Chapter 681: Playing the Game
Chapter 681: Playing the Game (Combined)
An hour later, Qiao Sang vomited out the Body-Forge Worm, her face pale.
Elma promptly brought a cup of water.
Qiao Sang took it and drank it in one go, alleviating her nausea.
"Thank you", Qiao Sang exhaled a long breath, expressing her gratitude.
"It's my duty", Elma replied. She then seemed to think of something and asked with a smile, "Do you want to continue the training with the Body-Forge Worm, or shall we resume tomorrow?"
Qiao Sang thought for a moment and asked, "Can I take the Body-Forge Worm home for training?"
The second stage required the Body-Forge Worm to traverse her body's meridians 99 times. If she only trained once a day, it would take 99 days.
But by then, she would already be in college, and it was uncertain whether she would have the time to come here. She naturally hoped to finish the training as soon as possible.
She had just tried it once, which took about an hour. If she could take the Body-Forge Worm home, she could train at least three times a day, saving the time spent traveling back and forth.
Elma said, "You want the Body-Forge Worm to provide home service? It's possible, but this Body-Forge Worm isn't my familiar. The fees for home service are different from those here. You'll need to consult the Beastmaster of this Body-Forge Worm for the specifics."
She smiled gently and added, "I'll go ask for you right now."
"Alright", Qiao Sang nodded.
For some reason, she felt that Elma had become more respectful toward her.
Yes, respectful.
Could it be because she had endured the pain and let the Body-Forge Worm traverse her body, earning Elma's admiration?
Elma left the room.
At that moment, Tang Yi gave her a thumbs up, "Impressive, I'm in awe."
"What are you impressed by?" Qiao Sang sat down on the sofa next to him and asked.
"Accepting the Body-Forge Worm to traverse your body so quickly", Tang Yi asked sincerely, "Aren't you disgusted?"
Qiao Sang glanced at him, "What do you think?"
It seems she was disgusted... Tang Yi looked at Qiao Sang's pale face and involuntarily imagined himself swallowing the Body-Forge Worm, suddenly feeling nauseous, with a look of wanting to vomit.
Don't start vomiting just because you're looking at me... Qiao Sang mentally complained, but on the surface, she remained calm, shifting her position slightly to put some distance between her and Tang Yi.
After a bout of dry heaving, Tang Yi took a sip of water and exhaled, "I think this training method might not be suitable for me..."
Qiao Sang advised, "You can try it first."
Hearing this, Tang Yi hesitated.
He vividly remembered how Qiao Sang had withstood a 200 kg punch from the Puncher without injury.
But the scene of her swallowing the Body-Forge Worm also left a deep impression on him...
Just then, Elma returned and said, "The Beastmaster of the Body-Forge Worm has agreed, but he requires a fee of 3000 Union Coins per hour, and you can set the time for his daily visits."
"Alright", Qiao Sang didn't waste any words, standing up, "Let the Body-Forge Worm come to my place this afternoon. I'll send you the address."
3000 Union Coins per hour, 99 times at one hour each... Tang Yi silently took out his mobile phone, opened the calculator, and did the math.
297,000 Union Coins...
Forget it, he wasn't cut out for this training... Tang Yi put his phone back in his pocket.
...
At three in the afternoon.
Qiao Sang was meditating cross-legged on the bed in her room.
"Ding dong~"
The doorbell rang.
"Xunxun!"
Treasure Seeker was using Psychic Power to play on the computer and didn't want to get up, so she called out to Steel Treasure, who was training Iron Wall.
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure put away his Iron Wall and walked to the door, checking the security camera.
Seeing it was the Body-Forge Worm from earlier, he extended his wings to open the door.
"Forge."
The Body-Forge Worm slowly crawled in, showing the work badge hanging from its neck, then took out a stopwatch to prepare to start the timer.
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure extended its wings to cover the stopwatch.
"Forge?"
Body-Forge Worm looked puzzled.
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure pointed to the Beastmaster room nearby and called out, indicating that the official training would start once the stopwatch was activated.
"Forge."
Body-Forge Worm didn't mind this and nodded, slowly crawling inside.
"Steel Guardian!"
Steel Treasure followed closely behind, raising its voice.
Qiao Sang, hearing the sound, slowly opened her eyes and greeted the Body-Forge Worm as it entered the room. "You're here."
