossed on a luxurious sofa in the rest area. Her smooth, white skin was like cream, and her beautiful face was utterly indifferent as she stared.

Two young women in maid outfits attended to her, pouring tea and fanning her.

“C-Captain, I was just caught off guard by a gimmick lineup, it’s no big deal…”

“…”

“…”

“I don’t care if it was a mistake or some other reason. Losing to casual players all the time, what will you do when you face a real team in the official league?”

“While…selling oneself can buy powerful pet beasts and combat skills…training points cannot be bought with money. Pet beasts must constantly hone their skills in battle to gain training experience.”

“Your training value has been stuck at 23 for a week, hasn’t it? If your Translucent Phantom Dragon doesn’t reach High-Tier evolution before the official league starts, you’ll be benched~~” The silver-haired girl took a sip of tea from the white-silk-clad maid, her grey eyes empty, her face devoid of emotion.

Wind God Academy #4 didn’t dare talk back, only nodding sullenly. You think I want to…relieve stress every day? It’s because you’re always walking around naked in the training room!

Of course, she wouldn’t dare say that out loud.

After all, the Wind God Academy captain before them was one of the Top Ten in the regional league, with over ten million followers.

Codename: Silver Dragon!

Chapter 10: The Acrobatic Lineup

[Battle Begin]

The wind blew, carrying sand and rocks.

In the endless desolate desert, two enormous beast shadows slowly materialized behind Wind God Academy #4, the silver-haired masked girl.

One was a dragon silhouette formed from starlight particles, its four legs bound by shackles, a single starlight-formed dragon tooth protruding from its head. Evolved from the rare Juvenile Species (Dream Scale), the Mid-Tier Viral Species Translucent Phantom Dragon. Its ferocious physique was even more imposing than the Giant Moonlight Rabbit.

The other, floating above Wind God Academy #4’s head, was a grey eyeball covered in fleshy protrusions, blinking constantly, surrounded by swirling winds, like the gaze of an evil god.

Mid-Tier, Elemental Species, Storm Pupil!

This was the lineup of a core member of Wind God Academy, a team that had stormed into the top ten of the Academy League!

Compared to Wind God Academy #4’s lineup, Strongest Moonlight Rabbit’s seemed rather ordinary.

Giant Moonlight Rabbit and Golden Wheel…

One evolved from a Moonlight Rabbit, the other from a Golden Leaf.

Both were common, readily available pet beasts, seemingly with no chance of winning.

Of course, even more striking was their owner, with her…provocative appearance, looking like the type who might…well, you know.

Wind God Academy #4 maintained a calm facade, but her mind was filled with fantasies of ripping the white silk stockings off Strongest Moonlight Rabbit’s legs. Although she herself had…gotten to where she was through certain means, that didn’t stop her from looking down on other Beast Tamers who did the same!

Such is the way of the “pure” girl~~~

However, at this moment, as Wind God Academy #4 held her condescending thoughts, her expression relaxed, her mind wandering…

The golden-haired girl in the distance raised her hand.

Following her gesture, the Giant Moonlight Rabbit began to spin the two Golden Wheels on its ears.

The Golden Wheels, like glow sticks at a concert, flashed wildly, accelerating as they spun, emitting a dazzling golden light.

“Hmm…?”

“Controlling them with its ears? An acrobatic trick!?” Seeing this, the silver-haired girl, Wind God Academy #4, was slightly taken aback.

Acrobatic tricks, bizarre combinations that normal people couldn’t understand, were for entertainment, not actual combat. For example, a missile-type Mechanical Species that could blow up the entire map with a single shot, taking even its own Beast Tamer down with it. Since damage counted towards the score, a mutual destruction wasn’t a draw, but a victory for the side that dealt more damage. This tactic had once caused public outrage, forcing the officials to change the draw rules. Oh, you like boosting your battle record? Try that in a real life-or-death situation.

Even more bizarre were lineups where all the pet beasts were sword and blade-type Weapon Species, leading the Beast Tamer to…join the battle personally, wielding weapons themselves. Selling oneself was one thing, but personally fighting? They might as well be called Refiners instead of Beast Tamers!

However, this was the first time Wind God Academy #4 had seen the acrobatic trick of a Giant Moonlight Rabbit using its ears to control thrown weapons. The Moonlight Rabbit’s Biological Species evolution path was so unpopular that she couldn’t even remember what it evolved into next.

“Buzzzzzzzz—”

“Boom!!!!”

A few seconds later, with the Giant Moonlight Rabbit’s exaggerated throwing motion, a deafening roar resounded, and the golden wheels burst forth like thunder and lightning. The two Golden Wheels sang a symphony of destruction, whipping up a wave of sand and dust, and approaching Wind God Academy #4 with incredible force.

The silver-haired girl’s stunned expression finally changed as she realized she was already within range…

“Storm Pupil!!!”

“Whoosh——!!!”

At the critical moment, Wind God Academy #4 finally reacted. The evil eye in the sky unleashed a powerful tornado. The astonishing gale, like a natural disaster, instantly engulfed the two Golden Wheels, blowing them and the dust behind them away.

“Damn, what speed! Scared me!”

“But, it’s over…”

“This is the fatal weakness of ring-shaped Weapon Species. Once their trajectory is altered by external interference, they lose almost all their destructive power and can’t even be retrieved!!”

“Whoosh——!!!!!”

However, just as Wind God Academy #4 finished her triumphant words, two golden lights pierced straight through the tornado. Empowered by the Heavy Metal talent, the Golden Wheels’ trajectory and power were completely unaffected by the howling wind.

One Golden Wheel, roaring like thunder and lightning, hurtled straight towards the silver-haired girl’s position, while the other carved a strange arc, changing direction and flying towards the Storm Pupil hanging in the sky.

“Boom!!!!”

