What does it mean when a pet evolves incorrectly?

Seeing that the Gale Sable had turned and fled, quickly disappearing into the depths of the rain, the Flame Claw Beast's hind leg muscles bulged, and it instinctively wanted to give chase.

Lin Chen's eyes flashed, and he called out to the Flame Claw Beast, "Er Huo, stop!"

The Flameclaw Beast abruptly stopped, turned its head, and looked on with confusion and urgency: "Gagu?"

"It's too dangerous."

Lin Chen strode forward, pressed down on the Flame Claw Beast's shoulder, which was trembling slightly with excitement, and looked in the direction where the Gale Sable had disappeared. Rainwater slid down the lines of his profile.

"It's still raining heavily, the weather is extremely bad, and the visibility is very low."

"Furthermore, we are not familiar with the terrain of this area. Chasing an opponent in a strange state in the rain in an unfamiliar wilderness is too risky."

His eyes flickered, but his expression remained calm: "Besides, we're not sure if there's only one of these things. What if it has others of its kind lying in ambush, or trying to lure us into a more complex trap?"

Based on Lin Chen's years of experience reading novels and watching movies, a dispersed pursuit and isolation are often precursors to trouble.

Although the rewards for this mission are very tempting, safety is more important.

Although the Flameclaw Beast was somewhat unwilling, it trusted Lin Chen's judgment: "Gag~"

Seeing this, Lao Liu secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

It's good for young people to be energetic, but knowing how to assess the situation and control their impulses is an even more valuable quality.

For those in this profession, experience is often reflected in their ability to assess and make choices regarding risks.

"you're right."

Old Liu nodded, wiping the rain from his face: "Let's get back inside first. That beast is badly injured and soaked in this rain; it might not have gone far. We can organize a search party to conduct a net search once the rain subsides."

The three retreated inside, shutting out the noisy downpour outside.

Uncle Wang found a dry old blanket, spread it on the table, and carefully placed Songsong on it.

The little guy was soaking wet, his off-white fur was covered in mud and blood, and although the wounds were not very deep, they looked terrible. Even in his unconscious state, he would occasionally twitch slightly from the pain.

Lin Chen took out disinfectant spray, hemostatic gel, and clean bandages from the first aid kit in the car and began to treat Songsong Dog's injuries. This is considered a compulsory course for every beast tamer.

Every student will take courses related to animal therapy during their secondary school years, and may even practice it.

"Mmm?"

The cool, disinfectant spray briefly brought Songsong Dog back to its senses. It opened its eyes groggily and was slightly taken aback when it saw Lin Chen.

They are the humans who saved themselves.

It felt a strange sense of peace, but then the pain and fatigue surged back like a tide, engulfing it.

A moment later, the sound of running and familiar dog barking came from outside the door.

With a creak, the door was pushed open, and Zhang Zhi rushed in, soaked to the bone, followed closely by the Qinglan hunting dog, Zhuifeng. He shook his head, splashing water everywhere.

Zhang Zhi's gaze quickly swept across the room, and seeing that all three were safe and sound, his tense expression relaxed slightly.

"Is everything alright?"

He caught his breath and asked urgently, "Where's the Swiftsable that attacked the cotton sheep?"

Old Liu succinctly stated: "It was injured by Xiao Lin's Flameclaw Beast and fled in the southeast direction. We didn't pursue it too closely."

"They escaped?"

Zhang Zhi frowned and immediately looked at his partner: "Chasing Wind!"

"Woof!"

The Azure Hound understood and immediately began to sniff carefully inside the house.

It paused briefly on the unconscious Pinedog, tilting its head as if in confusion, but quickly turned to the Flameclaw Beast, whose aura was more intense.

Approaching the Flameclaw Beast, its nostrils flared rapidly, especially sniffing the claws and the mud and bloodstains on its body.

"Woof woof!"

A moment later, the Azure Mist Hound raised its head and barked incessantly toward the southeast, its tail wagging from side to side.

It successfully located the lingering scent of the Swift Sable on the Flameclaw Beast, and although it was diluted by the rain, it was enough for such an excellent tracking dog.

Zhang Zhi's eyes narrowed, and he spoke without hesitation: "Brother Liu, I'll take Zhui Feng to chase after them."

"etc."

Lin Chen suddenly spoke up. He had already quickly treated the deeper wounds on Songsong Dog's body. He looked up at Zhang Zhi and said, "Brother Zhang, I'll go with you."

Zhang Zhi was taken aback, looked at Lin Chen, and then at the Flame Claw Beast that was eager to try.

After a week of contact, he was well aware of the Flameclaw Beast's strength, and the fierce battle just now proved that the Flameclaw Beast was capable of fighting against that strange Gale Sable.

But he still hesitated, after all, Lin Chen was a temporary assistant and had a close relationship with Director Li.

Zhang Zhi turned his questioning gaze to Lao Liu.

Old Liu's gaze lingered on Lin Chen's face for two seconds, recalling the calmness and decisiveness he displayed when commanding the Flame Claw Beast, which was beyond his years, as well as the careful consideration he showed when stopping the pursuit.

He nodded: "You guys go together, be careful, and stay in touch."

