What does it mean when a pet evolves incorrectly?

"Mmm?"

Upon hearing Lin Chen's words, Songsong Dog also looked up in surprise.

It glanced at Lin Chen, then at the scorching viper, its little face tense, seemingly very nervous.

Lin Chen didn't answer immediately, but instead aimed his energy detection bracelet at the scorching viper opposite him:

Race Name: Scorching Viper

Attribute: Fire.

"Racial Rank: Intermediate Transcendent".

Strength Level: Tier 1

Lin Chen withdrew his gaze, staring into Songsong's dark eyes, his voice full of encouragement:

"Look, this guy is about as strong as you, you can definitely beat him."

After a brief pause, he added, "We are now contractual partners, and I hope you can become very, very strong, so that you don't have to rely on the strength of others."

Lin Chen touched Songsong's little head, his gentle smile and voice like an invisible net, completely captivating the latter's heart:

"I trust you."

"Mmm..."

The dog took a deep breath, fixing its gaze on the scorching viper. Its eyes sharpened, but its voice remained delicate: "Mmm!"

It never gets nervous because of the strength of its opponents.

only.......

The dog glanced furtively at Lin Chen, then suddenly tensed up, its fighting spirit high.

It was just afraid that Lin Chen would be disappointed.

The Flameclaw Beast's gaze remained fixed on the constantly changing expression of the Pinedog; it had a feeling that something was off about the little guy.

Moreover, since the little guy came to the house, Lin Chen has been smiling more and more, and even his tone of voice has become much gentler.

Don't do this, Lin Chen!

We promised to become stronger together!

Just as Flameclaw was lost in thought, Tsunade stepped forward and confronted the Scorching Viper.

The crimson snake's body lay on the forest floor like a writhing ember, emitting an unpleasant heat and fishy odor.

"Hiss!"

The scarlet snake's tongue flickered rapidly, its neck arched sharply like a compressed spring, and in the next instant, it opened its mouth and spat out a flamethrower that whistled towards the face of the pineapple dog.

As the fireball was unleashed, the scorching viper's body sprang forward, darting out like a crimson lightning bolt. Its mouth gaped open, and even brighter streams of flame gathered at the tips of its fangs.

The dog lowered its body slightly, gripping the ground firmly with its four limbs, and the sacred ring around its neck emitted an increasingly warm and peaceful light.

It didn't look at the roaring fireball or the swooping venomous snake; it was completely focused on waiting for Lin Chen's command.

"Swift Strike".

Lin Chen's voice echoed in Songsong Dog's mind.

"Eek!"

With a gentle push of its four little paws against the ground, kicking up a few blades of grass, the small dog's body transformed into a white streak of light, suddenly shifting several meters to the left and forward.

The scorching fireball whistled past its body and slammed into the trunk of a tree behind it, exploding into a small ball of sticky, burning flames.

At the same time, the scorching viper twisted its body, turned around, and tried to pounce on the pineapple.

But the momentum of the dog's charge was not yet exhausted. Using the inertia of the burst, the small body twisted and turned in mid-air with extreme agility. Instead of retreating, it advanced, transforming into a more concentrated and swift white light, and actively crashed into the scorching viper!

boom!

With a muffled thud that wasn't too loud, the white streak of light and the crimson snake shadow collided violently.

The next moment, the scorching viper suddenly froze, letting out a painful hiss as it flew backward uncontrollably.

After falling to the ground, the scorching viper was momentarily disoriented and unable to immediately mount an effective attack.

Lin Chen's command followed immediately: "The puppy barks."

Upon hearing the command, the Satsuki dog didn't hesitate at all, immediately raising its little head and puffing out its chest:

"Woof woof woof!!!"

In an instant, an invisible and intangible wave of psychic power, like ripples on water, spread rapidly from the center of the pineapple and covered the entire body of the scorching viper.

"hiss?!"

The scorching viper that was hit head-on froze abruptly, its head feeling as if it had been struck by a heavy hammer, its eyes glazed over, and its body swayed.

"A good opportunity, Swift Strike."

"Eek!"

A sharp glint flashed in the dog's eyes, and it pushed off the ground with its four paws once more.

Like a white lightning bolt skimming the ground, it traversed several meters in an instant, leaping high after getting close to the scorching viper, its right forepaw extending out.

puff!

The sound of claws tearing through scales and flesh rang out, and the scorching viper was instantly dealt a severe blow, its body writhing and thrashing on the ground in agony: "Hiss!"

[Defeat a Tier 1 pet and gain 3 experience points]

At the same moment, the Satsuki landed lightly, slightly panting.

It lowered its head, glanced at its paw stained with a trace of dark red blood, then looked up at the scorching viper lying on the ground, its eyes flashing: "Mmm?"

Was this long snake not giving it its all?

Why is it so weak?

"Because you are strong enough." Lin Chen squatted down, patted the head of the pineapple, and praised it with a smile.

Although the contract with the Squirrel was short, its growth environment was much better than that of the Flameclaw Beast—it had an abundance of energy cubes and energy liquids, as well as the bonus from the Knowledge Badge, which led to the Squirrel's rapid improvement in strength, with its Swift Strike already at the proficient level.

The pineapple is more than capable of dealing with an ordinary, scorching viper.

Moreover, the Squirrel demonstrated excellent fighting instincts and superb resilience during its initial battle against the Gale Sable, indicating that its potential is greater than imagined.

"Eek~~"

The dog let out a satisfied, soft whimper and nuzzled its head against Lin Chen's palm. But as if realizing that its reaction was too proactive, it quickly nodded modestly.

But the slightly trembling, reddened ear tips and the increasingly cheerful little tail completely betrayed its inner joy.

The Flameclaw Beast watched the heartwarming interaction between the human and its pet up close, and it felt somewhat superfluous in being there.

It's supposed to be an adventure with one person and two pets, but it doesn't even deserve to be shown.

Fortunately, Lin Chen had been paying attention to the Flameclaw Beast's reaction. He took two big steps forward, reached out and patted the latter's shoulder: "You're too strong. This kind of opponent is no challenge for you at all."

"Wait until you encounter a more formidable opponent before you make your move."

Upon hearing this, Flameclaw Beast first crossed its paws, let out a soft hum, but its eyes subtly curved into a smile, and it raised its head slightly: "Gagoo~".

As a genius, it should indeed fight against stronger opponents.

Let's give this small chance to the little guy.

This is the demeanor of a genius.

"hiss......"

Suddenly, the severely wounded, scorching viper whimpered, its body tensing once more as it flicked its tongue at the Squirrel, its eyes icy cold: "Hiss!"

Lin Chen was taken aback.

This guy dares to provoke a Squirrel?

The next moment, the system voice sounded:

【Ding! 】

[Mission Objective: During the Newcomer Competition, make every pet submit to you.]

[Task Reward: 5 experience points for each pet that submits, stacking infinitely]

Lin Chen's eyes lit up as he stared intently at the scorching viper.

So after all this time, you're still not convinced?