From birth, humans in this world are accompanied by a spherical space, both real and illusory, known as the Sea of Spirit.
Formless and intangible spiritual energy fills the Sea of Spirit, like seawater, and at the apex of this space is each person's innate Spirit Mark, like a sun. Once awakened, it can illuminate and nourish all things within the Sea of Spirit. The Contract Magic Mark, chosen later in life, appears at the bottom of the Sea of Spirit, connecting to the contracted Spirit Beast. The two are like reflections in water, or like the sun and moon, distantly opposing each other and constantly resonating.
Lin Guang was naturally no exception.
However, in the past, his innate talent had been slow to awaken. Therefore, although his Meditation Contract Magic was very advanced, the sun at the very top remained hazy, like an unhatched chick. His entire Sea of Spirit was lifeless, motionless, and difficult to resonate, which even slowed down his cultivation.
But at this moment, Lin Guang could clearly feel that his talent was finally about to awaken, and the mist enveloping the sun showed signs of dissipating.
As if enchanted, Lin Guang instinctively walked in the direction his intuition led him. It was a door, with no light beside it, dark and deep, as if deliberately made to avoid attention.
Was there something inside that could trigger his talent…
No, this feeling, it was very likely a Spirit Beast!
A Spirit Beast that could resonate with his talent and enable its awakening!
It meant no more bothering a Miracle Master, no more figuring out how to break the deadlock, no more worrying about the unknown…
It was hope within reach.
Suppressing the excitement in his heart, Lin Guang asked in a deep voice, “Can I go in there?”
“…”
After a moment of silence, the masked man nodded.
Although that “commodity” was not presentable and a bit sensitive, Lin Guang had military connections, so he likely wouldn't do anything out of line.
Lin Guang pushed open the iron door, revealing a profound darkness. In the deepest part of that darkness, there was a faint glow like a firefly.
One step, two steps, Lin Guang quickened his pace, almost running towards that light.
Only when he got closer did he notice that it was a weak incandescent lamp, hanging from the ceiling, illuminating only a very small area even with all its might.
Clang… clang…
Accompanying the sound of iron chains dragging across the floor, Lin Guang's breathing suddenly hitched.
Emerging from the darkness was a silver-haired young girl.
She appeared to be fifteen or sixteen years old, her figure slightly slender, clad only in a rough, tattered gray sackcloth. Her hair was an unusual silver-gray, with the tips gradually turning black, as if streaks of dark ink had been spilled on snow under moonlight. It fell messily over her shoulders, with two long strands hanging vertically in front of her eyes. These strands, along with the short horns on either side of her face, were a vibrant crimson, like blood.
Her hands and feet were bound by thick, long iron chains. A slender, black-red tail drooped beside her feet. She was barefoot, her ten toes as white and porcelain-like as her skin, yet her toenails, like her fingernails, were a vivid crimson, faintly gleaming with a cold light, twisting and gripping the icy stone floor as if uneasy.
One step, two steps, the girl came forward, approaching the iron bars. She slowly raised her hands and grasped the railing, her movements gentle and cautious, as if afraid of startling the person in front of her.
Her crimson eyes held overt emotions of fear, unease, and innocence, with tears welling up, like a startled small animal.
The girl seemed to be pleading, imploring for someone to take her away from her cage.
From every angle, this was an absolute beauty.
Lin Guang was dumbfounded, as if completely enchanted.
However, in reality, beyond the shock, his first thought was—
Where did you take me? Is this still royal spirit war chronicles?
The most human-like Spirit Beasts in this game, if they didn't use transformation skills to alter their bodies, or charm, illusion, and other skills, would only have about 30% human-likeness on the furry scale!
“Wait, I remember now…”
A certain painful memory gradually surfaced from the depths of his mind.
According to the lore, after the world dramatically changed five hundred years ago, countless other worlds, for unknown reasons, continuously rushed towards Blue Star like moths drawn to a flame.
From a game perspective, the existence of this mysterious setting was probably to enrich the world view and facilitate crossovers with other games.
The reason this was relevant was because before he transmigrated, the game was about to receive a massive update, announcing a collaboration with another game, future ark.
That was a land, or rather, a planet, called Terra, inhabited by various “sub-humans,” simply put, beast-eared girls.
The reason for his transmigration was actually very simple. While waiting for the collaboration update, he opened a certain magical folder to pass the time. As soon as he looked up, he saw a giant American cockroach, two fingers wide, perched on his 27-inch 4K monitor, flapping its brown wings, looking ready to pounce on his face.
Startled, Lin Guang quickly raised his right fist, and with a million horsepower of magnetic field rotation, he punched the monitor, breaking through the screen. Then, in an exaggerated, cinematic, huge abnormal explosion, he lost consciousness.
And the girl in front of him, though she looked young, was undoubtedly a character from future ark, a demon-inspired girl, a Sarkaz mercenary codenamed W. Due to the two red, tentacle-like strands of hair on her head, she was jokingly called “Cockroach” by many netizens.
Damn it, the cockroach is still chasing me!
You're not actually related to the cockroach that caused my transmigration, are you?!
After venting all his complaints and calming down slightly, a blue light suddenly shone in Lin Guang's eyes.
At this very moment, the vague, eggshell-like talent in his Sea of Spirit was pulsating violently, as if the young creature inside couldn't wait to break out of its shell, yet also like a vibrant heart beating.
Without a doubt, his talent was absolutely connected to the girl in front of him!
“Is this a slave? Or a Spirit Beast?”
“We certainly don't sell people here, this is…”
The masked man who had hurried over from behind hadn't finished speaking when Lin Guang interrupted him.
“Can I get a closer look at her?”
“Hmm?”
Hearing the certainty in his tone, the masked man frowned and retorted, “Let me be clear, whether you touch her or not, this thing is not for sale.”
“Why?”
“Didn't your elders tell you?”
Looking at the girl inside, the masked man's tone also carried a hint of taboo and fear: “Although these ‘Terra Monsters’ hardly require compatibility, the best outcome for those who try to contract them is an inability to advance, with most ending up mentally deranged.”
“If we sold her for you to contract, your elders would definitely cause us trouble. It's not worth it at all.”
“Is she… very rare?”
“Yes.”
Taking a deep breath, Lin Guang replied, “I'll take full responsibility. You've had your recorder on this whole time, right?”
While speaking, Lin Guang never looked back, his eyes fixed on the girl in front of him. She didn't seem to have any serious injuries, only some bruises, but her skin and hair were still covered in a lot of dust. Only her amber eyes kept staring at the two people talking, her cross-shaped pupils slightly dilating in the darkness, her expression looking pitiful.
“Can I touch her?”
“Oh?!”
The masked man was first startled, then hesitated, wanting to speak but holding back, then finally spoke, “Do you simply want to contract this Spirit Beast, or… is it love at first sight, an uncontrollable emotion?”
“Let me give you some advice. I heard from those above that she and her kind supposedly come from a place with a certain extremely severe, highly contagious disease. Although the contagiousness is said to have almost disappeared after coming to this world, there's still a risk… You're still young, don't do things that might get you sick.”
Hmm???