Jian Yu wanted to figure out the pattern for leveling up, but she couldn’t find an opportunity and could only wander around the district.
Shen Gu stayed with her, never leaving her side. "Yu, are you still going to try it?"
’Try? Try what?’
Jian Yu was confused for a moment before remembering the reason she came.
If Pei Yuan hadn’t shown up and interrupted her, she would have seen the results in the incubation area by now.
Jian Yu looked away from the hatching competition. Her fingers brushed against her Space Ring as she took out two incense bags.
Her expression hardened as she poured a large amount of Green Mist into them.
It was converted from the eighty percent of Purple Fog she had, and she used a full thirty percent of it.
She had only used twenty percent last time when she saved Xi Mu’s mother.
’I wonder if the dosage will affect the Contract and hatching results.’
Jian Yu glanced at the people following them and said to Shen Gu, "Ask them if anyone is willing. Help me pick someone to test it."
Shen Gu took the incense bag, and a fragrant aroma wafted into his nose.
His Soul Beast felt so comfortable that it began to spin around ecstatically inside his soul domain.
The little soybean-sized ant spun around and around, looking rather silly.
"Wait," Jian Yu called out, stopping Shen Gu before he could pick someone.
’You have to offer a reward for this kind of work, even if these people are already using resources from Xi Yu and the others to protect me.’
’Hatching is one thing, but contracting a Beast Pet is pretty risky, especially since this is the first time we’re trying it.’
Jian Yu whispered, "Pick someone with a relatively high affinity. Regardless of the outcome, they can keep the incense bag and any Beast Pet that’s successfully hatched or contracted."
"Okay." Shen Gu walked over, asked around a bit, and chose a person.
"His affinity is A, and he’s an A Rank Half-awakened. I’ll have him try to form a Contract with an S-Class Alien Beast. As for the other incense bag..."
Shen Gu bit his lip.
He looked at Jian Yu with wide, pleading eyes. "Can I be the one? I want to check out the S-Class incubation area."
Jian Yu was taken aback, unused to seeing him act so cautiously. "Of course. You’re my best friend."
The other person had already taken his incense bag and was heading toward the latest contracting competition.
After a moment’s thought, Jian Yu decided to go with Shen Gu. "I’ll go with you."
"Thanks." Shen Gu clutched the incense bag tightly.
He was normally too embarrassed to ask for things, but this was too good of an opportunity to pass up.
’He knew perfectly well what Chief Ji had given Jian Yu, and he had nothing of comparable value to offer in exchange.’
’Resources that others would consider valuable were... somewhat lacking when offered to someone like Jian Yu.’
「S District.」
Exotic Beast Eggs of every color were displayed in rows of transparent Incubation Chambers.
Giant Laughing Rat, Wolf-toothed Red Panda, Bloodtide Ape, Blue-patterned Gossamerwing, Iron-slicing Wind Cicada...
Jian Yu marveled at the sight.
Wherever she went, the other contestants automatically kept their distance, clearing a path for her.
She was, in a way, enjoying a special privilege.
Jian Yu didn’t feel smug about it; she was just worried she might be getting in other people’s way.
The hatching competition was timed, so she didn’t want to cause any delays.
Shen Gu was wandering around aimlessly.
Jian Yu reached out and tugged on the sash of Shen Gu’s robe. "Shen Gu, how about trying this one?"
Jian Yu’s eyes landed on a red panda egg.
The image of the adorable Little Flying Bear involuntarily popped into her head.
Her eyes lit up. "It’ll be so cute when it hatches."
"Cute? You think so?" Shen Gu stopped in his tracks.
He sounded bewildered. "Are you thinking of Chief Ji’s Soul Beast? This isn’t the same species, you know."
A purebred red panda might be considered cute.
But a Wolf-toothed Mutant Bear, with its row of huge, sharp teeth, is terrifying when it hops around.
Jian Yu’s gaze remained fixed on the egg, her tone tinged with disappointment. "Oh, so they’re not the same?"
Shen Gu’s eyes were still scanning the other eggs. "The preliminary assessment is an S-Class red panda, but there’s no guarantee what it will be after hatching."
He explained patiently, "I’ve told you this before. Chief Ji is from the Giant Panda Clan. The Little Flying Bear isn’t a red panda; it’s just a small giant panda."