In the next second, with a deafening explosion, the desert terrain within dozens of meters of Wind God Academy #4 was pierced by golden light. At the very last moment, the Translucent Phantom Dragon snatched her in its mouth and sprinted away, narrowly avoiding disaster.

But the immobile Storm Pupil in the sky wasn’t so lucky…

With a loud “Boom!”, a terrifying sound like a thunderclap echoed!

Dangling precariously in the Translucent Phantom Dragon’s mouth, her hair dishevelled and her appearance disarrayed, Wind God Academy #4 looked up in disbelief. As a heavy golden light pierced through it, the Storm Pupil’s elemental body shattered like a mirror, exploding and scattering, leaving nothing behind…

“What the—!?”

“Isn’t the Golden Wheel supposed to deal piercing damage?”

“How can it obliterate an Elemental Species that’s immune to most physical damage…?”

“…”

“…”

“Not an acrobatic lineup, but a real threat!?”

Looking at the golden-haired, starry-eyed girl with a faint smile in the distance, Wind God Academy #4’s pupils constricted.

Was there such a person in Youlan Academy?

She didn’t seem familiar from last year’s league…

Chapter 9: Golden Wheel

[Juvenile Species · Golden Leaf]

[Evolvable Paths]

[Mid-Tier — Biological Species — Gold Star Orchid]

[Mid-Tier — Mechanical Species — Yellow Hornet]

[Mid-Tier — Weapon Species — Golden Wheel]

[Mid-Tier — Viral Species — No Evolution Target]

[Mid-Tier — Elemental Species — Sand Ant]

[Evolution Selected: Weapon Species Path]

[Golden Leaf has evolved to Mid-Tier, Weapon Species — Golden Wheel]

With a flash of dazzling golden light, the successfully evolved Golden Leaf returned to Lian Xing’s body. When she bought the Golden Leaf, Lian Xing had already decided on its evolution path, so the talent reset was also tailored for the Weapon Species evolution.

In the eyes of most Beast Tamers, the ring-shaped Weapon Species was extremely difficult to control. Many main battle pet beasts trained for months and still couldn’t utilize its power effectively, sometimes even hindering themselves or injuring themselves in the process.

But as the strongest Beast Tamer specializing in the Moonlight Rabbit’s Biological Species evolution path, Lian Xing naturally knew the Giant Moonlight Rabbit’s strengths and characteristics, especially the unusual abilities derived from its ears. A mere ring weapon wouldn’t pose a challenge…

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A moment later, after connecting to the virtual battle world again through the chip, Lian Xing entered a separate training room. In a white space filled with stone pillars and wall obstacles, the giant lop-eared rabbit stood beside the golden-haired, starry-eyed girl with a curious expression.

[Main Battle Pet: Mid-Tier — Biological Species — Giant Moonlight Rabbit]

[Talent: Flexibility Enhancement]

[Combat Skill: None]

[Training Points: 10]

[Other Pet Beast: Mid-Tier — Weapon Species — Golden Wheel]

[Talent: Heavy Metal]

[Combat Skill: None]

[Training Points: 0]

This was Lian Xing’s current information panel. Before the Moonlight Rabbit evolved to High-Tier, she could only contract three pet beasts. She had one slot left.

Standing in the center of the training space, she slowly closed her eyes, sensing the new pet beast within her.

“Buzzzzz——!!!”

With a loud “Boom!”, two golden ring-shaped weapons, composed entirely of rotating blades, descended from the sky and crashed heavily onto the ground, creating a large crater and startling the Giant Moonlight Rabbit.

Two golden, hollow ring blades resembling hula hoops. This was the Mid-Tier form of the Golden Leaf’s Weapon Species evolution path, the Golden Wheel!

To put it simply, it was a hula hoop with blades all around its outer edge.

The Giant Moonlight Rabbit understood. This was the new weapon its master had prepared for it. It carefully tried to grab the rings with its small paws, but after struggling for a while, it couldn’t lift them, instead losing its balance and collapsing onto the ground.

Under the influence of the Heavy Metal talent, the Golden Wheel’s weight was terrifying.

“Silly, don’t use your hands. Try your ears…” Lian Xing chuckled, seeing this comical scene.

So, the Giant Moonlight Rabbit slowly lowered its large, floppy ears, gently hooking them through the hollow centers of the two Golden Wheels. Then, it easily lifted them up.

It wiggled its ears in surprise, and the two golden rings spun rapidly like hula hoops, resembling glowing golden sticks, creating a dazzling display.

It might be difficult to hold them with other body parts, but with its ears…it was perfect!

“Hmm, it seems the compatibility with Flexibility Enhancement is even better than I expected. I thought I’d have to use all my training points just to pick them up…”

“In that case, I’ll save the training points for now—”

“Bunny, now try throwing those weapons and see if you can retrieve them…”

Following Lian Xing’s command, the Giant Moonlight Rabbit lowered its body, preparing to throw.

Then, it swung its drooping ears stiffly a few times and flung the two Golden Wheels into the air.

“Boom——!!!!”

A sharp whistling sound filled the air as two golden spirals shot out along a curved trajectory. With a deafening roar, the two Golden Wheels, spinning rapidly, smashed through the walls of the training space like cannonballs.

Under the impact of the combined weight and throwing force, the thick walls shattered like glass, but the two Golden Wheels remained stable, flying back like boomerangs, leaving golden afterimages in the air.

Facing the rapidly returning Golden Wheels, the Giant Moonlight Rabbit instinctively wanted to dodge, but thanks to the Flexibility Enhancement talent, it raised its ears and caught them.

“Clack—!!!”

The two golden rings were successfully retrieved.

However, the overly tense Giant Moonlight Rabbit squeezed its eyes shut, frozen in place.

A few seconds later, it cautiously opened its eyes, looking in surprise at the devastated training space hundreds of meters away. The entire training room was in ruins, especially the stone pillars and wall obstacles, almost all of which had been violently destroyed by the two rampaging Golden Wheels.

