Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 404 Secrets Unlocked! Guardian of the Eastern Empire
Inside a private booth at the café attached to the ice rink.

The heavy soundproof door completely shut out the noise from the outside world, while the soft, warm yellow wall lamps cast a cozy glow on the dark wood wall panels. The air was filled with the rich aroma of freshly ground coffee beans and a faint scent of pine.

Huo Hongsan and his apprentices, along with Liu Jinglan and her brother, had already left. In the spacious private room, only Chen Yuan and Captain Yao, who had left him behind, remained.

The two sat facing each other on a comfortable leather sofa, with a low coffee table between them holding two steaming cups of coffee.

Captain Yao took off his slightly serious uniform jacket and casually draped it over the sofa armrest, revealing a light gray sweater underneath. He looked less sharp and more approachable than usual.

Chen Yuan picked up his coffee cup, gently blew away the foam on the surface, took a small sip, and felt the rich bitterness and sweet aftertaste spread on his tongue.

He put down his cup, looked calmly at Captain Yao, and spoke first, his tone carrying just the right amount of doubt: "Captain Yao, I remember you were in Shanghai, so why are you leading the team this time?"

Special incidents in the capital should, in principle, be the responsibility of the capital's Criminal Investigation Department.

Upon hearing this, Captain Yao smiled, took a sip of his coffee, and explained unhurriedly:
"It's all because of the Eastern Glory Tournament. The capital is now filled with elite beast tamers and spectators from all over the country, putting immense pressure on public security. There simply aren't enough local personnel. So, key members of the investigation departments from other branches have been temporarily transferred here to provide support. I only arrived in the capital a few days ago."

Chen Yuan nodded in realization: "I see."

"Advisor Chen," Captain Yao leaned forward slightly, his expression becoming more serious, "Could you tell me the detailed account of the entire incident?"

Although he had a general understanding of the situation at the scene, the details still needed to be confirmed by the parties involved.

Chen Yuan then gave a clear and organized account of the entire process he experienced after arriving at the ice rink.

Captain Yao listened quietly, nodding occasionally.

After Chen Yuan finished speaking, he couldn't help but chuckle and shake his head, saying in a tone that was half teasing and half lamenting, "Some of those rumors on the internet are actually true. Wherever there are unusual or special events, you're likely to see Consultant Chen there."

Upon hearing this, several invisible black lines appeared on Chen Yuan's forehead, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly.

This reputation doesn't sound very good.
Captain Yao, seeing that things had gone well, put away his joking expression and became serious, getting to the point: "Alright, now that you've finished talking, I should share some information from here. I know you must have many questions in your mind."

He paused, as if weighing his words.

Chen Yuan immediately raised his hand and made a pause gesture, his brows furrowing slightly: "Wait, Captain Yao, shouldn't this kind of information fall under the classified category of your Criminal Investigation Department?"

He looked directly at Captain Yao and asked calmly, "May I listen?"

Seeing his cautious demeanor, Captain Yao smiled and waved his hand, his tone reassuring: "Don't worry, Consultant Chen, your status is different from your friends. You have the authority to access this information; it's just a matter of whether you want to hear it or not."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan understood and said nothing more, simply nodding slightly to signal Captain Yao to continue.

Captain Yao cleared his throat, and despite being in a private box with excellent soundproofing, he habitually lowered his voice: "This red dragon is actually called the Radiant Sky Dragon, and it is one of the guardian deities of our Eastern Empire."

He emphasized the words "guardian angel".

Chen Yuan's pupils contracted almost imperceptibly, but his face remained calm, only his fingers tapped lightly on his knees.

"As expected, they have an extremely powerful background."

Having never heard of the Radiant Sky Dragon before, whose quality and strength were unimaginably high, and having never heard of the Guardian God before, Chen Yuan immediately realized that he had heard something truly extraordinary.

The fact that the Radiant Dragon can instill fear in the naturally proud Egg is at least of the Radiant Moon quality, and most likely the Sun quality.

How wonderful it would be to touch it!
Seeing that Consultant Chen's expression remained unchanged, Captain Yao nodded secretly and continued to explain:
"The Huangtian Jinlong has a deep partnership with Donghuang. Donghuang provides it with the best breeding resources. It can be said that everything it needs, including its food, drink and other necessities, is fully guaranteed by Donghuang."

