Ye Bai suppressed the hunger gnawing at him. He quickly signaled to the staff and said,
"I've formed a contract with this Thousand-Change Silkworm. According to the school's regulations, I should receive one month's supply of pet rations."
The staff leader nodded.
"Of course. That rule does exist."
Most people, however, feel too embarrassed to claim a month's worth of rations for their pet beast.
The staff leader clapped his hands. Another staff member stepped forward and pulled out several one-kilogram bags of pet food from a space backpack.
These rations were scientifically formulated to ensure balanced nutrition, though their taste left much to be desired.
Ye Bai ripped open a bag and tossed the contents to the Thousand-Change Silkworm.
This peculiar silkworm dashed forward like a cannonball, snatching the food mid-air and devouring it hungrily.
One bag of rations was enough for three meals for a young beast. Yet this Thousand-Change Silkworm devoured five bags in a row—it was clearly famished.
Satisfied and full, the silkworm flopped onto the ground like Ge You and instantly fell asleep.
Its snores, thunderous and drum-like, echoed throughout the area.
The Thousand-Change Silkworm is born with a massive appetite. It can consume far more than ordinary silkworms and constantly roams secret realms to scavenge food.
Its digestion is remarkably fast, but it had never once eaten its fill before. That constant hunger left it with a burning pain in its stomach.
As a result, its sole goal in life became to eat—regardless of the consequences. It often incurred the wrath of other species and sometimes got beaten up by other pet beasts.
Over time, it developed an incredible resistance to physical attacks. For it, a normal blow feels no worse than a mosquito bite.
After forming a contract with Ye Bai, it finally experienced its first full meal since birth.
Watching Ye Bai choose such an unremarkable pet beast without hesitation, Li Weiyang couldn't help but reveal a strange expression.
The Thousand-Change Silkworm is known for its genetic instability and potential for multiple evolutionary paths.
But at its initial stage, it possesses no attack power—only strong defense.
However, that defense becomes paper-thin when facing fire-type beasts.
Typically, students who choose such a silkworm come from affluent families. They already have high-quality pet beasts at home, and selecting a variety silkworm is more of a formality. With the high quality of the silkworms from Shenshan Middle School, discovering a new evolutionary path could earn one great fame.
But Ye Bai and Li Weiyang were not among those privileged students.
Both came from modest families and had to fight for everything on their own.
So why would Ye Bai choose such a weak, attack-less silkworm over the rare Little Snowball?
Li Weiyang was truly puzzled.
She didn't believe Ye Bai chose the silkworm out of sympathy. After all, he was just like her—self-interested and pragmatic.
Driven by curiosity, she broke her usual rule and activated the Eye of Insight. She wanted to understand his reasoning.
Her eyes turned blood-red.
Ye Bai sensed a sharp gaze on him. When he turned, he saw Li Weiyang's crimson eyes—she had activated her ability to peer into the essence of things.
She was clearly trying to understand why he chose this seemingly average silkworm.
[Pet Beast Name: Thousand-Change Silkworm]
[Level: Lv2 (Tier 1, Stage 2)]
[Skills: Charge, Silk Spin, Harden]
[Evolution Path: Change Silkworm — Materials for evolution: ???]
How odd. This silkworm looked nearly identical to an ordinary variety silkworm, except for one extra skill: Charge. Why had Ye Bai taken a liking to it?
From its appearance, there was nothing special.
Something was off. Very off. After examining the silkworm's stats, Li Weiyang was even more confused.
She could tell it had the potential to evolve into a Thousand-Change Silkworm, but even that form lacked attack abilities. What exactly was Ye Bai planning?
Still, she didn't dwell on it further—she had more pressing matters to attend to.
Little Snowball, looking thinner and a bit forlorn, fluttered over after realizing Ye Bai had made a contract with another pet.
It landed on Li Weiyang's fingertip, clearly disheartened. After years of keeping others on the back burner, Li Weiyang was now the one being treated as a backup plan.
Though annoyed, she knew that Little Snowball was a rare treasure. Even elite beastmasters had long been coveting it.
Though she had hesitated to form a contract before, others were ready to snatch it up at any moment.
Little Snowball could evolve into a rarer Ice Elf and even learn the advanced move Snow Spray—a top-tier ice-type skill.
It was born to be a star in the world of ice pets.
A faint icy blue glow shimmered on Little Snowball's forehead. Li Weiyang bit her fingertip and let a drop of blood fall onto the glowing mark.
With that, the contract was formed.
Little Snowball yawned from exhaustion—the contract had drained much of its energy. Without a word, it turned into a stream of light and disappeared into Li Weiyang's pet space.
Elsewhere, He Qingyuan's boxing rabbit crawled out of the pool, drenched and shivering.
Its wet fur clung tightly to its body, making it appear scrawny and pitiful.
Seeing the miserable state of his pet, He Qingyuan's rage erupted.
"Ye Bai, I challenge you!" he shouted.
Just then, Zhang Lingxue appeared from a nearby path.
A knowing smile tugged at her crimson lips.
She had secretly witnessed Ye Bai and Li Weiyang forming their pet contracts.
Zhang Lingxue, who was very familiar with variety silkworms, immediately noticed something unusual about Ye Bai's pet.
"You want to challenge Ye Bai? No problem," she said.
"We'll settle it outside the secret realm, on the training field."
"It's getting late. Time to leave the realm."
Still fuming, He Qingyuan followed the group out.
Once back at school, he publicly declared his challenge to Ye Bai.
"But honestly," Zhang Lingxue added, "a normal duel won't stir much excitement. It might even hurt your reputation, Master He."
"I remember you picked up a second-tier Insect Stone at a street stall last week. Let's wager that as your stake."
He Qingyuan hesitated. That insect stone was a valuable find.
Still, he gritted his teeth. "Fine, I'll bet it. But Ye Bai, what do you have to offer? Your family's broke, and you run a cheap pet store with low-grade beasts."
Ye Bai calmly replied, "If I lose, I'll step away from Li Weiyang and give up my seat next to her—so you can take my place."
The students around them erupted in murmurs.
"That second-tier insect stone is He Qingyuan's pride and joy."
"I've seen him showing it off so many times."
"Ye Bai's bet doesn't seem to match the value of the stone."
"You're thinking too simply. Think about it: the class monitor awakened an A-grade talent—Eye of Insight."
"Being close to her means she could help you choose a high-potential pet. You'll earn back way more than a few insect stones."
"This isn't just about where you sit—it's a golden opportunity."
To most, Ye Bai's offer seemed worthless.
But to someone like He Qingyuan, a die-hard admirer with long-term ambition, it was a golden ticket.
"I accept," he declared without hesitation.