Beastmaster King

“A major discovery?”

Lu Ran shuddered and looked at Lu Xiaowu. “What discovery?”

“The Divine Deer that our village worships might still be alive!”

Just as Lu Ran was about to ask for details, Lu Dingding interjected.

“Don’t listen to his nonsense. I feel like it’s just the superstition of the older folks.”

“Are you even a Lu Village local?” Lu Xiaowu glared at him disapprovingly. “With the spiritual energy revival happening, what’s wrong with believing a bit more? It doesn’t cost anything.”

He turned back to Lu Ran. “In fact, our village still retains an ancient legend. It’s said that in ancient times, ghosts roamed unchecked, and many members of the human tribe sought refuge with powerful beings akin to gods, depending on them for survival.

“Even if these gods required offerings of infants or flesh and blood, many human communities accepted this arrangement because the ghosts outside were even more ruthless.

“But some benevolent beings were willing to protect humans unconditionally. Our ancestors encountered such a being: the Divine Deer. Under the Divine Deer’s protection and guidance, our ancestors even took up arms to hunt ghosts. This became the origin of Lu Village’s hunting tradition.

“Then, a massive calamity arose. A ghost so powerful appeared that even the Divine Deer couldn’t contend with it. Our entire community was forced to relocate, and many lives were lost during the migration.

“The Divine Deer stayed behind to protect the rear, and that’s when it disappeared entirely.

“Later, it was said that some villagers returned to search, but they found no sign of either the powerful ghost or the Divine Deer.”

Hmm... A classic myth.

Lu Ran pondered aloud, “Then why conclude that the Divine Deer is still alive?”

Lu Xiaowu replied, “Because some elders in the village say the Divine Deer often appears in their dreams. Some dream that the Divine Deer is holding back the ghosts by itself, awaiting rescue.

“Others dream that the Divine Deer was gravely wounded in that battle and was forced to reincarnate. Still others dream that it didn’t die but simply grew weary and chose to retreat from the world.”

“I could come up with seven or eight similar dreams just by daydreaming for a while,” Lu Dingding muttered. “Even chatting with the Bone Goblin or Spider Spirit in a dream wouldn’t be impossible.”

Lu Bing kicked him lightly, though Lu Yi beside her thought he might have a point.

Dreams reflect thoughts. With the Divine Deer legend already ingrained in Lu Village, it was normal for it to linger in people’s minds and even influence their dreams. These dreams certainly couldn’t be used as evidence.

“A dream, huh?”

Beside them, Lu Ran fell into deep thought. Unlike the others in Lu Village, he was 100% certain that such a creature as the Divine Deer existed. Otherwise, where did the Broken Horn of the Divine Deer come from?

As for the claims of appearing in dreams, Lu Ran believed them only halfway. Dreams may be unreliable, but he had personally experienced premonitory dreams before, so he couldn’t completely dismiss them.

Was it possible that his own awakening of superpowers and his ability to experience premonitory dreams were tied to his background in Lu Village, linked to the Divine Deer’s power?

“Is there any record of which type of dream is most prevalent?” Lu Ran asked.

Lu Xiaowu shook his head. “No.”

“Lu Ran,” Lu Bing asked curiously, “do you believe in the Divine Deer?” She sensed that Lu Ran took the legend more seriously than the other young people of Lu Village.

For the younger generation in Lu Village, such legends had long lost their credibility.

“If it were in the past, I wouldn’t have believed it either. But with the changes on Blue Planet that you’ve all seen, who can say there weren’t extraordinary beings in the ancient past?” Lu Ran smiled.

“Anyway, let’s drop the topic since it’s so ancient.”

At that moment, Lu Ran had a new idea. Familiars possess various abilities and traits, so he planned to contract an investigative-type familiar in the future and fuse it with a trait specialized in tracking. He’d use it to track the Broken Horn of the Divine Deer across Blue Planet, like a hound following a scent, to see if there were any other traces of the Divine Deer.

