Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 383 Consultant Chen: I'd rather be an ordinary forest ranger

"Corpse puppet control?"

On the other end of the phone, Chen Wenhao's slightly tired voice slowly sounded: "Brother, why did you suddenly ask about this? I know something about this skill; it's a skill that only a very few poison-type insect pets can master."

He paused, seemingly choosing his words and recalling information, before finally speaking with an exhausted tone: "Based on the limited observation reports available so far, the effects of this skill are quite unique."

"After using this skill, one can parasitize or attach oneself to the body of a pet that is already dead or has completely lost its mind and has lost its autonomy. By secreting a special compound neurotoxin and pheromones, one can forcibly drive the host's corpse to move, and can simulate and perform some of the skills that the host possessed in life to a certain extent."

"The driven corpse will fall into an extremely frenzied and relentless attack state, but its strength will be weakened compared to when it was alive. It is a very uncommon and strange poison skill."

"Given the bizarre nature of this skill and its potentially serious harm, the Beastmaster official website has not released it to the public."

Chen Yuan nodded thoughtfully. His younger brother's description basically matched the situation encountered by Nie Li and the others, as well as the information on the system panel.

He asked for more details, just then, Nie Li's encrypted communicator suddenly rang, and she immediately went to the side to answer it:
"I'm Nie Li from the Seventh Squad. Eighth Squad? What? The New Star Society's activities are well-documented. I understand. Let's head there to provide support immediately!"

The words "New Star Club" pierced the ears of everyone present like ice picks. Even Chen Yuan, who was on the phone with his younger brother, keenly caught the word and his gaze suddenly sharpened like a knife.

Rising Star Club?
What have those annoying guys done this time?

Almost simultaneously, Chen Wenhao on the other end of the phone seemed to remember something, and his tone became exceptionally serious:

"By the way, brother, I heard something else recently."

"What?" Chen Yuan's attention was completely drawn to the "New Star Society" at the moment. He frowned and thought for a moment before casually replying.

"Recently, reports have been received from various parts of Donghuang, especially in remote areas, of a rare poisonous insect-type pet called Soul-Eating Gu. After a preliminary investigation, the security department of the Beast Tamer Association strongly suspects that the appearance of this strange pet is closely related to the New Star Society."

"The Soul-Eating Gu Rising Star Society"

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan suddenly looked up, repeating the two words in a low voice, his eyes filled with even more vigilance.

All the clues came together at this moment. The Soul-Eating Gu, which possessed bizarre methods and appeared suddenly, and the Rising Star Society, which loved to stir up trouble, must have some deeper connection.

He quickly hung up the phone, his face as calm as still water, and then relayed the information his younger brother had given him to the members of the Seventh Squad.

"Hiss, there really is such a bizarre and evil skill." The wild boar looked at the Soul-Eating Gu trapped in the isolation box and gasped.

Bai Jue frowned slightly, her tone heavy: "This pet beast, which is suspected to be a Soul-Eating Gu, looks unremarkable, but I didn't expect it to possess such a skill."

Neither of them doubted the truthfulness of Chen Yuan's words. Who didn't know that Consultant Chen's younger brother was also an extremely outstanding young researcher?

On the other side, Nie Li also ended the call. She quickly walked back to Chen Yuan, her youthful face filled with a hint of urgency and a clear determination. She opened her mouth, seemingly finding it difficult to speak, but quickly took a deep breath and spoke rapidly in a calm and steady voice:
"Advisor Chen, the situation is urgent."

"I just received intelligence that the Eighth Squad has discovered definite traces of the New Star Society's activities in the Qinling Mountains. I must lead the squad to provide support immediately. The information you provided is crucial, and I will immediately relay it to my superiors."

As she spoke, her pace gradually slowed, her dark eyes slowly turned to Chen Yuan, and she opened her mouth but hesitated to speak.

Chen Yuan smiled and immediately understood Nie Li's thoughts.

It seems that Nie Li wants to ask for my help, but is too embarrassed to ask.

Chen Yuan was about to bring up the matter when Nie Li's voice suddenly rang out: "Advisor Chen, could you please temporarily help guard this captured Soul-Eating Gu? We need it as soon as possible."

