Anji Country, Sinnoh Region.

This was a small town named Gear.

A small town famous for its hot springs and mechanical gear stones.

The town wasn't large; vintage steam pipes snaked along the wooden buildings, and the air should have been filled with the sulfurous scent of the hot springs and the smell of mechanical lubricant.

But today, the brand-new banner hanging at the town entrance, along with the increased number of Beastmasters carrying various Pet Beasts on the streets, gave this peaceful little town an unusual air.

"Did you hear? Mister Tiangong is hosting a big event this time!"

"Is it that so-called Dream Workshop Challenge?!"

"Yes, I heard the rewards are generous, so lots of people have called their friends and rushed over."

Fragments of discussion drifted into her ears.

Mingxi, who had disguised herself as a clear-eyed university student around 20 years old, listened calmly. She was accompanied only by Yao Xuan, whose appearance was eye-catching but not overly so when compared to various Transcendent creatures.

Her fame was too great and her enemies too numerous; she had to travel incognito.

Coincidentally, Yao Xuan was new. Aside from Granny Ruan and her elderly father, no fourth person knew of his existence, and given his strength, no one could do anything to them anyway.

Thus, the two of them—one person and one Pet Beast—appeared in Gear Town. According to the intelligence Chu Kuangsheng had given her, the mysterious castle where Morpheus resided was located nearby in Eterna Forest.

Mingxi and Yao Xuan exchanged a glance and turned into the small tavern in town that seemed to have the most people.

It was named the "Greasy Gear Tavern."

The tavern was filled with a warm, simmering clamor, like a pot of slowly stewing thick soup.

The scents of malt, baked bread, and stewed meat mingled with tobacco smoke, hanging heavily in the air.

Wall lamps cast a dim yellow glow that flickered across the wooden walls and the faces of the patrons.

"Cheers!"

"Another glass."

"Old Martin, your black beer isn't strong enough. It's as weak as plain water; a baby could drink it without getting tipsy. Give me a Death Charge instead!"

"Whoa!"

"Not bad, Mike, daring to challenge the Death Charge!"

"Old Martin, serve him one. If he can walk out of this tavern upright, this young master will cover everyone's tab tonight!"

"..."

The tavern was bustling, almost completely full. People were having drinking contests.

Shouting and roughhousing.

And those getting drunk and disorderly.

The strong aroma of ale mixed with the scent of Transcendent creatures' fur, giving the place a distinct, lively atmosphere.

With Yao Xuan's help, Mingxi finally managed to find two empty seats in a corner of the bar, where she ordered a specialty sweet ale, a serving of grilled ribs, and a Pet Beast-specific drink.

"... Ah Qin, I always feel like there's something off about this Tiangong person, but regardless of his intentions, I, Shi Lei, am definitely participating in this Dream Workshop Challenge."

Sitting next to them was a pair of Asian-faced Beastmasters, a man and a woman.

The man was tall and robust, wearing work clothes stained with oil. The muscles on his bronze arms were tightly knotted as he carefully used tools to adjust a jammed joint on a Tarenta in front of him, his technique highly skilled.

The woman, meanwhile, seemed much calmer. She wore frameless glasses and a neat khaki uniform, concentrating deeply on a spread-out notebook filled with complicated structural diagrams.

A docile Metang floated quietly by her hand, seemingly helping with the analysis.

Hearing her husband's words, she helplessly pushed up her glasses, her voice gentle yet clear: "A Yan, keep your voice down, we're not at home."

"Sorry."

The man realized he had misspoken and scratched his head, looking a little embarrassed.

Mingxi's heart stirred. She picked up her sweet ale, wearing a perfectly calibrated look of curiosity, and naturally struck up a conversation.

"Excuse me, seniors."

"May I ask what this Tiangong and Dream Workshop Challenge you were just talking about are? I kept hearing people mention it on my way here."

The robust man looked up and flashed a hearty smile: "Oh, little sister, you must have just arrived in Gear Town, right?"

Mingxi nodded, "That's right, I only arrived today. I originally planned to take my Pet Beast to soak in the Phonograph Spring."

The Phonograph Spring was the most famous hot spring in Gear Town. It was said that soaking in it allowed one to hear voices from the past and the future, which was quite magical.

Thus, it was one of the town's special features.

"Hahaha, that explains it."

The robust man laughed heartily, but didn't immediately answer Mingxi's questions. Instead, he said: "Little sister, I can tell you're from Dragonflower Country just by looking at you. My wife and I are too. My name is Shi Lei, and she is my wife, Lan Qin."

"Brother Shi, Sister Lan, hello. My name is Mingxi."

Mingxi hadn't chosen another name for herself.

Firstly, she was lazy.

Secondly, there was no need.

