4: Chapter 4 Mutant Monsters

"Ding! Once achievement points reach a cumulative total of 100, the system's Lucky Turntable can be unlocked. Consuming 100 achievement points allows you to spin the Lucky Turntable for a lottery draw, granting various unexpected rewards."

Seeming to perceive Chu Xiu's inner doubts, another message popped up on the system panel.

"Brilliant! The system actually has a lottery function too!"

"Since it is the divine pet evolution system, the rewards on the turntable must be related to nurturing beast pets!"

"It looks like I need to find a way to max out my achievement points as soon as possible and unlock the Lucky Turntable!"

This message instantly made Chu Xiu's eyes light up, his heart filled with eager anticipation.

"Move forward!"

He didn't linger any longer. With a thought, the Flame-Armored Lizard carried him deeper into the secret realm.

The quality of these Forest Wolves was only at the lowest Common tier. Even though one of their evolutionary chains could evolve a Forest Wolf into a 'Fire Wood Demonic Wolf' of Excellent quality, Chu Xiu was not tempted.

Beast pet qualities, from lowest to highest, are divided into eight tiers: Common, Elite, Rare, Excellent, Perfect, Transcendent, Epic, and Legendary.

In Chu Xiu's mind, at the very least, his first beast pet had to possess an evolutionary chain capable of evolving to the Perfect quality.

...

[Unicorn]

[Attribute]: Grass Type

[Quality]: Elite

[Level]: Off-White 5-Star

[Status]: Calm

[Innate Skills]: Heal, Power of Nature

[Evolutionary Chains]: 2

[First Evolutionary Chain: Unicorn - Giant-Horned Horse - Rainbow Horse (Excellent); Evolution Materials...]

[Second Evolutionary Chain: Unicorn - Celestial-Horned Horse - Moon-Glazed Unicorn - Starlight Unicorn (Perfect); Evolution Materials...]

"This Unicorn can evolve into a Starlight Unicorn of Perfect quality, which does meet my standards."

"However, with the college entrance examination imminent, my first beast pet must be of the combat type, so this Unicorn is not suitable."

"It's not easy to find a beast pet to one's liking."

Looking at the Unicorn drinking water by the river not far away, Chu Xiu shook his head with a trace of regret and urged the Flame-Armored Lizard to turn and leave.

Two hours had passed since entering the secret realm.

During this period, Chu Xiu also encountered quite a few fierce beasts of the secret realm, but most of them were mediocre in quality. Even if they could evolve, they could basically only reach Excellent quality.

He had finally managed to encounter a Unicorn capable of evolving to Perfect quality, but the other party was a support-type fierce beast, which didn't match his intentions.

"There is still plenty of time. Let's go check other places first. If I can't find a combat-type beast pet that can evolve to Perfect quality, it won't be too late to come back and contract this Unicorn."

Silently noting down the location of this Unicorn, Chu Xiu continued to urge the Flame-Armored Lizard to explore forward.

Rumble!

"Moo!"

"There's movement ahead, Flame-Armored Lizard, go take a look!"

Before the Flame-Armored Lizard had gone far, the roar of battle came from not far ahead.

Sensing the movement ahead, Chu Xiu immediately directed the Flame-Armored Lizard to dash forward.

Before long, he saw the culprits who had caused the commotion.

That was a savage bull with a shoulder height of 1.8 meters, a body length exceeding 3 meters, and a string of tiny flames trailing from its tail.

In front of it was an emerald-green mantis standing upright, about the height of a person.

After a brief standoff, the two fierce beasts continued to fight each other.

[Fire Savage Bull]

[Attribute]: Fire Type

[Quality]: Elite

[Level]: Off-White 7-Star

[Status]: Furious

[Innate Skills]: Fire Armor, Savage Bull Charge

[Evolutionary Chains]: 2

[First Evolutionary Chain: Fire Savage Bull - Savage Bull King (Rare); Evolution Resources...]

[Second Evolutionary Chain: Fire Savage Bull - Exploding Flame Bull - Lava Bull Demon (Excellent); Evolution Resources...]

Description: A type of savage bull living in lava regions, robust and possessing boundless brute strength.

