7: The second contracted beast

[Divine Eye] Consumes Mana to gain insight into all surrounding information.

The description is a bit brief.

Xu Le looked at Li Yang nearby, and a long list of information popped up:

[Name] Li Yang

[Age] 18

[Class] Heavy Shield Guard

[Rank] 11

[Health] 820/820

[Mana] 230/310

[Strength] 82

[Agility] 82

[Physique] 82

[Spirit] 31

[Skills] Shield Defense, Shield Wall (Rank 10), Tigers Roar

...The information was exceptionally clear.

He then turned his gaze toward the remaining demon monkeys.

[Agile Demon Monkey]

[Rank] 28

[Health] 562/11280

[Mana] 5640

[Strength] 565

[Agility] 840

[Physique] 564

[Spirit] 282

[Talent] Devilish Qi Contamination 2, Agile Body

[Skills] Throw, Charged Strike

Xu Le curiously clicked on the [Devilish Qi Contamination 2] talent, and information popped up.

Long-term exposure to Devilish Qi contamination has significantly increased health and the four basic attributes, while the mind has suffered moderate contamination.

"So Devilish Qi contamination doesn't just strengthen health, it strengthens the four basic attributes as well."

"A mere ordinary demon monkey has attribute growth similar to an SS-Rank class. No wonder human professionals find it hard to defeat monsters of the same Rank."

Xu Le finally understood why humans, once the overlords, could only huddle in the Nine Great Cities.

He turned his gaze toward the final piece of equipment.

[Weapon] demon slaying blade

[Quality] Epic

[Requirements] Strength ≥ 800, Spirit ≥ 200

[Equipment Traits] Strength +200, Speed +100, and comes with a 50% Demon-Breaking effect.

There are no Rank or class restrictions, and the attribute bonuses are similar to Rare-grade equipment. The key is the 50% Demon-Breaking attribute.

No wonder it could slash through the Little Yellow Chicken's Clone's shield in one strike.

[Experience +16,000]

[Experience +16,000]

...With the death of the last demon monkey, both of them rose to Rank 12.

[Experience] 13,880/300,000

Upon reaching Rank 10, the required experience directly surged to 100,000.

Experience points finally stopped doubling and instead increased by 100,000 per Rank.

Seeing that it was getting late, the two decided to head home.

After reaching Rank 10, Xu Le gained another opportunity to form a contract.

He turned his gaze toward the spare Little Dog he had bought.

The Little Dog ran over expectantly, its eyes sparkling as if it sensed an opportunity, constantly rubbing its head against his leg:

I can do it.

I can!

But Xu Le shook his head.

He decided to play it safe once more.

Testing human hearts was far too dangerous.

Since he had previously claimed the Little Yellow Chicken was a legacy from his parents, he decided to choose another oviparous animal to maintain that story.

He rubbed the dog's head to comfort it.

What should I choose?

The Little Yellow Chicken's output was explosive, but it was somewhat lacking when it came to protection.

With only a Flame Shield, it seemed a bit helpless when facing demon-breaking equipment.

As a "frail" Contractor, he couldn't keep taking risks.

He needed a contracted beast that excelled in melee and protection.

Immediately, thick-skinned creatures like elephants, bison, and hippos crossed his mind, but he quickly dismissed them.

His target was an oviparous animal.

A turtle?

Thinking about having a chicken on his left and a turtle on his right... that seemed a bit... low-class.

Xu Le took a walk around the Pet Market and soon took a fancy to a pure black Corn Snake.

After taking it home, he activated the Contract Array. The Corn Snake was a bit dim and even thought about refusing, but with the massive difference in Divine Soul, it couldn't resist at all.

Beside him, the Little Dog shed tears of grievance.

The Corn Snake appeared in the Contract Space. The Little Yellow Chicken walked in a circle with a swagger, tilting its proud little head with a look that said, "Little brother, I'm the boss here."

