1: Where did I come from? Is this still in China?

“Students, I hope everyone can acquire a suitable beast pet during this trip to the beast pet Cultivation Base.”

On the school bus, the teacher wearing gold-rimmed glasses shouted to the bus full of excited students.

In the last row by the window, Bai Ye leaned his head against the window, staring blankly at the rapidly retreating scenery outside.

He was not from this world.

Two years ago, he Transmigrated.

His social circle hadn't changed; his classmates were still the same, none of them had grown an extra eye or a pair of wings.

But what the heck were those strange creatures running around everywhere?

Had Pokémon become real?

It took him two full days to digest this reality.

This world was no longer the one he was familiar with.

The sky, the land, the oceans—everywhere was filled with magical creatures.

Some of them were ridiculously fierce, nearly driving humanity to extinction.

It wasn't until people Awakened the Beast Taming Talent, signed contracts with Demonic Beasts, and cultivated beast pets that humanity finally caught its breath and reclaimed its living space.

Beast Tamers also became the most glamorous profession.

Luoxue City No. 2 Middle School, where Bai Ye attended, was also transformed from a regular high school into a Professional Beast Taming Cultivation High School for the sake of its Rank.

“The school provides some subsidy, but wanting to buy a high-Aptitude beast pet is probably a pipe dream.”

Bai Ye unlocked his phone, looked at the pitiful balance in his electronic wallet, and felt a knot in his chest.

In his previous world, his parents died in a car accident.

In this world, they died in a Beast Tide instead.

The path of a Combat-System Beast Tamer was likely closed to him.

He needed to find an easy-to-raise beast pet, then join the Cultivation System later to make a living; at least he wouldn't starve.

“Bai Ye, quick, help me look! How about this Ice Plains Wolf?”

“It has a guaranteed outstanding high-level Talent, plus several innate Skills—the cost-performance ratio is incredible!”

An excited voice exploded next to his ear, and a warm shoulder pressed right up against him.

Bai Ye turned his head and saw the light red-haired Lin Anan shoving her phone in front of his face.

On the screen, a handsome white giant wolf dominated the entire frame.

Ice mist permeated its body, and its pair of deep blue beast eyes made one’s heart pound just by looking at them.

Lin Anan stared intently at the Ice Plains Wolf's fluffy large tail, breathing heavily with a flushed face.

Bai Ye could feel the heat radiating from her body.

This fluff-addict was hopeless.

“Are you serious? Have you forgotten all those videos online where Ice Plains Wolves froze their owners into ice sculptures? Besides, your Talent has absolutely nothing to do with the Ice System.”

Bai Ye pushed her head away dismissively.

Despite what he said, he couldn't help but glance at it a couple more times himself.

Truly handsome.

Too bad he couldn't afford it.

Only a rich girl like Lin Anan could buy a beast pet of this caliber as easily as buying groceries.

What made him even more envious was Lin Anan's Aptitude.

She was a Talent Pioneer; she had Awakened her Talent even before contracting a beast pet, putting her far ahead of others right from the starting line.

For a key prospect at the school, the first beast pet was naturally the most critical choice.

“Who says an Enhancement System Fire Attribute Talent can't contract an Ice Attribute beast pet?”

Lin Anan looked stubborn, her delicate face clearly reading, “If you try to persuade me, I'll get mad at you.”

“If I trigger the Evaporation Effect, the damage will be even higher!”

She was contracting this Ice Plains Wolf today, and not even a Divine Beast could stop her, she declared!

...

Bai Ye wanted to say something more, to tell this poor student that the Ice Plains Wolf had no Fire Attribute Energy inside it, so her Talent was useless, and there'd be no damn evaporation.

He hoped she wouldn't end up crippling her first beast pet.

Just then, the entire bus body suddenly shuddered.

The students inside instantly stumbled, followed by a violent sensation of weightlessness, as if they had been dropped directly from ten thousand meters in the air.

Bang!

The school bus vanished into thin air.

Bai Ye landed hard on the damp ground.

