Chapter 13: Fate, An Unexpected Progress

“Senior Leo, you said you thought that special Mist Spirit Spider deserved me,” Adrian said evenly. “But I think you—the one who first discovered what makes it special—are the one most fated to it.”

“My suggestion is simple: since you already planned to buy it, take it home today.”

“If you wait until your internship ends and someone who doesn’t know how to raise it buys it, it will most likely ruin its future.”

“You and I both know a metal-mutated spider is completely incompatible with the public Mist Spirit Hidden Spider evolution path.”

“Besides, it’s not comfortable in that environment. Metal-attribute beasts are sharp and decisive. They need a clean place rich in metal energy. If it stays here another week or two, its condition will only get worse.”

“You’re a Two-Star Breeder. You have every legitimate reason to buy it, and you have the strength and financial foundation to give it a better environment.”

“So the right thing is for it to leave with you now. Mr. Caldwell always tells us fate is mysterious and wonderful. You have to cherish the moment it arrives. If you miss it, all you’ll have left is regret.”

Leo listened, and his eyes lit up.

As an intern at the cultivation center, he had always had a mental block: the cubs here should be left for tamers who hadn’t contracted their first beast yet. He couldn’t just claim them because he saw their potential.

But he had overlooked one thing. Not every rookie beast tamer had Adrian’s strength and vision.

Special individual beasts could only reach their potential in the hands of stronger tamers and breeders with better resources.

Adrian was right. If fate had arrived, there was no need to drag his feet.

Today, he would take that Mist Spirit Spider home!

“All right, Adrian!” Leo nodded with a smile. “I didn’t look at the whole picture before. You ended up counseling me.”

“Mr. Caldwell asked me to help you, but today it feels like you’re the one teaching me.”

“In fact, I feel like I barely helped you at all. I owe you a favor. If you ever need anything, just message me.”

Adrian waved a hand and smiled. “Senior, you’ve already helped me plenty.”

He took off the glasses. “I shouldn’t need these anymore. I’ll return them. They really kept me from being affected by the Spirit-attribute beasts these past few hours. I enjoyed the whole observation process.”

“Don’t. I already said it was a little gift from the start.” Leo stepped back two paces. “If you do that, I’ll be angry. How could I, Leo Marsh, take back something I’ve given away? Are you trying to add another black mark to my internship record?”

Seeing his serious expression, Adrian didn’t insist.

“Then I’ll take the Serene Spirit Cat and go. Senior, thank you for your time and the gift. If you ever have questions about beasts in the future, you can ask me anytime too.”

Leo nodded. “Mm.”

Although he had only officially known Adrian for a few hours, and it really wasn’t logical for an incoming freshman at a prestigious university to ask a Grade 11 student questions.

But somehow, it felt completely reasonable.

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Adrian… for some reason, gave him the feeling of a “teacher.” Different from Mr. Caldwell. Adrian’s calm, clarity, composure, and judgment made Leo feel he could learn something from him.

If only he had met him earlier. Maybe he would have been first in the school on the exams.

Adrian carried the cat box holding the Serene Spirit Cat, paid without issue, and walked out of the cultivation base with it.

Just like when he arrived, the wind still stirred gently, the people on the road were still sparse, and the sky was just as blue.

But Adrian felt something had changed.

His Eye of All Spirits, combined with Living Affinity, seemed to give him a certain ability—to change a beast’s fate.

Yesterday at home, helping Violet evolve, seeing Roxy’s illness, and making a plan were instinctive actions. To Adrian, they were more like family. Using his ability to help them was simply his duty.

But today, from that metal-attribute Mist Spirit Spider to the lion-blooded Serene Spirit Cat he finally bought, these two beasts he had never met before made him feel this “glimpse of fate.”

That feeling was still very new to him.

But with the experience of two lifetimes, he immediately understood he needed to treat this ability with even more care…

At this moment.

Inside the cultivation center.

Leo swiped two cards at the front desk.

He had just bought two beasts.

One was the little spider he had been thinking about for two weeks. The other was the purple Phantom Dream Butterfly he had only noticed today.

Yes. He was still wondering why the butterfly had completely ignored him when he wore the same glasses, yet with Adrian, it had changed completely.

His breeder’s intuition told him this beast had a story too.

Adrian had untied the knot in his heart and made him understand: when he met a suitable beast, he should just buy it. He had enough money, and he knew how to raise beasts. He wouldn’t let them live badly.

His goal was, in the days to come, to evolve the little spider and pry open the little butterfly’s “secret”…

Vale’s Beast Feed.

“Adrian, you’re back!” Arthur Boone beamed, in a great mood. “The Purple Starvines sold amazingly today.”

“Customers all said the quality is better than before, and more of them placed orders. Our revenue today, not counting Violet’s dew, is more than all of last week combined!”

“And the Purple Starvines at home are still growing! Roxy has already gone up and down ten times in the last few hours.”

“I went to the plant room to check. Violet seems to be evolving! Wonderful. Aileen used to talk about evolving Violet all the time, and she even brought in two masters, but it never worked.”

“You awakened your talent yesterday, and Violet succeeded! That’s wonderful!”

Adrian rarely heard Arthur this emotional. Although he had been an employee at Vale’s Beast Feed for years, in many ways he was family. Even before Adrian was born, he had existed as a kind of elder relative to Adrian’s parents.

So anything good for Vale’s Beast Feed was enough to make him happy.

“Yes, Grandpa Arthur. Our shop is going to get better, bit by bit.” Adrian didn’t say much, nor did he explain the reason for Violet’s evolution.

Arthur was not a beast tamer. He was just an ordinary man over sixty, as ordinary as could be. With him, Adrian felt it was enough to share good news.

“Hey, your trip to the cultivation center really paid off!” Arthur immediately noticed the Serene Spirit Cat in the glass box. “A clean little white cat with messy fur. Looks fierce and cute.”

“How can it come to the beast feed shop without a welcome gift? It might be our new family member someday! Come, Grandpa will pick out something tasty for you. My treat!”

Arthur bent down to look at the Serene Spirit Cat, smiling, his palm gently rubbing the glass box.

The Serene Spirit Cat looked up. It didn’t seem disturbed. Instead, seeing the kind old man, it responded with a gentle “meow.”

“Oh, so good. Grandpa will give you two extra cans.”

Watching them, Adrian couldn’t help smiling.

Arthur was very good to beasts—whether Violet, Roxy, or the other beasts his parents once had.

That was also why Adrian had always respected him.

Half an hour later.

After a full meal, the Serene Spirit Cat returned to its glass box.

There was no other way. Given its “black history” of escaping six times in seven days, Adrian wasn’t comfortable letting it move freely before contracting it or building real trust.

But there was no rush. He had time.

During that time, Roxy came downstairs again. Seeing the little white cat, her face was full of smiles, her emotions joyful.

But she quickly returned to work mode.

That made Adrian’s heart ache for her again.

Carrying the cat box, he went to the second-floor plant room.

Adrian looked at the scene and was slightly surprised.

At this moment, the mist around Violet was even thicker, almost preventing Adrian from seeing what was hidden inside.

He could only see purple light flickering in and out, and a blurred pagoda-shaped outline.

Violet’s evolution was going very smoothly.

He immediately checked the panel.

In the [Evolution Path] column, he saw the latest information:

[Violet Orchid]

[Evolution Path]: Evolving into [Violet Spirit Treasure Orchid], Progress: 61%

Adrian’s breathing quickened a little. This progress was much faster than he had imagined.

After all, this was evolution into an Exceptional—Upper plant-type beast!

By his estimate, Violet would finish evolving tonight!