————

[Scythe Mantis]

[Attribute]: Grass Type, Dark Type

[Quality]: Rare

[Level]: Off-White 7-Star

[Status]: Calm

[Innate Skills]: Swift Blade, Cross Slash, Stealth

[Evolutionary Chains]: 3

[First Evolutionary Chain: Scythe Mantis - Azure Blade Mantis (Excellent); Evolution Materials...]

[Second Evolutionary Chain: Scythe Mantis - Flying Mantis - Sonic Mantis (Perfect); Evolution Materials...]

[Third Evolutionary Chain: Scythe Mantis - Dark Blade Mantis - Blood-Blade Mad Mantis - Shadow Blade - Rift-Slicing Mantis Emperor - Void Ripper (Legendary); Evolution Resources...]

Description: A common grass-type fierce beast living in the forest. Having mutated and possessing dark-type attributes, its strength and potential are quite extraordinary.

"Holy shit, my luck has exploded! I actually got to encounter a mutant fierce beast!"

Looking at the attributes above the head of the Scythe Mantis continuously exchanging blows with the Fire Savage Bull ahead, Chu Xiu widened his eyes in excitement and exclaimed inwardly.

The Scythe Mantis was originally just an Elite-quality grass-type fierce beast. Now that it had mutated and acquired dark-type attributes, its quality had consequently risen to the Rare tier.

Furthermore, according to current research, ordinary Sickle Mantises only have one evolutionary route, which is evolving into the Rare-quality Wood Blade Mantis.

However, the mutated Scythe Mantis before him possessed three evolutionary routes. The fierce beasts they evolved into would be at least of Excellent quality, and the highest could even evolve into the Legendary-quality Void Ripper.

If such immense potential were known to others, it would definitely trigger a frantic scramble and stir up an unknown amount of turmoil.

"Mutated Scythe Mantis, I've decided on you!"

Seeing such a powerful fierce beast appear before him, Chu Xiu was deeply moved and immediately decided to contract this Scythe Mantis as his first beast pet.

However, he did not act rashly. Instead, he controlled the Flame-Armored Lizard to continue lurking in the dense woods, quietly watching the two fierce beasts currently fighting.

Among fierce beasts, the fire type almost completely counters the grass type.

Under normal circumstances, a Scythe Mantis encountering a Fire Savage Bull of the same level would only be battered.

But the current situation was different. The mutated Scythe Mantis not only didn't fall into the slightest disadvantage when fighting the fire-type Fire Savage Bull, but instead steadily occupied the upper hand.

Its posture was lithe and agile, allowing it to easily dodge whenever it encountered the Fire Savage Bull's charge.

At the same time, that pair of sickle-shaped sharp blades waved swiftly, their edges faintly flashing with black light. Even with the Fire Armor defending the Fire Savage Bull's body, it was still able to leave one bleeding wound after another on the opponent's body.

After dozens of rounds of exchange, the Fire Savage Bull was beaten bloody and lacerated by the Scythe Mantis's attacks, fresh blood flowing all over its body, and its breathing becoming increasingly heavy.

"Moo!"

Finally, the Fire Savage Bull's blood-red eyes gradually regained clarity. Knowing it was no match for the Scythe Mantis, it let out a roar of reluctance and actually turned and fled.

Although it was no match for the Scythe Mantis, it had Fire Armor on its body, and its attributes suppressed the Scythe Mantis. Although the opponent could hurt it, with its guard up, it was difficult for the Scythe Mantis to deal a fatal blow in a single strike.

As long as it fled, the Scythe Mantis definitely wouldn't be able to kill it.

However, the Fire Savage Bull's ideal was wonderful, but reality was extremely cruel.

Seeing the fleeing Fire Savage Bull, a surge of magic power suddenly erupted from the Scythe Mantis's body, and a cloud of black mist instantly enveloped it within.

As the black mist dissipated, the Scythe Mantis's figure actually vanished into thin air.

The fleeing Fire Savage Bull looked back, and not seeing the figure of the Scythe Mantis, instantly breathed a sigh of relief.

However, the moment it turned its head back, two intersecting sharp blades silently appeared before it, pointing straight at the weakness on its neck and throat.

The incident happened too suddenly; the Fire Savage Bull had no time to dodge at all.

A Cross Slash of blade light flashed, and hot blood gushed out from the Fire Savage Bull's throat, splashing several meters away.