King of Beasts

Chapter 71: The Canine Lizard

“What do you mean ‘Huh?’” Lu Ran asked.

“What is all this about unifying Green Sea City’s animal kingdom? Are you running a fever?”

“Dr. Gu wants to use Green Sea City as an ‘experimental zone’. As of now, I am in charge,” replied Lu Ran.

“Wait! What exactly does ‘experimental zone’ mean?” Fang Lan was puzzled.

“Hmm. Let me think about how to explain this to you. Isn’t it true that with the revival of spiritual energy, many animals are starting to evolve?” Lu Ran began.

“Yes, that’s right.”

“Currently, other cities mainly focus on expelling, eliminating, or capturing the mutated animals within and around their borders. However, it’s becoming clear that this approach won’t work as the number of mutated creatures keeps increasing.”

“But Green Sea City plans to go a step further. We’re intending to expel and eliminate those creatures that cannot be communicated with, while attempting to tame the powerful ferocious beasts that can be. The idea is to have these tamed supernatural beings try to manage the beast world. Basically, ferocious beasts managing other ferocious beasts. Does that make sense?” Lu Ran asked.

Fang Lan was bewildered.

Lu Ran explained, “Fourth-generation beastmasters probably cannot contract with them, and third-generation beastmasters are too few in number. Moreover, new evolved beings keep emerging all the time. So, instead of using contracts, we’re aiming for communication.”

“How is communication even possible? There are so many different species. Even if you find a beastmaster who can contract with them, communication might not go smoothly!” Fang Lan protested.

After all, as Lu Ran mentioned, fourth-generation beastmasters are barely stronger than ordinary people and certainly not as reliable as the military or police. They’d be lucky if these mutated ferocious beasts didn’t devour them on the spot.

“That’s why I’m in charge,” Lu Ran said. “Fang Lan, think back carefully. Didn’t I tell you two years ago that I seemed to understand the inner voices of animals? Who was it that thought I was just traumatized and suggested I see a doctor? Let me tell you, it was actually a natural phenomenon, likely a precursor to the revival of spiritual energy. There are quite a few individuals with superpowers in the world now. If it weren’t for this ability, Dr. Gu wouldn’t have entrusted me with such an important task. Over the past two years, I’ve occasionally chatted with some wild animals. I’m pretty familiar with most of the wildlife in Green Sea City. Even though they’ve evolved with the revival of spiritual energy, my relationship with them hasn’t changed.”

“As of now, I have successfully persuaded four advanced mutated creatures that are over level 10. Just so you know, the red large-toothed snake you mentioned isn’t among them. If you don’t want to handle it, I’ll go and communicate with it myself,” Lu Ran declared.

Fang Lan: ???

Fang Lan’s mind momentarily went blank. She vaguely remembered that Lu Ran had mentioned something like this before, but she always thought it was just his teenage fantasy. A serious high school student wouldn’t believe in such unscientific things. And now Lu Ran was saying it was true? The mutated beasts of Green Sea City were actually his friends?

“How is this any different from becoming the boss of Green Sea City’s wild animal world?”

“That’s one way to look at it. Didn’t I mention unifying the Green Sea animal kingdom?” Lu Ran laughed.

He was beginning to realize the benefits of this status.

If he could lead all the supernatural wild animals, he would indeed never lack resources.

For example, if bees evolved into supernatural beings, the honey they produced would also be supernatural resources, right?

Then, if the queen bee delivered a few boxes of honey each month as tribute, wouldn’t that be a path to wealth?

And that’s just a single species. If there were more species, Lu Ran couldn’t imagine how much profit could be involved.

No wonder Dr. Gu said that managing a city’s wild animal kingdom could quickly close the gap with previous generations of beastmasters!

Even the beastmasters of previous generations never had such lucrative projects.

After Lu Ran finished speaking, Fang Lan stood there in a daze.

Really… the King of Green Sea’s animal kingdom?

Are you kidding me?

Weren’t you in Jinling just two hours ago?

And now, in the blink of an eye, you have become the King of Green Sea? This ability is too incredible!

