What does it mean when a pet evolves incorrectly?

"Woof woof woof!"

The barking of the Qinglan hunting dog suddenly rose in the livestock shed filled with the sound of rain and the smell of blood. Its head was held high, and it stared intently at the direction outside the shed, which was darkened by the torrential rain. It bared its teeth and made a continuous warning sound in its throat.

Zhang Zhi stood up, his face so solemn it was almost dripping with tears.

He glanced quickly in the direction the Azure Hound had warned him, then swiftly looked away, fixing his gaze on Lin Chen. His voice was extremely low, but his speech was rapid:

"Based on the initial observations at the scene, it was indeed a case of torture and murder. The methods were cruel, the wounds were messy and deep, and it was definitely not for hunting. The animal that committed the crime was extremely ferocious and aggressive."

As he spoke, he pointed his flashlight at the corner of the livestock shed.

There were a few shallow footprints there.

The footprints were small, about the size of an adult's palm, and had a peculiar shape. The front of the footprints appeared to have forked toe marks, and they were deeply embedded in the mud, indicating that the owner had amazing explosive power.

Zhang Zhi frowned: "Judging from the footprints, it shouldn't be particularly large, but it's very wiry, with sharp claws."

Lin Chen squatted down, took a closer look at the footprints, and nodded thoughtfully.

"Wind Chaser." Zhang Zhi clapped his hands, temporarily drawing the Azure Mist Hound's attention back. "Did you smell something? Can you track it?"

The Qinglan hunting dog barked twice more in the direction of the shed, then ran back to Zhang Zhi's feet, rubbed its head against his leg, and made a whimpering sound in its throat.

It did detect a strange smell, but the rain was too heavy and washed away the scent so much that it was almost impossible to connect the dots.

Therefore, it only has a general, vague direction.

Zhang Zhi sighed, his expression turning slightly grave: "Damn it, this lousy rain..."

He quickly walked over to Old Liu, who was comforting Uncle Wang, and whispered a brief report on what he had discovered at the scene and his own assessment.

Old Liu listened quietly, his wrinkled face expressionless, only his slightly cloudy eyes gleaming with thoughtful light in the dim light.

He first looked up at the torrential rain outside the shed, which showed no signs of stopping. The loud noise of the rain hitting the asbestos tiles almost drowned out human voices.

Then, his gaze swept over Uncle Wang, whose face was pale and lips were trembling with excitement and fear, and then over Lin Chen, who was standing quietly to the side.

After a brief moment of contemplation, Lao Liu made his decision:

"I roughly understand the situation. Old Wang was frightened, and the scene needs to be protected. Here's what I'll do: Xiao Zhang, take the Qinglan hunting dog and try to probe in that direction along that scent."

"Be careful and focus on reconnaissance. If you find anything unusual, do not take any action without authorization and report it immediately."

"I'll stay here to get more details from Lao Wang and see if I can find any other clues. Xiao Lin," he said, looking at Lin Chen. "You stay too, lend a hand."

Zhang Zhi's expression turned serious, and he immediately nodded: "Understood, Brother Liu!"

Without further delay, he pulled his raincoat hood down forcefully and led the Qinglan hunting dog into the white rain outside the door.

The figures of the man and his dog were quickly swallowed up by the dense rain.

Lin Chen watched them leave, a trace of worry passing through his heart.

With such heavy rain, an unclear situation in the mountains, and the opponent posing a significant danger, the situation was dire.

"don’t worry."

Old Liu seemed to see through Lin Chen's thoughts and smiled slightly: "His strength ranks among the top in the entire institute. I estimate that he will be able to break through to become a senior beast tamer in a few years."

"This is nothing."

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen felt somewhat relieved.

Indeed, I am just an apprentice beast tamer and lack experience in the face of such extreme weather and unknown dangers. If I rashly go along, I will most likely be a hindrance.

As a half-step advanced beast tamer, it would be safer for Zhang Zhi to pursue the enemy alone.

The three returned to the house.

The damp, cold clothes clung to the body, which was very uncomfortable, but no one cared at the moment.

Old Liu pulled Uncle Wang to sit down at the square table, poured him a cup of hot water, and began to ask more detailed questions, such as whether he had heard any unusual noises recently, whether he had seen any suspicious shadows nearby, and whether the other livestock in the house had shown any unusual behavior, etc.

In a calm tone, as if having a casual chat, she slowly guided Uncle Wang to recall and narrate.

Lin Chen did not sit down. He leaned against the door, his gaze peering through the crack in the door at the courtyard shrouded in torrential rain and the distant livestock shed, his thoughts drifting away.

What kind of wild pet would do something so malicious?

A pure outburst of ferocity?

Or was he triggered by something?

He suddenly remembered a few words his father had occasionally mentioned.

The relationship between the Eastern Empire Federation and the surrounding pet kingdoms has never been very harmonious, with border frictions and small-scale conflicts occurring from time to time.

The Duanshan Mountains to the north of Qinglan City were the site of a large-scale wild animal riot many years ago, which attacked the city's defenses and caused considerable casualties and losses.

