Beastmaster King-Chapter 180 - Paranormal Phenomena

“Captain Doofus.”

Faced with the strange and unsettling sight before him, Lu Ran fell silent for a moment before issuing a very specific command, investigate by force.

At his direction, Captain Doofus broke free from the grasp of the two children and turned toward the two nearby spotted deer. With its enormous mouth wide open, it began to blow a gust of wind toward them.

Whoooosh!

The wind wasn’t particularly strong; it was just enough to lift skirts and definitely enough to attract the attention of any nearby animals. However, even as the airflow reached the deer, it failed to provoke any response.

The breeze passed straight through the deer, without so much as rustling their fur. The two deer continued to wander leisurely, as though utterly unaware of their surroundings.

Lu Ran’s gaze shifted to the patch of grass they had been eating moments earlier. Despite having been nibbled on for some time, the grass remained untouched, its condition pristine.

The undead?

Lu Ran immediately ruled out spiritual entities, as he had seen plenty of undead familiars before, and this phenomenon didn’t match their behavior.

[An illusion?]

His brow furrowed. The deer might have been a meticulously crafted hallucination, possibly directed at him specifically by someone with immense power. Whatever it was, neither Captain Doofus nor the others could perceive it at all.

“We’re leaving,” Lu Ran said decisively.

He quickly led Captain Doofus and the others away, steering clear of the two children and the elderly woman nearby.

“Doggy... doggy...” The children called after Captain Doofus reluctantly, unwilling to see it go.

“Woof!”

Captain Doofus, however, remained irritated, growling internally about the little brats who had dared mess up its immaculate fur. If they hadn’t been so young, it might have held a grudge.

......

On the main road. Lu Ran stopped beneath a tree.

Taking a deep breath, he muttered, “Manager Ying? Hello? Are you there?”

“Speak.”

A ripple appeared in the air, and a black cat materialized before him. No one knew exactly how many avatars Manager Ying had. Lu Ran only knew that whether he was in Sky City, Green Sea City, or now on this trip, it could always be summoned.

I am in its heart!

[Species: ???]

[Attribute: ???]

[Species Rank: ???]

[Level: ???]

However, due to possibly not being the entity itself, Lu Ran has never been able to see the real information about Manager Ying. However, judging by its strength, a single avatar might not necessarily be as strong, but all the avatars combined should not be weaker than the original.

After all, Manager Ying was an ancient being, one of the few survivors from primordial times. It might claim to be weak, but Lu Ran wasn’t buying it. Most likely, it was an excuse to slack off.

“Manager Ying, I think I’ve encountered a paranormal phenomenon,” Lu Ran began.

The black cat looked visibly annoyed but listened patiently as Lu Ran recounted the eerie events in the park, including the inexplicable appearance of the spotted deer.

“Can you sense anything unusual?”

“Do you think this might have something to do with the Divine Deer that Lu Village worships?”

“Deer?”

Manager Ying’s gaze immediately shifted in the direction of the park as it furrowed its brows.

“I can’t sense anything either. When you entered the Beginner Ascension Realm, I started investigating ancient beings, and one of the first places I checked was Lu Village.

“This is just a very ordinary village. You’re certain you saw multiple spotted deer?”

Lu Ran hesitated, unsure how to articulate his thoughts. Even Manager Ying couldn’t detect anything unusual. This meant that if it was indeed an illusion, its creator’s strength was far beyond Manager Ying’s capabilities.

“Still, it might really have something to do with the Divine Deer,” Manager Ying said.

It studied Lu Ran’s expression, which was far too serious for it to assume he was joking. Its own demeanor grew stern.

“In fact, there’s a theory.”

“What theory?” Lu Ran asked.

“The special abilities found on the Blue Planet didn’t just appear from nowhere. They were often awakened by the influence of powerful life forms.

“Some people were directly blessed by these entities, while others inherited abilities passed down from ancestors who received such blessings.

“For instance, why was it only Lin Yin who experienced dream harassment from that fox? Why didn’t it target other people with special abilities? And now with you...” Manager Ying’s eyes narrowed.

“Doesn’t your situation resemble hers? You’re the only one who can see these spotted deer. Coincidentally, you’re a descendant of the Divine Deer clan, plus you’ve awakened an incredibly rare special ability. It’s entirely possible that people with special abilities were granted them for a larger mission or purpose.”

“You’re suggesting these deer shadows might lead me to uncover the Divine Deer’s secrets or even find it?” Lu Ran asked.

“It’s highly likely. At the very least, it’s a promising lead,” Manager Ying replied.

“I’ve been searching for ancient lifeforms for a long time without success. Meanwhile, you and Lin Yin have experienced phenomena that can’t be explained through normal means. There’s no way there’s nothing going on behind the scenes.

