C3 The Evolutionary Route of the Gray Dog!

Lin Yih slipped the Pet Beast Classic back into his pocket and casually stashed his student card in his jeans. The card had served its purpose; it was a one-time ticket to choosing a Pet Beast Egg, and everyone only got one shot. Still, it was a pretty sweet deal considering even an ordinary Pet Beast Egg could fetch tens of thousands on the market.

With about half an hour to kill, Lin Yih wandered aimlessly, his gaze sweeping over the area like a pair of searchlights. A quick survey confirmed his suspicion: about 80% of the myriad Pet Beast Eggs were of ordinary quality, the rest elite, and a mere seven—like the one he had snagged—were of perfect quality. Stronger ones? None in sight.

"The best one's already mine," he thought, smirking to himself.

"Hey! Yih! Over here!" Nuo Juann's call snapped him out of his reverie.

"Coming!" Lin Yih called back, strolling over with no particular urgency.

"What do you think about this one?" Nuo Juann asked, pointing to a dusky yellow egg.

"This is..."

Name: Rock Lizard

Species: Crawler

Attribute: Rock

Level: Bronze Early Period

Status: Awaiting Incubation

Quality: Perfect

Potential: Four Stars

Skills: Rock Ball, Bite, Sharp Claw

Evolution Path: One (Not met), Two (Not met), Three (Not met)

Introduction: A formidable melee Pet Beast, teeming with germs in its mouth—best not to get bitten, or else...

Lin Yih paused, impressed. The Rock Lizard's attributes were superior, even edging out the Mutant Water Snake he had picked. If not for his hidden lineage, he might have gone for this one himself.

"Looks like a variant of the Jungle Lizard, likely an earth-based evolution to rock," Lin Yih mused, touching his nose. "Seems like a positive mutation. If it strikes your fancy, go for it."

He was fibbing, of course. He couldn't very well tell her it was a Rock Lizard. That sort of advanced knowledge was university-level.

"Hehe, I knew you'd like my choice, Yih!" The girl beamed, hopping around with joy.

"Then it's settled."

"Ding! Miss, please take your Pet Beast Egg!" The familiar synthetic voice chimed in.

As before, Nuo Juann's Pet Beast Classic flipped open, revealing new details.

Image (Dusky Yellow Pet Beast Egg)

Name: Unnamed

Level: Bronze Third Stage

Status: Incubating...

"Bronze stage already!" Nuo Juann gasped in delight. "It's got a level before it's even hatched!"

Normally, an unhatched Pet Beast wouldn't have a level.

"Congratulations! Well done!" Lin Yih grinned, offering his sincere kudos.

The girl's luck was extraordinary; her first pick had been perfect grade too. Lin Yih was astounded by the thought. The odds were one in several thousand, and she'd hit it twice?

"Lucky as a lottery winner," he thought. "I'll be counting on you for future draws!"

Before long, they were all sent back. Lin Yih's last glance caught sight of another perfect grade Pet Beast Egg that had been claimed. Who else had struck gold? He ruled out Fatty and his friend—they were just there for kicks, with Fatty declaring he had no use for the common-grade beasts on offer.

"I'm home," Lin Yih announced wearily as he entered.

"Woof! Woof!" A grey-furred mutt nuzzled his feet, its stubby tail wagging furiously.

Lin Yih gave the dog a once-over with the detection system.

Name: Grey Dog

Species: Walking Beast

Attribute: Earth

Level: Bronze Second Stage

Status: Healthy, Excited

Quality: Elite

Potential: Three Stars

Skills: Rend, Sprint

Evolution Path: One, Standard Evolution: Running Dog... Two, Ancestral Evolution: Grey Wolf... (Met) Three, Mutant Evolution: Flame Teeth Dog... (Not met) Epic Evolution: Demon Dog... (Not met)

Introduction: A common descendant of the Forest Wolf, known for its high loyalty to humans. Average aptitude, but with a mixed bloodline offering diverse evolutionary paths. Recommended for training.

Lin Yih inhaled sharply, surprised by the dog's profile. Unlike the unhatched eggs, this one had emotions listed in its status, and its evolutionary path was clearly outlined.

He tapped the "..." symbol.

One, Standard Evolution: Running Dog

Materials: One Crystal Stone (Earth), One Crystal Stone (Wind), Three Drops of Wind Chasing Wolf's Blood Essence, One Segment of Seventy-Two-Year-Old Climbing Vine.

Introduction: The Gray Dog's most common evolutionary form is known for its boundless energy and exceptional running abilities.

Wow, that's crystal clear! It's common knowledge that the Gray Dog's typical evolution is widely recognized. Though the materials required for evolution are similar to those mentioned earlier, they're not quite as intricate.

After pondering for a moment, Lin Yih crouched down to stroke the puppy's back, and the little dog eagerly nuzzled against his hand. "Xiao Xiao, you're such a good boy!"

"Dinner's ready!" Mrs. Lin's voice rang out from the living room.

"Oh! Coming!"

...

"Well, my dear son, how are you doing?" Mrs. Lin inquired at the dinner table.

"I'm alright," Lin Yih mumbled, pushing the rice around in his bowl.

"Bro! Are you even capable? Don't end up nurturing a dud," Lin Wushuang taunted without mercy.

Unlike Lin Yih, Lin Wushuang was only two grades below him but already one of the top students in her freshman year.

"There's no such thing as a worthless pet, only worthless Pet Beast Masters."

"Keep dreaming!" Lin Wushuang scoffed, rolling her eyes. She knew all too well the caliber of her brother.

Unable to outwit Lin Wushuang, who was just two years his junior, Lin Yih focused on picking at his vegetables while shoveling rice into his mouth. "Hey, where's Dad? Haven't seen him around?"

At that moment, Mrs. Lin, who had been all smiles, suddenly trembled slightly, her hand gripping the chopsticks a little tighter.

"Dad? I think he went over to a buddy's place," Lin Wushuang responded nonchalantly.

"Right."

Post-dinner, Lin Yih sprawled out on his bed.

With nothing but time, he flipped through the auxiliary system he'd gotten hold of earlier that day. Staring at the three inactive gray screens, he let out a resigned sigh.

The detection system's failure to operate made sense, considering there weren't any wild Pet Beasts in the vicinity.

But why were the lottery and exchange interfaces also inactive? Ah, this is just my luck...

And to top it off, the Pet Beast Egg wouldn't hatch for another two days.

"Whatever, I might as well hit the hay early..."

With nothing else to do, Lin Yih simply shut his eyes and drifted off to sleep.