50: I wanted be a salted fish

In the vast forest, the leaves were lush.

Battles between beasts, battles between beasts and humans, and battles between humans themselves were the main themes within all the wilderness areas and secret realms.

Large beads of sweat dripped from Bai Yuhan's pale cheeks, and blood flowed down from his right arm, dripping onto the grass below.

The ground was a patch of red.

A giant lizard, entirely black with its body covered in steel scales, lay nearby, looking at him with concern.

A faint smell of blood spread in the air.

Bai Yuhan sat behind a dense bush, calmly tearing off his sleeve and carefully treating the wound on his arm.

Apart from his weapons, his other belongings had already been lost in the battle...

"Logically, I should hurry back to the supply base to treat my injuries."

"But last night, when I and those people were fighting over Dragon Grass, several of them saw my face. If I go back to the supply base now for treatment, I'll likely be captured by them."

Bai Yuhan furrowed his brows tightly, tightly binding his injured arm. Seeing that the bleeding had stopped, he began seriously pondering his next plan.

Last night.

He was fortunate to unexpectedly find a second-grade high-level Dragon Grass and a second-grade mid-level Dragon Grass.

Initially, he intended to let Little Black consume them to enhance the purity of the ancestral dragon bloodline within Little Black's body, temper his physique, and evolve as soon as possible.

However, considering they were still in the wilderness area, it was likely that Little Black would need to spend several days refining the Dragon Grass in the beast space, and safety couldn't be guaranteed in the wilderness area.

So, he decided to keep the Dragon Grass and deal with it later...

But he didn't expect that when he was picking the Dragon Grass, the aura spread out and attracted two other groups of people.

It was a three-way battle, with both sides besieging each other.

If it weren't for Little Black's awakening of the dragon bloodline, which had a significant deterrent effect on other beasts...

And if he hadn't habitually remained vigilant all year round, he might have really fallen victim to a surprise attack from the other side!

Touching the Dragon Grass stored in the jade box inside the pocket of his clothes, he thought of the behavior and style of those people from last night...

Bai Yuhan furrowed his brows in thought. "Those two teams probably won't give up for at least ten days or half a month... The best option is to take advantage of this time, quickly find a safe place, and let Little Black consume the Dragon Grass to breakthrough to the second rank as soon as possible!"

Dragonkin usually has much stronger strength than other beasts of the same rank, so it's common for them to challenge across ranks.

However, the Iron-armored Rampage Lizard has not yet completed its transformation, so he still needs to be cautious.

"The safest place near the Qingshan Wilderness Area, apart from the supply base, is the road back to the Jianghuai City urban area."

Bai Yuhan pondered for a moment. "It seems that the only option is to seize the opportunity to leave the Qingshan Wilderness Area first, and then hitch a ride back to the urban area."

"As for other matters... we can discuss them after Little Black advances."

Licking his blood-stained molar, Bai Yuhan and Little Black got up and hurried on.

From the dim dawn to the gradually brightening horizon.

And from the golden sunlight shining on the clear morning to the scorching sun above...

During this period, Bai Yuhan tried to avoid contact with crowds as much as possible. Compared to the beasts in the wilderness, the Beastmaster Team in the wilderness is even less trustworthy now. Even though the scent and energy released by the Dragon Grass are sealed in the jade box, Bai Yuhan still isn't entirely at ease.

When hungry, he ate some wild fruits he found.

When thirsty, he tried to endure.

Without a map, he could only rely on the compass on his specially-made wristband to navigate through the jungle.

Until his lips were slightly dry and he could barely bear it...

Only then did Bai Yuhan hear the murmur sound of water.

Splash! Splash! Splash!

Bai Yuhan's eyes lit up, quickly following the direction of the sound of water.

However...

As he approached a certain distance, his ears twitched slightly, detecting something unusual ahead.

"...There are people ahead?!"

Bai Yuhan furrowed his brows tightly, his ears carefully discerning the situation ahead for him.

It seemed that there was even... game music coming from the front.

—Game music?

Bai Yuhan paused for a moment, his expression momentarily blank.