This terrifying power and range…

Far surpassed its previous Mechanical Species evolution path, the Moonlight Drive!!!

Seeing this, Lian Xing nodded with satisfaction, her starry eyes gleaming with excitement.

“Very good…”

“The combination of Golden Wheel and Moonlight Rabbit is even more powerful than I expected…”

“Let’s test it in a real battle~~~~”

---

---

[2v2 Individual Mixed Battle matching… ]

[Match found]

[Team Certified ID: Wind God Academy #4]

[Mid-Tier · Viral Species · Translucent Phantom Dragon]

[Mid-Tier · Elemental Species · Storm Pupil]

[——]

[VS]

[——]

[ID: Strongest Moonlight Rabbit]

[Mid-Tier · Biological Species · Giant Moonlight Rabbit]

[Mid-Tier · Weapon Species · Golden Wheel]

[Map: Desert]

“Huh!?”

In a desolate desert area filled with flying sand and rocks, two illusory figures slowly materialized.

The silver-haired girl, Wind God Academy #4, let out a puzzled hum. She wore a strange, white, featureless mask on the side of her beautiful face. She slowly raised her head, looking at the battle information display panel with confusion.

“This combination…how bizarre.”

“A cumbersome Giant Moonlight Rabbit paired with a difficult-to-control Golden Wheel. It’s hard to imagine how they’ll fight…”

“But whatever, there are plenty of…unusual players in casual matches. Anything can happen.”

Wind God Academy had been among the top ten teams in the Beast Taming Academy League for three consecutive years. They were on a completely different level from Youlan Academy, which lingered around the thirties and forties, let alone her being a core member of the Wind God Academy team.

Looking at the Youlan Academy uniform of the golden-haired, bun-wearing girl opposite her, Wind God Academy #4 thought with a slight sense of superiority.

This match would be an easy win…

Chapter 8: A New Talent

—Youlan Beast Taming Academy—

In a secluded corner of the Youlan Academy market, within a shop rarely visited by students…

“Ding-dong!”

In broad daylight, a golden-haired girl with two large buns and starry eyes walked in.

The Talent Reset service wasn’t useless, but each reset for a single pet beast required double the materials, with the cost increasing exponentially each time. Just three resets could easily drain an ordinary student’s expenses for several months.

Furthermore, given the strict condition that talents could not be changed after choosing an evolution path, few students would reset their new pet beast’s talent before becoming a capable Beast Tamer. They usually decided which evolution path was most suitable based on the initial talent.

But Lian Xing was different. She had already decided on the Golden Leaf’s evolution path, so she had to change the Healing talent before evolving it.

Meanwhile, at the shop counter, a black-haired female clerk in thin pajamas yawned lazily.

“Little sister, please take the reset materials yourself. The cost doubles each time, so please consider your finances beforehand. Don’t take more than you need or steal them, or you’ll be blacklisted~~”

“I understand…” Lian Xing nodded, replying casually.

She walked to the display area, took a light purple crystal granule, and placed it in front of a special printer-like device near the counter. Then, she placed both the Talent Reset Crystal and the motionless Golden Leaf inside.

A few seconds later, the enchanting device emitted a faint glow, and text appeared on the screen.

[Golden Leaf’s Healing talent has been changed to Surface High Temperature]

[Surface High Temperature: Creates intense heat on the skin’s surface, capable of burning things that come into contact with it]

Seeing the new talent, Lian Xing sighed in disappointment. The Surface High Temperature talent was basically only suitable for the Elemental Species evolution path, which wasn’t what she wanted.

“Reset again,” she said without hesitation.

“Two crystals, are you sure?” the black-haired clerk, still half-asleep, asked uncertainly.

“Yes!” Lian Xing nodded firmly.

Then, two more Talent Reset Crystals were placed inside.

[Golden Leaf’s Surface High Temperature talent has been changed to Tear Wound]

[Tear Wound: Prevents wounds inflicted on enemies from healing for a short period]

Four crystals.

[Golden Leaf’s Tear Wound talent has been changed to Basic Haste]

[Basic Haste: Slightly increases attack speed]

Eight crystals.

[Golden Leaf’s Basic Haste talent has been changed to Small Shield]

[Small Shield: Can temporarily deploy a small shield around itself, unable to withstand strong attacks]

“Whew—” Lian Xing took a deep breath and slowly exhaled.

Her pretty face was flushed, and her head was starting to feel hot. Her initial goal was simple: a talent suitable for the Weapon Species evolution path. But she kept getting useless talents that couldn’t be used with any of the five evolution categories.

Just as she was about to put in another 16 Talent Crystals, red-faced, the black-haired clerk stopped her and asked suspiciously, “Little sister, do you still have money?”

“Enough for one last try! I’ll definitely get it this time!!!” Lian Xing checked her wallet, patted her flat chest, and declared confidently.

“16 Talent Crystals is enough to buy a Blue Quality combat skill. Shouldn’t you reconsider? Small Shield may not be very useful, but it can be applied to the Beast Tamer themselves. It’s not as bad as everyone thinks…”

“It’s fine, I’ll definitely get it next time!!” Ignoring the clerk’s advice, Lian Xing went all in.

[Golden Leaf’s Small Shield talent has been changed to Healing]

“…”

“…”

“…”

The air in the shop became still, and the two remained silent for almost half a minute.

Lian Xing slowly turned to look at the black-haired clerk, whose expression was now quite interesting. She had been half-asleep, but now she was wide awake.

“Little sister, crying won’t help. I warned you…”

“Can I buy on credit?”

“No!”

“Can I sell myself?”

“No!!!!”

“Senior sister, please lend me money…”

“Enough already!!!!” The black-haired clerk sighed, exasperated.

Then, seeing Lian Xing’s teary-eyed expression, she felt a pang of sympathy.

“Alright, alright, I’ll lend it to you. You’re one of the Supernovas, after all. This little bit of money is nothing as an investment. But if you’re still not satisfied this time, don’t roll around in my shop and disrupt my business. I can’t afford to lend you enough for another 64 Talent Crystals.”

