Starting With Contract Pets
chapter-3

Chapter 3: Golden Carp Spirit Market, Late Golden Finger

At six o’clock the next morning, Su Bai rubbed his eyes and got up from his bed. He went to the bathroom and took a look at himself in the mirror. He was still nearly sixteen years old and handsome. At this time, he was just 1.7 meters tall. He looked thin, vigorous, and sunny.

However, his black pupils did not have the confusion and hesitation of a sixteen-year-old. He looked profound and firm, fixated on his goals.

“It seems that I have really passed through time and couldn’t go back.”

He murmured to himself as he turned on the faucet to wash his face.

He was actually really afraid to wake up and find that everything was but a dream. Rather than the ordinary-looking Earth, he preferred this world with extraordinary powers, pets, and monsters.

After bathing, he changed into a black shirt and blue jeans. While changing clothes, he received a message from his classmate, Yang Zhou.

“Su Bai, let’s meet at the Golden Carp Spirit Market at 8 AM to select our beginner and hatching materials together.”

Yang Zhou was Su Bai’s high school classmate. The former’s birthday was on March 9, and he was one day younger than the latter. Yesterday, he asked Su Bai to accompany him to the spirit market.

“Okay, see you then.”

After giving this reply to his classmate, Su Bai put his phone in his pocket and walked into the living room on the first floor. At this time, he was only in the second semester of high school. He would be turning sixteen soon and would awaken as a Pet Tamer. Hence, he had taken half a month off school.

His parents and younger brother were already having breakfast when he came into the living room. Su Bai greeted them and sat down to have breakfast.

“Are you going to buy the materials this morning?” Father Su took a sip of porridge and asked. He did not know if it was his illusion, but ever since yesterday morning, Su Bai had seemed much more mature and stable. The immaturity in his eyes, in particular, had disappeared.

“Yes, I’m going with a friend to the Golden Carp Spirit Market.” Su Bai nodded.

“Good. Do you need me and your mom to come along?”

“No, the regular spirit market is regulated by the Spirit Alliance, especially for the newly awakened summoners. There’s almost zero possibility of fake goods being sold there, so you guys don’t need to come along.” He shook his head.

According to the Spirit Alliance’s regulations, every regular spirit market had a special area dedicated to newbies like him.

As long as they just turned sixteen and went to purchase materials for the first time, not only would the prices be cheaper than the regular market prices, everything would have a professional inspection certificate from the Spirit Alliance, too. Furthermore, trainers from the Spirit Alliance would be dispatched to keep watch and offer consultations.

They only had to choose according to their needs and ask the trainer if they did not understand something.

This was one of the support policies of the Spirit Alliance provided to the Pet Tamers. This was to ensure no essential difference between each Pet Tamer.

“Good, then go by yourself.”

His father also understood this and had only casually mentioned it.

After finishing breakfast, Mother Su asked Water Ripples to wash the dishes and tableware like yesterday. She then instructed Su Yue to finish his homework before heading to work.

After tidying up a bit, Su Bai slung his backpack over his shoulders and nodded at his younger brother. “Come on; let’s go.”

“Okay!”

Su Yue was extremely excited.

The sibling duo rode an electric car to the spirit market. Their house was in a suburban area called Carp Town. The personally built small villa was about twenty minutes away from the city, while the spirit market at the heart of the city was about ten minutes away by car.

Although the scenery along the way could forcibly overlap with the one in his memory, it was still greatly different.

The plants on the roadside were much taller, and the small trees that were only as thick as a person’s wrist in Su Bai’s memory were now as thick as his arm. However, the trees here were extremely common, and it was said that the countryside had a primeval forest of five or six hundred meters tall.

Such changes had been caused by the aura rejuvenation a hundred years ago, but after a long time of development, the human settlements were no longer like the primeval forest scene of the past, and everything was now well-planned, instead.

In addition, Su Bai found the various pets traveling with humans a novelty. These pets varied from spirits to monsters. He saw many kinds of animals along the way, including ordinary-looking cats and puppies and flying dogs with wings. He also spotted various types of insects, which were dozens or hundreds of times bigger, with sinister-looking mouthparts, than his original world’s.

There were at least some normal animal shadows among them. Some were completely abnormal, though, with black mouthparts all over their bodies, red stinging balls in their eyes, skeleton crows, headless monsters made of stone, et cetera. The range was simply too wide.

This was the vast and mysterious world of Pet Tamers. He would soon be a member of it and have a pass to explore this world.

With excitement, Su Bai came to the Golden Carp Spirit Market’s gate. A 1.8-meter-tall man, with a tough and stocky build, waved to him. “Hey, over here, Su Bai!”

He turned around and rode toward the caller. That was right; the person was Yang Zhou. Although he was only sixteen this year, he had a physique that even thirty-six-year-olds did not have.

Could it be because of the spiritual energy resurrection? thought Su Bai to himself. His classmate was even bulkier than he remembered.

Stopping the car, he said, “Let’s go in.”

“Hehe. Have you decided on what kind of beginner material you’ll buy? I’m going to choose among the three attributes: water, fire, and earth. The other precious attributes might be a little intimidating.” Yang Zhou chuckled.

“I might choose among water, fire, wood, and soil.”

The three youths chatted as they headed inside. The spirit market was huge and had various shops selling pet eggs, potions, spiritual plants, crystal nuclei, et cetera. Su Bai was very curious and would stop to look from time to time.

“Young man, this is a dagger made from the claws of a warlord monster. Are you interested in having one?”

Seeing Su Bai stop in front of his stall, the vendor immediately introduced a product of his with a smile.

“A warlord? I think it’s servant-level at most. It might not have even reached any level yet. Let’s just go to the exclusive area for our materials.”

Yang Zhou picked up the dagger and turned it over in his hand. Nine out of ten things in these small stores were fake.

Su Bai remained silent and picked up the dagger. He had never touched such things in his original world, so he was a little curious at this moment.

“Huh?”

His eyes widened in surprise. Had his exclusive golden finger arrived?

The moment he picked up this dagger, a line of fireflies appeared in front of his eyes and formed the words: Dagger, made from the third claw on the back of a Swordtail Lizard below the servant level. Average strength.

In addition, he saw two balls of sharp white light clinging onto the dagger. Leaning in, he reached out to stroke the glowing balls, and both immediately transferred to his palm.

He contemplated a moment before taking out a small three-centimeter decorative dagger on his key ring and pressing it into one light ball in his hand.

However, the light ball did not transfer from his hand to the small dagger as he expected.

He tried again, wondering if he could press the balls of white light in his hand back into the dagger, but he failed once again. It was just impossible.

After a while, the lights in his hand dissipated automatically.

“It’s 2,200 yuan for one. I guarantee that it can cut iron like mud. Young lad, do you want one?” Seeing how intrigued by the dagger Su Bai was, the seller quickly smiled and urged him.

“Brother, are you really buying it?”

Su Bai put down the dagger and shook his head. “Let’s go.”