Click, click, click
"Of course I did."
Mu Huiyue nodded. An important part of the preparation was to understand the history of Count Star Dragon. As a native of the secret realm, Ellen was of course also a key target of investigation.
"Eren was born as a supernatural being not long ago. After he gained self-awareness, he hid in the dark of the room most of the time. He has a good understanding of the species of supernatural beings in the secret realm, but he has no impression of Count Star Dragon."
"There is one more thing. Allen once brought back a resource that is suspected to be the core of this secret realm. It was this thing that allowed me to awaken the Beast Taming Space and gain the Dark Strengthening Talent."
Mu Shuyue paused and continued, "Eren couldn't seem to describe clearly how he brought the secret realm core back... but in the process of contacting the secret realm core, he did not encounter the secret realm lord."
"Wow..." Hearing this, Xiang Xun couldn't help but look at Mu Chuyue. He heard in the hospital that she awakened in the secret realm, but he didn't expect that it was such an extremely dangerous method to directly absorb the core of the secret realm. The little girl was quite strong.
"Normally, shaking the core of the secret realm will definitely alert the secret realm lord, but there are exceptions..." Xiang Xun said as he walked out of the room, his voice gradually becoming lower.
The scale of this secret realm is not large, with only the space of a mansion. With his senses as a master beastmaster, he can detect the border. It doesn't make sense that the lord of the secret realm cannot feel that his core has been touched, right?
"...In short, we must not take it lightly. Let's move forward." Xiang Xun also looked at the detection results on his bracelet.
"The hidden energy properties of the secret realm, the energy level, the distribution of extraordinary creatures inside, the resource situation, and the race information of the lords, these are enough. It would be best if we could find information related to Count Star Dragon. After all, this is a secret realm of historical relics."
"Click, click." The little skeleton popped its head out from the shadows on the ceiling, looked at its beastmaster, and then swam in front of the two of them.
"Ellen remembers the location of the study." Mu Shuyue said to Xiang Xun, "That's where it found the core of the secret realm. There should be more clues there."
Led by the little skeleton, the two of them headed towards the study together.
Walking on this corridor filled with damp and rotten smell again, Mu Chuyue's mood has changed a lot. She is no longer the ordinary and helpless human being.
Eren, who was making rapid progress, was no longer the little skeleton trembling in fear at the hands of evil spirits. He could now fight against most of the juvenile races in the secret realm.
Xiang Xun did not send out his own pet. The size of the Red Feathered Eagle was not suitable for fighting in a small place like the mansion. Mu Chuyue guessed that he must have other pets suitable for fighting, such as the mysterious "Hana".
However, since entering the secret realm, he has gotten rid of his previous tired and listless appearance, and his whole body is filled with a solid aura, which unconsciously creates a deterrent effect on the outside world.
Mu Huoyue had the same feeling from her father Mu Tong. This was the use of one's own power by a high-level beastmaster. If the atlas could detect humans, Xiang Xun must have considerable hidden energy value now.
Perhaps because of this aura, the two did not encounter any extraordinary creatures in the secret realm along the way, and soon arrived at the stairs between the second and third floors.
The gargoyle from before was still there, and Mu Chuyue carefully went around from behind the statue. This time, he did not run into the team of not-so-smart card soldiers.
The two went up to the third floor, where the number of room doors decreased a lot and the internal area became larger.
Ellen swam in the shadows at the front, keeping an eye on his surroundings.
When it was about to approach the study, it suddenly floated out and threw a leg bone forward.
Swoosh——
A tongue covered with venom and barbs shot out from the darkness, wrapped around the leg bone and retracted.
A strong stench spread out, accompanied by the crunching sound of chewing bones, which was creepy.
Mu Huoyue saw an old acquaintance in the shadows - the Licker.
【Name】：Licker
[Attributes]: Undead
[Racial Level]: Medium General
[Growth Level]: Maturity Stage 1
[Talent Core]: Tongue Licking (Undead C-level)
[Normal hidden energy value]: 103543P
[Introduction to the Race]: Undead supernatural creatures living in a dark environment filled with deathly aura. The power of their tongue licking is enough to penetrate steel plates.
The hidden energy value of wild extraordinary creatures is usually lower than that of the pets carefully cultivated by the beastmaster, but even so, the normal hidden energy value of the warrior race that has just entered the mature stage can reach more than 100,000.
The little skeleton's normal hidden energy value is only a fraction of the opponent's. In the face of the absolute power difference, no tactics will work.
"Ellen, come back!"
Mu Huiyue anxiously wanted to take it back to the beast taming space, but a figure was faster than her shout and suddenly flew forward.
