In this world, humans are born with an illusory spherical space called the Sea of Spirit.
Invisible and shapeless Spiritual Power fills the Sea of Spirit, like seawater, and the top of this space is each person's Talent Spirit Pattern, akin to the sun, which can illuminate and nourish everything within the Sea of Spirit after awakening. The Contract Spirit Pattern chosen postnatally will appear at the bottom of the Sea of Spirit, linking the contracted Spirit Beast. They are like reflections in water, like the sun and the moon, distant yet constant in resonance.
Lin Guang naturally wasn't surprised.
It's just that his talent had always been unable to awaken, so although his Meditation Contract Technique was quite advanced, the sun at the top always remained shrouded in mist, as if it were an unhatched egg. The entire Sea of Spirit was lifeless, unmoving, and lacked resonance, slowing his cultivation.
But at this moment, Lin Guang could clearly feel that his talent seemed finally to be awakening, with signs that the mist surrounding the sun might dissipate.
As if charmed, Lin Guang instinctively moved toward the direction led by his intuition; it was a door, with no lights beside it, deep in darkness as if intentionally kept unnoticed.
Inside there might be something that could awaken his talent...
No, this feeling, it's highly likely to be a Spirit Beast!
A Spirit Beast capable of resonating with his talent and enabling its awakening!
No more needing the Miracle Master, no more considering how to break through, no more worries about the unknown...
It's hope within reach.
Suppressing his excitement, Lin Guang asked in a deep voice, "Can I go in there?"
"..."
After a short silence, the masked man nodded.
Although that "product" was somewhat sensitive and lacked prominence, Lin Guang had military connections, so he shouldn't act irrationally.
Lin Guang pushed open the iron door, greeted by profound darkness, with faint lights like fireflies in the deep.
Step by step, Lin Guang quickened his pace, almost jogging toward the light.
Upon getting closer, he noticed it was a weak incandescent lamp hanging from the ceiling, barely illuminating a small area.
Rustle... rustle...
Accompanied by the sound of chains dragging on the ground, Lin Guang's breath hitched.
From the darkness emerged a silver-haired girl.
She seemed fifteen or sixteen years old, somewhat frail, dressed in a coarse, tattered gray robe. Her hair was a rare silver-gray, with black tips, as if ink spilled on moonlit snow, scattered over her shoulders. Two strands hung vertically in front, matching the blood-red short horns on either side of her cheeks.
Her hands and feet were shackled by thick iron chains, a slender black-red tail drooped beside her bare feet. Her ten toes, porcelain-white like her skin, with vermilion nails, shone coldly, nervously gripping the cold stone floor.
Step by step, the girl approached, reaching for the iron bars, her movements gentle and cautious, as if afraid to scare the person before her,
Her crimson eyes overflowed with fear, anxiety, innocence, and tears swirled in her eyes, like a frightened little animal.
It was as if she was pleading, hoping for someone to release her from the cage.
From any perspective, she was undoubtedly a beautiful maiden.
Lin Guang gaped, seemingly utterly charmed.
Yet amid his shock, his first thought was—
Where am I? Is this still "Spirit Battle Chronicles"?
This game's most humanoid Spirit Beast, barring transformations or charm and illusion techniques, has only 30% humanoid resemblance on the furry scale!
"Wait, I remember..."
A sad memory slowly emerged from the depths of his mind.
According to the setting, after a world upheaval five hundred years ago, countless other worlds, for unknown reasons, flocked toward Blue Star like moths to a flame.
From a gaming perspective, this mysterious setting might supplement worldviews and facilitate cross-game interaction.
And mentioning this is because just before he traversed worlds, the game had a massive update, announcing a crossover with another game, "Future Ark."
It was a place called Terra, or a planet, inhabited by various "subhumans," colloquially known as beast-eared girls.
The reason for his crossing was straightforward, as he was passing time waiting for the crossover update by opening some peculiar folders, only to see a gigantic American cockroach perched on his 27-inch 4K monitor, brandishing its brown wings, ready to pounce on his face.
A shocked Lin Guang landed a ferocious right hook, with a magnetic field turning a million degrees, punching through the screen. Lost consciousness amid a dramatic explosion akin to a movie scene.
And the maiden before him, though a bit young, was unquestionably a character from "Future Ark," a Sakaz mercenary based on a demon, codenamed W, jokingly nicknamed "Cockroach" by netizens due to her red antenna-like hair.
Damn it, the cockroach is still after me!
Could you really be related to the cockroach that caused my crossing?
Expelling all his complaints in one breath, slightly calmed, Lin Guang's eyes suddenly lit with a blue glow.
At this moment, the talent within his Sea of Spirit, hazy like encased in an eggshell, was violently throbbing, like a restless hatchling eager to break free, yet pulsating with vitality like a beating heart.
Undoubtedly, his talent was connected to the maiden before him!
"Is this a slave or a Spirit Beast?"
"We don't sell humans here, it's..."
The masked man, arriving behind him, was interrupted by Lin Guang before he could finish.
"Can I get close to her?"
"Hmm?"
Detecting determination in his voice, the masked man's brows furrowed, yet he replied, "Just to clarify, whether you approach or not, this thing isn't for sale."
"Why?"
"Didn't your elders tell you?"
Gazing at the maiden, the masked man's tone carried some taboo and fear: "These 'Terran Demons' don't seem to require much compatibility, but anyone trying to contract them ends up with either stagnation or, worse, mental disorders."
"If we sold it for your contract, your family elders would surely cause trouble for us, simply not worth it."
"Is she... quite rare?"
"Yes."
Taking a deep breath, Lin Guang replied, "I'll assume all responsibility. You're probably recording this conversation anyway."
Throughout the conversation, Lin Guang never looked back, his eyes fixed on the maiden before him. Though free of serious injuries, her skin and hair were marred by dust, while her amber eyes focused on the two speakers, cross-starred pupils slightly spreading in the darkness, appearing pitifully delicate.
"Let me touch her, is that possible?"
"Oh?!"
The masked man was momentarily stunned, hesitating to speak before finally voicing, "Do you simply wish to contract this Spirit Beast, or... is it love at first sight, uncontrollable affection?"
"Let me advise you, I heard from higher-ups that they supposedly come from places notorious for extreme infectious diseases. Although their infectivity has almost vanished upon arrival in this world, there's still risk... You're young, refrain from doing things that might result in disease."
Hmm???