---
title: "Chapter 3 :  Infinite Times of Death"
slug: "ch-3"
novel: "Astral Pet Store"
number: 1
views: 2850000
likes: 198000
wordCount: 3600
createdAt: "2020-01-17"
---

“The host has established connection to the Thunder Cloud Realm.”

“Connection valid for three days...”

“During the beginner’s quest, beginner’s protection will be granted to the host: unlimited number of deaths during the exploration!”

“Temporary contract between the host and the pet has been established...”

“Please head out on your own...”

Su Ping was still stunned in this vast and ancient land unveiling in front of him when he was dragged back to reality by the row of prompt messages in his mind.

He came to a halt. Immediately, he noticed a line that indicated danger. Number of deaths?

A bad hunch rose in his mind.

All of a sudden, a huge shadow skimmed over his head. The day seemed to have become darker.

Su Ping raised his head, and his pupils were instantly dilated by the sight.

A pair of huge wings that could blot out the sky and cover the sun were stirring up the vast sea of clouds that seemed to stretch out to infinity. Lightning flashed and thunder roared among the dark purple wings; the countless clouds that were closest to them began to tumble over.


“What...”

“What the hell is this?!!”

Su Ping was dumbstruck.

Even a massive blue whale would be smaller than a feather of this giant beast!

While he was still in shock, a strong gale swept through in a matter of seconds, swooping down from a high altitude and slashing at him like thousands of wind blades.

“Run...”

Just as this idea came to Su Ping’s mind, he felt excruciating pain all over his body. His sight dimmed and darkness struck all of a sudden.

“Am I dead?” Su Ping thought, with heavy-laden eyes. But light soon emerged as a flood. He opened his eyes; in front of him was still the vast and ancient scene and yet, the environment seemed to have changed. He was no longer surrounded by giant trees, but flourishing and tall blades of grass.

He remembered the prompt message from the system. Su Ping came back to his senses. Was this the so-called unlimited number of deaths?

He could die as many times as he wanted in that place?

This idea brought him some relief. That being said, he felt the urge to let loose a torrent of abuse in the next second.

While he wouldn’t die for real, he wouldn’t want to experience that pain when he thought he was going to be torn into pieces. It was too painful!

“System, I want to go home,” Su Ping began to beg in an anguished tone.

“The quest has not been accomplished. An early return is not allowed.”

“...”

“Warning! First profanity alert!”

“...!!”

Su Ping turned pale. He had to stay in this deserted world where giant beasts were running wild for three days? How many deaths would he have to endure?

He was on the verge of a mental breakdown. What kind of system was this?

“Rustle, rustle~!”

Abruptly, he heard a subtle sound.

The sound made Su Ping’s hair stand on end. He looked over in terror, only to realize that the sound came from the Lightning Rat by his feet. This little guy had followed him to that place and was shivering in fright at the moment.

The little guy had also seen the giant beast that could cover up the entire sky and was surely scared to death.

“You poor little thing. You’ll have to die many deaths for three days along with me...”

Su Ping sighed in despair. Misery loves company.

Maybe he felt close to the Lightning Rat because of the temporary contract. He felt sorry for the Lighting Rat after looking at the shivering animal. Su Ping crouched down to pat the rat to calm it down.

As he was patting the Lightning Rat...

It struck Su Ping that the goal of sending him there was to train this little guy.

To train the little guy so that its strength could be improved by three times within one week.

It was hard, for sure. But the focus in this quest should be the Lightning Rat!

This horrifying cultivation site was prepared for the Lightning Rat!

“The quest can be finished sooner if the Lightning Rat reaches the desired cultivation level. I can see that this is hard, but I’ll never know if I don’t push the limits, can I?”

After this thought, Su Ping turned his sight to the Lightning Rat that had gradually calmed down in his hand.

The jittery Lightning Rat slowly quieted down after being stroked by the warm hand, as if it represented a safe harbor. However, right then, the Lightning Rat was sensing a strong surge of uneasiness in its heart.

Following this hunch, the Lightning Rat looked over with its little rat eyes, only to see its temporary master glaring at itself with a pair of eyes that were shimmering with terror!

The Lightning Rat: “?”

“Come on. You can do this.” Su Ping grinned.

The Lightning Rat felt chills.

The Lightning Rat surely realized something because it began to struggle and wiggle in Su Ping’s hand with great effort.

While the Lightning Rat was an Astral Pet of the agile type, its strength was still greater than Su Ping’s. In an instant, the Lightning Rat struggled itself free.


“Come back here!” Su Ping cried out at once.