"Forge."
"Forge?"
Body-Forge Worm nodded first and then called out, asking when they could start.
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure translated the message.
"Right now", Qiao Sang said.
"Forge."
Body-Forge Worm pressed the stopwatch, then took off its work clothes and badge, jumping into Qiao Sang's mouth.
Damn, it still hurts so much... Qiao Sang's forehead broke out in a sweat, and she curled up on the bed.
Seeing this, Steel Treasure turned and went to the kitchen to get a glass of water, placing it on the bedside table. It then watched its Beastmaster for a moment before running to the bathroom to wet a towel, wring it out, and fold it onto Qiao Sang's forehead.
It had flown to many places and seen many humans, remembering that they often did this when they were feeling unwell...
Steel Treasure kept a close eye on its Beastmaster.
The cool dampness on her forehead helped Qiao Sang shift her focus, easing her discomfort. She slowly exhaled.
Steel Treasure observed for a while, then returned to the living room to continue maintaining the Iron Wall, keeping a low profile.
"Ding dong~"
Ten minutes later, the doorbell rang again.
Steel Treasure glanced at the Treasure Seeker, who was intensely focused on the computer, then deactivated the Iron Wall and went to the door to check the security camera.
It was someone Steel Treasure had never seen before.
"Ding dong~ ding dong~"
The doorbell rang twice more.
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure pressed the intercom button and called out.
The person at the door visibly paused. "Is this Miss Qiao Sang's residence? I'm from the Negative Energy Collection Contest's organizing committee, here to shoot a promotional video for Ghost Ring."
Steel Treasure recalled the event in its mind and confirmed it was true.
It extended its wings and opened the door.
"Your..." The staff member's smile faltered upon seeing the figure at the door. "Beastmaster?"
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure pointed to the living room, where the Treasure Seeker was still on the computer, indicating that its Beastmaster was unwell and should not be disturbed. The staff could shoot the promotional video with the Treasure Seeker.
The staff member had a Ghost-type Companion Beast with a horn on its forehead.
"Translate this", the staff member said to their familiar.
"Ooh."
The horned familiar translated.
The staff member glanced at the Ghost-type Companion Beast that seemed to be typing away, hesitating. "This doesn't look like Ghost Ring."
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure patiently explained.
It has evolved.
"Translate again", the staff member said.
"Ooh."
Upon hearing the translation, the staff member was taken aback. "You mean Ghost Ring has evolved?"
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure nodded.
Wasn't Ghost Ring supposed to be a High-Class Companion Beast from Blue Star? The contestant, Qiao Sang, looks like a minor... The staff member paused for a moment, then took out a Beast Identifier and aimed it at the typing Ghost-type Companion Beast.
Soon, the Beast Identifier sounded off:
[Sorry, identification failed.]
Identification failed... Staff put down the Beast Identifier and looked at Steel Treasure, saying:
"I want to see your Beastmaster."
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure stared at him, her expression calm.
She’s not feeling well. If you can’t shoot now, we can schedule another time.
This time, Staff didn’t let his familiar translate. Instead, he frowned and repeated, "I want to see your Beastmaster."
He didn’t really want to communicate with a familiar. Even if the owner wasn’t around, there should at least be a butler or someone to greet him in a place like this.
But no one came out to receive him.
What was there to talk about with a familiar, especially when they didn’t share a language? It would be a nightmare to film.
Seeing that the familiar had no intention of calling her Beastmaster, Staff took out his mobile phone, about to contact Qiao Sang.
"Steel Guardian."
At that moment, Steel Treasure called out and walked toward a certain direction.
It should have gone to call its Beastmaster long ago... Seeing this, Staff put away his mobile phone.
Ten seconds later, he heard footsteps, but they weren’t human.
"Steel Guardian." Then came the familiar’s voice.
Staff looked up and saw a towering figure, over six meters tall, with a powerful and oppressive aura. It was a red presence coming from behind the bird-like familiar.
"Fang."
Fangy, remembering what the Fourth One had told it, glared at the human and growled.
Staff: "!!!"
Oh my gosh, what kind of familiar is this... Staff felt a massive shadow loom over him, blocking out all the light.
His heart raced, and he couldn’t help but take a step back.