Chen Yuan stared at Nie Li, stunned. He hadn't expected her to make this request, but a thought flashed through his mind, and he looked at her calmly as he spoke:
"Actually, I can go too."

He had dealt with the troublesome New Star Society several times and was quite familiar with these guys, so when he learned that the New Star Society had reappeared in the Qinling Mountains, he immediately had the idea of ​​taking the initiative to go and deal with them.

They didn't even bother to find out whose territory the vast Qinling Mountains belonged to?

Upon hearing this, Nie Li was visibly taken aback. She hadn't expected Chen Yuan to volunteer for this thankless task, and quickly said, "Advisor Chen, you still have to prepare for the Eastern Empire Conference; that's your main business. We can't."

Chen Yuan smiled slightly, a warm and welcoming smile on his face, his tone carrying a steady strength: "Besides being a contestant in the Donghuang Tournament, I have another identity—a forest ranger."

He paused, met everyone's gaze, smiled gently, and said slowly, "Compared to participating in the competition, I would rather be an ordinary forest ranger."

As the new-era forest ranger appointed by the Beast Tamer Association, Chen Yuan's duty is to safeguard the safety and stability of the Qinling Mountains. Whether it is a ferocious pet beast that affects the ecological environment of the Qinling Mountains or an organization like the New Star Society that poses a great threat, they are all his key targets.

Even if Nie Li and the others don't bring it up, the Qin Province Beast Tamer Association will contact him and ask him to lend a hand.

This is the duty of forest rangers.

While it's called "forest protection," it's also reasonable to eliminate one or two criminal organizations along the way, right?
Chen Yuan's gaze swept over Nie Li and the team members behind her who were tense but fearless, and he said decisively, "There's no time to lose, let's set off as soon as possible."

Nie Li glanced at Chen Yuan, and at that moment she clearly felt his unwavering determination and sense of responsibility, and a warm feeling and respect welled up in her heart.

Without further hesitation, she nodded emphatically: "Okay, thank you, Consultant Chen. The situation is urgent, let's set off immediately!"

But before setting off, Chen Yuan still needed to mobilize his troops.

He turned around quickly, his gaze sharp as lightning, sweeping across the entire farm.

This time, they will venture deep into the Qinling Mountains under the cover of night. They will inevitably encounter many troubles along the way, and will most likely face the Rising Stars Club. They must bring their strongest lineup.

Needless to say, the three little guys he had contracted were two fourth-tier and one third-tier. If the forces sent by the Nova Society were mediocre, they might be wiped out directly.

"Chirp~"

Spark let out a clear chirp, transformed into a golden-red streak of light, and landed lightly on Chen Yuan's right shoulder. It then withdrew most of its flames and turned into an ordinary, unremarkable golden-red bird.

"Ow!"

Cola, who had been eager to try, let out a low growl, and with a slight ripple of air around him, he silently arrived at Chen Yuan's left side with steady and swift steps, his blue eyes sparkling with excitement and anticipation.

It's time to show off again!
There are so many spectators this time!
We absolutely cannot let the boss beat us to it!
"Yingying~"

As night fell, the Morning and Evening Flower Fairy, now in its nocturnal form, glanced at Chen Yuan indifferently. It remained in his shirt pocket, not showing itself, but the indifference and coldness emanating from it made one feel as if they had fallen into an ice cellar.

Chen Yuan continued to scan the area, searching for helpers who might play a special role in this operation.

Runrun Duck was tiptoeing stealthily toward the fishpond when it suddenly sensed Chen Yuan's gaze. It shuddered, immediately burying its head in its wings and curling itself into a ball, pretending to be an inconspicuous ball of fluff: "Quack quack quack~"

Can't see me. Can't see me.

I'm only responsible for watering the ducks; fighting and killing isn't for me.

Chen Yuan only glanced at Runrun Duck briefly before quickly looking away.

Expecting ducks to participate in such a high-intensity and somewhat dangerous activity is wishful thinking.

The next moment, Chen Yuan turned his head to look at the little guys on the other side.

With a "whoosh," the Electric Flying Cat transformed into a streak of lightning and darted back into the warm wooden house, leaving only the tip of its tail trembling slightly at the doorway: "Electric!"

