For hundreds of years, numerous secret realms have descended upon Earth.
Although the civilizations within these realms have long perished, leaving behind only ruins, the Pet Beasts from those other worlds did not vanish along with them.
Some long-lived Pet Beast species, powerful anomalous individuals, and even Mythical Pet Beasts are aware of the reason behind the descent of the secret realms. Some have even personally witnessed the "end" of their original worlds—
It is said that on that day, two gods battled beyond the heavens. The aftermath tore apart the sky, shattered the earth, and stirred up massive tsunamis…
Even lesser deities were unable to participate in the battle between those two supreme gods. The entire world faced its apocalypse, collapsing into countless fragments.
At the very end, one god sacrificed itself, exhausting all its power to stabilize the scattered fragments of space.
These fragments of other worlds became the final arks, carrying the survivors as they drifted across the endless void sea, eventually transforming into secret realms and descending upon Earth.
When the residual power of those worlds fused with the native power of Earth, the two systems combined, giving birth to Pet Beasts, Beast Tamers, evolution systems, and more. Some foreign items from the secret realms also gained power, transforming into special items…
In fact, according to the Pet Beasts themselves, although their original worlds also had extraordinary creatures, both their strength and numbers were far inferior to the current "Pet Beasts." There were no such things as evolution, contracts, or Beast Tamers.
Even the former gods of those worlds, now Mythical Pet Beasts, have obtained entirely new powers on Earth and are still gradually exploring and training them.
They themselves do not fully understand these powers, so they cannot provide researchers with reliable information.
However, the history they recount has already sounded an alarm for Beast Tamers—
If even weak Pet Beasts could descend to Earth along with the secret realms, then the two destructive gods who once destroyed those worlds could very well cross the void and arrive here as well!
They already possessed the power to destroy worlds. If, like other Pet Beasts, they were to absorb new power on Earth and grow even stronger…
Then the fate of those other worlds would likely become the future of Earth.
It is precisely because of this anticipated apocalyptic threat that Earth has become so heavily militarized—research, breeding, training, dueling…
All of it is aimed at training stronger and more powerful Beast Tamers to face the coming of the "Beasts of Destruction"!
Back to the present.
Knowing the background of secret realms, Jiang Xing looked at the skeletons in the corner of the gate, as if seeing through time into the ancient past.
At the end of the world, the sky was torn open by a massive rift, the earth trembled endlessly, and houses collapsed. A child clutched a puppy, hiding in fear in a corner—yet still could not escape death.
The puppy in the child's arms, even in death, did not forget its duty. It revived as a ghost, guarding the house and the corpse of its young master…
No matter the era, loyalty is always the most moving.
Jiang Xing let out a soft sigh. He removed his cloak, gathered the scattered bones, and had the Auspicious Cloud Qilin dig a pit beside a withered tree using telekinesis, burying the remains so they could finally rest in peace.
Afterward, he had the Auspicious Cloud Qilin release its control over the purple-black puppy.
The moment it broke free, the puppy rushed into the courtyard, blocking the small mound of earth. It lowered its body and let out a low, threatening growl.
However, it seemed to have calmed down—or perhaps the affinity of the Beast Tamer outfit had taken effect.
The puppy merely threatened them and did not attack again.
'Come to think of it… this Hound is quite strange.'
'Hounds are common guard-type Pet Beasts. In rural areas, fierce wild Pet Beasts often appear… A loyal puppy, even when facing a powerful enemy, will not retreat—but often ends up injured or even killed because of it.'
'Logically, if they could revive in undead form, this phenomenon should have been discovered long ago.'
'But to this day, no one has ever recorded an "Undead Hound."'
'Moreover, undead Pet Beasts don't exist indefinitely without sustenance—they require fear, hatred, death energy, and other forms of energy to maintain themselves. Otherwise, they will gradually weaken and fade away…'
'This Hound clearly hasn't just turned into a ghost.'
'In such a small place, how has it been surviving?'