At this moment, even as the world was changing, Fang Lan found it hard not to believe Lu Ran. After all, telepathy seemed minor compared to the revival of spiritual energy. Was this the reason Lu Ran could reliably outdo her and get an S rating? Was General Ha so well-trained because of Lu Ran’s ability? Suddenly, everything made sense to Fang Lan. She had been at a disadvantage right from the start! No wonder Lu Ran and General Ha seemed like such monsters!

Fang Lan turned around and looked at the table where centipedes, snakes, scorpions, and toads were neatly lined up in front of the daxia wolf spider. The sight made her lose her appetite.

She numbly said, “I don’t want the red large-toothed snake anymore… I already have enough pets at home. Plus, it’s not very poisonous and isn’t exactly pleasant to look at. I don’t like it.”

“Alright,” Lu Ran shrugged.

“Wait… actually!” Fang Lan suddenly realized something. “Can you talk to Dr. Gu and let me become your assistant in the experimental zone? I could really help out!”

“Do you understand poison types? Mishandling supernatural beings with poison abilities can be very troublesome!”

“I can manage the poisonous animals in Green Sea City for you! The toxins they release can be very useful when processed properly, but it requires a specialist! I can do it, please~”

On the other end of the line, Fang Lan’s pleading tone was almost palpable through the phone. Lu Ran shivered and almost dropped the device.

Wow.

Who would’ve thought you could be such an eager helper.

“No problem, I’ll arrange it! Detoxifying poison-type beings… definitely requires expertise,” Lu Ran agreed.

“Yay!!!!” Fang Lan’s excited voice came through the phone, and her happiness was contagious.

In just one week, she had already self-studied most of the poison-type course material that Gu Qingyi had given her. She had even visited Infinite City No.3 less frequently during this period. She never expected the knowledge she had crammed so quickly to become useful so soon.

Like a perfect team, the elder sister and younger brother duo immediately organized the management of Green Sea City’s poisonous beings.

…

Dr. Gu’s actions were swift. After ending the call with Lu Ran, she immediately issued orders to the Beast Taming Edifice in Jinling.

“What? Grants certain supernatural governance rights to a fourth-generation beastmaster in Green Sea City? Establish an experimental zone?”

The senior management at the Jinling Beast Taming Edifice found this directive baffling.

What would a fourth-generation beastmaster know about that?

“Wait, that fourth-generation beastmaster… is Passerby A?!”

Upon learning that the fourth-generation beastmaster’s Infinite City ID was Passerby A, the executives fell silent.

Considering Passerby A’s top-ranking potential on the Divine Beast Leaderboard of Infinite City No.3, his rise was already unstoppable.

There must be deeper intentions behind Dr. Gu’s actions…

Even so, the senior management at the Jinling Beast Taming Edifice were extremely surprised, including the Star Cluster Guild Leader, Xing Chen, who was also present at the time. He was deeply shocked by the directive.

“This is clearly positioning Passerby A to be the beast taming king of Green Sea City, a city with a population of millions and abundant natural resources. No matter how capable Passerby A is, this seems over the top. What unique qualities does he have?” Xing Chen remained silent, understanding that Passerby A’s rise was already unstoppable.

Even among the senior management, Zhao Chen didn’t expect Dr. Gu to have such high regard for Lu Ran. Lu Ran had only returned a short while ago…

It’s worth noting that Lu Ran was just a 17-year-old high school student. Such a significant responsibility might only have been seen during ancient times of chaos, but considering the current situation, how different was it from then?

As the directives were relayed down the chain, Officer Luo and his team in Green Sea City had only just finished their report when they received the notification that Lu Ran was now their commanding officer. They were utterly bewildered.

Damn, Lu Ran wasn’t just doing well in the beast-taming world; he was excelling in all aspects.

For a moment, Officer Luo and his team clearly realized that the orderliness of Green Sea City’s beast taming scene was now entirely up to this young man.

“Commander Lu… we’ve just received a notification from the Beast Taming Edifice, stating that you will be in charge of Green Sea City’s spiritual energy revival efforts!”

Lu Ran ended his call with Fang Lan and looked at the approaching Officer Luo. He didn’t expect Dr. Gu to move so quickly. He couldn’t believe such a significant task had landed on his shoulders. But considering the extraordinary times, and knowing that Green Sea City hardly had any third-generation beastmasters to call upon, he understood that they had no other choice.