Good night! Chen Yuan's lips twitched slightly as he looked away again.

If it were daytime, the Electric Flying Cat might readily agree, but it was nighttime now, and the little guys usually wouldn't venture out in the wild at night, especially after having wandered the wild for days and witnessed all sorts of cruelty from the Electric Flying Cat.

Sprite was so excited that it stood up on its hind legs, its light blue eyes sparkling. It first barked excitedly, then trotted over to Chen Yuan and tugged at his trouser leg with its little paws: "Awoo awoo!"

Take me there! Take me there! I'm a super fighter!
However, considering that Sprite's strength was mediocre and that it lacked experience in dealing with complex environments and dangerous methods, Chen Yuan shook his head slightly.

Seeing Chen Yuan's reaction, Xuebi immediately wilted like a frostbitten eggplant, lying on the ground in grievance, feeling hopeless about her dog life.

The frost giant, exhausted from a long day, let out a muffled snore in the corner, turned over, and continued its dream.

Steel-Cut Earth-King remains as loyal as a sentinel, standing firmly at the farm gate, demonstrating its duty to protect the farm.

Finally, Chen Yuan's gaze fell on Youmi, who was trying to make her presence known and quietly shrinking into the shadows of the eaves, and on Dandan, who, despite her lack of strength, was eager to try and stood tall with her head held high.

"Egg is newly born and lacks combat power. Moreover, it is a key target for future protection and development and is not suitable for participating in such an unknown and dangerous mission." Looking at the eager Egg, Chen Yuan's thoughts raced, and he made a judgment in an instant.

"Yumi's stealth ability might have unexpected and wonderful effects in nighttime reconnaissance and complex terrain."

Thinking of this, Chen Yuan fixed his gaze on Youmi and slowly spoke, his voice calm: "Youmi, I need your help."

Just as Youmi was tiptoeing and almost blending into the corner, she suddenly froze, turned around and looked at Chen Yuan with an extremely stiff smile.

This humble woman suddenly had a bad feeling.

"You've been eating and drinking for free at the farm these past few days, living a pretty comfortable life, haven't you?" Chen Yuan looked at You Mi's stiff smile, the corners of his lips slightly upturned, and said unhurriedly, "It's time to do something for this family."

Upon hearing this, Youmi shook its little head frantically, its face clearly showing its refusal. It covered its ears tightly with its little paws, its whole body expressing its strong desire to "not listen, not listen, not work": "Coo-choo!"

Long live freedom!

It is impossible to work part-time!
Seeing its resolute refusal, Chen Yuan wasn't angry. He simply sighed softly, his tone tinged with regret: "Alas, there's no such thing as a free lunch. Since you're unwilling to work, there's probably only one outcome."

He didn't finish his sentence, but simply turned his head slightly, his gaze falling on the sparks on his shoulder.

Spark understood immediately, and the pair of wings burning with faint golden flames vibrated very slightly.

A vast and sacred aura, carrying supreme majesty and intense heat, enveloped the small patch of shadow where Youmi was, as precisely and gently as sunlight piercing through dark clouds.

In an instant, the shadow vanished, and the cat trembled.

"Coo-choo!!!"

Yumi instantly resembled a kitten whose tail had been stepped on, its purple fur standing on end. It felt as if its body was about to be completely purified by the purest power of light, and an immense sense of fear instantly overwhelmed its obsession with freedom.

It darted out with lightning speed, rushing to Chen Yuan's feet. With a docile expression, it stopped, lowering its head and even nuzzling Chen Yuan's trouser leg with its fluffy little head, making a soft, ingratiating sound: "Goo-hoo~"

I'll go! I'll go, okay?!
Cats are duty-bound to help the farm!

Seeing the stark contrast between Youmi's appearance before and after, a smile flashed in Chen Yuan's eyes. He bent down slightly, reached out and gently rubbed Youmi's little head, which was still trembling slightly from fright. His tone became gentle: "Don't worry, when we get back to the farm after the operation, I'll buy you a whole box of your favorite snacks."

Yumi's big eyes, which had been filled with fear and grievance, suddenly lit up like two twinkling stars: "Goo-choo?"

Really?

