Pet Charm - Chapter 1

Nightmare Demon Island

If one looked down from the heavens, past a thin layer of clouds, one would be able to see a vast blue ocean. From this perspective, the vast ocean seemed like a mirror’s surface, mapping the entirety of the beautiful sky.

In the middle of this vast ocean, there were many scattered luscious islands. And hidden underneath the clouds, there was a rather particular island that roughly spanned a 20 kilometers radius.

This island seems to have some structure to it, resembling a diamond shape, and in the very centre of the island, there is a straight mountain peak. When looking at it from afar, it resembles a treasured sword thrusted into this vast island.

The island is surrounded by sheer cliffs on all four sides, there wasn’t a single flat beach.

The water under the cliffs swarmed together as raging waves, and the angry roars of the waves crashing against the cliffs can often be heard.

Due to the unique structure of the island’s border, this meant that boats were unable to dock and the island itself was essentially confined and isolated.

On the island’s south side where there was a precipice was extending outwards, there was a 15 year old youth wearing thin clothing sitting on the far edges of the cliff. He was deeply looking into the unknowns on the other side of the ocean. Peering into his eyes, one could discover a trace of sadness that would make them feel intrigued.

This gloomy face was unfitting for someone his age, but he continued to maintain the same expression. It was clear that this was not a facade, but his genuine feelings from within.

As the waves crashed onto the cliff, they would occasionally make splashes, and with the cold invasive sea breeze, it soaked onto the clothes of the youth while pushing his messy hair up.

The youth was like a statue quietly sitting on a cliff, welcoming the turbulent and violent sea with his small figure.

After an uncertain amount of time, a sudden sound that resembled a horn, came from the depths of the island’s forest.

“Wu~”

After hearing the horn’s signal, the youth showed a disgusted expression, but he still slowly got up and headed in the direction that the sound originated from.

The youth’s body was skinny, but his movements were very nimble. Even inside this complex forest, he was able to move freely as he please and soon after, he arrived at an open space in the forest.

The space had a radius of about 100 meters and it was surrounded by 30 meter tall walls that were made of thick logs, creating a stockade-like camp.

The camp only had a single entrance, and at that entrance stood four men wearing green clothing. The men looked like they were in their 30s and they didn’t have any particularly outstanding traits.

However, what was worth noticing was the wolf-like creatures with their terrifying fangs that were standing beside these men!

“Ah!! Ah!!!!!!”

“Ah woo!!!!!!!”

The four hunting wolves saw the youth coming in and they immediately revealed their hostility, barking and exposing their gloomy white fangs while readying to lunge at the skinny youth.

“Hurry up and get inside! You’re walking too slowly, do you really want to die? Hmph hmph. Your body wouldn’t even be enough to be a late night snack for my wolf!” One of the men with layered hair mockingly said to the youth.

The youth cautiously avoided the wolves that wanted to lunge at him and quickly ran into the camp.

Looking at the youth’s back and feeling distained, the layered hair man spat and said: “I don’t even know who brought that kid here. Just look at how weak and delicate he is. There is no way he’ll be able to survive the sufferings that our Nightmare Demon camp will throw at him.”

“It’s Sir Xia, I heard…” the other red haired man deliberately paused, before continuing with a deep low tone,

“He’s as good as dead.”

“As good as dead? Hmph hmph, doesn’t that apply to all the kids here?” said Gu Lei carelessly.

“You just don’t understand. This kid was a young master of a certain family. I don’t know who he offended, but someone hired us, Nightmare Demon Palace, to dispose of him.”

“Sir Xia was responsible for that mission. After successfully kidnapping the kid, seeing as he was going to die anyway, Sir Xia decided to let him forge a soul pact with a White Nightmare Demon, and left him here, giving our Nightmare Demon Island an additional slave.” Said the red haired man.

Speaking of the White Nightmare Demon, the three man beside him can’t help but gasp. One of them intentionally said in a soft voice:

“Why would Sir Xia have a thing like the White Nightmare Demon? Moreover, that brat must be seriously extraordinary or something. How else is that kid able to bear a White Nightmare Demon?”

“Of course not, if he had that kind of ability, he would have been sent to the White Nightmare Demon Island ages ago and not appear here.”

“I’m not sure how Sir Xia obtained the White Nightmare Demon, but I do know that he wholeheartedly believes that this kid will definitely die and he is only using him as an experiment. I believe that, before long, he will be completely devoured by the White Nightmare Demon.” Laughed the red haired man, completely indifferent to the youth’s plight.

“Hah, I see. That’s good, he’s an eyesore anyway. Speaking of which, Sir Xia seems to be more than meets the eye, having a White Nightmare Demon that even we haven’t seen before. Even the chiefs of the other Nightmare Demon Islands have only one or two Blue Nightmare Demons.” said Gu Le.

“Of course……oh, it’s almost time. Close the gates. Tonight, we’ll be able to hear them scream again, heh heh……” laughed the red haired man cruelly.