In extraordinary times, extraordinary measures are needed. Capable young beastmasters could quickly gain status and position in this era, much like Dr. Gu and her peers.

“Alright.”

“Let’s work together and make the most of this opportunity!”

“Awaiting your instructions!” Luo Shang suddenly felt that letting Lu Ran handle this matter might actually be a good idea.

Many cities were currently engaged in intense conflicts with advanced mutated beings, and the battles were brutal.

In contrast, with Lu Ran’s assistance, Green Sea City remained much more peaceful. Such calm was typically only found in major cities where advanced beastmasters concentrated.

“I’ve already deployed a flock of crows to search for advanced mutated beings throughout the city. You all need to support this search. For these mutated beings, as long as they haven’t harmed anyone, prioritize surveillance. Do not alert them. Notify me immediately with any findings.”

“Green Sea City’s wildlife is mainly concentrated around Emerald Mountain. While it is a key area to search, it isn’t the most important.”

“The primary focus is the urban area, where the population density is highest. Even a single mutated mouse can cause significant harm. Increase patrols to protect civilians. If any mutated being shows signs of aggression, eliminate it immediately.”

“In addition, rural areas should not be overlooked. There are likely numerous poultry farms there, which could become hotspots for mutations.”

“Soon, I’ll speak to the one-eared white cat and have it rally all the controllable supernatural stray cats in the city for your deployment.”

“Also, the number of fourth-generation beastmasters in Green Sea City should be significant now. However, most are probably not officially affiliated and consist mainly of students…”

“Identify more experienced beastmasters and organize them into small teams. Encourage them to volunteer to handle simpler incidents around the city. Even if they are newcomers, their contracted pet beasts are likely stronger than most mutated beings… And remember, offer compensation, not just requests for free labor.”

Lu Ran continued to elaborate.

Green Sea City, while not as large as major metropolises, still had a population of millions. It was impossible for Lu Ran and General Ha to cover the entire city by themselves. The only rational approach was to manage particularly troublesome beings, like those few mutated beings above level 10.

The rest would require cooperation from various factions within Green Sea City.

Having laid out the plan, Lu Ran parted ways with Luo Shang and the team to begin his solo operations, waiting for further developments.

At this point, Lu Ran summoned General Ha and retrieved the Sudden Death King from his backpack.

Nowadays, the Sudden Death King, now the size of an adult’s arm, was too big to fit in a pocket, forcing Lu Ran to carry it in a backpack. Judging by the current pace of its growth, it wouldn’t be long before even the backpack would be too small.

“Woof!” General Ha emerged, feeling refreshed by the crisp air, instinctively lifting its rear and stretching lazily.

“Ha~” Although General Ha was still a bit sleepy, after stretching, it turned to look at Lu Ran, asking what was next.

“Wow ka…” As for the Sudden Death King, after following Lu Ran and listening to his plans all the way, its admiration for Lu Ran had only grown. It was now even more determined to follow Lu Ran to avoid a premature demise.

“Not sure if we’ll have to fight soon… but either way, let’s power up first,” Lu Ran said.

He then took out the Life Dandelion he had just obtained and handed it to General Ha.

“Woof?!” General Ha was delighted, realizing it was time to eat something!

“Eat up,” said Lu Ran.

As for the Dragon Blood Crystal, he was saving it for later use by the Sudden Death King. He hadn’t given it to the lizard yet because it was a battle reward owed to General Ha. Awakening the Sudden Death King’s thunder abilities was already a significant investment, reflecting the months they had spent together. If the Sudden Death King didn’t perform well in the future, Lu Ran wouldn’t waste resources on it for no reason.

He understood the red-eyed eagle lizard’s timid nature was part of its species’ characteristics, so he wouldn’t underestimate the Sudden Death King because of it. Despite its timidity, it should still have unique strengths, and Lu Ran was looking forward to seeing what it could contribute.

Once the Sudden Death King could contribute significantly to their team, it would naturally be entitled to share more of its partners’ battle spoils. This was the rule Lu Ran set for his future pet beast team—he wouldn’t contract with useless creatures or provide resources without good reason.

