"The Ghost Hand has two skills and one special skill!" Chu Yi's eyes lit up. His earlier unease and fear shifted as he focused on these abilities.
Skills were divided into categories such as combat, support, healing, and enhancement. They were abilities comprehended by Extraordinary Life forms once a Pet Beast's Spiritual attribute reached a certain level. Special skills, on the other hand, were also known as special techniques and were akin to ultimate moves.
Chu Yi examined the three skills.
[Physical Enhancement]: Boosts physical strength and enhances physical attributes.
This first one was a passive skill. Chu Yi clearly felt his own physical energy become abundant and his spirits refreshed.
[Tearing Claw]: Perform a tearing attack on the target, with a chance to ignore Armor.
With just a thought, Chu Yi could unleash this skill, forming an Armor-Piercing Attack.
[Power of the Demon God]: Release the seal, summon a demon god to possess the user, accompanied by a derivative skill—[Ghost Slash].
[Ghost Slash]: At the cost of increasing Erosion, summon a ghostly shadow of a demon god to perform a judgment. If successful, it triggers a one-hit-kill effect.
(Note: Using demon god skills will erode the Soul. When Erosion reaches 100%, the seal will shatter.)
Are these really just slave-rank skills? Chu Yi tilted his head after reading the skill descriptions.
Well, it was a Deceit Beast, not a Pet Beast, so it couldn't be judged by common sense. This special skill was not to be used lightly unless it was a dangerous situation; it could destroy the world. But, from another perspective, this special skill was a lifesaver, a trump card.
Perhaps I could try contracting a Pet Beast, Chu Yi pondered. He used his Spiritual Power to outline a contract Array, targeting his left hand. Since I can't contract a Pet Beast, I'll use the rules of this world to contract myself.
He offered a drop of blood.
BUZZ...
The Array flickered with a bright light, starlight seemed to flow in reverse, and a spiritual connection was forged.
Contract successful!
Chu Yi was dumbfounded. Did it really succeed?
BOOM—
The moment the contract was completed, Chu Yi felt his body tremble. His muscles and bones roared as a profusion of bright, Firefly-like lights, as dazzling as countless stars, drifted around and surged into his body.
BANG!
His heart pounded violently, thundering like a war drum. With each beat, a rich stream of vitality surged from his heart, flowing into his limbs and bones, comprehensively enhancing his physical constitution.
Beast Taming feedback!
The [Ghost Hand]'s evolution was complete, feeding back a portion of its overflowing power to Chu Yi. Since the [Ghost Hand] was his own organ, combined with the Pet Beast contract, Chu Yi essentially received double the rewards.
A win-win; he'd won big time!
"My Spiritual Energy has increased!"
The Firefly lights were condensed Extraordinary Particles, which converted into Spiritual Energy, enabling Chu Yi to officially step into the ranks of a Black Iron-rank Beast Tamer.
Black Iron Rank One!
But the Spiritual Power he had painstakingly cultivated for two years immediately found an outlet, surging forth like water from a burst dam.
And soon, he advanced to Black Iron Rank Two...
Rank Four...
Rank Six...
His Spiritual Energy kept rising rapidly, like boiling water.
A moment later, it stabilized at Black Iron Rank Seven.
Merely by leveraging his Superior Spiritual Talent and contracting a Pet Beast, he had directly reached Black Iron Rank Seven Beast Tamer. Such speed was rare even in the annals of the Federation. Chu Yi felt his cultivation speed increasing geometrically. Only by contracting a Pet Beast could the true terrifying potential of his Super Talent be unleashed.
As his Spiritual Energy became denser, Chu Yi's already handsome features grew even more refined. His dark eyes shimmered like stars on a summer night, and his skin became fair and delicate, so supple it seemed one could squeeze water from it. Even the calluses on his hands from concocting Magic Potions had vanished, making him captivating to behold. Although his facial appearance hadn't changed drastically, his aura had become profound and noble, exuding an indescribable charm.
The only thing was, he didn't have a Beast Taming Space.
Come to think of it, the Beast Taming Space is where Pet Beasts sleep and recover. If I really had one and put my hand into it, I'd instantly become disabled. What an eerie thought.