The mysteries surrounding the purple-black puppy successfully piqued Jiang Xing's curiosity.
He chose the researcher path not only because Beast Tamer battles were too dangerous, but also because he was genuinely fascinated by Pet Beast research—driven by curiosity and a desire to explore.
Otherwise, with the resources he gained from researching the Rainbow Dragon Hatchling, he could have easily switched to becoming a Beast Tamer—or even become a part-time one like Su Muli.
The reason he didn't was purely personal preference.
He enjoyed researching Pet Beasts, studying evolution forms, analyzing various items, and uncovering the hidden potential within these creatures—bringing their brilliance into the world's spotlight.
Compared to spending endless time in battles, defeating passionate opponents in competitions, and chasing championships and glory…
He preferred dedicating his time to breeding and research.
Besides, who says only battles can show off?
A researcher's moment in the spotlight is no less impressive than a champion's!
With curiosity in mind, Jiang Xing spoke: "Calm down. We mean no harm—we're just visitors who accidentally wandered in."
"These cubes can be considered compensation for intruding."
As he spoke, Jiang Xing took out a pencil case. Opening it revealed a collection of colorful cubes.
He poured out a few red cubes—Hot Apple Cubes—and placed them in front of the puppy.
These were Fire-type cubes. While not ideal for undead types, for a dog that hadn't eaten in who knows how long, they were extremely tempting.
The puppy tried to lift its head and ignore them—but couldn't help glancing over.
This human had defeated it and entered its home, yet hadn't taken anything. Instead, he had helped bury its master…
Its tail began to wag slightly.
In the end, the stubborn puppy lowered its head and ate the cubes.
"Ah-li~" (Tasty, right~)
The Auspicious Cloud Qilin nodded in satisfaction. See? Even this stubborn little dog couldn't resist the cubes.
So it wasn't that it was too greedy—the cubes were just that delicious!
After eating, the puppy's mood visibly improved. Its tail wagged constantly as it sat down and barked.
"Woof!"
Jiang Xing placed a few more cubes and said: "We want to leave this place. To do that, we need to find an item containing special power… can you help us locate it?"
He was referring to the Secret Realm Core.
It can be used to open, close, and relocate the entrance of a secret realm—essentially an administrator-level authority.
Normally, secret realms have several natural exits connected to Earth, but this one was too small and lacked any natural exits. The only way out was through the Secret Realm Core.
The puppy tilted its head in thought, then ran into the ruins and returned with a stone in its mouth.
It looked like an ordinary rock, but a mysterious power resided within—it was the core of this secret realm.
Jiang Xing took the stone, activated it, and sent the fans out.
Then he looked at the puppy.
"Can I come visit you in the future?"
Hearing this, the puppy's tail stopped wagging. It immediately stood up, becoming alert again.
Jiang Xing explained: "I don't want to take you away, nor do I intend to occupy this place… I'm just curious about you. I want to study you and understand what happened to you."
"If you're willing to cooperate, I can bring food as compensation—the same cubes as before."
Hearing this, the puppy relaxed.
It didn't want to leave this place—but it was also curious. It had clearly died, so why was it alive again?
It wagged its tail and barked.
"Woof!"
Jiang Xing smiled.
He didn't need to persuade the puppy to leave the secret realm or form a contract with it.
That would only damage its loyalty.
Since it wanted to stay by its master's side, then it could remain here.
Just like how he fed the Auspicious Cloud Qilin, as a Pet Beast researcher, Jiang Xing treated them with respect while studying them.
Just as both sides were satisfied, the system panel appeared.
[Ding, ding! You have successfully subdued a Buneary!]
The moment Jiang Xing saw the first line, his expression froze.
System, don't mess with me!
Calling the Golden-Patterned Koi a Magikarp was at least understandable—both are carp.
But this purple-black puppy clearly fits the image of a loyal graveyard dog—
And you're telling me it's a Buneary?
Calling a dog a rabbit now?
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