“Thank you, senior sister! I definitely won’t roll around!”

“Hmm, that’s what you said…” The black-haired clerk narrowed her eyes, unconvinced.

A few seconds later, the enchanting machine whirred, and a new line of text appeared.

[Golden Leaf’s Healing talent has been changed to Heavy Metal]

[Heavy Metal: Significantly increases own weight and surface hardness, but causes a negative status effect of hindered movement due to weight]

“…”

“…”

Seeing the displayed talent, Lian Xing froze, rooted to the spot.

Meanwhile, the black-haired clerk’s expression became even more interesting. Healing might not be very useful, but at least it didn’t have negative effects.

Heavy Metal, on the other hand…

The Golden Leaf didn’t have a Viral Species evolution path. Both the Biological Species Gold Star Orchid and the Mechanical Species Yellow Hornet were small and delicate. With Heavy Metal, they wouldn’t even be able to stand. Only the Elemental and Weapon Species paths could barely work with it.

However, the Elemental Species Sand Ant evolution path was known for its agility. Combining it with Heavy Metal would be suicidal!

And the Weapon Species Golden Wheel was already notoriously difficult to control. Increasing its weight several times over would only make things harder for the main battle pet beast responsible for wielding it!

However, unlike the tantrum the black-haired clerk had expected, Lian Xing’s expression was surprisingly calm.

“Thank you, senior sister. I’ll come back and repay you later.”

With that, Lian Xing left the Talent Reset shop, holding the Golden Leaf.

Watching the golden-haired, bun-wearing girl leave, the black-haired clerk nodded appreciatively.

“Hmm, going somewhere else to throw a tantrum. At least she has some principles…”

---

---

After leaving the Talent Reset shop, Lian Xing hurried home excitedly. As soon as she got home, she collapsed on the floor and started rolling around, all the way from the entrance to the bedside, then climbed onto the bed like a vengeful spirit clinging to the edge.

Heavy Metal. When she first saw this talent, Lian Xing was stunned. It wasn’t among her top choices.

For the Golden Leaf’s Weapon Species evolution path, her ideal choices were Destruction, Impact, Sharpness, Super Speed, and Rotating Acceleration.

But Lian Xing quickly realized that she had overlooked an important factor. Heavy Metal, this extremely unpopular talent…seemed to be even more suitable for the Giant Moonlight Rabbit than her initial top choices!!!

“Golden Leaf, Weapon evolution!!”

Chapter 7: The Second Pet Beast

“Lian Xing, I’m puzzled. Splitting Laser should be the core combat skill of Moonlight Drive. Could it be that…you’re planning to completely change your build?”

“I advise you not to change on a whim. Moonlight Drive is very versatile and doesn’t have any major flaws as a main battle pet.” After the transaction, Yu Bo couldn’t help but meddle, still holding the combat skill card.

However, Lian Xing didn’t listen at all, waving her hand dismissively and turning to leave.

Half a minute later, watching the golden-haired, bun-wearing girl’s figure disappear from sight, Yu Bo lowered her head, absentmindedly fiddling with the blue combat skill card in her hand. In the end, how much of an improvement would a mere Blue Quality combat skill bring her? She was just using it as an excuse to engage with Lian Xing.

Unfortunately, now, even that excuse was gone…

---

---

After parting ways with Yu Bo, Lian Xing’s wallet was stuffed full. She first went to a nearby public hot spring to wash off the slime, then strutted into a pet beast store, brimming with confidence.

The pet beast store, with its dedicated shop in the market area, had dazzling display cases filled with Juvenile Species pet beasts. No matter how powerful or ferocious a pet beast might become in the future, its Juvenile form was usually a weak little creature. As soon as someone entered, they would chirp and gather around, observing the stunning girl with starry eyes.

Lian Xing scanned through most of them at a glance: Moonlight Rabbit, Water Elemental, Ice Sprite, Crystal Serpent, Golden Leaf, Dream Grass, Fire Cloud Mushroom…almost all were common Juvenile Species.

Then, her gaze landed on the store’s premium section. Almost all the pet beasts sold there were considered treasures.

[Low-Tier · Juvenile Species · Void Spirit, Ultra-Rare Juvenile Species, the only one on the entire continent. Recommended Viral Species evolution path, high probability of replicating the evolution path of the Royal-Tier pet beast that once slaughtered everything within a radius of dozens of regions!!]

[Low-Tier · Juvenile Species · Phoenix Melody, Ultra-Rare Juvenile Species, recommended Elemental Species evolution path, invincible within the same tier!!!]

[Low-Tier · Juvenile Species · Jade Extremity, Ultra-Rare Juvenile Species, recommended Weapon Species evolution path, surpassing tiers to kill enemies is not a dream!!!!]

The Void Spirit looked like a white mist in the shape of a flame, surrounded by ethereal air. It didn’t look like a Low-Tier Juvenile Species at all, but rather like something from a pay-to-win mobile game, a reward for a hefty first-time purchase.

The Phoenix Melody was a languid little red bird, while the Jade Extremity was a beautiful piece of jade.

Lian Xing was immediately captivated by the Jade Extremity in the display case, the golden stars in her eyes twinkling like an Ultraman being…well, you get the idea.

However, the moment she saw the price, her heart sank. A bucket of cold water seemed to have been poured over her head, dimming even her starry eyes.

“Even if I sold myself a hundred times over, I couldn’t afford this!!”

“Sigh, it seems I can only choose from the ordinary Juvenile Species~~~”

The price of the Jade Extremity was only one-eighth of the Void Spirit’s, but it was still beyond Lian Xing’s means.

She sighed helplessly, suppressing her desire and turning away, returning to the ordinary Juvenile Species section.

If she were to build a team composition around the Giant Moonlight Rabbit as the core, utilizing the Flexibility Enhancement talent, she already had three initial ideas for her second pet beast:

A highly mobile Weapon Species that could be thrown from a distance!

