The Rolling Beast's strength was at the entry-level intermediate stage. The soul power required to contract it was 25 points. Far more than the 1 point needed to contract a newborn spirit.
But now, thanks to the feedback from three elite-level spirits, Su Hao's soul power, when converted into numbers, was well into the hundreds! He was a true elite-level spirit master. Even after deducting the soul shares occupied by his three little ones, he still had thirty to fifty points left over.
"Soul power is more than enough. Even if it weren't, forcing the contract would just leave me weak for a while..." If the soul power gap were too large, the contract might fail. At worst, he'd get a nosebleed and pass out for a bit. No big deal.
Still, directly contracting an entry-level spirit brought a sudden surge of soul pressure that made Su Hao a bit uncomfortable. It lasted about a few dozen seconds before the waves of dizziness gradually faded. The soul connection with the Rolling Beast before him grew much closer.
"Ooh? Ooh-ooh~" It glanced back at him, then fixed its gaze on the computer screen again. Su Hao: "..."
He wasn't sure whether to say this Rolling Beast was easy to lure or... that this internet-addicted bear was beyond saving. "Anyway, the first thing I'll do when I get back to school is cure this bear's internet addiction. But it seems like electroshock therapy won't work?"
...
Maybe because the Bear King Mountain spirits had been exposed to quite a bit of Dragon Kingdom culture and were drawn to it, the bear cubs were all pretty easy to tempt. But that very noticeable floating plush bear—no one could lure it away. It seemed like a very lazy little bear, unwilling to even walk, let alone follow humans out into the world.
By afternoon, Su Hao banned the internet-addicted bear from continuing its game. Dragging it by the scruff, ignoring its pitiful gaze, he walked out of the internet café hall.
He looked at the others. Chen Ming and Wu Hang had each contracted a Rolling Beast and a Panda Cub, both descendants of transcendent-level spirits. The young girl Mu Xinxuan had also contracted a pretty decent plush bear, which she held in her arms.
As for the master-level spirit master Wang Wu—he wasn't a spirit breeder, and his luck wasn't great. The Rolling Beast he contracted, while good-looking, was just an ordinary first-generation spirit. "But from another angle, elsewhere you'd be hard-pressed to find even a wild lightning-type spirit. Being able to contract a Rolling Beast—a rare attribute with a powerful evolution—isn't bad at all."
After all, not everyone had eyes like his that could see a spirit's inner potential.
"Are all contracts complete?" The Arhat Panda Elder walked over step by step, its gaze sweeping over the bear cubs. Su Hao's Rolling Beast immediately darted behind him. Its round, chubby body hid behind his legs, but its fluffy fur was still clearly visible.
"It's you." Seeing the surprise and complexity on the Arhat Panda Elder's face, King Wu asked, "Elder, this Rolling Beast...?" "It's the descendant of one of my elder brothers." The Panda Elder paused. "But its lifespan reached its end. After giving birth to this Rolling Beast, it returned to nature."
It walked up to Su Hao, lifted the "you can't see me" Rolling Beast with one claw, and said to him: "This bear cub is in your hands now. It's quite playful—don't let its talent go to waste." Su Hao: "..."
So you know it's addicted to games too. He nodded solemnly. "Don't worry, Elder. My first step is to cure its internet addiction. The second is to make it a bear that stands tall between heaven and earth."
He looked at the dangling Rolling Beast and gave it a meaningful glance. As if asking if it understood. The Rolling Beast looked back, utterly clueless. A vague sense of dread suddenly sprouted in its tiny little head.
Su Hao suddenly thought of something and turned to the elder. "Elder, can I stay a few more days and leave after it evolves?" The Rolling Beast's attributes had long met the conditions for evolution. Its body development was lacking. But after contracting with Su Hao, it could grow quickly—it wouldn't take more than a few days to evolve. Unlike now, stuck in its initial form, its strength growth was actually being held back.
The Panda Elder was taken aback. "You may." It looked at Su Hao with even more admiration and handed him a token. "Take this. It will grant you access to several important training grounds on Bear King Mountain." Su Hao thanked him.
...
Wu Hang, Chen Ming, and the other contestants, along with the various kings and quasi-kings, all set off and left. "Senior Brother Wu, sorry to make you stay a few more days." King Wu waved a hand dismissively, brushing his thick hair. "You don't know this, but anyone else trying to stay on Bear King Mountain wouldn't have a chance." He pursed his lips. "Aside from Bear King, even other kings wouldn't get any face here. The only time we can come is this annual event. You should've seen Old Man Lu's face when he found out you could stay. "Since the Panda Elder gave you that token, don't hold back. Bear King Mountain has plenty of good stuff—things rare outside but common here... Make good use of these few days." Su Hao understood perfectly.
...
Staying a few more days on Bear King Mountain made no one happier than Die Xiaodie. "Gu nuo~" It was about to fly toward the internet café hall when it heard a cold laugh behind it. A hand grabbed its neck. "Gu nuo~ Gu nuo~" "Come on, training with me. "Same rules—finish your training, and you can do whatever you want." "And you, stop right there!"
The Rolling Beast, which had been trying to sneak away, froze. It was dragged by Su Hao up the mountain.
...
At the summit, after assigning training tasks to Die Xiaodie, Dull Crow, and Erha Lin, Su Hao took the Rolling Beast further up. He saw two Thunderous Roars standing guard before a narrow path. He showed the token, negotiated briefly, and was let through.
After a few hundred more steps, the view opened up. The sounds of "crackle crackle" and "rumble rumble" filled the air. Blue-violet light illuminated the clearing ahead. Countless bolts of lightning crashed down, arcs of electricity dancing. The ground beneath was blasted smooth as a mirror, like a scene from the apocalypse.
This was the Thunder Prison. The most important training ground for the Thunderous Roar lineage on Bear King Mountain. At its core, a special kind of lightning fell—blue-violet with faint traces of orange light flickering within. If a lightning-type spirit could absorb even a little, it would gain immense benefits.
"Go on. Accept the baptism of thunder." The Rolling Beast looked at him, eyes glistening with tears, and lunged forward to hug his leg. "Wah wah wah—" "Wah wah wah—" It cried so pitifully.
It had recognized a big sister who was amazing at games. It had a chance to go to the Dragon Kingdom. It should have been double the happiness. But why... Why did it have to be training? The Thunder Prison was so scary, wah wah wah.
Su Hao sighed. "Originally, I was going to buy you a computer when we got back, load it with dozens of games you don't have here. But I thought about it, and maybe I should—" "Ooh? Ooh-ooh~!"
It stopped crying. It no longer felt wronged. It immediately patted its chest and strode boldly toward the Thunder Prison. Su Hao: "..."
That worked way too well.