As this thought crossed his mind, Lu Ran remembered Manager Ying. She seemed to possess time-based skills that could be used for tracking people. I should get a time-type familiar someday too. It seems incredibly useful.

“Why are you all here? Isn’t Lu Village supposed to be close to the mountains?” Lu Ran suddenly wondered if Lu Village, being rural, might be at risk amidst the spiritual energy revival.

“Have the mutant beasts around caused any damage to Lu Village?” he asked hurriedly.

But as soon as he spoke, Lu Ran realized he might be overthinking it. Lu Village had more beastmasters than some large cities.

“Oh, that,” Lu Bing chuckled. “There haven’t been any large beasts around Lu Village for a long time. It’s mostly just wild boars now. The village has even shifted toward the farming industry.

“We should actually be grateful for the spiritual energy revival. Many villagers kept hunting dogs, and now even the hunters who aren’t beastmasters have gained extraordinary partners. Although there were some incidents, overall, the benefits outweighed the drawbacks.

“Now, Lu Village is fully armed, so those wild boars don’t stand a chance against us.”

Lu Ran wore an odd expression. No wonder they call it the village of hunters.

“Anyway, let’s add each other as friends. Here’s my real contact information, so if you ever need my help, feel free to reach out,” Lu Ran said.

“Alright!”

They found a place to finish the lunch they had missed last time. Watching his fellow villagers depart, Lu Ran’s expression softened.

This meal... he finally got to enjoy it. If possible, he would help Lu Village in the future. A village with a totemic history wouldn’t have a simple path ahead. They all came from the same roots. If he ever faced difficulties, Lu Village certainly wouldn’t turn a blind eye.

More importantly, Lu Ran held the treasure left by the Divine Deer. Although his mother called it a family heirloom, Lu Ran couldn’t shake the feeling that not using the Broken Horn to do something for Lu Village might go against the Divine Deer’s intentions.

Perhaps the Divine Deer left the Broken Horn, hoping its bearer would protect Lu Village?

Haih, if only I had the time. I’d go back and run for village chief, leading the village to prosperity and making it the first in the Beastmaster Era.

Lu Ran shelved the thought, redirecting his focus to the upcoming ascension realm he needed to tackle. Any grand plans would require strength to execute.

As he glanced at his communications, he noticed two new messages: one from Pluto, the other from Master Lin. His expression turned contemplative.

During lunch, he had already heard about the brief and chaotic love-hate relationship between him and Pluto. For that poor soul, Lu Ran had no words.

[Pluto: Are you coming back to Limitless City #5?]

Pluto’s message practically radiated a gritted-teeth tone.

[Lu Ran: Probably not.]

Lu Ran grinned. The Trait Crystals and beastmaster skills he wanted were all available in Limitless City #3.

Although he hadn’t achieved an SSS rating in the Abandoned Laboratory Ascension Realm, he had already secured all the essential loot. Staying there any longer didn’t seem worthwhile, as resources outside the boss drops were limited.

Now, it’s time to make money!

After replying to Pluto, Lu Ran checked Master Lin’s message. Master Lin had heard about the Heavenly Familiar Ranking update and how Lu Ran had miraculously obtained and fused a Trait Crystal on his first try. Curious, he had messaged to ask for details.

[Lu Ran: It went very smoothly, thanks to the weapon! Captain Doofus is much stronger now. I’m off to work to pay off debts! If you urgently need any minerals from the beginner realms, feel free to entrust me.]

After a moment’s thought, Lu Ran added another line.

[By the way, Master Lin, can you forge Treasure-grade weapons?]

Master Lin responded quickly.

[Master Lin: Lucky dog! All on your first try. Treasure-grade weapons? Unfortunately, my limit is forging Rare-grade weapons. Right now, there’s only one person in the country capable of crafting Treasure-grade equipment.

[But they mainly forge gear for beastmasters and have little experience creating weapons specifically for familiars. Most blacksmiths only make familiar armor or protective items at best.

