Let's Go Big

"All right, let's not waste any more time. Leave this to me. You can send your people away."

Manager Ying spoke up, telling Zhao Chen, "Too many people will alert the target. It'll be a hassle if he gets away."

"You don't need even one helper?" Zhao Chen asked.

"No. He's just a Necromancer." Manager Ying looked relaxed.

"Wouldn't it be safer to bring a couple of helpers anyway..."

"You're so annoying." Manager Ying snapped, "Are you worried that if I handle this alone, you won't get any credit?"

"!!!" Zhao Chen's expression froze. He said awkwardly, "Of course not. Since you say so, Manager Ying, we'll follow your lead."

"Hmph."

"If I need a helper, this guy will do. I'll have him lead the way and let him see some undead while he's at it." The feline manager looked at Lu Ran.

"Well..." Zhao Chen faltered. I asked you to choose a helper, not dead weight. His expression shifted slightly. "Manager Ying, it's fine to have Lu Ran lead the way, but let's not expose him to something as dangerous as a Necromancer. He's still a newcomer..."

"At the very least, he can take a look after you've caught the Necromancer."

"Relax. With me around, he'll be fine," Manager Ying said. "What is there worth observing about a captured Necromancer?"

"No, this is still a little..." Zhao Chen looked troubled. "Lu Ran is a newcomer Dr. Gu has high hopes for. How about I contact her first and ask..."

He still couldn't feel comfortable letting Lu Ran follow a cat into something so dangerous alone.

Although Manager Ying was rumored to be exceptionally powerful, Lu Ran's identity was rather sensitive, given his connection to another major figure.

Even if Lu Ran was fairly strong himself... they were dealing with a transnational criminal organization.

"Huh? He's a newcomer Gu Qingyi has high hopes for?" Manager Ying paused and looked at Lu Ran, who had suddenly started coughing.

"Ahem, ahem. Uncle Zhao, it's fine. I want to go myself." Lu Ran felt a little awkward. Oh, boy. Little White Dragon and the others really have let their imaginations run that far.

But this cat seemed to know Gu Qingyi. Things would get awkward if they actually contacted her. Gu Qingyi didn't even know him, Lu Ran...

"No wonder you brought up Gu Qingyi. So you've met." Looking thoughtful, Manager Ying nodded and told Zhao Chen, "You don't need to worry about this. I know Gu Qingyi better than you do. Leave the kid to me. For Little Qingyi's sake, I'll take good care of him."

"I guarantee he'll come back with all four limbs intact."

"Well... all right." With Manager Ying having gone that far, and Lu Ran himself agreeing, Zhao Chen could hardly say anything more.

A moment later, he couldn't help feeling envious. Connections really did make life easy. Not only did Lu Ran have Dr. Gu backing him, he had now effortlessly made a connection with Manager Ying as well.

"Let's go." Manager Ying looked at Lu Ran.

"How are we getting there..." Lu Ran asked.

"Have you heard of the Spatial Skill, Instant Teleportation?"

The mountain behind Rainbow Town, Jinling City.

A flash of light appeared, bringing two figures with it.

After landing, Lu Ran silently surveyed his surroundings.

"So fast!"

Just now, using the Spatial Skill Instant Teleportation, Manager Ying had made several spatial jumps in less than a minute, easily bringing Lu Ran back to the mountain where Sudden Death King had caught grasshoppers!

Since they had teleported through places he knew, the journey had felt different from teleporting through Infinite City.

It was so convenient.

Lu Ran swore to himself.

Whichever pet beast it might be,

he would definitely awaken the Spatial attribute for one of them someday!

Not for any other reason, simply because traveling with the Spatial attribute was incredibly convenient!

With Instant Teleportation, who needed high-speed trains or planes?

"Nobody here?" After landing, Lu Ran noticed there wasn't a soul around. Even the mound where the body had been buried had been restored to its original appearance.

Since they had confirmed the corpse's identity, they must have dug it up. They had probably restored everything to make it easier for Manager Ying to investigate again.

They really had pulled everyone out!

"Lu Ran, right?" the feline manager suddenly said. "I didn't like you much at first, but since you're a Beast Tamer Little Qingyi has high hopes for, want to go big and get some practice?"

"Huh?" Lu Ran asked. "How big?"

"Necromancers who crop up within the country generally aren't very strong. Most are only on par with apprentice Beast Tamers. Their abilities are just unusual and a little troublesome."

"I could find him and take care of him, of course, but that would be far too boring. Since you're both a psychic and an acquaintance of Little Qingyi's, I'll leave this training opportunity to you."

"Once I find him, you deal with him. I'll stand by and cover you."

Lu Ran: ???

"I'm supposed to fight that Necromancer?" Lu Ran was startled.

He distinctly felt something squirm in his pocket. Most likely, Sudden Death King had been frightened. Ever since this cat appeared, the little fellow had been playing dead, probably sensing that Manager Ying was not to be trifled with.

Was he afraid the cat would eat him?

