Sea Wave Flower

Lost in thought, Xu Ran stopped outside his shop.

Glancing at the darkening sky, he carried Purple Cloud inside. "Let's have dinner together and call it a day."

"Meow?" (Aren't we going to train hard?)

Purple Cloud raised its head blankly, a hint of confusion in its eyes.

Didn't we agree to train hard and get stronger together?

"Tomorrow. Definitely tomorrow." Xu Ran set Purple Cloud on the counter and stretched. "Let's get some rest early tonight."

Purple Cloud had been about to say something else, but the moment Xu Ran took out a can of cat food, it fell silent.

Hmm... working hard can wait until tomorrow.

"Mrow~"

The instant Xu Ran opened the can, Purple Cloud stuck its head forward with practiced ease and gulped down a big mouthful of meat.

But then its expression suddenly turned a little strange.

Why didn't this taste as good as lunch, even though it was the same canned cat food?

"Doesn't taste as good as it did at noon?" Recognizing Purple Cloud's remarkably human expression, Xu Ran nodded in understanding. "That's normal."

"For one thing, you were really hungry at noon. Everything tastes better when you're hungry. You're not as hungry now, so naturally it won't taste quite as good."

Purple Cloud nodded convincingly, finding its Beast Tamer's explanation very reasonable.

"But that isn't actually the main reason." Xu Ran paused briefly. "The main reason is that you're no longer a cat. You're a feline Supernatural Creature."

"As a Supernatural Creature, you can wield powerful abilities, so naturally you need to take in more energy." Xu Ran rubbed Purple Cloud's head. "That's why ordinary canned cat food can no longer satisfy your appetite."

"We'll make do tonight. Tomorrow, I'll take you to buy some food suitable for Contract Beasts, along with the other things you need."

"Meow~" (Okay!)

Purple Cloud nodded and took another bite of canned cat food.

It might not taste as good as before, but anything tasted good with Xu Ran around!

Seeing Purple Cloud tuck into its food, Xu Ran hurried to the little kitchen in the shop's backyard. He quickly stir-fried two dishes and brought them out with some freshly cooked rice for his own dinner.

Perhaps becoming a Beast Tamer and receiving Purple Cloud's physical feedback had strengthened his body, because Xu Ran's appetite had grown considerably. Two bowls of rice used to fill him up, but tonight, even after four bowls, he still wanted more.

"Meow~" (I want to try some too!)

Having finished its canned food, Purple Cloud turned to see Xu Ran enjoying his meal and eagerly approached. It leaped lightly onto the table and sat obediently, gazing longingly at the dishes.

"You can't..." Xu Ran had been about to say that some ingredients were unsafe for cats, such as the generous amount of scallions in his twice-cooked pork. Then he remembered that Purple Cloud was already a Supernatural Creature, so it probably wouldn't matter. "Here, try this!"

He picked up a slice of pork belly with an even balance of fat and lean meat and held it out to Purple Cloud.

Purple Cloud took it in its mouth, tore it apart with its sharp canine teeth, and swallowed it in a few bites. After savoring the taste, it looked satisfied.

It was a little salty, but eating the same food as its Beast Tamer felt wonderful!

Delighted that Purple Cloud enjoyed his cooking, Xu Ran offered it some of the other dish, scrambled eggs with chives, and finally fed it a little rice as well.

Soon, the man and his pet had finished everything Xu Ran had cooked. After washing the dishes, he carried Purple Cloud upstairs, his footsteps tapping against the stairs.

The shop's second floor was the living area. The system hadn't renovated it, leaving everything as it had been and preserving its lived-in atmosphere.

Xu Ran made his way into his bedroom, settled against the headboard, and looked at the bookcase beside the bed.

Its shelves were packed with books related to Beast Tamers, all purchased by the body's original owner. Most were practically brand-new, however, and clearly hadn't been read much after being brought home.

After searching for a while, Xu Ran pulled out a copy of Beast Taming Basics and opened it to the first page.

Although he had wanted to become a Beast Tamer ever since arriving in this world, contracting his first Contract Beast so quickly had clearly gone beyond his plans.

He still needed to catch up on his Beast Taming knowledge.

The basic Contract Beast grooming knowledge supplied by the system did touch on Supernatural Creatures, but its scope was limited. To gain a systematic understanding of the fundamentals of beast taming, he would still have to read.

"So the ten major attributes are water, fire, earth, wind, lightning, ice, light, darkness, psychic, and fighting," Xu Ran murmured. "Contract Beasts' growth ranks, from lowest to highest, are transcendent rank, elite rank, commander rank..."

Facts that had once been vague gradually became clear in Xu Ran's mind. The doors to the world of beast taming slowly opened before him, and its wondrous legends captivated him.

Purple Cloud leaped lightly onto the head of the bed and gazed at Xu Ran as he immersed himself in his book. Then, with silent steps, it slipped past his waist and beneath the quilt covering his lower body, found a comfortable position, and lay down contentedly.

The light on the second floor of the Starfire Foster Shop stayed on until late into the night.

"We'll keep the shop open this morning. At noon, I'll take you shopping."

Early the next morning, Xu Ran opened the shop door and rubbed Purple Cloud, who was loafing on the counter with its paws tucked beneath its body. Then he sat down behind the counter, took out a book, and continued reading.

After studying all evening, Xu Ran had not only learned some common knowledge about the world of beast taming, but also figured out what he needed to buy as a novice Beast Tamer.

It had been quite a productive night.

It would be even better if another customer came that morning and brought his happiness points up to a thousand.

Not long after the thought crossed Xu Ran's mind, a familiar figure hurried into the shop, looking travel-worn. "Young boss!"

"Mr. Liu?" Xu Ran glanced at the proud-looking Wind Lion Dog following the man and immediately recognized him. "What's the matter?"

"It's a long story." Liu Gu shook his head. "Anyway, I need you to groom my pet beast."

Xu Ran frowned slightly. Looking at the Wind Lion Dog behind him, which looked no different from when its grooming had been completed yesterday, he activated the system's appraisal function.

[Species name: Wind Lion Dog

Attribute: Wind

Growth rank: Elite rank

Size: Medium

Grooming needs: ☆☆☆☆☆

Evaluation: Oh! My goodness! We can't bring this lost big doggy any happiness today!]

Ignoring the frivolous system's affected phrasing and snide tone, Xu Ran looked seriously at Liu Gu. "Your pet beast was groomed yesterday. It doesn't need another session yet."

"I know. I'm not talking about the Wind Lion Dog." Liu Gu shook his head. "I mean this one."

The light of a six-pointed star rapidly wove together behind Liu Gu. Amid a whirlwind that sprang up out of nowhere, a petite figure materialized inside the shop.

It was a translucent, pale-blue Contract Beast, shaped like a flower bud yet also resembling a dazzling splash of water.

The appraisal function activated automatically.

[Species name: Sea Wave Flower

Attribute: Water

Growth rank: Transcendent rank

Size: Small

Grooming needs: ★★★☆☆

Evaluation: Beneath its radiant appearance lies a deep-seated yearning for grooming. It urgently needs the host's magical hands to bring it happiness.]