The Corn Snake received the "All Ascend to Heaven" buff, and its intelligence soared, nodding in agreement.

Only then did the Little Yellow Chicken walk aside contentedly, its small eyes shining with undisguised joy.

Xu Le opened the Corn Snake's panel:

[contracted beast] Little Black Snake (Name Changed)

[Race] Ancient Black Python (SSS-Rank)

[Rank] 0

[Strength] 30

[Agility] 30

[Physique] 30

[Spirit] 10

[Equipment] None

[Talent] Indestructible Vajra

Body like cold iron, reduces physical and Spell damage by 80%.

[Skills]

1. Deterrence

Consumes 30 Mana, assumes an attacking stance, dealing Spirit × 0.8 damage to the enemy and performing a Will check.

If the check succeeds, the enemy panics for 3 seconds and cannot attack; if it fails, the enemy's attack power is reduced by 20% for 5 seconds.

Cooldown: 120 seconds

2. Despair Strangulation

Entwines the prey, dealing (Strength + Physique) × 1 damage per second.

3. Golden Dragon Ascends to Heaven

Consumes 120 Mana, swings its tail to sweep enemies into the air, dealing (Agility + Strength) × 2 damage. Cooldown: 60 seconds.

4. Elephant Swallowing

Consumes 200 Mana, opens its massive mouth to swallow prey up to 10 times its own size. If successful, it gains 1% health per second until the prey is fully digested.

Compared to the Little Yellow Chicken, the Little Black Snake's attack power was merely chip damage and mostly targeted single units.

But its defensive capabilities were extremely insane, and every skill could protect the Contractor.

"Just..."

"Can such a tiny little fellow really protect me?"

Xu Le looked at the newborn snake, less than 20cm long and as thin as a chopstick, and couldn't help but fall into deep doubt.

Sensing its master's emotions, the Little Black Snake hissed and revealed its true form.

A black snake over a meter long and as thick as a mop handle appeared before his eyes. As it wriggled its body, it bumped into a chair in the room, which immediately fell apart.

'Good heavens!'

'So this is its true form; it usually stays in a shrunken state.'

'Since the Little Black Snake's true form at Rank 0 is already this big, why is the Little Yellow Chicken only the size of a fist?'

Xu Le thought as he turned his gaze toward the Little Yellow Chicken.

A flash of panic crossed the Little Yellow Chicken's eyes, which quickly turned into flattery. Its body shook, transforming into a fiery red bird 3 meters long with a 5-meter-long tail.

Phoenix!

Majestic and incomparably noble.

It clearly hadn't wanted to be ridden and had been hiding its true form. Now that it was exposed, it even stole a glare at the Little Black Snake.

The Little Black Snake lowered its head innocently and crawled over to Xu Le to nuzzle him.

Little Dog: Crisis!

Xu Le touched the Little Black Snake; its scales were hard as iron, and the texture was extremely... poor;

He then touched the Little Yellow Chicken; the fiery red feathers felt very smooth, but even as its master, he could feel the scorching heat from its body.

If he sat on it, it might be fine for a short time, but he'd probably get heat rash after a while.

This crafty little fellow actually tried to deceive its master—it must be punished!

Xu Le looked at the messy room and ordered the Little Yellow Chicken: "You little brat, you weren't being honest. Clean up the room for me. I want it spotless, understand?"

The Little Yellow Chicken nodded with a forced smile.

As soon as Xu Le turned around, it immediately glared at the Little Black Snake. The Little Black Snake gave a sheepish smile, coiled its tail around a rag, and began to clean.

When Xu Le came back after eating, the room was indeed clean and tidy. He nodded in satisfaction and even brought pet snacks for the two contracted beasts.

Although contracted beasts live in the Contract Space and don't need food, the two little ones still enjoyed the delicious taste of the food.

Xu Le touched the heart of the commander in his Inventory; tomorrow he would have to go to the Auction House to trade it for a skill book.