Emperor of Soul Pets

Chapter 27: Instant Regret!

Rao Wu did not know how much time passed before he woke up in a small, dark room. As Rao Wu stirred, LED lights embedded in the ceiling buzzed to life and illuminated the room.

"Ugh. Where am I?" Rao Wu muttered as he surveyed the room.

Whrrr...

Half expecting it, Rao Wu was not surprised when one of those 'metal appendages' rose from the ground and then 'looked' at him. "Welcome to Test Corridor 1, Contender. Candidate's reflexes, spatial awareness, and combat judgment will be tested extensively on this level. The Candidate's task is to reach the end of the corridor alive. There are no time limits, but do be aware that the test's difficulty will increase after thirty days. Correction—Candidate is starting on Inferno Difficulty. No Difficulty adjustment will be applied. Good luck, Candidate. Please do not hesitate to call if you wish to spend karma points or have any questions."

Rao Wu looked at the metal room, and then raised his hand, "I have one urgent question."

"Go ahead."

"Uh, where do I go if I want to pee? I don't see any bushes."

The system turned and 'pointed' at a corner of the wall, which slid away to reveal a bathroom. "Candidate can relieve himself or take a shower in the bathroom."

"Oh. Okay." Rao Wu looked into the room, and then once again turned to the system. Scratching his cheek, he let out a nervous chuckle and then said, "Uh... how do I use it?"

Fortunately, the system was not human, or it might have short-circuited from disbelief. Rao Wu ran to the bathroom and then quickly relieved himself. Following the system's instructions, he flushed and then washed his hands in a sink.

"Wow. You really learn something new every day," Rao Wu proudly laughed as he returned to the system.

The system ignored Rao Wu as it coldly stated, "When Candidate is ready, please step through the main door." As it spoke, another door opened, revealing a long, dark corridor beyond.

Rao Wu took one look at the corridor and then planted his butt on the floor. Shaking his head, he muttered, "That place looks scary. Better see if we can learn anything that'll help us." With those words, he summoned Xian Da and Lu Lin.

"Rao Wu!" The excited Xian Da called out as soon as it appeared. It eagerly displayed the fruits of its efforts. It could finally pronounce Rao Wu's name correctly!

Rao Wu, in turn, chuckled as he ruffled Xian Da's head. "Hehe, you're learning pretty fast. Who's a little genius!?" While Xian Da howled in delight, Rao Wu turned to Lu Ling and said with an apologetic smile. "Hope they aren't pushing you too hard?"

"Mm-mm." Lu Lin quickly shook her head. Her lips then spread in a broad, beautiful smile as she confessed, "To be honest, I have never been happier in my life. I love the Sprites, but life with them was dull and monotonous. The kids have given me a project and something to do. I could not be happier."

"Heh, that's great." Rao Wu then grabbed Xian Da and lifted it by the shoulders. "But don't forget to tell me if they start bothering you. I'll discipline the little rascals."

An indignant Xian Da struggled to free itself as it barked, "No!"

Rao Wu's lips stretched in a teasing grin. "No? Someone's learning some useless words. Better erase that word when it comes to me, alright?"

Xian Da snorted and then tossed its head to the side, refusing to graze Rao Wu with its attention.

Seeing the little diva's reaction, Rao Wu burst into laughter. "Alright, alright. I'm sorry. You're not a rascal anymore. You're a big boy now." Rao Wu patted Xian Da as he released it and then pulled out a pair of soul crystals. "You guys take this. I'm not sure what we're gonna face in there. We better get as strong as possible before going in."