The camp night was silent, with only the crackling of the bonfire.
Lei Luo's heart was still racing; he forced himself to calm down and carefully recalled all the information about dragons.
White fur corresponded to the color of a Silver Dragon's scales.
Huge appetite matched the Dragon race's powerful digestive ability and energy needs.
Fire breathing... it was the Dragon's Breath exhaled by a Silver Dragon.
As for why it was a white-furred lynx, it was probably because this mutated young Silver Dragon's terrifying magical talent allowed it to master transformation magic even in its infancy.
All the clues, like scattered puzzle pieces, quickly fit together after the crucial evidence of "fire breathing" appeared.
The answer was almost on the tip of his tongue.
This seemingly harmless, gluttonous, and adorable white-furred lynx in front of him was, in all likelihood, the young Silver Dragon he had been searching for days without success!
This discovery made Lei Luo's blood boil.
No wonder he could only find some traces deep in the mine but never its true form.
This little fellow had simply swaggered into his camp in another form, freeloading food and drink every day!
What a cunning and gluttonous Dragon!
The little fellow finished its last bite of meat, contentedly licked its paws, its pale golden eyes comfortably narrowed, and a contented purr rumbled in its throat, completely unaware that its identity had been exposed.
Lei Luo took a deep breath, suppressing the excitement in his heart.
Now was not the time to startle it.
Since the target had been identified, the next step was how to sign a contract with it.
Beast contracts, especially those signed with Dragonkind, were even more difficult.
Dragons were proud and powerful creatures, possessing extremely high intelligence, far from comparable to ordinary beasts.
And Silver Dragons, among all Dragon species, were known for their preference for elegance and wisdom, and also for being more... picky.
To make a Silver Dragon willingly sign a contract was simply a fantasy.
But Lei Luo looked at the unsuspecting little fellow still savoring the taste of roasted meat in front of him, and a subtle curve appeared at the corner of his mouth.
Perhaps, dealing with a young Silver Dragon that was inexperienced and clearly a "foodie" didn't need to be so complicated.
Force was definitely not an option; that would only backfire.
Temptation was the only choice.
And the best bait was clearly the delicious food it couldn't resist.
Lei Luo didn't make a fuss; as usual, he returned to his tent when the bonfire gradually died down.
But he didn't fall asleep immediately; instead, by the faint light of the magic lamp, he carefully took out a scroll from his personal satchel.
The scroll was made of a special material, not ordinary parchment or papyrus, but a strange material with a faint silver luster and a warm touch. Complex and ancient runes were drawn on the surface of the scroll, and magic power faintly flowed within it.
This was the Beast Contract Scroll he had purchased at a high price before leaving Lei Long City.
He needed a perfect timing, and a "feast" that the little greedy Dragon couldn't refuse.
The next day, Lei Luo still entered the mine to investigate as usual, but his mind was clearly no longer fully focused on finding ore veins.
In the evening, Aide, under Lei Luo's command, hunted a plump Wind Rabbit that emitted faint energy fluctuations.
The meat of this small magical beast was delicious and tender, a rare delicacy.
Night fell again, and a bonfire was lit in the camp.
As the flames licked, fat continuously dripped, making sizzling sounds, and a rich aroma began to permeate the camp.
Sure enough, not long after, that familiar figure appeared.
The white-furred lynx practically trotted over, following the scent. Its pale golden eyes were fixed on the golden-brown, glistening, fragrant roasted Wind Rabbit, and the purring in its throat sounded like a small bellows; saliva was almost dripping.
It even forgot its usual poise and vigilance, running directly to Lei Luo's feet, constantly rubbing its head against his pant leg, emitting urgent "meows."
Lei Luo smiled and cut off a plump rabbit leg with his dagger, but he didn't hand it to it immediately.
"Want to eat?"
Lei Luo's voice carried a hint of temptation as he wiggled the rabbit leg in his hand.
"Meow!"
The white-furred lynx was so anxious it spun in circles, its front paws constantly digging at the ground.
All its attention was drawn to the fragrant rabbit leg.
Lei Luo slowly handed over the rabbit leg, deliberately bringing it close to the scroll.
The little fellow eagerly stretched its neck to reach for it.
"Little fellow, I know you're very smart." Lei Luo said as he unrolled the contract scroll.
"Form a soul contract with me, and from now on, we will be partners sharing life and death!"
"And as partners..." Lei Luo coaxed, "I'll give you endless roasted meat."
The young Dragon's instinct made it feel the power of the contract, but its youthful curiosity, a hint of trust built by the two-legged creature's daily feeding, and most importantly—a strong craving for delicious food, ultimately overcame that slight vigilance.
It only hesitated for a moment, picked up the fragrant rabbit leg, and began to chew with satisfaction.
The scroll glowed, and Lei Luo reached out and placed his hand on the little fellow's forehead.
No resistance.
Lei Luo felt an invisible connection establish between himself and this "white-furred lynx."
