Chapter 53: Bloodthirsty Little Skeleton
Eventually.
Following Su Ping’s recommendations, the Fan siblings picked some pet food they needed and spent 67,000 coins.
That sum of money was converted to 670 energy points automatically.
“Sir, may I know your family name?”
“Su.”
“Mr. Su, when can we leave?”
Fan Yujing was more concerned about finding his teammate’s pet than the precious pet food he had just bought.
Su Ping didn’t reply to this question directly. Rather, he answered with another question, “How long are the day and night in the space fracture?”
Since that was an unknown world, the alternation between day and night would be different from that on the blue planet. Maybe, it would be in the daytime in the space fracture while it was nighttime in the blue planet.
This was common. For instance, consider the Chaotic Realm of the Undead… Su Ping had never seen the sun there.
“What?”
Fan Yujing was surprised by this question.
Su Ping had to be a professional since he noticed this point.
Only senior explorers that would go in and out of space fractures would pay attention to such details.
The time difference might appear to be an issue of little consequence, but it could be critical to the daily schedule of some Astral Pets!
The majority of Astral Pets of the demon family would hide by day and come out at night. During the nighttime, such Astral Pet’s would be more aggressive and thirstier for blood!
Previously, when Su Ping was hesitating, Fan Yujing was still having doubts about him. However, at that moment, Fan Yujing felt he had underestimated this store owner.
Someone that could break his arm easily was more powerful. How could Su Ping not be afraid of space fractures?
“The space fracture was just discovered. We haven’t registered the existing alternation between day and night yet,” Fan Yujing confessed.
Su Ping said, “Can you have your teammates wait there and guard by the entrance? We can go in at once when daylight comes on the other side.”
Fan Yujing nodded, but at the same time he still had questions, “What if it would take a long time for the day to arrive? Wouldn’t we have to wait for several days?”
Su Ping replied in a low voice, “We will set off tonight at the latest.”
Su Ping was also unwilling to wait for that long. They would have to take actions overnight if they couldn’t wait for the day to come in that space fracture. Otherwise, if they postponed their actions for too long, the lost Astral Pet could be murdered and his quest would fail.
“Sure,” Fan Yujing agreed at once.
His bottom line was to set off by the evening of the following day at the latest, or the chances to find his teammate’s pet would be small.
“Off you go. Come to this address to wait for me at 10:00 tonight.” Su Ping found a pen to write down an address close to his home and handed it to Fan Yujing.
Fan Yujing took it and read the note. “Sure. Let me go back and get ready.”
Su Ping nodded. “Of course.”
As the siblings almost crossed the door, Su Ping stopped them at once, “Wait.”
“Yes?” Fan Yujing turned around in surprise.
“Aren’t you going to buy more?”
“…”
After the two were sent off, Su Ping took a look at the energy points he had collected. Counting what was left from before, he had more than 700 energy points in total.
“We’re looking for a pet of the fire family with an advanced bloodline, the Fire-tailed Blood Fox. Unfortunately, the Fire Herb was sold out. The only thing left is the ‘Fire Dragon Fruit’.”
Su Ping picked up a bottle of Fire Dragon Fruit from the shelf. There were eight pieces of fruit inside and each was worth more than 300 coins. This was a kind of food that was favored by pets of the fire family. The fruit could increase the density of fire elements inside such pets and enhance the power of attacks involving fire.
To accomplish the task, he would have to use the Fire Dragon Fruit as bait.
He tried hard to mollify his aching heart. Su Ping placed the Fire Dragon Fruit into his storage space. Then, he went to the pet room and cast an identification spell on the Little Skeleton that was soundly asleep.
Bloodthirsty Little Skeleton
Property: pet of the demon family
Rank: third rank
Combat Strength: 7.8
Aptitudes: Below average
Abilities Mastered: Regeneration, Undead Enslaving, Intermediate Saberplay, Puppetry, Rotting Flesh, Darkness Blinding, Deadly Roar
Compared to when they came back from the Chaotic Realm of the Undead, there had been some shifts in the Little Skeleton’s interface.
Its rank had been elevated. When they came back from the Chaotic Realm of the Undead, the Little Skeleton was at the upper position of the second rank. It had already reached the third rank at the moment.
