One thing Silas found truly regrettable was that, despite it already being his third day in this new world, he hadn't even touched a single spirit beast fur in reality.
"But that's about to change very soon," Silas said as he sat in the back seat of the car, watching the scenery blur past the window.
That's right—today, the Carter family was heading to the Elkwood City Spirit Beast Breeding Center, where Silas would finally purchase the very first spirit beast of his life.
"I'm so hyped! I finally understand why Jasper was bouncing off the walls with excitement!"
Even though Silas had always tried to act more mature than his peers, his emotions still overflowed easily in front of his parents.
"Yes, sweetheart, we're excited too! You're the very first spirit beast master in the Carter family—I've imagined the moment you form your first bond so many times! It's magical!" said Mia, practically glowing with anticipation.
"Not just a spirit beast master, our son also awakened a spirit beast talent! Ben? What was it again? Soul Singer?"
"It's Spirit Whisperer, dear."
"Right! Spirit Whisperer! Silas can at least be a spirit beast diplomat!"
Silas couldn't help but roll his eyes.
—"I just want a pet that can use skills, and you're already planning my post-retirement TV interviews."
"Oh! You have to think long-term. Silas, we're less than 10 miles from our destination!" Ben tried his best to maintain the image of a mature and steady father, but his raised eyebrows completely betrayed his true feelings.
Elkwood City definitely looked more advanced—everywhere you turned, there were ads featuring spirit beasts as spokesmodels.
The high-end smart watch "AetherTime Neo" was endorsed by Lumeagle; the cooling mist spray by Chillpuff; even breakfast cereal had Little Mokugu's cute face on the box.
Everything looked so tempting, Silas could see his mom getting a little twitchy.
Not that he'd admit he wanted to buy all of it too!
The Elkwood Spirit Beast Breeding Center wasn't located downtown—in order to provide spirit beasts with a quiet, natural environment, it was built in a spacious area on the city's northwestern edge. Though it was far from the noise, the architecture was ultra-modern: a tall glass dome, exterior walls lined with soft blue runes that shimmered under sunlight, making the whole building look like a giant gem egg.
At the entrance stood six life-sized statues of the final evolution forms of the six starter spirit beasts. From fur to scales to tails, every detail was incredibly lifelike.
The moment they entered the lobby, a massive LED aether-powered screen greeted them, cycling through ads for spirit beasts, bonding tutorials, rare hatchling showcases, and even recruitment info for paid spirit beast master internships.
On either side of the lobby were open consultation desks and bonding zones.
"Hello there! Can I help you with anything?" A young man in a silver-white uniform approached. Silas noticed the ID badge hanging around his neck.
Name: Eli Morgan
Gender: Male
Position: Greeter
Employee ID: EWBC-30742
Department: Elkwood City Spirit Beast Breeding Center
"Hello, Mr. Morgan. We're here to purchase a spirit beast," Silas replied politely.
At that, the man broke into a bright smile.
"Just call me Eli! Have you looked into the kinds of spirit beasts we offer here? Any favorites?"
Silas turned to his parents.
"Let Silas decide," said Mia.
"I agree," Ben added.
Neither of them had much hands-on experience with spirit beasts, and they were already a bit dazzled by all the choices.
They were just here to swipe the card.
"Could you show me your Psychic Power test report for this year? I'll get your info entered into our system."
"As a greeter, I can escort one guest per day into our free-range spirit beast zone for a close-up selection experience~" Eli added with a playful wink.
Silas smiled back knowingly. "Thanks, Eli." He reached into his backpack and pulled out his test results.
"Let's see… Silas… Oh! 1.85? That's a solid score!"
Eli led the Carters to a machine to register for access to the free-range area.
"Thanks."
"Please step forward and look here… All done! Come on, Silas—this way."
Eli guided them deeper into the building.
After passing through a corridor, the space opened up dramatically.
The sight took Silas's breath away.
Rows of transparent, cube-shaped enclosures stretched out before him—each containing a distinct natural habitat: wetlands, grasslands, caves, jungles… Magic-infused Aether crystals of different elements were embedded throughout.
Each spirit beast had its own room. They were lively and active.
It was Silas's first time seeing real spirit beasts up close.
The constant chime of [+1 Deduction Point] rang in his ears, prompting Silas to open his system panel, eyes gleaming with joy.
One of the closest rooms contained a Grass-type spirit beast resembling a dandelion. It had big, round eyes and was lazily basking in the sun.
Wait.
"This room houses the Grass-type spirit beast Heali-Fluff. Cute, right?" Eli noticed how Silas was staring and professionally began his explanation.
"Heali-Fluff is a very popular small spirit beast."
[Heali-Fluff – Grass-Type, Infant Stage]
[Plantia > Mendflora > Puffbloom Class > Breeze Order > Fluffseed Family > Healius Genus > Heali-Fluffus communis]
Wait a minute.
"Heali-Fluff is a gentle spirit beast that's relatively easy to bond with. Its adorable looks make it a favorite companion beast for many."
[Beast Overview:]
A common Grass-type spirit beast often found at the edges of forests and meadows. About palm-sized, they resemble fluffy dandelions. Friendly toward humans and other spirit beasts, they love cuddling up to living things with strong vitality. Because of their harmless nature, they're often raised as companion beasts.