"Steel Guardian."
Seeing this, Steel Treasure’s lips curled slightly, and she called out.
"Quick! Translate!" Staff said urgently.
"Ugh..." The horned familiar, also oppressed by the powerful aura, moved closer to its Beastmaster, grabbing his arm and translating with a tense expression.
The same message: She’s not feeling well. If you can’t shoot now, you can come back another time.
Staff didn’t dare to come back another time. He said urgently:
"I’ll shoot now!"
With that, he quickly pulled out all his shooting equipment.
Steel Treasure watched this and smiled in satisfaction.
"Steel Guardian."
It flapped its wings, signaling that it had handled the situation, and Big Brother Yabao could continue his training.
"Yabao Fangy"
Fangy felt something was off but shook its head. Its Beastmaster wasn’t feeling well, and it needed to keep an eye on this human to make sure he didn’t disturb her.
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure, hearing this, said no more and moved to the side to practice Iron Wall.
Suddenly, there was a series of explosions outside.
Steel Treasure was very familiar with this sound; it was the noise Big Brother Yabao made while training his skills.
It dropped its Iron Wall and looked around, puzzled.
Big Brother Yabao was supposed to be nearby...
After a moment’s thought, Steel Treasure walked toward the open training ground and saw a scene of Flame Kiru using fire skills.
"Steel Guardian..."
Steel Treasure looked at the scene thoughtfully.
It knew that Big Brother Yabao could use many clones to train different skills simultaneously, but it never realized that the original and the clones could be so far apart and still function independently...
If it learned this skill in the future, could it also do many things at once and save time...
...
An hour later.
"Forge."
The Body-Forge Worm slithered back into its work uniform, bowed, and slowly crawled toward the door.
Qiao Sang lay on the bed, her voice weak. "Take care..."
She took a moment to gather her strength, then picked up the mobile phone by her side to check how long she had spent exercising this time.
She tapped the screen, which displayed two unread messages:
【Hello, I'm the director responsible for filming the Ghost Ring. I've arrived. Are you at home?】
【I've finished filming. I didn't expect your Ghost Ring to have already Evolved. Congratulations!】
Hmm? Already finished? Qiao Sang sat up and tried to recall the sounds she had heard earlier.
The soundproofing of the building materials was so good that, once the door was closed, hardly any noise could be heard. Only Qiao Sang could detect some sounds, but the specifics were unclear.
She had assumed the noise was caused by Fangy and the others, but it turned out to be the promotional video team...
Qiao Sang replied:
【I wasn't feeling well just now. Did the filming go smoothly?】
The other party responded instantly:
【It went very well. Your familiars were very cooperative!】
Qiao Sang felt relieved and exited her message inbox.
She wasn't worried that the Treasure Seeker's Evolution would cause any issues with the filming. After all, she had experienced Fangy Evolving into a Flame Listener before filming, and she knew that a familiar's Evolution was actually beneficial for the promotional team.
What surprised her was that the Treasure Seeker could cooperate with the filming so smoothly without her being present.
"Steel Guardian."
At that moment, Steel Treasure pushed the door open and called out, indicating it wanted to learn the Clone skill.
Hearing this, Qiao Sang was taken aback.
"Why do you suddenly want to learn Clone?"
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure flapped its wings, indicating that it thought learning Clone would allow it to do many things at once, just like Big Brother Yabao.
Qiao Sang was both surprised and unsurprised by this response. Steel Treasure always had its own ideas and knew the direction it wanted to train in. She just hadn't expected it to want to learn Clone now.
This skill was too overpowered for someone with a Golden Finger. One familiar was manageable, but if all her familiars, like Fangy, used Clone, it would definitely raise suspicions. If she ever participated in a high-profile match, her past would certainly be dug up.
Each familiar's skills could be trained to small success or mastery in a short day due to Clone, and anyone with a bit of sense would realize something was off.
If only one familiar was like that, people might just marvel at its talent. But if all of them were, it would cause a stir.
After all, the imagination of netizens should not be underestimated.
Fortunately, each of her familiars had its own training method and combat style, and their progress was not slow.
So, she hadn't let the Treasure Seeker and the others learn Clone.
Qiao Sang pondered for a moment and said, "Alright, I'll figure something out, but don't neglect the progress of your other skill training, especially Iron Wall."
