章 5: Chapter 5 Beginner Trial Secret Realm_1
Lu Ran paid no mind to the excited Mr. Husky in his sunglass form.
Besides the weapon and amulet, he also prepared some healing ointments, bottled water, snacks, and various wilderness survival tools.
Although he wasn't sure if they would come in handy, it was always better to be safe than sorry.
But they were a bit heavy... however, it was not a big problem; he could always discard them if necessary in a critical moment.
So it went on, with Lu Ran continuously preparing and lecturing Mr. Husky, time kept ticking away.
"Did you really understand?" Lu Ran asked.
"The pact has strengthened your physique, but it seems like your intelligence hasn't been enhanced along with it."
During this time, Lu Ran watched the impatient Mr. Husky with a headache coming on.
For example, when he told Mr. Husky that the upcoming enemies could be creatures they had never seen before and to be cautious, Mr. Husky just gave an expression of disdain.
What did that mean?
Lu Ran felt a chill in his heart.
He had a bad feeling, but with only a few minutes left on the countdown, there wasn't time to think about it.
"Alright, that's it then," Lu Ran murmured.
"Come back here," summoned Lu Ran as he produced the Black Card; he could now store it inside his body or summon it at any time.
As the teleportation was about to commence, Lu Ran returned Mr. Husky into the Black Card and stored it securely. This way, at least he wouldn't have to worry about being separated from Mr. Husky during the transfer.
"Ao woo!" Mr. Husky entered the Black Card, and Lu Ran began to close his eyes to rest.
Even with his eyes closed, the countdown was still clearly visible before him.
Time continued to slip by...
Three... two... one... As the last second arrived, Lu Ran couldn't help but become nervous.
After all, he was just a high school student.
It was at this moment that ripples in space appeared; the area around Lu Ran began to twist like a vortex. With a swift distortion, Lu Ran's figure was engulfed and vanished from the room.
However, while Lu Ran disappeared, the backpack he had been carrying and the Iron-Chopping Sword he clenched tightly did not teleport with him.
Apart from the clothes he wore and the amulet hanging around his neck, everything external, even the food and drink, were left behind.
...
Lu Ran felt his body experiencing a continuous cycle of heavyweight and weightlessness, not expecting the teleportation process to be so unpleasant. Once the feeling of the world spinning stopped, Lu Ran realized he truly arrived in a new place.
He opened his eyes.
What he saw was a dim, dense forest.
Before he could take a closer look, familiar text and a voice appeared again.
The teleportation is complete.
Current location: Demon Cat Forest (Novice Trial Secret Realm).
Difficulty: Easy.
Trial mission: Survive for one day.
Trial Secret Realm Introduction: Demon Cat Forest is a natural maze of densely packed trees of various kinds, rich in resources, and once inhabited by many Extraordinary Beings.
Twenty years ago, a strange black downpour caused mutations in the forest creatures, which then launched an onslaught on the surrounding towns.
The Beast Training Legion of the Empire quickly responded, suppressing the beast tide and clearing the forest of the powerful mutated creatures.
After twenty years of recovery, now only the Demon Cat race and some weaker Extraordinary Beings are still active in the forest, which has been renamed Demon Cat Forest.
As a Novice Beast Trainer, you have strayed into this place. Your most crucial task now is to survive and wait for rescue.
Tip ①: The secret realm is a projection of the Demon Cat Forest, and its resources and creatures cannot be taken out or contracted.
Tip ②: Based on the Trialists' performance in combat within the secret realm, different levels of rewards can be granted upon task completion.
Tip ③: If a Trialist falls into a dying state, it is judged as a task failure and a forced return is initiated.
Tip ④: Trialists temporarily gain the Data Eye, which can scout internal resources and information about creatures in the secret realm.
Wish you a pleasant adventure, the trial begins!
"So that's how it is." Seeing Tip ③, Lu Ran felt that the creator of the Black Card seemed quite considerate.
But not by much.
Although the Trialists would be forcefully teleported away when near death, which was considerate, the problem was that they might not receive treatment upon return, just like that forum poster. Moreover, there's a bigger chance that the Trialist wouldn't even have the opportunity to enter a near-death state before being instantly killed.
The human body is very fragile.
Furthermore, this secret realm, is it a projection of another world? A black downpour... a beast tide... damn, doesn't sound like a beginner's dungeon at all.
It's necessary to be careful. Joy is out of the question...
"Uh woo!!!"
Lu Ran summoned Mr. Husky again and said:
"The weapons and supplies couldn't be brought over," lamented Lu Ran, although he was prepared for the possibility that he wouldn't be able to bring those things over.
"According to the tips, everything in this place, enemies and resources, are illusory. I wonder if we can find something edible here. We can't take it out, but can we use it here?" he pondered.
"Woof." Mr. Husky, who had just come out, had a blank mind and didn't follow Lu Ran's analysis. Instead, he started to romp around joyfully.
Lu Ran fell silent. Darn it, Mr. Husky, focus on the task at hand; we're not out for a walk!
"I mean..." Lu Ran just wanted to say something.
Rustle, rustle, rustle...
Suddenly, a noise interrupted Lu Ran's thoughts, causing his expression to stiffen as he carefully looked around.
"Uh woo." Mr. Husky, who had been circling around Lu Ran, also became alert, as if it sensed some dangerous scent.
Something was approaching!
It swiftly stopped in its tracks, tensing its body, ready to protect Lu Ran.
The surroundings were incredibly dim, with only a few sparse rays of sunlight piercing through the leaves to touch the ground, and the rustling in the eerily quiet dense forest grew steadily louder.
Lu Ran, standing on the somewhat damp ground, tried to determine the direction of the sound, but in the end, he couldn't ascertain it. Mr. Husky, however, had locked onto one direction from the start and stared solemnly in that direction.