An Elemental Species that could ignore some physical damage and enhance itself through possession!!

And a Viral Species with unpredictable and bizarre abilities.

After a moment of hesitation, Lian Xing finally made her decision, reaching for a golden leaf lying quietly in the display case.

—Low-Tier · Juvenile Species · Golden Leaf—

“Ding-dong!”

Her newly filled wallet instantly emptied by more than half. Lian Xing walked out of the pet beast store, holding the Golden Leaf she had been longing for.

Then, with almost ravenous speed, she formed a contract with the motionless Golden Leaf. Unlike ferocious wild pet beasts, most pet beasts sold in stores were docile and obedient, especially Low-Tier Juvenile Species, which almost never refused contract requests.

After the contract was completed, a few seconds later, the Golden Leaf’s information panel appeared.

[Pet Panel]

[Low-Tier — Juvenile Species — Golden Leaf]

[Talent: Healing]

[Evolvable Paths]

[Mid-Tier — Biological Species — Gold Star Orchid]

[Mid-Tier — Mechanical Species — Yellow Hornet]

[Mid-Tier — Weapon Species — Golden Wheel]

[Mid-Tier — Viral Species — None]

[Mid-Tier — Elemental Species — Sand Ant]

“Pfft!!!” The moment she saw the Healing talent, Lian Xing almost choked on her own spit.

Healing, which could slowly heal the injuries of oneself or allies, was a talent that most plant-type Juvenile Species had a chance of being born with.

However, based on Lian Xing’s original plan, the Healing talent was completely useless. This meant she had essentially paid for a defective product that also occupied a contract slot!

Every Beast Tamer started with three contract slots.

The fourth slot would unlock upon obtaining their first High-Tier pet beast.

The fifth slot would unlock upon obtaining their first Commander-Tier pet beast, and so on.

The cost of terminating a contract with a pet beast was tens of thousands of times higher than buying a new Juvenile Species. Even if Lian Xing sold herself now, it wouldn’t be enough. Usually, only late-game Beast Tamers would consider terminating a contract when changing their team composition.

“Wait—”

“Right, there’s still hope. As long as I don’t evolve it yet, I can reset the talent…”

Almost having a heart attack, Lian Xing patted her flat chest anxiously, finally calming down after a while. It had been so long since she bought a new Juvenile Species in her past life that she almost forgot that the talent could be infinitely refreshed before choosing the first evolution path.

However, she would need to go to a specialized Talent Reset shop…

Chapter 6: Tentacle Slime

While her opponent was bewildered by the Giant Moonlight Rabbit, the star patterns in Lian Xing’s eyes twinkled, as if she had seen her long-deceased mother. The Giant Moonlight Rabbit, this was the beginning of everything, the first evolution. As long as the Moonlight Rabbit was in Lian Xing’s hands, even the seemingly ordinary Flexibility Enhancement talent could be turned from trash to treasure, becoming a terrifying superweapon!!!

[Battle Begin]

The countdown ended, and the barrier between the two sides disappeared. The medium-sized arena map was much wider than the previous arena in the ranking battle, with a distance of over a hundred meters between the two sides. It was a perfect environment for a ranged Mechanical Species to shine.

The moment the battle began, Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty aimed her green sniper rifle at the giant rabbit over a hundred meters away, wondering how she could possibly lose at this distance.

Lian Xing didn’t seem worried. She stood on tiptoe, patted the Giant Moonlight Rabbit’s bottom, and encouraged it casually.

“Alright, bunny, let me see how agile you are~~~”

“Eek!!!”

“Bang!!!!”

Along with the Giant Moonlight Rabbit’s cute cry, an ear-splitting gunshot echoed across the arena. The bullet fired from the Mechanical Species Eight-Legged Spider’s muzzle, a green blur, crossed most of the map in an instant, arriving before the Moonlight Rabbit.

With a “Whoosh!”, sensing the threat of death, the Giant Moonlight Rabbit instinctively ducked and dodged, the bullet narrowly grazing its head.

Then, before it could catch its breath, another barrage of gunshots followed.

Surprisingly, facing the overwhelming hail of dark green bullets, the seemingly vulnerable Giant Moonlight Rabbit swayed its massive body, nimbly weaving through the rain of fire. It passed through the hail of bullets unscathed. The rabbit’s large and cumbersome form now displayed an unexpected grace and ease.

Even when occasionally hit, it only lost a bit of fur. Its actual body was much smaller than its fluffy exterior suggested, with the fur accounting for a third of its apparent size.

Seeing this, Lian Xing nodded thoughtfully.

“Hmm, not bad so far. The Flexibility Enhancement talent is quite suitable for the Giant Moonlight Rabbit…”

“Not too good, but not too bad~~~”

Although she said that, Lian Xing knew very well that it would still be difficult to defeat her current opponent with its current combat power.

As expected, as the distance between the Giant Moonlight Rabbit and the Eight-Legged Spider shortened, the situation became more dangerous. Several times, it barely avoided having its head blown off.

This was unavoidable. After all, beyond seven steps, speed was key.

Within seven steps, both speed and accuracy were crucial!!

Most Biological Species evolution paths were late-game bloomers. Being beaten to a pulp by Mechanical Species in the early game was common.

After a dozen seconds, as the distance between the two sides shortened to within 50 meters, the pretty girl with green twintails stopped holding back and activated her combat skill.

[Blue Quality Combat Skill: Rapid Fire]

“Rat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat-tat!!!!”

In the next second, as her finger squeezed the trigger, green flames erupted from the Eight-Legged Spider’s muzzle, firing like a Gatling gun.

The overwhelming barrage of bullets covered the entire map, instantly turning the flashy Giant Moonlight Rabbit into a bloody mess, leaving no room for evasion.

A Gatling sniper rifle, seriously!?

