Jiang Hong did not respond directly. Instead, he turned his gaze toward Pang Cancan. “Miss Pang, do you wish for your battle pet to take human form?”
Pang Cancan hadn’t expected him to suddenly direct the conversation toward her. Without thinking, she blurted out, “Of course I do! I’d love to see what my baby looks like in human form!”
Upon hearing this, a trace of mockery flashed through the eyes of the black snake nestled in the female’s embrace.
It certainly wouldn’t look any uglier than it does now—there’s simply no room left for it to get any worse.
Completely unaware that a certain cold-blooded creature was secretly mocking her precious pet, Pang Cancan spread her hands regretfully. “But my baby and I are in a symbiotic relationship. I’m only at Tier 5 right now, so it can’t take human form yet.”
“Who said Tier 5 pets can’t take human form?”
Su Su immediately had a foreboding feeling—perhaps Jiang Hong was about to unravel the smokescreen that Sister Yun had once cast.
Sure enough, Jiang Hong stated plainly, “Two months ago, the Research Guild developed a transformation serum. As long as a battle pet is Tier 5, injecting the serum will allow it to evolve into a human form.”
Su Su’s pupils trembled. Instinctively, she asked, “There’s no harm in it?”
She had pinpointed the key issue in an instant.
Jiang Hong’s gaze met hers, neither of them looking away.
One was observing her reaction; the other was waiting for his answer.
After a brief pause, Jiang Hong still didn’t avert his eyes. “The Research Guild officially claims that there are no side effects.”
Su Su’s first reaction was—impossible.
But then, she wavered slightly.
Every new advancement faces overwhelming opposition at first, but time inevitably proves that innovation surges forward like an unstoppable tide, eventually validating its correctness.
Jiang Hong noticed her hesitation and let out a mocking laugh. “When the transformation serum first came out, most people opposed it—even questioned it. But there will always be those who are first, second, or even the nth person to take the plunge. Once their battle pets successfully transformed into human form without issues, the serum gained widespread acceptance. Everyone saw it as a technological breakthrough and believed that the Research Guild had made a major advancement in crystal research.”
No one wants to be left behind. Putting aside the ‘trendiness’ of battle pet transformation, the benefits alone were undeniable—battle pets that transformed first saw a significant power boost. Before obtaining Tier 6 crystals, who wouldn’t want to strengthen their own abilities?
And so, in just two short months, ninety percent of all Tier 5 battle pets had gone to the Research Guild to receive the transformation serum.
Su Su finally understood why the matter of battle pet transformation had caused such an uproar in the Northern Base. A transformation that was once considered rare had somehow become a fashionable commodity.
She stated with certainty, “You don’t support the indiscriminate use of the transformation serum.”
“The entire guild knows he doesn’t support it.”
A cold female voice rang out from behind.
Su Su and Jiang Hong turned at the same time, spotting the woman and the blue-haired “battle pet” they had glimpsed earlier at the entrance of the aquarium.
A strikingly attractive couple stood before them, effortlessly drawing everyone’s attention.
“Zeng Zhuyue.” The woman introduced herself before gesturing to the person beside her. “This is my partner, Lan Jing (Blue Whale).”
Such a straightforward name instantly made everyone aware of his original form.
Su Su took a few more glances at Lan Jing.
At this close range, some distinctly inhuman features were particularly noticeable.
The natural blue hair, skin so pale it was almost transparent, and the fin-like protrusions on both sides of his cheeks, partially hidden by his hair—these features, which had no place on a human body, often triggered a “uncanny valley” effect in those who saw him for the first time.
Of course, once the initial unease faded and one got used to his appearance, Su Su couldn’t help but be amazed by Lan Jing’s striking looks.
“Hiss!”
Sensing that the female had been staring for too long, the black snake in her arms unhappily flicked its tail, lightly slapping her forearm a few times.
Su Su snapped out of her thoughts and, amused, pinched the tip of Xiao Hei’s tail.
Jealous little thing.
Zeng Zhuyue was long accustomed to people scrutinizing her partner, but upon noticing that Su Su’s gaze lacked rejection or disgust, her expression softened slightly.
