Beast Taming: Starting From Zero Chapter 1011: Another Possibility for the Evolution of Ghost-Type Pets

"Come on, it's merely a missing wig—no need to wail so dramatically..." Qiao Sang felt somewhat at a loss for words, yet an odd sense of caution suddenly gripped her.

She inquired: "Did you spot an unseen Ghost-type pet dashing away with your wig?"

After all, Little Treasure ranked as a General-level pet. For an item perched on his head to disappear so abruptly pointed to the culprit being far more powerful than him or daring enough to wield some kind of item-shifting power.

"Xun xun!"

Little Treasure glanced around left and right, then shook his head with an expression full of sorrow and fury, signaling that he had noticed nothing at all.

"Yap yap."

Yabao, who had started to feel drowsy, uttered a sound, assuring him there was no need to fret and offering to check it out himself.

"Xun xun~"

Little Treasure grasped the idea right away. His eyes sparkled, and he drifted over beside Yabao, dipping his head down.

Yabao raised a paw, rested it atop Little Treasure’s head, and shut his eyes.

"Yap yap..."

Roughly ten seconds passed before Yabao reopened his eyes, shook his head, and let out a call.

"Xun xun..."

Little Treasure’s face fell into utter dejection.

Qiao Sang pondered briefly and then reassured him: "Relax. You can hunt for it by using the visions that pop up during Spatial Shift positioning. If it doesn't turn up, I'll get you a fresh one afterward."

The Emphatic Positioning for Spatial Shift could swiftly sweep through and pinpoint a targeted zone. It offered an overhead vista, letting one capture exact snapshots with precision. That's precisely how they had located the Lele Seeds inside the Secret Realm before.

With Emphatic Positioning granting a divine vantage point, Little Treasure ought to manage it easily during his own positioning.

Qiao Sang's thoughts raced keenly; ideas surged through her mind in a flash.

If the wig had vanished without any clue, it must have been snatched by an unseen Ghost-type pet or shifted away by a Psychic-type pet through a technique like Item Transfer.

Being in the Zidia Region made the first option far more probable.

Yabao’s Sensory Perception only picked up tangible events on Little Treasure’s head; it failed to detect hidden ghosts.

Yet the mental images from Little Treasure’s Spatial Shift positioning covered the whole surroundings. Maybe the Ghost-type pet figured it was secure after grabbing the wig and showed up gleefully in another spot.

"Xun xun!"

Little Treasure’s eyes brightened once more, and he squeezed them shut.

In an instant, a three-dimensional holographic map of all of You City unfolded within his thoughts.

At the same time, Qiao Sang, spurred by intrigue, questioned: "When a Ghost-type pet sets up for Spatial Shift, do the mental pictures reveal invisible Ghost-type pets too?"

Mikayla paused quietly for a beat.

"A pet blending Ghost and Psychic types, plus mastering Spatial Shift at the Ultimate level... do you suppose those are everyday occurrences?"

Qiao Sang shot Mikayla a glance laced with complication.

Mikayla caught the implication in Qiao Sang’s stare and quieted once more before continuing: "Certain insights arise from hands-on experience. Your Ghost Ring King fits every requirement perfectly. Why not inquire straight from him after he wraps up positioning?"

Qiao Sang agreed with a nod and replied, "Alright."

Right at that moment, Little Treasure flung his eyes wide open.

"Xun xun!"

Without waiting for Qiao Sang to utter a word, he shoved the pet egg ahead.

"Yap yap..."

Yabao shifted slightly in his tamer’s hold, raised his paws, and helped receive the egg.

Seconds later, Little Treasure blinked out of sight entirely.

Around five seconds ticked by before Little Treasure materialized from nowhere. In his grasp was a creature roughly forty centimeters in height. It featured a mainly gray-black body with a brownish-gray underside, and its eyes were pitch-black orbs devoid of whites. Atop its head sat the pink afro wig.

Details about the pet flooded into Qiao Sang’s thoughts. Then, a realization hit her, and she turned her attention to the Kongkong Spirit’s paws.

As expected, a slim black mini-bracelet caught her eye.

