"Sizzle-"
The violet orb, brimming with ferocious power, struck a green energy target in midair and exploded into a cage of lightning three meters across. Countless arcs coursed through it, any one of them enough to tear flesh open.
A small figure wreathed in lightning darted freely through the countless red energy attacks, striking the blue energy targets that randomly appeared around it with claws, teeth, tail, and every other weapon its body offered.
"Time's up!"
As the three-hour countdown ended, Xu Ran pressed the stop button without hesitation.
The three colors of energy faded from the training room, and the small figure in the otherwise empty space abruptly stopped moving.
The lightning surrounding it dispersed, revealing Purple Cloud within.
"Meow~" (Is it time already?)
Purple Cloud bounded lightly twice, then leaped into Xu Ran's arms, looking as though it still wanted more.
Compared to the previous training session, it felt in better shape this time and had made greater progress.
"It's been three hours." Xu Ran nodded and gave Purple Cloud a gentle tap on the head. "You need to balance training with rest. Don't forget how mentally exhausted you were after three hours of training last time."
Reminded by Xu Ran of how it had fallen into a groggy sleep last time, Purple Cloud sheepishly ducked its head.
"We still have some potion left this time, so we can come back later." Xu Ran let that slip, then smiled. "But our next session will probably have to wait until we get back from outside the city."
[Contract Beast: Purple Cloud Species name: Lightning-Chasing Cat Attribute: Lightning Growth rank: Transcendent Rank (166/500) Species rank: Commander Species Skills: [★★Electric Spark (Stardust Level)] (37/100) [★★Electric Arc (Stardust Level)] (40/100) [★★Combat Instinct (Stardust Level)] (22/100) [★Self-Healing (Stardust Level)] (26/100) [★Blood Rage (Stardust Level)] (11/100)]
Xu Ran glanced at Purple Cloud's panel and nodded in satisfaction.
During their previous visit to the training room, they had only trained Electric Spark, Electric Arc, and Self-Healing. This time, Xu Ran had reworked their training routine. By adding melee energy targets, they could train Combat Instinct at the same time.
Blood Rage could also be trained, and Xu Ran discovered that while the Stamina Potion was in effect, the period of weakness after a burst of Blood Rage was greatly reduced. Purple Cloud only needed a brief rest before using it again.
That was an unexpected bonus.
Under normal circumstances, it was very difficult to increase proficiency in a skill meant for desperate, all-out bursts like this.
"We're heading out of the city tomorrow, so we need to go back and pack." Xu Ran stroked Purple Cloud's head. "If everything goes smoothly, we should be back in a few hours, but it's our first trip. Being well prepared can't hurt."
"Here, try this."
As he walked out of the training room, he produced a small packet as though by magic, opened it, and took out a cat-head-shaped biscuit to feed Purple Cloud.
"Meow?" (What's this?)
Purple Cloud sniffed it curiously, then its eyes lit up. With an eager chomp, it chewed and swallowed the cat-head biscuit, looking thoroughly satisfied.
Delicious!
It tastes even better than the purple candy beans!
"That smells pretty good." Catching the aroma wafting out of the opened packet, Xu Ran couldn't resist popping a small piece into his mouth.
Hmm... nice and crunchy, with plenty of meaty flavor. Just a little bland.
Watching Xu Ran eat its snacks, Purple Cloud blinked in utter shock.
My Beast Tamer... actually did that to my...
Snacks!
By the time the human and pet had finished the packet of cat treats won in the system lottery, the Starfire Foster Shop was already just ahead in the twilight.
Upstairs, pack, then bed.
The night passed uneventfully.
Early the next morning, Xu Ran shouldered the field pack he had prepared the night before and looked at Purple Cloud, which was following close behind him, intent on going along.
"You could stay home, you know." He chuckled helplessly. "If anything happens, I can summon you whenever I need to."
"Meow~" (No!)
Purple Cloud shook its head without hesitation.
It refused to be separated from Xu Ran!
"All right, we'll go together." Xu Ran gathered Purple Cloud into his arms, then took out the faintly glowing Lucky Charm pendant and hung it around his neck, hiding it beneath his collar.
Everything was ready.
"Let's go!"
Following the navigation directions, the human and pet soon arrived at the city gates.
The gates had yet to open, but over a thousand people had already gathered inside them. They stood in groups of three or five, most with powerful Contract Beasts behind them.
Human conversation mingled with the varied cries of Contract Beasts, giving Xu Ran the illusion that he had walked into a bustling market.
"Young Mr. Xu, over here!"
The familiar call brought him back to his senses. Spotting Liu Gu waving at him nearby, Xu Ran hurried over.
"Everyone's here." Zhang Yun smiled at Xu Ran and patted the shoulder of the quiet man beside him. "You've met everyone else in our squad. Let me introduce our deputy leader, Du Heng."
"Hello, Uncle Du." Xu Ran smiled politely at him.
Du Heng's stern expression softened slightly, and he nodded to Xu Ran in greeting.
"Uncle Liu, are there this many people at the gates every morning?" Xu Ran marveled at the crowd, which was still growing, and leaned toward Liu Gu to ask.
"More or less." Liu Gu glanced around. "As you know, a great many extraordinary creatures hostile to humans live outside the city. Opening the gates whenever we pleased could have unpredictable consequences."
"So unless there are special circumstances, the gates leading out of the city only open at fixed times. The earliest opening each day is seven in the morning."
"Most hunting squads make their money by killing hostile Supernatural Creatures and selling the extraordinary resources they obtain. If they're even a little late, another squad might get to their target first, so naturally, they want to leave as early as possible."
"We're leaving at this hour because more Supernatural Creatures are resting then, which makes it a little safer."
"I see." Xu Ran nodded.
Liu Gu's explanation answered quite a few of his questions and made him feel that hiring the Fierce Tiger Hunting Squad was money well spent.
As they spoke, a low rumble sounded, and a gap opened between the towering city gates. It slowly widened until it reached fifty meters across.
The people who had long been ready to depart streamed swiftly through the gates, then headed in different directions according to their respective objectives.
This was Xu Ran's first glimpse of the world beyond the city gates since transmigrating here.
A vast wilderness stretched before him, with scarcely any grass in sight. Dark purple soil covered the land, broken here and there by ghastly bones and scattered rocks.
At the far end of the wilderness stood a forest that stretched beyond sight. A fierce-looking bird happened to fly up from the canopy, cast a distant glance in their direction, then looked away.
A breeze drifted in from outside the city, carrying a faint scent of blood and earth. It sharpened Xu Ran's senses, gradually bringing him back to himself.
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