10 Chapter 9: The Spirit of a Worker

He wasn't sure if it was because Alpha had evolved into an elite, but this time the consumption was greater than before.

The moment the Black Iron Egg took form, Bai Qi felt weak all over, as if he hadn't eaten for days. He felt dizzy and only managed to regain his strength after consuming several condensed food tablets.

Bai Qi pulled up a chair to sit in front of the Black Iron Egg, quietly waiting for Alpha to hatch once again, all the while contemplating his next steps.

The functionality of the Evolution Egg was quite impressive, except for the after-effects which were rather uncomfortable.

He wondered if his frail body could sustain the process once Alpha's bloodline level increased further.

Although it was said that a Beast Master's physical endurance would increase as the strength of their beast improves, it seemed that his body was not keeping up with the energy consumption of the Evolution Egg.

So, the best current solution was to buy some nutrient solution to supplement the energy consumption.

Nutrient solutions, made from fruits of various plant-type beasts, contained more energy than condensed food tablets.

However, they were a bit pricey…

So, he really needed to make some money!

Bai Qi sighed. He had been so busy shopping for supplies in the morning that he forgot to check if there were any suitable tasks for an apprentice Beast Master at the Beast Master Association.

In this era, Beast Masters had integrated into all walks of life in the Federation. If Federation residents encountered problems they couldn't solve, they would post commissions at the Beast Master Association.

However, an apprentice like him wasn't likely to get any good tasks.

Crack.

He didn't know if it was because Alpha's bloodline level had increased, but it took an hour for Alpha to hatch this time. Alpha was still holding those pieces of scrap metal.

Was the last time just a coincidence?

It seemed like there was less scrap metal this time though?

"Alpha, anything changed?"

Clatter, clatter.

(I feel… tougher.)

Bai Qi nodded, surveying the enhanced metallic sheen on Alpha's body, and had a hunch.

Seems like the previous remarkable effect was due to Alpha's coincidental upgrade from a servant to an elite, whereas under regular circumstances, Alpha could only absorb a portion of the elements.

However, this gave Bai Qi a glimpse into a new world.

Alpha absorbed steel, which led to a new skill: Steel Skeleton. If he were to add some diamonds or the like the next time Alpha's bloodline level breaks through, would there be any changes?

Or, even more outrageously, could adding elemental materials result in a new race with other attributes?

Flame Skeleton? Frozen Skeleton?

The more Bai Qi thought about it, the more excited he became. But when he thought about his nearly depleted wallet, his enthusiasm quickly died down.

Well, he'd see what tasks were available at the Beast Master Association the next day.

As for now…

Bai Qi looked at the metal scraps still remaining in Alpha's hand, swallowed a few condensed food tablets in advance, and then activated the Evolution Egg.

The familiar weakness overcame him. Bai Qi didn't hesitate to swallow the food tablets but still felt a bit dizzy. He simply laid on the ground, closed his eyes, and rested.

At this rate, he'd have to move the Evolution Egg to his bedroom next time since it would be more comfortable to lie down on a bed.

...

The next day.

Bai Qi woke up and saw Alpha practicing his swordplay in the courtyard. He stretched languidly.

He had evolved Alpha four times in a row the previous day and absorbed all the scrap metal. Even though he had used condensed food to recover quickly, he couldn't endure the mental exhaustion and fell asleep after leaving Alpha to train on its own.

Bai Qi originally thought he would feel some after-effects the next morning, but he actually felt surprisingly refreshed, even more so than usual.

Turns out there were positive effects from overexertion. He'd have to plan his use of the Evolution Egg more carefully in the future; there might be beneficial effects.

Bai Qi walked into the courtyard, and Alpha, sensing his arrival, paused its exercise. In a flash, it was standing right in front of Bai Qi.

Clatter, clatter.

(Master, are we going back to that place to train today?)

After evolving to elite, Alpha could now express its thoughts more clearly.

Bai Qi gave an awkward smile, saying, "We will go, but not for training. We need to make some money."

Clatter, clatter.

Alpha seemed to somewhat understand and nodded, then returned to the Beast Control Space. After a quick wash up, Bai Qi set off for the Beast Master Association once more.

...

"Hello, are you here to rent a training field today?"

The female receptionist had a good memory and recognized Bai Qi at once.

Bai Qi scratched his head awkwardly, replying, "Uh… not for training today, I'm here to check out available tasks."

The receptionist pointed at the digital board on the wall of the Association hall, explaining, "All tasks released by the Association are posted on the notice board. Whether or not you can find a suitable task will depend on your luck."

Bai Qi looked in the direction the receptionist pointed to. Seeing the bustling crowd of people choosing tasks under the notice board, he couldn't help but cover his face with his hand.

Regardless of which world it was, there were always jobs to be done, it seemed.

Bai Qi took a task board from the receptionist, entered his information, and started searching.

[F-ranked Task]: Haunted House Recruitment

[Task Description]: Appoint ghost-type beasts to be staff members…

The reward was alright, and the job seemed quite easy, but unfortunately, Alpha was more of a skeleton type and did not meet the requirements… Skip, skip, skip.

[F-ranked Task]: Cleaning up Scattered Bones

[Task Description]: Recently in Gusu City, people have been casually discarding bones of undead creatures, causing much fear among the city's residents…

Cleaning scattered bones sounded simple but the reward was too little, probably even less than what Alpha would make from doing deliveries.

[F-ranked Task]: Sparring Partner

[Task Description]: Designated undead beasts are required for battle practice…

The reward was pretty generous, plus it offered a chance to use the training field for free. This was the one…

Wait?! It's already been taken! Who took it!?

[F-ranked Task]: Capturing the Scallion Bird

The reward was quite lucrative. Sadly, Alpha couldn't fly, so it was impossible to take on this task…

[F-ranked Task]: Wilderness Escort…

Tons of tasks were posted, but despite searching for a while, Bai Qi couldn't find any suitable ones.

The F-ranked tasks were mostly small and fiddly jobs with low pay. The Beast Master Association only accepted these tasks to give apprentice Beast Masters more opportunities to practice.

Most Beast Masters, including Bai Qi, saw it that way.

Only there were just too many people looking for tasks here at the Association. Several good tasks that Bai Qi occasionally came across were quickly snatched up by others.

That speed, it would have taken them at least 20 to 30 years to master it.

Maybe he should really let Alpha do deliveries after all…