He perked up his ears and listened carefully again.

Thump thump cha! Thump thump cha cha! Thump thump thump thump!

The sound of the mobile game, accompanied by the rushing sound of the river, approached from afar, continuously drilling into his ears.

Bai Yuhan: "..."

"Quick, quick, quick! Over here, over here, place an ice-type flying vine! Its flying leaves can freeze the aliens!"

"Shh shh shh~~ Shh shh~"

"Ah~ Over here, hurry, place a poison gas mushroom, otherwise, the aliens will come over!"

"Shh shh shh~~"

"Hurry, you quickly place a fire-type exploding chili pepper on this path, its peppers can directly blast the enemies to death!"

"Shh shh shh~"

At the riverbank.

Song Yu was playing games online with her tussilago vine.

Sitting on the grass by the river, with a human and a vine facing each other, they formed a team, deeply engrossed in battling aliens on their phones.

Having already caught two palm-sized adult crucian carps earlier, Song Yu casually placed her fishing rod on a nearby stone slab. She had already started playing mobile game music early on, leisurely acting like Jiang Taigong [a legendary figure known for fishing], whether or not she could catch fish depended entirely on whether the fish in the river were willing.

Anyway, she only needed so much food every day, so why bother with it?

Two small fish boiled in a pot of soup is enough~

The sound of mobile games kept ringing incessantly, creating a cheerful yet tense atmosphere around the small riverbank, where each person focused on their gadget.

As Song Yu grabbed her phone and crazily tapped on the icons to plant plant-type beasts, constantly intercepting the attacks of aliens on the game interface, coupled with the tussilago vine that had learned how to operate in the past few hours, the game interface quickly displayed an exciting message - "Game victory, entering the next level, do you want to proceed: yes? no?"

"Wow! Finally reached level 108. Indeed, playing in pairs online is much faster than playing alone!"

Song Yu lowered her head, looking at the tussilago vine with sparkling eyes!

The tussilago vine: "..."

Being stared at by the scorching gaze, the tussilago vine twisted its branches, shaking its tendrils and leaves, its cheeks flushing.

However, being a plant, even though the tussilago vine felt its cheeks heating up, Song Yu couldn't see any changes.

Instead, she saw the tussilago vine twisting its branches, suddenly feeling that she had not misjudged this plant-type beast.

She had said so!

How could anyone not enjoy being a layabout with beasts?

Song Yu reached out to touch the tussilago vine in response.

In the past...

Everyone says that the pursuit of power is innate in the genes of every beast.

Even the lowest-ranked 0th-level beast still wants to become stronger every day.

Even the most gentle beasts in normal days will fiercely fight for territory when it's crucial.

But in Song Yu's view, it's all about competing for survival space.

In her previous life on Earth.

In the animal world, lions, tigers, and even dogs use their unique ways to mark their territories.

This is both to let animals inform other members of their species that this area is their hunting territory, ensuring they can meet their survival needs on a daily basis, and also to intimidate members of the same species into telling the opposite sex about their strength and into asserting their mating rights.

In her previous life, Song Yu had also watched many educational videos on the internet.

Among them, there were videos about how female cats judge whether male cats are healthy, whether they have enough food and time to groom their fur, and whether they are worthy of becoming the fathers of their next generation of children through the color and smell of their urine.

Even ordinary urban stray cats want to become stronger...

To get more food, attract more mates.

Not to mention those powerful beasts far beyond lions and tigers, possessing extraordinary strength and high intelligence.

In the harsh survival conditions of the wilderness and secret realms, they instinctively pursue greater strength and mark territories... all for the survival and reproduction of the next generation.

Song Yu couldn't stop thinking about it.

Once they have the opportunity to relax, she believes that beasts are also willing to play happily.

Just like huskies, as sled dogs and working dogs, once they are in better economic conditions and are cared for by their owners.

Where would a husky think of pulling a sled?

Every day, all they think about in their little heads is... good food and going out to play!

"Unfortunately, after crossing over for more than three months... whenever I mention Contract Beasts to others."