"In return, when Donghuang encounters some extremely difficult problems that are difficult for conventional forces to solve, it needs to lend a hand."

He paused briefly, then looked at Chen Yuan: "I'm sure Consultant Chen can understand this model."

Chen Yuan nodded slightly.

This largely aligns with his previous speculation; such a powerful pet could not possibly be contracted by a beast tamer at present, and Donghuang could only establish contact with it through cooperative relationships.

I just don't know how strong this Radiant Dragon is, or what it has handled.

Suddenly, Chen Yuan's pupils contracted, and he inexplicably thought of the gods who posed a great threat to human civilization.

Is Donghuang's establishment of a cooperative relationship with such a powerful pet beast in order to deal with a possible crisis of the gods?
But can such a guardian beast resist a deity?
With various doubts surfacing in his mind, Chen Yuan frowned slightly, quietly waiting for Captain Yao to provide further explanation.

"However," Captain Yao changed the subject, a strange and hesitant expression on his face. He frowned, as if searching for the right words in his mind.

After hesitating for several seconds, he finally spoke with some difficulty: "This Radiant Sky Dragon is rather special among the guardian deities. Its personality is rather... rather benevolent."

"Universal love?" Chen Yuan was slightly taken aback, somewhat surprised by this adjective.

“Yes, it’s benevolent.” Captain Yao nodded, his expression becoming even more peculiar, even tinged with helplessness. “Simply put, it likes, well, it likes to have in-depth interactions with male dragon pets.”

He put it rather subtly, but Chen Yuan instantly understood, a look of realization and embarrassment flashing across his face.

"I see. No wonder the Blazing Sky Dragon treated the newly evolved Crimson Flame Tyrannosaurus the way it did."

"Oh, so this is a female Crimson Tyrannosaurus Rex."

Seeing that Chen Yuan understood, Captain Yao stopped dwelling on the details and continued:
"So, it often wanders around like it does today."

"The purpose is to find pets that have the potential to evolve into dragons, or that are already dragons and have outstanding aptitude."

At this point, he pointed out the window: "Once it finds a target, it often leaves behind some resources that are nothing to it, but extremely valuable to a pet in its growth stage. It's a kind of investment or a boost. Today's Crimson Tyrannosaurus is one of the potential targets it has already marked."

Chen Yuan suddenly realized.

All the clues came together at this moment, revealing that the Crimson Flame Tyrannosaurus Dragon's natural advancement was due to the precious nurturing resources left behind by the Radiant Sky Dragon.

When the Crimson Tyrannosaurus successfully advanced, the Radiant Ember Dragon appeared at the right time and began to perform its courtship dance.

"Then," Chen Yuan suddenly recalled the way Huangtian Jinlong had given the dragon scales to Dandan earlier, so he asked, "was giving the dragon scales considered as a way of mentoring a junior?"

“That’s right.” Captain Yao nodded affirmatively, his expression returning to seriousness. “I don’t know the specific effects of that dragon scale, but it must be extremely precious. Huangtian Jinlong clearly regards Cangming Lingzhu as a promising junior, which is why he gifted him this scale. It’s a way of establishing goodwill, as well as a form of recognition and expectation.”

He looked at Chen Yuan and added meaningfully, "I really envy Consultant Chen. He always manages to have some kind of bond with these powerful pets."

Chen Yuan turned his gaze to the darkening sky outside the window and fell into a long silence.

As night deepened, the hotel's private training ground was brightly lit, illuminating the vast space as if it were daytime.

Chen Yuan and Dandan stood in the center of the field, surrounded by a circle of curious little ones.

Cola sat at the very front, its tail patting the ground intermittently, its bright blue eyes fixed on what lay ahead;

Spark stood gracefully on the equipment rack not far away, her gaze calm;
The Morning and Evening Flower Fairy floats slightly higher in the air, her petals gently closed, exuding focus;

Even Youmi, who is usually the most boisterous, was unusually quiet and curled up at Chen Yuan's feet, her big amber eyes unblinking.

Their focus was on the huge scale that hovered in front of the egg.

Under the light, the scales take on a deep crimson hue, with edges flowing with a molten gold-like luster. The surface is covered with ancient and mysterious natural patterns, faintly radiating a heart-pounding warmth and a powerful energy fluctuation.

