"Worth mentioning, the air in this world was much better than in my previous life."
Ling Yuan looked into the distance.
Nearly every elderly person was accompanied by a Contract Beast.
"What a wonderful old age. I'm so jealous," Ling Yuan said involuntarily.
These Contract Beasts were incredibly obedient and highly intelligent.
In Flame Nation, nearly every household treated their Contract Beasts as family.
Some children had even grown up under the care of their parents' Contract Beasts.
The place was filled with warmth.
In short—
Grandparents could rest easy; their grandchildren would never get lost again!
Children were thrilled; their parents would never wander off again!
Of course, there was no shortage of people who treated Contract Beasts as tools.
There were also plenty of robberies and crimes that took advantage of supernatural powers in this era.
However, those mostly happened abroad. Across the world, Flame Nation's public safety could be considered among the best.
Moreover, the fact that the country had remained stable without descending into chaos after supernatural powers emerged showed just how awesome Flame Nation was.
"Ling Yuan?"
Just then, a surprised voice rang out behind Ling Yuan.
Ling Yuan turned around in confusion and saw a girl with long straight black hair, dressed in a long-sleeved shirt and jeans.
She was youthful and beautiful, her vitality impossible to conceal even in the night.
"Is this your Contract Beast?"
The girl walked up to Ling Yuan and stared in surprise at the Assault-class Honkai Beast circling him.
She took out something resembling a Pokédex and scanned the Assault-class Honkai Beast.
"It's a species I've never seen before. There's no information on it in the database, either."
"And you are?"
Ling Yuan looked at the beautiful girl before him and asked in confusion.
The girl, who had been busy with her device, stiffened. Then she raised her head in disbelief. "N-No way. You don't recognize me?"
Ling Yuan frowned and seemed to examine her carefully before suddenly coming to a realization.
"You're..."
"That's right! Say it!"
"The daughter of the laundromat owner next door, Lin Pinru!"
Under the girl's expectant gaze, Ling Yuan gave a name that left her utterly dumbfounded.
"Who would have a name like that?! I'm Han Yurou, Han Yurou! I'm your childhood friend! I only went away to school for one year, and you don't recognize me anymore?!"
Han Yurou's face reddened with anger.
"I was just joking, bro." Ling Yuan laughed.
He reached out and casually hooked an arm around her neck, resting his hand on her shoulder.
"!!!" Han Yurou's body stiffened.
She secretly studied Ling Yuan.
This guy... How had he become like a different person after just one year? Could Grandma Zhang's passing have traumatized him?
"I was also very sad about Grandma Zhang's passing, but you mustn't do anything stupid. You still have me," Han Yurou hurriedly said.
"People grow up in an instant..."
Hearing Han Yurou's words, Ling Yuan silently raised his head and looked toward the stars.
He also remembered his grandfather from his previous life.
In the end, his grandfather had never lived to see him start a family and build a career...
Seeing this, Han Yurou became even more convinced that Ling Yuan had been traumatized, and badly at that.
"Enough about me. Why did you suddenly come back? You're also in your senior year, right? Isn't the summoning ceremony tomorrow?"
At that, Han Yurou immediately crossed her arms and raised her chin slightly, saying proudly, "I've already become a Transcendent, and I was successfully admitted to Modu University without an entrance exam! So? Impressive, right?"
"Oh, amazing. So amazing."
Ling Yuan clapped along perfunctorily.
Han Yurou was dumbfounded.
That was it?
How cold!
Wasn't that way too obviously dismissive?!
"Hmph. I'll let you see my Contract Beast, then."
Not seeing the reaction she had imagined, Han Yurou could not help pursing her lips.
Then she stretched out her hand toward the empty air, and a white marking appeared on the back of it.
"This is the Contract Engraving exclusive to Transcendents. Everyone's Contract Engraving is different, and mine is on my arm," Han Yurou said.
"Bad review," Ling Yuan suddenly said.
"What?" Han Yurou froze.
However, Ling Yuan's next words left her completely bewildered.
"For girls, shouldn't it be on the collarbone?" Ling Yuan pursed his lips.