No, better not to dwell on it.
Chu Yi felt invigorated.
His strength had skyrocketed, and his Pet Beast (Deceit Beast) was mysterious and powerful.
This is how a Transmigrator should be! What a heavenly start!
At this moment, the sound of increasingly urgent footsteps approached, as if someone was being pursued by a terrifying beast.
Chu Yi's eyes flickered. He immediately ducked behind a tombstone, using the dim moonlight to observe covertly. His left hand turned a dark red, veins bulging—the telltale sign that [Tearing Claw] was about to be activated.
Who in their right mind comes to a graveyard in the middle of the night? To dance on graves? Or surf on coffins?
From a dark corner, amidst a tangle of dead branches, fallen leaves, and overgrown shrubs, a man in tattered clothes with a blood-smeared face emerged.
"Damn mutt, you run fast..." he cursed, his face looking even more savage under the fragmented moonlight. This was the man who had been overcome by greed and had tailed Chu Yi, only to be led in circles until he was disoriented.
At his feet, a rapidly writhing mass of sludge cleared away obstacles for him. This was an Earth-type Pet Beast, the Mire Monster. Its secondary cultivated attribute was Darkness, allowing it to develop Dark-type skills that could transform its Master into a pool of shadow. The unemployed man relied on his Pet Beast's abilities, calling himself "Gentleman," to take illicit photos of girls for money. Both Master and Pet Beast were perverts.
He had been trying to take upskirt photos of a tattooed girl when he inadvertently spotted Lulina. After much hesitation, greed got the better of him. Lulina's value was too high—three million Federation Coins! It was enough to make him take the risk. High-grade slave-rank Pet Beasts typically sold for several hundred thousand on average, but Lulina's value lay in her tri-elemental attributes and extremely rare evolutionary path; some would even pay four million for her.
However, the blood moon hung in the sky, corrupting some Pet Beasts. The bloodstains on him were from a clash with a pack of frenzied Scavenger Mice. He had barely managed to escape and then caught up to Chu Yi.
"Damn it, where did that kid go?!" the "Gentleman" muttered, looking around. With his strength, there was no need for pretense. He was a Red Copper Rank Two, paired with a low-grade slave Mire Monster and some knockout tools—a combination that had proven effective against unsuspecting women time and again. If he could get his hands on Lulina, he could exchange her for evolution materials. Once his Pet Beast evolved, he himself would possess true Red Copper-rank combat power.
"Could he have been killed by a mutated Pet Beast?"
"No, that's not right..."
"That kid led me in so many circles. Claiming to deliver a gift to his girlfriend was clearly a lie. He must have sensed someone was following him."
The "Gentleman's" mind raced, but he was still puzzled.
"But that doesn't make sense either..."
"With the City Defense Army stationed around, what's he afraid of? My original plan was just to find out where he lives and then sneak in to steal it later."
"Why would he come all the way out to this graveyard?"
Just as the "Gentleman" was pondering this, his Mire Monster spat out bubbles and assumed a wary stance.
Ahead, a cute-looking Little Fox quickly caught his attention. Red Foxes were common Pet Beasts, and it was perfectly normal for them to be out foraging at night. This one showed no signs of a contract; it was a wild Pet Beast.
"HUFF! HUFF!" Bika puffed out its cheeks, its belly swelling as a dense ball of flame began to form.
"A corrupted Pet Beast, and so ill-tempered too," the "Gentleman" sneered, paying this dumb fox no mind. Young Red Foxes were very weak. The power of a Little Spark was comparable to a matchstick.
He pulled out a cigarette, held it near Bika's mouth, and said teasingly, "Here, spit it this way. Light grandpa's cigarette."
The next moment, Bika let out a small puff, and a dazzling burst of flame shot straight at the "Gentleman's" face.
"Too weak..." the "Gentleman" scoffed.
But then a chill pierced his chest. Bright red blood instantly gushed from the wound, staining his clothes, as a low roar, brimming with righteousness, sounded from behind him:
"Eat my righteous backstab!"