9: Chapter 9 The Empress was surprised; why did this mosquito seem to have gotten stronger?

Fine, you've got backbone, Gu Yuexi!

I'd like to see what kind of results you can get with that mosquito of yours during the joint exam in half a month!

Chen Hao seethed inwardly, deciding he would never bother this ungrateful woman again.

And all of this was witnessed by Chu Sheng from inside the plastic box.

“Hey, buddy, that’s not how you pick up girls!”

Chu Sheng was highly amused. “Coming on strong with a show of strength and then spouting empty promises—your level is way too low! My Empress has seen the world; she wouldn't even bat an eye at your little tricks!”

He was actually quite pleased with this outcome.

He wasn't about to let someone harass his long-term meal ticket.

And so, the day's classes ended in an eerie calm.

Gu Yuexi became a 'celebrity' in Class 8, and even within the entire Beast Taming Department.

A transfer from the Martial Arts Department whose first contracted beast was a mosquito—this combination was so shocking that it was hard not to be famous.

After school, Gu Yuexi didn't linger. She shouldered her bag and left in a hurry.

Chu Sheng thought she was going home, but after following her through several twists and turns, they arrived at an old neighborhood that looked quite aged.

The paint on the buildings was peeling, the hallways were covered in various small advertisements, and the air was thick with a mixture of dampness and cooking smells.

“Holy crap... is the Empress really living this miserably?”

Chu Sheng was a bit dazed.

He then remembered that in order to buy that Spirit Green Snake, Gu Yuexi had sold her house. Today was likely the final move-out deadline.

So, where she lived now was... a rental?

Sure enough, Gu Yuexi went up to the fifth floor of a building and opened a thin-looking iron door.

As soon as the door opened, an even stronger smell of mildew wafted out.

The room was tiny, about twenty square meters, and you could see the whole thing at a glance. Aside from a bed, a desk, and a wardrobe, there was no other furniture, not even a private bathroom.

“Sigh...”

Chu Sheng 'heard' Gu Yuexi let out a soft sigh in her heart.

It seemed the life of this reborn Empress was quite destitute.

But on second thought, Chu Sheng felt this might be a good thing for him.

The worse the environment, the more mosquitoes, rats, and ants there would be. Wouldn't that mean more sources for 'underlings'?

Gu Yuexi tossed her backpack onto the bed and then took out the plastic box containing Chu Sheng, placing it on the desk.

She stared at Chu Sheng inside the box with a complex expression.

“For the next half month, you stay in here. You aren't allowed to go anywhere,” she warned coldly through their mental link.

Chu Sheng: “...”

No way, lady. Solitary confinement?

I'm an evolved mosquito! I'm a Primary Mutated Blood Mosquito! I've grown a size larger; this box almost can't hold me anymore!

Well... okay, that was an exaggeration.

The main thing is, I'm hungry!!

Dissatisfied, Chu Sheng began to flutter inside the box, letting out a 'buzzing' sound of protest with his wings and poking the inner wall of the plastic box repeatedly with his toothpick-like proboscis.

“Thump, thump, thump...”

The sound wasn't loud, but it was rhythmic.

Gu Yuexi's brows furrowed slightly; she could naturally feel Chu Sheng's discontent.

She was also annoyed.

She wanted nothing more than to throw this mosquito, which represented her shame, far away.

But she couldn't!

The life-and-death rules of the Blood Pact forced her to ensure the safety of this incredibly weak mosquito.

In this crappy rental, who knew if there were rats or cockroaches? What if one of them ate him?

It was safest to keep him locked in the box!

“Be quiet!” Gu Yuexi scolded, feeling a bit flustered.

Chu Sheng didn't care and continued his rhythmic poking.

You've got to be kidding. If you don't let me out, how am I supposed to suck blood? If I don't suck blood, how do I level up? If I don't level up and someone happens to swat me to death one day, you're finished too!

We're grasshoppers on the same string... wait, no, we're an Empress and a mosquito on the same string!

“What on earth do you want?” Gu Yuexi's head throbbed from his poking.

Chu Sheng immediately stopped and clearly transmitted his intent.

“Hungry... suck blood...”

Although he couldn't speak to Gu Yuexi directly, he could still convey simple intentions through the Blood Pact.

Gu Yuexi: “...”

She froze.

Right, she had forgotten that this mosquito needed to suck blood!

Moreover, she had to proactively let it feed on her; otherwise, if its lifespan ran out, she would be done for as well.

At that thought, Gu Yuexi's expression became even more unsightly.

She hesitated for a moment before finally, reluctantly, opening the lid of the plastic box.

“Just this once. After you're done, get back in—”

Before she could finish, a black shadow 'whooshed' out of the box!

Its speed far exceeded that of a normal mosquito!

The next second, she felt a sharp sting on the back of her hand!

Looking down, she saw Chu Sheng had landed firmly on her fair hand. His Level 2 proboscis, like a miniature drill, pierced in effortlessly!

“You!” Gu Yuexi was both angry and startled.

This guy... how did his speed increase so much?

Sluuuuuurp!!

Chu Sheng didn't care about her surprise; seizing the opportunity, he entered 'buffet' mode.

Refreshing! So refreshing!

[Vitality +0.21]

[Vitality +0.23]

[Ding! Host has absorbed 0.8 Vitality! Current total Vitality is 1.9!]

[Ding! Blood is being digested. Estimated digestion time: one hour. You will gain 0.4 Evolution Points and 5 hours of lifespan!]

He sucked 0.8 in one go!

Chu Sheng was satisfied, feeling his belly swell until it was round and red like a glass marble.

Only then did he wobbly withdraw his proboscis, preparing to fly back into the box.

However, at that moment, Gu Yuexi slammed the lid shut and stared at him intently with a scrutinizing gaze.

“Your proboscis... and your size...”

She finally noticed something was wrong.

This mosquito... seemed to have really grown quite a bit! And that needle had become thicker and longer; the pain when it pierced her hand just now was several times stronger than before!

Could it be... that consuming my Vitality allows it to... evolve?

An absurd thought, yet seemingly the only explanation, surfaced in Gu Yuexi's mind.

Gu Yuexi stared fixedly at the mosquito with the bright red, swollen belly on the desk, her mind racing.

As a former Beast Taming Empress, her understanding of demon beasts far exceeded that of ordinary people.

She knew very well that for ordinary insects, let alone evolving, surviving a single season was considered lucky.

But this mosquito was clearly abnormal!

In just one day, its size, speed, and strength had all undergone visible changes!

What was going on?

Could this mosquito... be a Variant?