Han Yurou: "..."
She gave him a speechless look.
He had probably cried his brains out.
Light blossomed.
In an instant.
A petite figure appeared in Han Yurou's arms.
"Ta-da! Number 280 on the Contract Beast rankings, Ralts!"
Ling Yuan: "..."
For a moment, the world fell into an eerie silence.
Plague Flames
"Why... aren't you saying anything?" Seeing Ling Yuan suddenly fall silent, Han Yurou began to feel uncertain.
Ling Yuan waved his hand, picked up Bella, raised his head, and stared blankly at the streetlamp. "Nothing. I just want some peace and quiet."
"Who's Peace and Quiet?"
"Peace and Quiet is a very mysterious character. No matter their gender, age, height, or weight, everyone thinks of them when they're lonely."
Han Yurou looked worried. "Are you really okay? You seem so strange today."
"It's nothing. I'm just being a little dramatic. Don't mind me."
"Then make sure you get plenty of rest. Ralts is very strong, and when she grows up, Gardevoir is even known as the Psychic Empress. You protected me when we were children. From now on, it'll be my turn to protect you," Han Yurou said softly.
"Then can she Mega Evolve?"
"Mega Evolve?" Han Yurou looked utterly confused.
"I've never heard of any Mega Evolution, but I did see a special evolution of Gardevoir at the national competition a few years ago."
"You can try to become completely in tune with Ralts. In the end, you might trigger Bond Evolution."
"Bond Evolution?"
That was another term she had never heard before.
"It means your hearts are connected, and the two of you have perfect mutual understanding."
"Like that?"
Although she was somewhat confused, Han Yurou trusted Ling Yuan deeply. She extended a finger toward Ralts and smiled. "Then, Ralts, let's work hard together from now on."
"Ralts!"
Ralts happily agreed and clasped Han Yurou's index finger with her tiny hand.
By then, Ling Yuan had also recovered.
His teacher had not lied to him. This contract really could connect to the multiverse. Otherwise, how could one explain contracting a Larulas in a world where Pokémon should not exist at all?
Ling Yuan suddenly began looking forward to tomorrow.
What kind of Contract Beast would he summon?
But even if what he summoned was not very good, it did not matter. After all, he already had Belleronus, with Infinite Possibility.
"Ling Yuan, you already have a Contract Beast. Tomorrow's summoning ceremony... will that be okay?" Han Yurou asked worriedly.
"It's fine. Maybe I'm exceptionally talented and can contract a second Contract Beast?" Ling Yuan said with a smile.
"What a nice dream. Getting a second Contract Beast isn't that simple." Han Yurou rolled her eyes at him.
"Just wait and see."
Ling Yuan chuckled.
After chatting with Han Yurou for a while about Contract Beasts,
it was already past nine when he returned home.
"Ding! Target host detected. The Super Dimensional Group Chat System is beginning binding!"
Ling Yuan, with one foot already through the door, froze and revealed a stunned expression.
He had a system too?
"Ding! Binding complete! It has been detected that the host has become a Transcendent. The Beginner's Gift Pack has been issued. Please claim it!"
"This..."
"Open the Beginner's Gift Pack."
Although Ling Yuan was confused, that was no reason not to claim free loot.
Who would refuse a gift pack? Only an idiot.
"Ding! Congratulations, host! You have obtained Plague Gem x1 and unlocked the Super Dimensional Group Chat!"
"Plague Gem?!" Ling Yuan raised an eyebrow.
It was not that the gift pack was too small. This gift pack was simply too terrifying!
One Plague Gem was practically equivalent to a Herrscher!
What was a Herrscher?
A god in concept, an existence that embodied the ultimate manifestation of the laws of physics!
In the original timeline, Belleronus had only possessed a pseudo-core within her body.
That was equivalent to a mass-produced imitation, while this Plague Gem was the genuine article!
Space opened, and an orange-red gem fell into Ling Yuan's palm.
Looking at the gem in his hand radiating an orange-yellow glow, it would have been a lie to say he was not excited.
Before you continue