No questions needed—the afro crowning the Kongkong Spirit confirmed it as the culprit.

"Xun xun!"

"Xun xun!"

Little Treasure unleashed a barrage of angry scoldings at the Kongkong Spirit. Midway, he recalled something, yanked the pink wig free, plopped it onto his own head, and picked up his rant from there.

"Kong kong..."

The Kongkong Spirit stayed meekly in place during the whole thing, appearing to grasp its mistake.

After nearly a minute of berating, Qiao Sang coughed lightly. "Glad we recovered the wig."

"Xun xun..."

Cut off by his tamer, Little Treasure sensed his yelling wind down and released his hold.

The Kongkong Spirit’s profound eyes fixed on Little Treasure’s wig.

Suddenly, a frantic voice called: "Kongkong, I finally found you!"

Qiao Sang turned toward the noise and spotted a robust fellow, solidly built with wide shoulders and a thick chest, his oily hair neatly parted.

The Kongkong Spirit drifted toward the robust man, chirping "Kong kong, kong kong" two times.

Having heard it out, the man approached and addressed Mikayla apologetically: "I apologize deeply. My Kongkong Spirit adores the wig on your Ghost-type pet's head. Might you consider selling it to me?"

Qiao Sang: ???

"Xun xun?!"

Little Treasure erupted instantly at those words, diving into fresh tirade.

Mikayla responded coolly: "I'm not its Tamer. The actual Tamer is right over there."

She nodded subtly in indication.

Only then did the robust man realize someone else stood nearby.

He paused briefly, eyed Qiao Sang, and restated his plea: "I apologize. My Kongkong Spirit truly fancies your pet's wig. Would you sell it to me?"

Qiao Sang replied firmly and without mercy: "No."

"Xun xun..."

Little Treasure sensed contentment and ceased his outbursts.

The robust man showed no dismay and avoided pushing further. Instead, he told the Kongkong Spirit, "They won't part with it. I'll grab an exact match for you soon."

"Kong kong."

The Kongkong Spirit averted its gaze, seeming displeased.

 Qiao Sang had no desire to hang around. She pulled out her phone, glanced at the map, and readied to depart.

To her shock, the robust man stepped into their way and said with helplessness: "Can we talk privately for a moment?"

Qiao Sang answered on impulse, "It's not up for sale."

The man stiffened, then clenched his jaw. "Not even for 5,000?"

Qiao Sang conveyed her stance via her look.

In her current position, laden with vast riches, she wouldn't trade Little Treasure’s cherished wig for just 5,000 Alliance Coins.

As she prepared to turn him down once more, the man read her short quiet as doubt and whispered: "I'm exploring a fresh evolution route for Kongkong Spirit. What do you say? Help me out here."

Qiao Sang felt totally baffled. The whole affair escaped her comprehension.

Qiao Sang couldn't resist glancing at Teacher Mikayla.

Mikayla considered it briefly and explained, "I recall Kongkong Spirit offers two evolution routes: one by taking in at least an A-grade Dark Stone, the other through fusion with a pet known as Night Shell Ball."

The robust man looked at Mikayla, caught on, and noted: "You're not from the Zidia Region, so this might be news to you. Dr. Zhang Taitong just released research claiming certain Ghost-type pets possess an extra evolution path, triggered by boosting their happiness."

Qiao Sang furrowed her brow.

"Evolution via emotional strength?"

The man affirmed with a nod. "Probably. Though it's more involved than mere happiness, keeping them joyful is a must."

At those words, Qiao Sang grew contemplative.

She pondered the details of this evolution route. Little Treasure’s present path topped out at the Imperial rank, hitting its racial ceiling. 

The man seized the chance: "So, what about it? 5,000 work for you? Think of it as gaining a pal."

"Xun xun..."

Little Treasure lifted both paws and clamped down hard on his wig

Qiao Sang eyed the man and stated: "No. Handing over the wig might cheer your Kongkong Spirit, but it would upset my Ghost Ring King."

"Xun xun~"

Little Treasure dropped his paws and puffed up his posture right away.

"Kong kong..." The Kongkong Spirit eyed its Tamer.

The robust man went still.

...