Over the years, the border patrols and fortifications have been the only means to maintain a semblance of peace.

Could something have happened deep within the mountains?

Could this brutal attack be a harbinger of renewed large-scale conflict?

These thoughts cast an even deeper shadow over Lin Chen's heart.

"Oh dear! Look at my memory!"

Uncle Wang suddenly slapped his thigh, interrupting Lao Liu's question.

He glanced at the old clock on the wall, quickly stood up, and said with annoyance, "I was so busy talking about this that I almost forgot about the important thing. It's time to deliver the food."

"Delivering food?" Old Liu asked, puzzled.

"Yes."

As Uncle Wang explained, he quickly walked towards the simple kitchen and took out a bowl of mixed grain rice containing minced meat and vegetable soup from beside the stove:

"A few days ago, a Satsuki dog appeared out of nowhere. It was a little injured, and I felt sorry for it, so I built it a doghouse and let it stay near my house for the time being."

"This little guy looks small and weak, but he's incredibly clever."

"These past few nights, it's been barking incessantly at the slightest sound, and it even chased away two wild pets that were trying to steal my chickens!"

"If it hadn't been braying so loudly by the livestock pen this morning, I wouldn't have realized something was wrong so soon..."

Satsuki?

Lin Chen knew about this kind of pet.

Songsong dogs are commonly found on the edges of forests and are generally gentle in temperament, making them a top choice for guarding homes for many wealthy families.

However, their combat strength is generally not high, and their racial level is only low-level extraordinary.

"I see."

Old Liu nodded and stood up as well: "Then we'll go with you to take a look."

The three put on raincoats, with Uncle Wang carrying a food bowl in front, and Lao Liu and Lin Chen slightly behind on either side, before stepping back into the downpour.

The flashlight beam pierced the rain, but visibility remained very low, illuminating only a few meters ahead.

They went around to the back of the main house and walked toward an old thatched shed where miscellaneous items were stored.

The thatched hut looked like it was about to collapse in the heavy rain, and next to it was a very simple little nest built with a few wooden planks and plastic sheeting.

Before they could even get close, a fierce fighting sound quickly came, mixed with the roars of pets.

"not good!"

Old Liu's expression changed, he gave a low shout, and quickened his pace.

Lin Chen's mind raced, and a dazzling summoning light shone in the rainy night, instantly revealing the Flame Claw Beast.

The cold rain poured down on its heat-generating fur, stirring up large plumes of white steam that hissed.

"Gagoo......."

The Flameclaw Beast shook its head violently, trying to shake off the rain.

No fire-type pet would like this kind of weather.

"Old Wang, don't go over there yet, wait here."

Old Liu grabbed Uncle Wang, who instinctively tried to rush forward, and blocked him behind him. Then he gave Lin Chen a wink, and the two of them, along with their pet, tiptoed and crept cautiously toward the thatched hut.

The flashlight beam trembled, struggling to pierce through the heavy rain.

The edge of the beam of light quickly captured two figures engaged in fierce combat, tearing and pouncing at each other.

One of them was smaller, less than half a meter long, covered with fluffy short fur of off-white and light brown, and looked somewhat like a puppy. It had a pair of alert ears on its head and a scarf-like brown fur around its neck.

This is exactly the Songsong dog that Uncle Wang mentioned.

However, at this moment, this normally docile Satsuki dog displayed astonishing ferocity.

Its movements were as fast as lightning, nimbly dodging and weaving across the muddy ground, constantly growling, sometimes pouncing, sometimes tearing with its gleaming claws.

"Awooo!"

However, it already had several scratches on its body, its white fur was stained with mud and bloodstains, and its movements were slightly sluggish due to its injuries and exhaustion.

The other figure fighting it caused Lin Chen's pupils to shrink sharply.

It was a creature a size larger than a pineapple and shaped like a ferret; Lin Chen recognized it instantly.

Race Name: Gale Sable

Attribute: Wind

Race level: Intermediate extraordinary

This is a wind-type pet that is known for its speed, agility, and generally does not attack humans unless provoked.

But this Swiftwind Sable in front of us is very strange.

The fur, which should have been gray, now shone with a dark, almost black sheen under the flashlight beam, as if it were dried blood.

What's most chilling is its eyes—blood-red, filled with madness and violence, devoid of any rationality.

Its movements were so fast they almost left afterimages, creating gusts of foul wind. Chaotic and sharp wind energy swirled around its claws and teeth, and each pounce was ruthless and cunning, tearing deep grooves into the ground and the wooden planks of the nearby thatched hut.

【Ding! 】

[Mission Objective: A puppy has been discovered. Please acquire it as soon as possible.]

[Mission Rewards: 10 Experience Points, 1 Double Experience Card, 1 Dog Roar Move Learning Machine]

【Ding! 】

The shadow of a dark crisis is rising to the surface, and the curtain slowly rises to cover the world.

[Mission Objective: Defeat the first Dark-type monster]

[Quest Rewards: 15 Experience Points, 2 Double Experience Cards, and a Badge of Light]