The old shopkeeper's voice echoed through the dim, dusty shop like a funeral knell. "Wasted... a total waste. That thing has a lifespan of thirty days, kid. You've traded your soul's potential for a garden pest."
Lin Xuan didn't blink. To the old man, he was holding a dying larva. To Lin Xuan's Divine Tamer's Eye, he was holding a miracle wrapped in silk.
[Target: Moon Silk Caterpillar]
[Attribute: Bug/Moon]
[Rank: 1-Star (Iron Tier)]
[Health: 15% (Severe Malnutrition / Spiritual Void)]
[Quality: Inferior (Hidden Quality: Mythical)]
Below the stats, a massive, three-dimensional holographic web ignited in his mind. It was the Caterpillar Evolution Tree. It looked like a cosmic nervous system, branching out into thousands of glowing nodes.
[Common Paths (1-200): Unlocked.]
Path 4: Steel-Hided Cocoon (Defense Specialty)
Path 12: Jade-Dew Healer (Medical Specialty)
Path 89: Bloodline Catalyst (Evolution Specialty)
[Forbidden Paths (201-500): Locked.]
Requirement: Reach 6-Star Beast Tamer Rank.
Lin Xuan's breath hitched. In this world, the greatest Beast Breeders in history had only ever documented three evolution paths for the Moon Silk Caterpillar, all of which led to mediocre 2-star silk moths. But here, he was looking at five hundred possibilities.
If he chose the Bloodline Catalyst path, this tiny insect could secrete pheromones that forced other beasts to undergo "Perfect Evolution." It would make him the most powerful Breeder in history. If he chose the combat paths, he could eventually command a beast that consumed the moon itself.
"My sisters..." Lin Xuan whispered, his eyes gleaming. "I can finally give back."
He carefully placed the caterpillar into a ventilated pocket near his heart, feeling its tiny, shivering legs grip his shirt. He walked out of the shop and began the trek back to the Lin Manor.
The Lin family estate was a sprawling, traditional compound that stood as a testament to the family's history as elite Tamers and Breeders. But as Lin Xuan approached the gates, he noticed the subtle signs of decay—the peeling paint on the gate, the overgrown spiritual gardens. He knew why. The Iron-Claw Corporation, a massive conglomerate, was aggressively sabotaging the Lin family's business to force a buyout.
As the front door creaked open, three figures were already waiting in the foyer.
"Xuan'er!"
Lin Feng, the second sister, moved so fast she was a blur. She was dressed in her "Valkyrie" squad tactical gear—midnight-blue leather and reinforced carbon fiber. Her 4-star Wind-Blade Panther prowled behind her, its eyes glowing with predatory intelligence. She grabbed Lin Xuan by the shoulders, her eyes searching his.
"Where have you been? Graduation ended three hours ago! I had the Academy's best Storm Hawk egg reserved for you! I even threatened the Dean to keep it on ice!"
Lin Yue, the eldest sister, walked forward. She was the picture of elegance in a traditional white cheongsam, but her eyes were red-rimmed. She had clearly been crying. "Feng'er, let him breathe. Xuan'er, it's okay if you didn't get a high-star beast. We have some savings left. We can go to the auction tomorrow..."
Lin Chen, the youngest, was hovering with a tablet. She was the family's resident genius, currently a top-tier researcher in beast serums. "Brother's bio-rhythms are irregular. Did you sign a contract? Let me see the beast. I've already prepared the customized nutrient salts for a Fire-type or Wind-type predator."
Lin Xuan looked at them—the three women who had been his anchors in this new world. He felt a swell of protectiveness. He knew what they expected: a lion, a hawk, perhaps a rare wolf.
"I didn't get the Hawk," Lin Xuan said, his voice unusually calm and deep.
He reached into his pocket. Slowly, he pulled out the pale green, shivering Moon Silk Caterpillar.
The silence that fell over the foyer was so heavy it felt like the gravity in the room had doubled.
Lin Feng's jaw dropped. The Wind-Blade Panther behind her let out a confused huff. Lin Chen's tablet slipped from her fingers, clattering onto the marble floor. Lin Yue's face went pale, her hands flying to her mouth to stifle a sob.
"A... a caterpillar?" Lin Feng's voice was a whisper of pure, agonizing heartbreak. "Xuan'er... did someone cheat you? Did the students at the Academy bully you into this? Tell me! I'll call the Valkyries and we will tear that school apart!"
"No one bullied me, Sister," Lin Xuan said, stepping forward. He didn't look like the shy, bookish brother they knew. There was a sharp, masculine authority in his gaze that made even the 4-star Tamer, Lin Feng, instinctively take a half-step back. "I chose this beast because it is the only one worthy of the Lin family."
"Xuan'er, you don't understand," Lin Yue cried, stepping toward him and taking his hands. Her palms were cold. "Moon Silk Caterpillars have no evolution potential. Their spiritual sea is too small to hold a 2-star core. You've... you've locked your soul to a beast that will die in a month. Your path as a Tamer is over before it began!"
"The textbooks are wrong, Sister," Lin Xuan said, squeezing her hands firmly. "I've spent every night for the last three years in the library, cross-referencing ancient Sanskrit texts and pre-Revival biological records. This insect isn't a dead end. It's a blank canvas."
He looked at Lin Chen, the researcher. "Chen'er, I need the Silver-Leaf Herb from your private stock, three grams of Lunar-Dust minerals, and a basic 1-star Bug Crystal. Now."
Lin Chen blinked, her brain struggling to process the command. "Brother... those materials together are highly volatile. If you feed them to an Iron-rank insect, it'll explode!"
"It won't," Lin Xuan said, his eyes flashing with a terrifyingly brilliant confidence. "In two hours, I'm going to show you an evolution that hasn't been seen on Blue Star for five centuries. Lin Yue, the shop is failing because we play by the corporations' rules. Starting tonight, we make our own."
The sisters stood frozen. This wasn't the brother who needed their protection. This was a man who sounded like he was about to declare war on the world.
"Get the materials," Lin Xuan commanded.
Under the weight of his gaze, the three sisters—the city's elite talents—found themselves nodding in silent, stunned obedience. As Lin Xuan walked toward the basement breeding lab, he felt the caterpillar pulse against his palm.
Don't be afraid, little one, he thought. Tonight, we stop crawling.