After dealing with the Green Spider Demon, Zhou Ran let out a deep sigh of relief and looked at the exhausted Orange Shadow Cat, unable to speak. It was indeed too much to ask of a beast of only the first rank to take on a beast of the third rank, but relying on infinite revivals and constant attacks, the training results were also very significant.
During the last few resurrections of the Orange Shadow Cat, its attack speed had noticeably increased, and its attack angles were extremely tricky. It even used a feint to deceive the opponent and launched another surprise attack on its already injured abdomen.
Although the battle involved constant death and resurrection, it had only lasted about half an hour. To achieve such a significant improvement in such a short time was simply unbelievable.
Zhou Ran excitedly used the Pet Appraisal Device on the Orange Shadow Cat again.
Growth Form Orange Shadow Cat
Attribute: Wind
Level: Upper Tier 1
Skills: Barbarian Charge, Meow Meow Claw Strike, Wind Spirit Technique, Cat Claw Flight
Potential: C-Rank
Total Points: 22
"Haha, it seems that tripling one's strength isn't that difficult after all. Look, it's already reached Upper Tier 1, and even its potential has improved. Not bad, not bad."
"Let's go, Little Orange! We'll continue on our way." Zhou Ran stroked the Orange Shadow Cat's fluffy head and smiled.
"I'm too tired to move!"
Through the temporary beast contract, the orange-shadowed cat sent Zhou Ran a very displeased message.
Zhou Ran froze, looking at the orange-shadowed cat lying motionless on the ground, completely drained of energy. He gave a very peculiar smile and said, 'Oh! Are you very tired? Let me help you massage it out!'
The orange-shadowed cat heard this and nodded contentedly, but glanced sideways at Zhou Ran and noticed his eerie smile, causing its fur to bristle in panic.
What is this sleazy human planning to do?
'Don't worry, I'm just going to give you a massage, that's all.' Zhou Ran smiled kindly as he slowly approached the orange-shadowed cat.
When he reached the vicinity of the Green Spider's corpse, he swiftly pulled out a poisonous stinger with his right hand and accelerated toward the orange-shadowed cat.
The orange-shadowed cat was startled and hadn't even had time to react before it died again—this time, killed by Zhou Ran.
'Resurrect on the spot!'
"Haha! Feeling better now? Aren't I great?" Zhou Ran stroked the orange shadow cat's fur and spoke gently.
Zhou Ran had already noticed that in this dimension, every time the orange shadow cat revived, it would return to its best condition, as if it hadn't suffered any damage at all.
Therefore, there was no doubt that although this was cruel, it was definitely an excellent way to quickly restore stamina!
"Meow!"
After reviving again, the orange-shadowed cat let out a loud roar, baring its teeth and claws, furiously scratching the ground.
"Oh, don't be angry. I'm doing this for your own good." Zhou Ran knelt down, constantly soothing the orange-shadowed cat.
The orange-shadowed cat reluctantly accepted it. If not for the temporary beast contract, it would have already scratched this troublesome 'master' to death with one claw.
Suddenly, Zhou Ran felt intense pain in his right hand. Glancing down, he saw that his right hand had turned purple and lost sensation, with venom slowly spreading upward.
He never expected the venom of the Green Magic Spider to be so terrifying. Soon, Zhou Ran began vomiting and feeling dizzy.
"System, save me! I can't take it anymore!" Zhou Ran panicked.
"Host's reckless behaviour does not qualify as an emergency situation. Absolute Defence will not be activated," the system said coldly.
'Damn it, you, you...' Before he could finish speaking, Zhou Ran fainted and soon died, his eyes wide open in disbelief.
The orange-shadowed cat was startled at first, then burst into joy, its short paws flapping wildly, as if saying, 'See? Karma has come, you deserve it.'
...
Am I dead?
Zhou Ran's gaze was vacant, but he soon regained consciousness. He was still in the forest, and the orange-shadowed cat was smirking beside him.
'I can revive too! Haha!' Zhou Ran was overjoyed.
'I said all beasts can revive freely,' the system said indifferently.
'???'
'I'm a beast too? Damn it!' Zhou Ran started ranting again, furiously questioning the system.
But soon, he was met with five stinging slaps.
'Is that funny? Get back on the road.' Zhou Ran said to the orange-shadowed cat with ill intent.
The orange-shadowed cat's smile froze instantly, and it sighed deeply before obediently getting back on the road.
...
Over the next two days, Zhou Ran subjected the Orange Shadow Cat to relentless, brutal training. They attacked every beast they encountered, dying hundreds of times. Though Zhou Ran had absolute defence, he couldn't avoid his own recklessness and died over ten times himself.
"Come on, let me check your stats again." Zhou Ran activated the Pet Appraisal Device on the Orange Shadow Cat.
Growth Stage Orange Shadow Cat
Attribute: Wind
Rank: Lower Third Tier
Skills: Barbaric Charge, Meow Claw Strike, Wind Spirit Technique, Cat Claw Shot, Tiger Roar, Chain Wind Arrows, Wind Demon Cloak
Potential: D
Score: 45
"Hahaha! Success! Are you happy, Little Orange?" Zhou Ran hugged the Orange Shadow Cat, petting it constantly, but the cat looked utterly dejected.
'Ding, dormitory task completed, reward 20 points, and unlocked shop function.'
'Begin returning...'
'Return successful, clearing part of the beast's memory!'
After another dizzying spin, the man and the cat returned to the shop.
