Little White Dragon

After studying in his room for a while, Lu Ran went out.

He had thought it through. It would be a shame not to learn the only beast-taming skill he currently had. He definitely hadn't changed his tune.

He already had an idea of how to put Super Beast Mimicry to good use!

General Ha was only a little over a year old and still very moldable... Yes, Lu Ran would never act like a dog, but he could make General Ha stop acting like one!

He was still missing a few tools to make that happen.

Once he returned to Green Sea City, he could experiment further.

As for now... He had come to Infinite City to learn more.

The sooner he figured things out, the sooner he could go home.

I need to keep the Divine Deer Pendant hidden. I can't let anyone see it. Luckily, I can put it in my identity card's inventory too.

Before leaving, Lu Ran had made thorough preparations. The Divine Deer Pendant was currently his biggest secret, and he absolutely couldn't let anyone else learn about it, lest they covet it.

An epic-level resource... Although he didn't know how many ranks above Common and Advanced that was, it was undoubtedly an exceedingly rare treasure.

Of course, most importantly, it was a keepsake his mother had left him.

After stepping outside, Lu Ran found that he appeared to be in a residential district filled with grayish-white buildings. There was no one nearby, making the place feel cold and deserted.

He had originally thought that this so-called Infinite City would be bustling, with plenty of other human Beast Tamers inside. Apparently, he had imagined too much.

Lu Ran looked around and headed out of the residential district. When he reached its entrance, he finally saw his first person.

The man wore a neat white suit and thick-framed glasses, giving him a very serious air. No... He was sitting on a stool, holding a book in one hand while frequently using the other to take chips from a bag on the table beside him and pop them into his mouth. That made him look rather less serious.

As Lu Ran approached, the man noticed him too.

"A newcomer?" Noticing Lu Ran approaching, the man turned toward him and said in a seemingly cheerful tone, "Congratulations, newcomer. You passed the Novice Trial."

Lu Ran looked at him and asked, "Who are you?"

"Don't be nervous. Let me introduce myself. I'm also a 'resident' of this district. I suppose I'm your senior. I passed the Novice Trial and became a Beast Tamer a little over half a month ago."

"We're both from Xia Country. If there's anything you don't understand, feel free to ask me. Just think of me as your guide to Infinite City." The bespectacled man in the suit stood up with a smile.

"What should I call you?" Lu Ran decided to ask. The man was clearly waiting here for newcomers, so he might as well oblige him.

It seemed that plenty of people really had become Beast Tamers before him.

He already had a guess about the man's identity.

"My name here is Little White Dragon Amid the Waves."

Lu Ran: ?

"What about you? You don't have to give your real name. Generally, Beast Tamers who enter Infinite City change the name on their identity cards."

"It's basically the same as an online username."

"John Doe," Lu Ran said. He had indeed changed his name too.

At first, Lu Ran had wanted to call himself "King of Beast Tamers," but he worried that it sounded too cocky and might get him beaten up. In the end, he had picked something more low-key.

"Huh?" The bespectacled man in the suit froze at his answer.

Something that plain?

He had thought young people would all choose some over-the-top name.

Little White Dragon Amid the Waves shrugged. "All right. I know you must have a lot of questions right now. How about I answer them for you?"

"Thanks," Lu Ran said. "First, I want to know what exactly happened to me."

Little White Dragon pondered for a moment before saying, "Well, about that..."

"About three years ago, a large number of Contract Black Cards suddenly appeared all around the world. By conservative estimates, several hundred descended in Xia Country alone."

"That should have been the first time the Contract Black Cards appeared. From then on, nations around the world learned that supernatural powers like these actually existed."

"Three years ago?" Lu Ran asked in surprise.

"Yes."

Contract Black Cards and Beast Tamers first came to Xia Country's attention three years ago?

Then what about the Divine Deer Pendant?

His family heirloom had to be at least several hundred years old.

"And then?" Lu Ran asked.

"Three years ago, several hundred people in Xia Country were selected to become Beast Tamers, but few passed the trial and entered Infinite City."

