You were given the authority to tame beasts, not to raise unspeakable animals.

The atmosphere in the administration office was unbearably oppressive.

The air was filled with the stale smell of tobacco and the acidic odor of cheap printing paper.

The cicadas chirping outside the window sounded like they were about to cough up blood.

The air conditioner inside the room was only set to 16 degrees Celsius.

The cold wind seeped into people's trouser legs through the cracks in the floor tiles, raising a layer of goosebumps.

The homeroom teacher, Lao Wang, was slumped in his office chair.

The Hongtashan cigarette between my two fingers was almost burning down to the filter tip.

The long piece of cigarette ash wobbled precariously before finally breaking off and landing on the thin A4 sheet of paper on the table.

He breathed a sigh of relief.

He pressed his fingertips against the edge of the paper and pushed it towards Chen Mo.

"Sign it."

Chen Mo glanced down at it.

The boldface of the title looks like a freshly printed tombstone inscription.

"Pre-filled Application Form for Survivor's Pension for Special Talents in Linjiang City"

"Teacher, I'm not dead yet."

Chen Mo raised his head.

Their eyes were as calm as if they were discussing what to have for dinner.

"Soon."

Old Wang slammed his cigarette butt into the enamel mug that read "Students Across the World."

A layer of burnt tobacco shreds floated on the water's surface.

His face was wrinkled like a dried bitter gourd.

"The survival rate for S-level restricted areas and lost relics is only 0.2%. I know your cat... that cat is a bit strange, it can even spit out light circles. But this is a restricted area, not child's play. I heard even Gao Hao's cousin, that ruthless woman who works in the military, went there. If you don't sign, what if... I mean, what if, your family doesn't even have anyone to collect funeral expenses?"

Looking at Old Wang's face, which was filled with sorrow and resignation, Chen Mo didn't waste any more words.

In this world, according to the logic of normal people.

The difference between an F-rank Beastmaster entering an S-rank restricted area and throwing a meat bun at a dog is that the meat bun won't jump into the dog's mouth by itself.

"OK."

Chen Mo picked up his pen.

The signature was written in a flamboyant style, the ink seeping through the back of the paper.

Step out of the office.

The previously noisy voices on both sides of the corridor instantly quieted down.

Countless eyes were fixed on him.

Chen Mo was very familiar with that look in his eyes.

What used to be disdain for garbage has now turned into pity for sacrificial offerings.

"Have you heard? Gao Hao opened champagne at the hospital, saying he wanted to celebrate Chen Mo's seventh day memorial service in advance."

"Shh, keep your voice down. No matter what, being forcibly conscripted as cannon fodder is pretty miserable."

"What's so terrible about it? If I had that kind of luck to contract a Holy Light Beast, I'd... never mind, I'd rather stay alive."

Chen Mo put his hands in his pockets.

I walked lightly through the scene of this living memorial service.

These people will never understand.

For the hunters at the top of the food chain, that place is not a graveyard.

That was a supermarket with shelves full of goods.

……

The night was dark.

The paint on the walls of the old residential area is peeling off, revealing the moldy red bricks underneath.

Chen Mo just threw a bag of chocolates that were about to expire on the table.

The shadows in the corner of the room began to boil, defying the laws of physics.

It resembles a pot of boiling asphalt.

A figure emerged from the darkness of the ground.

He was still wearing that black robe that smelled musty and had a scholarly air about it.

He still maintained that posture, his forehead pressed firmly to the ground, humble to the point of being in the dust.

"My lord."

The black-robed guardian 07 knelt on the ground.

His voice sounded broken and rough due to excessive excitement.

"You...you not only control the abyss, but you also toy with the light. Those hypocritical lackeys of the Church actually believe you are the Child of Light? Praise be to your wisdom! What a blasphemous yet perfect disguise!"

Chen Mo paused for a moment as he unwrapped the chocolate.

It must be said that followers of the Dihua River School are the easiest to lead.

He doesn't even need to make up lies; he can make the logical loop complete on his own.

"Where are the things?"

Chen Mo tossed a piece of chocolate into his mouth.

The cloyingly sweet taste melts on the tip of the tongue.

"Here."

The man in black robes raised his hands above his head.