A silvery light flashed, and the Licker's body was split in two. The light was the sharp cross-section, so fast that even the Licker itself didn't have time to react, and the front half of its body crawled forward a few steps in a daze.
Another burst of sharp light flashed, and in just a moment, Mu Chuyue saw more than ten sharp lights falling like a torrential rain on the still moving body of the licker.
When the rain of sharp blades stopped, only fragments scattered on the ground were left where the Licker was. Thick black fog spread from the fragments and slowly disappeared on the spot. The Licker was unable to recover.
The absolute destructive power that even the [Dead Body] skill could not stop.
There was still residual light from the summoning circle in front of Xiang Xun. He scratched his head helplessly, "I haven't issued an attack command yet, Hana..."
There was a slight rustling sound across the corridor carpet, and the killer that had killed the Licker with one blow revealed its true identity.
It was a large mantis-like pet that was as tall as a person, with female features that were quite in line with human aesthetics.
Big eyes, a pointed chin, and long antennae on both sides of the head, like soft-shaped bangs and sideburns.
The body is composed of two segments, with a thin waist and thin wing feathers extending from the abdomen, like a gauze skirt gathered at the sides of the body.
The legs are long and straight, with the hind legs bent and slightly on tiptoe, which not only brings strong jumping ability but also makes the figure more elegant.
Its arms were two huge sickle limbs with extremely sharp edges. They just cut through the body of the Licker, but there was not a trace of blood on the sickle blades.
【Name】：Flower Mantis
[Attributes]: Bug type, Steel type
[Racial Level]: Medium Monarch
[Growth Level]: Maturity Stage 4
[Talent Core]: One-Word Slash (Steel Grade B)
[Normal implicit energy value]: 352066P
[Race Introduction]: A special evolution of the Flower Mantis, with extremely fast speed and sharp sickle blade, capable of using various slashing skills. There are huge differences between male and female individuals, and only females will evolve into the monarch race. The flower mantis instinctively desires to eat the object of its affection, and male individuals are rare in the population.
Before Mu Chuyue could make a sound, the flower-picking mantis's gaze fell on the human girl. Then its eyes became stern and it raised its sickle blade and pounced over.
"Wait, Hana—"
“Click——!”
The speed of the mantis was faster than sound. There was a sound of a sharp weapon cutting through a heavy object. At the critical moment, the little skeleton stood in front of the beastmaster.
A dark liquid surged around its body, and the slash split the leg bone in its hand and half of its body, with scattered bones falling down.
"Allen..." Mu Huoyue was startled by the sudden change and hurriedly picked up the scattered bones.
Fortunately, the little skeleton quickly reassembled and restored its original appearance.
"Click, click." (I'm fine.)
"Ahh... you really are such a jerk!" A disaster almost occurred, Xiang Xun was also very mad, and he lectured the beautiful mantis, "Didn't I say that I would enter the secret realm with a colleague today? It's just a colleague! The new investigator who reported last time! We agreed before that we can't attack our colleagues!"
"Hiss." The flower-picking mantis made a low sound similar to a hum, and its pair of big round eyes stared at the beastmaster, with no intention of reflecting on itself at all.
"Sorry, my Hana is..." Xiang Xun scratched his head, looking embarrassed, not knowing how to explain.
"Although this is not convincing, she actually has no ill intentions..."
"I'm glad that Allen is okay." Mu Huiyue breathed a sigh of relief, then stood up and put the little skeleton that had been put back into its original shape on the ground.
She looked at the beautiful mantis. The look in the pet's eyes when it looked at its beastmaster...
Well, no wonder Xiang Xun was so nervous when she mentioned the succubus. It was obvious that the flower-picking mantis had already regarded the beastmaster as the object of her love.
But considering the description in the picture book...Senior Xiang Xun is also a ruthless person who hides his true colors.
Speaking of the illustrations, Mu Chuyue suddenly discovered that the normal hidden energy value of the flower-picking mantis was actually unstable. It was above 35w just now, but now it is slowly increasing and is about to reach 36w.
"Xiang Xun, does your talent for taming beasts also have an effect on your pets?" Mu Liuyue had a guess in her mind.
"Of course." Xiang Xun was stunned for a moment, then smiled and wanted to pat Mu Shuyue on the shoulder, "Not bad, little guy, you are the first beastmaster who can see Hana's situation so quickly."
"My beast taming talent is desire suppression. Hana is suppressing her instinctive desire to eat me at all times, so she is easily affected by the feedback amplification of her beast taming talent."
