What does it mean when a pet evolves incorrectly?

The Qingyang Town Pet Treatment Center is located on a relatively quiet street on the edge of the town. It is an inconspicuous two-story building.

It's not large, only a little over 200 square meters in total, but in this small suburban town with a small permanent population and a limited proportion of beast tamers, it's considered a fairly complete medical facility.

After all, in a world where pet battles have penetrated all levels of society and have become a national sport, treatment centers are always indispensable, whether in cities or villages.

Injuries are inevitable in battles, whether it's training sparring, street conflicts, or attacks by wild animals like today.

In the narrow corridor outside the operating room, the cold white light shone on the smooth floor tiles, reflecting blurry figures.

The plastic seats were cold and hard. Lin Chen and Uncle Wang sat side by side, neither of them speaking.

Lin Chen leaned against the wall, with the Flame Claw Beast lying quietly at his feet.

The digital clock on the wall ticked red numbers, and a red light flashed on the operating room door.

Old Liu went out for a while, then quickly walked back.

He deliberately walked lightly, yet his footsteps still made a slight sound in the empty corridor.

"I just contacted Xiao Zhang. He's fine and has already met up with Director Li and the others."

"Director Li brought the technical team over there, and they are conducting a more detailed investigation and sampling of the scene and the carcass of the Swiftwind Weasel. They said they would notify us immediately if they made any discoveries."

Lin Chen nodded, feeling a slight sense of relief.

Old Liu then looked at Uncle Wang and said in a gentler tone, "Old Wang, once the situation here is stable, I'll need to trouble you to go to the police station when you have some free time to make a detailed statement."

"Okay, okay, I'll definitely go and cooperate."

Uncle Wang nodded hurriedly, but his gaze remained fixed on the operating room door.

He sighed heavily, his wrinkled face etched with exhaustion and lingering fear. His gaze seemed unfocused, and his lips moved as if speaking to Lin Chen and Lao Liu, yet also to himself:

"This poor little guy..."

He paused, his thoughts seemingly drifting back to a week ago:

"When it first came to my neighborhood, it was in a terrible state. It was tiny and staggered when it walked. It was also injured. I don't know if it had been fighting with other pets or if it had fallen somewhere. It was hiding behind the pile of firewood at the back wall of my house."

"I felt sorry for it, so I took some leftovers to give it, but it not only refused, it bared its teeth at me, and then limped away..."

Uncle Wang gave a wry smile and shook his head: "That stubborn temper."

"In the following days, it foraged for food on its own, but how much food could it easily find in the nearby fields and woods?"

"Seeing that its condition was getting worse and worse, I had no choice but to put the food near its usual spot, pretending it had been accidentally dropped, and then I hid far away. Only then would it eat..."

"Sigh, I fed it so carefully, and it took several days before it slowly became less afraid of me."

Lin Chen was speechless for a moment.

Such a vigilant Satsuki.

Then, he looked down at the Flameclaw Beast lying at his feet, his eyes filled with a meaningful look.

The Flameclaw Beast was initially wary of itself, but after just one meal of grilled skewers, it reverted to its enthusiastic, cheerful, and lively nature.

Look at that Satsuki dog, it won't be so easily won over by a little treat.

"Later, its condition gradually improved."

Uncle Wang's tone softened, and he continued slowly, "It barks at the slightest noise at night, and it's helped me chase away the wild animals that came to ruin my food twice. If it weren't for it this time, I wouldn't have discovered the cotton sheep so early..."

He couldn't continue, his voice choked with emotion.

Upon hearing this, Lin Chen couldn't help but recall the scene of Songsong Dog fighting a bloody battle. Although this guy's strength was not as good as Swift Sable, he did not back down even a step.

He approved of this Satsuki dog.

Thinking about this, my thoughts drifted away.

Defeating a Tier 1 Dark Beast earned the system a full six experience points, twice as much as a Tier 1 Extraordinary Pet.

Could it be that these strange pets, marked as "Dark" by the system, provide more experience points than ordinary pets of the same level?

If this conjecture is correct...

Lin Chen's heart skipped a beat.

This means that it is no longer a bizarre and cruel dark species, but rather a series of experience points gained through walking.

In addition, Lin Chen also remembered the Bright Badge from the mission rewards.

In the relevant setting, the Crest of Light symbolizes hope, light, and divine power, and is one of the keys to the evolution of the protagonist group's Digimon.

In the game, the eight badges have only collectible value and no practical use.

So what use is the Emblem of Light in the real world?

With focused attention, detailed information about the "Badge of Light" emerged:

[Ballad of Light LV1: Permanently increases damage against Dark races by 10%]

[Current Upgrade Progress]: 0/100 of the same-tier Dark type

[Note]: Those with a heart full of light may use this badge to purify impurities.

Permanently increases damage against Dark races by 10%!

Furthermore, you can level up by defeating Dark species of the same tier!

Lin Chen's pupils contracted slightly, his heart instantly filled with immense joy.

This effect is practically tailor-made to deal with beings like the Dark Species!

Although it's only 10% at present, this bonus will inevitably continue to increase as the badge level increases.

Doesn't this mean that I will have a natural advantage when facing the Dark Race in the future, and that I will be the undisputed stern father of the Dark Race?

Just as his thoughts were racing, the red light on the operating room door went out.

With a slight mechanical sound, the heavy metal door was pushed open from the inside.

A middle-aged doctor, whose face showed obvious fatigue but whose expression was relaxed, came out. She took off half of her mask and glanced at the three people who immediately jumped up from their chairs.

"The surgery was a success."

The doctor's voice was hoarse from the surgery: "The vital signs are stable now. The rest is rest and recovery. With proper care, you should be able to get out of bed and walk slowly in a day."

"That's wonderful! Thank you, doctor! Thank you so much!" Uncle Wang was so excited that he couldn't speak coherently and kept bowing.

Lin Chen and Lao Liu also breathed a long sigh of relief, their hearts finally at ease.

"You can go in and take a look at it, but don't stay too long and don't disturb it. The anesthesia hasn't completely worn off yet, so it needs to rest," the doctor advised.

The three of them tiptoed into the observation ward next to the operating room.

The room was small, containing only an observation table covered with a clean white sheet.

On the stage, the dog was lying quietly on its side, covered with a thin disinfectant blanket.

Its body was mostly wrapped in bandages, its left forelimb was in a cast, its small nose twitched slightly with steady breathing, and its eyes were closed, as it fell into a deep sleep.

Although he still looked weak, there was no longer any pain on his face, and his chest rose and fell rhythmically and powerfully.

In addition, Lin Chen noticed that it had a ring around its neck that was flashing blue light.

This is a vital signs monitoring ring worn by every injured pet to monitor data such as blood oxygen and heart rate in real time.

Lin Chen glanced at Songsong Dog, then at Uncle Wang, and said softly, "Uncle Wang, I need to discuss something with you."

"Please speak."

"I really like this little guy and want to take him home."

Before Uncle Wang could answer, the Flameclaw Beast beside him suddenly looked up, its eyes wide as it stared at Lin Chen: "Gagu?"