“Jiang Hong wants to destroy the Research Guild and kill the Sage—that’s the real reason he invited you to join him.”
Now that his goal was laid bare, Jiang Hong wasn’t angry. “His research may appear to be progress, but in reality, it will only push us toward destruction.”
“Do you have proof?”
Jiang Hong frowned. “I don’t need proof. For both people and battle pets, the transformation serum is a method of forced maturation through external influence. Its drawbacks may not be apparent now, but eventually, they will surface.”
Zeng Zhuyue’s expression remained indifferent. “Because of statements like that, others only see you as someone speaking from a position of privilege, unwilling to let them catch up.”
Jiang Hong let out a cold laugh. “Ridiculous. Has my cheetah taken human form?”
“Not wanting to transform and not being able to transform are two different things.”
Jiang Hong suddenly sneered. “Zeng Zhuyue, you want to stay with your battle pet for as long as possible, but there’s no need to drag everyone else down with you.”
“Back when your battle pet was the first to take human form, the Research Guild took samples. The real reason you didn’t refuse was that you wanted Lan Jing’s existence to become the norm, didn’t you?”
Zeng Zhuyue did not deny it.
She took Lan Jing’s hand and, before leaving, left behind one final sentence:
“Jiang Hong, battle pet evolution is the future. You can’t stop it, and you can’t kill the Sage.”
Su Su only half understood their confrontation.
Once Zeng Zhuyue’s figure completely disappeared, Jiang Hong’s emotions gradually returned to a calm state.
Without waiting for Su Su to ask, he spoke directly, revealing everything.
“The Research Guild has only one Tier 6 ability user. Everyone calls him the Sage because he awakened an intelligence-based ability. The Energy Disruption Device, the Contaminant Fragrance, and the Transformation Serum—he developed all of them through crystal research.”
“On the surface, the most intense conflict is between the Battle Pet Guild and the Ability User Guild, but the Research Guild has been fanning the flames behind the scenes. As for battle pet transformation, I don’t believe the Sage truly has battle pets’ best interests at heart. He must be hiding something bigger.”
At present, most people in the base believe that the Sage’s inventions for battle pets are paving the way for humanity’s advancement.
For example, the Energy Disruption Device—if it could be applied to battle pets today, it could be applied to humans tomorrow.
Another example was the Transformation Serum—ninety percent of battle pet owners believed it was a necessary step in their pets’ evolution.
Zeng Zhuyue was a firm supporter of the Transformation Serum. She might not love the Research Guild, and she might not fully support the Sage, but she was willing to see a future where humans and battle pets coexisted harmoniously.
Meanwhile, Jiang Hong was the most radical opponent of the serum within the entire guild. To him, a battle pet was a battle pet, and a human was a human. The serum should never be recklessly used, unless there was a hidden hand manipulating things from behind the scenes.
He had always assumed the worst about the Sage, believing that the man’s true motives were far more sinister.
Unfortunately, he was still stuck at the suspicion stage—without concrete evidence, his radical faction remained the smallest within the entire base.
At this moment, Jiang Hong was completely honest.
He was waiting for Su Su’s response, waiting for a new companion.
Su Su took some time to digest all the information.
Under Jiang Hong’s subtle anticipation, she slowly opened her mouth. “I understand your suspicions because I have the same doubts.”
Perhaps she was being overly cautious, but throughout history, forcing growth prematurely had never led to good results.
How could a serum that lacked long-term validation prove itself to be harmless?
Jiang Hong grew a little impatient. “So you…”
“I’m sorry.” Su Su shook her head. “I understand you, but I’m not ready to join.”
She had spent too little time in the Northern Base—there were still too many unanswered questions. Even if she agreed with parts of Jiang Hong’s ideology, she couldn’t just pick a side so easily.
What’s more, her decision also meant Xiao Hei’s decision… Without absolute strength, Su Su didn’t want Xiao Hei to get entangled in these deep and murky factions.
Jiang Hong fell into momentary silence—he seemed genuinely surprised that, after all this, she still refused.
“…Even a Grade 6 crystal isn’t enough to tempt you?”