"Egg, try again," Chen Yuan suddenly said.

Blue light flickered in the Egg Dragon's eyes as it cautiously extended its claw and gently touched the scales: "Roar~"

The scales trembled slightly as if they were alive the moment they made contact, and then, to everyone's astonishment, they slowly shrank according to Egg's will.

In a brief moment, the dragon scales shrank to the size of a palm, just big enough for Egg to hold in its paws, but the intense heat and powerful dragon might contained within remained undiminished.

When Chen Yuan returned earlier, he was worried about how to bring back such a large dragon scale. But when Dan Dan gently touched it, he quickly discovered that the dragon scale could change size at will according to its will.

"Ow?"

Curious, Cola leaned closer and sniffed, but was immediately forced to take two steps back and sneeze by the pure, scorching scent and the implied pressure.

The other little creatures tried to get closer, but they all felt uncomfortable. Except for Egg, they could not resist the pressure contained in the dragon scales, let alone absorb the energy from them.

Chen Yuan frowned slightly as he watched this scene.

These scales contain extremely pure and powerful fire-type primal energy, which is incompatible with the water-type-dominant Egg, making them like fire and water.

"Egg is a water-type, so forcibly absorbing fire-type energy might backfire and cause damage?" "And what benefits would fire-type energy bring to Egg? Could it be that it would learn fire-type skills?"

A hint of worry crossed his mind.

But then he remembered the Crimson Flame Tyrannosaurus that he had seen during the day at the Crystal Mirror Lake, a dragon that had completed its evolution and mastered the power of water and fire.

"Since some pets can control both water and fire, it means this path isn't entirely blocked. Perhaps, Egg could give it a try?"

Once this bold idea takes hold, it's hard to suppress.

Moreover, since the Radiant Dragon gave this dragon scale, it means it must be effective on Egg.

Chen Yuan looked at Egg, his eyes asking, "Egg, would you like to try absorbing the fire energy inside? But the process might be painful and risky."

Egg held the shrunken dragon scale, feeling the surging power within. A hint of hesitation flashed in its dragon eyes, but it quickly nodded vigorously: "Roar!"

Without further hesitation, it gripped the scales tightly with its claws, closed its eyes, and began to fully circulate the energy within its body, attempting to guide the fire element within the scales.

At first, the scales were only slightly hot.

But soon, as Egg stirred, a wisp of pure crimson energy, like a fire serpent awakening, suddenly burst out from the scales and spread throughout Egg's entire body along its dragon claws.

laugh!
Like cold water being poured into a boiling oil pan, the dragon's azure, crystal-clear body emitted a teeth-grinding burning sound the moment it came into contact with the fiery energy.

The originally smooth scales instantly turned bright red, and even wisps of blue smoke rose from them.

A piercing, excruciating pain, like thousands of red-hot steel needles stabbing into my testicles, swept through every nerve in my balls.

"hold head high--!"

Egg couldn't help but let out a suppressed whimper of pain, its slender body trembling violently, its dragon claws almost unable to grasp the scalding scale.

The mist and water vapor around it evaporated rapidly due to the high temperature, making its entire body seem to be roasted on a fire.

Chen Yuan's heart clenched instantly, and he instinctively wanted to call out to make Dandan stop.

Trying to master the power of water and fire is indeed too far-fetched.

However, just as Chen Yuan was about to speak, Dandan suddenly opened her eyes.

The dragon's eyes, which had been somewhat unfocused due to pain, suddenly widened. It gritted its teeth, and a low, guttural roar escaped its throat.

I am not afraid of pain.

How can I rule the farm and achieve that goal if I don't endure this pain?

To the astonishment of the little ones, Egg actually withstood the extreme pain that would have instantly broken an ordinary pet.

The azure dragon's body, under the continuous scorching of the crimson flames, sometimes became transparent, and sometimes resembled a red-hot iron, a breathtaking sight.

But it never gave up. Its small figure appeared incredibly resilient in the flames, continuing to draw energy from them.

The people around him were all stunned.

Is this an egg?

Is this still a testicle?

