The unusual Mist Spirit Spider and Liu Xing's selfish wish

To be honest, Lin Yuan was not actually all that surprised.

He had already been stunned once when he first saw this pet beast's panel.

[Personality]: lazy, obsessed with good looks, obsessed with glasses

[Status]: until a good-looking human wearing glasses appears, it only wants to be a quiet butterfly beneath its purple flower parasol.

In the two years since Lin Yuan had gained the ability to see pet beasts' panels, he had seen quite a few pet beasts, to be honest, but not many different species.

Most were [Courier Birds] that came to collect packages from his home, common-quality pet beasts frequently seen on the streets, or low-level pet beast hatchlings his teachers displayed in class.

This was truly the first time Lin Yuan had seen such a "special" personality in a butterfly.

The butterfly fluttered gracefully and even settled beneath the frame of Lin Yuan's glasses, as though it had found a new home.

"Wow, junior, that's impressive!" Liu Xing's voice rose beside him. "It's rare for pet beasts to fly toward a human on their own, especially ones whose starting quality is already extraordinary."

"That often means an excellent match with your talent."

"This one is already the highest-quality [Dream Butterfly] in our base, and it clearly has an affinity with you. You should definitely consider it."

Lin Yuan nodded.

He gently removed his glasses. The butterfly circled him twice before flying back "reluctantly." "Liu Xing, could this [Dream Butterfly] just like glasses?"

"Let's go look at the next pet beast first."

Lin Yuan was not particularly interested in contracting this [Dream Butterfly].

Although its quality was excellent and [Dream Butterflies] were perfectly compatible with his talent, this one displayed no hidden evolution route.

Not even the words "none yet" appeared.

That suggested its personality, traits, experiences, and hidden bloodline might not be among the very best.

Naturally, Lin Yuan wanted to look around some more.

"Yes, looking at more options is the right thing to do. You're very levelheaded, junior." Liu Xing nodded.

Inwardly, however, he thought, It likes glasses? Why hasn't this [Dream Butterfly] paid me any attention in the whole month I've been wearing the exact same glasses?

I even have an S-rank talent. It seems this junior, Lin Yuan, really does have something exceptional about him.

The two continued onward.

Soon, they reached the next breeding base—the [Mist Spirit Spider] breeding base.

Compared with the naturally gorgeous [Dream Butterfly] base, this one seemed rather eerie and forbidding.

Mist hung thick in the air, and purple spiderwebs connected dead trees of varying heights. [Mist Spirit Spiders] of similar sizes rested here and there.

These spiders were all roughly palm-sized, with white bodies and deep purple compound eyes.

Lin Yuan put his glasses back on.

Immediately, the mist seemed less dense, and he could make out the [Mist Spirit Spiders] behind it more clearly.

It seemed the glasses Liu Xing had given him worked even better than he had claimed.

The moment Lin Yuan saw this group of [Mist Spirit Spiders], he began examining each individual's size and condition, comparing them with the information on their panels.

The panel information of most of the [Mist Spirit Spiders] differed to some extent.

[Mist Spirit Spider]

[Attributes]: poison, spirit

[Quality]: low/mid extraordinary

[Traits]: [Spirit Mist], [Purple Silk]

[Evolution routes]

Evolution route one: Mist Spirit Stealth Spider

Evolution route two: Purple Spirit Poison Spider

Like the [Dream Butterfly], it also had an evolution route he did not recognize.

That was valuable information too.

What pleasantly surprised him, however, was a [Mist Spirit Spider] tucked away in an inconspicuous corner. It seemed not to enjoy the mist at all, and there was not a single strand of spider silk around it.

Its traits were also quite different from those of ordinary [Mist Spirit Spiders]. It was even a little smaller, and its body had a yellowish tint rather than being pure white.

[Attributes]: metal, spirit

[Traits]: [Spirit Light], [Metal Spirit]

[Personality]: timid, unassuming, wary of strangers

[Status]: unhappy because it loathes its environment. Ostracized for not fitting in with the others around it, it has become increasingly withdrawn and sensitive.

It needs to live somewhere with ample sunlight and be raised somewhere rich in the metal element, or its condition will continue to worsen.

