64: Chapter 64 Breakthrough! Novice Beast Tamer!

One week later, early morning.

Sunlight filtered through the clean glass window, casting golden spots across the bedroom as dust motes drifted slowly within the beams of light.

Lin Chen sat cross-legged in the center of the bed, eyes slightly closed, his breathing long and steady, his chest rising and falling gently with every breath.

An invisible and intangible mental power, like an undercurrent beneath a calm lake, surged slowly around his body.

The Songsong Dog lying by his legs seemed to sense something; it raised its head from a light sleep, its obsidian-like eyes filled with a trace of confusion as it looked at Lin Chen, who was focused with eyes closed.

The pale-gold holy ring around its neck shimmered with a warm luster in the morning light.

Suddenly.

The gently surging mental power surrounding Lin Chen suddenly contracted inward without warning, then burst outward as if breaking free from some invisible shackle.

An invisible breeze abruptly formed with Lin Chen at its center, blowing the stray hairs on his forehead and gently ruffling the soft fur of the Songsong Dog.

Several thin sheets of paper on the desk were flipped, making a faint rustling sound.

This phenomenon lasted only for a brief moment before quickly subsiding.

All the mental power retracted into Lin Chen's body like a hundred rivers returning to the sea, vanishing without a trace, as if everything just now had been an illusion.

Lin Chen took a deep breath, and then slowly exhaled.

He opened his eyes.

“I did it,” Lin Chen whispered to himself, a smile spreading across his face. “I've finally become a Primary Beastmaster!”

Over the past six full days, he had hardly wasted any time.

Aside from necessary work, rest, and basic training, he had devoted all his available time to meditation; the triple exp card rewarded by the system had become his strongest aid in breaking through the bottleneck.

With the boost of triple meditation efficiency, he clearly felt his mental power growing and condensing at an astonishing speed every day.

A long period of accumulation followed by a natural breakthrough.

Just now, through unremitting effort and a little help from the system, he had finally become a Primary Beastmaster!

This meant he had finally moved beyond the ranks of novices and trainees, truly stepping over the first official threshold of the path of a Beast Tamer.

More importantly, he had gained the qualification to contract a second pet!

With a slight thought, his personal panel appeared before his eyes:

[Player: Lin Chen]

[Rank: Primary Beastmaster]

[Skill: Telepathy]

[pet: Agumon]

[Items: double exp card x5, badge of light Lv1]

[Distributable EXP: 0]

The rank column had indeed changed to Primary Beastmaster; everything else remained largely the same.

He shifted his gaze from the system panel to the Songsong Dog by the bed, which was looking up at him with its small head tilted.

Lin Chen reached out and gently stroked the Songsong Dog's neck where it wore the holy ring, feeling the warm texture of the fur against his fingertips. Looking into those crystal-clear black eyes, he asked softly:

“You've been with me for a while now, and I have a new contract slot...”

He paused, his expression serious and his tone gentle. “Are you willing to officially become my contract partner and fight by my side?”

As he asked this, a trace of imperceptible nervousness flickered in Lin Chen's heart.

The Songsong Dog clearly understood.

Its small body stiffened slightly, and its eyes widened instantly, as if it hadn't expected Lin Chen to ask this question so suddenly.

It seemed to be shy, or perhaps it didn't know how to respond to such a weighty invitation for a moment.

So, the Songsong Dog didn't nod immediately, nor did it make a sound. It just lowered its head a bit, its small paws unconsciously scratching the cushion beneath it, while a faint purring sound came from its throat, its eyes darting away. “Ying-wu~~”

Seeing the Songsong Dog's reaction, a smile broke out on Lin Chen's face.

“Alright, since you didn't answer, I'll take that as a yes.”

The Songsong Dog suddenly looked up, its eyes wide: “˵>ㅿ<˵”

But Lin Chen didn't pay it any mind; he reached out and pulled the entire Songsong Dog into his arms.

The Songsong Dog's body stiffened again, but it didn't struggle. Instead, it leaned its small head into the crook of Lin Chen's arm, the tips of its ears already flushed deep red.

Lin Chen hesitated no longer.

He pulled back his smile, his gaze focused and his mind concentrated, guiding the abundant mental power within him that had just broken through to flow out slowly.

This time, the abundant mental power built an invisible mental bridge between him and the Songsong Dog.

The Songsong Dog did not resist.

It proactively and unreservedly connected its own faint mental ripples to the mental bridge Lin Chen had constructed.

Buzz—

It was as if an invisible string had been gently plucked, producing a resonance that could only be perceived by the soul.

In the next moment, the Songsong Dog's figure turned into a soft white light and vanished instantly.

The contract was officially established.

The Songsong Dog had officially become Lin Chen's second contract partner.

Feeling the new, tiny presence within the Beast Taming Space, Lin Chen moved his mind again.

The soft white light flashed once more.

The Songsong Dog's figure reappeared on the floor in front of him. It looked no different than before, but Lin Chen could clearly sense an invisible bond between them.

Through this bond, he could more clearly perceive the Songsong Dog's emotions and transmit more complex thoughts.

“From now on, we are true partners.” Lin Chen crouched down, looking the Songsong Dog level in the eye.

The Songsong Dog looked up at him, seemingly still a bit unaccustomed to this brand-new connection, but its bright black eyes rippled with an unprecedented sense of security and closeness.

It looked at Lin Chen's outstretched hand, hesitated for a moment, and then, as if making a decision, proactively leaned its small head forward, gently pressing it against Lin Chen's warm palm.

This proactive gesture of closeness gave Lin Chen a slight start.

Immediately, a smile filled his eyes and the corners of his brows.

Feeling the warmth and gentle pressure from the large hand, the Songsong Dog's body gradually relaxed. It even unconsciously rubbed its head against his palm, letting out a satisfied purr from its throat: “Ying-wu~~~”

“Ga-gu, ga-gu!!!”

The Flame Claw Beast rushed into the bedroom in a flurry, just about to wake Lin Chen up, but as soon as it opened the door, it saw such a heartwarming scene.

It froze, completely stunned where it stood.

What are you doing!!!

Feeling guilty, Lin Chen instinctively pulled back his right hand, but then he remembered that the Songsong Dog was now his legitimate contract pet. He cleared his throat, his expression becoming perfectly natural. “From now on, it's our official partner.”

The Flame Claw Beast tilted its head: “Ga-gu?”

The Songsong Dog didn't make a sound, nor did it move; it was already lost in the indulgence of the warm hand's stroking.

The Flame Claw Beast first looked at the blissfully happy Songsong Dog, then at the smiling Lin Chen, and finally gave a cold snort: “Ga-gu!”

It knew Lin Chen.

Lin Chen wanted powerful, battle-hardened, and ruthless genius pets, not a weak, psychologically fragile, and merely cute “vase” pet like the Songsong Dog.

At this thought, the Flame Claw Beast raised its head high, its face full of confidence.

Besides, it could evolve into a majestic and powerful pet!

What about the Songsong Dog?

What could it evolve into?

No matter the aspect, it was bound to win.