Due to the fire in the cornfield, the patrolling militia rushed over to help with the firefighting. The Fireball Mouse was a Fire-Element type, so naturally, these militia came prepared with a truckload of water, using high-pressure water guns to extinguish the blaze.
This won’t do, I’ll have to ask Lin Xiaomeng for help this afternoon, Zhang Han thought, feeling quite frustrated. I originally thought it was a simple little task, but not only is the reward low, there’s a ton of work. The job isn’t worth the pay. Novice tasks really are just charity work.
It was lunchtime, and the village provided meals. The food was very simple: sour and spicy shredded potatoes, stir-fried bean sprouts, stir-fried greens, scrambled eggs with tomatoes, and stir-fried sweet potatoes, with only a tiny bit of meat. After all, their contribution didn’t even match that of the patrolling militia, and with significant losses to the farmland, deductions from their pay were inevitable. f.(r)eewe/bnov\ll.com
The four-person team gathered, all complaining.
"Who can eat this food? I bet even my dog, Lucky, wouldn’t eat this!"
"I’m done with these Fireball Mice! They’re wild and hard to tame, nothing like the ones at the academy."
"Even though their level is lower than my Saw-toothed Crocodile, each one is faster than the last. They’re so cunning."
"I’m doing okay. I found a hidden cave and drowned a few using the Water Filling Technique."
One of them had it even worse; he and his Pet Beast were chased relentlessly. To say he was fleeing with his tail between his legs wouldn’t be an exaggeration—he even lost his underpants.
"Why don’t we see that guy around?" Zhang Han wondered aloud.
The gloomy expression on the boy next to him eased, and he grinned. "The Red Fox couldn’t even beat a Fireball Mouse one-on-one. Maybe he’s too embarrassed to show his face."
"He probably gave up on the task and ran off early."
Lin Xiaomeng, holding her lunchbox, her bright eyes lighting up, said curiously, "I remember he hadn’t formed a contract with the Red Fox. He must have a Pet Beast stronger than it in his possession."
There was one more thing she didn’t say. She suspected Chu Yi was trained by some academy; he had a very unique aura about him. Besides being handsome, he also exuded an air of maturity and composure.
Upon hearing this, everyone was taken aback. They thought there might be some truth to her words, but not much.
"Right, right," Zhang Han mused for a moment, then replied casually, "I also think he’s an expert. But, Sister Xiao Meng, do you really believe an expert would come here to do such dirty and tiring work? Only us unlucky rookies end up as cheap labor."
One of the guys laughed. "If even we can’t handle the Fireball Mice, what chance does he have? We were initially planning to help him out, but since he’s not here, there’s no need. He’s an outsider, anyway."
"Hahaha, you’re cracking me up! If he manages to take out even one... no, five of them, I’ll wear my underpants on my head!"
"I’ll take that bet! If he defeats ten, I’ll streak around our academy for a whole month! How about that?"
"Tch, just ten? No guts."
At this moment, a group of militia walked past, carrying a pile of vivid red Fireball Mice, each with a big smile on their face. Each militiaman was carrying three, and there were too many to count.
"PFFT!" Zhang Han was the first to do a spit-take, spraying rice grains onto his companion’s face.
This... ah, this... Where did so many Fireball Mice come from?
Zhang Han, ignoring his companion, hurried forward and eagerly asked, "Excuse me, where did you get all these Fireball Mice? Did you blow up their nest?"
To hunt so many Fireball Mice, they must have a unique method. I need to learn it. Performance in these novice tasks was meticulously recorded, preventing any Beast Tamers from slacking off. Outstanding performance would significantly boost account level experience, leading to better tasks.
Lin Xiaomeng also blinked her large eyes, hugging her Mosquito Repellent Frog, and said gently, "Uncle, you’re amazing! You must be an excellent Hunter, right? To catch so many Fireball Mice... could you share your methods?"
The militia uncle, flattered by the praise, looked a bit embarrassed. "You’ve misunderstood. These were all hunted by that esteemed Beast Tamer. Just now, he made a deal with the village chief to sell us the Fireball Mouse pelts at a low price."
"What?!" Zhang Han was stunned.
Lin Xiaomeng froze on the spot, her mouth agape, struggling to get the words out. "Uncle, you mean... all of these were caught by one Beast Tamer?"
"Yes," the militia uncle replied, not noticing their expressions. Instead, he looked on with admiration as he praised, "You Beast Tamers are incredible! A single person with a Pet Beast can deal with these troublesome mice. When my kid grows up, I want him to become a Beast Tamer too..."
Being praised so enthusiastically by the militia uncle, and thinking back to their own futile efforts that morning, the four of them blushed beet-red with embarrassment.
Who was this powerhouse, capable of slaughtering so many Fireball Mice in one go?! Seriously, what kind of vendetta was this? Did the Fireball Mice kill his parents or something? This was clearly an attempt to wipe out their entire lineage! A dimensional-reduction strike, no less! Utterly brutal!
When asked about the quantity, a nearby militiaman gave a rough estimate. "Thirty of them!"
Upon hearing this number, the four of them couldn’t help but gasp, silenced once more. Truly a complete wipeout.
Zhang Han quickly inquired about the person’s location. Since such a formidable expert has appeared, I’d better latch onto him. We can just coast.
The others, thoroughly demoralized, lost their appetite; completing the task was all that mattered now.
The four quickly hurried over.
But this route... it felt strangely familiar. Zhang Han’s eyelid twitched. Could it really be that well-hidden ’expert’? If it really is him, remembering how I dismissed him earlier... am I about to be proven spectacularly wrong?
Suddenly, a familiar silhouette came into everyone’s view. There, in the rustic farmland, a youth in clean clothes was dining with a Red Fox the size of a wolfhound. A sumptuous spread of dishes was laid out before them: beef stew with potatoes, duck legs in a secret sauce, braised carp, stir-fried eggplant with garlic sauce, and pork rib soup with radish. The tantalizing aroma made the group stare, their mouths watering.
Damn it, how is he eating so well!
"It’s really him," Lin Xiaomeng’s eyes lit up. This mysterious man, who never revealed his Pet Beasts, turned out to be a powerful Beast Tamer. Red Copper-rank! Definitely Red Copper-rank! The vastly different quality of their meals alone confirmed his identity as the mysterious expert who had wiped out the Fireball Mice.
Chu Yi, however, paid no attention to the arrival of the four, instead continuing to enjoy his meal with Bika. He also took the opportunity to check Bika’s information.
[Rank]: Intermediate Servant
[Attribute]: Beast, Fire
[Skills]: Fierce Claw, Big Fireworks, Burst Gun
[Special Skills]: None
[Status]: Warning! This Pet Beast possesses the potential for Mutated Evolution. Please submit it to the military breeding base as soon as possible. Coordinates...
[Evolution Path]: Omitted...
(Hint: This Pet Beast has a very high affinity with the Fire Element. It is recommended for the Beast Tamer to cultivate it in the elemental direction.)
Thanks to the pile of Crimson Shadows, Bika had erupted with powerful Fire Element energy, reaching Rank 1 of the Second Stage! It was all thanks to those items! It had even comprehended a mid-tier Fire skill—Fierce Claw—and a rare skill—Burst Gun!
Skills were categorized as low-tier, mid-tier, high-tier, and super-tier. Below low-tier were unclassified skills like Scratch and Little Spark.
Upon reaching the Second Stage, Bika had grown significantly taller, all its attributes had increased, and it had mastered new skills—a true leap in strength!