Proper Pet Care

Outside the barrier, White Tiger waved his hand through the air for a long while.

This bizarre thing, which had left even eleventh-tier powerhouses utterly helpless, had actually been hoisted onto the shoulders of a sixth-tier kid like a sack.

“Good grief.”

White Tiger rubbed his face hard. He suspected he had fallen victim to an illusion. It was one thing for the kid to get close to it—but why could he actually carry it away, too?

Earth Online had a bug! Where were the administrators?!

Chen Guan struggled forward under the tremendous weight. His heavy footsteps carved two deep trenches through the snow. No, he still couldn’t carry it.

He had no choice but to set it down for the moment.

The instant he shrugged the burden off his shoulders, the enormous metal object slammed into the snowy plain, triggering a powerful earthquake.

Chen Guan extended his mental power toward the storage ring on his finger and tried to put it inside. The attempt vanished into the sea without a trace of feedback. As expected, this thing was alive, and living creatures couldn’t be stored in a storage ring.

Fortunately, he also had a dimensional pouch.

You’re up! Come on out!

A flash of light passed, and Baobao made her entrance with a catlike saunter.

White Tiger’s gaze lingered for a moment on the purple cheetah that had appeared out of thin air, and envy flickered in his eyes.

As a top-tier summoner, he had seen countless demon beasts.

But the one before him was truly… special.

Her build was perfectly proportioned—her master hadn’t fattened her into some oversized house cat. Her purple fur stood out against the gray-white snowfield, creating a strangely beautiful sight. Combined with the graceful gait unique to felines and those indifferent vertical pupils, she looked imposing and majestic.

What a rare and beautiful leopard. Her strength was a little lacking, but White Tiger genuinely adored her.

He really wanted to borrow her from his good subordinate and add her to his collection.

White Tiger’s mind began spinning with schemes, but unfortunately, all he could do was think about it. Taking away his subordinate’s summoned beast would simply be too classless.

If word got out, how could he ever show his face again? Some cheeky little girl would definitely laugh at him mercilessly.

Meanwhile, Chen Guan gave Baobao an order. “Put it away. We’re taking it with us.”

Baobao received the command and lazily yawned before opening her mouth.

Her mouth didn’t look particularly large—at least, not compared to the enormous black coffin before her. In fact, it looked laughably small.

The next moment, the black coffin, massive enough to crush the frozen earth, began to warp around its edges as though the surrounding space had turned into boiling water.

The coffin stretched through the air like a noodle being sucked up through a straw, steadily vanishing into Baobao’s not-so-large mouth.

Even Chen Guan was surprised. He had assumed Baobao would need to open another portal, as she had done before, to take it away.

A new skill?

Chen Guan was immensely gratified. Baobao really was dependable. She even knew how to evolve on her own in secret.

White Tiger, watching from a distance, was startled once again. He realized that this cheetah seemed to have undergone yet another mutation.

The core of the Void Beast he had given her last time absolutely shouldn’t have been enough to produce such a change.

That kid Chen Guan must have had another fortuitous encounter. And this cheetah was quite impressive too, successfully transforming again and again through each stroke of good fortune.

A few seconds later, the final corner of the black coffin disappeared into Baobao’s mouth.

Baobao smacked her lips, then gracefully sat down. She scooped up a handful of snow with her forepaws and leisurely washed her face.

Since she had finally gotten the chance to come out and stretch her legs, Baobao had no intention of being sent back before she had even properly breathed in some fresh air.

Even dogs could become depressed if no one took them out for walks, let alone a leopard.

Chen Guan clearly didn’t understand what Baobao meant. Seeing her swallow the black coffin, he raised his hand, preparing to return the triumphant Baobao to the dimensional pouch.

“Stop!”

A thunderous shout exploded through the air, freezing Chen Guan’s movement in place.

With the invisible barrier provided by the coffin gone, White Tiger strode over. The playful smile had vanished completely from his face, replaced by a solemn expression so unfamiliar that even Chen Guan was taken aback.

Chen Guan’s hand remained suspended in midair as he stared at him in confusion.

“What’s wrong?”

White Tiger didn’t answer immediately. He walked in a circle around the purple cheetah, who was sitting in the snow and still leisurely washing her face with her forepaws. Appreciation and heartache practically overflowed from his eyes.

“Chen Guan, Chen Guan… I really misjudged you.”

He came to an abrupt stop, turned around, and faced Chen Guan with a pained tone.

“I never thought you were this kind of master.”

Chen Guan’s brows instantly drew together. What was White Tiger pulling this time?

“You use her and then put her away? Do you treat her like a tool?”

White Tiger pointed straight at Baobao. “Look at her. Take a good, long look.”

Following his gesture, Chen Guan turned his eyes toward Baobao once again.

Baobao had finished washing her face and was now extending her tongue to lick the fur on her forepaw. Her indifferent vertical pupils glanced at the two humans before she lowered her head and continued grooming herself.

“Do you see it now?”

White Tiger’s voice was full of barely restrained fury.

“She just helped you deal with a massive problem, and you didn’t even praise her. You won’t even give her a little time to stretch her legs before locking her back inside that dark pokéball.”

“She’ll get depressed, understand?”

A trace of bewilderment appeared on Chen Guan’s face.

Depressed?

A cheetah could get depressed?

This was clearly beyond Chen Guan’s area of expertise.

“I’m telling you, Chen Guan, this is the worst kind of abuse!”

As he watched the droplets of spit flying through the air, Chen Guan silently took half a step back to create a safe distance. This was the first time he had ever seen White Tiger like this.

As expected of a pet lover.

“As a top-tier summoner, I have a responsibility to correct your attitude from the ground up.”

White Tiger folded his arms across his chest, raised his chin, and adopted the posture of a lecturer.

“She’s your partner, your comrade-in-arms, your family.”

“When we form a contract, it isn’t enslavement. It’s equal cooperation.”

“You give her the energy she needs to grow and a place to live. In return, she gives you assistance in battle and absolute loyalty.”

“Your habit of summoning her whenever you need her and dismissing her whenever you’re done will only make her grow distant from you. Understand?”

“If this continues, your bond will weaken, and so will your coordination. At a critical moment, she might even resist your commands.”

White Tiger gave Chen Guan a solemn pat on the shoulder. “Don’t think I’m trying to scare you. I’ve seen too many examples like this.”

“So many talented young people ruined themselves because they didn’t know how to get along with their partners.”

Chen Guan looked at the solemn White Tiger, then at Baobao, who was rolling around gleefully in the snow nearby. For the first time, he seriously considered the matter.

Had he really been abusing Baobao a little? After all, she had started out as a wild leopard.

The question circled through his mind once before he rejected it himself.

Baobao’s daily routine consisted of sleeping in the ball, occasionally coming out to open a portal, and then going back inside to sleep when she was done. Wasn’t that the legendary dream job—easy work, great benefits, and plenty of free time?

“Look at that expression of yours. You clearly don’t believe a word I’m saying.”

White Tiger seemed to have a worm burrowing through Chen Guan’s stomach, seeing straight through his thoughts at a glance.