The word "almost" was used because some Pet Beasts did have a little combat power—just not much.
Only after being raised to their Adult Stage did they have the strength to carry heavy objects.
An outstanding Pet Beast, on the other hand, could carry a thousand-pound weight for mountain-running training even in its Adolescent Stage. By the Adult Stage, they were even more ridiculous—their combat power was on a completely different level.
The customers looked again and again, picking and choosing, always hoping to find a Pet Beast with better potential.
Gu Ming glanced over and saw a female student wearing glasses. She had a gentle, scholarly air about her, and her hands, with nowhere to go, were nervously intertwined.
The student's two parents wanted to choose between the Little Cyan Snake and the Sunflower Seed-eating Hamster. They were the easiest to raise and had the lowest nutritional requirements; just feeding them a few snacks each day was enough.
But the girl with the glasses wanted to choose the cute Tabby Cat or the friendly Yellow Dog.
A cat's appetite was much larger than that of a Little Cyan Snake or a hamster.
A dog's was even bigger.
Today's Pet Beasts weren't like the ordinary cats and dogs of the past. Their stomachs had been modified by an Extraordinary Gene, and regular, energy-less food could hardly satisfy their hunger.
For small-bodied Pet Beasts with small stomachs, a bit of Energy Liquid could be added to their food.
Just one or two drops a day was enough for a low-cost rearing regimen, making them one of the easiest types to raise.
There were similar examples among plants, but we won't go into the details here.
And so, the two sides were at a stalemate.
Seeing another person her age in the store look her way, the girl with the glasses blushed beet-red. She tugged on her parent's sleeve and said in a soft, gentle voice:
"Fine, the hamster it is."
A minute later, the customers left.
Sister Ruan had been open all morning and had only made a single, low-profit sale.
She couldn't be bothered to check the daily profits. After all, she was a public servant and the store belonged to the state. She was just here in the community to pad her resume and would be leaving after a while anyway.
Gu Ming, on the other hand, had been staring at that little snake for so long, with such longing, that his eyes might as well have been boring a hole through the glass.
'This poor kid.'
'I heard he has a gambling-addict father and a mother who loves to gamble on mahjong.'
The only reason Gu Ming was able to attend high school was because his entrance exam scores had earned him a special scholarship to Qing Lake High School, covering his tuition and meals.
Not having a Pet Beast during his first and second years of high school wasn't a big deal. After all, the curriculum in the early years only covered the theory of Beast Taming and cultivation, along with other basic subjects.
But things changed in the second semester of senior year and in college. That's when students began the phase of competing with their Pet Beasts.
Even the most advanced fields of fundamental scientific research required the Power of Pet Beasts.
Therefore, students who wanted to advance to higher education would almost all form contracts with Pet Beasts during their senior year, beginning to cultivate them and train their combat abilities.
Considering the pressure of the college entrance exams in the latter half of the year, and the fact that Gu Ming still hadn't contracted a Pet Beast, Sister Ruan beckoned to Gu Ming from across the room.
"Gu Ming, come here for a second."
"What is it, Sister Ruan?"
Gu Ming was just about to leave for the day to buy groceries and was surprised when Manager Ruan called him over.
"I remember you don't have a Pet Beast yet. Let me buy this Little Cyan Snake for you."
"Huh?"
"With the scholarship money you've saved for three years, plus the two thousand you earned this month, what kind of high-quality Pet Beast do you think you can afford?"
"But..."
Gu Ming wasn't angry that she had seen right through him; he just couldn't accept it.
'I've saved for three years, scrimping on every meal, wasn't it all for today?'
'Do I really have to give up on starting with a Potential Pet Beast?'
"Let's be realistic. Even if you could buy a good Pet Beast with that money, you'd be completely broke. How would you cover the hole left by future cultivation costs? Take out a loan?"
"'A loan...'" Hearing this, Gu Ming realized he had indeed considered it.
If he couldn't cover the cultivation costs, he had, in fact, thought about taking out an emergency loan.