It immediately raised its head, its fear vanishing and replaced by a resolute expression of unwavering determination, patting its small chest vigorously:
"Grrrrrrrr!"

With Lady Youmi in charge, you can rest assured!
Yumi's ability to change her expression so quickly was astonishing, and Scarface Rat, watching from afar, was most impressed: "Whoosh!"

This new member is quite remarkable. His thick skin and change in attitude are something he should learn from, so that he can survive in this increasingly competitive farm.

"Gah?"

Noticing the commotion, Runrun Duck looked at Chen Yuan with surprise, especially after hearing "delicious snacks". Its eyes darted around, and it secretly swallowed its saliva. It subconsciously wanted to swagger up to the farmer and show that it wanted to participate as well.

Runrun Duck quickly remembered something very important—the farmer seemed to make a similar promise before each trip.

However, when the farmer returns home, he will most likely forget the promise and criticize the farm members for their various actions.

"Gah!"

Thinking of this, Duck secretly glared at the farmer who always went back on his word, then stuck out its rump, flapped its wings and jumped into the fishpond, splashing water that broke the stillness of the night.

Seeing Chen Yuan interacting with Youmi, the mountain boar clicked its tongue in amazement and couldn't help but whisper to Bai Jue, "Tsk tsk, Consultant Chen's methods of controlling beasts are truly shrewd. He uses both soft and hard tactics, carrot and stick, and in no time at all, he has this sly little guy completely under his thumb!"

Bai Jue smiled and shook her head, saying softly, "I think Consultant Chen is very gentle. He could have directly ordered or forcibly taken Youmi away, but he chose to appease and encourage her with rewards. And have you noticed that Consultant Chen allows so many uncontracted pets to eat and drink for free on the farm, and never forces them to do anything? This tolerance is very rare."

"No wonder Chen Yuan was able to breed so many powerful pets; his breeding philosophy is worth learning from."

The night is dark and the wind is freezing.

Chen Yuan rode on the back of the Fallen Horned Beast, with Spark on his right shoulder, Cola guarding his left side, Morning and Evening Fairy tucked into his pocket, and Youmi flying silently in the dark sky.

He exchanged a glance with the members of the Seventh Squad and nodded in unison: "Let's go."

Without further delay, the group quickly and quietly left the warm and peaceful farm, disappearing into the deep and cold night of the Qinling Mountains. The sound of their footsteps and the running of their pets was particularly clear in the silent forest.

Along the way, Nie Li cautiously observed her surroundings while simultaneously whispering the latest intelligence to Chen Yuan:
"Advisor Chen, according to the information just sent by the Eighth Squad, the place where they found the New Star Society members is located in the forest where the World Tree exists."

"The World Tree?" Chen Yuan frowned slightly upon hearing this.

These restless fellows actually sneaked into that mysterious forest?

Nie Li continued in a serious tone, "According to the information from the Eighth Squad, the New Star Society seems to have bypassed our multiple monitoring and guard points on the perimeter and infiltrated that forest directly through some special means or path unknown to us."

"But they eventually exposed their whereabouts. The Eighth Squad has now located one of their temporary strongholds and is closely monitoring the perimeter, waiting for us to arrive so that we can launch a joint raid and try to wipe them out in one fell swoop."

Chen Yuan took a deep breath of the cold air and looked up ahead—the Qinling Mountains under the night sky resembled a lurking giant beast, their outlines blurred and full of the unknown, while the mysterious forest where the World Tree was hidden in the deepest darkness, like a giant mouth that devoured everything.

Since it was confirmed that the World Tree Qingcang was located deep in the Mysterious Forest, this place has become extremely important, and Chen Yuan would go in to visit Qing Po from time to time.

This little guy can't leave that forest, he has to live in solitude and keep company with the night, so he really needs Chen Yuan and the others' company.

What is the rising star planning to do by infiltrating this place?
Is their target the World Tree?
“The situation is more complicated than we imagined,” Chen Yuan said in a deep voice, his eyes becoming incredibly sharp. “We need to speed things up and make sure we rendezvous with the Eighth Squad as soon as possible.”

"Yes!"

The group responded in unison, quickening their pace once more, and like sharp swords resolutely piercing into the vast, dark mountains.

(End of this chapter)