Chapter 415 - 273: Matchmaking Brother Xiong (Part 2)

Wild Exotic Beasts might have some social structure, but the concept of "teammates" is completely foreign to them... Only Pet Beasts communicate like this!

"Woof!"

After crossing a rugged, withered forest, Yu Bao was the first to stop on a small hill.

Su Zhi followed close behind, dropping to his stomach next to Yu Bao to observe the scene below. He immediately spotted yellowish-brown figures swarming beneath the hill.

They were all Earthquake Beasts, at least a dozen of them. Their strangely proportioned bodies and mouths, their coordination and agility that completely contradicted their appearance, and their harsh, grating roars all made one’s sanity plummet.

Su Zhi’s gaze was immediately drawn to the Pet Beast surrounded by the Earthquake Beasts.

It had deep-red fur, and a thick, rock-like keratinous layer covered its chest and shoulders, resembling a solid breastplate and pauldrons. Its massive claws were similarly covered by the keratinous layer, exuding a sense of power.

This Pet Beast’s species also existed in the Current World: the Mud Rock Battle Bear, a High Level Elite Race of the Earth and Fighting Elements.

Among bear-type Pet Beasts, the Mud Rock Battle Bear was a lighter heavyweight. It didn’t excel in brute force, but in closing the distance with superior speed for explosive close-quarters combat. Its Defense Power was also impressive, making it one of the few Pet Beasts to have remained competitive from ancient times to the present day.

At this moment, however, the Mud Rock Battle Bear looked utterly battered.

His "armor" was riddled with cracks, and the skin beneath was covered in wounds. There was even a gruesome bite mark on his left claw—a symbol of a Warrior’s glory—which was slowly bleeding.

The will to fight still flickered in his light-brown eyes, but just like his lifeblood, it was also draining away.

Over a dozen Earthquake Beasts surrounded the Mud Rock Battle Bear, closing in step by step. They were like mountains pressing in from all sides, creating an overwhelming sense of pressure.

The Mud Rock Battle Bear struggled to maintain a fighting stance, its gaze darting rapidly between the Earthquake Beasts.

"KREEE!"

The nearest Earthquake Beast lunged into an attack. Unlike its previous clumsy walk, the beast’s leap was incredibly fast, like a giant frog. Even Su Zhi, with his vision enhanced by a Tier Four Beast Taming Space, could barely track its speed.

Su Zhi had previously doubted that Earthquake Beasts could catch birds in mid-flight, but now he saw it was no exaggeration!

The Mud Rock Battle Bear didn’t take the hit head-on, instead ducking to dodge. Judging by his shattered left claw, he had clearly paid the price for being stubborn earlier.

"RAWR!"

Then, catching the Earthquake Beast off guard, the Mud Rock Battle Bear revealed his still-intact sharp claws and spun around, viciously slamming them into the creature’s back.

CRACK!

A muffled crunch, like rock shattering, echoed.

It was a savage blow. A huge chunk was gouged out of the Earthquake Beast’s back, a far more vicious wound than the one Yu Bao had inflicted with the Golden Sand Battle Saber yesterday.

Despite the severe injury, the Earthquake Beast showed no signs of losing its fighting ability. It whipped its head around to bite, and you could even see through the hole in its back from its open mouth.

The Mud Rock Battle Bear could only hastily parry. His previous all-or-nothing strike had failed to kill the Earthquake Beast and had instead put him in an even more precarious position.

He had been fighting a desperate battle for a long time and had very little Energy or stamina left to continue.

The Mud Rock Battle Bear also understood that his situation was hopeless, with no chance of survival. The only unknown was how many Earthquake Beasts he could take down with him before he died.

Even so, a Warrior’s destiny is to fall with wounds on his chest, not his back!

A look of grim determination flashed in the Mud Rock Battle Bear’s eyes. Just as he was about to make a final, desperate stand, he sensed movement behind him.

"KREEE!"

The moment he turned, two Earthquake Beasts were already lunging at him like a whirlwind.

The Mud Rock Battle Bear’s eyes widened.

’Dammit, my focus is slipping so badly I forgot to watch my back!’

"CHIRP!"

Just when he thought his death was certain, a streak of Golden Light suddenly shot into his field of vision.

It looked like a Flash Gold Sparrow, a type of lightweight, harmless Exotic Beast...

"BANG!!!"

Shan Bao slammed into the side of one Earthquake Beast, and a dull thud exploded in the air. The two beasts that had been attacking side-by-side were sent flying on the spot, crashing down and taking three or four other Earthquake Beasts with them, like bowling pins struck by a ball.

The Mud Rock Battle Bear stared at this scene in stunned disbelief, a giant question mark appearing in his small eyes.

’Is that... a Flash Gold Sparrow???’

"WHOOSH!"

The next moment, a Yu Dian Farm Dog leaped out from the bushes and landed in the very center of the battlefield.

