What does it mean when a pet evolves incorrectly?

"We're back."

A familiar voice came through the security door, accompanied by the soft sound of a key turning, and Mr. and Mrs. Lin returned home.

The motion-sensor light in the entryway turned on, casting a soft glow on the slightly weary figures of the two.

A soft clattering of pots and pans came from the kitchen. Lin Chen, wearing a light gray apron and holding a spatula, walked out, a smile playing on his lips, and nodded to the two of them.

"Dad, Mom, dinner will be ready soon."

During this summer vacation, Lin Mu Liu Hui, who works as an assistant to a pet breeder, is extremely busy at a private pet breeding shop, often having to work overtime to prepare breeding solutions and take care of the pets.

Lin Jianjun works at the Criminal Investigation Bureau, often leaving early and returning late, and sometimes has to deal with sudden incidents of low-level pets disturbing the peace.

Therefore, knowing how difficult the work was, Lin Chen took the initiative to cook dinner, making different kinds of home-style dishes every day so that the two of them could have a hot meal when they got home.

"Chenchen, where's your contracted pet?"

As Liu Hui changed her shoes, she asked a question, but her gaze inadvertently swept over the Flameclaw Beast on the sofa, and she suddenly stopped in her tracks: "Huh? What kind of pet is that?"

Following her gaze, Lin Jianjun also stopped in his tracks.

The Flameclaw Beast was sitting on the sofa, its body tense, seemingly at a loss for what to do at the appearance of the two.

Two more humans have joined the ranks.

But it quickly realized that the two meant no harm, and Liu Hui even had a reassuring smile on her face. So it secretly breathed a sigh of relief, grinned, and waved its paw: "Gagoo~"

Lin Chen isn't a bad guy, so neither of these two people are bad guys either.

Staring at the Flameclaw Beast, the two of them stood there stunned for a moment.

When Liu Hui came to her senses, she nudged Lin Jianjun beside her, lowered her voice, and urged him on:

"Go and say hello to this child, don't just stand there."

Lin Jianjun cleared his throat, took two steps forward, put his hands behind his back, and adopted the serious look he usually had when on duty, carefully examining the Flameclaw Beast from head to toe.

Why is it a Flameclaw Beast?

Didn't the child already plan to contract a Fire Hound?

Faced with the Lin Yan Claw Beast, Lin Jianjun was momentarily at a loss for words. He opened his mouth, his throat moved, but ultimately no sound came out.

For a moment, the living room fell into a brief silence.

The Flameclaw Beast's deep green eyes met Lin Jianjun's slightly stiff gaze, creating a subtly awkward atmosphere.

It tilted its head, seemingly not understanding why the human in front of it was staring at it, so it got up and walked towards Lin Jianjun, its grin widening:

"Gag gag gag~"

Just then, Lin Chen came out of the kitchen carrying two plates of food. Seeing this scene, he couldn't help but laugh out loud:

"Dad, Mom, this is a Flameclaw Beast..."

He briefly explained the origins of the Flameclaw Beast while placing the dishes on the table.

"In short, it will be my first pet from now on."

Upon hearing this, Liu Hui's curiosity instantly turned into heartache. She looked at the Flame Claw Beast in front of her, her voice gradually softening:

"You poor child, coming from the south to the north, you can stay in our home from now on."

Upon hearing these gentle words, the Flameclaw Beast felt a sudden lump in its throat and its eyes reddened. It vigorously wiped its eyes with its paw and turned its head away.

Lin Jianjun, standing to the side, frowned slightly, casting a scrutinizing gaze at the Flame Claw Beast, hesitating to speak:

"But we know very little about Flameclaw Beasts, unlike Firehounds, for whom I can offer some breeding experience..."

Before he could finish speaking, Lin Jianjun saw the Flame Claw Beast approach Liu Hui, who had an innate affinity for him, and let her gently stroke its head. So he pursed his lips and kept quiet.

But just then, the Flameclaw Beast's gaze involuntarily drifted to the dining table, its nose twitching slightly—it smelled so good!

It's like a plump fish caught from a stream, grilled over a flame and seasoned with various spices to create its tempting flavor.

"Gagoo gagoo..."

Lin Chen brought out the last dish and saw the Flameclaw Beast's greedy look, so he couldn't help but laugh:

"Alright, alright, stop staring and let's eat first."

Liu Hui and Lin Jianjun sat down at the dining table, while Lin Chen turned and went to the kitchen to get a clean small bowl. He then took out the basic energy liquid he had bought during the day from his backpack and slowly poured it into the bowl.

"Flameclaw Beast, this is for you."

But the Flameclaw Beast only glanced at the energy liquid in the bowl before its gaze immediately returned to the food on the table. It pursed its lips, its eyes filled with longing.

Lin Chen said with a mix of helplessness and amusement, "Try this first, it's good for your health."

"Gaku!"

The Flameclaw Beast snorted, turned its head away from Lin Chen, crossed its paws in front of its chest, and sat down on the ground.

Those ungrateful and despicable humans!

You really are a bad guy!

Bad guy, bad guy, bad guy!

"They really are just kids."

Lin Chen chuckled inwardly, speaking gently and patiently, "Try the energy liquid first. If you don't like it, then eat it with us."

"Gaku~"

The Flameclaw Beast reluctantly nodded and looked down at the energy liquid in the bowl.

It doesn't look appetizing, but I'll just have to take a bite anyway.

So it lowered its head and carefully licked a mouthful of the energy liquid in the bowl.

The next second, its eyes lit up instantly: "Gagoo?!"

