On the other side of Silver Lake City, a beautiful young lady was walking along a stone road. With her glowing orange eyes and pink hair, she looked like a noble lady.
She was Aris, who had visited the Mystic Pet Store earlier and bought a Mystic Beast for herself. She was holding a cute Snow Pup in her arms.
When people passing by saw the cute creature in Aris's hands, the first thing that came to their minds was that it was a baby monster beast.
They began talking among themselves about why such a beautiful young lady would bring a monster beast into the city.
However, among them, an Awakener explained that some monster beasts were completely harmless and that some high-level Awakeners or rich people tamed them as a hobby. That young lady looked like she came from a wealthy noble household.
After hearing this, the commoners felt envious of such people. They had to hide behind walls to protect themselves from monster beasts, while rich people tamed them for fun.
+4 Envy
Aris stopped in front of an inn. This inn was famous in Silver Lake City because high-level Awakeners and important people stayed here when they visited the city.
The service in this inn was top-notch, which was why it was also expensive. Only rich people and high-level Awakeners could afford to stay here.
Aris and her friends were also staying here with their mentor.
Aris brought her Mystic Beast to the room where she and her friends were staying. Bringing Snow Pup inside was not easy; she had to prove that Snow Pup was harmless. After seeing its cute face and that it could not harm other guests, they allowed it to enter.
Aris entered the room. Inside, her friends were lazily doing their own things... some were sleeping, some were reading books, and some were quietly cultivating.
Overall, the room was quiet, but when Aris entered, everyone stared at her.
"Oh, you're finally back. We thought you ran away."
"Where did you suddenly go, Aris?"
"Yeah… did you go outside to do something fun? Why didn't you bring us along? It's unfair to enjoy everything alone."
One by one, Aris's friends asked her where she had gone.
Aris felt embarrassed after hearing their questions. She had only sneaked outside to get rid of her boredom.
"Wow… what a cute thing you're holding, Aris?" Suddenly, one of her friends noticed what Aris was carrying. On closer look, it was a cute baby monster beast.
Aris froze for a moment, then held Snow Pup a little tighter.
"Uhh… so cute! A monster beast cub."
"Where did you find this?"
Aris's other friends also noticed Snow Pup. Seeing how cute and charming it was, they also fell in love with it. But they were curious about where she had gotten this monster beast cub.
Aris hesitated to tell them Snow Pup's origin. She had paid one Crystal to buy it because it was cute, and she did not really believe what the store owner said about it being able to fight a Tier 3 Fierce Beast. However, her heart had urged her to buy it, so she did.
But she did not want to tell this to her friends. What if they thought she had been scammed and laughed at her? So she was burning her brain cells, trying to find a perfect excuse.
At that moment, the door opened.
Their mentor, a middle-aged man with a stern face and a long sword at his waist, walked in.
"Did your older sister give you this monster cub?"
The middle-aged man, whose name was Balen, asked after seeing Snow Pup. He was the mentor of Aris and her friends.
When Aris heard this, her eyes lit up and she nodded.
"Yeah… it was a gift from my sister. I received it when I was walking outside."
Balen nodded after hearing her answer. He did not suspect anything. Aris's sister was a strong Awakener, so finding a monster beast cub and giving it to her sister was normal.
"We are going to hunt in the Green Forest in a few hours, so start preparing now. I will notify you when we are about to leave."
"Yes, Mentor!"
Aris and her friends said together.
After Balen left, Aris's friends looked at Snow Pup again, their eyes shining.
"Wow… it's so beautiful! I feel jealous."
"Yeah, why don't I have a good sister like Aris? My brothers are annoying and only know how to flirt with naive young ladies."
"My brother is the same."
They surrounded Aris to look at Snow Pup more closely. Hearing them envy her for having a good sister made Aris feel a little guilty, because the truth was that her sister had not given her Snow Pup—she had bought it herself.
But she did not tell them. Her sister was currently on a mission with a secret royal force, so they would not find out for now.
Hehe, I'm a genius… she thought.
"It's so small and fluffy…"
"Can I touch it?"
Snow Pup blinked its icy-blue eyes and let out a soft sound.
"Yip."
One of the girls reached out and gently poked its head. Snow Pup did not resist and even wagged its tiny tail.
"It's really harmless," another friend said.
Snow Pup wriggled in Aris's arms, clearly enjoying the attention. It lifted its head and looked around at the girls surrounding it, then let out another soft sound.
"Yip~"
"Ahh, it's so cute!"
One of the girls couldn't hold back and gently rubbed its ears. Snow Pup didn't resist at all. Instead, it narrowed its eyes comfortably and leaned into her hand.
***
[This is a work of fiction. All characters, beliefs, and events are part of a fantasy universe]