“Besides, these deer shadows don’t seem hostile or harmful. Why not stay here a few more days and investigate carefully?”

Lu Ran hesitated but eventually nodded.

“Alright. I’ll stay in Lu Village for a while and figure out what’s going on.”

“I’ll bring in my other avatars to examine the situation from different perspectives,” Manager Ying said.

“Can’t you just come in your true form?” Lu Ran asked.

Manager Yin shot him a look of disdain, the kind one might give an idiot.

“My true body is still in hibernation, recovering its strength. Why do you think I work so hard as an information broker? It’s to fund and strengthen my avatars!”

Lu Ran froze, realization dawning on him. Manager Ying wasn’t just tirelessly gathering information for fun. It was cultivating its avatars, channeling their accumulated power back into its true form to awaken it from its slumber.

It’s so diligent... Much more inspiring than that fox conning people with dream fraud.

“By the way, I’ve come across some initial information on one-of-a-kind traits. There are candidates from both within the country and abroad. I’ve narrowed it down to three traits that I think are particularly suitable as evolution resources for your dog.

“Do you want to hear about them? The owners of these traits are interested in trading them for your Stone Dragon Egg and its associated resources. If you’re interested, the transaction can happen immediately.”

The Stone Dragon Egg was highly sought-after, but as a reliable information broker, Manager Ying ensured that Lu Ran would be able to compare options carefully before deciding.

“Hm?”

“Woof, woof!”

Momentarily shelving his thoughts about the paranormal phenomenon, Lu Ran turned his attention to Manager Ying.

“What are the traits?” Lu Ran asked, his interest piqued.

Beside him, Captain Doofus wagged its tail and stuck out its tongue, radiating anticipation.

“First up is Void Frost Aura. This trait originates from a powerful Overlord lifeform. It’s a unique Ice-attribute ability, akin to unique lightning or exotic flames. The trait has the effect of freezing space itself.

“Your dog has already mastered Blizzard Sword Intent, and you plan to add the Space attribute to it in the future. This trait could serve as an excellent transitional bridge, linking its current powers to its eventual capabilities.

“In addition, once this trait is integrated, you’ll gain the ability to trap enemies in frozen space. It’ll be especially handy for dealing with rogue beastmasters trying to escape into Limitless City.”

“A Space-infused Ice trait?” Lu Ran mused.

Although he felt it wasn’t quite as impressive as Eye of the Evil God, it was undoubtedly a top-tier option. As Manager Ying pointed out, it was a practical choice for helping Captain Doofus transition toward mastering Space-attribute abilities.

“What’s the second one?” Lu Ran asked, eager to compare.

“Dragon Slayer Trait,” Manager Ying replied.

“What exactly is that? It sounds so odd.”

Lu Ran frowned, unable to make sense of it. The name alone felt off, almost as if it were designed to counter Sudden Death King specifically.

“Creatures that merge with this Dragon Slayer Trait gain the ability to grow stronger by hunting dragons. The more dragons they slay, the more they enhance their abilities.

“The stronger the dragon they kill, the greater the benefits. Over time, this continuous growth can allow the creature to surpass dragonkin beings in overall attributes.

“This power was originally developed by a dragon hunter from Stellar Moon Continent. She was a legendary figure known as the Dragon Slayer, and a true nemesis of the dragon race. That ability, surprisingly, has been turned into a trait reward by Limitless City, which is unusual.” Manager Ying shook its head in mild disbelief.

“I thought it might suit you, considering your role as a dragon chef. Plus, your dog already wields the Dragon-Slaying Sword Intent. Maybe this trait could help you both level up quickly by slaying dragons.

“The beastmaster currently holding this trait knows its value but also understands they lack the ability to fully utilize it. That’s why they’re looking to trade it.”

“Woof, woof!”

Captain Doofus’s eyes sparkled with excitement.

Gale Sword Dog evolves into Dragon Slayer Sword Dog!

“And the last one?” Lu Ran asked.

The Dragon Slayer Trait essentially allowed Captain Doofus to gain experience points from defeating dragons. It reminded him of how the dog had leveled up during their time in the Beginner’s Secret Realm. However, this trait came with a clear limitation. It was only valuable in dragon-focused secret realms.

“The third one is called Absolute Comprehension. This trait drastically enhances the familiar’s comprehension abilities. Your dog already has decent comprehension, but with this enhancement, it could achieve unparalleled insight.

“This would significantly boost its ability to develop new skills and refine existing ones—a trait that permanently boosts comprehension.”

As Manager Ying finished its briefing, Lu Ran fell into deep contemplation. He looked at Captain Doofus and closed his eyes to continue contemplating.

