The True Strength of Absorption

Huohuo's reaction was undeniably quick.

Compared to other plant-type Spirit Beasts whose reactions were always half a beat slow, the traps it laid released Entangling Vines at a speed that could keep up with a charging wild bull.

However, even without supernatural strength, a wild bull of that tonnage running at full speed couldn't be restrained by vines from an ordinary first-tier Spirit Beast.

As soon as Huohuo's vines wrapped around the wild bull's head, they snapped.

Little Grass Grass refused to admit defeat.

Yet, due to the absolute difference in tonnage, even with the Carry skill's enhancement, its vines were utterly incapable of stopping the charging wild bull.

"Huohuo! Trip it!" Zhou Lu saw that Huohuo was still determined and quickly said.

The next second, vines erupting from the ground wrapped around one of the wild bull's legs. Instantly losing its balance, the wild bull crashed heavily to the ground, even sliding forward for a distance.

It tried to get up, but Huohuo's trip had directly broken its leg.

Xu Wuhu naturally wouldn't let such an opportunity pass, skillfully stepping forward to finish off the wild bull.

"If we hand it over to the merchants in the safe zone, we should get a thousand or two thousand yuan for it," Xu Wuhu laughed heartily at Zhou Lu.

A few thousand yuan wasn't much for Xu Wuhu, but the joy of such a harvest was truly intoxicating.

Zhou Lu couldn't help but sigh. It was so simple to earn a thousand or two thousand yuan, no wonder everyone was scrambling to become a Beast Tamer.

However, this wasn't his primary concern at the moment.

He looked down at Huohuo and clearly felt a slight change in it the moment it tripped the wild bull.

This feeling... it had also appeared when Huohuo acquired the Carry skill from the Flying Jade Bee.

The wild bull was not a Spirit Beast, so it didn't have skills. Therefore, this feeling was very likely an attribute bonus.

Strength, defense, speed, luck... Theoretically, every attribute of a creature would have a specific numerical value.

But this change, apart from the perceived sensation, usually only provided specific numerical values when calculating growth.

Zhou Lu clearly felt that Huohuo's branches and leaves had become a bit thicker.

This feeling did not appear when Huohuo tripped the second wild bull.

This was also normal; the Absorption ability was never a hundred percent.

He just didn't know if this probability was affected by luck bonuses.

Thinking this, Zhou Lu's gaze fell upon the system interface.

When Huohuo smashed Li Yi with the Sticky Baby, the system gave Zhou Lu two failure rewards for tasks.

For the task Kill Li Yi, the failure reward gave Zhou Lu a permanent random C-rank skill card.

And for the Training Interference failure reward, it gave Zhou Lu a one-time Beast Tamer skill card.

This Beast Tamer skill wasn't Nourish, but Body Feed.

Body Feed: Beast Tamer Skill. Limited to once per day. You reduce all your attributes by 30% and grant a specific attribute of your designated Spirit Beast a 100% bonus for a period of time. (The bonus duration varies with the designated attribute. After the bonus period, both parties' attributes revert to their original states.)

Zhou Lu didn't quite understand why this task reward changed the skill from Nourish to Body Feed when only 10% was awarded.

But if Huohuo's Absorption skill truly benefited from luck bonuses, then using Body Feed to double Huohuo's luck seemed like a very good option.

However, to know this, a comparison was needed.

Hunting wild bulls could yield more attribute absorption, but hunting a wild bull wasn't something Huohuo could complete alone. Furthermore, absorption didn't trigger one hundred percent of the time, making the efficiency too low.

So Zhou Lu set his sights on the chipmunks scattered across the grassland.

Chipmunks were standard first-tier Spirit Beasts, but their actual attributes were definitely inferior to wild bulls. Most Spirit Beasts surpassed ordinary beasts not in attributes, but in skills, especially when the size difference was so significant.

For Huohuo, chipmunks were undoubtedly easier to kill than wild bulls, as Huohuo's previous performance indicated.

During a break for the group, Zhou Lu began using the chipmunks to test Huohuo's Absorption probability.

He was basically certain that he would only perceive something when Absorption yielded a permanent skill or permanent attribute.

"You seem quite interested in the chipmunks?" Li Yi said, holding the Sticky Baby, watching Huohuo continuously scoop up chipmunks from the grass.

"Yeah," Zhou Lu nodded, not explaining much.

Li Yi thought for a moment and then asked, "Do you have a way to catch the chipmunks without causing them too much harm?"

Zhou Lu glanced at Huohuo.

Huohuo could now skillfully catch the chipmunks without killing them. Adhering to the principle of sustainable fishing, Zhou Lu released all the chipmunks he caught: "I think it shouldn't be a problem."

Li Yi suddenly smiled. "Then don't waste this effort. I have a very good business opportunity here, perhaps we can earn back this entrance fee."

Zhou Lu's interest was immediately piqued.

Li Yi then told Zhou Lu the news he had heard.

A company that partnered with his father was interested in purchasing a batch of chipmunks for new potion experiments.

The cost of artificially cultivating Spirit Beasts was too high, and chipmunks weren't high-value Spirit Beasts, nor were they an endangered species. Wild collection was more cost-effective.

As first-tier Spirit Beasts, their procurement price wasn't very low.

"So, are you interested in participating?" Li Yi's eyes were shining as he said this, as if this matter was more important to him than training.

Zhou Lu suddenly felt that there was a reason why the two of them needed the Class Monitor's help.

Anyone with even a shred of ambition in beast taming battles would choose a stronger Spirit Beast, right? Even if they had a complete evolutionary line at home, there was nothing stopping them from contracting a second pet.

Clearly, Li Yi hadn't put his mind to the Combat Department.

"But the training…" Zhou Lu hesitated.

"Go! This kind of good thing flashes by and can't be missed!" Just as he was hesitating, Xu Wuhu's voice came over. "My brothers have all taught me in different ways. Opportunities, once missed, are gone forever."

"Besides," Xu Wuhu gave Zhou Lu a thumbs-up. "I feel like we've already trained very well! Passing the exam with flying colors is more than enough!"

No! We've only trained for half a day! How is that more than enough?!

[Ding! Mission Complete!]

[You have successfully made Xu Wuhu and others abandon their grassland training, greatly reducing Zhou Lu's chances of passing the combat preliminary exam.]

[System has issued rewards, please check.]

[Successfully activated subsequent mission: Exam Interference]

*****

[Optional Mission Seven: Exam Interference]

[Mission Introduction: The combat preliminary exam is the starting point of Zhou Lu's rise. His brilliant performance during the exam earned him a large number of Academic Credits and the appreciation of Xu Yilong, laying the foundation for his entry into the Pioneer Army. Although you have successfully interfered with his training, it is still impossible to rule out the possibility of him performing brilliantly in the exam. Please find a way to interfere with this combat preliminary exam.]

[Mission Reward: Beast Tamer Skill Card (Body Feed)]

******

Damn mission complete.

Was it me who wanted to stop them from training?! I'm the one who was being passive, okay!

Please collect! Please follow!