Back when Jian Yu called the Little Flying Bear a "little panda," Shen Gu hadn’t corrected her. He’d simply thought it was small and cute, so there was nothing wrong with using the word "little" to describe it.
Wolf-toothed Red Panda. S-Class combat power.
’Thinking of his younger cousin’s timid nature, a fiercer Contracted Beast would be a good choice.’
’Besides, there’s no guarantee it’ll even succeed. Why agonize over it?’
"Let’s go with this one," Shen Gu decided.
He opened his hand, releasing his spiritual power to guide the Green Mist Soul Power from within the bag.
The two streams of green energy mingled and flowed into the Incubation Chamber’s port.
Jian Yu’s eyes widened slightly as she watched intently.
A mixture of half spiritual power and half Green Mist quickly enveloped the entire egg.
"It moved!" Shen Gu’s voice was filled with hope.
Jian Yu pressed her lips together. She had a gut feeling it was going to fail; there wasn’t a single crack on the eggshell.
Half an hour went by. Only three minutes remained in the competition.
Sweat beaded on Shen Gu’s forehead. He clutched a Beast Crystal, trying to replenish his spiritual power.
[Countdown: 120s, 119s, 118s...]
’I know what’s happening. It’s not a matter of dosage.’
’The Green Mist has been separated from me for too long. It seems to have only a simple Healing effect left, and even that isn’t very strong.’
’Otherwise, the first crack would have appeared long ago.’
Jian Yu activated her bracelet to check her status. She still had forty percent of her Purple Fog left.
"There’s no time," she said, tapping Shen Gu’s arm. Her expression was calm. "Let me do it. We can’t have come all this way for nothing."
Shen Gu staggered back two steps in a daze, clutching the now-faded incense bag, its orchid scent completely gone.
The first crack appeared.
The second.
The third.
...
Jian Yu converted just one percent of her Purple Fog into Green Mist, then two percent, adding it little by little.
Once she reached a cumulative five percent, the eggshell split wide open.
[Congratulations to contestant #126 of S District for successfully hatching the S-Class Alien Beast—Wolf-toothed Red Panda.]
[This round of the competition has now ended. All contestants, please cease all activity and exit in an orderly fashion.]
"Huh?" Jian Yu pulled her hand back. "Why is it a little red pig?"
’The way it’s snuffling around... it must be a pig, right?’
"It’s not a pig. They just look like this right after they’re born." Shen Gu snapped out of his daze and picked up the Incubation Chamber. "Let’s get out of here first."
「Rest Area.」
Jian Yu stared blankly at it. "This isn’t exactly what I had in mind when I said ’cute’."
As if hearing her complaint, the Wolf-toothed Red Panda let out a few aggrieved whimpers and rolled into a corner.
Jian Yu awkwardly shut her mouth.
"It’ll get cuter as it grows," Shen Gu said, stroking the side of the Incubation Chamber.
He pushed it toward Jian Yu. "Your prize."
Jian Yu pushed it back. "I like cuddling them, not raising them. I’m not cut out for keeping pets."
’I had a turtle that didn’t even last six months.’
’My goldfish only made it two weeks.’
’And there was a rabbit, but it didn’t smell very nice, so I never even wanted to hold it.’
’Then it bit the director’s finger, and by that evening, it had become a spicy rabbit head. Smelled delicious, actually.’
Jian Yu spent a full ten seconds feeling melancholic about her pet-raising career.
She activated her bracelet.
[Skill: Healing, Yulan Cyan Mist. Remaining Soul Power: 15. Soul Domain: 110]
Jian Yu’s gaze froze.
’My soul domain value changed.’
’This small amount is definitely not enough for a fight, but any upgrade is a good thing.’
According to Shi Zhao, aside from his red and black soul domains, his other three were all at one thousand, meaning he could take on ten Pei Yuans.
She’d heard that the Leader’s soul domain was limitless; it would continue to grow as long as he was alive and had already surpassed ten thousand.
Jian Yu blinked. "Shen Gu, what’s your soul domain value?"
"It’s pretty low. I might be the weakest of all the S-Class Awakeners." Shen Gu put the Incubation Chamber away and lowered his head. "I only have two hundred."
Jian Yu’s mouth twitched. "That’s... great. Really great."
A deferential voice drifted over from up ahead. "Jian."
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