[Evolution routes]

Evolution route one: Mist Spirit Stealth Spider, compatibility: 1%

Evolution route two: Purple Spirit Poison Spider, compatibility: 2%

Hidden evolution route: Metal Spirit Enduring Spider, compatibility: 92%

There it was!

Its different personality and unusual traits had given rise to this new evolution route.

Spiders like [Mist Spirit Spiders] never feared their natural predators. They excelled at lying low and patiently enduring, often waiting for the best possible moment to strike.

This one truly was an "oddity."

Its golden coloring and scrawny build, in particular, made it look even weaker.

"Junior, I won't quiz you this time." Liu Xing's mind seemed to still be lingering on the [Dream Butterfly] from earlier.

He had spent a month here wearing the same glasses, so why had that [Dream Butterfly] never given him so much as a glance?

His "thirst for knowledge" had led him to work out several possible answers.

Only now did he finally return to his senses.

"I've only been responsible for these [Mist Spirit Spiders] for a little under two weeks, but I've noticed a few unusual things. You've been observing them for quite a while. Tell me what you found. Perhaps our discoveries will overlap."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"You must have noticed that the yellow-haired spider doesn't quite 'fit in,' right?" Rather than answering directly, Lin Yuan first posed a question of his own.

"Exactly. That very [Mist Spirit Spider]. The breeding center classifies it as a weak pet beast. They've even priced it twenty thousand Alliance credits lower than the others."

"But my talent is the S-rank 'Elemental Harmony.' I can sense the fusion and collision of different elements more gently, and I've also detected a small amount of a discordant element inside this little spider."

"Can you guess which element?" Liu Xing looked at Lin Yuan again.

"Hmm, it should be the metal element. Look at the dead wood beside this spider—there are some sharp cuts that look as though they were made by a blade. It probably caused them by channeling its metal attribute into its claws under certain special circumstances."

"It should be a pet beast that has undergone an attribute mutation."

"The growth paths of pet beasts like this are different from those of ordinary pet beasts to begin with. Either they fail to adapt to their environment and easily die while still young..."

"Or, like the [Little Black Cat] that evolved into a [Sunshadow Spirit Cat] recently, they evolve into a form the world has never seen before when given a suitable living environment."

As Lin Yuan said this, the admiration in Liu Xing's eyes deepened.

"Junior, your observations of pet beasts, combined with your theoretical knowledge, already put you well above the level of an average student who has finished their first year of high school."

"Yes. I originally planned to buy this [Mist Spirit Spider] and take it home myself if no one picked it before my internship ended."

"As it happens, I'm an officially certified two-star breeder. I believe its potential is no lower than that of an ordinary [Mist Spirit Spider]."

"I wasn't originally going to recommend this little spider to anyone. Everyone thinks it's weak, and no one has discovered its potential."

"But you're different. Teacher Chen wanted me to help you choose the best pet beast. At first, I had a selfish little wish of my own, but after seeing your perceptiveness toward pet beasts and your attitude, I genuinely believe you deserve this special [Mist Spirit Spider]."

"So I'll be honest with you. Out of all the [Dream Butterflies], [Mist Spirit Spiders], and [Still Spirit Cats] in the breeding center, I personally think this [Mist Spirit Spider] has the highest ceiling."

"It'll just be a little difficult to raise at first and need more attentive care. But I promise you, junior, I can help you through that difficult early stage. Perhaps one day, we can work together to recreate that [Little Black Cat]'s success and help this [Mist Spirit Spider] evolve into an entirely new form."

By the time Liu Xing finished speaking, his eyes were shining.

It was clear that he was full of passion for his profession as a breeder.

Those few remarks also let Lin Yuan feel the strength behind his standing as a two-star breeder and the school's second-highest scorer in the college entrance examination.

Indeed, this [Mist Spirit Spider] had a hidden evolved form.

Still, he wanted to finish looking at the [Still Spirit Cats].

What if there was something even better and more suitable among them?

"Thank you for 'parting with your treasure,' but I'd like to look at the [Still Spirit Cats] too before making my choice," Lin Yuan said.

"All right." Liu Xing nodded. "Caution and patience are qualities we beastmasters need."

"Follow me."