Lu Ran fell silent.

"After that, the Black Cards appeared once a year. Two years ago, one year ago... Each time, several hundred people in Xia Country were selected."

"What about other countries?"

"Perhaps because of their populations, many other countries had very few people selected. Our country had relatively many."

"Of course, while we have a lot of Beast Tamers compared with other countries, they're only a tiny fraction of our own population of over a billion. So with the authorities suppressing the news, it hasn't had much of an impact. There are undercurrents stirring in the outside world, but things remain fairly calm on the surface."

"But a month ago, things changed again."

"The annual arrival of the Black Cards came around again."

"Large numbers of Black Cards appeared all over the world once more. This time, there were far more than in previous years, and their arrival lasted longer. Even now, Black Cards are still frequently appearing around the world, selecting different people to become Beast Tamers."

"You've seen the serial number on your identity card, right? That tells you where you fall in the order of people who cleared the trial."

"The authorities predict that this wave is so large that keeping the information hidden will probably be difficult. Society will inevitably be shaken by it, so they're now considering how to announce it to the public without disrupting social stability, and how to manage Beast Tamers systematically," Little White Dragon said.

"Obviously, you and I are among the lucky ones in this batch. And we're fairly capable, too. Generally speaking, most people can't pass the Novice Trial. That's not because ordinary people in Xia Country have trouble getting access to animals that can fight, but because it's hard for ordinary people to adjust their mindsets quickly."

"After all, Infinite City has a consciousness of its own. To some extent, it arranges suitable Novice Secret Realms based on the beasts newcomers have contracted."

"Of course, having a pet beast with a powerful starting species is still a huge advantage... Those rich bastards overseas... Damn, they keep all kinds of animals. They have way too much of an advantage."

Lu Ran fell silent again.

So that was how it worked?

"Then are you with the authorities?" Lu Ran asked.

"More or less."

"Donghuang Beast Taming Alliance,

Beast Tamer Administration Bureau,

Newcomer Recruitment Department,

Second Team member, Little White Dragon Amid the Waves."

"The Donghuang Beast Taming Alliance is Xia Country's official Beast Tamer organization. It was established three years ago and is a special department not disclosed to the public."

"Other newly established beast-taming organizations exist internationally as well. For now, they maintain a balance among the various sides."

Little White Dragon smiled. "Anyway, if I weren't getting paid, I wouldn't be bored enough to come recruit people here."

At least he was honest.

"After clearing the Novice Secret Realm, I joined Xia Country's official beast-taming organization. My current job is to guide newcomers who've just passed the Novice Trial and explain a few things to them. Understand now?"

"Are you trying to invite me to join the official organization?" Lu Ran asked.

That made sense. Beast Tamers possessed supernatural powers, so the authorities obviously couldn't let them operate freely among the public.

But honestly, Lu Ran was a little resistant. Mainly, he didn't want to get too close to others, such as teaming up to challenge secret realms. That would make it inconvenient to use the Divine Deer Pendant.

"You could say that, but it's entirely up to you," Little White Dragon said. "So far, not everyone has been willing to join the authorities."

"So, as long as you promise not to use your Beast Tamer powers to commit crimes or break the law in the outside world, there won't be any consequences even if you don't join the official organization. Of course, whether you join or not, every Beast Tamer must be registered."

Lu Ran was surprised. He had never expected that answer.

In an instant, Lu Ran imagined all sorts of possibilities. Perhaps the authorities had initially imposed strict control over Beast Tamers, only to suffer heavy losses from a backlash, leading them to gradually relax their management.

Alternatively, the people who had become Beast Tamers over the past three years might already have grown powerful enough to escape the control of worldly authorities... That seemed unlikely, though. Otherwise, the outside world would have descended into chaos long ago. Generally, those with greater power and influence in the outside world would have an easier time obtaining animals with powerful starting species as pet beasts. Besides, a Beast Tamer's strength in the early stages couldn't possibly rival technological weaponry.

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