"Over there?" Lu Ran looked toward the black bushes that came up to his waist.
The rustling continued and finally, as the sound became clearer, the bushes in front of Lu Ran and Mr. Husky were forcefully parted.
The creature that suddenly appeared emitted bursts of low growls, its red pupils staring at Lu Ran and Mr. Husky opposite it, unable to hide the ferocity in its gaze.
At the same time, Mr. Husky's fur bristled and he let out a loud howl towards the newcomer!!
"Woof!!"
How dare it threaten them, Mr. Husky would remember this grudge.
This was...
Lu Ran's eyes narrowed, it was a cat-like creature with a dark red body, extremely thin, possessing very long claws, and a head that seemed to have long gray hair!
A Demon Cat!
[Species]: Demon Cat
[Attribute]: Unawakened
[Species Level]: Medium Extraordinary
[Growth Level]: Level 2
[Introduction]: A bloody hunter of the dense woods, it enjoys tearing open its prey's body to consume their blood.
The Data Eye Lu Ran had attained was now effective.
As he focused on the Demon Cat, all of its information quickly appeared.
"Species Level, as I understand it, is about the strength of the species; tigers are stronger than cats and dogs, and cats and dogs are stronger than small herbivores like rabbits. This Demon Cat's Species Level is the same as Mr. Husky's; Mr. Husky does not have an advantage."
"Growth Level, on the other hand, is likely linked to the stage of growth, like infancy, adolescence. The higher the level, the stronger the physical attributes. Mr. Husky is only Level 1, but it's Level 2, not good."
In an instant, Lu Ran deduced that this guy was trouble, not at all like the minor monsters meant for novices to brush up their combat experience.
As the standoff continued, the atmosphere grew even more tense. Lu Ran held his breath and observed his surroundings, trying to remain as calm as possible.
If the beginner task was to survive one day, there was no need to go head-to-head with this kind of creature, especially just after entering the Secret Realm.
To last the day, it would be best to find supplies and a safe place to hole up, avoiding unnecessary battles and engaging only in fights that were absolutely necessary, conserving energy.
Right now...
If he turned and ran, he might avoid a battle if he was lucky, but if he triggered its hunting instinct and it chased after him, whether he escaped successfully or not, he would be very passive in this unknown forest, wasting a lot of energy.
The best choice at the moment was... to scare the opponent away!
After some deep thought, Lu Ran made a move that surprised both Mr. Husky and the Demon Cat.
He looked solemnly at the Demon Cat and suddenly spread his arms wide to make himself look bigger and roared at it!
"Ula!!" shouted Lu Ran, trying to scare it off.
His dad, who often dealt with wild animals, had told him that when facing a fierce beast in the wild, it was best not to turn and run but to look it in the eye and show dominance, as this would allow for a more dignified death.
Moreover, with some luck, if the beast wasn't familiar with humans, there was a very small chance of scaring it off.
However, after performing a series of intimidating gestures, Lu Ran felt that the atmosphere had somehow gotten even worse.
Mr. Husky looked confused.
The face of the Demon Cat twisted, and with a roar, it suddenly burst forth and attacked Lu Ran.
Lu Ran couldn't help but swear internally—what step had gone wrong? Additionally, his Psychic Sensing seemed to be ineffective against this illusion!
The Demon Cat was agile, but fortunately, Lu Ran had also been enhanced and could see its movements clearly.
At this point, Lu Ran gave up on other ideas and prepared to confront the Demon Cat directly. After all, he had dealt with countless cats over the past dozen years.
He had even picked up and held a young tiger before.
No, that wasn't right—he was a Beast Trainer now; he should gradually get used to commanding Pet Beasts in battle rather than fighting personally.
"Mr. Husky! Save me!" shouted Lu Ran, realizing his own role.
"Hold it down first! I'll find a weapon!"
At the same time, the previously bewildered Mr. Husky's gaze sharpened following the Demon Cat's actions, pouncing towards the attacking creature.
Between the electrifying clash of the two figures, Lu Ran, who had taken a step back to look for weapons like sticks and stones, heard a scream.
"Maoao!!!!" A piercing scream mixed with growling echoed in the dense forest, prompting Lu Ran to look quickly.
There he saw Mr. Husky pinning the Demon Cat to the ground, biting its throat, roaring dominantly while blood splattered everywhere.
The Demon Cat that appeared so formidable was killed with a single strike.
"Uh…" Lu Ran was stunned in place, torn between picking up the stone at his feet or not.
So what was all that strategizing and mental battle with the Demon Cat for?
His assessment of Mr. Husky's combat power after enhancement, as well as that of the Demon Cat's, seemed to have some errors.
"Woof!" At that moment, the victorious Mr. Husky turned his head and made a sound at Lu Ran, as if to say it was all too easy, just like a true War God.
Lu Ran pondered.
He had been outplayed.
Something wasn't right—could there be a large gap within the Medium Extraordinary level?
And the gap between Level 1 and Level 2 wasn't as big as he thought?
Judging by size, the Demon Cat was indeed several notches below Mr. Husky.
Indeed, in the natural world, size greatly determines combat power! Well then...
"Impressive, truly worthy of being my subordinate." Lu Ran commented. He certainly hadn't expected an ordinary Mr. Husky to be so fierce.
"Woof!" Hearing this, Mr. Husky gave a look of feigned intelligence, as if saying, what are you talking about, I don't understand.
PS: Thanks to the alliance hierarchs like Drolling Fish, West Lake Rain, Blue Algae Isn't Algae, Always Worldless, Morning Among Flowers, Zhen Si, Feathered Azure Emperor, and Gu Cobra for their support! Thank you!
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