He held a rusty USB drive in his palm and a small wooden box sealed with runes.

"The USB drive contains the Brotherhood's observation records of the Lost Ruins over the past century. Although it only covers the outer perimeter, it includes distribution maps of most of the monsters."

The man in black robes trembled slightly.

He picked up the wooden box with both hands.

His eyes held a mixture of fervor and deep fear.

"As for this... it's a source of contamination that my subordinate unearthed at an ancient battlefield. It's a finger bone of the ghoul king."

Chen Mo took the wooden box.

The moment my fingertip touched the wood, the All-Knowing Eye popped up a pleasant notification.

High-quality snacks detected.

[Item: Ghoul King's Finger Bone (Dried Version)]

[Effects of Consumption: Strengthens bones and greatly increases the chance of awakening the skill Shadow Travel.]

[Review: It gets stuck in your teeth a bit; I recommend drinking it with a soft drink.]

"Well done."

Chen Mo casually tossed the wooden box up and caught it steadily.

"My lord..."

The man in black hesitated for a moment, his upper body almost touching the ground.

"Rumors say that cat possesses the attribute of holy light, could it be that you really...?"

"Light?"

Chen Mo chuckled softly.

The backpack zipper opened automatically.

Xiao Hei's black, fluid body did not fully emerge.

It only extended a few tentacles, casting a huge and twisted shadow on the wall.

The shadow didn't look like a cat.

Those were countless tentacles churning in the deep sea, and a gigantic eye totem powerful enough to obscure reason.

"At the very bottom of the abyss, light is nothing more than a rather dazzling delicacy."

Chen Mo had just finished speaking.

"Awooo..."

"Woof woof woof!"

Outside the window, all the dogs in the neighborhood suddenly started barking wildly.

Then it turned into a mournful wail with its tail between its legs.

The stray cat downstairs went berserk and started banging on the trash can.

The claws scratched at the metal sheet, making a screeching sound.

They desperately tried to escape the area around the building.

Biological instincts tell them this.

An indescribable behemoth has moved in here.

The man in black robes stared at the terrifying projection on the wall.

The blood seemed to freeze, but the soul screamed with joy.

Yes!

This is the truth!

What Holy Light Beast? That's just a sheep's skin that the Lord has put on to fool the world!

"Your subordinate takes his leave! I await your... coronation on this ancient land!"

The figure in black robes softened.

Like a puddle of mud blending into the shadows, it vanishes without a trace in the blink of an eye.

Chen Mo opened the wooden box.

They threw that dark, grimy finger bone into Little Black's mouth.

Click.

After the crisp sound.

Little Black let out a burp that smelled of rotting corpses, and then lay down contentedly.

It transformed into a black cat-skin rug.

"I've been eating well these past few days. Don't let me down when we get to the ruins."

"Meow!"

(More!)

……

The next two days.

A strange buyer has appeared in Linjiang City's largest underground black market.

Before entering the restricted area, other beast tamers bought alloy armor, antidotes, and high-explosive grenades.

The black market boss looked at Chen Mo with the same expression he had when he bought the things he bought, as if he were a critically ill patient who had just escaped.

"Boss, give me five bundles of these extra-large industrial anti-corrosion bags."

"This thing is for storing chemical waste, why do you need so many?"

"Pack."

"Pack what? A corpse?"

"I guess so, the more valuable kind."

"And this too, high-decibel industrial earplugs. The kind that can block out aircraft engine noise."

"...You're going to sleep in the restricted area?"

"No, it's because my pet makes a lot of noise when it eats, and I'm afraid it will disturb my teammates."

At last.

Under the watchful eyes of a group of mercenaries who had lived on the edge of death, Chen Mo swaggered away carrying several large sacks of tattered goods.

……

The third day, early morning.

Northern Military Base.

The leaden clouds hung low, almost touching the top of the control tower.

The strong wind whipped up sand and gravel that slapped against my face, stinging painfully.

A huge military transport plane was parked at the end of the runway.

The engine roared.

The heatwave pressed the surrounding grass flat against the ground.

An atmosphere of grim determination permeated the assembly point.

Thirty recruited beast tamers are assembling their ranks.

They were all wearing dark green tactical exoskeletons.