"When she was with me outside the Beast Taming Space, her normal energy value would steadily increase even if she did nothing." Xiang Xun stated some incredible facts in a very casual tone.
"Hiss!" The mantis stared closely at the hand that Xiang Xun was about to stretch out, and the blade of the sickle was slightly raised, as if it would chop it down if he dared to stretch out his hand.
"No, no, we're really colleagues!" The beastmaster, who was completely controlled by his pet, quickly waved his hands, trying to comfort her.
"...Xiang Xun, please call me by my name too." Mu Huoyue said. This guy doesn't like being called senior, but he calls a junior who is a few years younger than him "little guy". It's too hypocritical. No wonder Hana is so mean to him.
"Cough cough..." Xiang Xun withdrew his hand and coughed to ease the embarrassment of his action. He dared not move under the gaze of the mantis.
The beautiful mantis looked at Mu Chuyue again, and its hair-like antennae trembled slightly, as if it was sensing the pheromones of the human girl.
She could hardly suppress her jealousy and vigilance towards the strange young man who appeared next to the Beastmaster. This was the racial instinct of the mantis, just like her strong desire to eat the Beastmaster at any time.
"Click...!" Feeling that Hana's eyes were becoming more and more dangerous, Allen once again stood in front of the Beastmaster, holding the white leg bone in his hand. The bone was covered with a layer of black liquid like petroleum ore.
The mantis lowered its eyes and saw the tiny white skeleton.
Just now, her sickle seemed to have really cut something... The aura of this little thing was too weak, and its normal stealth energy value was not even a fraction of hers. If she didn't pay attention, she couldn't even sense its existence. But as long as she wanted, she could cut the little skeleton into pieces that could not be reassembled with one knife.
The little skeleton's instinct should have made it feel afraid and stay away from this powerful opponent, but it stood firmly here, holding this ridiculous and fragile bone. Even if it could cut it in half again with a single move of its hand, it had no intention of retreating.
Because it wanted to protect the girl behind it... its beastmaster.
To do this, it resisted its instinctive fear and desire to escape, and tried its best to do everything it could to protect the people behind it.
This little thing... is actually the same as her.
The mantis's trembling antennae calmed down, and the sickle blade was retracted, turning into an external limb that looked like a wide cuff.
"Hiss." It returned to the back of the beastmaster.
Xiang Xun looked at his pet with some surprise. He had been prepared for a long-term easing of relations, but he did not expect that Hana would put away her hostility towards Mu Shuyue so quickly.
This young colleague who just became a beastmaster is quite capable.
"The study is in front of us, so we need to hurry." Xiang Xun said, "I'll leave the security around here to you, Hana."
"Hiss." The mantis responded, and the translucent wing membrane on its waist and abdomen opened, and its figure instantly disappeared from the spot.
Mu Chuyue secretly breathed a sigh of relief. The oppressive feeling of the flower-picking mantis was too strong. Even if she put away her hostility, the feeling of being stared at by it was like having a huge rock pressed on her chest, making it hard to breathe.
This makes it seem unusual that there is a certain young man who is constantly being stared at in this way but remains relaxed and unaffected.
"I'm sorry, Hana is not an easy pet to get along with. This is my first time exploring a secret realm with other investigators, and I underestimated her reaction." Xiang Xun apologized to Mu Shuyue embarrassedly, "But she won't really attack her companions, I can guarantee that."
Mu Shuyue had just noticed that the [One-Word Slash] could chop a mature Licker into pieces with one blow, preventing it from recovering through its corpse. If Hana had been a little more serious, the blade would have passed over Eren and chopped herself into pieces directly.
Not to mention giving Ellen a chance to regroup.
Hana's reaction was more like a subconscious raising of her hand, which was an instinctive demonstration against an unstable object. If we talk about real murderous intent, the Flower Mantis's intention was strongest towards Xiang Xun, the beastmaster she admired.
"But Hana will most likely attack you..." Mu Chuyue said in a low voice. Even she, an outsider, could see the suppressed instincts of the mantis, but Xiang Xun accepted it all as if nothing had happened.
"Well, she is enduring, so Hana is very strong." Xiang Xun put his hands back into his trouser pockets and said with a smile, "This is the best thing about her."
Mu Yuyue glanced at him and said, "Aren't you afraid that one day she will really..."
"It doesn't matter." Xiang Xun didn't care. "Even if Hana can't help herself one day and eats me, it would be a good ending for my life."
Mu Shuyue: “…”
The beastmaster who can contract a flower-grabbing mantis is indeed no ordinary person.
Her little skeleton is still the best.
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