53: Strange secret place
The development of events eventually alarmed the mayor of Blue Ocean City, who knew there was a new Rat Faction undergoing assessment there.
According to the welfare guidelines, even for a public secret realm, the first party to break into it has the right to keep it for their own research.
Therefore, his purpose for this trip was to negotiate with the elders of the Rat Faction, attempting to keep the secret realm space locally for planting related materials to boost the local economy.
But upon arriving at the scene, he was stunned; the place was full of young people. Were there really any Rat Faction members?
“Hello, I am the mayor of Blue Ocean City. May I ask which of you is a member of the First Bureau?”
“I am.”
Following the voice, he saw a beautiful face with bright red hair.
She was the first to extend her hand, as a gesture of goodwill.
If it were an ordinary person, they probably wouldn't have known what to do. But then again, he was the mayor, wasn't he?
“I’d like to discuss with you the subsequent development of the secret realm in Guifeng Village.”
Li Wen: Amazing, he just directly defined the secret realm, alright.
He wondered if his senior sister's response would be enough to pass this hurdle.
The rich senior sister completely disregarded the standard answer template but still got full marks, simply because she had no intention of taking this secret realm. Instead, she planned to give Su Chen the legendary-grade secret realm she had exchanged for.
“This secret realm is just for his assessment; I already have a secret realm prepared as a reward.”
Hearing this, the mayor's hanging heart finally settled. “Then you can proceed with your investigation. The subsequent week of development and exploration will begin tomorrow.”
After sending off the mayor, they could finally explore in peace.
“According to Luo Yu, since this is a place for training Beastmasters, the spaces should be independent upon entry. So you can all enter together.”
Zhu Ling also fully agreed with her senior brother's statement, chiming in.
“As long as he passes, a part of history should be restored, and Su Chen's assessment will be complete.”
“You guys can grind this dungeon here; we have our own things to do.”
After saying that, the two “flew off together.”
The three remaining people stood there, looking at each other.
Li Wen: “How about you two go in first and take a look?”
Lu Chen: “I’m not in a hurry; you two go in first.”
Su Chen: “Actually, it’s not that I’m afraid to go in first; it’s mainly that I forgot to turn off the gas at home, so I need to go back and check now.”
Li Wen: “Since no one wants to go in first, then...”
Lu Chen was still naively thinking that Li Wen would propose a game of rock-paper-scissors, a solution based entirely on luck. But how could the always cautious Li Wen do that?
“...I’ll have to lend you a hand.”
As soon as he finished speaking, under Su Chen's watchful eye, Lu Chen, with Li Wen's “help,” entered the secret realm one step ahead of him.
“Holy crap~”
“I admire you, sir. You truly are imposing (heroic)... full of spirit!”
“Oh, it was nothing, just a simple matter, wasn't it?”
“And you? Do you also need a little friendly help from me?”
Su Chen: Friendly my ass!
“No need, no need, you’re too kind.”
As soon as Su Chen entered the secret realm, Li Wen followed him in.
Upon entering the secret realm, it was indeed as his senior brother had predicted: the spaces each person entered were not interconnected, and looking around, there were no other people in sight.
It was just a vast grassland scene, and apart from a sapling next to him, he had no idea what purpose it served.
Li Wen summoned his three little companions to guard against sudden risks.
It seemed as if this space sensed the summoning of pet beasts and reacted accordingly; an ethereal voice sounded in Li Wen’s ear.
“The First Bureau begins.”
Li Wen: Alright, no need to say more, I know it's time to farm monsters.
At the edge of the field appeared a furry ape, with a somewhat comical appearance. However, judging from its current expression and state, and as a professional Breeder, he could tell.
It should currently be in a relatively hungry state, and its aggressiveness should not be weak.
[Fruit Ape]
[attribute: Psychic]
[Species: Agile High-grade]
[growth level: Entry-level High-grade]
[Energy Value: 1000]
[trait: Resourceful and Brave]:
Fruit Apes are born with extraordinary wisdom and strength. They can flexibly use their wisdom to solve problems and protect their tribe with astonishing strength. In extreme situations, all wisdom will be converted into strength.
(PS: Want to challenge my wisdom and strength? Be prepared to face endless strategies and trials first!)
[Skill ①: Wisdom Insight] (+)
Fruit Apes possess keen insight, capable of quickly analyzing the environment and predicting enemy actions. Whether it's battle strategy or survival tactics, they can handle it with ease.
[Skill ②: Immense Strength]
The Fruit Ape's strength is astonishing; it can easily lift huge rocks and even shake trees. In battle, they can use this strength to deliver a fatal blow to enemies.
[Skill ③: Trap]
Fruit Apes are skilled at using the natural environment and their intelligence to set traps. These traps are not only concealed but also incredibly powerful, capable of silently weakening enemies.
[Skill ④: Ape Pack Summon]
At critical moments, Fruit Apes can emit a special call, summoning members of the ape tribe to provide support, forming a powerful combat group to jointly resist external enemies.
???
Entry-level High-grade? Is it really this high intensity right from the start? In an extreme state, does hunger count?
He looked up again, seeing the Fruit Ape's gradually reddening eyes and the Energy Value on its panel soaring to 2000; he didn't need to ask.
However, 2000 Energy Value wasn't impossible to deal with. After all, the fact that the opponent no longer had wisdom was enough.
For this situation, the “Insect Grass Combo” already had a counter-strategy. Yuan Wang was temporarily responsible for protecting his master’s safety.
Ya Bao, as a high-endurance, high-output warrior, stepped forward to delay the Fruit Ape, while Qing Yan continuously spat Insect Silk from above.
Under the enhancement of Immense Strength and its special state, even Ya Bao, who was usually invincible in battle, was continuously forced back in the stalemate.
Moreover, it was pure brute force, with no effective offensive means. Ya Bao couldn't even stack his passive abilities, let alone use his self-damaging style.
It's not like he could start self-harming in front of his opponent, right?
As Qing Yan completed her task, Li Wen also recalled Ya Bao to the Beastmaster space and then resummoned him.
The “Birdcage” plus version was complete.
This move was called a trapped beast's struggle, and it was an excellent choice for dealing with irrational, non-escaping pet beasts, primarily for torment.
The Insect Silk of the cage tightened continuously, causing the Fruit Ape inside to suffer greater damage. And because of its lost wisdom, it continued to struggle, exacerbating its own injuries.
Although the pet beasts in these stages were probably all energy bodies, Li Wen still had Qing Yan use the “Insect Silk Machine Gun” to speed things up.
A moment later, the Fruit Ape in the “birdcage” disappeared, and the ethereal voice sounded in his ear once more.