When Lu Ran stepped outside, he noticed a few new messages. Zhao Chen had already arrived in Green Sea City and left word that Lu Ran could meet him if he had time.
Upon seeing the message, Lu Ran didn’t rush to contact the newly appointed president of the Green Sea Beastmaster Association but instead went to the window and whistled. A moment later, a small dark crow landed on the outer windowsill.
“Where is General Lightning Dragon?” Lu Ran asked the Dark Crow, one of his intelligence agents stationed throughout Green Sea City.
By now, the crow army had woven a vast intelligence network covering Green Sea for Lu Ran.
“Caw!” The little crow reported that General Lightning Dragon was near Nine Springs Town.
Nine Springs Town was a small town at the border with the adjacent city.
For the Seven Beast Generals of Green Sea, significant events within Green Sea itself were rare. Instead, the “border zones” often posed the most trouble, frequently experiencing “foreign incursions.”
Unfortunately, without an order from the “King,” they couldn’t advance into other territories, so the generals had to focus on defending their own domain for now.
Lu Ran rubbed his chin thoughtfully. “Relay the order... actually, just inform it to wait for me at the foot of Emerald Mountains.”
“Caw!” Receiving the order, the black crow immediately flew off.
Lu Ran began to gather his things, preparing to leave. Having finally returned to reality, Lu Ran felt much more relaxed. Reflecting on the past few days, he felt a vague ache in his liver.
Engaging with the Hell-difficulty secret realm twice a day wasn’t exactly easy, but it wasn’t unbearable either.
After all, besides challenging the secret realm, Captain Doofus also needed rest, and Lu Ran had to practice swordsmanship with it, learning the Blizzard Sword Intent. His schedule was packed.
What left Lu Ran speechless was that he had quickly grasped both the Beast Sword Momentum and the Blizzard Sword Momentum, consistently staying slightly ahead of Captain Doofus each time.
But when it came to mastering something as mystical as sword intent, he couldn’t find a foothold, leaving him wondering where he might be going wrong.
Lu Ran had a hunch that once he mastered Blizzard Sword Intent, combined with his current physique, his combat power would surge, enabling him to face ordinary Transcendent species directly. Mastering this skill was essential for his survival.
Before long, Lu Ran took a taxi to the foot of Emerald Mountains. Since the mountains were now filled with Transcendent beasts, they had been closed off to visitors, similar to Qingwu Lake.
Tourist attractions across the country were more or less the same. But even if they weren’t restricted, it was unlikely anyone would risk their lives sightseeing during such times. No one wanted to gamble with the only life they had.
Unsurprisingly, the tourism industry in the country had taken a severe hit. In contrast, the long-dormant hunting industry had begun to slowly revive.
As Lu Ran entered Emerald Mountains, he spotted Sudden Death King from afar. Its roar startled him. Even its voice had changed in just a few days.
So it was going through a voice change phase. Not only had its voice changed, but—Lu Ran rubbed his eyes—Sudden Death King seemed to be standing upright now!
At over a meter tall, it stood on two legs, with dark-brown scale armor protruding from its back in four rows. Its yellow-brown belly and large orange eyes stared at Lu Ran with excitement. It resembled a miniature Godzilla.
Seeing Lu Ran, Sudden Death King’s voice reverted to normal. It seemed pleased that Lu Ran had finally come to visit.
“Why are you standing up?” Lu Ran asked, bewildered, as he walked over.
I saw this pose on TV and thought it looked cool, so I learned it.
With that, Sudden Death King raised its arms.
“Huh???” Lu Ran was taken aback.
What the heck kind of TV were you watching with Captain Doofus? It watches makeup tutorials, and you’re watching how to surrender? Why would you learn something so random...?
Lu Ran couldn’t even muster a retort and felt a bit drained. Sudden Death King had truly “shed its former self,” almost as if it were evolving into a new species.
Besides, this stance allows me to defend better!
As it thought this, Sudden Death King’s body began crackling with lightning. In addition to being covered in Lightning Spikes Armor, it had shaped one of its front claws into a massive lightning shield, holding it defensively in front of itself. Double defense: shield and armor!
Alright, I underestimated your obsession with defense. After Captain Doofus’ sword practice, should I also forge you a suit of armor and a shield?
“Not bad. Your energy formation skills are improving, even surpassing Captain Doofus back then.”
Lu Ran sighed but still complimented it in the end. Compared to before, Sudden Death King’s energy formation skills had indeed made remarkable progress.
Captain Doofus was versatile, able to quickly master any energy skill, while Sudden Death King’s talents seemed heavily focused on energy formation. Lu Ran wondered if it might eventually grasp a “shield intent.”
Hearing Lu Ran’s praise, Sudden Death King’s mouth stretched into a wide grin. It quickly turned around, ran back, and brought a large bag in front of Lu Ran.