Facing this terrifying firepower, let alone the newly evolved Giant Moonlight Rabbit, even Lian Xing’s previous Moonlight Drive would likely have lost.

[Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty, Victory!!!]

[Strongest Moonlight Rabbit, Defeat, Loss Prevention Card used to negate the loss]

An unsurprising defeat…

Soon, the map before Lian Xing faded, and her consciousness returned to the virtual battle space lobby.

The Giant Moonlight Rabbit had reverted to its small and weak form, hiding in Lian Xing’s chest, trembling with tears in its eyes. Even though it was just a rabbit, with an underdeveloped brain and no cerebellum at all, it knew very well that it had become much weaker.

However, Lian Xing’s reaction was completely different. After stroking the Moonlight Rabbit’s back to comfort it, she nodded with satisfaction.

“It seems I don’t need to waste the other two Loss Prevention Cards. One match is enough. I’ve pretty much figured out the effect of the Flexibility Enhancement talent. The Giant Moonlight Rabbit’s current combat power is only about seven or eight times weaker than the Moonlight Drive…”

“But it doesn’t make much difference. I can start the real enhancement now!!”

---

---

Youlan Academy, Trading Area.

Just like every online game had a marketplace for players to set up stalls, this world naturally had a trading area specifically for Beast Tamers. Whether it was pet beasts, combat skills, pet food, evolution information, or even the Beast Tamers themselves, everything could be traded here.

At this moment, in a corner of the trading market, under the scrutinizing gazes of passersby, Lian Xing, who was…standing around, rubbed the swaying golden buns on her head with a deadpan expression.

“Are you for sale?”

After a while, a petite lolita girl finally mustered the courage to ask. Despite being less than 1.4 meters tall, her words were surprisingly bold.

“Sorry, I’m not for sale…” Lian Xing shook her head flatly, seemingly accustomed to this phenomenon.

Seeing this, the petite lolita left disappointedly.

After that, Lian Xing rejected three more inquiries before finally waiting for the person she had contacted.

A blue-haired woman with two fishtail-shaped twintails hanging on either side of her head walked over, dripping water like a wet rag. Her long, white, and delicate legs soaked a large part of the market street before she stopped expressionlessly in front of Lian Xing.

Up close, it turned out that those eye-catching, plump fishtails weren’t a hairstyle but actual fishtails, wet and slimy, tangled and knotted with her hair.

Yu Bo, the second-ranked Supernova of Youlan Academy, a core member of the Youlan Battle Team, and a human-pet hybrid.

“Lian Xing, it seems you’ve finally made the right decision…” Yu Bo said coldly, her demeanor like an unattainable snow lotus.

However, her habit of spitting water while talking was rather…unpleasant.

Lian Xing was directly sprayed with water. She forced a calm expression, suppressing her twitching face.

“Mm…” Soaked, Lian Xing lowered her eyes and nodded reluctantly.

She didn’t really want to sell the Blue Quality combat skill Splitting Laser to this woman. Every time they traded, she would be sprayed with water, slimy and sticky like tentacle slime, making her feel nauseous. It was also difficult to wash off.

But Yu Bo’s offer was simply too high. Moreover, Splitting Laser perfectly complemented her lineup and build. Months ago, she had already increased her offer to three times the usual price for a Blue Quality combat skill.

However, since Splitting Laser was the core of the Moonlight Drive build, Lian Xing’s predecessor had never considered selling it.

Chapter 5: Giant Moonlight Rabbit

“Little white rabbit, so cute, two ears sticking up, slit the arteries, slit the veins, so cute and still~~~”

After completing the Moonlight Rabbit’s Mid-Tier evolution, Lian Xing connected to the chip and returned to the virtual battle space. Before obtaining permission to leave the city, virtual online battles were the best way to quickly increase her pet beast’s experience.

At this moment, she seemed to be in a pleasant mood, humming a strange song while adjusting the system settings.

First, enable the barrage comments during battles so she could see other people praising her.

Second, the option to make her age public was a no-brainer. She was now a 15-year-old beautiful girl, no longer a 20-something-year-old lady. The whole world had to know this!

Finally, Lian Xing changed her ID to [Strongest Moonlight Rabbit] and hid her academy affiliation. Who used their real name online these days? It wasn’t some ancient social media platform from decades ago~~~

Of course, the main reason was that the combinations Lian Xing had in mind for her next few lineups were…unorthodox, and it was best not to be recognized by students from the same region.

After some adjustments, Lian Xing’s information panel looked completely different. Even her own mother wouldn’t recognize her now.

[ID: Strongest Moonlight Rabbit]
[Age: 15, Public]
[Appearance: Public]
[Main Battle Pet: Mid-Tier — Biological Species — Giant Moonlight Rabbit]
[Other Pet Beasts: None]
[Casual Battle Record: 0 Wins, 0 Losses, Reset with Reset Card]
[Spectating Allowed: Prohibited]

She used a season reset card to clear all her previous battle records. Although her predecessor’s record was decent, Lian Xing couldn’t tolerate any blemishes. Especially in her past life playing Pet Beast Evolution Battle, even occasionally losing a match due to a mistake would send her into a fit of tears and tantrums, often making the viewers in her livestream burst into laughter.

Lian Xing glanced at her inventory. Three “Loss Prevention Cards” remained.

“That means I can mess around three times…”

“I’ll use these three matches to test the compatibility between the Giant Moonlight Rabbit and the Flexibility Enhancement talent~~~”

With that decided, Lian Xing directly started a 1v1 training battle. There were more than a dozen PVP battle modes in this virtual space. There were 1v1 pet beast training battles, formal duels with no limit on the number of pet beasts, 2v2 individual/team mixed battles, 5v5 individual/team mixed battles, 3v3 individual/team round-robin battles, 5v5 individual/team round-robin battles, 100-pet battle royales, random map speed kill races – in short, it was identical to the PVP in the Pet Beast Evolution Battle she played in her past life.