"Steel Guardian."
Steel Treasure nodded seriously, indicating it understood, and then walked out of the room, thoughtfully closing the door behind it.
Well, if Steel Treasure wants to learn, let it. I can always delay showing the new move for a while before using it in public... Qiao Sang thought.
She hadn't realized that she had never doubted Steel Treasure's ability to learn Clone.
...
Qiao Sang was no longer the same person she used to be. Now, with an Unlimited Credit Card and on vacation, her first thought was to take Steel Treasure to a professional Clone Training Academy.
After a quick online search, she arrived at her destination that evening.
The Training Academy was not far from her residence, and its trainers were almost all Advanced certified, usually hard to book.
However, consultations didn't require an appointment.
The consultant pushed the trainers' profiles forward and said, "Our trainers are top-notch in the First District. They have taught..."
Qiao Sang interrupted, "I know."
"Who has the shortest time record for teaching a Clone?"
The counselor thought for a moment, then pointed to a man with an afro in one of the photos.
"This Mr. Everett is an Advanced Trainer. He once taught a familiar to use Clone in just half a month and was able to use it flexibly. The customer even introduced many of his friends to us."
"What? Just half a month?" Qiao Sang's tone was slightly shocked.
Another one who was impressed by Mr. Everett. Looks like this deal is secure... The counselor smiled. "Yes, just half a month..."
"Is that slow?" Qiao Sang couldn't help but interrupt again. "Is there anyone faster?"
The counselor: "..."
She suspected she had heard wrong.
Half a month to teach Clone, and that's considered slow?
She controlled her facial expression, maintaining a smile. "Clone is a Mid-tier Skill. Half a month is already very fast, and it depends on the familiar's talent. Most familiars can't learn it that quickly."
Qiao Sang was a bit disappointed and asked again:
"Is there no one faster?"
The counselor shook her head. "No."
"Then forget it."
This speed is no better than training myself... Qiao Sang stood up and walked out briskly.
The counselor was bewildered.
She's just leaving?
Could she really be complaining that half a month is too slow, and not just teasing her?
...
When Qiao Sang got home, she thought for a moment and called Fangy and Steel Treasure.
"Fangy, you've been training Mars Rain recently. Keep the power a bit lower so Steel Treasure can practice dodging."
Fangy learned Clone at the Baseball Training Hall. Mars Rain, whether in power or density, is stronger than a baseball pitching machine. Steel Treasure is so smart that if he follows Fangy's training method, he should be able to learn Clone.
Now that she has completed the first stage of defensive strength training, even if Steel Treasure gets hit by Mars Rain, she should be able to withstand it...
"Yah!"
"Steel Guardian."
Fangy and Steel Treasure both called out, indicating they understood.
Qiao Sang smiled in relief.
The best thing about her familiars is that she doesn't have to worry much about their training.
"Xunxun!"
At that moment, Treasure Seeker, who was playing on the computer, widened his eyes and shouted fiercely at the screen.
Go! Charge! Don't be a coward!
Except for Treasure Seeker... Qiao Sang silently added in her mind.
...
2 AM.
Treasure Seeker was drinking an Energy Recovery Serum while using Psychic Control to type on the keyboard.
【Charming Fatso: Bro, you're really into it. Last time you called your partner a Beastmaster?】
"Xunxun?"
Treasure Seeker tilted his head, looking puzzled, and used Psychic Power to type:
【Not a partner, I'm the Beastmaster.】
【Charming Fatso: Hahaha, alright, young man, I can't keep up with you anymore.】
Treasure Seeker didn't quite understand the meaning of this and typed:
【I don't use my feet, I float.】
【Charming Fatso: Alright, still immersed in your Beast Design? What, did you design a Ghost-type Companion Beast or a Psychic Pet?】
Treasure Seeker used Psychic Power:
【What Beast Design? I am a Ghost-type Companion Beast.】
【Charming Fatso: ...You're strong.】
Treasure Seeker felt a bit proud when he saw these words.
【I am strong.】
【Charming Fatso: ...】
Treasure Seeker was about to use Psychic Power to type again when he suddenly sensed something. His eyes glowed bright blue.
The next second, the coffee table, computer, sofa, TV, dining table...
Everything in the living room floated into the air.
(End of Chapter)
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