Void Frost Aura, Dragon Slayer Trait, Absolute Comprehension... After a long pause, Lu Ran opened his eyes and spoke decisively.

“Do I even need to think about this? I’ll take Absolute Comprehension.”

“You rascal...” Manager Yin chuckled.

It extended its paw and pointed at him knowingly.

“To be honest, I was going to recommend that one myself.”

“Exactly,” Lu Ran said, a faint smile forming.

“Void Frost Aura serves as a transitional bridge, linking Blizzard Sword Intent to future Space attributes. Dragon Slayer Trait ties directly to Captain Doofus’s current strengths and offers a clear growth pathway.

“But Absolute Comprehension... If Captain Doofus’s comprehension ability becomes strong enough, it can eventually integrate all its powers, achieving the effects of the other two traits, and possibly surpassing them altogether.”

“Woof?”

Captain Doofus tilted its head, looking as though it were pondering this deeply.

I’m already this smart, so do I need more boosts to my intelligence? Then, it broke into a wide, self-satisfied grin.

“This is an enhancement to comprehension, not intelligence. Don’t get any weird ideas. You’re still as dimwitted as ever.” Manager Ying rolled its eyes at Captain Doofus.

This chapt𝙚r is updated by freeωebnovēl.c૦m.

Judging by the absurd expression on Captain Doofus’s face, its imagination was clearly running wild.

“Woof, woof, woof, woof!”

“In conclusion, that’s what it means,” Manager Ying turned its head and said.

“Currently, on Blue Planet, the only power that can be called a symbol of strength is the Domain Technique. A domain is constructed by a familiar using vast amounts of energy and numerous skills.

“It forms an area around itself that can shield and isolate space, enabling numerous skills to interconnect, cycle continuously, and mutually enhance. It’s an almost inescapable ultimate move and represents the full mastery of a familiar’s skills.

“As the saying goes, once a domain appears, the battle is over. However, creating a Domain Technique places strict demands on a familiar’s talent as it’s not something that can be learned just by reaching a certain level.

“It requires effort from both the familiar and the beastmaster to develop it. At present, only a few dozen familiars on Blue Planet have grasped the basic form of a domain. Whether or not a familiar possesses a Domain Technique creates a significant disparity in power.

“If your Captain Doofus can integrate the Absolute Comprehension Trait, considering it has already mastered three types of Sword Intent, perhaps in the future, it could combine more intent powers and create an invincible Sword Domain.

“Just think about it. If it further comprehends more Sword Intents with exceptional perception, and then integrates those into the Sword Domain to achieve multiple domains, wouldn’t it be extremely powerful?

“The Absolute Comprehension Trait might not bring immediate improvements. However, as an evolution resource, if it leads to a strong evolution-related comprehension talent, the long-term benefits are undeniable,” Manager Ying judged.

The Void Frost Aura, Dragon Slayer Trait, and others were paths already taken by others. But with the Absolute Comprehension Trait, Lu Ran could let Captain Doofus continue forging its own path.

Although the outcome was uncertain, in terms of potential, it was undoubtedly the strongest. As a knowledgeable ancient being, Manager Ying still believed that such a trait was more suitable for a super-genius like Lu Ran.

“Who would sell such a trait instead of investing in themselves?”

Lu Ran couldn’t help but ask at this point. He clearly understood that the potential of this trait was its core value.

“Cough, cough.”

Manager Ying said, “Over in the Kimchi Nation... Well, it’s because I exaggerated the value of this Stone Dragon Egg out there. A cherished figure of a major conglomerate took a liking to the Diamond Dragon. If the trade succeeds, aside from this trait, they’ll have to throw in some additional resources.”

Lu Ran was speechless.

“Also, don’t overestimate the Absolute Comprehension Trait. Ultimately, the same trait may yield entirely different results depending on the familiar it’s applied to. Compared to the uncertainty of trait fusion, having a familiar of a powerful species is a more practical choice.”

“That’s true.” Lu Ran glanced at Captain Doofus, whose eyes gleamed with wisdom, feeling that Captain Doofus should be capable of harnessing this comprehension-enhancing trait.

“I’ll investigate a bit longer. If I find a more suitable trait, we can reconsider. If not, I’ll help you with the trade. At that time, I’ll deliver the Absolute Comprehension Trait to you. The rest of the resources will count as my reward for getting you the Eye of the Evil God and the Absolute Comprehension Trait. Is that acceptable?”

“No problem.” Lu Ran nodded.

Although he felt Manager Ying would undoubtedly profit significantly from this deal, considering its efforts were solely aimed at awakening its true form, Lu Ran refrained from bargaining.

He just wondered what this doofus would evolve into after fusing with the Absolute Comprehension, Weapon Control, and Nature Manipulation traits during the next phase of evolution...