[Skills: Locked (1 Deduction Point required)]
[Nurturing Plan: Requirements not met]
What is this?
"Heali-Fluff is priced at 200,000 credits federally. Once it evolves into Flororbia, it gains solid healing abilities. Great value for a starter!"
[Evolution Routes:]
1. Heali-Fluff → (2 Deduction Points required) → [Locked]
2. Heali-Fluff → (4 Deduction Points required) → [Locked]
Silas was almost in tears.
"What about Heali-Fluff's other evolution path?"
"You mean this one? It only has one evolution route."
Bingo!
Silas had his answer.
He looked at the dense data on the system panel and the gleaming "Deduction Points: 32" in the corner. A fire was lit in his chest.
Okay, there was no [Capture]]button yet.
Well, maybe just a tiny bit of disappointment! But Silas told himself not to be greedy.
With Deduction Points, his spirit beast master journey would be unstoppable.
He could even become a certified spirit beast nurturer on the side and make some nice extra cash!
Thinking of this, Silas smiled even brighter. He resisted the urge to start unlocking stuff and turned to Eli. "Great! I've got a general idea—let's keep going."
He also made a mental note to mark "Heali-Fluff" as a backup choice.
"Lavamunk, Fire-type, offensive spirit beast. Strong burst damage, good for quick battles. Price: 300,000 credits."
"Fluffroze, Ice-type, support spirit beast. Slows down enemies and can create an area of effect that reduces movement speed. Some minor healing abilities. Price: 350,000 credits."
As Silas passed each room, he tapped into the system panel for data while Eli explained the highlights.
None of these had hidden evolution paths, and the price was starting to push the Carter family's budget.
Then Silas paused in front of a room with a tall bare rock formation, on which sat a single spirit beast.
It resembled a lizard, about a meter long, with short but muscular limbs. Its body was covered in armor-like golden scales that shimmered under the sunlight like molten gold. On its back were bony wing buds, hinting at a possible future aerial evolution.
"Auraglisk, a pseudo-dragon species. Extremely high growth potential, well-rounded skill system, and excellent evolution prospects. It's one of our center's star breeds. Since demand is high, it'll be going to auction tonight," Eli explained.
"Anything with dragon-type blood is naturally premium—it's always in high demand."
Dragons… a bit out of reach for him right now. But just imagining those radiant scales, sleek form, and devastating power—Silas made a silent vow: someday, he'd get a dragon-type and become a proper dragon knight.
Peblin, Mooncoon, Mistgriff…
He even saw a Little Mokugu—it probably wouldn't be available for long.
Another hidden-path spirit beast caught his attention in a dim cave-themed room.
[Dusktail – Dark-Type, Infant Stage]
[Beastia > Chordata > Mammalia > Rodentia > Shadowmouse Family > Duskrattus Genus > Duskrattus caudomurus]
[Beast Overview:]
A small, nimble spirit beast common in Dark-type ecosystems. With smoky-gray fur and a tail that dissolves into mist, it leaves a faint afterimage as it runs. Though timid, it's highly intelligent and can move skillfully through complex terrain while using shadows to conceal itself.
[Skills: Locked (1 Deduction Point required)]
[Nurturing Plan: Requirements not met]
[Evolution Routes:]
1. Dusktail → (3 Deduction Points required) → [Locked]
2. Dusktail → (5 Deduction Points required) → [Locked]
Eli explained that as far as they knew, Dusktail only had one evolution path focused on claw development—first into Shadowclaw Vermin, then into Dreadclaw Stalker.
Silas looked at the system panel.
The first evolution row had large claws—definitely the known Shadowclaw line.
And the second row...
Silas looked at the five Deduction Points, but still, with a pang of heartache, chose to unlock it.
[Phantomtail Mirage - Dark-type, Illusion-type]
[Nurture a Dusktail with Dark-type Aether crystal powder and Illusion-type Aether crystal powder in a 2:1 ratio until it reaches maturity. During this period, it must learn an Illusion-type ultimate move, and its basic attributes must meet certain standards (click to view)...]
"Holy crap! Dual-type!"
The conditions for the Dusktail's known evolution path were simple: just needing to practice claw-based skills more, use some Dark-type Aether crystal powder after passing its growth period, and assist with some Dark-type materials to successfully evolve into the Dark-type Shadowclaw Vermin.
In contrast, the evolution of Phantomtail Mirage seemed much more difficult, but the rewards were extremely generous!
Of course, due to the expensive price of "20 Deduction Points" for the second-stage evolution, Silas resisted the urge to continue unlocking.
There were a total of 16 spirit beast types: Normal, Metal, Grass, Water, Fire, Earth, Ice, Wind, Lightning, Poison, Light, Dark, Mindfulness, Illusion, Bug, and Dragon.
Among them, special types like Illusion, Mindfulness, and Dragon were extremely rare, and their corresponding spirit beasts would be hyped to astronomical prices.
For only 280,000 Federal credits, he could get a rare spirit beast with both Dark and Illusion attributes!
"Although the Dusktail and its nurturing materials aren't cheap, if nothing unexpected happens, it should be my first spirit beast..."Silas thought to himself.
Compared to the top-tier spirit beasts others got by throwing money at them, this little mouse was more like a hidden treasure, just waiting for him to polish it into a king with Deduction Points.
Of course—
It would be even better if he could get a discount!