Chapter Forty-Six: The Chains of the Beast Pact

As the Laughing Moon rose, your cold, dilapidated room was shrouded in an aura of gloom and stillness.

The Dog Master hunched his figure, pushed open the rusted iron door, and found a small chair to sit on.

You glanced at the Dog Master—his wounds had been bandaged, but dark pus still seeped through.

With a snap of his fingers, he lit the kerosene lamp. Though gravely injured, the fire in his eyes burned brighter than ever.

He explained that he’d just finished handling the matter with the Trail Seeker.

Now, he was here to fulfill his promise to you.

A promise... Chenqi swallowed hard.

In the sewers, with the help of the Debt Collector and his own victory over the Decayed Elder, he had earned the Dog Master’s vow.

A treasured item, and a path to a new profession.

Excitement welled up in Chenqi as he rubbed his hands together and kept reading.

With a snap of his fingers, dozens of vicious dogs rushed to guard the door, warding off prying eyes.

Having obtained the Book of the Black Prison, the Dog Master, despite his serious injuries, now wore a look of joy and the merciful dignity of an elder.

"Night Watcher, your transformation astonishes me. It's nothing short of a miracle. Was it the terror of death that awakened your potential after you returned from that underground prison?" the Dog Master mused, seeing the change in you and engaging in idle conversation.

Chenqi pondered for a moment. In the New Sun Game, with three lives and various talents, players grew far faster than ordinary NPCs.

Such changes were becoming more common in New Metropolis, bound to cause trouble in time.

At that moment, a line of text appeared:

Reminder: World Wanderer, under the influence of hidden forces, you are taboo in New Metropolis. No one perceives the existence of players.

So they can't detect us... Chenqi felt a flicker of doubt but continued reading.

Though the Dog Master wished to converse, your gaze made it clear you wanted to get to the point.

Impatience shone in your eyes.

The Dog Master saw your future in you. Slowly, he drew three cards from his coat—each representing a profession.

Trail Seeker, Dog Handler, and Apothecary Apprentice.

He explained that these were the three paths he could offer, and you could first discard one card you didn’t want.

Chenqi opened the forum of the Sunwalker Society to search for profession encyclopedias.

First, Trail Seeker could be ruled out.

That path had few advancement options, mainly focusing on scent tracking and similar skills.

Advanced professions included Treasure Hunter, Bounty Hunter, and so on. The highest-level Trail Seekers learned more esoteric tracking methods—divination, calamity, gold, flesh and blood tracking—but in District 8 of New Metropolis, only the most basic Trail Seekers and the terrifying Jail Hunters existed.

And since Chenqi himself was practically a human GPS for treasure hunting, that class held no appeal for him.

He discarded the Trail Seeker card.

You removed the Trail Seeker card, leaving two.

Your curious gaze lingered on the Dog Handler card. Born in District 8, you had never left, and this profession still intrigued you.

Dog Handler. Chenqi hesitated.

"I don’t recommend that class. In District 8, Dog Handler is not a good profession," the Dog Master said, seeing your doubt. "Child, you lack too much knowledge."

He explained that, according to the laws of New Metropolis, there were twenty-four major districts—twenty within the city and four outlying ones that had lost contact.

Each inner district had a core trait: District 8 specialized in imprisoning and converting the powers of villains; District 5 extracted energy from the underworld; District 9 was strictly hierarchical and family-oriented; District 1 was responsible for the creation of humanity, and so on.

The Dog Master himself hailed from District 6, known as the Beast District. There, thousands of unique beasts roamed, and people sought strength by taming and training them. Even the Black Crow mounts of the Calamity Messengers from Black River Prison came from District 6.

"If you wish to become a Dog Handler, you would need to travel to District 6. But if your true pursuit is studying the Book of the Black Prison and mastering the blade within, such distractions would only hinder you."

He doesn't recommend I become a Dog Handler? Chenqi thought. True, with the Bloodblade Fruit in his possession, his own combat power was paramount.

He checked the Sunwalker Society forum for more information on Dog Handlers.

Indeed, early on, beast-taming professions in the Beast District had significant drawbacks. Only “items” could be summoned into the real world, and most living creatures could not be brought to Earth.

Most World Wanderers from the Beast District had to raise animals in the real world at first, waiting until later when they could forge powerful mystical bonds and summon their beasts to Earth to unleash their full strength.

Not the best profession... Chenqi shook his head, though he still longed for a large hound of his own.

Thirst gnawed at him. Chenqi glanced at the water dispenser in the room, reached out, and thought to himself: Shadow Soul!

A shadow formed from the dagger’s mark in his palm, shaping itself into a silhouette as tall as Chenqi himself.

Shadow Soul was a marvelous skill—useful in battle, but equally handy for everyday tasks: pouring water, tucking in blankets, giving massages.

The shadow picked up a cup, dashed to the dispenser, filled it, and handed it to Chenqi.

So he might never have a great beast for a pet.

Chenqi took a sip and continued reading.

Flames rose from the Dog Master’s hand, burning the Dog Handler card to ash.

Burned, just like that?

Chenqi was startled—he hadn’t made his choice yet.

"This is only my personal opinion, Night Watcher: you are not suited to be a Dog Handler. But if you truly need a pet to ease the loneliness of your journey beneath the lamp, even if you don’t become a Dog Handler, I have an item that can help you."

After a moment’s hesitation, the Dog Master reached under his black robe and handed you a precious object.

A glint of greed flickered in your eyes.

You received the Beast Contract Chain.

Trait: Heart (Heart is blood and pulse, the chain of bonds, the prison of the self, and the essence of protection and union.)
Description: A special chain crafted by a master from District 6, designed to bind a beast and seal a firm contract with a drop of blood.
Value: As your fingers traced the black chain, you felt a throbbing pulse.
Unlike other chains, this one contained a powerful Heart-contract—so strong that even rare, giant beasts could not escape its binding.
Requirements: Inspiration 30; the beast must be weakened; the chain must hold for thirty seconds.

Chenqi’s eyes lit up.

Excellent—truly a treasure!

With this item, he wouldn’t need any beast-taming skills to obtain a mount far superior to his old donkey. No more donkey-riding days ahead!

He wondered if those Blackwood Rats or Flower Sprites he’d encountered counted as “beasts.”

Chenqi stowed the chain away; it would surely come in handy on future adventures. Still, he was surprised the Dog Master was willing to part with something so rare.

To Chenqi, the Dog Master, though not a bad man, was deeply ambitious. He cared little for small interests, but when great rewards were at stake, no vow made in the sewers could truly restrain him.

Fire danced in the Dog Master’s eyes as he glanced once more out the window—the ruined Night Watchers’ headquarters exuded filth and silence, yet the light of the Laughing Moon shone clear and bright.

Ensuring there were no eavesdroppers, he slowly began to share with you his ambitions—and the secrets of the Book of the Black Prison.