The aftermath of the Deep Abyss Raid gradually faded from chaos into controlled recovery.
Within the ruined outskirts of the city, emergency teams from the Spirit Contract Alliance moved in disciplined formation. Cracked roads were repaired, collapsed structures were stabilized, and injured civilians were pulled from the debris one after another. The battlefield that once roared with a dragon's rage was now reduced to silent ashes and lingering frost.
Above all of it, reports had already begun spreading.
A UR-class contract spirit. A Level 28 anomaly. A battlefield outcome that defied every known rule of growth.
But for Fang Yuqing, none of that mattered at the moment.
She was back in her villa.
And she was rich.
Gold-colored spirit stones were neatly stacked across the table, glowing faintly with residual spiritual energy. Fang Yuqing sat cross-legged on the sofa, counting them with visible excitement in her eyes.
Ever since she had bound herself to Yuan Wu, her income had skyrocketed beyond anything she had ever imagined.
Her private savings from the Fang family combined with raid rewards had already reached nearly forty thousand spirit stones.
For a contract master still considered a student, it was an absurd number.
"If I convert all of this into summons…" she muttered, calculations running through her head. "Two hundred forty draws… maybe even more if I optimize."
Her eyes sparkled.
"To think I could pull multiple spirits…"
Yuan Wu, sitting lazily beside her, glanced sideways.
"You're planning to use the money I earned to pull new contracts?"
His tone was flat, almost wounded.
Fang Yuqing froze.
Before she could respond, Yuan Wu let out a long, exaggerated sigh and leaned back into the sofa.
"So this is it," he said dramatically. "The moment I'm discarded after being used."
"I was useful once… but now I'm just old news."
"Wait, no—!" Fang Yuqing panicked immediately, grabbing his sleeve. "I was just thinking out loud!"
But Yuan Wu only turned his face slightly away, acting as if deeply hurt.
"I understand," he muttered. "Humans are always like this."
"I'll leave quietly."
"Stop acting!" she shouted, grabbing his shoulders and shaking him slightly. "I'm not replacing you!"
Only then did he relax, returning to his usual lazy expression.
"Good," he said. "Keep that mindset."
Nearby, a small white spirit cat leapt onto Yuan Wu's lap, rubbing its head against his hand affectionately.
The blood-eyed familiar had already reached Level 50.
Its growth had been absurdly fast due to constant shared experience.
Yuan Wu stroked its head casually.
"About time it evolves," he said.
Fang Yuqing nodded while checking the requirements on her interface.
"Fifty-level evolution requires spirit stones and breakthrough materials," she explained. "Around three thousand stones, plus high-tier energy cores."
Without hesitation, Yuan Wu responded.
"Use them."
The cat purred softly as if understanding his words.
Fang Yuqing sighed. "I was already going to."
They soon moved to the breakthrough platform inside the academy district.
It was a quiet facility, usually used only by senior students or high-tier contract spirits. Most newcomers never even reached this stage.
But the moment Fang Yuqing and Yuan Wu appeared, the entire area shifted.
Whispers spread quickly.
"That's him… the UR contract spirit."
"No way he's already breaking through another spirit."
"He's only Level 48, right?"
"Wait—he's not breaking through himself. It's the cat spirit."
Eyes turned toward the small white familiar resting on the platform.
Its presence was unremarkable compared to Yuan Wu's overwhelming aura, yet something about it felt strangely different now.
The ritual began.
Spirit stones were placed into the formation. Ancient markings on the platform slowly lit up, forming a rotating circle of energy.
Then the transformation began.
The white cat's body began to dissolve into light.
Its form compressed, reshaping itself at a biological and spiritual level. Bones softened. Wings restructured. Its entire existence seemed to rewrite itself under the pressure of evolution.
And then—
It changed.
Where the small spirit cat once stood, a petite humanoid figure appeared.
A cat-eared spirit girl.
White hair fell softly over her shoulders. Her blood-red eyes were clearer now, more intelligent, more aware. Small black cat ears twitched atop her head, and delicate wings of condensed spirit energy shimmered behind her back.
She looked almost harmless.
But the energy she radiated was completely different.
A completed evolution.
She blinked, then immediately flew toward Yuan Wu in excitement.
"Master!"
Tears filled her eyes as she clung to him.
"I finally did it… I finally became a full spirit form!"
"If it wasn't for you, I would've stayed stuck for years!"
Yuan Wu lifted her lightly by the collar and examined her with mild curiosity.
"So this is your final form."
Fang Yuqing leaned closer as well, clearly surprised.
"I didn't expect evolution to change appearance this much…"
Around them, students watching from a distance were already in shock.
A rare spirit cat evolution turning into a humanoid familiar was something most had only read about in theory.
And now it was happening in front of them.
But the newly evolved spirit girl suddenly crossed her arms.
"I was originally planning to leave once I evolved," she said proudly. "But since Master also contracted Yuan Wu… I'll stay."
Fang Yuqing froze.
"…Excuse me?"
The cat girl tilted her head.
"You're not strong enough to support me alone anymore."
Silence.
Fang Yuqing slowly grabbed her cheeks.
"Say that again."
"Eep—! I was joking!"
Yuan Wu watched the scene quietly, amused.
Then he spoke.
"Fifty-level means you can equip runes now."
Fang Yuqing nodded immediately.
"Yes. But rune equipment is expensive. We'll need to farm them from spirit dungeons."
At the mention of runes, Yuan Wu's expression shifted slightly.
A faint memory surfaced.
Systems. Equipment sets. Upgrade materials.
Always the same cycle.
Grinding power through endless accumulation.
He exhaled slowly.
"…More systems."
But his eyes sharpened slightly.
Because he understood something important.
Power in this world was not just about levels.
It was about resources.
And above all—
（spiritual energy）was everything.
Without it, even UR-class abilities were nothing more than empty shells.
He glanced at Fang Yuqing.
Then at the cat spirit.
Then at his own interface.
A quiet thought formed in his mind.
If I want to fully utilize higher forms… I'll need far more energy than she can provide.
His gaze darkened slightly.
And somewhere deep within his system panel…
A progress bar silently began to shift.