What does it mean when a pet evolves incorrectly?

The police vehicle drove out of the town center and sped north along the narrow but well-paved country road.

Outside the car window, the neat rows of trees and streets receded rapidly, and the distant Broken Mountain Range revealed a clearer outline after the morning mist dissipated, like a dark green giant city wall silently stretching across the horizon.

Inside the car, Zhang Zhi kept an eye on the road while explaining the situation he had just received to Lin Chen, who was sitting in the passenger seat.

"The person who filed the report was Old Wang, a farmer who does ecological farming in the north of the town."

"He said on the phone that several acres of his land near the buffer zone of the protective forest belt were damaged this morning. Judging from the traces and the lingering smell, it was most likely done by a wild pet, and the loss is considerable."

"Wild pet?"

Lin Chen looked thoughtful.

Although Qinglan City is located next to the Duanshan Mountain Range, which is home to countless wild pets, he grew up in the city and rarely had the opportunity to come into contact with real wild pets.

"Um."

Zhang Zhi looked out the car window, raised his chin, and pointed to the continuous dark blue mountain range to the north:

"Look, our Qingyang Town is one of the towns closest to the Duanshan Mountain Range. Living at the foot of the mountain, interacting with the beasts in the mountains is practically a daily routine."

There was little tension in his tone; instead, there was a sense of commonplace calmness.

"There are always frictions, especially in winter when food is scarce in the mountains. Some curious or hungry people will occasionally wander down to take a look."

He then changed the subject, reassuringly saying, "But the buffer zone where the city meets the mountains is constantly patrolled day and night by professional patrol teams, and warning devices have been set up, so it is impossible for a large-scale conflict to occur."

"This time it's most likely just a confused pet that accidentally wandered in."

Lin Chen nodded thoughtfully, then turned his gaze back to the majestic mountain range in the distance.

"So how do we usually handle situations like this?" Lin Chen suddenly asked.

Zhang Zhi smiled, his expression becoming more serious: "The first thing, of course, is to find it, and then assess its danger and condition."

"If it's not aggressive and just wandered in by mistake, guide it back to the Broken Mountain Range."

"If they are injured or show obvious aggressive tendencies, they need to be controlled first to prevent them from causing greater harm to the public."

"Afterwards, depending on the situation, they will be handed over to a nearby wildlife rescue station for observation, or sent to a pet behavior education center for classes."

"Of course, the worst-case scenario..."

He paused briefly, his expression solemn: "If we encounter a highly aggressive, uncommunicative, and malicious individual who poses an immediate and serious threat to public safety, then we are permitted to use all necessary means, including..."

He didn't finish his sentence, but Lin Chen understood the meaning behind his unfinished words.

"Gag?"

The Flameclaw Beast sitting to the side tilted its head, its eyes full of confusion.

Why can't it understand?

This guy didn't seem to like staying in the beast taming space all the time, so Lin Chen simply let him breathe fresh air outside.

The official vehicle turned off the main road and onto a narrower side road paved with gravel.

The view suddenly opened up before me, revealing a vast, flat, and well-planned field.

The fields were divided into neat squares, planted with various crops, some with tiny flowers in bloom, and others with unripe fruit.

Several farmhouses with white walls and gray tiles are scattered among the fields, and occasionally a few alert barks can be heard.

At the edge of the horizon, the Duanshan Mountain Range seemed almost within reach, its towering peaks covered in dense, almost dark green vegetation, the forest undulating in the wind.

The car stopped on the side of the road.

A middle-aged man wearing faded blue overalls, his face deeply lined with wrinkles, was already waiting there, his face full of anxiety.

Upon seeing Zhang Zhi and Lin Chen get out of the car, he immediately jogged over to greet them.

"Officer Zhang! You've finally arrived!"

"Uncle Wang, don't rush, speak slowly. This is Xiao Lin, our new colleague."

Zhang Zhi waved his hand, signaling him to calm down: "Take us directly to see the scene."

"Okay, okay, this way!"

Uncle Wang nodded quickly, then turned and led the two along the ridge into the field.

After walking for about ten minutes through a field of thriving crops, a scene of utter devastation came into view.

This is a vegetable garden of about half an acre in size. The originally neat ridges have been trampled into a mess, the lush green leaves have been eaten down to the stalks, and the fruits have rolled all over the ground, covered with mud.

Besides the messy animal footprints on the ground, there were also some obvious dragging and rolling marks, mixed with crushed fruit and vegetable juices, emitting a strange smell with a slightly fermented odor.