"Everyone thinks that Beasts are just a group that only pursues strength, only wants to pursue strength battle maniacs. Apart from strength, Beasts are just like a group of ordinary wild animals with empty heads."

Song Yu wrinkled her nose. This inherent notion is still the result of the constraints of the surrounding environment.

In these three months, although she hasn't seen any Contract Beast that wants to have fun, eat, and go out every day.

But...

Now, isn't there a Plant-type Beast that genuinely loves playing games?

Looking at it, almost leaning over her phone, a few thin vines poking at the mobile game interface back and forth, even the profile revealing the seriousness of the tussilago vine...

Song Yu's gaze became even more gentle and kind.

Song Yu's voice was sweet, as if it contained an extremely high sugar: "Little one, do you want to make a contract with me? I'll take you to play games every day in the future~"

Qiuqiu returned to the Beast Space to read novels and practice cultivation. Without any burden, Song Yu invited this Tussilago Vine, who genuinely loves playing games.

Likes playing games ✔️

Very enthusiastic about eating ✔️

It only needs sunlight, water, and soil; it is an ordinary plant, very easy to care for ✔️

Weak and inconspicuous, completely ignored by main characters and other strong individuals... 0th Tier weak Beast ✔️

Is there any Contract Beast more suitable for her than this Tussilago Vine?!

None!

One who enjoys playing games just like her shares common interests and can play together and be lazy together.

The Tussilago Vine is so weak that even the male lead and others disdain to glance at it. Isn't it her dream Contract Beast?

Before, she didn't think much about it, but now that she thinks about it carefully...

The Tussilago Vine is simply perfect!

It can play with her, and because of its low bloodline level... it can precisely avoid the vigilance of the male lead, Bai Yuhan.

If not for its plant-like texture, which feels different from furry.

This 0th-tier low-bloodline Tussilago Vine fundamentally has no flaws!

Song Yu's mouth curved into a smile, revealing two beautiful little tiger teeth, and she looked at the Tussilago Vine again, asking, "Little one, do you want to make a contract with me? As long as you make a contract with me, when we return to Jianghuai City, I'll play games with you every day!"

The Tussilago Vine: "!"

The Tussilago Vine raised its little head, feeling like it was hallucinating.

Otherwise, why would it hear this two-legged beast saying it wants to make a contract with it?

"Rustle rustle~"

The Tussilago Vine waved its tendrils, its leaves trembling, its beady eyes filled with doubt and surprise.

"Rustle rustle~ Are you really going to make a contract with me?"

"Yeah~" Song Yu smiled, "I feel like we get along well and are very suitable for a contract."

"Rustle rustle~" The Tussilago Vine blinked its large beady eyes, continuing to sway its tendrils.

But, but... but I eat a lot~

The Tussilago Vine's branches and leaves swayed, its body wriggling.

Last night, in the river, it thought the person in front of it was craving its body and wanted to make a contract with it. That's why it deliberately used fragrant fish bait to lure and give it fish... But when it still wanted to continue eating to recover from its injuries quickly, the other party changed, making it quite resentful.

Later on.

When it thought the two-legged creature was playing hot and cold but actually wanted to make a contract with it, and even took the initiative to propose a contract...

The other party, however, yawned and fell asleep, showing no intention of making a contract at all... This behavior of the other party left it completely puzzled.

Until last night, when it lay on the tree thinking for a whole night, almost developing dark circles under its eyes.

The Tussilago Vine finally understood why the two-legged creature in front of it was unwilling to make a contract with it.

It turns out its strength is too weak, yet it eats so much!

Didn't it see yesterday afternoon when it bit off several tendrils, causing it to run around in panic and even scared because of the Jade Moon Rabbit, and was saved by the two-legged creature contracted? It was scared to the point of wishing it had eight legs!

Even such a tall and powerful Rabbit loses its combat power instantly after being roared at by the two-legged creature's cat!

And the cat eats less than it!

Just a small piece, as big as a leaf, of translucent food is enough to sustain it for the whole day!

"Rustle rustle~~" The Tussilago Vine, completely unaware of what energy food is, shook itself, shamefully lowering its head, its voice sounding like a mosquito.

