A Heavy Number

When loyalty becomes a scarce commodity, hope also becomes incredibly precious.

Inside the massive command center, the discussions that had previously been filled with anger, skepticism, or calm analysis vanished. A heavy, near-stagnant atmosphere, like an invisible cloud of lead, pressed down on the hearts of every observer.

On the massive curved screen, shocking clips from the Loyalty Trial were scrolling by at high speed:

A Tracking Hound ignored its owner, who was twitching in pain, and buried its head in gnawing on a chunk of meat thrown its way.

An Iron-Claw Wolf, after being subjected to electric shock torture, bared its fangs at Wang Xiao, who was too weak to protect it.

A Phantom White Fox licked its lips, staring greedily at the blood vessels in its owner's neck.

A Flame Hound spat a weak but symbolic flame of betrayal at its master.

In dozens of isolation cages, on the third day of starvation, scenes of despair played out as battle pets lunged at their owners, treating their former companions as food...

Crying, struggling, roaring, biting... these images were captured by cold, high-definition cameras, magnified, and presented without reservation to these big shots who held the power and authority of the Base City.

There was no voiceover, only the silent flow of images, yet it carried more impact than any roar.

Finally, all the images froze, and a concise yet blindingly harsh statistical report appeared in the center of the screen:

["Loyalty Trial" Preliminary Assessment Report]

Total Test Samples: 271 (Human-Beast Pairs)

Assessment Criteria: Protective Instinct, Pain Tolerance, Hunger Tolerance, Comprehensive Loyalty

Rating Results:

· D-Grade (Serious hidden dangers, recommended for elimination): 219 cases

· C-Grade (Mediocre performance, requires extensive observation): 42 cases

· B-Grade (Cultivation value, resources can be invested): 5 cases

· A-Grade (Excellent, worthy of vigorous cultivation): 0 cases

· S-Grade (Exceptional, recommended as a core seed): 1 case

Core Seed ID: XT-07 (Mutated Winged Tiger) & Owner: Wang Keke

Comments: Firm will, proactive and rational protective behavior, maintains high restraint and possessiveness under starvation, the depth of the human-beast bond far exceeds normal parameters, possesses extremely high research and development value.

"Clatter."

An elderly expert in a research institute white coat dropped his electronic pen onto the desk, the crisp sound appearing exceptionally abrupt in the dead silence. He opened his mouth as if to say something, but it ultimately turned into a weak sigh, and he slumped back into his chair.

Two hundred and seventy-one pairs! These were the most carefully selected battle pets and owners from the younger generation of Northeast Base City, considered to have the most potential! The resources invested behind them were massive!

And the result?

There were only five B-Grade pairs worthy of vigorous cultivation!

And as for the A-Grade, worthy of pouring core resources into and being seen as the hope of the future, there were zero!

The only S-Grade was that little girl from the Wang Family and that mutated tiger she had picked up, bought at a discount!

This result hit everyone present like a heavy, blunt club.

The face of the Li Family head, usually ruddy, turned ashen. He stared fixedly at the red "219" on the screen; among them were many of his own Li Family descendants and battle pets purchased at great expense. His lips trembled, but he couldn't say a word.

The fat vice-president of the Chamber of Commerce Alliance had the fat on his face twitching as he calculated in a low, pained voice: "Two hundred and nineteen pairs... the initial resources invested and the purchase costs... this... how much of a loss is this..."

Even the bald, burly man from the Thunder Martial Hall, who had always supported the testing, crossed his arms, his brows knitted into a knot, and cursed in a muffled voice: "Damn it! I knew it might not look good, but I didn't expect it to be this ugly! This is a total wipeout!"

Wang Qingtian slowly closed his eyes and took a deep breath. His hands, resting on his knees, clenched into fists, his knuckles turning white from the force. This result had also exceeded his expectations. He had originally thought that at least one-tenth, or even more, of the pairs would show qualified loyalty. Reality, however, was so cruel.

He opened his eyes, his gaze falling on that single "S-Grade" rating, on the frozen image—that white Winged Tiger, even covered in scars, still firmly shielding the young girl beneath it, its amber eyes showing not a hint of wavering. His heart was a mix of complex emotions; he felt pride and relief for his daughter and Mimi, but also a deep, profound worry for the future of beast taming as a whole.

General Qin Zhan broke the silence. His voice remained steady, yet carried a metallic coldness: "You have all seen the data."

He stood up, walked to the big screen, and pointed at the lopsided ratio: "271 to 5, or one could even say 271 to 1. What does this mean?"

He looked around at everyone, his gaze as sharp as a knife: "It means that the path we have taken in the past was largely wrong! We have overly pursued the bloodlines, grades, and combat power of battle pets, while ignoring the most fundamental and fragile link—the bond! Trust!"

"Without an unbreakable bond, no matter how powerful a battle pet is, it is merely a weapon that could turn on you at any moment! The more you invest, the greater the risk!" His voice echoed in the command center, "These two hundred-plus failed pairs are the bloodiest of lessons!"

"However!" He changed his tone, pointing to the frozen image of Lin Mo and Wang Keke, "This single S-Grade also proves that the right path exists! Between human and beast, it is entirely possible to establish a true partnership that transcends instinct and domestication!"

"These five B-Grade pairs are the sparks we can try to save and cultivate. And this one S-Grade..." Qin Zhan's gaze became incredibly profound, "...is the hope that we must protect, study, and attempt to replicate at all costs!"

The command center fell into silence once more, but this time, the silence was no longer just heavy and disappointed; it held a trace of complex contemplation, and... a burning focus on that faint glimmer of hope.

Wang Qingtian spoke slowly: "General Qin, what happens next? These children and their battle pets..."

Qin Zhan said in a deep voice: "The test is over. The Blood Wolf unit will withdraw immediately. Medical and psychological intervention teams are already on standby to treat and assess all personnel and battle pets who participated in the test. The B-Grade and S-Grade targets are to be listed as key objects for observation and protection."

His orders were quickly relayed.

Everyone understood that while this seemingly cruel test had provided a discouraging pass rate, the truth it had torn open, and that single, shining S-Grade light, would completely change the direction of the future development of the "beast taming" system.

Resources would become more concentrated, standards would become more stringent, and exploring the secret of the true "bond" would become the new core issue.

Wang Qingtian looked at the image on the screen of his daughter and the white tiger snuggled together, silently thinking to himself:

Keke, Mimi, you have proven your worth, but you have also pushed yourselves into the eye of the storm. The road ahead, I fear, will be even harder to walk.