Individual matches meant battling with 3 or 5 pet beasts against the opponent, with a limit on the number of pet beasts. Team matches meant being randomly matched with teammates, summoning any number of pet beasts, and battling with a limit on the number of Beast Tamers.

She used to enjoy 5v5 individual round-robin battles and 100-pet battle royales the most. After obtaining the Ancient Species evolution data, she rarely battled, spending day and night collecting materials in the open world and conquering high-difficulty secret realm instances.

“Click—”

Just as Lian Xing was reminiscing, a battle match notification popped up.

Three seconds later, her consciousness was transported to another space.

[Pet Beast 1v1 Training Battle]

[Map randomly generated: Medium-sized Arena]

[Strongest Moonlight Rabbit (Mid-Tier · Biological Species · Giant Moonlight Rabbit)]

[VS]

[Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty (Mid-Tier · Mechanical Species · Eight-Legged Spider)]

Soon, in the virtual battlefield, two graceful girls appeared simultaneously on the left and right sides of the arena, their bodies materializing from illusory particles.

After her vision cleared, the player with the ID “Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty” immediately summoned her pet beast.

With a loud “Boom!”, a ferocious-looking green sniper rifle appeared before her. Its shape resembled a cannon more than a rifle, barely supported upright by eight steel spider legs extending from its sides and anchoring it to the ground.

Feeling the sense of security brought by the deadly firepower, the cute girl with green twintails finally had the leisure to observe her opponent’s appearance.

Hmm, the two golden buns on this woman’s head were quite eye-catching… Wearing the Youlan Academy’s special white ornate uniform, what was the point of hiding her academy affiliation!?

The green-haired twintail girl complained inwardly, ignoring the obvious and irrelevant features. When her gaze landed on Strongest Moonlight Rabbit’s face, her breath hitched.

Oh my god, guys, who understands!? Those dazzling, lewd starry eyes, and those sheer white silk stockings perfectly accentuating her plump, tender thighs…how can it be so hot? I’m speechless, utterly speechless. She probably thinks acting seductive in the arena will make people go easy on her, right?

Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty inwardly mocked her opponent’s appearance while sending a friend request with a dry throat. The system prompted that Strongest Moonlight Rabbit refused all friend requests.

Well, there was no helping it. Since she couldn’t be a sugar baby, she’d have to be cannon fodder!

She gripped the giant green sniper rifle in front of her with a serious expression.

Meanwhile, Lian Xing was oblivious to the elaborate fantasies her opponent had conjured up after a single glance. She took out the cute and adorable Moonlight Rabbit from her arms.

“Come forth, Giant Moonlight Rabbit!!”

“Eek!”

The Moonlight Rabbit squealed and landed gently on the ground, its soft body beginning to expand and swell. Like a compressed towel absorbing water, it grew taller and larger, quickly transforming into a pristine giant rabbit nearly five meters tall under Lian Xing’s excited gaze!

Apart from its increased size, it didn’t seem any different from the ordinary Moonlight Rabbit…

Mid-Tier · Biological Species · Giant Moonlight Rabbit!!!

At that moment, seeing Strongest Moonlight Rabbit’s Giant Moonlight Rabbit, Starlight Academy’s #1 Beauty almost choked on her own saliva, coughing and blushing. She thought the opponent was just joking around and that it wasn’t her main battle pet, but she actually used the Giant Moonlight Rabbit in battle!

The Giant Moonlight Rabbit was a classic example of a bad choice. Given the Moonlight Rabbit’s inherently weak physique, even if it became dozens of times larger and heavier, it wouldn’t change much. Its combat power among Mid-Tier pet beasts was practically at the bottom.

For example, compared to rabbit-type pet beasts, ant-type Biological Species could lift hundreds or even thousands of times their own weight. The enhancement from gigantification was unimaginable.

But a rabbit, even if it became bigger and heavier, was still just a slightly larger rabbit, right?

Why would anyone choose the Biological Species evolution path for a Moonlight Rabbit?

Wasn’t the Mechanical Species Moonlight Drive much better?

Chapter 4: Moonlight Rabbit

Although Yin Huomei was beautiful, in a fantasy beast-taming world filled with beautiful girls, there were few ugly girls of her age and grade. Just imagine, who would become a fan of a woman with similar looks to themselves? That’s why Yin Huomei sometimes had to battle several times just to gain a single follower.

Unless, of course, you were like Lian Xing, whose stunning beauty could make even same-age girls scream and faint even when she was rolling around on the floor throwing a tantrum…

Even if she were brutally beaten and killed in a battle, she could make the opponent lose even more, experiencing true pain. Because their hard-earned fans would all be drawn to her!

At this moment, looking at Yin Huomei, who had already summoned her pet beast, Lian Xing casually waved her hand, summoning her Moonlight Drive.

“Whoosh!”

With a flash of dazzling light, a golden drone shaped like a floating turret landed on Lian Xing’s shoulder.

With the combination of Moonlight Drive and the Splitting Laser combat skill, Lian Xing had been on a winning streak. It wasn’t that she was invincible in the academy, but she rarely lost ranking battles.

However, after personally using this powerful combination, Lian Xing found herself wincing, her eye twitching. It was like being used to a max-level account in an online game, then helping a friend level up their low-level account, only to find that even their skill points were allocated wrongly, and their equipment set was incomplete…

[Battle commencing in 3 seconds]

Soon, as the countdown timer appeared in the sky, Yin Huomei focused intently on the golden-haired, bun-wearing girl opposite her. Her Weapon Species pet beast, resembling a fiery flying knife, began to gather power, ready to shoot out and attack the opponent the moment the battle began.

Meanwhile, Lian Xing frowned thoughtfully as she saw her opponent’s pet beast. A Weapon Species Fire Scythe specializing in speed enhancement. The combination itself wasn’t a big problem, but…

Why choose her, with her ranged Mechanical Species, as an opponent? No matter how fast a Mid-Tier Weapon Species was, it couldn’t compete with a ranged attack-type Mechanical Species!