The other three man followed and laughed, completely indifferent to the life and death of others.

……

……

The youth, who quietly sat on the cliff, is called Chu Mu. What should have been a youthful teenager, has now been tempered into a concealed, cold blade.

Chu Mu’s appearance on the island was indeed because he was kidnapped. And the reason he was not killed was because, as stated by those men, Sir Xia wanted to perform an inhuman experiment on him!

In truth, within the entire island, except for the few enforcers, all the other kids, ranging around ten years old, are all forced to take part of the inhumane experiment. And that is to forge a soul pact with a Nightmare Demon!

This is a world of soul pets, where gifted people can become soul pet masters.

Soul pet masters can forge a soul pact with soul pets, and use them to battle on their behalf.

Soul pets and humans have a master and servant relationship, the human can command the soul pet to do anything.

But on this Green Nightmare Demon Island, there is a difference. This island is completely isolated from the rest of the world.

Every so often, many youths like Chu Mu are forcefully shipped to this isolated island to participate in these inhumane experiments.

Nightmare Demons are also known as evil soul pets, and they are a very unique existence. Similarly, they can forge a pact with humans, and fight for them.

However, they possess the dreadful ability and the tendency to devour their masters’ soul!

On their first day there, the kids that are confined here are forced to bind with a Nightmare Demon through a soul contract.

After a period of time, the Nightmare Demon, who attached itself in the host’s body, will grow stronger and treat its master as food and devour his soul. For humans who lost their soul, it can only mean death!

In order for one’s soul to not be devoured by the Nightmare Demon, the only way is to improve one’s power, making one’s cultivation and soul stronger in the process.

In other words, staying stronger than the Nightmare Demon is the only way to survive!!

……

……

This is the cruellest hell. Instead of facing a teacher’s earnest guidance, the youths have to face vicious, merciless, cruel men who might claim their lives at any time!

Here, the weak will quickly become food for the evil soul pet, Nightmare Demons. The strong will be endlessly pursued by the Nightmare Demons, endlessly……

This is like a nightmare that you can never wake up from!!

……

……

It was a moonless night. The sea breeze had driven the low flying dark clouds to other regions of the sea.

The trees swayed in the violent winds, producing a “wu wu” sound that resembled the grieving of a despairing maiden.

Inside the camp, on the open ground, a hundred young boys and girls stood shivering in the howling winds. They were dressed thinly, their face numb and determined. Their expressions are at a loss yet revealing a bit fierceness that resembles wild animals.

The one hundred youths are lined up in ten by ten squads and standing neatly in order.

Around them, leaning on the wooden wall, were ten adult enforcers.

These enforcers stood in the same spot, from their faces one could only see cruelty and coldness. Their unwavering eyes are staring at the hundred youths, keeping an eye on all of them.

Near the entrance, there were three men in long, dark clothing. Their expressions were also very cold and apathetic.

The sturdy-looking middle-aged man, who stood in the middle, took a few steps forward, his gloomy cold gaze swept across the group of children. With a cruel smile, he said:

“Today, we are training your physical fitness. You are going to face ferocious soul pets on your own.”

“I can tell you now that we will only keep fifty of you for the next stages of the training. This means that half of you will die in the trial today!”

“Ha ha! Enjoy the feeling of death, only those who are tempered and trained between life and death are qualified to enter the Nightmare Demon Palace!”

Hearing these words, panic started to show on the youths’ faces, and their uneasy gazes shifted to the ten adult men surrounding them.

Out of one hundred, only fifty can survive. A cruel trial with only fifty percent survival rate!

However, these villains would never show any pity for these kids, and at the command of the middle-aged man, they began to chant a series of strange incantations.

Each time they move of their lips, a translucent shining rune would strangely emerge around them. The rune looks like characters of some language, mapping a shining blue glyph on the ground……

“Awooo!!!! Awooo!!!!!!!!!!”

“Awoooo!!!!!!!! Awooo Awooooo!!!!!!!!!!”

Suddenly, the howls of wolves sounded. Along with it, the presence of savage beast instantly swept throughout the small camp!

Pale white claws dug into the ground, grey fur stood on end, their ferocious fangs were exposed beyond their vicious mouths!!

After the summoning was complete, ten predators appeared in the camp —— Hunting Wolves! A savage soul pet that is known for its terrifying sharp fangs!!

Seeing the ten Hunting Wolves readying themselves by surrounding the youths while baring their fangs, brandishing their claws and continuously howling, the youths’ face paled and became lifeless. A few of the girls even went as far as biting their lips and shedding tears.

To soul pets, or to these feeble kids, Hunting Wolves are a terrifying existence. For food, they would attack any creature that they believe they could defeat without hesitation. And they would continue until they succeed in killing them all.

In most of regions, even adult soul pet masters found it difficult to deal with a Hunting Wolf without their soul pets. Not to mention, these youths were unarmed and they haven’t even learned a single technique yet.