Its combat strength had advanced to 7.8 from 7.4, which implied that the Little Skeleton could compare favorably with a pet at the upper position of the seventh rank.
However, its aptitude rating dropped from above average to below average.
But what stood out more was the addition of “Bloodthirsty” in front of the Little Skeleton’s name.
Every piece of change was related to one item, the treasure that was worth 15 million coins, the Blood Bead!
This Blood Bead was still hovering inside the Little Skeleton’s skull but had shrunk in size. The Little Skeleton had absorbed a fair portion of the Blood Bead. This was the reason for the elevation in rank, combat strength, and constitution. The Little Skeleton had more potential. It evolved from a regular Skeleton-Pet to a Bloodthirsty Skeleton-Pet!
Amongst all the skeletons, bloodthirsty skeletons were pets with middle-rank bloodlines. That being said, amongst all the middle-rank Astral Pets, the bloodthirsty skeletons were at the bottom and even an adult skeleton would only have a combat strength of the fourth rank.
Yet, compared to the original average skeleton kind, the bloodthirsty skeleton kind was much better.
This could explain something.
The Little Skeleton had become more talented but its combat strength did not increase markedly. Therefore, amongst its peers, the Little Skeleton’s aptitude could only be rated as below average.
Of course, its peers were not the common skeletons, but the bloodthirsty skeletons that were superior.
Amongst all the bloodthirsty skeletons born since the beginning of chaos, what the Bloodthirsty Little Skeleton had could only be regarded as below average.
Luckily, since that quest had been finished, even the drop of aptitude ratings would not affect Su Ping.
After all, the Little Skeleton had absorbed enough energy from the Blood Bead, completely changing its bloodline to that of a Skeleton King. Given its incipient combat strength in contrast to such a constitution overhaul, it was understandable that its aptitude rate would be lower.
“Little fella, time to get up.”
Su Ping woke up the Little Skeleton.
Some red sparkles shot out from the Little Skeleton’s empty eye sockets as it regained consciousness. The Little Skeleton sat up and looked at Su Ping in a daze.
Su Ping told the Little Skeleton to leave the nursing pen, then he took it to the store and closed the shutter door.
Su Ping said in his mind, “Cultivation plane window.”
Yes, he wanted to pay a visit to a cultivation plane. But, he was not going to train the Little Skeleton. The true aim was to give the Little Skeleton enough time to absorb the Blood Bead.
After all, one day in the cultivation plane was merely an hour in the real world.
He had more than half a day left before the rendezvous at 10:00 that evening, so he could stay in a cultivation plane for about a week.
A week of nurturing with the Blood Bead would improve the Little Skeleton’s constitution and strength.
Given the Little Skeleton’s current status, improving its constitution would be much better than finding an advanced cultivation plane for it to fight.
After all, the Little Skeleton had almost reached the limit of its potential when it fought in the Chaotic Realm of the Undead. Plain fighting and dying would not necessarily improve the Little Skeleton’s combat strength in the short term.
Besides, if they were to engage in fights, the Blood Bead in the Little Skeleton’s skull would have to be taken out, or else the Blood Bead would be lost when the Little Skeleton died. That would delay the absorption of the Blood Bead.
Soon.
Su Ping found the low-level cultivation plane he went to last time, the Extraterrestrial Meteorite Region 1002.
The charge for admission was merely one energy point.
Su Ping chose that cultivation plane without any hesitation.
That plane had little danger. Once they got there, he could summon the Little Skeleton back to his pet space and then enjoy seven days in that plane. Plus, he could collect some pet food.
Even if he used up all 30 deaths that came for free as a gift from the system, he could use some energy points to buy more. The price was merely one-tenth of the admission price.
Time zipped by.
The seven-day trip in the cultivation plane went by in a blink.
Deep at night, Su Ping re-emerged at the store. He came back with uncombed hair and dirty face after seven days in the cultivation plane.
He looked at the time. It was 8:30 in the evening.
Su Ping breathed in relief. He poured out all the pet food in his storage space and asked the system to help him count and put them on the shelf. Then, he took a shower at the store and then he quickly rode back to his home.