What does it mean when a pet evolves incorrectly?

The morning light, like a pale, grayish fish belly, seeped in little by little through the gaps in the not-quite-closed curtains, slowly creeping over the old desk legs, climbing up the peeling paint on the walls, and finally settling on a patch of orange-yellow shadow spread out in the corner.

The Flameclaw Beast's eyelids twitched, then slowly opened.

In its deep green eyes, a layer of misty water, as if it had just woken up, was first veiled, reflecting the blurry texture of the unfamiliar ceiling.

It lay still, its eyes darting around, its gaze sweeping over the table piled with books and miscellaneous items, over the photos of various pets pasted on the wall, and over the faint light seeping in from the window.

This is where?

It tilted its head, rubbed its eyes with its paw, and became fully awake.

Oh, by the way, this is Lin Chen's house.

Lin Chen also said that this place is now its home.

Family.

The Flameclaw Beast sat up, shook its head, and its orange-yellow fur gleamed healthily in the brightening morning light.

It looked around the small room, where dust motes danced silently in the beams of light, and the air smelled of paper and old wood mixed together, with the even, gentle breathing coming from the bed.

Lin Chen was still asleep.

The Flameclaw Beast blinked, then nimbly rose to its feet, its paws making no sound as it stepped onto the cool floor.

It walked to the bedside and looked up at Lin Chen.

In the wild, at this time of day, the sun would already be high in the sky, and most of the animals would have already begun to move around and forage for food.

Pets that sleep in late will only go hungry.

The same applies to people.

After thinking about it, it felt it was necessary to make Lin Chen also follow a healthy lifestyle.

So, the Flameclaw Beast stretched out its two little claws, grabbed the edge of the blanket, and pulled it down hard.

"Gaku!"

Get up!

With a clear cry, the Flameclaw Beast not only yanked off the blanket, but also stood on tiptoe and vigorously shook Lin Chen's shoulder with its claws: "Gaga gaga!"

"Well……"

Lin Chen was startled awake by the sudden chill of losing his covering and a violent shaking.

He suddenly opened his eyes, his pupils quickly focusing after a brief moment of disorientation. His brain, like a precision instrument that had been activated, instantly dispelled the lingering fog of sleep.

What came into view was the face of the Flameclaw Beast, which was very close to the viewer's, and the increasingly bright morning light behind it.

Lin Chen paused for only a very short moment, his gaze sweeping over the Flame Claw Beast, over the blanket that had been pulled to the foot of the bed, and then over the bright sky outside the window.

He first glanced at the Flameclaw Beast in front of him, then at the blanket lying on the ground, and chuckled to himself.

This guy was so wary yesterday, but he seems like a completely different person this morning.

The Flameclaw Beast truly possesses a passionate, cheerful, and lively spirit.

He took a deep breath and didn't hesitate for a moment:

"Okay, get up."

She nimbly turned over and sat up, folded the blankets, and made the bed.

Wash up, prepare a simple breakfast—fried eggs, bread, and energy potions for the Flameclaw Beast.

The Flameclaw Beast ate quickly, its cheeks bulging, its eyes squinting contentedly.

For it, the stable food provided by this home was already an unimaginable luxury.

While eating, Lin Chen took out his phone to record the Flame Claw Beast's food intake, in order to deduce the beast's daily energy intake and roughly estimate when to buy energy liquid next.

After finishing breakfast, Lin Chen walked up to the Flameclaw Beast, squatted down, and looked it in the eye.

"Two fires."

His voice was unusually calm: "Starting today, we will begin formal training."

"Gag?"

After finishing the last sip of energy liquid, the Flameclaw Beast tilted its head and asked.

"right."

Lin Chen patiently explained, "If you want to become stronger and evolve, you must undergo systematic cultivation and rigorous training."

Whether it's the freshman competition he learned about last night or the dark crisis mentioned by the system, both require Lin Chen to possess great strength.

Even if we disregard these two issues, to change the family's predicament and live a better life, we must become a more powerful beast tamer.

Raising and training pets is the only way to become stronger.

To motivate the Flame Claw Beast, Lin Chen changed his approach: "As long as we become stronger, we can earn lots and lots of money."

"Once you have money, you can do whatever you want."

"For example, yesterday's kebabs, you can eat as many as you want."

"You don't want to go hungry every day, do you?"

The Flameclaw Beast's eyes suddenly lit up, and it nodded vigorously: "Gagu!"

fast!

Let's train quickly!

Just then, the system voice suddenly rang in my mind:

[Saving the world from crisis requires immense strength. Please provide Agumon with at least one hour of basic comprehensive skills training.]

[Task Rewards: 5 Experience Points, 1 Double Experience Card]

Another system task has appeared.

What are the triggering conditions for system tasks?

Is it due to one's own strong desire for nurturing and training?

