Chapter One

The weather was clear, and the sun shone its rays impartially on everything. Cheng Yuan cradled a small white tiger in his arms, gazing at the taxi before him that had transformed into a giant robot. "Number 5, Alley 3, Xiaoliu Street," he said. The little white tiger placed its two big paws on Cheng Yuan’s chest and nuzzled him insistently.

Cheng Yuan had been in this world for several days. The initial shock and confusion had faded, giving way to a growing sense of adaptation. This was a world that encompassed every kind of creature humanity could conceive as pet or monster: ghosts, spirits, dragons, elves, beasts, machines, elementals, and weapons. If you were strong enough, you could catch a dragon maiden in the sea, or a ship maiden on the waves—nothing was impossible. Of course, certain dungeons, such as Dragon Island or the End-Times Ocean, were notoriously difficult to conquer.

He entered the taxi. Though the driver’s seat was empty, a synthesized mechanical voice sounded, "Destination: Xiaoliu Street. Distance: ten kilometers. Fare: forty yuan. Please scan the code to start the ride." Cheng Yuan scanned and paid with his phone. The mechanical voice resumed, "Payment of forty received." The taxi set off. After a short while, the voice spoke again, "You’re quite the diligent one—coming from the Demon-Slaying Library, are you?"

Cheng Yuan nodded. The voice continued, "If only my owner had been as diligent as you back then, I wouldn’t still be a taxi today." Cheng Yuan stroked the little tiger’s head and replied, "The world is so vast and wonderful—it would be a shame not to see it." After a pause, the mechanical voice suddenly burst out, "My owner just heard what you said and decided to go sightseeing in Mount Shu. For heaven’s sake, with all these mechanical monsters at hand, how do you expect to learn anything there? Crazy, I say!"

"Excuse me?" Cheng Yuan was momentarily taken aback by the sudden tirade. Mount Shu was a national five-star resort, but besides its scenic beauty, it also housed high-level dungeons such as the Demon-Suppressing Tower, the Sword Mausoleum, and the Celestial Sword Peak. If you paid the fee, you might even draw a sword maiden—whether an immortal blade or a broken one depended on your luck. Most importantly, the Mount Shu Sword Sect was a top-tier dungeon, known for producing extremely rare immortality techniques.

The taxi, still grumbling, accelerated and deposited Cheng Yuan at his destination before speeding off in another direction. Cheng Yuan set the little tiger down, and it immediately scampered forward, running nimbly to a vermillion door where it began pawing and mewling.

Soon, an impatient roar sounded from behind the door. A large tiger, standing on two legs, pushed open the door with its hefty paws, picked up the little tiger by the scruff, and, glancing at Cheng Yuan, signaled, "Follow me." The big tiger said nothing, but Cheng Yuan understood the message in its eyes. He entered and shut the door behind him.

He had barely reached the stairs when a woman’s voice called out, "A Yuan, your father wants to see you." Cheng Yuan’s eyes betrayed a hint of resignation. "I know." He quickly entered the living room, where a middle-aged man reclined on a settee. "Dad, I’ve decided to form a contract with the little one," Cheng Yuan announced.

His father replied, "I’ve told you, the school’s random summoning has too many uncertainties. The little one at home, after all, is the offspring of my old battle comrade. Its aptitude and all that—are you sure you want to form a contract?"

Cheng Yuan nodded. He had transmigrated just as the original owner of this body had come of age to form a contract. He’d hesitated to bond with the family’s pet not out of disdain, but because his deskmate had already contracted a Blast Dominator Turtle—fire beats metal—so he worried about losing and being looked down upon. He thus planned to be the first to contract a water-type.

It was only in the past few days, after fully assimilating the original’s memories, that Cheng Yuan understood the boy’s real motive: he simply didn’t want to lose to his clever childhood friend and deskmate. Reading those memories, Cheng Yuan sensed the comic rivalry of childhood sweethearts—except, in this story, the girl already liked someone else.

Cheng Yuan’s father was momentarily stunned. He knew his son’s reasons for refusing the contract. The girl next door had always restrained his son, and his rebellious boy wanted to resist. As a father, he supported his son’s spirit, but as an adult, he knew better than to gamble his son’s future on uncertainty. Even if the family’s little one might still lose, and possibly become even more frustrated on reaching adulthood, there was at least a chance it could reach the king-tier—though even then, it might still lose.

Reflecting on this, Cheng Yuan’s father began to wonder if his son had given up hope. Should he try to save up for a better starter monster? But this little one was already the best he could possibly provide. Just then, Cheng Yuan scooped up the little tiger, who was still drinking milk, and despite its confused face and the drop of milk still on its chin, carried it away. "I’m going to form the contract." "Alright," his father replied.

Sitting on the bed, the little tiger stared at Cheng Yuan. Cheng Yuan stared back. "Let me remember how to do this... I’ll need a contract array—I think we have one." A few minutes later, Cheng Yuan fished out a large rectangular wooden board inscribed with an array of symbols from under the bed. "Place it properly, then begin the meditation."

He set the little tiger at one end and sat cross-legged at the other, closing his eyes. Meditation wasn’t difficult; in this world, it was as basic as morning exercises in elementary school. As Cheng Yuan meditated, the brown lines of the array began to glow white, flowing like water from his end toward the little tiger, gradually encircling it. The little tiger watched, transfixed, as the white light surrounded him. A brilliant flash erupted, and Cheng Yuan’s voice echoed in the tiger’s mind, "What are you staring at so intently?"

The little tiger glanced at Cheng Yuan. "You didn’t actually say anything, did you?" "Then I’ve succeeded," Cheng Yuan said, opening his eyes. Suddenly, a window popped up before him. "So it’s a system after all. I thought the contract array came with ads."

Species: Mighty Gold White Tiger
Level: 2
Gender: Male
Racial Trait: Hundred Victories Forge the King (note)
Element: Metal
Innate Ability: None
Skills: Claw Sharpening LV1, Scratch LV1, Bite LV1, Run LV1, Metal Element Enchant LV1
Evolutionary Paths: 1. Adult Stage—Mighty Gold White Tiger, 2. Adult Stage—Saber-Toothed Savage Tiger...

The system’s impression matched what Cheng Yuan had gleaned from books: in this world, every monster had its own unique evolutionary path, some inherited from their kin, others self-derived, or triggered by environmental changes and mutations.

Yet, evolution was never simple. According to research, to evolve, a monster must meet certain criteria—perhaps gather specific materials, accomplish a particular feat, or act at a certain time. For example, the carp leaping over the dragon gate: you’d need the right place, time, level, and a Jump skill above level 5 to even have a chance.

Each evolution brought a qualitative leap in power. Cheng Yuan checked the requirements for the Mighty Gold White Tiger’s adult evolution: required level 16, and nothing else. Simple and direct—reach the level and evolve automatically. This didn’t mean the Mighty Gold White Tiger was weak; rather, kin-based evolutions required fewer materials and were easier to achieve. After all, this world followed the logic that dragons beget dragons and phoenixes beget phoenixes. If a common silver-tabby kitten wanted to evolve into a Mighty Gold White Tiger, the required materials would be far more extensive. And as a king-tier monster, an ordinary silver tabby might not even have the potential to reach the adult stage.