Super Divine Pet Shop

"The host has connected to the Thundercloud Sea realm."

"Connection time: 3 days…"

"During the novice task period, the host will receive novice protection: Unlimited deaths for exploration!"

"The host has temporarily established a contract with the pet beast…"

"Please explore on your own…"

Su Ping was still immersed in the vast and ancient world before him when he was abruptly snapped back to reality by a series of prompts in his mind.

He paused, quickly catching a dangerous term: "Death count?"

A bad premonition rose in his heart.

Suddenly, a huge shadow passed overhead, as if the sky had darkened.

Su Ping looked up, and his pupils immediately widened.

A pair of giant wings, so vast they seemed to block out the sun, stirred the expansive sea of clouds. The wings, dark purple with streaks of lightning, caused the surrounding clouds to churn violently with every slow flap.

What… the hell is that thing?!

Su Ping was stunned. Even a giant blue whale wouldn't compare to a single feather of this beast!

In the midst of his shock, within mere seconds, a violent wind pressure surged towards him, sweeping from the high sky as if countless blades of wind were slicing through the air.

"Run…"

As soon as this thought entered Su Ping's mind, a sudden, excruciating pain spread throughout his body. His vision darkened, and he was consumed by darkness.

Am I dead?

Su Ping was momentarily dazed, but soon, light flooded back like a rising tide. He opened his eyes, and the ancient, wild world was still there. However, the surroundings seemed different—no longer surrounded by giant trees, but by dense, towering grass.

Recalling the system's earlier prompt, Su Ping snapped to attention. Could it be that this is the "unlimited death count"? Here, no matter how many times he dies, it doesn't matter?

Relieved by this thought, Su Ping felt a slight sense of comfort. But then, a wave of frustration hit him.

Although he couldn't die, the agonizing pain from being torn apart earlier was something he never wanted to experience again. It hurt too much!

"System, I want to go home."

Su Ping switched to a pleading tone, trying to find some compromise.

"Task not completed. Early return is not permitted."

"…"

"Please note! Insult warning: First warning!"

"…!!"

Su Ping's face went pale. He had to stay in this savage world ruled by monstrous beasts for three days? How many deaths would it take to survive this place?!

He felt like he was losing his mind. What kind of ridiculous system was this?!

"Shh~!"

Suddenly, a faint rustling sound echoed.

Su Ping's hair stood on end as he looked toward the source of the noise. To his surprise, it was the Thunderlight Mouse that had followed him here. The little creature was trembling at his feet.

It seemed that the massive beast he had seen earlier had frightened the poor thing to its core.

"Poor little thing, looks like you're going to die here with me for three days…" Su Ping sighed in sympathy, sharing a moment of mutual understanding with the trembling mouse.

Perhaps it was because of the temporary contract he had formed with the Thunderlight Mouse, but he felt a strange sense of connection with it. Seeing the little creature shiver, he felt pity and gently patted it to calm its fears.

As he stroked it, an idea suddenly struck Su Ping. The whole reason he was sent here was to train this little thing, wasn't it?

He was supposed to increase its strength by three times within a week.

It was difficult, yes. But the task was for the mouse, not for him!

And this terrifying breeding ground was meant for it!

"As long as its training is successful, the task can be completed early. It's hard, but how will I know if I don't push it to the limit?"

With that thought in mind, Su Ping's gaze shifted toward the Thunderlight Mouse, who had finally calmed down in his hand.

The mouse, still trembling in his palm, suddenly felt a sharp wave of unease in its heart. It looked up at its temporary master, seeing his eyes glowing ominously.

The Thunderlight Mouse froze.

"?!!"

"Come on, you can do it," Su Ping grinned.

The mouse's fur stood on end.

It seemed to realize something and struggled violently in Su Ping's hand, trying to break free with great force.

Although it was a nimble-type star pet, it was still stronger than Su Ping, an ordinary human. It quickly broke free.

"Come back!" Su Ping shouted hastily.

But as soon as he spoke, he froze.

This was the Thundercloud Sea realm, a place full of fierce beasts. Wasn't shouting like that a death sentence?

Suddenly, Su Ping remembered the temporary contract he had established with the Thunderlight Mouse. With a thought, he sensed a vague awareness running outside his own consciousness.

This awareness conveyed faint emotions and thoughts: Fear, anxiety, a desire to escape!

These were the thoughts the Thunderlight Mouse was sending.

"This is the power of the star pet contract?" Su Ping's eyes gleamed. The bond between a pet and its master was truly extraordinary. The connection was something even he, as a novice, could hardly describe in words.

"Chirp—!"

Suddenly, a sharp cry came from the distance.

Su Ping was startled and rushed toward the sound.

He found the Thunderlight Mouse standing its ground, fur bristling and teeth bared, facing off with a giant insect.

This insect was two meters long, its body a bright green with purple patterns. Electric sparks frequently arced from the patterns.

It was also a thunder-type star pet!

"Why does it look like a caterpillar?" Su Ping thought, but the creature was much more terrifying than any caterpillar.

"Damn, is this thing going to swallow me whole?" Su Ping shuddered at the sight of the insect's sharp teeth. Being torn apart by that sky-ruling beast earlier had been instantaneous death. But if he were captured by this insect, it would be a slow, agonizing death!

For a moment, he even considered suicide.

If he died, he would respawn at a random location.

But…

He had no weapons.

Su Ping glanced around, finding a stone on the ground. His expression was complex.

To strike himself dead?

How much force would it take to end it in one blow?

And what if he didn't die? What if he was only half-dead?

The thought was like a philosophical dilemma, circling in his mind.

"Chirp!"

As Su Ping pondered how to kill himself more effectively, a loud, agonized cry interrupted his thoughts.

Looking up, he saw that the Thunderlight Mouse had already been captured by the giant insect. Its body was pierced by the insect's sharp, multi-legged claws and torn apart. Blood poured out as it struggled for a brief moment before going limp.

Su Ping's face darkened with regret and a sense of anger.

"Do you wish to revive the pet immediately?"

The system's prompt suddenly sounded.

Su Ping froze.

Seeing the Thunderlight Mouse about to be swallowed by the giant insect, he didn't hesitate: "Revive!"

As soon as he spoke, the Thunderlight Mouse, on the brink of being eaten, transformed into a cloud of stardust, floating to the ground in front of the insect. It reformed into its original shape.

Crunch!

The giant insect snapped its jaws shut, missing the mouse completely.

The insect paused, clearly confused by the sudden disappearance and reappearance of its prey.

Giant insect: "???"

Without waiting for an explanation, Su Ping saw the revived Thunderlight Mouse and immediately shouted, "Attack!"

Thanks to the contract's emotional connection, Su Ping's command was instantly understood by the Thunderlight Mouse.

The mouse, still frozen in fear from its previous death, snapped out of it when it heard Su Ping's command. Its instinct to obey took over, and it charged forward without hesitation.

Lightning Dash!

Whoosh!

The Thunderlight Mouse suddenly sped up and collided with the giant insect.

Boom!

The insect was knocked backward but managed to stop itself mid-fall. Its quick reflexes allowed it to grab the Thunderlight Mouse, and it began to rip it apart viciously.

The Thunderlight Mouse was dead once again!

"Do you wish to revive the pet immediately?"

"Immediately!"

Su Ping didn't even think twice. As soon as the Thunderlight Mouse revived, he issued another order to attack.

Since it could be revived infinitely, Su Ping wasn't about to give up. Even if the gap in power was vast, he believed there was a chance—however slim—that he could win. Even if it was just one in ten thousand, he'd grab it!