She wasn't the only Beastmaster in the world named Mingxi.

"Mingxi? Which Ming and which Xi? Don't tell me you have the exact same name as our country's Ming God?" The couple's eyes lit up. They scrutinized her face intently, wishing they could spot some telltale sign.

But upon seeing Yao Xuan, whose snake eyes looked adorable, standing beside her, the light in their eyes dimmed.

Yao Xuan: "..."

It seemed he had missed the chance to become famous alongside Xi Mei.

Now, every one of Golden Ingot's group had hundreds of millions of fans, while he only had two fans: Granny Ruan and Father Ming.

The gap was so huge that even he, a God-level Pet Beast, felt depressed.

Mingxi didn't know that her Pet Beast was feeling depressed because of the couple's gaze.

She nodded without blushing: "It's the same name."

Lan Qin realized that their reaction had been a bit excessive and apologized awkwardly: "Please don't mind us, little sister. My husband and I are both fans of the Ming God, so we got a little excited hearing your name."

"It's fine, I don't mind."

Seeing that her expression was normal and her eyes were clear, Lan Qin felt a further surge of goodwill toward her and smiled as she spoke:

"Little Sister Ming, this Dream Workshop Challenge is actually an Item Crafting Competition, hosted by a person named Tiangong. The rules require participants to ◈ Nоvеlіgһт ◈ (Continue reading) craft items on-site that can enhance a Pet Beast's combat power, using several rare minerals and materials endemic to the Eterna Forest area in a specific environment."

"Item Crafting Competition?" Mingxi showed appropriate confusion: "What does this have to do with battling?"

"It has everything to do with it!"

Shi Lei eagerly interjected, patting the Tarenta beside him, "After the item is crafted, don't you need to battle to test its function?

So item crafting is just the intermediate process; in the end, there must be a Pet Beast battle, and the winner is determined by who wins the battle."

"Is there a limit on the Pet Beast's level?"

Shi Lei replied: "Of course not."

Mingxi thought: Why does crafting the item feel insignificant? For example, if she sent Yao Xuan against Brother Shi Lei's Tarenta, even if the opponent crafted a divine artifact, Yao Xuan would still crush him, right?

Just as she thought this, she heard Lan Qin add: "However, for the sake of fairness in the competition, the strength of all participating Pet Beasts will be suppressed to Advanced Level."

Mingxi became curious again.

"What is used for the suppression?"

"It's said to be a rule-based item called the Heaven-Stopping Ring."

Mingxi was doubly curious: "What if the Heaven-Stopping Ring can't suppress them?"

Hearing her question, Shi Lei and his wife exchanged glances and chuckled simultaneously. 𝓯𝙧𝓮𝓮𝒘𝓮𝙗𝙣𝒐𝒗𝒆𝓵.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Lan Qin: "It won't fail to suppress them. I heard it's an item capable of suppressing even Venerable-level Pet Beasts."

Mingxi blinked, glancing at Yao Xuan beside her. If it could suppress Venerable-level, could it suppress God-level?

Suddenly, she was even more curious.

At this moment, Lan Qin lowered her voice and spoke in an extremely serious tone: "It is rumored that the grand prize for this challenge is a divine artifact from Tiangong's collection."

Mingxi raised an eyebrow.

"Such a grand gesture? What is the background of this Tiangong?"

Shi Lei took a large gulp of ale, wiped his mouth with his sleeve, and lowered his voice slightly: "Little sister, I can tell you're also interested in this Dream Workshop Challenge, so there's one thing I must warn you about.

This Tiangong is suspicious. On the surface, he's just a Tool Master obsessed with researching mechanical beasts, but I once heard a friend mention that this person is a bit sinister.

The name Tiangong has circulated among the Tool Masters community near the border of Anji Country for about the last year or two. His whereabouts are secretive, and he only operates around the Eterna Forest area.

The most mysterious thing about him is that no one knows his real name or where he comes from.

Every time he appears, he wears a large cloak, and his face is completely covered, making it impossible to tell if he is a man or a woman, old or young.

However, his item crafting, especially his skill in creating mechanical beasts, is truly exceptional. It is said that he can use the most ordinary materials to create mechanical beasts with intelligence and strength approaching that of Transcendent creatures."

Lan Qin pushed up her glasses, "Our friend mentioned that what Tiangong seems to pursue isn't perfect craftsmanship, but whether the item can ignite a strong bond between the Pet Beast and the Beastmaster. If the resulting bond isn't strong enough, the item becomes a death warrant."

Shi Lei took over, his expression growing solemn.

"He witnessed it firsthand: after successfully customizing an item for a Beastmaster, during the binding process, the Beastmaster and his Pet Beast were completely drained of all vitality because the bond activation was insufficient."