Or is there another reason?

Furthermore, what does the system refer to as basic comprehensive quality training include?

Countless thoughts flashed through Lin Chen's mind in a flash, but his expression quickly returned to calm.

No matter what, let's go train first.

So he waved his hand and said, "Let's go to the training ground."

This old residential area, built decades ago, has mottled exterior walls and messy greenery eroded by time, but it still has all the necessary public facilities.

After passing through several residential buildings of the same color, a relatively open area came into view.

Community training ground.

The ground was covered with some wear but still thick non-slip plastic, and several tall lampposts with stable lighting stood along the edge.

In the corner were some basic public training equipment: weighted frames of varying heights, rope nets for climbing, hardwood stakes for training claw and beak strikes, and a large gray steel plate covered with various marks.

The steel plate was made of some unknown alloy, and its surface was no longer smooth. It was covered with dense claw marks, peck marks, charred marks from flames, rust from water stains, and shallow pits left by energy impacts.

It is like a silent witness, recording the traces of countless beast tamers who lived here and their initial partners, as they first shed sweat and strived to become stronger.

Because it was a weekday and still early, there were only two or three people scattered around the training ground, each doing their morning activities with their pets in a relatively far-away spot, without disturbing each other.

Lin Chen led the Flame Claw Beast straight to a secluded corner, right in front of the weathered steel plate.

"Warm up first."

Lin Chen spoke succinctly, taking the lead in performing a set of simple stretching exercises to loosen his joints and relax his muscles: "Follow me."

The Flameclaw Beast imitated its movements, which appeared somewhat comical due to the difference in its body structure, but it studied very seriously, twisting its neck, turning its arms, kicking its legs, and even trying to bend its waist.

After a simple stretch, Lin Chen took out the energy cubes he had bought yesterday from his waist bag.

"Eat it and chew slowly." Lin Chen handed a piece to the Flame Claw Beast.

The Flameclaw Beast sniffed it, its eyes lit up, and it swallowed it whole without chewing.

"Gaku..."

Soon, the Flameclaw Beast felt a warm current rapidly spreading from its stomach to its limbs and bones. The body, which had been slightly warmed up during the warm-up, seemed to emit a comfortable groan, full of power.

It involuntarily waved its claws, feeling that the tips seemed sharper than usual.

"You felt it?"

Lin Chen observed its reaction and nodded: "This is an energy cube, which can replenish and stimulate your physical strength, making the training more effective."

"Alright, let's begin."

He took a few steps back, creating some distance, his expression focused.

"First, let's test your current skill mastery. Flameclaw Beast, aim straight ahead and unleash Flame Breath!"

"Gaku!"

The Flameclaw Beast let out a low growl, and its aura suddenly changed.

It lowered its body slightly, its eyes fixed intently on the empty space in front of it, its mouth opened, and specks of orange-red light began to gather deep in its throat, while the temperature of the surrounding air subtly rose.

After about two seconds of preparation, a fireball was spewed out of its mouth.

The center of the flame was a dazzling orange-yellow, with transparent ripples around the edges caused by the high temperature distorting the air. It swept across several meters, leaving a brief trail of heat in the air, and finally, with a "poof," its energy was exhausted and it dissipated into the air.

The lingering warmth made Lin Chen's cheeks feel dry and hot.

Its power is considerable.

The range is about ten meters, and the explosive power and speed are quite good. As an initial skill, its lethality is more than adequate.

"Good, keep that feeling."

Lin Chen pointed to the huge steel plate in the corner of the training ground: "Attack it with all your might using your sharp claws!"

Without hesitation, the Flameclaw Beast charged toward the steel plate with its short legs.

When it was more than a meter away from the steel plate, it pushed off with its hind legs, leaped into the air, and swung its right front paw out in mid-air.

The claws, which were originally just slightly sharp, suddenly flashed with a cold, sharp white light.

Sizzle—!

A harsh metallic scraping sound rang out.

The Flameclaw Beast landed lightly and looked back at its spoils.

Three clear white scratches appeared on the steel plate that had withstood countless attacks.

But it's just a scratch.

The depth was very shallow, even less than some of the deeper claw marks next to it. It only damaged the outermost layer of oxidation and wear on the steel plate, revealing the slightly newer metallic color underneath.

Its power is significantly less than that of a small flame.

"Erhuo, come here." Lin Chen beckoned.

The little guy ran back, looked up at him, and waited for instructions.

"Flame Breath is your primary long-range attack method, and you must prioritize practicing it. The goal is to improve your firing speed, control, and power."

Lin Chen stated clearly and logically:

"In addition, your physical fitness, speed, endurance, and reaction time—these basic qualities are the foundation of all skills, and you also need to put a lot of effort into improving them."

Lin Chen pointed to the simple equipment on the training field: "From today onwards, this is where we will come every day."