Purple Cloud's Panic

"All right, let's get back to watching the shop."

Xu Ran sat behind the counter with his chin propped on his hand, watching the pedestrians pass outside.

He still had one question about Drugging: why hadn't his skill experience increased after he used it?

Did he need to use Drugging several times to gain a single experience point?

Having used the skill only once, Xu Ran hadn't fully figured out its rules yet. If he used it at every feeding from now on, he should find out soon enough.

[Happiness Points from the Steel-Armored Rhino +1]

Huh?

Xu Ran promptly sat up straight at the system notification that suddenly appeared.

What was going on?

The feeding was already over, yet the Steel-Armored Rhino could still provide happiness points?

"I'll go downstairs and take a look. Watch the shop for a bit." After stroking Purple Cloud's head and leaving that instruction, Xu Ran ran straight for the back door without another word.

Soon, Xu Ran came to a stop on the first basement level.

Watching the Steel-Armored Rhino happily roll around in the mud pool from a distance, then seeing another Happiness Points notification appear, understanding dawned on his face.

So that was it.

Feeding wasn't the only part of fostering that could provide happiness points. A comfortable environment could also make a Contract Beast happy, thereby providing him with happiness points.

Compared with feeding, this source of happiness points accumulated slowly and didn't yield much.

But its greatest advantage was that it could keep providing happiness points twenty-four hours a day!

A small but steady stream!

If he fostered more Contract Beasts in the future, this source of happiness points would be substantial too!

With his question answered, Xu Ran left the Steel-Armored Rhino undisturbed and returned to the shop on the ground floor.

The occasional notifications of incoming happiness points excited him at first, but before long, they began to bother him.

This was getting a little disruptive. If the notifications kept coming while he was trying to sleep, how would he get any rest?

No sooner had the thought occurred to him than a line of text appeared before his eyes.

[Disable notifications for happiness points earned from the fostering environment?]

[Yes] [No]

Not bad. Pretty thoughtful.

Xu Ran selected [Yes], and peace returned.

"Meow~"

Beside him, Purple Cloud seemed tired of lying down. The little cat straightened both forelegs, raised that fluffy tail and rump high in a stretch, then stood up on the counter and slowly paced around.

Should I go say hello to the shop's foster guest?

Once my Beast Tamer fed that guest, I could grow stronger. I had to treat a foster guest like that well and make sure our guest felt the warmth of home.

Satisfied with that idea, Purple Cloud jumped off the counter and headed for the back door.

A leap, a grab at the handle, and the door opened.

Purple Cloud strolled out, not forgetting to pull the door shut with that big, fluffy tail.

Did Purple Cloud want to play with the Steel-Armored Rhino?

Noticing the little one's movements, Xu Ran smiled.

It seemed taking in foster Contract Beasts had another benefit.

Even without a second Contract Beast, Purple Cloud wouldn't be too lonely and could find playmates...

Xu Ran's mouth twitched as he watched Purple Cloud come running back in a panic.

What happened?

Purple Cloud darted straight into Xu Ran's arms, eyes still holding a trace of lingering fear.

That was terrifying!

That big fellow actually...

Actually played in the mud!!

And even invited me to join in!

Imagining being covered in filth after rolling around in the mud pool, Purple Cloud couldn't help shuddering.

I'd better leave making foster guests feel the warmth of home to my Beast Tamer!

The half-day of business quickly passed. After Xu Ran had gone out of the city that morning to gather Azure Jade Fruit and then spent three hours on the system's renovations, the shop had only opened in the afternoon. Now it closed once more.

Since the Steel-Armored Rhino had already been fed in the afternoon, its second meal would have to wait until the following morning.

Xu Ran said goodnight to the big fellow, worn out from playing on the first basement level, then carried Purple Cloud upstairs to the second-floor living quarters.

As he sat at the head of the bed and continued reading his reference books, a system notification suddenly flashed before Xu Ran's eyes.

[Drugging skill experience +1]

Huh?

Why had he suddenly gained experience now?

He closed the book in his hands and was about to get out of bed to check whether the Steel-Armored Rhino downstairs had done something else when he suddenly paused.

Another possibility occurred to Xu Ran.

He picked up his phone and checked the time.

It was just past midnight.

So... Drugging skill experience was tallied by the day?!

Xu Ran raised his eyebrows, then decided that made sense.

Different Contract Beasts had different eating habits. Some ate only once a day, while others ate more than a dozen small meals throughout the day.

Calculating experience based on the number of feedings would be somewhat unreasonable.

A daily tally made more sense.

But then another interesting question occurred to Xu Ran.

Some Contract Beasts had even more unusual eating habits, eating only once every ten days or fortnight. How would Drugging experience be tallied in those cases?

He would have to try it when he encountered such a Contract Beast.

With drowsiness washing over him and his question answered, Xu Ran set the book on the bedside table. He glanced at Purple Cloud, who had long since burrowed under the covers and fallen fast asleep, and chuckled.

Lights out. Time for bed.

The night passed uneventfully.

Monday marked the beginning of a new week.

For the residents of Qingzhou City, that meant returning to their respective jobs after two days of rest.

For students still in school, it meant their two-day weekend was over, and they had to return to the grueling routine of rising before the roosters to study.

On the sports field of Qingzhou City's Second Beast-Taming High School, students stood in formations organized by class, taking part in the customary Monday morning exercises.

Unlike at ordinary high schools, those doing the exercises included not only these underage Beast Tamers but also their Contract Beasts.

In the formation for Year One, Class Six, Lin Yue quietly tugged on Su Xiaoxiao's sleeve beside her and whispered, "Xiaoxiao, look at Duan Anxun's Rainbow Cloud Parrot!"

"Something's not right!"

At her words, Su Xiaoxiao glanced toward Duan Anxun. Her gaze settled on the Rainbow Cloud Parrot perched on Duan Anxun's shoulder, and she couldn't help looking surprised too. "That's..."

"Why do I get the feeling that's Boss Xu Ran's grooming work?" Though Lin Yue phrased it as a question, her expression was quite certain. "That annoying girl actually went to the Starfire Foster Shop for grooming too!"

"She's free to spend her money wherever she wants for grooming." Su Xiaoxiao patted Lin Yue on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it."

"True." Lin Yue nodded, then glanced at Su Xiaoxiao. "We've got the Demon King's class right after morning exercises. Are you ready?"

"I'm ready!" Looking confident, Su Xiaoxiao couldn't resist stroking the Blazing Fox curled lazily in her arms.

The Demon King was their nickname for Tan Qingsheng, their Beast Taming Practical Training Class teacher.

Mr. Tan held them to extremely strict standards and would scold them for even the slightest mistake, earning him that nickname.

Because the Blazing Fox hadn't been very cooperative with her commands before, Su Xiaoxiao had already been scolded by the Demon King many times.

But!

This time would be different!