Chapter 16: He’s Just a Child!

At this moment, inside the Beastmaster Task Hall—

"Please wait a moment, Lord Beastmaster. Once we report to the Registrar, the tasks will be made available."

The corners of Lin Binbin's lips curled slightly. That youthful, innocent face made it hard for anyone to harbor dislike. "Then I'll trouble you, elder sister."

Upon hearing this, the woman covered her mouth and chuckled. Not long after, she returned with a thick ledger in her hands. "Looks like you guessed right, my lord. The Registrar has authorized your access. You can now accept any task except for those rated S-class. Moreover..."

She paused, her sultry voice ringing out again, "The Registrar has specially set aside a Nourishment Pill for you. It strengthens the body and is just right for someone at your current stage."

After speaking, she placed a brocade box in front of Lin Binbin. As it opened, a rich medicinal fragrance burst forth.

"A second-grade spirit pill!"

Lin Binbin's breath caught. His calm gaze rippled like a pebble thrown into still water.

He remembered his father once mentioning that although spirit herbs were common in the Beastmaster world, gathering and refining them into pills—especially high-quality ones—was exceptionally rare.

Even at its height, the Lin Clan had never had their own alchemist.

Because alchemists were so rare, pills became incredibly scarce. While spirit beast eggs were rare, at least they could be bought. Pills, on the other hand, only appeared at auctions.

The highest bidder wins—an eternal truth.

Yet here was a second-grade pill, and the Registrar Xiao An had just casually gifted it to him.

Staring at the pill, Lin Binbin's expression grew visibly stirred. His eyes shifted subtly toward the woman.

Though she was said to be the Registrar's subordinate, her appearance resembled the spirit butterfly that once followed Xiao An, especially those upward-slanting, expressive eyes.

"Sister Qin Ruo, is this pill really a gift from the Registrar?"

"Rest assured, my lord. Lord Xiao said it's his investment in you," Qin Ruo said with a smile. "It shows how much he values you. This is the first time I've seen the Registrar so invested in someone."

Her gaze swept over the youth before her. She knew well that for someone to suddenly become a Beastmaster in just one month, their ability had to be extraordinary. That was precisely what Xiao An saw in him.

Her eyes then moved to the mech standing silently behind Lin Binbin. Though it remained motionless, the cold aura it emitted was more oppressive than most spirit beasts.

"This mech is quite unusual." Qin Ruo gently brushed a hand across the mech's surface with a smile.

But when she sent her spiritual energy into the mech, she couldn't detect a single trace of spiritual power—nor any hint of its rank.

Her smile froze momentarily, her pupils flickering with shock. But she quickly concealed all emotion behind her usual expression.

"Just call me Sanzi, sister. Thank you for all the running around today. Once I return from my mission, if I come across any beautiful crystals, I'll give the first one to you as a gift."

"Oh?"

As she turned, a waft of fragrance lingered in the air. Her teasing voice sent a tingle down the spine.

Especially at close range, her smiling face and seductive gaze were enough to make anyone weak.

Lin Binbin's gaze unintentionally drifted toward her elegant neck—but he quickly snapped it back up.

Vixen, he cursed inwardly, bowing his head immediately.

Out of nowhere, Qin Ruo's fingertip gently lifted his chin.

The moment their eyes met, Lin Binbin's young face turned bright red—like a ripe tomato.

He was only seven years old!

What the hell was this woman doing!?

Apparently finding his reaction amusing, Qin Ruo covered her mouth with a laugh. "Then I shall accept that 'sister' title. Don't forget your promise, little brother."

Lin Binbin nodded awkwardly, and only then did she let him go.

"The Registrar wants to see you in a bit. Make sure you don't arrive late, little brother."

Only after she left did Lin Binbin finally exhale in relief.

Once he steadied himself, his eyes returned to the pill.

[Nourishment Pill][Grade: Second-grade][Effect: Slightly increases physical constitution, no side effects][A worthless piece of trash. Its rightful place is in the garbage bin.]

Lin Binbin raised an eyebrow. "So, do you have a better pill to offer?"

System: "..."

The damn system went radio silent.

"Judging by that, I'd say even the system secretly approves of this pill." Lin Binbin muttered casually, then picked up the pill and swallowed it without hesitation.

Aside from the bitter taste, there was nothing else.

After a brief pause, Lin Binbin opened his status panel and saw that his physical attribute—originally at 4—had quietly risen to 5.

"Just like that, a full point increase?" He was stunned once again, and now more convinced of the pill's potency.

If his mech could be upgraded with blueprints and modifications, then his own strength could be boosted via pills in the early stages.

Whether in life or in games, figuring out one's advantage early on was crucial.

"Good. I'll follow this path for now…"

…

"Did you sense anything?" In the Registrar's courtyard, Xiao An asked casually.

"No. That child's spirit beast is strange. There's no detectable spiritual energy—it feels like… a dead object. And it only obeys Lin Binbin's commands." Qin Ruo spoke softly after a brief silence.

Her spirit powder was notoriously effective at seducing beasts. Even those with weak wills had betrayed their masters before. But that mech showed no response.

Either it was higher-ranked than her—or it had formed a Death Contract.

She leaned toward the latter.

A Death Contract was irreversible. Master and beast shared life and death. If the master died, the spirit beast would perish too.

"Interesting." Xiao An's eyes drifted toward the Lin family's clan token on the table. He smirked slightly.

He had once been wary of Lin Qin's schemes. But now, it seemed they had a real chance of turning things around.

"Very well. Let's see if the Lin clan can truly stir these deep waters."

"Master, do you intend to help them?"

Xiao An smiled faintly, like a program running its protocol. "I only help the winning side."

Qin Ruo seemed like she had more to say, but Xiao An raised his hand, cutting her off. His eyes turned cold.

Moments later, a desperate cry echoed from outside.

"Lord Registrar, please grant us justice!"

Five or six bloodied youths stumbled into the courtyard, supporting one another, heads covered in wounds.