After all, with his parents being gambling addicts, he couldn't count on them for money.
'Wait, a loan to raise a Pet Beast...' He suddenly remembered the life review from the Old Deng system.
'My fifty-year-old self was ruined by all kinds of loans.'
'I haven't even lived to be fifty yet, and I'm already thinking about taking out loans. Isn't that just setting myself on the same old path to ruin?'
Although the system hadn't said anything specific about the time before his college entrance exams, Gu Ming wasn't an idiot. He could piece a lot together from the fragments of information.
'Maybe the reason I failed the college entrance exams was because I couldn't repay my loans? Did debt collectors come and repossess my Pet Beast?'
Manager Ruan continued, "Do you know how many Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures a Potential Pet Beast needs to eat every day?
"If you can't afford to raise one, its stomach and muscles will atrophy. After half a year, it will be useless in a fight anyway.
"You'd be better off investing all your money in a Little Cyan Snake. You could go all-in on a Poison Attack build and wear down your enemies with damage over time.
"If you don't want to become a Combat Beastmaster, you could also raise the Little Cyan Snake to be a medicine-seeking Spiritual Snake that burrows into the ground, and follow the Cultivation Element path."
Sister Ruan's in-depth analysis for Gu Ming was perfectly logical and well-reasoned.
To be honest, Gu Ming was convinced.
Just as Sister Ruan had said, Potential Pet Beasts were money-devouring behemoths. Their strength, which came from powerful stomachs and high-growth muscles, was a mountain built with money.
If they weren't given enough nutrients and energy in their early stages, those innately powerful organs and muscles would atrophy.
"Ah, but I couldn't possibly..."
"No buts. Think of it as a gift from your Sister Ruan. Happy New Year," Sister Ruan said with a smile.
「Elder Ruan Jing sees you again, her expression complicated. She remembers you from thirty-two years ago. Back then, you were still young and looked down on low-tier Pet Beasts, rejecting her kind offer.」
「She didn't expect that now, at fifty years old, you still possess such youthful ambition.」
「Therefore, she brings out her Sub-dragon Pet, whose life is nearing its end.」
「Unbeknownst to all, it is not a Sub-dragon Pet of ordinary lineage, but the legendary Time Dragon!」
Several messages suddenly popped up from the system.
Gu Ming was left speechless.
'Could it stop with the 'fifty years old' thing? The second-hand embarrassment is killing me.'
Then he looked at the Pet Beast's species.
'What? A Time Dragon? Seriously?'
He watched as Sister Ruan slowly walked over to the Little Cyan Snake's terrarium, from which she picked out the best-looking and most spirited snake, one full of Essence, Qi, and Spirit.
"I've watched you raise this Little Cyan Snake for a month, and it's especially attached to you. At only a month old, it's already started actively absorbing Spiritual Qi. It's very Spiritual. Take it and form your contract."
As she finished speaking, she placed the little snake in Gu Ming's hand.
The Little Cyan Snake opened its big, adorable eyes, flicked out its tender pink tongue, and licked Gu Ming's wrist.
「The Time Dragon's Cultivation Talent is not good. It has cultivated for many years, from its Juvenile Stage all the way to menopause, yet it has never been able to cross the One-star threshold. Just as its life was about to end, you entered its world.」
「The Time Dragon lets out a vicious roar at you, unwilling to form a contract with a complete novice.」
「Even though breaking through to One-star would extend its lifespan and grant it a second life, it refuses to bow its head to you.」
「The Time Dragon's favorability toward you is neutral. Only a battle to the death can make it submit.」
'Menopause?'
'A vicious roar?'
'Wait, this Little Cyan Snake is the Time Dragon the system mentioned?'
'The system's bugs are truly endless,' Gu Ming thought, looking at the Little Cyan Snake he had raised with his own hands.
'Not only did the system get my age wrong, but it also got the Pet Beast's species wrong.'
'And you call *this* a Time Dragon?'