And, and I'm still very weak~~ very useless, I can't even beat the Jade Moon Rabbit~

"Rustle rustle~~"

I eat a lot, but I'm weak~ If you make a contract with me, it must be because you feel sorry for me.

"Rustle rustle~"

S-So... let's not make a contract after all~

The Tussilago Vine hung its head, tiny droplets of water accumulating in its beady eyes.

It's so weak, it shouldn't burden the two-legged creature that has been kind to it.

It heard from other Tussilago Vines that these two-legged creatures, despite their tall stature, aren't actually powerful in combat.

In the forest, there are often two-legged creatures being chased by rabbits.

Thinking about the scene where they would both be chased by rabbits after they made a contract in the future.

The Tussilago Vine shook its tendrils, tightly gripping the phone, burying its head even lower.

"Why am I so useless?!"

Watching the Tussilago Vine, it almost wanted to bury itself into the ground and shut down right there.

Immediately, Song Yu reached out with two fingers and pulled out the tiny yellow tendril from the grass, encouragingly saying, "You're really good at playing games! When we played together, your performance was even better than mine!"

The game "Plants vs aliens" is a simple game. You don't need to overthink about what plant beasts to use to defeat the aliens in the next step.

All you need to do is keep an eye on the screen, carefully observe how many aliens will attack the character on each path, and quickly plant enough powerful plant beasts on that path...

The plant beasts in the game icon will charge into battle alone, smashing the aliens to pieces.

Therefore, after playing several rounds of games with Song Yu, who has multiple vines acting as arms and legs, the points of the game characters soared at a rocket-like speed!

Several times, Song Yu was so busy with the large map on the mobile game interface that she was caught off guard, almost losing her life!

In contrast, the Tussilago Vine multitasked, controlling seven or eight vines on a single phone, and slaughtered the aliens!

"Look at today's ranking. Your score is much higher than mine!" Song Yu raised her phone, opened the game score ranking interface they played together, and placed it in front of the Tussilago Vine.

Score Ranking:

- NO.1: RabbitRabbitRabbitRabbitRabbit: 2,473,469 points

- NO.2: FishFishFishFishFish: 1,879,475 points

The score ranking list is clearly visible on the colorful and lively mobile game interface, with background music twinkling.

"Rustle rustle~~?"

Is, is it really that powerful?

The Tussilago Vine blinked its small eyes and looked expectantly at Song Yu.

Song Yu nodded vigorously, smiling and giving a thumbs-up, praising, "Of course, you are powerful! I've never seen a gifted gamer like you before, nor such a powerful beast in gaming!"

The Tussilago Vine felt somewhat pleased to be praised, but upon careful consideration, it lowered its head again.

"Rustle rustle~~"

But, but... playing games doesn't enhance strength, and I, I'm still very weak...

"Rustle rustle~~"

And, and our clan, it's still, still very, very difficult to evolve...

The Tussilago Vine shook its branches with a hint of lack of confidence, its leaves trembling. 

It had already evolved from its juvenile stage to adulthood many years ago, yet it remained a Grade 0 contract beast after all these years.

Feeling disheartened, the Tussilago Vine drooped its head, and even its swaying tendrils sagged down.

Playing games definitely won't enhance strength!

But does Song Yu really want those ultra-powerful, high-grade contract beasts that can carry her through the skies? She isn't like that!

Hearing the Tussilago Vine's lack of confidence and seeing its still petite body even in adulthood...

But Song Yu's resolve only grew stronger.

The Tussilago Vine in front of her was the perfect contract beast she had longed for!

If she were to travel to a post-apocalyptic world, having a buddy who enjoys playing games wouldn't be enough.

But now, with peace and prosperity prevailing, except for occasional outbreaks of beast riots in some areas, people living in the city basically had no worries about food and clothing. She had no intention of becoming a Beast Tamer, just wanting to lie in bed every day and play with her phone. It would be perfectly normal to find a buddy who was small and soft and would accompany her in playing games, right?