Opening the bag, Lu Ran saw a heap of Advanced-grade resources it had collected.
“Not bad. You even know to turn in your treasures. Raising you wasn’t in vain.”
Lu Ran chuckled, glancing at Sudden Death King. He noticed it had become more confident, likely because it had realized its absolute dominance over other creatures in the wild.
Lu Ran nodded approvingly and said, “I have a special resource for you. Do you want it?”
Sudden Death King looked at Lu Ran with eager eyes.
“It’s a special resource that can significantly enhance your life force and defense.”
Sudden Death King straightened up with reverence, eyes shining. Its dream of having the strongest defense in the world meant there was no way it wouldn’t want this.
“It’s called the Red Lightning Trait. Once absorbed, it will turn your white electric currents into red. The special effect of Red Lightning is that when you’re struck by lightning or shocked, the electricity forges your body, enhancing your physique.”
At first, Sudden Death King seemed delighted, but as Lu Ran continued, its expression froze.
Struck by lightning? Shocked to enhance physique? Wouldn’t that... wouldn’t that result in sudden death?
“What are you afraid of? You’re already a lightning type with strong resistance. Haven’t you encountered any lightning-type opponents? Were their attacks ever able to harm you?” Lu Ran asked.
Sudden Death King paused, thinking back. No, it hadn’t really caused any damage.
Determined to avoid Lu Ran’s disdain, it beat its chest, saying the hesitation earlier was a joke. It was no longer its former self. For the dream of the strongest defense, it was willing to endure injury in training if necessary!
“Good determination! After you merge with it, I’ll apply to the city for a high-powered power station for your lightning forging training,” Lu Ran said.
As King of Green Sea, it wasn’t too much to use this privilege for training his familiar.
A... power station???
Sudden Death King froze again. Weren’t they using the lightning from other lightning-type familiars for training? What did this have to do with a power station?
“I wonder if you’ve reached level 10 yet...”
Lu Ran’s Eye of Detection couldn’t assess Sudden Death King’s attributes, but he felt it was close.
After all, without a beastmaster contract, familiars were leveling up quickly with the revival of spiritual energy. Plus, Lu Ran had been feeding Sudden Death King plenty of Advanced-grade food lately.
“In light of your resolve, eat this first, then try to merge with the Red Lightning Trait afterward.”
Lu Ran pulled out a Dragon Blood Crystal.
At the sight of the crystal, Sudden Death King’s eyes lit up, instantly catching its alluring fragrance. Lu Ran tossed it, and Sudden Death King stepped forward, opening its mouth wide and swallowing it whole.
It swallowed the crystal directly. In the next moment, Sudden Death King felt as though its entire bloodstream was boiling and burning, its expression twisting into one of pain.
Even Lu Ran could almost hear the sound of Sudden Death King’s heartbeat.
Then, under Lu Ran’s astonished gaze, Sudden Death King’s body expanded further. It grew rapidly after consuming the Dragon Blood Crystal, which boosted its life force. Its height reached around 1.7 meters, nearly catching up to Lu Ran.
After a few minutes of digestion, Sudden Death King felt its physique strengthen significantly. It clenched its claws in excitement and roared, turning to look at Lu Ran with newfound determination. It understood the rarity of the resource it had just received.
It, General Lightning Dragon—Sudden Death King—vowed to become the strongest shield in Lu Ran’s hands!
With the right resources, it was willing to endure any beating.
“Now, here’s this one.”
Lu Ran was confident that Sudden Death King had surpassed level 10 by now. Taking out the Red Lightning Trait Crystal, he tossed it over, hoping for a full upgrade.
Sudden Death King grasped the crystal, but no matter how hard it tried, it couldn’t absorb it.
“Hmm?” Lu Ran frowned, puzzled.
At that moment, a strange laugh echoed from a nearby tree.
“Hehehe. Trait Crystals can only be fused with contracted familiars. Didn’t you know? Without a contract, even if its level is high enough, it can’t fuse with Trait Crystals. It seems the King of Green Sea doesn’t know much about beastmaster techniques.”
Lu Ran’s gaze snapped toward the source of the voice. Whoever said that didn’t sound human. Scanning the area, his eyes locked onto a bizarre young man perched on a tree.
The man wore a wine-red suit, his pale skin stark against the dark surroundings. His unnaturally long hair and nails glinted faintly in the light, but what stood out most were the bat-like wings fluttering at his sides.
And those sharp teeth...
A single word flashed through Lu Ran’s mind: Vampire!
Beside him, Sudden Death King growled low, sensing the deadly threat. The pressure emanating from the figure was unlike anything it had felt before.
Lu Ran’s mind buzzed with a foreboding feeling.
The man chuckled darkly. “Allow me to introduce myself. I am Monlo, a level-51 Vampire Count from The Other Shore. I have come to claim your life!”