"Look! Officer Zhang, look at this!"

Uncle Wang pointed to the devastation, his voice trembling with grief: "It was before dawn this morning when I came to water the plants and found it like this. This...this must have been done by some pet animal in the mountains!"

Zhang Zhi didn't speak. He squinted and carefully examined the messy scene.

He crouched down, picked up a bit of soil with his fingers, and examined the shape and depth of the footprints closely. He even picked up a half-eaten vegetable leaf to observe the teeth marks on it.

Lin Chen tried to observe in the same way he did, but he was inexperienced and could hardly see any useful clues.

The Flameclaw Beast glanced at its Beastmaster, then crouched down, approached the field, and pretended to observe.

As it watched, its attention gradually wandered, eventually being drawn to the ants carrying vegetable leaves in the field.

It scratched its head: "Gag?"

Lin Chen chuckled and said, "Let's not cause Brother Zhang any trouble."

Zhang Zhi stood up, brushed the dirt off his hands, and said in a steady tone:

"I think I know what's going on."

After saying this, he first looked at Uncle Wang:

"Uncle Wang, don't worry too much. Now that we're here, we'll do our best to resolve this and minimize your losses."

"According to the rules, for property losses caused by such incidents, you can apply for certain compensation from the relevant departments in the town based on our police dispatch records and damage assessment reports. Although it may not be much, it is still some consolation."

Upon hearing the word "compensation," Uncle Wang's expression softened slightly, and he thanked him repeatedly.

Zhang Zhi then turned to Lin Chen, his gaze thoughtful:

"Ah Chen, when did you sign a contract with your pet?"

Have you had any prior match experience? How much do you know about it?

Lin Chen answered truthfully, "I just completed the formal contract the day before yesterday. I only understand some theoretical knowledge about combat and haven't had any formal experience yet."

He knew that in a situation where actual combat was a possibility, it was important to accurately assess his own capabilities.

Zhang Zhi nodded in understanding, then his expression turned serious, and a burst of spiritual power suddenly erupted from his body.

A dazzling light quickly gathered around him, and a canine pet with a shoulder height close to an adult's knee and a sleek, powerful physique appeared out of thin air on the edge of the field.

This pet is covered in short, bluish-gray fur that gleams like satin in the sunlight. It has long, powerful limbs, its erect ears twitching slightly, and a ring of white markings around its neck that resembles a whirlwind.

What is most striking is its pair of amber eyes, sharp and lively.

Basic information about this pet immediately came to Lin Chen's mind.

Race Name: Azure Hound

Attribute: Wind

Race Rank: High-level Transcendent

The Qinglan Hound is a native pet of Qinglan City. It is known for its keen sense of smell, endurance, and excellent tracking ability, and is a commonly used working pet for patrol teams.

"Follow the wind, find out the direction it went and its nearest trace."

Zhang Zhi pointed to the messy vegetable patch and gave instructions.

The Azure Mist Hound named Chasing Wind let out a low "woof" and immediately stepped forward with light, agile steps.

It did not rush into the most severely damaged central area, but started from the edge, lowered its head, and gently twitched its moist nose, carefully distinguishing the countless scents left in the air, on the soil, and among the vegetation.

The Blue Mist Hound appeared extremely focused, its ears twitching from time to time, catching the sound of the wind and subtle noises in the distance.

Suddenly, it abruptly raised its head, glanced at Zhang Zhi, and then, without hesitation, let out a few short barks towards the north side of the vegetable garden:

"Woof! Woof woof!"

"Found it! Keep up!"

Zhang Zhi's eyes sharpened, and he immediately took a step forward.

The Azure Hound charged out like an arrow, its gray-blue figure nimbly weaving through the ridges and gaps in the crops, like a gentle breeze.

"Gagoo......."

The Flameclaw Beast glanced at the agile Azure Mist Hound, then at the messy vegetable patch, its eyes full of confusion.

Why can't it smell other scents?

Why can't it find any clues?

Weeds brushed against my trouser legs, and the ridge of the field was a little slippery.

The Blue Mist Hound is very fast, but it will stop from time to time to double-check its direction to make sure it is not chasing the wrong car.

It led the two and the Flameclaw Beast away from the open farmland and towards the edge of the wasteland covered with tangled shrubs and sparse trees.

The distant Broken Mountain Range appears even more majestic and imposing from the perspective of a runner.