His stomach churned violently, and he dry-heaved on the ground for a long time, unable to throw anything up.

He took a few deep breaths, the warm air filling his lungs, and his vision finally refocused.

Purple sunlight filtered through the layers of leaves, illuminating giant trees that blocked out the sky all around them.

Bai Ye suddenly stood up, instinctively grabbing a half-human-sized branch to hold in front of him.

His back pressed tightly against a thick tree trunk as he vigilantly scanned his surroundings.

The air was filled with the stench of rotting vegetation.

“My body hasn't changed, so it doesn't seem like another Transmigration. So, did I... crash into a Secret Realm?”

Bai Ye touched the rough bark behind him, his face filled with disbelief.

How unlucky must he be to encounter a Secret Realm refreshing right on the highway?

That probability must be lower than choking to death on water.

It couldn't be that the old driver deliberately drove the bus into the Secret Realm.

Secret Realms, like Demonic Beasts, have unknown origins.

Yao Beasts are everywhere inside; many Demonic Beasts in the Breeding Bases were captured from Secret Realms.

Secret Realms are also divided into Ranks; Beast Tamers of a certain Rank enter Secret Realms of the corresponding Rank.

Of course, if you are strong enough, you can force your way into low-Rank Secret Realms.

But doing so would disrupt the Secret Realm's rules, leading to the collapse of the entire Secret Realm.

Everything inside would be shredded by Spatial Turbulence.

Clearing a Secret Realm grants treasures; the higher the Rank, the better the treasure.

Legend says that some Secret Treasures can even grant a person a new Talent.

“Thinking about this now is useless. I don't even have a beast pet. Even in the lowest garbage Rank 1 Secret Realm, any random Demonic Beast could tear me apart.”

“I just hope it's not a solo Secret Realm...”

Bai Ye muttered internally, but his eyes never stopped scanning the surroundings, ready to run at the slightest sign of movement.

Suddenly, several lines of text appeared before his eyes without warning.

[beast pet Evolution illustrated compendium]

[Name]: Bai Ye

[attribute]: None

[Aptitude]: Rare

[Rank]: mortal grade

[Skills]: None

[Talent]: Bond Nexus

[Held Beast Pets]: Currently None

[Available Evolution Paths]: Mechanical System, Biochemical System, Martial System, Ghost System. (Click to view)

[Introduction]: A human with slight Aptitude, an ordinary creature living in Luoxue City, capable of signing a contract with a Demonic Beast to become a Beast Tamer. Excels at running away, and possesses a certain affinity for Plant System Yao Beasts.

Bai Ye’s mind buzzed, and his heart began to pound wildly.

He had a Golden Finger now, too.

Wait, why am I listed as a beast pet?

And my Aptitude is actually higher than that Ice Plains Wolf?

He focused his consciousness on the Talent section.

[Talent: Bond Nexus]

[Effect: When a beast pet is defeated and returns to the Beast Pet Space, it can permanently absorb the beast pet's Skills, Talents, and attributes. These bonuses can be stacked.]

?!

Bai Ye's pupils suddenly contracted.

Permanent absorption, and they can be stacked!

With this Talent, what was there to fear?

Give him some time, and he could crush everything himself.

The stronger the beast pet, the higher the bonus he would receive.

“Is it reasonable for a Beast Tamer to be stronger in combat than their beast pet?”

This question passed through his mind for one second before being thrown to the back of his head.

Reasonable! Extremely reasonable!

If a Beast Trainer couldn't beat their beast pet, how could they control creatures a hundred times stronger than themselves?

Bai Ye immediately returned all the knowledge he had learned over the past two years back to his teacher.

With a Golden Finger, who needs common sense!

“However, if I constantly have my beast pets take a beating just so I can get stronger, who would be willing after a while? Plus, after spending so much time together, even if there was no feeling initially, affection would develop.”

Since he needed his beast pet to be severely injured every time to trigger the Talent, he had to consider the consequences.

The choice of his first beast pet must be made with extreme caution.

It needs to be durable and hard to kill...