A Girl's Heart

Li Wei—in the original game, he was Victor, the tower master of the Gene Research Tower.

Obsessed with genetic research, he created Pal that were abnormal and immensely powerful.

Therefore, the condition for capturing Li Wei was the number of Pal the player had bred and hatched at the breeding farm.

Zhong Yi had long since suspected this and even posted his theory on the forums. He simply had not found the time to travel to the snowfields and search for Li Wei’s spawn location.

Now that he had finally developed some interest, he suddenly realized that Zuo Yi was gone.

At the same time, an eye-catching quest notification suddenly appeared in his field of vision:

[Your bond with Zuo Yi is about to reach Level 10.]

[Bond Quest Unlocked: A Girl’s Troubles]

[Quest Details: Troublesome matters have suddenly stirred up painful memories from Zuo Yi’s childhood, causing her to flee from your side in a panic…]

[Quest Objective: Find Zuo Yi and help her resolve the knot in her heart.]

[Quest Reward: Permanent Companion Function]

……

Lu Ze had designed a separate system for each of the eight tower masters in the Palworld.

Hidden mechanics, Bond Levels, skills, Partner Skills, and the final Bond Quest…

Before a player’s bond with a tower master reached Level 10, the final Bond Quest would be triggered.

After completing the Bond Quest, the tower master would become a permanent presence. They could fight at the forefront in real time without occupying a combat slot.

Of course, when activated as a permanent combatant, their strength would be reduced. The feature was mainly intended to provide emotional value without affecting the game’s original balance.

There was also one crucial restriction:

Only one tower master could exist in the party at a time.

“Strange. Where did she run off to…?”

Zhong Yi scratched his head in frustration.

He read through the quest details again and again, but this ridiculous Bond Quest did not provide even the slightest hint regarding its location.

In other words, he had to find Zuo Yi on his own.

“Childhood? Nightmares?”

Zhong Yi closed his eyes and pondered. Before long, he found the direction in which he needed to search.

The Drifter’s Journal and the Tower Master Diaries.

These were special items scattered throughout the Palworld, recording the pasts of various people.

They contained information on nearly every tower master.

Zhong Yi quickly found the pages concerning Zuo Yi.

[I don’t know what a family is supposed to be like.]

[Dad left me a long time ago, and I’ve never even seen my mother.]

[After that, the only ones who raised me in place of my parents were the people in the poaching gang—and this Grizzbolt.]

……

……

Deep within a bamboo forest.

At an abandoned temporary outpost once used by a poaching gang.

Inside a huge, rust-covered iron cage, the frail figure of a young girl curled up into a ball.

“Liars…”

The girl buried her face between her knees, her voice carrying a faint sob.

“After all, Zuo Yi is always the one who gets abandoned…”

“Dad, you too…”

“You’re all liars…”

Night fell deeper.

The evening breeze stretched the girl’s shadow longer and longer.

“Creak… creak…”

A strange cry forcibly dragged Zuo Yi out of her sorrowful thoughts.

The girl wiped at her slightly reddened eyes and warily glanced around.

A huge Direhowl, its eyes glowing red and its body wreathed in purple baleful energy, emerged from the bushes with a predatory stare.

“Hmph. Another beast that’s lost its mind? Grizzbolt… Huh?”

Zuo Yi instinctively reached for the Pal Sphere at her waist, then suddenly froze.

Only now did she remember that Grizzbolt was not currently by her side.

“Roar—!!”

The Direhowl let out a vicious howl as it drew closer and closer to Zuo Yi.

“So…”

“Even you don’t want me anymore…”

As if she had resigned herself to her fate, Zuo Yi closed her eyes.

The Direhowl’s howl grew louder and louder. A wave of foul, heated breath was nearly crashing against her face.

Just then—

“Boom—!!”

A massive bolt of lightning descended from the sky, sending the Direhowl flying.

“Gri… Grizzbolt!? How are you…?”

Zuo Yi opened her eyes in disbelief. When she saw Zhong Yi sitting atop Grizzbolt’s head, she was stunned.

“Huh?”

“Young lady, you certainly made me search high and low for you!”

Zhong Yi controlled Grizzbolt while continuously pulling the trigger and sweeping the minigun in his hands across the battlefield. At the same time, he shouted toward Zuo Yi.

Zuo Yi’s diary recorded her past.

Her parents had disappeared when she was very young. Although she was the daughter of the former leader of the poaching gang, the gang members disliked her. The only one who kept her company was a Grizzbolt.

For the sake of profit, the poaching gang ruthlessly captured—or even killed—any Pal they came across. Grizzbolt was no exception.

Zuo Yi secretly released Grizzbolt and planned to escape with it. However, the gang members soon caught them again and even locked the two of them in the same iron cage, intending to sell them together.

That very night, Zuo Yi awakened her potential as a Pal trainer. Together with Grizzbolt, she subdued the gang members and became the new tower master…

“I knew you’d be at one of the poaching gang’s abandoned outposts.”

“There are twenty-one abandoned outposts nearby. This is the nineteenth one I’ve checked… Ugh, Lao Zhou’s rubbing off on me.”

“I already know what your wish is!”

At Zhong Yi’s words, Zuo Yi’s breathing suddenly stopped.

“You… How could you possibly know what I want? You wouldn’t understand!”

Zuo Yi lowered her head and spoke softly.

“I do understand… Of course I understand! Your wish is to stay together forever… forever!”

Zhong Yi shouted as he controlled Grizzbolt to kick the frenzied Direhowl away. He then flipped over Grizzbolt’s back and leaped down, only to land face-first in the dirt in front of Zuo Yi. He scrambled awkwardly back to his feet.

“You… You really…”

Zuo Yi’s lips trembled faintly, and her gaze began to dart away.

The live-stream chat was also shocked by Zhong Yi’s declaration.

[Don’t say something that cool right after messing up the landing!!]

[No way, has Zhong Yi finally figured it out this time!?]

[Oh no, Miss Zuo’s blushing…]

[Could it be…!?]

……

Zhong Yi gave an awkward laugh and patted the dirt from his clothes.

“Of course I mean it. That’s why I personally brought Grizzbolt back to you!”

“…Oh.”

“You don’t look very happy.”

“It’s nothing.”

“From now on, you and Grizzbolt will never be separated again!”

“Mm.”

“I even went all the way to the First Wildlife Sanctuary to catch it for you!”

“Heh… hehehe…”

The corners of Zuo Yi’s mouth twitched slightly.

The live-stream chat exploded once again.

[It’s hopeless!!!]

[He’s destined to die alone!!!]

[Zhong Yi, if you know how to talk, then talk more!!!!]

[Does he really think she wants Grizzbolt!?]

……