In fact, giving the Ghost Stone Hell skill to Holo, the Female Snow Wolf, had been a decision Xu Fan made after careful consideration.
Based on the skill description,
Ghost Stone Hell was clearly a control skill.
It reminded him of an online game he had played before transmigrating.
DNF.
There was a class in it called the Exorcist.
One of its skills was to summon Shikigami: Xuanwu, which pounced on enemies and petrified them.
That produced a control effect known as petrification.
"Still, I didn't expect things to turn out like this."
Xu Fan looked the Female Snow Wolf up and down.
He thought it was only natural that her danger rating had risen by one level.
After all, she had gained a new skill.
Of course she'd become stronger.
But...
She had awakened her Bloodline Talent.
And she had been truly tamed.
That was beyond Xu Fan's expectations.
He'd only thought that as long as he was strong enough, he wouldn't have to worry about the Female Snow Wolf betraying him.
Besides, he didn't think a wolf as clever as her
would betray him.
Couldn't she tell who the protagonist was?
In the Live Stream Room,
"Holy crap, you can actually do that? That's incredible."
"Right? Who would've thought you could truly tame a beast? If Xu Fan hadn't dared to try, I doubt anyone would've unlocked this achievement."
"Just as expected of us Yan Kingdom people. We've always been the first to try anything."
"Holo's danger rating has risen to D+. She's gotten stronger, so maybe Xu Fan won't even need to fight the next time they encounter a Forbidden Land beast."
"Still... it feels like a bit of a waste. Wouldn't it be better to keep this kind of supernatural power for yourself?"
Now that Xu Fan had truly tamed the Female Snow Wolf,
the Yan Kingdom viewers were thrilled.
However...
Some people still thought
Xu Fan should have learned Ghost Stone Hell himself.
Otherwise, he might end up relying too much on the Female Snow Wolf.
And relying too much on outside help would inevitably keep his own strength from growing.
Of course...
There was no point dwelling on what had already happened.
After all, there were no "what ifs" in this world.
All they could do was hope that the next time he got a reward from a Treasure Chest,
Xu Fan would think carefully and not give it to the Female Snow Wolf again.
As for the foreigners who had been following Xu Fan's performance,
they were practically sour enough to have swallowed a whole lemon.
When they thought of their own country's players, still trembling with fear and struggling through the Forbidden Land,
having to watch their surroundings just to take a single step,
the Yan Kingdom player had casually handed a skill book—an item that granted supernatural power—to a beast!
It was enough to drive anyone mad.
The darkness in their hearts made them wish the Female Snow Wolf would betray Xu Fan right away,
and bite through his throat.
They wanted to see him taught a lesson.
But who could have guessed...
Not only had that failed to happen,
the Mysterious Voice had even directly confirmed
that Xu Fan had tamed the Female Snow Wolf!
And her danger rating had risen as a result!
The players from the other countries
were completely dumbfounded.
Had the Yan Kingdom player activated some sort of cheat?
What advanced weapons had he brought into the Forbidden Land?
Otherwise...
How could he keep defeating one beast after another?
While they had to detour around beasts, the Yan Kingdom player had practically gone on a killing spree!
This guy...
Had he brought an RPG or something into the Forbidden Land?
It was entirely possible!
The Yan Kingdom was, after all, one of the world's leading powers!
They often showed off their military strength by bringing out their weapons during major holidays!
That Xu Fan the Mysterious Voice had mentioned
must have received help from his country!
For a moment...
It felt as if every player in the Forbidden Land had been dunked in lemon juice.
The sourness had seeped right into their bones.
Meanwhile, the host and guests providing live commentary all breathed a huge sigh of relief.
"I never thought it would end this way." Host Xiao Ying's taut nerves finally relaxed, and her smile bloomed once more.
Looking at the result...
Xu Fan's decision hadn't been a bad one at all.
In fact, it had paid off handsomely.
"I suppose our dear Xu Fan was born with a lucky streak."
To Xiao Ying, the host,
Xu Fan was practically blessed by the God of Luck.
Every decision he'd made in the Forbidden Land had led to a wonderful outcome.
He even had the air of a webnovel protagonist.
Most importantly...
Compared with her, when she had first entered the Forbidden Land with no supplies at all,
Xu Fan now had plenty of food and fresh water.
And a D+-rank beast by his side!
It was no exaggeration to say that Xu Fan's path ahead looked bright.
"From the looks of it, there's probably nothing in the Forbidden Land that can threaten Xu Fan anymore," Brother Qiang said, drawing in a sharp breath.
They probably wouldn't have to worry about Xu Fan's safety for a while.
But...
Just as everyone thought Xu Fan would spend the night safely in the cave,
a shadow suddenly appeared in the live broadcast.
It was slowly approaching Xu Fan.
"Wait, what's that?"
Host Xiao Ying quickly noticed the detail and cried out in alarm.
Brother Qiang, Warrior King Chen, Director Zhang, Writer Yuanyuan, and countless pairs of eyes fixed on the screen
all turned toward the shadow.
As it drew closer to Xu Fan,
its outline gradually became clearer.
At first...
Everyone thought Xu Fan had encountered another beast in the Forbidden Land.
They even wondered if he had some kind of ability that attracted beasts.
But the truth was beyond everyone's expectations.
Judging by its appearance,
it wasn't a Forbidden Land beast.
It looked more like a human.
The person was trembling all over as he slowly shuffled forward.
In the Forbidden Land...
"Ah-choo!"
"Fuck, why is it so cold here? I'm already wearing a down jacket, but I'm still freezing."
"And what was that flash of light just now?"
That's right.
This person was another player who had entered the Forbidden Land.
He had been assigned to the Curry Kingdom,
and was exploring the vast Forbidden Land.
And...
He had landed in the Snowfield Region, just like Xu Fan.
Since he hadn't found a suitable place to stay on the first day,
he had spent the whole night trying to tough it out in his down jacket.
Now he was cold and exhausted.
He couldn't help feeling a little desperate.
But as he wandered around, unsure what to do, a flash of light suddenly caught his eye.
Especially with night falling,
the light had stood out even more.
After about half a minute, it disappeared.
He had no idea what had happened, but right now...
he had no other choice.
"Maybe that light was a flare or something?"
"Maybe it was another player..."
His throat bobbed as he struggled to swallow. He could only try to look on the bright side.
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