These two rare resources, the Life Dandelion and the Dragon Blood Crystal, were beneficial to any pet beast.

The Life Dandelion could enhance a pet beast’s regenerative abilities, while the Dragon Blood Crystal could boost its vitality. The effects were quite similar.

However, the latter was more effective for species closer to dragons, such as lizards and ordinary snakes.

This had been proven.

Even when the range was broadened to include deer, camels, rabbits, clams, fish, eagles, tigers, cows, etc., there wasn’t much correlation with dogs.

So, instead of letting General Ha absorb the flawed Dragon Blood Crystal, it would theoretically be more effective for a dragon-like pet.

Lu Ran had no intention of having General Ha evolve into a Loong-type creature. Although he often remarked that General Ha’s personality resembled Yazi, one of the nine sons of the dragon in Chinese mythology, he understood that fusing it with dragon traits was even less practical than having it master weapons.

Moreover, out of the many divine beasts in mythology, Yazi wasn’t particularly outstanding. Even if Lu Ran were to model General Ha after a divine beast, he wouldn’t choose Yazi. He had General Ha practice swordsmanship primarily because of the Super Beast Mimicry skill, which allowed both him and General Ha to improve rapidly together.

Lu Ran had high expectations for General Ha. In his view, surpassing even mythical creatures was just a matter of time.

Therefore, he decided to save the flawed Dragon Blood Crystal for the Sudden Death King, which he intended to evolve into a giant dragon in the future. Meanwhile, he gave the less restrictive rare resource, the Life Dandelion, to General Ha to enhance its regenerative abilities.

Even though Lu Ran had the Divine Deer Pendant, which provided him with healing capabilities, General Ha’s self-damaging combat style made an enhanced regeneration trait beneficial. Anything that could lessen General Ha’s pain was worth it.

Additionally, General Ha was a herbivore, and the Sudden Death King was a carnivore, so the resources perfectly catered to their preferences.

“Aroo~!!” General Ha’s eyes gleamed with excitement as it began to delicately lick the Life Dandelion, savoring it like cotton candy.

It licked slowly, taking its time to enjoy the taste. The treat looked so small; if it ate it all at once, it wouldn’t be able to taste it properly.

“Wow ka!!” The Sudden Death King looked on eagerly, feeling the allure of the Life Dandelion as well.

“As for you… When you master Thunder Armor, I’ll take you out for a battle. If you perform well, I’ll find you some good stuff to eat, too,” Lu Ran said.

“Wow ka!!” The Sudden Death King nodded earnestly. Thunder Armor!! It had to master it if it wanted to avoid a premature death!

And so, the team moved forward with clear goals and high hopes.

“It’s good to be confident, but we’ll need to work on your catchphrases,” Lu Ran said, hoping to reshape the Sudden Death King’s personality, given its young age. “Before you talk about getting suddenly killed, add some dramatic flair. It’ll sound more intimidating, got it?”

“For example, you could say, ‘Oh dear, such a frightening attack! If it hits me, I might suffer a sudden death, right?’”

The Sudden Death King was stunned.

Something felt off.

“See, that sounds much more intimidating!” Lu Ran was trying to teach it a taunting skill to draw aggro. That way, if he ever contracted the Sudden Death King, mimicking it wouldn’t make him seem too cowardly.

“General Ha, keep eating. After you’re done, help the Sudden Death King with the key points of energy shaping.”

“Woof?” General Ha paused, turning its head slightly. Teaching such a complex skill to a lizard seemed a bit…

It looked skeptically at the Sudden Death King, doubting its intelligence.

“!” Though the Sudden Death King couldn’t understand General Ha’s barking, it could sense the mocking look in General Ha’s eyes.

“Wow ka!! (So you look down on me, huh?)”

The Sudden Death King was very eager to enhance its defensive abilities.

Lu Ran, playing the role of translator and enjoying the show, said, “The Sudden Death King says it can’t believe you underestimate it and that it’s holding a grudge.”

General Ha was taken aback and shot a sharp look at the Sudden Death King.

If you can’t master Thunder Armor, prepare for a taste of my sword qi!

Sudden Death King: ???