A Special Mist Spirit Spider and Liu Xing's Private Hopes

To be honest, Lin Yuan wasn't that surprised.

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

[Personality]: Lazy, attracted to good looks, attracted to glasses

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

In the two years since Lin Yuan had gained the ability to see beasts' status panels, he had seen plenty of beasts, but not many different kinds.

Most were Courier Birds that came to his home to collect deliveries, the fairly common Ordinary-quality beasts he saw on the street, or low-level beast cubs his teachers showed in class.

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

The butterfly fluttered over 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. "Beasts, especially ones born at Transcendent quality, rarely fly toward humans of their own accord."

"That usually means an exceptionally good match for your talent."

"This is already the best-quality Illusion Dream Butterfly at our base, and it's taken a liking to you. You should definitely consider it."

Lin Yuan nodded.

He gently took off his glasses. The butterfly circled him twice before flying back "reluctantly." "Senior Liu, maybe this Illusion Dream Butterfly just likes glasses?"

"Let's keep looking at the next beast first."

Lin Yuan wasn't particularly interested in forming a contract with this Illusion Dream Butterfly.

Its quality was excellent, and Illusion Dream Butterflies were perfectly suited to his talent, but no hidden Evolution Path had appeared for this one.

It didn't even show the words "none for now."

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

Naturally, Lin Yuan wanted to keep looking.

"Mm, looking at more is the right call. You're steady, junior." Liu Xing nodded.

But inwardly, he wondered, It likes glasses? I've worn the exact same pair for a month, and that Illusion Dream Butterfly hasn't paid me the slightest attention.

And I have an S-rank talent. Looks like Junior Lin Yuan really does have something special about him.

The two continued onward.

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

Compared with the Illusion Dream Butterfly base's natural splendor, this one seemed rather eerie and forbidding.

Mist hung in the air. Purple spiderwebs stretched between dead trees of varying heights, and Mist Spirit Spiders of similar size rested here and there.

The spiders were all about the size of a palm, with white bodies and compound eyes of a deep, shadowy purple.

Lin Yuan put his glasses back on.

At once, the mist seemed less dense, and he could make out the Mist Spirit Spiders behind it more clearly.

Apparently, the glasses Liu Xing had given him worked a little better than Liu Xing had said.

As soon as Lin Yuan saw the group of Mist Spirit Spiders, he began examining each one's build and condition while comparing them with the information on their panels.

Most of the Mist Spirit Spiders' panels differed in one way or another.

[Mist Spirit Spider]

[Attributes]: Poison, Spirit

[Quality]: Transcendent, low grade/mid grade

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

[Evolution Paths]

Evolution Path One: Mist Spirit Stealth Spider

Evolution Path Two: Purple Spirit Poison Spider

As with the Illusion Dream Butterfly, there was an Evolution Path he didn't recognize.

That, too, was valuable information.

What delighted him, though, was a Mist Spirit Spider tucked away in an inconspicuous corner. It seemed to dislike the mist altogether, and there wasn't a strand of spider silk around it.

Its traits differed from those of ordinary Mist Spirit Spiders. It was even a little smaller, and its body had a yellowish tinge rather than being pure white.

[Attributes]: Metal, Spirit

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

[Personality]: Timid, unassuming, wary of strangers

[Status]: It is listless because it hates its environment. Shunned for not fitting in with the others nearby, it has grown increasingly withdrawn and sensitive.

It needs to live somewhere with plenty of sunlight and be raised in a place rich in metal elements. Otherwise, its condition will worsen.

[Evolution Paths]

Evolution Path One: Mist Spirit Stealth Spider, compatibility: 1%

Evolution Path Two: Purple Spirit Poison Spider, compatibility: 2%

Hidden Evolution Path: Metal Spirit Enduring Spider, compatibility: 92%

There it was!

The differences in its personality and traits had given rise to this new Evolution Path.

Mist Spirit Spiders had always been unafraid of natural enemies. Skilled at lying low and enduring, they often waited for the perfect moment to strike.

This one truly was an "outsider."

Its golden coloring and small, skinny frame made it look even weaker.

"Junior, I'm not going to quiz you this time." Liu Xing still seemed preoccupied with the Illusion Dream Butterfly from earlier.

He had spent a month here wearing the same kind of glasses. Why had that Illusion Dream Butterfly never given him so much as a glance?

His "thirst for knowledge" had led him to come up with several possible answers.

Only now did he finally return his attention to the spiders.

"I've only been managing these Mist Spirit Spiders for a little under two weeks, but I've noticed something unusual. You've been observing them for quite a while, so tell me what you found. Maybe we noticed the same thing."

Lin Yuan nodded.

"Senior, you've noticed that yellow-haired spider doesn't quite 'fit in,' haven't you?" Rather than answer directly, Lin Yuan asked a question of his own.

"That's right. The Breeding Center classified that Mist Spirit Spider as a weak beast. They even priced it twenty thousand Alliance Coins below the others."

"But my talent is S-rank Elemental Harmony. I can sense how different elements blend and clash more gently, and I detected a small amount of an element in this little spider that doesn't belong."

"Care to guess which element?" Liu Xing looked at Lin Yuan again.

"Mm, senior, it should be the metal element. Look at the dead wood beside the spider. There's a sharp cut on it, as if a blade sliced through it. It probably made that mark by channeling its metal attribute into its claws under some special circumstances."

"It must be a beast whose attributes have mutated."

"The growth paths of beasts like this differ from those of ordinary beasts. Some can't adapt to their environment and easily die young."

"Others are like the Little Black Cat that evolved into a Sunshadow Spirit Cat a while ago. Given the right living conditions, they can evolve into forms no one has ever seen."

As Lin Yuan spoke, the appreciation in Liu Xing's eyes deepened.

"Junior, your observations of beasts, combined with your theoretical knowledge, already put you well beyond the level of a typical student who's just finished their first year of high school."

"Yes, this Mist Spirit Spider. I'd planned to buy it and take it home if no one chose it before my internship ended."

"I'm an officially certified Two-Star Beast Breeder, after all. I believe it has just as much potential as any ordinary Mist Spirit Spider."

"Normally, I wouldn't recommend this little spider to anyone. Everyone thinks it's weak, and no one has spotted its potential."

"But you're different. Teacher Chen asked me to help you choose the best beast. I had my own reasons for holding back at first, but after seeing how perceptive you are with beasts and how you treat them, I'm convinced you deserve this special Mist Spirit Spider."

"So I'll be honest with you. Of all the Illusion Dream Butterflies, Mist Spirit Spiders, and Still Spirit Cats at the Breeding Center, I personally think this Mist Spirit Spider has the highest ceiling."

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

By the time Liu Xing finished, his eyes were gleaming.

It was clear he was passionate about being a Beast Breeder.

In those few words, Lin Yuan had also sensed the ability that had made Liu Xing a Two-Star Beast Breeder and earned him second place in the school on the College Entrance Exam.

It was true: this Mist Spirit Spider had a hidden evolution form.

But Lin Yuan still wanted to see the Still Spirit Cats.

What if one of them was even better suited to him?

"Senior, thank you for being willing to part with it. But I'd like to see the Still Spirit Cats before I decide," Lin Yuan said.

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

"Come with me."