[You’re lucky to have met me. Even among my peers, many specialize exclusively in beastmaster gear or familiar armor. Crafting a sword for a familiar? That’s extremely rare expertise.

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[If you want to upgrade your weapon, you’ve got two options. Either convince a veteran to branch into this field, or become a Treasure-grade blacksmith yourself. So, kid, why not come study blacksmithing with me? You can’t rely on others forever.]

Lu Ran exhaled deeply. He had underestimated the rarity of a blacksmith skilled in creating weapons for familiars. Master Lin had truly earned his reputation, even among the well-informed Cat Maid Cafe crowd.

While Captain Doofus’s species talent was powerful, finding the perfect weapon was proving to be a monumental challenge. If even the top blacksmith in Xia lacked relevant experience, Lu Ran’s options were limited.

Would he have to become a blacksmith himself to forge the ideal weapon? Or was there hope of discovering something among the Ascension Realms of other beastmaster civilizations?

***

In Green Sea City.

After Lu Ran left, Sudden Death King was compelled to join the battles of the Seven Beast Generals, following the six others into combat. Confidence, after all, is built on a series of victories.

In its early encounters, Sudden Death King was cautious, fearing that it might live up to its name and meet a swift end. Each time it fought, it felt as if it were dancing on the edge of death. But with each successive victory, it began to realize that no opponent could touch it!

The confidence from these victories slowly built up, even in the timid Sudden Death King, sparking a newfound sense of pride. It hadn’t taken long for Lu Ran’s method of “first reinforce, then release” to reshape Sudden Death King’s character.

Dark Crow and Ice Bird, who traveled alongside it on patrol, watched with astonishment. Not far away, in the hills, Sudden Death King faced off against a mutant rat horde that had crossed the boundary from the neighboring city.

Its tail braced against the ground, and its body stood tall. Encased in glowing Lightning Armor, it looked every bit the valiant warrior. With a blank expression, Sudden Death King regarded the approaching rats.

“Wakaka...”

A bunch of mere rodents...

It thought, though instinctively, it raised both claws in a surrender gesture.

“Terrifying! Can you give us a break and stay away from Green Sea City? Live and let live, yeah?” Dark Crow cawed from a nearby tree, translating Sudden Death King’s body language.

Despite Sudden Death King’s apparent intimidation, the rats didn’t back down.

“Chi, chi, chi!!!”

Led by their mutant Rat King, they surged forward in a crimson wave, ready to engulf Sudden Death King.

In the past, such a situation would have made Sudden Death King panic, but now, the confidence built from dozens of battles gave it reassurance. With its unbreakable absolute defense, it was untouchable! So far, except for that one dog, no creature had managed to break its defenses.

“Wakaka... what a dilemma... must we really fight?” Dark Crow mimicked Sudden Death King’s expression, narrating on its behalf.

As the mutant rat horde closed in, the expected scene of Sudden Death King being overwhelmed didn’t occur. Instead, each rat that made contact with it turned charred, falling one by one, convulsing from electrocution as Sudden Death King’s lightning-infused armor sent deadly spikes through them.

Meanwhile, Sudden Death King remained unharmed, encased within its protective shield.

“Wakaka...”

Sudden Death King feigned concern, tightening its tail around one of the fallen rats, increasing the voltage before tossing it aside.

“Such a pity. If my armor hadn’t held up, I might’ve met a sudden end,” it seemed to say, though its tone was more playful than serious. “But too bad... ever been shocked by lightning?”

Dark Crow, watching from a distance, continued to interpret Sudden Death King’s demeanor. In no time, the rats scattered in terror, utterly defeated.

“No wonder they call it the Lightning Dragon General!” Dark Crow exclaimed. Though it could have handled the rat horde, it would never have allowed them to get that close. Lightning Dragon General, indeed!

Nearby, Ice Bird, who had been guarding the tea trees, swallowed nervously. Captain Doofus was one thing, but this? The power of a lieutenant under a beastmaster’s command was truly formidable!