"Yes!" Zhang Zhi replied without further hesitation.

"Uncle Wang, please take care of it for us until we get back," Lin Chen instructed Uncle Wang, then gently patted the Flame Claw Beast. "Let's go, Er Huo."

"Gaku!"

The Flameclaw Beast waved its claws and growled in response.

No pet can escape its claws.

The two of them, along with their two pets, stepped into the rainy night once again.

Not far from the farmhouse, the seemingly endless torrential rain began to decrease at a visible rate.

The dense raindrops became sparse, and the sound of them hitting the raincoat was no longer continuous.

After walking for a few more minutes, the rain turned into a drizzle that was almost negligible.

The thick, dark clouds that had shrouded the sky for so long seemed to be parted by an invisible hand and slowly dissipated.

The air, washed clean by the torrential rain, carried the fresh scents of earth, grass, and rainwater, which were invigorating and diluted the lingering stench of blood.

In the distance, the majestic outline of the Duanshan mountain range reappeared in the dissipating mist, and a seven-colored rainbow that stretched across the sky appeared quietly at some point, standing out against the gradually clearing sky.

After the rain, the sky cleared and a rainbow appeared.

The Blue Mist Hound's nose was almost touching the slippery mud as it steadily followed forward.

The rain did not completely erase the fresh traces of the Swiftwind Sable, especially since it was injured. The intermittent bloodstains mixed with the unique fishy smell, which could not be hidden from the Azure Mist Hound's extraordinary sense of smell.

Lin Chen and Zhang Zhi followed closely behind, cautiously observing their surroundings.

The tracking lasted for approximately two kilometers.

The terrain gradually transitions from the flat edge of farmland to slightly undulating wilderness, with the outlines of sparse trees in the distance becoming increasingly clear.

Finally, the Blue Mist Hound stopped outside a small grove of trees.

It stopped advancing, lowered its body, pricked up its ears, and growled a warning growl, its eyes fixed on the depths of the woods: "Woof!"

Zhang Zhi lowered his voice: "Inside."

Lin Chen nodded, signaling the Flame Claw Beast to get ready.

"Gaku!"

The Flameclaw Beast raised its paw and wiped its neck, its gaze sharp.

This time, it will not let that guy escape.

The two carefully parted the rain-drenched, drooping branches and stepped into the dimly lit grove.

The light was fragmented by the dense canopy of trees, casting dappled and swaying shadows on the forest clearing.

Beside the gnarled roots of an old tree.

The Swift Sable leaned against the tree trunk, slumped on the wet fallen leaves and moss, its chest heaving violently, each breath accompanied by a wheezing sound like a bellows, making it seem exceptionally difficult.

The wounds on his body were faintly visible, and blood was still seeping slightly from the charred and torn flesh.

Sensing someone approaching, the Gale Sable abruptly raised its head, its crimson pupils contracting, and a hoarse, threatening growl escaped its throat: "Roar!"

Its state remained frenzied and bizarre. Upon seeing the two, it seemed to be stimulated by something, dragging its severely injured body and ignoring the intense pain, it charged straight at them.

"It's really strange, like they've lost their mind."

Zhang Zhi frowned as he observed the Swift Wind Sable's reaction: "Wind Chaser, handle this..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Chen stepped forward and calmly said, "Let me do it, Brother Zhang."

Zhang Zhi looked at Lin Chen's calm profile and the Flame Claw Beast beside him, which was eager to try, and nodded hesitantly.

He knew that Lin Chen had a mysterious obsession with combat; perhaps that was what a battle maniac was.

Whenever the two of them went out on duty and encountered a relatively weak Tier 1 pet, Lin Chen would definitely take the initiative to attack, and only after defeating the opponent would a smile appear on his face.

His smile was so pure, just like the one he wore every time he defeated a boss in a game.

Lin Chen stared directly at the frenzied Gale Sable charging towards him, his eyes sharp: "Second Fire, Small Explosion."

"Gaku!"

The Flameclaw Beast's chest rose and fell slightly, and orange flames rapidly gathered deep in its throat. The surrounding air temperature quietly rose at this moment, and even the few falling leaves curled up and turned yellow as they approached.

Two seconds later.

Just as the Gale Sable pounced through the air, its claws, carrying a foul wind and flowing black light, were about to touch the Flame Claw Beast's face, the orange flames that had been accumulating to their peak suddenly erupted from the Flame Claw Beast's wide-open mouth!

The pillar of fire was only as thick as a bowl, but it was so bright that it blinded the onrushing swift weasels and illuminated half of the dark forest.

Boom!!

The deafening explosion echoed through the grove.

Orange flames and a violent shockwave exploded from the point of impact, causing the branches and leaves of surrounding trees to fall wildly, and stirring up damp fallen leaves and soil from the ground.

The light dissipated.

The Flameclaw Beast breathed heavily and looked ahead—the charred Swiftwind Sable lay two meters in front of it, its eyes closed, lifeless.

"Gag~"

The Flameclaw Beast raised its claws high and grinned.

You think you can escape from my claws?

[Defeat a Tier 1 Dark Race and gain 6 experience points]

[Player has defeated the first Dark-type monster; quest complete]

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