But he shrank back as soon as the words were out of his mouth.

This was the Thunder Cloud Realm where ferocious beasts were everywhere. To scream and yell like this was practically a request for death.

Then, he remembered he had already built a temporary contract with the Lightning Rat. He concentrated and immediately noticed another faint presence of consciousness running alongside his own.

The first consciousness was conveying vague traces of emotions and ideas.

Fear, anxiety, shock, escape!

Those were from the Lightning Rat.

“Is this the power that comes with a contract with an Astral Pet? No wonder I hear people say that an Astral Pet and its master can share the same mind. It can hardly be understood without personal experience....”

Su Ping’s eyes flickered. The power that came with the contract was something he had long wished for years back, which came with the very standard that distinguished the common public and the Astral Pet Warriors.

“Squeak—”

All of a sudden, he heard shrill cries made by the Lighting Rat coming from the bushes in the distance.

Scared, Su Ping ran over at once.

He saw that the Lighting Rat was confronting a large insect near the root of a giant grass of about seven to eight meters in height. Its fur was bristled and it was showing its teeth.

The large insect was about two meters long in a green color mixed with purple patterns. Some light produced by electricity would spring out from the purple patterns.

This was also an Astral Pet from the thunder family!

“Why does it look like a caterpillar?” The appearance of the large insect reminded Su Ping of such an insect. Only the former was hundreds of times more ferocious than a caterpillar.

“Sh*t, we’re not going to be swallowed by this insect, are we?” Su Ping’s blood was frozen as he saw all the sharp teeth covering the insect’s mouth. Death came instantly when he was torn apart by the fierce wind caused by the gargantuan beast that could cover up the sky. If he were to fall victim to this giant insect, he would have a taste of living was no better than dying!

He even wanted to commit suicide at once.

However, if he did, he would be reborn in another random location later.

There was one more thing.

There was nothing around him that could be used as a weapon.

Su Ping looked around and only found a rock on the ground. He was filled with mixed emotions.

Bashing himself to death?

How much strength would he have to use to kill himself with one blow?

If he couldn’t do it, what could he do if he remained in a half-dead state?

This question was lingering in Su Ping’s mind like a sophisticated philosophy conundrum.

“Squeak!”

While Su Ping was still fantasizing about the most conveniently lethal angle to smash himself with the rock, he suddenly heard a shrill scream.

He looked up.

The Lighting Rat was about to lose its life. It had been grabbed by the giant insect. The giant insect had many feet, like a centipede. The sharp edges pierced through the Lightning Rat’s soft belly. Blood was spilling out. The Lightning Rat passed away after only a bit of struggle.

Su Ping looked pale. He couldn’t bear to look at the scene and there were unexplainable feelings of anger.

The system suddenly gave an alert. “Revive pet on the spot. Yes or no?”

Su Ping was surprised.

Seeing that the giant insect was about to stuff the Lightning Rat’s body into its mouth, Su Ping shouted without further thinking, “Yes!”

Before the sound of his voice had died away, the Lightning Rat that was about to be put into the insect’s maw suddenly turned into sparkles that fell back to the ground in front of the insect and took the shape of the Lightning Rat again.

Crack!

The insect missed its bite.

The insect was stunned, since its prey had suddenly come back to life.

The insect: “???”

Su Ping didn’t offer any explanation to the insect. Since the Lightning Rat had come back to life, Su Ping yelled out at once, “Attack the insect!”

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Thanks to the emotional strength passed along through the contract, Su Ping’s directions were delivered to the Lightning Rat immediately.

The Lighting Rat was frozen on the spot because, in its mind, it was still seized by the terror of death. Su Ping’s shout woke the Lightning Rat up. The obedience instinct that came from being domesticated emerged; the Lightning Rat rushed forward almost subconsciously.

With the speed of lighting!

Whoosh!

The Lightning Rat sped up all of a sudden and smashed itself against the giant insect.

Bang!

Due to the impact, the giant bug leaned backward. Halfway through, the insect stopped the motion. The sharp edges of its many feet moved fast. The insect grabbed the Lightning Rat and tore it apart in a most appalling way.

The Lightning Rat had died, again!

“Revive pet on the spot. Yes or no?”

“Do it!”

Su Ping didn’t give it much thought. He issued another order to strike right when the Lightning Rat came back to life.

Since the number of revivals was unlimited, Su Ping was convinced that they would kill this giant insect eventually. While the gap in abilities between the insect and the Lightning Rat was vast, there was still a possibility of winning for the latter. He had to be able to grasp the tiniest chance of victory!