Swiftly-swirling sand followed, slamming into the Earthquake Beast in front of the Mud Rock Battle Bear like a heavy shield.

At the same time, a pale yellow Light Array lit up under the Earthquake Beast’s feet. The Yellow Earth Wall activated at almost the exact same instant the Quicksand Shield hit, ramming violently into the beast.

Hit by forces from the front and below simultaneously, the Earthquake Beast didn’t even have a chance to struggle before it was flipped onto its back, unable to move.

The Mud Rock Battle Bear’s jaw dropped.

’He may not have seen much of the world, but he recognized this as a Yu Dian Farm Dog. The question is... since when can a farm dog use these Skills??’

"VREEEE!"

Another angry, insect-like cry rang out.

The Mud Rock Battle Bear followed the sound and saw a Black Fighting Emperor, even larger than the biggest Earthquake Beast, charging toward the remaining enemies. Its horns and armored shell glinted in the bright sunlight, making clattering sounds as it rushed forward.

Wu Bao was in position!

"KLANG!"

Wu Bao didn’t use its signature Puncture. Instead, after charging into the pack of Earthquake Beasts, it screeched to a halt, swerving to the side and spinning nearly a full circle on the spot.

Its long, massive horns swept across the area like the giant hands of a clock, striking the three nearest Earthquake Beasts and sending them tumbling to the ground with a series of clatters.

With most of the Earthquake Beasts dealt with, Su Zhi leaped out from his hiding spot and stood with his three Pet Beasts.

"Careful! There are still some stragglers!" Su Zhi shouted a warning.

In that brief moment, saving the Mud Rock Battle Bear was the most Su Zhi could manage. Now, the last six or seven Earthquake Beasts had gathered together, their bodies beginning to glow with a Golden Light that grew increasingly blinding.

"BANG!"

Shan Bao, Yu Bao, and Wu Bao all moved at once, taking down the last few Earthquake Beasts in the same manner as before.

"RUMBLE!"

The instant before the Earthquake Beasts were struck down, the ground began to shake violently.

The terrain started to collapse, filling their vision with falling rocks and fragments of plants. In his final moments of sight, Su Zhi saw the Mud Rock Battle Bear lunge forward, shielding him with its body.

Su Zhi’s vision went black...

[Assignable Attribute Points (Yu Bao) 0.10...0.25]

[Assignable Attribute Points (Shan Bao)...0.20]

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"Sniff sniff? Woof!"

"...Huh?"

Feeling a wet sensation on his face, Su Zhi struggled to open his eyes and move his aching body.

Right now, aside from the aches, everything was a total pain in the ass.

He’d been caught in an earthquake in the Current World, and now he gets caught in another one in a Secret Realm. What kind of rotten luck was this...

Seeing that his three Pet Beasts were all safe and sound, Su Zhi breathed a sigh of relief, then looked around. "Where’s that Mud Rock Battle Bear?"

"Woof," Yu Bao conveyed that the Mud Rock Battle Bear had said it had urgent business and left after saving him.

After learning that Su Zhi was also a Beastmaster and lived in Jinshi Village, Brother Xiong had shown a pleasantly surprised expression, saying he would definitely tell his own Beastmaster when he returned.

He had also emphasized that saving Su Zhi was a trivial matter and that there was no need for thanks.

"Well, I really ought to thank him for that..." Su Zhi covered his face, not knowing whether to laugh or cry.

The earthquake hadn’t really hurt him, but that heavyweight bear hug had nearly crushed him. ’Then again, Tier Four Beast Tamers must be really tough, being able to handle a bear that huge.’

Hearing Yu Bao’s report, Su Zhi felt a small flicker of excitement.

Besides himself, there should only be one other Beastmaster in the Secret Realm. Without a doubt, the Mud Rock Battle Bear was that Beastmaster’s Pet Beast.

Although he wasn’t sure why Brother Xiong had been alone and ambushed by Earthquake Beasts, he now had hope of establishing contact with the other person.

His hopes of getting out had grown a little stronger!

’Of course, not that much stronger. If the other person knew how to get out, they wouldn’t still be stuck here...’

But huddling together for warmth was still better than fighting alone. Even just exchanging some information would be a plus.

If this other person really was a Beastmaster from the Classical Era, he could even ask them directly about historical events. The reliability and validity of that information would be far greater than anything he could learn from archeological ruins.

"Oh, right, the stones..."

Su Zhi turned his head to look where they had just killed the Earthquake Beasts—the dull metal that was everywhere on the ground had now become shiny and radiant.

Su Zhi clenched his fists in excitement.

"It’s just as I thought. The soil produced after killing an Earthquake Beast can transform the Waste Gold back into Radiant Gold Vein Opening Stone!"

But now came the question.

How was he supposed to mine this stuff?

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