It was a wonderful feeling, as if his mental tendrils had extended, gently touching another unique and powerful soul, building a bridge of communication.
Although still very faint, it was real.
The contract was made!
The magical light slowly receded, and the runes on the scroll returned to their dim state.
He succeeded.
Using the simplest, and perhaps the only feasible method, he had signed a soul contract with a young Silver Dragon.
Although this Silver Dragon now looked... more like a gluttonous cat captured by roasted meat.
Lei Luo picked up the remaining roasted Wind Rabbit, tore off another large piece, and placed it in front of the little fellow.
"Eat, there'll be plenty from now on," he whispered.
The white-furred lynx let out a joyful cry and pounced on it without hesitation.
As it buried its head in the food, its body seemed to flicker very subtly and unnoticed, as if for a moment, beneath its snowy fur, the faint luster of fine silver scales vaguely appeared, then immediately returned to normal.
The night deepened, and the embers of the bonfire emitted their last warmth.
Lei Luo watched the "white-furred lynx" eating heartily, its mouth greasy, a contented purr rumbling in its throat, and the tip of its tail unconsciously wagging slightly.
The majesty of a Silver Dragon?
Wisdom?
At this moment, all were gone, leaving only a cub completely conquered by delicious food.
"Once you've eaten mine, you're my Dragon from now on."
Lei Luo murmured to himself, with a hint of playfulness and a hint of seriousness.
"I'll call you 'Moonlight.'"
The voice was not loud, but it clearly entered the ears of the little fellow who was tearing at the rabbit meat.
Moonlight's eating motion paused slightly, its ears twitched, and its pale golden eyes lifted, looking at Lei Luo. There weren't too many complex emotions in its eyes, more of a Ignorance and... a slight displeasure at its food being disturbed.
Moonlight quickly lowered its head again, continuing to struggle with the delicious roasted meat, as if the pause just now was merely an illusion.
Lei Luo smiled and no longer disturbed it.
He leaned against the tent, looking up at the deep night sky, dotted with stars.
With the contract made, this seemingly barren mining area also seemed to become less monotonous.
A powerful companion, even if it was just a cub that only ate and slept now, was enough to change many things.
He could feel that as the contract stabilized, the mental connection between himself and Moonlight was slowly but steadily strengthening.
Although complex communication was not yet possible, he could clearly perceive some basic emotions, such as Moonlight's current satisfaction and peace of mind.
The night was deep, and the bonfire flickered.
Lei Luo, wrapped in a blanket, slept by the fire. This time, the white-furred lynx did not leave after eating its fill as usual, but instead yawned and lay down beside Lei Luo.
The next day, Lei Luo woke up in the faint morning light.
Today's intelligence has been updated.
1: Faint signs of earth element accumulation have been detected deep in the No. 3 fork of the Black Rock Mine, possibly indicating an unexplored ore node.
2: The pack of Magic Wolves entrenched on the Rocky Slope to the east had a small-scale conflict last night; the old wolf king was expelled, and a new wolf king took over. The new wolf king awakened a mutated wind attribute, breaking through the shackles in its bloodline, and advanced to become a Tier 2 Magic Beast.
3: A thunderstorm is approaching; please take lightning protection measures. This earth-shattering thunderstorm, covering the entire northern mountain range, will last for about two hours.
4: There is a general store called "Thorn's Whisper" on the commercial street of Blackstone Town, where an old brass ring has been accumulating dust for a long time and has not been sold. This brass ring is actually a magic ring, rendered ineffective due to a missing inlaid magic stone. It can restore its normal function after replacing the magic stone. The ring seals a Tier 2 magic, "Wild Heart," which, when used, can boost the user's strength, agility, and stamina attributes by about 20% for 1 minute.
5: The Silver Dragon "Moonlight" is currently in its infancy. Feeding it Magic Beast meat with higher energy content can accelerate its growth and help it enter its growth phase faster.
6: In a sparse forest thirty kilometers east of Black Forest Town, large patches of Blood-Clotting Grass have matured. Blood-Clotting Grass is a common medicinal herb for refining Tier 1 magic potions, and alchemy pharmacies consistently purchase it in large quantities at a stable price.
7: Suspected activity traces of a 'Giant Sloth' have been found five kilometers from the camp. Giant Sloths are Tier 3 Magic Beasts; they are slow-moving and sleepy but possess immense strength.
8: The Hydra is nearing a breakthrough in rank and has fallen into a long sleep to accumulate power. The Hydra's vast Magic Snake Claws, lacking restraint, occasionally rush out of the swamp and invade human kingdoms. This morning, a team of Magic Snake Claws will appear in the Blackstone Territory. If the invasion of the Magic Snake Claws cannot be stopped, your territory will never have peace.
10: After contracting with the Silver Dragon, due to Moonlight's mutated attribute, you have not only gained physical enhancement but also greatly improved your magical talent. With your talents comprehensively improved, you will soon break through to become a formal Knight, or perhaps becoming a Magic Knight will be a suitable path for you.