Mo City, a giant fortress-city in the East.
In the morning, sunlight filtered through the gaps in the window, and Lin Ke slowly opened his eyes, a hint of weariness in them that didn't match his age.
"Another new day," he murmured.
It had been eighteen years since he'd arrived in this "World of Terra," and he still often felt a sense of unreality. This was a world completely different from his previous life on Earth, a world where humanity coexisted with miraculous creatures known as "Battle Pets."
Lin Ke was a transmigrator, and an orphan. His parents in this life had been "Pioneers" for the Beast Tamer Guild, who had unfortunately perished during an exploratory mission into a "Corruption Zone" outside the city walls. They had left him nothing but an apartment in the Guild's welfare district and a considerable pension.
He walked to the window and looked outside. Skyscrapers stood tall, maglev trains shuttled silently between buildings, and in the distance, a massive dome-shaped energy shield emitted a faint glow, separating the entire city from the dangers outside.
All of this served as a reminder that this world possessed technology beyond his past life, but also faced dangers far beyond imagination.
"The Beast Tamer Qualification Exam is tomorrow." Lin Ke took a deep breath, his gaze gradually becoming firm.
This was the most important hurdle of his life. Only by passing the exam and obtaining the qualification of a "Junior Beast Tamer" could he truly begin his life in this world. Otherwise, he would forever remain an ordinary citizen, unable to possess powerful battle pets or enter the wilderness.
Beep.
In his mind, an interface, like a high-tech eyepiece that only he could "see," quietly emerged. This was his greatest secret, brought with him through transmigration—the God-Level Gene Editor.
[Individual Name: Rock Vole] [Attribute: Rock] [Rank: F (Weak)] [Genetic Potential: Extremely Low] [Conventional Evolution Path: Boulder Vole (Rank C)] [Genetic Defect: S-17 gene fragment missing, resulting in low energy conversion efficiency and slow mental growth.] [Hidden Evolution Path: Reading... Insufficient permissions... Requires an increase in the host's Soul Pact level with the individual.]
Looking at the panel, Lin Ke shook his head helplessly. This was his initial battle pet, a Rock Vole that one could get for free at the Beast Tamer Guild's adoption center, universally acknowledged as "trash."
"Ji!"
A small creature, only the size of a palm, with a grayish-brown body resembling a prairie dog but with a rock-textured shell on its back, drilled out from under the quilt. It squeaked sleepily, then trotted to Lin Ke's feet on its short legs and rubbed its head gently against his trousers.
This was his Rock Vole.
Lin Ke bent down and picked it up. The little creature was light, its warm body transmitting a comforting heat through his palm.
Of course, he knew how bad the Rock Vole's reputation was. Its absolute limit was evolving into a Rank C Boulder Vole, with no potential beyond that. In the world of Beast Tamers, choosing such an initial pet was tantamount to giving up on one's future.
But Lin Ke had no other choice. The pension his parents left had long been depleted by years of living and studying. He simply didn't have enough money to purchase a battle pet with a good bloodline and great potential.
"It's okay, you have me," Lin Ke said softly, looking at the little creature in his arms.
Others didn't know, but he did. Through the Gene Editor, he could see this Rock Vole's true value.
His mind focused on the "Genetic Defect" entry.
[To repair the S-17 gene fragment, required materials: 'Earth Gene Essence' (trace amount), 'Active Cell Culture Medium' (one vial). Estimated success rate: 99.9%]
Although these materials weren't top-tier, they still required a significant sum of money, which Lin Ke had been saving for a long time.
His gaze once again swept over the grayed-out "Hidden Evolution Path." Although his permissions were insufficient for now, he had a strong premonition that the end of that path was something a mere "Boulder Vole" couldn't possibly compare to.
"Ji! Ji!"
The Rock Vole seemed to sense its master's emotions. It raised its small head, looking at Lin Ke with its bright little eyes, filled with longing. Through the editor, Lin Ke could even "see" its most simple inner desire—"Become strong, want to fight alongside master, don't want to be abandoned."
This feeling of being able to perceive his pet's inner heart deeply touched Lin Ke.
"Don't worry," he said, stroking the Rock Vole's hard shell, his eyes becoming unprecedentedly bright and confident. "I won't let you remain just a Rock Vole forever."
"Everyone says you're trash, but that's because they can't see the ancient roar slumbering deep within your genes."
"Tomorrow's exam will be our first step in proving ourselves to this world."
"I will have you evolve into an existence that even the gods will look upon with awe."
He, Lin Ke, a biology prodigy with a God-Level Gene Editor, would create a legend in this world, one belonging only to him and his battle pets.