With its eyes shining brightly as if it had discovered a treasure, the Flameclaw Beast immediately lowered its head and began to drink in large gulps, occasionally letting out satisfied gurgling sounds.

Seeing that it was eating happily, Lin Chen felt relieved and returned to the dining table to sit down.

Just as I took a bite of food, Liu Hui's voice reached my ears:

"Chenchen, now that you have formed a contract with the Flameclaw Beast, treat it well from now on and regard it as your best companion."

Lin Chen smiled and nodded: "Of course."

Lin Jianjun glanced at the Flame Claw Beast, which was intently drinking the energy liquid, and then at Lin Chen, who had a smile on his face, without saying a word.

The words of dissuasion stuck in his throat, and he couldn't say them for a moment.

After a long pause, he put down his chopsticks, his face serious: "I'll go to the bureau tomorrow to inquire about the pet's situation and ask for their opinions on its breeding."

He paused, then sighed softly, "After all, raising an unfamiliar pet is too difficult, and this is your initial pet..."

"If it were a Fire Hound, I might be able to help you..."

Lin Chen did not refuse his father's kindness.

After a while, Lin Chen said softly, "Oh, right, I have 15,000 yuan left. You can take it back."

Lin Jianjun put down his chopsticks and waved his hand:

"Keep this money for yourself. You're a certified Beastmaster now, and you'll need money to train and raise Flameclaw Beasts in the future. Having the money will give you peace of mind."

Liu Hui smoothed the wrinkles around her eyes and picked up the conversation:

"We still have money at home, so you don't need to worry. Your sister has also gone to do an internship, and they're providing food and lodging for her, so she won't need any money from home for now. Take this money and save it for when you need it later."

Seeing the determination in his parents' eyes, Lin Chen knew that there was no point in refusing any longer, so he silently nodded.

He was just starting out on his path as a beast tamer, and he was short of money in every aspect of his life, a lot of money.

He looked up and asked softly, "By the way, Mom, when is my sister coming home?"

Mentioning her daughter Lin Yue, Liu Hui's eyes softened, and she sighed softly:

"It will probably take a while longer. Your sister said her internship is far from Qinglan City, and the workload is quite heavy, leaving her with very little time to even make phone calls."

"However, she said this internship is a rare opportunity with excellent benefits and that there might be a chance to become a full-time employee in the future."

"Sigh, it's just so tiring..."

Lin Chen remained silent for a moment.

Three years ago, my older sister, Lin Yue, was admitted to a very good beast taming academy and is now an intermediate beast tamer.

She, who is about to enter her senior year of college, recently found a very good internship, which will help ease the financial burden on her family and prepare her for graduation.

Dinner ended in a warm atmosphere. After finishing their meal, Liu Hui and Lin Jianjun exchanged a glance.

Lin Jianjun coughed lightly, took out an exquisite box from his pocket, and placed it in front of Lin Chen.

Lin Chen asked in confusion, "Dad, what's this?"

Lin Jianjun said with a stern face, "Open it and see for yourself."

Liu Hui smiled broadly and said in a gentle voice, "Chenchen, open it and take a look. This is a gift we prepared for you."

"Congratulations on becoming a certified Beastmaster."

Lin Chen didn't rush to open the box. Instead, he looked at his parents carefully, a smile spreading across his face: "Dad, Mom, thank you."

Liu Hui smiled gently, and Lin Jianjun coughed lightly.

Then, Lin Chen opened the box, and a fruit came into view.

The fruit is bright red all over, exudes a faint warm aroma, and has a delicate sheen on its surface.

"This is... the core of the Crimson Flame Fruit?" Lin Chen's eyes lit up.

Crimson Flame Fruit Core, a first-level fire-type resource, contains pure fire-attribute energy, which is very beneficial to the development and growth of fire-type pets.

Don't let its small size fool you; it sells for at least three thousand on the market.

Lin Chen looked up at the two of them: "Mom and Dad..."

Before he could finish his sentence, Lin Jianjun waved his hand and said, "I used the bureau's contribution points to get it; I didn't spend any money."

After a brief pause, Lin Jianjun added, "You received a gift when your sister became a Beast Tamer, so you should receive one too."

Lin Chen stopped talking and simply nodded.

"Hmph," he said, handing the Crimson Flame Fruit pit to the Flameclaw Beast. "Flameclaw Beast, eat this."

"This is the pit of the Crimson Flame Fruit; it's good for your health."

As we all know, being a Beast Tamer is a profession that requires spending money, and the growth of your pets cannot be separated from the nourishment of various resources.

For Flameclaw Beast to evolve quickly and become stronger, it needs sufficient resources.

The Flameclaw Beast raised its head, held the Crimson Flame Fruit pit in its paw, and brought it to its nose to smell it. A faint, warm fragrance entered its nostrils, making it squint its eyes.

It curiously examined the Crimson Flame Fruit pit, then looked at Lin Chen, before opening its mouth and swallowing it whole.

Not long after swallowing it, the Flameclaw Beast felt a warm current surge through its body, sliding down its throat and into its entire body, then slowly spreading to every corner of its body, making it feel warm and comfortable, so much so that it couldn't help but squint its eyes.

Then, it raised its eyes, which gleamed: "Gagoo!"

I want more!

Lin Chen spread his hands and smiled helplessly: "This is the only one."

The Flameclaw Beast looked disappointed and could only close its eyes and quietly feel the warm current flowing through it.

Just then, a cold system notification suddenly rang out:

[Ding! Flameclaw Beast used level 1 resource, evolution experience points +10]

Lin Chen's eyes lit up: "So you can also gain evolution experience points by using nurturing resources."