The Orange Shadow Cat, sensing the safety of its surroundings, exhaled deeply, lay down beside him, and fell asleep, unaware that it had lost part of its memory.
'Shop? Where is it?' Zhou Ran looked around.
'Mentaly recite "shop," and it will appear in your mind,' the system said indifferently.
Zhou Ran felt a bit embarrassed, laughed a few times, then mentally recited 'shop,' and sure enough, a page appeared in his mind.
There were five items listed: Monster Compendium (20 points), Low-Grade Beast Lock (50 points), Star Spirit Elixir (100 points), Rage (500 points), and Low-Grade Spirit Gathering Pill (1,000 points).
"The points next to these items—aren't those the 20 points you just gave me?" Zhou Ran asked in surprise.
'Yes!' the system replied.
'Come on, what can I buy with just 20 points? You're being too stingy!' Zhou Ran was clearly displeased.
'The host can accumulate points slowly,' the system said.
'...'
'Then what should I exchange these 20 points for?'
'Based on the host's current needs, you can purchase the Monster Compendium first.'
'What's that? What's it for?'
'It allows you to access information about all the exotic beasts in the world, including their skills and habits.'
'Oh! Is that so? It sounds pretty powerful.'
Zhou Ran used his remaining 20 points to purchase the Exotic Beast Compendium. Soon, a flood of powerful information rushed into his mind, making him feel like he had gained a lot of knowledge.
He then used the Pet Appraisal Device on the already sleeping Orange Shadow Cat again.
When he saw the orange-shadowed cat's information again, Zhou Ran suddenly understood.
'Wow, Wind Spirit Technique and Wind Demon Cloak are actually high-tier wind-type skills.'
'I didn't expect this stupid cat to be able to learn them.'
'And this Chain Wind Arrows is a skill only beasts with flight capabilities can use.'
'It's true that even a cornered sow will climb a tree, ha ha!'
Zhou Ran muttered to himself.
'By the way, you want me to sell this beast. Do you set the price?' Zhou Ran asked the system.
'All items in this store are priced by this system.'
'The host has no authority to change the price, and the money earned is exchanged at a rate of 1 point for every 1,000 Blue Star Coins.'
The system explained.
"1,000 to 1? That's way too steep. Never mind, never mind. I'll just ask one more question."
"Can I become a beast tamer?" Zhou Ran suddenly asked seriously.
"Once the host accumulates 100 points, they can exchange them for Star Spirit Elixir to purify their body and obtain Star Spirit Power, at which point they can become a beast tamer." The system replied.
'100 points is ten thousand!'
'Tell me quickly, how much does this top-quality orange cat beast cost?' Zhou Ran asked excitedly.
'Appraising the beast...'
'Appraisal complete, price is three thousand.' The system replied.
'???'
'Only three thousand? The Beast Compendium says even an ordinary orange cat beast costs around two thousand.'
'My top-tier one is only selling for three thousand....' Zhou Ran was speechless.
'This system is absolutely fair to all!' the system said firmly.
'...'
'Alright, three thousand it is. I'll go along with it.' Zhou Ran looked utterly dejected.
At that moment, Zhou Ran suddenly realised that he had been in Fenglin Haishan for two days, and his family must be worried sick.
"The time in the breeding interface is different from the real world; one day equals two hours." The system sensed this and immediately replied.
Zhou Ran sighed in relief, glanced at the clock on the wall, and saw that it was only just past 1 o'clock. He then reopened the roller shutter door and prepared to sell the orange-shadowed cat.
The street was getting busier, with people occasionally glancing into his store, but seeing it empty, they quickly moved on.
"There's nothing here; no one's coming!"
"This won't do; I need to think of a solution!"
"...Got it! Ha ha!" Zhou Ran's eyes lit up, and he immediately grabbed the Orange Shadow Cat and ran out of the store.
"Our store's newly bred invincible Orange Shadow Cat—anyone interested?" Zhou Ran shouted loudly.
"Pfft, a low-tier novice beast claiming to be invincible—what a fool." The owner of the neighbouring beast shop rolled his eyes constantly.
"The absolutely invincible Orange Shadow Cat—if you don't believe me, feel free to challenge it!" Zhou Ran ignored him and continued shouting.
'Hey, young man, if you're desperate for money, sell it to me. I'll give you ten thousand.' The owner said with a mocking expression.
'Ten thousand? You're pulling my leg. Let me tell you, this beast is invincible below the fourth tier. If you don't believe me, feel free to come up and try.'
'Including the fourth tier!' Zhou Ran brought out a stool and shouted.
"Invincible below fourth-tier? I think you've hit your head on the door, ha ha!" The owner of the neighbouring beast shop kept mocking him.
"What are you always blabbering about? If you've got the guts, come out and fight! Idiot!" Zhou Ran couldn't take it anymore.
'What did you say? It seems I need to teach you a lesson today on behalf of your parents.' A middle-aged man from the neighbouring shop walked out, bare-chested and covered in fat.
'I won't bully you. This is just a fifth-tier Bloodline Flame Shadow Lizard, currently in its growth stage with third-tier strength. If you can defeat me, I'll take your Orange Shadow Cat. Otherwise, kneel down and apologise!' The middle-aged man was extremely arrogant, opening a light gate and stepping out to reveal a massive, pitch-black lizard.
"Sell it to you? Dream on. I'll cripple you." Zhou Ran responded disdainfully.