“This reminds me of when we formed a team to clear the Beginner Trial Secret Realm. The only difference is that back then, you led the team as the powerhouse. Now, you’re stepping back to act as the resource provider.”
“You could say that,” Lu Ran said, rubbing his nose.
The rewards from the Legendary Secret Realm were just too tempting.
Not to mention, he was indeed equipped for this...
“So, your choice of candidates.”
“Right. I think the villagers from Lu Village would be a good fit, especially since I already have a solid rapport with them from previous team-ups. It’s also better to keep things in the family. When I won the freshman competition, even Lu Bing invited me to be the village chief of Lu Village.”
Lu Ran wasn’t exaggerating. After his rise to fame, the beastmasters of Lu Village hoped that he would return and take up leadership. Lu Village, with its strong clan traditions, often harbored a degree of exclusivity among the older generation. Nevertheless, Lu Ran was unquestionably one of their own.
His grandfather had been the chief two terms ago, and his parents had d a school and a clinic to the village. Now, as one of the standout fourth-generation beastmasters, Lu Ran had significantly contributed to the village’s development.
Even the current chief believed that Lu Ran was more qualified to lead and guide the village into the future.
Lu Village’s chief position had always been held by the strongest, which was determined through the hunting skills that one had inherited from previous generations. Lu Ran was undoubtedly the strongest in their entire history, making him the unquestionable choice for the role.
Lu Ran was busy at the time, so he laughed off the offer and politely declined. After all, how could a minor serve as village chief?
But now, while he still had no intention of being chief, the idea of cultivating his own team was becoming increasingly appealing. Farming Limitless City’s secret realm alone was just too slow.
Rather than training other talented individuals with strong backgrounds as Dragon researchers, why not work with those who already shared roots with him in Lu Village?
A village blessed by a legendary creature like the Divine Deer surely had hidden potential. It could even have other prodigies waiting to emerge.
Fang Lan was speechless. Lu Ran always had these grand ambitions. First, he wanted to become the king of the Green Sea, now a clan leader.
Do you truly plan to conquer everything?
“Fine. Once Lu Bing and the others reach level 1, I’ll team up with them. Since I’m focusing on Poison-attribute research, my level doesn’t matter as much, so I’m in no rush to reach level 2.”
“That works!” Lu Ran said.
Since the Legendary Secret Realm periodically refreshed and they didn’t have to worry about time-sensitive rewards from things like the freshman competition, there was no pressing need for rapid progression.
Lu Ran opened the group chat for their Beginner Secret Realm squad.
[Pedestrian A: Everyone, hold off on choosing your second familiar. I’ll see if I can find some natural Champion-rank fish, lizard, or serpent-type familiars for you.
[That way, if you apply to become my research students and join my research into draconic evolution, there will be a chance that the university will allocate additional resources for you.
[If the dragon familiars are properly cultivated, all of you will have a shot at challenging the Legendary Secret Realm after reaching level 1.]
Lu Ran’s announcement immediately caused a stir among the members of the group chat, particularly the Lu Village team and Pig Farmer.
[Pig Farmer: Lord Lu, you have my eternal gratitude!]
Obtaining a Champion-species familiar was a privilege typically reserved for the top 16 of the freshman competition. This was beyond their wildest dreams.
[Lu Bing: Should we challenge the ascension realm now?]
Having thoroughly farmed the Beginner Hell Secret Realm, the group had accumulated plenty of resources and even ranked highly on the Transcendent Heavenly Familiar Ranking.
They had already outgrown the challenges of the beginner secret realms. But if they wanted to contract a second familiar, they would have to break through first.
[Pedestrian A: You could request a month-long leave from the university and try your luck in the ascension realm. With good fortune, you might leap into the first tier of fourth-generation beastmasters overnight.]
Lu Ran’s message sparked excitement in the group. They could hardly wait to challenge the ascension realm, reach level 1, and join Lu Ran’s Dragon Squad.