Cola was so anxious that it spun around in place, letting out worried sobs.
Sparks flew down from the shelf, and as he drew closer, a rare seriousness appeared in his eyes;

The morning and evening flower fairies sprinkled down light dust carrying a cool scent, trying to alleviate the pain in the testicles, but the effect was minimal;
Yumi stared wide-eyed, seemingly seeing an egg like this for the first time.

This little dragon may be silly, but it's quite resilient.

As time passed, the trembling of the testicle gradually subsided. It wasn't that the pain disappeared, but rather that it began to adapt and, with astonishing willpower, forcibly restrained and tamed the raging fire energy.

The crimson color on its body gradually faded, revealing its original azure color again. However, upon closer inspection, the edges of the blue scales seemed to have a faint crimson sheen.

After an unknown amount of time, the light from the dragon scales in Egg's claws gradually dimmed.

"hold head high"

Egg let out a long sigh of relief, its dragon eyes filled with exhaustion, but deep within them flickered a tiny yet tenacious new flame.

It raised its head, looked at Chen Yuan, and its dragon mouth slightly opened.

Under the watchful eyes of Chen Yuan and the little ones, a small, flickering orange-red flame popped out of the egg's mouth and floated in mid-air, radiating warm light and heat.

Although faint, it was indeed a flame.

Chen Yuan was taken aback at first, then an uncontrollable smile of surprise spread across his face.

It worked!
Egg actually overcame the elemental barrier and gained initial control over a trace of fire-type power!

This means that in future battles, when facing opponents of the Wood, Bug, or even Ice types, Exeggcute will have an unexpected trump card.

"Great! Egg!"

Chen Yuan couldn't help but praise it, and stepped forward to gently stroke the still slightly hot dragon head.

The data panel appeared before their eyes, and there were no new fire-type skills added to Egg's skill bar. Chen Yuan guessed that perhaps the fire-type energy it had absorbed was not enough.

If all the fire energy in the dragon scales is absorbed, Egg might be able to master fire-type skills.

In the midst of this joyful atmosphere, my phone vibrated slightly in my pocket. I opened it, and Zhang Hao's voice came through:
"Brother Yuan, everyone's here. Let's meet in the conference room on the second floor."

The hotel conference room was brightly lit late at night.

The five players who advanced to the knockout stage—Chen Yuan, Zhuang Jianbai, Xia Heng, Shi Gang, and Huo Hong—were all present. Zhang Hao stood in front of the projection screen with a serious expression.

"Everyone, first of all, congratulations again on advancing. But the real challenge is just beginning."

Zhang Hao switched between the information on the screen, his voice serious: "The knockout stage is a single-elimination tournament, there is no room for error, we must fully understand each opponent."

He began introducing them one by one: "Zhuang Jianbai, your opponent is from Shanghai."

"Advisor Shi Gang, you should pay attention to this player tomorrow."

"Huo Hong, intelligence on your opponent indicates..."

Finally, Zhang Hao's gaze fell on Chen Yuan, his tone tinged with caution:
"Brother Yuan, your opponent is Jiang Chen from the Qiongzhou Beast Tamer Academy. His initial pet is..."

Zhang Hao opened the information and was preparing to analyze Jiang Chen's pet configuration, skill characteristics, and usual tactics in detail.

However, before he could finish speaking, Chen Yuan gently raised his hand, interrupting him.

Chen Yuan's gaze fell on the photo displayed on the projection screen, and a faint smile appeared on his lips.

"No need for a detailed introduction, Haozi."

Chen Yuan said calmly, "I know him."

The meeting room fell silent instantly, and the others looked at Chen Yuan with some surprise.

“Alright, but you should still take a look at our analysis report; it should be helpful to you.” Zhang Hao nodded and then sent Jiang Chen’s detailed information to Chen Yuan.

Chen Yuan did not refuse. While studying Jiang Chen's information, he recalled his trip to Manlan Island some time ago.

To help the Morning and Evening Flower Fairy advance, he traveled thousands of miles to Manlan Island, where he met Lan Yingdan, who aspired to become a poison-type beast tamer, and also encountered Jiang Chen, the top student of Qiongzhou Beast Taming Academy.

Jiang Chen had challenged him more than once, but ultimately failed to achieve his goal.

Unexpectedly, just a few days later, the two will face off at the Eastern Glory Tournament.

It's quite a rare coincidence.

(End of this chapter)