Relationship Value

A levy, not a summoning. The former was compulsory conscription; with the latter, if there was no response, the beast could actually refuse. For instance, Yu Xian's Angel's Name had been so notoriously foul that many beasts eligible to be summoned simply refused to respond to his call. But once summoning became a levy, refusal was no longer an option. At this moment, Yu Xian could select one beast to call forth from among those randomly levied. Such was the tyrannical overbearingness of the King of Chaos. Since he had a choice, Yu Xian naturally wanted to pick a mount that was handsome, powerful, and well-suited to the job. He first bypassed the small summoned beasts, then dismissed the humanoid ones. In the end, what remained were a black Western dragon, a colossal golden rooster, a massive fish capable of levitating in the air, an intelligent aircraft carrier, and an immensely gigantic treant. To be fair, the best-looking among them was without doubt that black dragon. Measuring roughly five hundred meters long, this dragon was likely the boss monster of some secret realm—an existence unquestionably both powerful and dashing. The only issue was that Yu Xian felt it might not provide a smooth ride. When it came to mounts, power was not the most important thing. What mattered most was that it had to be comfortable for the passenger while moving. If it was too bumpy, wouldn't that just be asking for suffering? Yu Xian looked across the remaining beasts, his gaze finally resting on the giant golden rooster. The giant fish was too flat and didn't make for a good mount. The aircraft carrier could only sail on water, while the treant was too slow. Taking everything into consideration, the giant golden rooster was actually Yu Xian's best option. Yu Xian fell silent for a moment, and then chose the black dragon. "As expected, power doesn't matter, and stability doesn't matter. What matters most is looking cool!" Placing a hand over his conscience, Yu Xian muttered to himself. The next instant, the magic circle erupted with a burst of black light, followed by a colossal black dragon emerging from within. The moment it appeared, it flared its wings and unleashed a terrifying roar that kicked up a fearsome shockwave. The Chaos Evil Beast stepped in front of Yu Xian and the others just in time, keeping them from being blown away. "Too handsome." "Style truly is a lifelong pursuit!" Yu Xian said delightedly as he looked at the black dragon. Little Nora's eyes also sparkled as she stared at it, nodding vigorously in agreement. Although Little Nora disliked the dragon clan, what she truly disliked were Eastern dragons. As for Western dragons—those handsome giant lizards—under Yu Xian's gradual influence on her aesthetics, she actually considered them just like the Cannon Fodder Crocodile: cool, handsome mounts. [Jormunid] [Level: 60] [Skills:] [Dragon-Serpent Body: Jormunid possesses dual forms. In dragon form, it has the dark attribute; in serpent form, it has the poison attribute.] [Destruction Breath: In dragon form, Jormunid can exhale dark-attribute dragon breath; in serpent form, its breath converts to the poison attribute.] [Fatal Strike: In dragon form, Jormunid flies high into the air to gather dark power, crashing down from above to crush the target with its dragon claws; in serpent form, it takes targets by surprise, piercing them with its tail.] [Dragon-Serpent Metamorphosis: Every time Jormunid transforms, there is a chance to purge negative effects from itself.] [Midgard Serpent: Jormunid can use this skill in serpent form to continuously increase its size.] [Dark Source: Jormunid can use this skill in dragon form to devour the target's source.] [Exclusive Ultimate Skill:] [Ragnarok: Jormunid releases its dark source, corroding all enemies within a ten-thousand-meter radius centered on itself.] [Note: The overlord of the Dragon Calamity Secret Realm. Endowed with beyond-standard attributes and immunities, it shall be the nightmare of every foe.] …… …… Dual forms, dual attributes, and immensely powerful skills. Yu Xian had thought this was the extent of Jormunid's might, but the remarks in the note nearly made his eyes pop. It turned out all of the above was merely icing on the cake. Jormunid's true strength lay in its raw attributes and various unseen immunities. "Brat, I will kill you!" After roaring, Jormunid immediately glared at Yu Xian and let out a furious snarl. Through the binding upon it, it could instantly identify who its summoner was. Yet the moment its malice flared, it realized its body was no longer under its own control. "Raise a claw," Yu Xian said with a smile, closing Jormunid's status panel and looking at the beast. Naturally, Jormunid was unwilling to obey Yu Xian's command, but its body moved with utter compliance, slowly raising its front claw. No matter how one looked at it, the spectacle was rather comical. To Jormunid, Yu Xian and the others were minuscule. It could not accept being controlled by such a feeble human. In its heart, it snarled and roared relentlessly, wishing nothing more than to obliterate Yu Xian with a single breath. "Retain your combat capability and combat intelligence. Self-awareness... be extinguished!" Yu Xian could see Jormunid's rage through its eyes. Meeting its gaze, he spoke with a smile. Jormunid's pupils contracted violently in concentric rings. Under Yu Xian's command, its body froze instantly, its ego erased clean, leaving behind only raw instinct and the combat intelligence and combat capabilities Yu Xian chose to preserve. "From now on, you are a mount!" Seeing the command take effect, Yu Xian issued a second one. He had never been some benevolent saint. All along, he killed when killing was needed and imprisoned when imprisonment was called for, cutting through any problem like a sharp blade through tangled hemp. Once he confirmed Jormunid harbored pure malice toward him, he had no leisure to play games like capturing and releasing a foe seven times with a beast already completely under his control. Instead, he briskly remodeled Jormunid into the shape he desired. Under Yu Xian's command, Jormunid slowly prostrated itself on the ground. Its wings parted slightly, settling right before Yu Xian. Stepping onto Jormunid's wing, Yu Xian walked up to the dragon's back. Little Nora followed at once. Fang Qinghao was somewhat frightened of Jormunid, but seeing Little Nora already heading up, she cried, "Wait for me!" and scurried flusteredly after her. "If I disobey your orders, will you do the same to me?" the Death Emperor asked, climbing onto Jormunid's back and looking at Yu Xian. Yu Xian smiled. "If it were when we first met, I definitely would have done just that. But now... you can do whatever you want." "Why?" the Death Emperor asked, puzzled. It could not comprehend what had changed between then and now. Yu Xian looked back at the Death Emperor and replied, "In truth, all living beings have a hidden attribute: friendship value, or relationship value. At the start, aside from parents and close kin, everyone begins with a relationship value of zero. As time spent together passes, it might rise to one hundred, or it might drop into negative numbers. If it rises to one hundred, you become life-and-death companions. If it falls into negative numbers, you grow sick of the sight of each other, or even turn into sworn mortal enemies." "Then what is our relationship value right now?" the Death Emperor asked curiously. Yu Xian broke into a brilliant smile and patted its shoulder. "Probably sixty. So whatever decision you make, I will respect it." In that moment, the Death Emperor fell into a daze. Faintly, it seemed to understand what friendship was.