[Battle Begin]

[Restrictions Lifted]

With a “Whoosh,” the moment the battle began, the Fire Scythe burst forth, leaving a blurred afterimage in the air as it moved at a speed invisible to the naked eye. The arc of fire crossed dozens of meters in the blink of an eye, seemingly about to pierce the golden-haired, bun-wearing girl in a matter of seconds.

At this moment, the corners of Yin Huomei’s mouth curled up slightly, while Lian Xing didn’t even blink. After roughly estimating the Fire Scythe’s speed, she waved her hand dismissively, not even bothering to look at the result.

A second later, a flickering golden light slowly lit up at the muzzle of the Moonlight Drive, emanating a breathtaking energy fluctuation.

[Combat Skill: Splitting Laser]

“Boom——!!!!!”

In the next second, the laser fired. The golden laser, accompanied by a sonic boom, suddenly split into a dozen thinner golden lines halfway through its trajectory, scattering like flower petals and bypassing the Fire Scythe, piercing straight to the edge of the battle space.

In that instant, the Fire Scythe’s furious flight stopped, gradually turning to ash and dissipating in mid-air.

As the surrounding smoke and dust slowly cleared, Yin Huomei looked down at her illusory body riddled with a dozen bullet holes and collapsed to the ground, dumbfounded and disbelieving.

She lost just like that!?

How fast was that attack…

Wasn’t this just pure cheating!?

If Lian Xing knew what her opponent was thinking, she would definitely scoff. Duh, at the same Mid-Tier level, if a ranged Mechanical Species couldn’t outspeed a Weapon Species in terms of firing speed, she might as well just give up. Even a cyber flying sword wouldn’t help!

After the battle ended, Lian Xing didn’t linger, quickly exiting the battle space. Her consciousness swiftly returned to reality through the moving particle light spots, and the unfamiliar yet familiar white ceiling appeared before her eyes.

Through this battle, Lian Xing gained a deeper understanding of the current situation. The reason she could become the eleventh-ranked Supernova wasn’t because her combination was too strong, but because her opponents were…well, not very good.

Just like the early days of Pet Beast Evolution Battle, there were all sorts of strange and useless combinations, a true chaotic mess!

“Alright, I’ve tested the limits of Moonlight Drive, it’s time for regression.”

“Each pet beast can only be reset once in its lifetime. Luckily, my predecessor hasn’t used this opportunity yet, otherwise, I would have to reset myself…”

Having quickly made up her mind, Lian Xing summoned Moonlight Drive.

Then, in a burst of illusory light, the glittering golden floating turret slowly began to shrink, transforming into a fluffy, snow-white, docile lop-eared rabbit. Although it looked no different from an ordinary rabbit, a golden crescent moon pattern was imprinted on its back.

This was the low-tier Juvenile Species, Moonlight Rabbit!

“Eek!”

After returning to its initial form, the Moonlight Rabbit squealed and hopped on the bed a few times, seemingly wanting to sneak away, but Lian Xing grabbed it by the scruff of its neck.

Lian Xing hugged the Moonlight Rabbit tightly, her face slightly flushed, her expression intoxicated as she nuzzled its fur.

“Sob, sob, a moving Moonlight Rabbit, so cute! Come, let mommy kiss you, mua~~~”

“How can its fur be so soft? Even though its fur is fluffy, its body is so thin, just like a mole cricket from the sewer!!!”

At this moment, the star patterns in the golden-haired, bun-wearing girl’s eyes shimmered with a strange light as she rolled around on the bed with the weak Moonlight Rabbit in her arms. Lian Xing had, after all, spent nearly ten years with the Moonlight Rabbit in the online game in her previous life. It was like a 2D-loving gamer who suddenly found their waifu come to life. There was no way to describe the excitement, other than to say…it was intense.

Apart from the moment she discovered her stunning beauty, this was the second time she felt that transmigrating wasn’t so bad after all.

After having her fill of fun, Lian Xing held the innocent-looking Moonlight Rabbit in a chokehold and opened the pet status panel with a flushed face.

[Moonlight Drive can be regressed to its initial form, returning learned combat skills and all training points. Talent remains unchanged. Lifetime limit: once.]

[Do you wish to initialize?]

[Initialization successful. 10 training points returned, Blue Quality combat skill (Splitting Laser) returned, one Mid-Tier evolution opportunity returned.]

“Buzz——!!!”

Under Lian Xing’s unilateral decision, a brief buzzing sound accompanied the process as the Moonlight Rabbit felt something drift away from within its body. It had been initialized to its low-tier Juvenile Species form and could no longer evolve into the Mechanical Species Moonlight Drive. Not only its evolved form, but even its combat skills were stripped away.

Its kingly power was gone!!!

“…”

“…”

“Alright, now the real fun begins~~~~” Lian Xing excitedly kissed the ashen-faced Moonlight Rabbit in her arms and tapped her slender white fingers on the translucent panel, quickly flipping the displayed interface to the next page.

[Low-Tier — Juvenile Species — Moonlight Rabbit, Evolvable]

[Total of 5 Evolution Paths:]

[Mid-Tier — Biological Species — Giant Moonlight Rabbit]

[Mid-Tier — Mechanical Species — Moonlight Drive]

[Mid-Tier — Weapon Species — Moon Blade]

[Mid-Tier — Viral Species — Moon Fragrance]

[Mid-Tier — Elemental Species — Moonlight Sprite]

From beginning to end, Lian Xing had only one thought regarding the Moonlight Rabbit’s evolution: the Biological Species path, the Giant Moonlight Rabbit. Although the Giant Moonlight Rabbit’s combat power was considered bottom-tier among Mid-Tier pet beasts…

There were countless ways to compensate for individual combat power. For the sake of its future evolution, Lian Xing was willing to sacrifice some of her early-game strength.