Looking at the small size of the Tussilago Vine, which could be held in one hand and had a cute appearance...

Compared to Qiuqiu and other people's contract beasts, which were too large to even fit in the bedroom.

Song Yu increasingly felt that a low-level beast like the Tussilago Vine, which had difficulty evolving, was simply the most suitable companion for someone like her, who liked staying at home and being lazy!

Small in size, difficult to evolve, and a little buddy who enjoyed playing games just like her—someone who shared the same interests—was simply a rare find!

So...

Song Yu cleared her throat with a couple of coughs, then gently tapped the leaves of the Tussilago Vine with her index finger and said, "Don't be sad. Every beast is unique. Their abilities vary!"

"For example, us humans: some excel in language, while others excel in math. But regardless of what talent we possess, as long as we recognize our own path, we can all achieve success!"

"Don't feel sad because your bloodline, race, or level is low, and evolution is difficult for you! Your talent lies elsewhere."

Song Yu earnestly encouraged, "Look, you're great at playing games. For example, I can't beat you. So, I really need a contract beast like you, who's very good at gaming, to help me!"

"If you feel like playing games doesn't fully showcase your talent..."

"After we form a contract, you can go to Jianghuai City to see if there's a place more suitable for you to showcase your talents... For example, being a competitive game streamer would be great, right? Many people enjoy watching others play games!" While coaxing... no, while encouraging, and painting a rosy picture for the Tussilago Vine, Song Yu was just short of shouting slogans for Earth... As long as you form a contract with me, you'll definitely have a place on the national network platform's gaming celebrity leaderboard!

With a serious and solemn expression and vigorous gestures.

Listening to this, the Tussilago Vine was stunned, and it didn't know how it suddenly felt a surge of enthusiasm.

"Rustle rustle~"

The Tussilago Vine waved its tendrils and climbed onto Song Yu's arm, its tearful eyes brimming with excitement.

"You can rest assured, I will definitely play games well in the future! I will never let your expectations down!"

******

Watching the waves of contract fluctuations emanating from the grassland not far away, where one person and one beast stood, striving for their gaming dreams...

In Bai Yuhuan's deep eyes, there was a mixture of emotions.

If it weren't for his Eye of Regulation and his confidence in his own concealment, being one hundred percent certain that Song Yu across from him hadn't noticed him, he would almost suspect that the person and the beast on the other side were deliberately acting to deceive him.

After all, how could there be people in this world who would contract with beasts just to play games?

Bai Yuhuan: "..."

If he hadn't seen it with his own eyes, he would never believe such a thing.

When others make contracts with beasts.

They look at the beast's aptitude, bloodline level, and talents.

They look at whether this contracted beast can make them professional beast tamers!

They consider whether this contracted beast can help them further their future career paths!

At the very least, they select beasts who are gentle in temperament, highly intelligent, and capable of helping care for the elderly and children at home.

Take himself, for example, the primary principle in selecting a contracted beast is to assess the potential of the beast, whether it has the ability and opportunity to help him defeat his enemies and avenge his parents.

But because the beast's gaming prowess was outstanding... and she contracted with it.

This was the first time Bai Yuhan had seen it in so many years.

Bai Yuhan looked at Song Yu with complicated eyes, and the data of the Tussilago Vine in the distance was even more precise in his eyes...

[Name: ??]

[Species: Tussilago Vine]

[Attribute: Wood]

[Combat Power: 0]

[Potential Level: 0th Tier]

[Current Level: 0th Tier]

[Description: A low-level plant bloodline beast that relies on absorbing nutrients from ordinary plants to grow. It possesses two basic abilities: entanglement and absorption. This Tussilago Vine has been in the growth stage for many years but still has weak strength, with meager possibilities for future evolution. Yesterday, it suffered heavy damage after devouring a Grade 2 Qingling Lotus Flower and is currently recovering.]

Although the information displayed on the Eye of Regulation wasn't extensive, just from the combat power and potential level, Bai Yuhan could clearly see that the Tussilago Vine had just contracted with Song Yu and had no special abilities.

Even its bloodline level was the lowest, at the 0th Tier, making breakthroughs extremely difficult.