"Exactly. It's a rare chance to gain experience."

"Actually... I'm not that close to Dr. Gu. She doesn't even know me. It's just that she has high hopes for an older sister of mine. As for dealing with a Necromancer... I'd rather just watch from the sidelines." Lu Ran backed down. He wasn't especially keen to personally deal with a member of an international criminal organization. Wouldn't it be a hassle if they set their sights on him?

"You expect me to believe that?" Manager Ying scoffed. "Are you scared?"

Me, scared? What a joke. At most, I'm getting an early start on adapting to Super Beast Mimicry with Sudden Death King!

"I just don't want to get too involved with Other Shore... Besides, I really don't know Dr. Gu well."

"That organization won't leave you alone just because you don't want to get involved with them. You could encounter Other Shore members hiding their identities in a Breakthrough Secret Realm someday. All the Beast Tamers entering a Breakthrough Secret Realm are assigned randomly, making it the perfect hunting ground for Other Shore members. They won't hold back when looking for prey. You'd have even less time to adapt then. If you didn't know Gu Qingyi, I wouldn't even bother with you."

Lu Ran smiled bitterly. This misunderstanding was getting out of hand. Why wouldn't this cat believe him when he told the truth?

Still, Lu Ran could tell that Manager Ying genuinely wanted him to use this opportunity to gain experience, so he would be better prepared for future dangers.

"All right, then... If he really isn't strong, I'll give it a try?" Lu Ran said.

"That's more like it. What is there to be afraid of?" Looking pleased that he could be taught, Manager Ying added, "Besides, if you really take him down, the reward from the Authorities won't be small. I don't care about it, but for a newcomer like you, it could be a hefty sum of Crystal Coins, enough to last you a long time."

"When the time comes, you can have the reward, and we'll report internally that I handled it, so you don't attract too much attention. Of course, if you can't beat him, forget I said anything. As a psychic, you shouldn't be all that weak, right?"

"A hefty sum of Crystal Coins???" Lu Ran paused.

Why didn't you say so sooner?

If she had mentioned that earlier, he, Lu Ran, would certainly have volunteered to capture a murderer whom anyone had every right to bring to justice!

Punish evil and uphold good! It was his duty!

In an instant, Lu Ran brimmed with righteousness.

The change made even Manager Ying pause. What happened? Could this guy be desperately short on Crystal Coins?

It seemed he really was. Manager Ying could sense that the lizard in Lu Ran's pocket hadn't awakened an attribute yet. Was he short of money for materials?

Whatever. Not my problem.

She turned to look at the grave mound.

First, she observed a few seconds of silence for the unfortunate novice Beast Tamer.

Then faint golden-blue ripples appeared around her.

The golden-blue ripples kept spreading until they enveloped the entire mountain!

Countless traces flashed through her eyes, one after another.

A moment later, the light vanished.

"Done," Manager Ying said calmly. "That Necromancer is a novice too. He left plenty of traces."

"Let's go find him. As long as he's still in Jinling, it won't take long."

"Hmm, if he's left Jinling, or even gone to Infinite City, it might be more troublesome. But let's look first."

"Okay!" Lu Ran nodded.

"If he's in the city, I'll need you to act as bait and lure him somewhere less crowded. Any problem with that? We don't want to fight in a crowded place, and neither will he."

"I'll stay out of sight if I can, so I don't scare him and keep him from performing at his best."

Lu Ran's face darkened. So I still have to be bait?!

"I feel like simply trying to lure him out might not work," Lu Ran said. "If he isn't stupid, he won't attack an unfamiliar Beast Tamer. He'd investigate their strength first, wouldn't he..."

The cat's lips curled slightly. "Devouring souls is addictive for low-level Necromancers, just like that stuff. Very few can control themselves. Most of the ones here are small fry without that kind of discipline. Only Other Shore's core members and higher-ups can be said to have fully mastered this profession."

What stuff? Lu Ran paused.

"Other Shore essentially casts a wide net with these small fry, producing and brainwashing them en masse. It's like raising venomous creatures to make them fight each other. They don't care even if many die. Only those who truly master the Necromancer profession are formally accepted into Other Shore."

"Just take your lizard for a stroll near him. With their sensitivity to souls, he'll be able to tell that you're both delicious and weak. Your lizard really is weak, after all. Though considering he's uncontracted and only level 1, that's normal. But he won't be able to tell whether you've formed a contract. He'll instinctively assume that little fellow is your pet beast."

Sudden Death King: [I'm going to drop dead!]

Lu Ran thought it sounded workable. He patted Sudden Death King in his pocket. No dropping dead, please.

Did you hear that?

Just stick with me and get stronger!

Otherwise, with a bunch of guys out there who can "kill monsters to level up," you're in even greater danger!

Sudden Death King trembled, yet felt that Lu Ran had a point. The world was so dangerous... To avoid being killed, he had to follow Lu Ran and grow stronger. Ideally... he would train even his soul to have incredibly high resistance! Then his enemies wouldn't be able to hurt him!