Harem Online: My Party Is Full of Beautiful Celebrities-Chapter 16: Pet System
Something oval and unmistakably large rose from the crimson lake. A sapphire sheen gleamed through the blood-red water, impossible to miss.
As it surfaced, the shape resolved into a human-sized egg. Martin had no clue what it was, but years of gaming sparked a hunch. I’m about to snatch an egg.
The egg flared with blinding sapphire light. Wings of aura curled around it, lifting it from the lake and carrying it straight to him.
It landed on the stones with a gentle thud.
Triumph should’ve hit him. Instead, his mind lagged a half-beat behind reality, like his thoughts were wrapped in cotton.
His breathing stayed steady. On paper, his body was fine. Even so, the fight still echoed in his skull. Why do I feel like I’m about to tip over?
His left hand was still numb. He flexed his fingers once, twice, and felt almost nothing.
[You have received the honor of becoming a parent to the unhatched Dragon Turtle.]
[The little Dragon Turtle has been in a suspended state for years due to the Baby Kraken finding the egg and swallowing it.]
[The dead soul of its mother kept it suspended and is now ready to pass her baby to you.] 𝕗𝗿𝕖𝐞𝐰𝗲𝕓𝐧𝕠𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝐨𝚖
[Do you accept the role?]
For a few seconds, he didn’t answer. The prompt floated there, clean and sharp, while his brain refused to move at full speed.
Stubborn as he was, he was no example to follow. Still, the system was asking him to choose.
He reread the last line, then forced himself to focus. Sounds like I must decide right now...
It was a game, but games punished sloppy clicks.
Still, it was just a game.
Martin nodded once. "Yes."
[You have become the parent of the Little Dragon Turtle.]
[The little Dragon Turtle’s mother has given it the name: Ao Tenshin.]
[However, as you are a new parent and the baby has yet to hatch, you’re free to change the name.]
"Ao Tenshin’s a nice name," Martin said, staring at the notification. "Saves me from having to pick one."
This time, the dead mother’s aura wrapped around him. A small tattoo of a shell and wings appeared on his cheek, then sank into his skin.
[You have received the blessing of The Dragon Turtle.]
[You’re now able to breathe underwater.]
"Oh... wow. Thanks," Martin said aloud.
A moment later, the sapphire egg cracked.
Its outer shell broke away, revealing another shell beneath it. It kept cracking, shedding layer after layer until broken pieces littered the stones.
When it finally settled, the "egg" was no bigger than his hand.
A baby Dragon Turtle poked its head out with its eyes squeezed shut. Its skin was sleek and sapphire-bright, and a small sky-blue shell sat on its back.
A moment later, it blinked up at Martin, then slid back into its shell.
Martin chuckled. "Must be the iron. This place reeks."
[You have obtained a Pet System.]
[Ao Tenshin Lv. 1 HP: 500/500 MP: 1000/1000]
[Sex: Female]
Martin’s gaze snapped to the numbers. Level one, and it’s already built like a raid boss.
This isn’t a potion drop or a blue item I sell and forget. A pet meant a whole new path: scouting, tanking, damage, mobility, plus whatever else the system unlocked later.
The blessing alone proved the value. Breathing underwater means lakes and waterways aren’t absolute obstacles anymore.
Then reality hit him. If anyone sees this, they won’t let me keep it. And if "parent" meant binding, there was no cashing out. He’d have to live with whatever rules came with it.
[You’re able to send Ao Tenshin to her personal sub-space and summon her whenever needed.]
[Ao Tenshin can die and respawn like you.]
"That’s a relief," Martin whispered. "She’s basically a monster..."
"This Dragon Turtle is not a monster," a voice said from behind him, startling him.
Martin turned and saw Rangar walking along the crimson shore with a wide smile. Rangar sat beside him and looked over the little shell.
"There’s a clear difference between Monsters and Beasts," he said. "Monsters don’t stop. They breed to spread chaos, and they attack anything that moves."
He nodded toward Ao Tenshin. "Beasts are like us. They’re intelligent. They have their own cultures. They have a place in this world."
Rangar’s smile turned proud. "The Academy’s codex says we protect those cultures and help them regain what they lost."
Martin nodded. "Got it. So that’s why players bond with beasts."
"Yeah. I heard it’s like gacha!" Rangar said, laughing.
Martin rolled his eyes. At this point, nobody could stop Rangar from learning modern words and using them whenever he felt like it.
Still, Martin wanted to know why Rangar was here at all.
"We can slip in and supervise the dungeon runs of the Light Tree," Rangar explained. "We rarely do it because the Light itself supervises you, but someone had to step in once the Baby Kraken was defeated."
He grinned. "Late, but congratulations, Emperoar. That’s a big step in your hunting career."
"Thanks," Martin said. "It felt so damn good to finally put that bastard down."
"In thirty minutes, the first week’s scoreboard locks, and the rewards go out," Rangar said as he stood. "You’re staying past your schedule again."
Normally, Martin would’ve complained. Tonight, he couldn’t log out on the dot. Not with rewards coming, and not with the scoreboard about to lock.
He wanted his score. He wanted the rewards. Most of all, he wanted to know whether Chaosgraphy beat him.
"Damn," he muttered. "Can’t you just show the results already?"
"Nope, won’t do!" Rangar chuckled.
[Pet Bond Quest Unlocked: First Feeding]
[Time Limit: 00:30:00]
Martin’s eyes flicked to Ao Tenshin’s shell.
