It wasn’t temptation, believe me.
This was about equality. Equal spending rights.
With a straight face and slight hesitation, Yushou Ya’er handed over her crystals, and followed Hao’s instructions to get her ice cream.
What she held in her hand – was not ice cream.
It was art. A holy grail of swirls and vanilla grace.
It’s even better than the illustration.
And it didn’t disappoint in the slightest.
The first lick had her eyelids fluttering. The second had her exhaling.
By the third, Yushou Ya’er closed her eyes altogether –
As if she was about to transcend.
No thoughts.
At the same time, Hao looked over at the lizard.
To Little Liz, the beast companion of that not-so-young woman.
The bag of Original Salted Potato Chips was now empty.
Scattered crumbs dotted the floor, a salty battlefield of satisfaction.
Little Liz suddenly stopped moving.
Her thick, low body tensed. Muscles locked in place.
A twitch ran through her tail, then up her spine.
The dark bronze-red scales along her back pulsed once – slow and heavy – glowing like heated metal.
Her claws pressed down, short legs steady. Smoke puffed quietly from her nostrils.
Then it started.
She grew.
Not by much. But enough to notice.
Her limbs bulked up. Her shoulders widened. Her jaw stretched just slightly longer.
Even the thick armor plates across her back sharpened at the edges. She wasn’t transforming wildly – but something inside was changing.
Two small ridges on her back, shaped like folded wings, rose faintly.
Not quite wings yet. But they shimmered with a dull heat, hinting at what might come.
Her tail gave a sharp jerk. It stopped right before smashing the floor.
She was holding back. Her whole body trembled – but she stayed in control.
Her glowing eyes were no longer wild and playful.
They had turned sharp. Focused. She felt centered, like something inside her had locked into place.
Hao stared skeptically. ’System… the chips didn’t poison that beast, right?’
[Absolutely not, host. Did breaking through to Saint Apprentice Realm knock a chromosome loose? That’s a mixed beast undergoing a stable evolution.]
’The Original Salted Potato Chips?’
[Yes, host. The chips didn’t cause the evolution, but they gave it a little push. Like a helpful shove at the edge of a cliff. The beast was already teetering at the verge of growth.]
’Potato Chips… really?’
[Correct, host. Without them, it might’ve lost control, gone berserk, maybe even injured itself and failed its evolution entirely. Based on current readings, this one had a high risk of failure. It’s lucky, honestly.]
Hao looked again.
Little Liz was definitely bigger now.
Not massive. But enough to notice.
’System, you’ve said it twice now… mixed beast? I thought it’d be a spirit beast?’
’What’s that?’
[A mixed beast is a creature born from two different bloodlines – one spirit beast, one demonic beast, host. It’s rare. Only about five percent of them survive with stable cores.]
’So you’re technically saying this beast was about to crash out and burn if it didn’t munch on our chips?’
[Correct, host.]
Hao rubbed his chin. ’lt’s got a short fuse and emotional issues because of its bloodline, huh?’
[You could phrase it with more elegance, but… yes, host.]
Hao glanced over.
Yushou Ya’er was still happily swirling her soft-serve, eyes half-lidded in bliss.
She had no idea that her beast was ten seconds away from going feral and possibly smashing up aisle three.
’This girl’s seriously lucky. Walks in, buys the exact snack her beast needs to not explode.’
Maybe it was her lucky day. Or maybe the store just liked dramatic timing.
The trembling finally stopped.
Little Liz stood steady now, legs planted firmly on the floor.
Her body had grown. A little thicker. Her lava-like scales glowed brighter, and heat shimmered off her back like steam from a hot plate.
Behind her shoulders, two small fin-like shapes had formed. They weren’t real wings yet, but they twitched open, as if testing the air for the first time.
She wasn’t growing anymore. It appeared that she had reached a new stage.
It orange eyes locked onto Hao.
Smoke curled out of its nostrils once more.
Her armored head dipped slightly, clearly showing respect.
A voice echoed inside Hao’s mind, calm and refined – female, deep, with a tone that reminded him of a noble lady bowing in a palace hall.
A mental transmission!
’Greetings, senior. I offer my heartfelt gratitude. Your divine creation has saved me from a fated failure. I am eternally grateful.’
’You should thank your master, not me. She’s the one who paid for the potato chips.’
Hao’s voice in the transmission was smooth, like he’d done this a hundred times.
But in truth?
This was the first time he’d used mental transmission with someone outside his store family.
It hadn’t always been this easy.
In the beginning, when Kurome tried to teach him, he accidentally broadcasted his thoughts to everyone in the store.
But over time, it got easier.
He practiced sending short words. Next whole phrases. Then complete thoughts without shouting “TEST” in his mind like a walkie-talkie.
Now?
Hao could hold a full conversation like a pro!
’The rest is just coincidence… or maybe fate.’
’Fate, then. But I will still regard you as my benefactor, Senior.’
She sounded proud, yet sincere.
’Though I cannot offer you my loyalty… all of it belongs to my Master, Ya’er… I can still do one favor for you. Anything within my power. Just say the word.’
Hao blinked twice and waved his hand.
’Hey, hey. You really don’t need to do all that.’
’This is a convenience store. You guys paid for it fair and square.’
For a second, silence returned.
Little Liz’s golden-orange eyes dimmed slightly as if the burden had been lifted.
’Understood, Senior.’
She didn’t try to push it anymore.
But in her heart, she quietly made a promise.
If this human ever asked for something – anything – within her means… she would repay him without hesitation.
She lowered her head again and turned around, walking toward Yushou Ya’er.
With each step, her body shrank. The glowing bronze-red dulled slightly.
The wing-like fins behind her shoulders folded in and disappeared beneath the scales.
The elegant smoke stopped leaking from her nostrils.
Her wide jaw softened. Her size shrank.
By the time she reached her master, she looked exactly like she had when she first entered the store.