Before he could respond, Little Treasure eyed the phone in Qiao Sang's grip, locked onto the navigation point, and his eyes shimmered blue. He teleported away with Qiao Sang and Mikayla in tow.

"Kong kong!"

Witnessing this, the Kongkong Spirit cried out in frustration at its Tamer and faded into invisibility.

The robust man: ...

--

Beast Center.

Following check-in, Qiao Sang and Mikayla made their way to the lodging section.

Mikayla halted before her door and spoke kindly: "Things have been tough recently. Rest well tonight. Teacher Flauda ought to show up near noon tomorrow."

"Okay." Qiao Sang nodded and swiped her Tamer Badge to unlock the adjacent door.

"Yap yap..."

Upon entering, Yabao beat his wings and soared to the nightstand. He set the pet egg down with utmost care, fearing any jolt or mark.

With that handled, exhaustion overtook him anew. He yawned widely and settled into a cozy nook on the bed.

Qiao Sang freshened up quickly and reclined by the bed. She drew out her phone, accessed the Imperial Beast University site, navigated to the points section, and redeemed two vials of Compacting Potion.

Next, thinking back to the Kongkong Spirit’s Tamer’s remarks, she fired up a search tool and entered "Dr. Zhang Taitong."

Quickly, the pertinent page appeared.

[Zhang Taitong, Male, 126 years old, A-grade Researcher, Specialist in Ghost-type pet studies, employed at the Zidia Ghost-type Ninth Research Institute. Formerly cracked the key issue in Vomit Skeleton’s evolution to Lotus Mud Man...]

"Xun xun..."

Little Treasure scooted closer to peek, emitting a sound of awe.

Qiao Sang smiled and asked: "What makes that so amazing?"

"Xun xun~"

Little Treasure indicated a particular figure

Qiao Sang: "...

"You've got a point. Typically, the longer a Tamer endures, the stronger they become."

Qiao Sang hushed her tone and added, "Teacher Mikayla outshines him by a mile."

"Xun xun?!"

Little Treasure picked up on it fast. His eyes bulged as he cried out.

Qiao Sang hushed him swiftly: "Quiet down."

"Xun xun..."

Little Treasure clapped a paw over his mouth.

"So, whenever something puzzles you later on, turn to her. She'll know for sure." Qiao Sang advised.

"Xun xun?"

Little Treasure showed a confused look.

Qiao Sang: ...

By the window, Gangbao quietly observed his Tamer.

Qiao Sang then recalled a detail and queried: "I nearly overlooked asking. While tracking the Kongkong Spirit via Spatial Shift positioning, did you catch sight of other hidden Ghost-type pets directly?"

"Xun xun..."

Little Treasure reflected and called out, explaining he hadn't paid attention. Back then, his focus stayed solely on the wig.

Qiao Sang: ...

"Xun xun~"

Little Treasure lifted a paw in demonstration, uttered a sound, and shut his eyes.

Three seconds elapsed before he reopened them and called again.

"Xun xun~"

Hidden Ghost-type pets typically show just a faint outline, setting them apart clearly from visible ones.

Qiao Sang drew her deduction and grabbed her phone once more to look up Dr. Zhang Taitong’s latest work.

The page emerged.

Nearly all sites covered the identical study.

Qiao Sang selected one:

[Late July this year, Researcher Zhang Taitong issued a paper named "Another Possibility for the Evolution of Ghost-type Pets." He proposed that certain Ghost-type pets could hold an alternate energy source inside. Stimulating this might guide the Ghost-type pet toward an entirely fresh evolution route.]

[This energy resembles inner-generated emotions, and echoes the intake of particular upbeat emotional energies too. It applies not just to select Ghost-type pets, but to various ones, akin to how some Ghost-type pets need negative emotional energy for evolution.]

[He urges all: If you've bonded with a Ghost-type pet, experiment. Strive to fill it with joy and sustain a cheerful state. Expose them to uplifting emotional energy; a novel breakthrough could await.]

[Even for Ghost-type pets at their racial peak, it's worth the effort. Should a Ghost-type pet morph into a new variant, he invites contact for joint research to advance Ghost-type pet futures.]