"Therefore, there is a saying among the Tool Masters community," Lan Qin's voice was barely audible, "that Tiangong actually harbors malice towards Beastmasters and Pet Beasts."

If Shi Lei and his wife weren't deliberately misleading her, then this Tiangong was very likely Morpheus, the one who hated Transcendent creatures.

Mingxi felt a hunch.

She probed the couple for a few other details. Although Shi Lei and his wife were from Dragonflower Country, they had lived in Gear Town for more than two years.

They were considered semi-locals.

They were temporarily residing in Gear Town for the sake of their Pet Beasts; Tarenta and Metang were both Steel-type Transcendent creatures, capable of evolving by utilizing the 'gears' of Gear Town.

As the conversation deepened, Lan Qin sighed softly and revealed their other purpose: "To be honest with you, my husband and I are both Tool Masters, so we're quite interested in this challenge.

After all, it's a divine artifact.

Even if we can't win the championship, we want to see the true appearance of this divine artifact with our own eyes."

Mingxi understood.

A divine artifact was indeed a super lure to hook Tool Masters.

Let alone Tool Masters, even Beastmasters would rush over upon hearing the news.

Only Mingxi didn't feel much about it.

After all, she had seen far too many divine artifacts, and she and her Pet Beasts were contracted to several of them.

"Brother Shi, Sister Lan, can Pet Beasts participate in this item crafting competition?"

The couple was stunned, "Does that mean one of your Pet Beasts is skilled in item crafting?"

Mingxi nodded, humbly saying: "Among the Pet Beasts I am contracted with, there is indeed one Pet Beast that particularly enjoys item crafting.

If this challenge allows Pet Beasts to participate as the main force, then I'd like to give it a try too."

"That's wonderful news."

Shi Lei slapped his thigh, "The three of us can participate together and look out for one another."

Clearly, Pet Beasts could also participate as Tool Masters.

Lan Qin was not as careless as her husband. She looked at Mingxi with a gentle smile, "The registration and selection day for the challenge is set for the day after tomorrow, which is three days from now, on Saturday.

According to the information my husband and I have gathered, all Tool Masters who wish to participate in the challenge must reach the summit of Mt. Coronet before sunrise, having collected four Black Crest Flags from Gear Town, Eterna Forest, the foot of Mt. Coronet, and the middle slopes of Mt. Coronet, respectively.

Only by submitting all four Black Crest Flags will they gain official qualification for the competition.

If Little Sister Ming doesn't mind, why not travel with us for a while?"

This couple certainly knew a lot, and judging by their conduct, they were both straightforward and upright people.

They answered almost all of Mingxi's questions, without the sense of holding back information, forcing others to figure things out for themselves.

Personally, she felt they were a comfortable couple to be around.

Enthusiastic, hearty, and straightforward.

They showed great goodwill towards her, a fellow Dragonflower Country citizen, though this might also be due to her name being 'Mingxi'.

Their idol filter was too strong; even a stranger with the 'same name' received their special attention.

Now that Mingxi had the super cheat Yao Xuan by her side, there was no chance of her being tricked, fooled, or sold off to Myanmar for her organs.

Therefore—

"I accept."

As a newcomer, she had limited knowledge of Gear Town, Eterna Forest, or the majestic Mt. Coronet within Eterna Forest.

Basic recognition and familiarity were two different things. Just like every Chinese person knew about the Forbidden City and had seen many related videos and images.

But how many people actually knew how to navigate the Imperial Garden of the Forbidden City?

Having a familiar 'local' companion would indeed reduce a lot of trouble.

After temporarily bidding farewell to the couple and agreeing to meet at the tavern entrance at 6 PM the day after tomorrow, Mingxi left the noisy Greasy Gear Tavern with Yao Xuan.

The night wind in Gear Town carried a chill.

In the distance, the silhouette of Mt. Coronet appeared increasingly profound and mysterious in the night and thin fog.

Since the event wouldn't start for another three days, Mingxi simply acted as a regular tourist, either soaking in the hot springs with a few Pet Beasts or checking out various scenic spots.

Phonograph Spring.

Gear Stone.

Enjoying the local specialty foods.

Admiring the unique scenery.

She spent a rare, relaxing, and enjoyable holiday.

On the evening of the third day, she was back at the Greasy Gear Tavern in Gear Town.

It was as lively as it had been that day.

The couple had changed into matching military green work uniforms and, along with their respective Pet Beasts, waved toward Mingxi and Yao Xuan, who were walking toward them against the setting sun.

"Little Sister Mingxi, over here."

That loud voice immediately attracted the attention of many people nearby.

After all, with the conclusion of the new Starsea Cup, the name Mingxi was absolutely known to every household.

She was famous to the point where virtually no one in the world was unaware of her.