The gameplay of the Evolution Guide involved controlling characters to hunt, accumulate evolution points, and then set a future direction in order to evolve.
Chu Yi was multitasking, massaging the white-socked Jade Foot while his mind was immersed in the guide.
The darkness squirmed; shadows twisted in a frenzy. Brightly colored, grotesque images, like summer bubbles, burst one by one, then floated up, repeating in an endless cycle. A book, scoured by the torrent of millennia, stood firm upon the river of time. Noticing the player's arrival, a bizarre, large eyeball on its cover blinked open, occasionally rotating.
Chu Yi's mind stirred, and he opened the first page of the guide. It was empty. A line of fragmented text appeared, forming a selection box.
[Hint: Please bind the first Deceit Beast.]
Bind?
Chu Yi muttered, returning to reality, only to find that Bika was gone.
He looked at Lias with puzzlement. Her charming face was flushed, a rosy glow against her snowy skin, and her chest seemed to swell, a fox head poking out from within her bodice.
Ah, this... Infiltrating the enemy lines... Well done, Bika. But as her master, I'm the one who's going to suffer.
Sure enough, Lias glared at him, transferring the consequences of her Pet Beast's mischief onto its master.
With no time to think, Chu Yi tried to bind Bika as the first Deceit Beast. In the game, anything not his possession couldn't be bound, nor could it receive the blessing of evolution.
[Binding failed, subject does not meet Deceit Beast requirements.]
Fail? Why did it fail? And what are the Deceit Beast requirements?
He hesitated for a moment, his gaze drifting up her smooth, ivory-tender thighs, past the lace miniskirt, to Lias herself.
I wonder if actual people can be bound.
[Binding failed, subject does not meet Deceit Beast requirements.]
Alright, what exactly are these Deceit Beast requirements? When I played this damn game before, it wasn't this complicated.
"Trash, am I really that pretty to look at?"
Under his intense gaze, Lias's eyes darted away, but in the next moment, they fixed on Chu Yi. Her pink lips pursed slightly as she sneered coldly.
But Chu Yi was still pondering what was wrong with his cheat system, so he didn't respond.
"Humph."
This cold attitude made Lias's expression freeze. Her slender calf retracted slightly, then her foot shot out. The snowy, supple tip of her foot even pressed down on the 'peak of his sword,' making Chu Yi quickly snap back to his senses, his face darkening.
A fatal strike to the family jewels!
"Miss, don't mess around."
Chu Yi hurriedly grasped the Jade Foot, gently massaging it. As for this mischievous daughter of his adoptive father's family, this young lady of the Count's Mansion, he decided to swallow his anger and stay far away from her.
Otherwise, sooner or later, I'll show her the meaning of 'the chickens flown and the eggs all smashed'!
Lias stared at him for a while, her ice-blue eyes blinking, a hint of playful mockery flashing through them. A vine tendril dangled down, pulling out the troublemaking Bika. Looking at the little fox, which was whimpering pitifully and trying to look cute to beg for mercy, Lias couldn't help but snicker, "Your master is a pervert, you know."
Bika: ???
Chu Yi: …
He was so furious his fists clenched.
[Ding, binding success!]
[Player binds first Deceit Beast, reward: Initial evolution points +5.]
At this moment, a heavenly voice sounded, stunning Chu Yi.
Binding successful? What did I bind?
Opening the guide, he saw a chibi-style illustration of a hand on the first page. It was as white as jade, slender and long. Below it, a line of fragmented text appeared:
[Deceit Beast]: A Pretty Hand
[Grade]: None
[Level]: None
[Attribute]: Flesh System
[Weakness]: Fire
[Skill]: Attack Speed Enhancement
[Specialty]: None
[Status]: Excited
[Evolution Points]: 5
This is... my hand?
Chu Yi stared for a long time, suddenly realizing that this Deceit Beast was actually his left hand. The panel also looked somewhat similar to a Pet Beast's panel.
In an instant, Chu Yi felt a new bond form between him and his left hand, linking them together. He could sense his left hand as if it were caressing a piece of warm, soft jade, transmitting an exhilarating sensory stimulus.
Ah, this... No, the left hand doesn't have its own consciousness. This is purely my own lecherous thoughts stirring. So, I contracted myself?!
Chu Yi was completely dumbfounded. There's such a thing?
If that's the case, then it all makes sense... Chu Yi began to understand, making a bold guess. Why couldn't I form a contract with a Pet Beast? Because I'm a Transmigrator. According to this world's logic, I myself am a special kind of Pet Beast. And yet, despite being human, I can cultivate.
[Would you like to start evolution?]
A line of broken text appeared, seeping with mottled bloodstains.
"Yes."
Chu Yi nodded without hesitation.
Suddenly, like a river of stars pouring down from the heavens, colorful bubbles squirmed and boiled forth from it. Each bubble represented a potential evolution.
Chu Yi tapped on a bubble, and a stream of information flowed out.
[Magic Hand].
Advanced Servant.
A low-level skill: can pull rabbits and doves out of a hat, conjure flowers at will, and fool the opponent. What about its destructive power, you ask? Happiness is all that matters.
However, this [Magic Hand] option came with an advancement path: the next stage could directly become [Stealing Hand], a Core Technique that could steal an opponent's skills.
Chu Yi hesitated slightly. The Evolution Guide was all about brain-bending creativity. For example, this [Magic Hand], if properly nurtured to the God-Demon Level, might become the God of Fooling. If it was poorly raised, it would just be a clown setting off fireworks. Not to mention, this option already included the next stage's path, which was much better than blindly fumbling around on his own. The cost: 1 evolution point.
Ultimately, Chu Yi gave up on it. As a veteran player of the Evolution Guide, he deeply understood that there were traps hidden within. Being greedy for small gains was a major taboo; one should aim for the big windfalls.
After quickly scanning through a dozen or so bubbles, Chu Yi selected an evolution direction based on the criteria of low cost, high potential, strong combat power, and suitability for a beginner's early stages.
[Ghost Hand]!
Medium Servant.
A hand sealing the Power of the Demon God, possessing might enough to destroy worlds. Ghost Hand has many abilities: enhancing physique, Mastery of Martial Arts, and it can be upgraded by absorbing Souls—meaning it gets stronger by killing monsters. The cost was exactly 5 evolution points, no more, no less.
This is it.
Chu Yi paid without hesitation.
Instantly, the rose nestled on Lias's fragrant shoulder, detecting a bizarre aura, suddenly trembled. Although the aura felt faint, it carried a power that made the rose's heart palpitate with dread.
SWISH! SWISH!
The sharp vines grew agitated, erupting with fierce killing intent. A vine tendril grazed Chu Yi's cheek. The slight sting made him sober up.
"Bloodthirsty Rose, stop," Lias commanded, unsure what had happened. She activated her contract mark to soothe its agitation.
Chu Yi took the chance to examine the Bloodthirsty Rose.
[Name]: Bloodthirsty Rose
[Grade]: Medium War General
[Level]: 37
[Attributes]: Wood, Poison
[Weaknesses]: Fire, Thunder
[Skills]: Entangle, hypnotic powder, Parasitic Seed, Photosynthesis, Super Absorb…
[Specialties]: Sunshine Flame, Blood Feast
[Status]: Alert
[Evolution Paths]:
① Ghost-faced Demon Flower: Tier 5 Ghost-type Crystal Core x10…
② Rose Swordswoman: Tier 6 Martial-type Crystal Core x5…
③ Flower Demon Spirit: Tier 5 Demon-type Crystal Core x10, Life Fruit x3…
④ Purgatory Demon Flower (Mutated): Not Unlocked (Click for details)