Astral Pet Store (WN)

“We will stay here; you guys can go back. Ask Brother Su for me, how is the Lin family doing? Do they have any outstanding titled battle pet warriors now?”

Some people had to stay behind to guard the pass.

That man’s friends promised him and went back to the base with Su Ping.

Su Ping felt that those questions were kind of strange. “Would the Tower not contact you when you’re here?”

The legendary battle pet warriors were unable to see the world outside but the Tower was the bridge. They shouldn’t be that isolated from outside information.

“The environment of the Deep Caves is harsh and the Tower can’t communicate with us at all times. The Tower only contacts us when they have important messages to deliver. We also don’t want to bother the Tower with something trivial,” a middle-aged man explained. He only had one arm; he must have suffered attacks that were impossible to heal.

Another man added, “I’ve been here for more than three thousand years and I’m still seen as a new guy. Brother Tieyi got here a hundred years ago. He told me that my Mo family was doing well; there were new titled battle pet warriors in the family. I wonder how they’re doing now.” “Are the base cities still the same as before?” someone interrupted.

Su Ping asked the old man who had stayed there for three hundred years. “Three hundred years? I thought you only stayed here for fifty years.”

Yun Wanli seemed to be stressed out after hearing that.

That old man shook his head with a smile. “Yes, the order said fifty years. I planned on returning after fifty years when I got here. However, things happened. The first year was difficult for me but then I stayed for 10 years and then 20… An old friend of mine died here while trying to save me. You’ve seen it yourself… There are simply too many beasts down here!

“We don’t have enough legendary battle pet warriors here and it’s hard for one to reach the legendary rank. Who will guard this place if we leave?

“If we do leave, the entire world would suffer and our families would be dragged suffer!”

down as a result!”

A young man nodded but he sounded old. “Little Mo is right. There are simply too many beasts down here. The Tower is sending fewer and fewer legendary battle pet warriors. Something would happen if we decide to leave. I’ve stayed and fought here for five hundred years. Many senior warriors died before me; it’s because of them that I can live to this day.

“So, I will not leave. Staying here means that I can protect the families of the deceased warriors!”

“Yes. We came here and we won’t leave!” a bald man said with determination.

The other legendary battle pet warriors remained silent, but the determination on their faces was clear enough to Su Ping.

Su Ping could not believe that.

Those legendary battle pet warriors were nothing like the people he had met in the Tower.

They had already served their terms but they still chose to stay at the risk of their lives.

Su Ping believed that those men were not lying

They sincerely and honestly wanted to commit to their responsibilities!

To protect the safety and security in the world above ground.

Those men were covered in scars, more or less. Su Ping was so touched to the point of speechlessness.

After a long while, he finally found his voice. “So, have any legendary battle pet warriors left before they finished their terms?”

The old man called Little Mo nodded. “Of course, some end up leaving, but I understand. They have things they have to look after. Staying here means to stake your life every day; no one can say for sure if they can live till the next day. Today, if it wasn’t for you, Brother Su, someone of us might have said goodbye to this world.” They claimed, “That is correct.

“It is their right to leave if they want.”

“It is our choice to stay.”

“We don’t force anyone to do anything and we don’t blame anyone for leaving.”

Su Ping looked at them. “Did you come here right after you joined the Tower?”

“Of course, that is the rule.” “Those who came here did so when they first joined the Tower and some of the senior members of the Tower would visit us every now and then. There was a man surnamed Yun who was at the Void State. He joined the Tower a long time ago; he went back after his term at the caves ended but later returned. Unfortunately, he died a heroic death four hundred years ago.” Suddenly, an old man with one ear said something meaningful to Su Ping, “Brother Su, be mindful with your choice of questions.” Su Ping was surprised; it was the first time the old man had spoken since they arrived. He saw the look in the old man’s eyes and Su Ping understood what he meant.

aw

He instantly thought of many things and understood even more.

The Tower’s rules stipulated that all legendary battle pet warriors had to serve a term in the Deep Caves.

Some of the legendary battle pet warriors hid the fact that they had already reached the legendary rank to avoid joining the Tower and the responsibility that came with it. They would live their lives in the shadows to stay clear of such risks.

A case in point would be the old man of the Qing family that was killed by Su Ping during the Supremacy League.

Some legendary battle pet warriors had joined the Tower but they only aimed for the Tower’s resources. Most of them would serve as appointed by the Tower, but they would leave right after they finished their job.

Even so, there would always be people who would choose to stay, like those people.

They finished their terms but they stayed.

Maybe… They would remain there until the end of their lives!

People were different. This fact also applied to the legendary battle pet warriors.

Everyone laid a load on the willing horse; this was also applicable to legendary battle pet warriors.

That was the truth of the world.

But…

Su Ping thought of those people that would only be drinking, merrymaking and watching their battle pets play games. How ironic.

“Fate Challenger Su…” Yun Wanli wished to talk but stopped on second thought. He was worried.

Su Ping immediately understood that Yun Wanli wanted him to be prudent.

Su Ping grinned. “The Tower is not in want of legendary battle pet warriors. Those people stay in the Tower and have fun while people are risking their lives down here. What made you think I would hide the Tower’s lies?”

Yun Wanli looked around, embarrassed to continue.

The old man with the single ear pulled a long face. He gazed at Su Ping but eventually looked away and shook his head with a sigh.

The legendary battle pet warriors stopped talking.

They noticed the shame on Yun Wanli’s face. Soon after, the legendary battle pet warriors realized what Su Ping was referring to.

Even though these warriors had not developed scheming hearts… They weren’t fools, either.

After a moment of silence, the man surnamed Mo said, “Brother Su, I understand. We know this.”

“You know?” Su Ping looked at him and the other; they said nothing but they didn’t seem stunned nor angry.

“We’ve stayed here for a long, long time. We’ve had some new legendary battle pet warriors as time passed but we all knew what they were. They could not stay here for an extra second, all of them leaving right after they finished their job without even looking back.”

Mo suddenly chuckled. “But like I said, we do not blame them for leaving and we stay because we choose to.”

“Yes,” a young man with black hair said, “I’m willing to stay and it’s all because of Senior Li. He has stayed here for eight hundred years. He came here from the very beginning, ever since he reached the legendary rank, and now he has reached the Void State. Senior Li showed me what the principle of right and wrong is and what the legendary rank means!”

“That is correct,

Another middle-aged man added, “The legendary rank is not merely a rank, but the very image of honor and responsibility! We’re happy to stay here. I know that some people don’t want to come and I don’t care. But if everyone acted like that, humanity as a society would have been long gone.”

“Yes. Some people have to make the sacrifice. We’re just willing to stay.” “I’m staying because of all of you. Well, being honest, I wanted to get the hell out of here when my term ended but everyone else was staying. Old Mo has been here for three hundred years. Zhou’s been here for five hundred years and Brother Li has been here for eight hundred years…

“But I’ve only been here for fifty years. I will not lose to them!”

An ordinary-looking young man picked his ear with his pinkie and voiced his disagreement, “Ah you guys, I’ve already said it. I decided to stay here for eight hundred years because I got bored about life above ground. Life here is much more thrilling. Just get the hell away from me… Will you stop mentioning me in your conversation?” He was the Senior Li, of whom everyone spoke of. He was the one who had stayed there for eight hundred years.