“I do want it.”
As she said this, a trace of regret flashed through Su Su’s eyes, but it was quickly replaced by a deep-seated confidence.
“But I believe… before long, we’ll be able to obtain a Grade 6 crystal ourselves.”
Saying this, she lifted Xiao Hei’s tail and swung it playfully. “Right, Xiao Hei?”
“Hiss!”
Xiao Hei’s confidence was even more domineering than its master’s. Despite being only a few meters long, it radiated the presence of a mighty serpent, as if it were a titanic python towering over the world.
Jiang Hong stared at them for a long time. No one knew what he was thinking, but in the end, he put away the Grade 6 crystal.
But this didn’t mean he had given up on recruiting Su Su and her battle pet.
“I respect your decision.” He crossed his arms and gazed into the distance. “But Miss Su, I’ll say this again—one day, you’ll understand me and join me of your own accord.”
Su Su responded softly, “Maybe that day will come, but it’s definitely not today.”
Right now, she just wanted to figure out where battle pet transformation was truly headed.
For the rest of their journey, neither of them spoke.
In the quiet atmosphere, Su Su had already opened the dictionary she had spent a fortune on, fully focused on choosing a name for Xiao Hei.
The book rested on her lap, while the black snake’s head peeked out from her waist, its vertical pupils tracking her fingers as they slid over each unfamiliar yet instantly memorable Chinese character.
Su Su flipped from the first page to the last, feeling more and more frustrated.
What kind of name would be truly unique and worthy of Xiao Hei?
“Let’s start with the surname. Since ‘Hei’ (Black) is too common, why don’t we go with ‘Xuan’ instead?”
Xuan (玄)—
Upon hearing the female’s explanation, the black snake nodded in satisfaction.
It sounded rare. So far, it had never heard a human use this word in daily speech.
With the surname settled, the next step was choosing a given name.
But no matter what name she thought of, none of them felt quite right.
Just as Su Su was agonizing over her decision, a sudden movement in the distance caught her attention—a running ostrich was approaching!
It was the same one she had seen that morning! And sitting on its back was Sister Yun!
Could this be her battle pet?
Su Su watched curiously as the ostrich came to a stop beside the cheetah.
Sister Yun, still seated on its back, wore a grave expression. She didn’t seem to notice anyone else, directly handing the camera in her hand to Jiang Hong.
“Boss Jiang, the Research Guild just suddenly issued a mission to the entire base.”
“What mission?”
“Look at this photo, and you’ll understand.”
The photo had been taken by someone else in the Mission Hall. On the screen, the Research Guild had rented out an entire section of the electronic billboard, publicly announcing an urgent external mission—
A southwestern outpost belonging to the Research Guild, located hundreds of kilometers away from the Northern Base, had been overrun by a zombie horde.
Important research materials and scientists were trapped inside.
The reward for a successful rescue—
The Transformation Serum and the Energy Disruption Device.
While these two rewards were tempting, they weren’t enough to stir the high-ranking ability users of other guilds, as most of them already possessed these items to some extent.
But what shocked Sister Yun—and made Jiang Hong furrow his brows upon seeing the photo—was this:
Among the zombie horde besieging the research outpost, there was a Tier 7 zombie.
No one in the entire Northern Base had ever seen a Grade 7 crystal before.
If someone obtained it… it could completely reshape the power balance of the base.
Su Su couldn’t see the photo inside the camera, but she could clearly sense the weight of the situation from the serious expressions on Jiang Hong and Sister Yun’s faces.
Before she could process the situation further, she suddenly felt two light taps on her forearm.
“Hiss~”
The black snake in her arms lifted its tail, the tip resting firmly on a familiar Chinese character.
Su Su’s gaze paused. “…Is this the name you want?”
The black snake nodded decisively. “Hiss!”
Su Su hesitated. “Isn’t this a bit too rushed?”
Not at all.
The black snake still remembered the comic book with the snake on the cover—this character had been there.
Su Su gently stroked Xiao Hei’s smooth head, deciding to respect her “child’s” choice.
“Alright then.”
“From today on, you shall be called Xuan Mang.” (玄蟒)