Chapter 2: Dungeon
"Son, I heard from your mom that you are contracting Ming since you've awakened your talent for beast-taming. Have you finished contracting Ming? I know that contracting can be difficult since beasts often resist forming a contract," commented Danny, Chris's father, in one breath.
"Yes, and if you can't contract Ming, we can buy you a lazy carp to try contracting. We'll even set up an aquarium in the house for you to take care of it," added his mother, who is very excited about her newfound idea.
Chris was left speechless by his parents' greeting. His father seemed to lack trust in him, while his mother was already thinking of using him as a pet caretaker.
"Am I your son? Can't you have a bit of trust and confidence in me?" he complained silently.
"Ahem, I have successfully contracted Ming," he said to his parents, feeling a sense of accomplishment.
"Meow," Ming chimed in, agreeing with Chris's statement.
His parents were stunned, unable to continue with their follow-up comments, and a hint of embarrassment appeared on their faces.
"That's great, son! Congratulations on acquiring your first beast," Flora happily congratulated him.
At the same time, Danny walked closer to Chris and placed his hand on his shoulder. "I'm happy for your success son. Even if you may not have a natural talent, you have to stay strong and continue striving forward," he encouraged with a serious expression.
Chris's mouth twitched. His father was even more shameless than his mother.
He brushed off his father's hand from his shoulder. "Don't worry, Dad. I'm not a crybaby when faced with unfortunate circumstances. Besides, please have a little faith in your son."
His father and mother nodded, ceasing their antics. However, deep down, they still believed that he was just pretending to be strong, and they continued to worry about his current state.
Chris could only shake his head and walk to get food for Ming.
After their family dinner, he closed the door to his room while Ming rested on his arm. It felt like he had escaped from hell after dinner, as his parents had been overly enthusiastic, piling food onto his plate while muttering nonsensical words of encouragement.
Sometimes, being the only child and being loved so much could be a pain in the ass.
He walked towards his bed, checking the time. It was only 10 pm. Chris placed Ming on his bed and sat down beside him.
"Stay still, Ming," he ordered.
"Meow."
He then checked the information in his mind once again. The question of whether he wanted to enter the dungeon was still there.
Chris was conflicted, unsure if he should try entering this dungeon thing or not. The curiosity was eating away his curiosity, but what worried him the most was the unknown consequences of agreeing to enter, as well as the 24-hour duration. Additionally, he had no information about the dungeon and would be walking blindly once he entered.
In the end, he strengthened his resolve and decided to proceed. Choosing the "ready" button, his vision suddenly turned dark, and after a few seconds, his surroundings changed. The light in his room vanished, replaced by the strong afternoon sunshine.
He realized he was no longer in his room. Looking around, he saw trees and bushes, indicating that he was in a forest.
Suddenly, a countdown notice appeared in his mind, indicating that there were only 24 hours left. This countdown had been mentioned before he agreed to enter the dungeon, and it sent Chris into a state of panic. The sudden change of events was completely illogical and unscientific, leaving him feeling bewildered. However, he found solace in the fact that Ming, his companion, had also been brought out with him, providing a sense of security.
"Ming," Chris called out, noticing the alertness in the creature's eyes. Ming let out a cautious "meow" before calming down upon seeing Chris beside it. The feline approached Chris, acting like a loyal dog protecting its master.
Chris observed the sudden change in Ming's behavior, from lazy and gentle to alert and cautious. He knew that this meant there was a potential danger lurking nearby. Just like him, his beast also feared the unknown.
Scanning the surroundings for any potential threats, Chris determined that it was safe to proceed. Ming stayed by his side, faithfully following his every direction.
Suddenly, Chris was jolted out of his thoughts by a warning from Ming.
"Meow, danger."
Chris looked in the direction Ming was facing and saw a white rabbit emerging from the bushes. With red eyes and a horn on its forehead, its body was twice the size of Ming, it was clear that this rabbit was no ordinary creature.
As Chris focused on the rabbit, a stream of new information flooded his mind.
Beast: White Horned Rabbit
Battle Power: 4
With this information confirmed, the rabbit charged in Chris's direction, its horn aimed directly at Ming. Chris quickly stepped back and commanded Ming to fight it.
Ming skillfully dodged the rabbit's charge, taking advantage of its momentum. After evading the attack, Ming retaliated with its claws, attempting to wound the rabbit.
From a distance, Chris observed Ming's battle with the rabbit. Although both creatures had relatively low power levels, compared to a regular human whose battle power was only 2, Chris, who had contracted Ming, likely had a battle power of 3. This rabbit greatly posed a threat with its higher battle power.
During the first attempt, Ming missed its target as the rabbit proved to be agile. Undeterred, the rabbit charged again, and this time, Ming managed to land a scratch. However, the wound created by Ming's claw seemed peculiar. Instead of blood, a white light appeared, giving the impression of a holographic projection.
Enraged by Ming's attack, the rabbit's eyes grew fiercer, and its subsequent attacks became stronger. Ming remained alert, baring its fangs and claws in response.
The fight continued, and after five minutes of intense battle, Ming finally defeated the rabbit. However, it was not without consequences. The rabbit managed to land a hit on Ming during its final charge, sending the feline flying into a nearby tree. Due to Ming's weak defense and the larger size of the rabbit Ming received quite significant damage.
"Meow, I win," Ming declared proudly, as the rabbit fell to the ground. Slowly, it made its way towards Chris.
Feeling guilty for not being able to assist his loyal companion, Chris saw the happiness in Ming's eyes but also noticed the pain it had endured.
"Congratulations, Ming. Let's go and enjoy the spoils," Chris said, trying to lighten the mood.
Together with Ming, he walked towards the body of the rabbit. Unexpectedly, the rabbit's body started to fade away as they reached it. Chris was startled to see their trophy disappear before their eyes.
Meow. Ming howled in grave disappointment as well.
However, after the body disappeared, three items were left on the ground, which shocked Chris. There was a blue and green pill, as well as a golden coin.
Fearing that he would lose them, he immediately picked up the items from the ground. But as he picked up the three items, the gold coin suddenly vanished and his mind's system released new information.
"Congratulations on earning your first coin. The market is now open for the beast tamer. Analyzing the beast... Ding! Appropriate skills can now be bought on the market."
Chris couldn't help but be stunned. He checked the previous panel of information in his mind and noticed a new icon appearing on the side, resembling a market icon in RPG games.
Without hesitation, he opened the icon and a row of skill options appeared.
Coin balance: 1
Available skills:
- Hardened Claw
Price: 20 coins
- Flash Step
Price: 20 coins
- Size Manipulation
Price: 50 coins
Seeing the list of skills and their prices, Chris felt a mix of surprise and disappointment. He was glad that his beast could acquire new skills, but he could only look at them for now.
After examining the options, Chris decided to aim for the Flash Step skill for Ming. Since Ming's body was the size of a regular cat, its battle power relied on speed and claw lethality.
Based on their previous encounter, Chris realized that Ming lacked speed, making it difficult to take down the horned rabbit. If Ming were faster, targeting the rabbit's weak points would be as easy as an assassin's task.
Calculating the price of the skill, he realized that Ming had to suffer 19 more times to achieve it since a rabbit only dropped a single coin.
"Meow (I want to eat that)," Chris was interrupted by Ming while he was deep in thought.
He looked at his cat and saw that it was fixated on the two pills in his hand. Ming seemed to consider them a rare delicacy, completely forgetting about the system's market.
"Are you sure you want this?" Chris asked through their mental connection.
The little cat nodded enthusiastically as if the items in Chris's hand were the most enticing treats.