The beasts accompanying him were either heavily armored war wolves or raptors wrapped in lightning.

Everyone's face was filled with indifference, a refusal to communicate.

Until Chen Mo appeared.

Sudden change in painting style.

He was wearing a faded blue and white school uniform and carrying a bulging canvas bag.

She was still carrying a bag of unfinished steamed buns.

He even had a straw in his mouth, slowly drinking soy milk.

"Whose child is that? Did they wander onto the wrong set?"

"Is this the F-rank loser with the cat? Has the higher-ups gone mad, hiring someone like this to drag us down?"

Amidst whispers.

A gaze pierced through me, as cold as an icicle.

At the very front of the line stood a red-haired woman.

She is tall.

The dark red, tight-fitting combat suit accentuated his explosive muscle lines.

A three-meter-long lava tyrannosaurus was crouching beside him.

That is the advanced evolution of the Fiery Dragon, with the potential to become a monarch.

Gao Lin.

Gao Hao's cousin is a specially appointed instructor for the military and also the deputy captain of this operation.

She stared at Chen Mo.

The look in his eyes wasn't like he was looking at a living person, but rather like he was looking at a corpse that was still breathing.

"You're the kid who got Gao Hao sent to a mental hospital?"

Gao Lin walked up to Chen Mo, her shadow enveloping him.

The Lava Tyrannosaurus Rex let out a low growl in response.

The scorching heat wave made Chen Mo's bangs dance wildly on his forehead.

"Even though my cousin is a good-for-nothing, you have to consider the owner before you beat a dog."

Gao Lin lowered her voice and spoke in a tone that only the two of them could hear.

"Once we're inside the ruins, stay close. That place is chaotic; if one or two people die... we won't be able to find out anything."

A naked threat.

Chen Mo sipped the last mouthful of soy milk.

The empty box traced a parabola in the air before landing steadily in a trash can ten meters away.

"really."

He wiped his mouth.

Looking at Gao Lin, the smile on her face was so bright it was almost dazzling.

"That place is indeed very chaotic, and... monsters usually have huge appetites."

"I hope your dragon runs fast enough."

Gao Lin's face darkened, and she was about to lash out.

"Everyone! Boarding!"

The hound's cold, hard sound, like the friction of metal, boomed through the loudspeaker.

The rear cargo door of the transport plane slowly opened.

The dark entrance resembled the open throat of a giant beast, waiting to devour the intruders.

Chen Mo ignored the gaze behind him that seemed to burn a hole through his back.

He turned around and was the first to step onto the deck.

In the backpack.

Xiao Hei seemed to sense something.

Tentacles excitedly patted Chen Mo's back through the fabric.

Chen Mo understood that frequency.

Those were three words typed in Morse code:

[Going home!]

……

Half an hour later.

The transport plane forcefully broke through the gray fog barrier that separated the real world from the forbidden zone.

The lights inside the cabin flickered on and off.

The hands on the dial spun wildly, as if they had gone mad.

"Entering a Level S contaminated zone! Everyone, put on your breathing masks!"

The pilot's terrified screams came over the loudspeaker.

Everyone was frantically adjusting the equipment.

He stared nervously out the window at the desolate, gray ruins.

Only Chen Mo.

He wasn't wearing a mask, nor did he look at the broken walls and ruins.

In his eyes, the so-called ruins did not exist at all.

The all-knowing eye operates on its own.

A golden waterfall of data flooded the screen.

Through the porthole, he saw a breathtakingly magnificent silhouette of a city.

The city was not on land, but in its reflection in the sky.

Countless dark green spires, defying the principles of geometry, hang upside down.

The massive stone pillars are covered with indescribable ancient reliefs.

And right in the center of that city.

A crack has appeared in the gate of a majestic palace.

Countless strange creatures have been sleeping here for millions of years.

Their heads are emerging from the earth, from the clouds, from the void.

They cheered in unison, their voices filled with whispers that could make mortals' brains boil.

Welcome back, our Lord!

Chen Mo's lips curved into a barely perceptible smile.

He reached out and patted the little black dog that was drooling in his bag.

"Don't rush, dinner hasn't started yet."

"But it looks like... there are quite a few main dishes at this meal."