Manager Ying had already found Principal Shi Zhen. When it teleported into Shi Zhen’s home, it was greeted by the sight of him picking out women’s clothing.
“I have to ask, are you already getting used to this curse?” Manager Ying asked, its expression a mixture of shock and exasperation.
Startled, Shi Zhen threw down the dress in his hands. “Fuck!”
“You’re not already picking a new name for yourself, are you? Let me guess, Shi Xia?”
Shi Zhen glared at the cat. “Do you ever knock before entering someone’s home?”
“Well, I asked first.”
“Bullshit!” Shi Zhen retaliated. “I’m just preparing for the worst. If I can’t break the curse, I’ll have to adapt eventually. Suicide isn’t an option.”
Manager Ying’s heart sank. This curse was more insidious than it had imagined. It was already beginning to erode Shi Zhen’s psyche. Little by little, it was infiltrating his very soul.
“Do you still want to break the curse or not?” Manager Ying frowned. “Because I just found a promising lead for you.”
“Oh?” Shi Zhen’s eyes lit up, looking straight at Manager Ying.
“I’ve discovered a Transcendent-species creature that naturally wields curse power!”
Shi Zhen was immediately on high alert. Ever since being cursed, he had searched tirelessly for creatures with curse-related powers, even attempting to cultivate one himself. Unfortunately, since he didn’t have the right traits, all his efforts failed.
Though his Eye of the Evil God was strong, it wasn’t inherently a curse-based ability. Rather, it was more of a spatial manipulation skill. Thus, his research into curse power had hit a dead end. Now, hearing about a creature with innate curse abilities, he couldn’t contain his excitement.
“Lu Ran. His third familiar was born with a Dark attribute. It awakened curse power after being fed some Spirit-attribute resources. It has an innate blend of Dark and Spirit attributes.”
Shi Zhen had seen the news about Lu Ran clearing the Legendary Secret Realm alone earlier. In fact, he’d been dressing up to meet the young prodigy in person. Unfortunately, curiosity had somehow led him to browse through some women’s outfits.
“What kind of luck does that kid have?” Shi Zhen muttered in disbelief.
“Why don’t you invest in him? He’s a Treasure-grade chef and now has a Spirit-attribute familiar. Who knows? With some research, he might even be able to cook up a Treasure-grade dish capable of lifting your curse,” Manager Ying suggested.
“Just remember to pay the intel fee. You put out a bounty for curse-related information, didn’t you?”
“The problem is, he doesn’t seem to lack resources. How do I even invest in him?” Shi Zhen fell into thought. “I think I’ve left a good impression on him. I’ve already given him two Treasure-grade resources. If he has even a shred of gratitude...”
“Even if he’s grateful, he still needs the ability to do something about it. He’s far too weak right now to solve your problem. Didn’t you mention having a spare Eye of the Evil God?
“If you’re not using it, why not gift it to him to strengthen his familiar? That way, he’ll gain deeper insight into the Evil God’s energy, which may speed up the research process.”
After thinking about it for a moment, Shi Zhen nodded. “Sounds reasonable. The trait does have certain side effects, though. He might not want to fuse it with his familiar.”
“It’s the only top-tier trait globally that is compatible with Dark- and Spirit-attribute creatures. Even if he has some concerns, its rarity will definitely tempt him. I don’t think it’ll be an issue. Give me the trait and leave everything to me. I’ll make sure he willingly agrees to research a cure for your curse.”
Shi Zhen took out the Eye of the Evil God Trait Crystal and handed it over.
“Then I’ll leave it to you, Manager Ying. Briefly explain my situation to Lu Ran. Ask him to look into it while working on his dragon cuisine, and see if he can use the power of his familiar to develop a Treasure-grade dish to lift the curse.”
Manager Ying nodded slightly. “Got it.”
The cat left looking pleased with itself.
This is what a top-tier intelligence broker does! Mission accomplished!