"Three months ago, that Snow Spirit Cat, although its bloodline level was low..."

"But it had the ability to foresee future fragments, and the possibility of advancing to a 9th Tier contracted beast. Anyone who contracts with it won't be at a loss."

"But this Tussilago Vine, it's just too ordinary..."

"Except for its good luck yesterday, luckily consuming a Grade 2 Qingling Lotus Flower."

"Just looking at other data, even among the Vine variety, this Tussilago Vine is considered one of the most mediocre in terms of talent..."

Bai Yuhan's gaze was deep, his facial muscles remained motionless, and the depths of his eyes were only understood by himself.

Since entering the supply base and stepping into the Qingshan Wilderness area.

Bai Yuhan, using the Eye of Regulation all the way, had seen countless people's data panels, and the information about beasts was as numerous as snowflakes.

Even if he didn't want to look, his eyes would unhesitatingly analyze the opponent's information.

Many plant-type beasts like Tussilago Vine were in the Qingshan Wilderness Area.

Because of their small size and tendency to cling to large trees to absorb nutrients, others could easily overlook them if they weren't paying attention.

But with the Eye of Regulation, he could easily detect the small things hidden in the forest.

From yesterday to today, he had seen at least eight or nine of this plant-based beast.

"According to the potential and combat power ranking, this Tussilago Vine is probably ranked fourth or fifth..." Bai Yuhan's mind quickly recalled the data of the Tussilago Vine he had seen in the wilderness forest these past two days, and his brow furrowed involuntarily.

"I used to think that Song Yu deliberately lost to Zhou Wenchang in the physical fitness class battle to be pretending..."

"But now in the wilderness forest, there are no other teachers or classmates around. There's no reason for the other party to deliberately pretend to be useless and pretend to like playing games."

"As a contractee with an SSSSSS-level Beast Taming Space, as long as the other party is willing, they can contract a large number of beasts with higher bloodlines at any time! Even many Beast Tamers will actively hand over their children to her. But the other party hasn't disclosed their Beast Taming Space level for such a long time..."

Unlike him, Song Yu was clear and aboveboard, not needing to hide her strength and Beast Taming Space level like him.

However...

During these days, except for him, there seemed to be no one else around who knew Song Yu's actual Beast Taming Space level.

Even in the Beast Taming practical classes, Teacher Zhang had sighed several times, saying that if Song Yu's Beast Taming Space level could reach S-level, she could try the six top academies.

Clearly possessing a high space level, but not saying anything, and still liking to play games with lower bloodline beasts...

An incredible thought flashed through Bai Yuhan's mind...

The boy's deep pupils widened slightly, and he carefully examined Song Yu's appearance across from him.

The girl's originally tied-up long hair for convenience in movement was now scattered on her shoulders.

Although she was wearing outdoor combat clothes, there was no trace of combat or fighting on her body.

She sat on the grass with a white floral carpet that only appeared during picnics placed beside her.

On the carpet, besides the phone and charger, there were various snacks like mineral water, candies, cookies, chocolates, jerky, and so on. In the middle of the carpet, there was even a small bunch of pink wildflowers picked from somewhere, adding a touch of delicacy and wilderness.

Bai Yuhan: "..."

Rather than saying that Song Yu came to the wilderness area for training, it's more like she came here for a picnic in the wild. Especially seeing the fishing rod beside her, which she casually tossed aside without paying attention.

Bai Yuhan took a deep breath: "..."

Despite Bai Yuhan's usually excellent manners, when he looked down at his injured arm and his growling stomach and then glanced at the clean clothes on Song Yu, the untainted white carpet, and the snacks, his brain went momentarily blank!

Meanwhile, Song Yu and the Tussilago Vine, sitting on the floral carpet on the other side, took out their phones again and started playing games with a biubiubiu sound!

They completely disregarded their surroundings.

The cheerful game music accompanied the girl's radiant smile under the sunlight...

Bai Yuhan felt that today's sunlight was even more dazzling than the day the girl came with her new boyfriend to break off their engagement.

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