Chapter 916: Re-Teaming (Part 2)
Chapter 916: Re-Teaming (Part 2)
“No problem.” Qiao Sang then thought of something and asked, “Do you know what familiar grabbed Happy Seed into the Hidden Realm?”
“It was a Dullhead Swallow.” The voice on the other end of the phone was clearly furious, trembling as it spoke, “I had just called a ride-sharing flying familiar to take me home, when suddenly a Space Rift appeared. A Dullhead Swallow burst out and snatched Great Joy away.”
He paused for a moment, then explained, “Great Joy is the name I gave Happy Seed.”
Good name… Qiao Sang replied calmly, “I understand. I’ll contact you in six days.”
After hearing a “Sure” from the other end, she hung up the phone.
Dullhead Swallow, an Advanced Flying Beast, looks rather silly on the outside, and as the name suggests, it’s not very smart, with a slow reflex arc… Qiao Sang’s mind flashed with information about the Dullhead Swallow.
This mission is going to be tough…
The Dullhead Swallow itself isn’t much of an issue. She could handle entering the Hidden Realm alone, but the problem is that she has to bring a child who has only recently become a Beastmaster. Moreover, she needs to bring this child to find the mission target, which wouldn’t be possible without them… Most importantly, given their age, the child likely only has Happy Seed as a familiar, and their brain domain can probably only sense things within a hundred meters or so. This means they’ll have to search the entire Hidden Realm…
It feels even more challenging than the last time she entered the Hidden Realm to find someone. At least back then, they knew the location of the missing person, and the teammate who went with her was also a Beastmaster with some self-defense capabilities… Qiao Sang sighed inwardly, opened her computer, and searched the forum for information about Hidden Realm 53.
Soon, a post caught her attention:
#Precautions for Entering Hidden Realm 53#
Qiao Sang clicked on it.
[As most Beastmasters familiar with Hidden Realm 53 know, this realm hasn’t been fully developed and is considered relatively dangerous. However, as long as you stick to areas that have already been explored, it’s no different from other C-Class Hidden Realms.]
[Now, let me share some of the explored areas.]
[Hidden Realm 53 is scorching during the day, with temperatures around 40 degrees Celsius, and it drops to about 5 degrees Celsius at night. So, remember to bring both summer and winter clothes. When forming a team, make sure at least one member has a healing familiar.]
[By healing, I don’t mean healing injuries, but rather alleviating bodily discomfort, as it’s easy to catch a cold or fever inside.]
[Unlike most Hidden Realms, the entry point in Hidden Realm 53 is random.]
[Yes, random!]
[The first time I entered, I encountered a few harmless little ducks. The second time, I ended up in the lair of a group of Volatile Stones. If it weren’t for my teammates, this post wouldn’t exist today.]
[So, be mentally prepared when you enter.]
[Additionally, you’re likely to encounter Fire Pet Beasts and Grass-Type Companion Beasts. Make sure your team has familiars that can counter these attributes.]
[Most importantly, don’t venture into unexplored areas. I have a map of Hidden Realm 53 that marks these unexplored locations. If anyone needs it, contact me to purchase a copy.]
“…”
Qiao Sang was silent for a few seconds, then opened the poster’s profile and sent a private message:
[Give me a copy of the Hidden Realm 53 map.]
…
The next day, Qiao Sang occasionally browsed the forum about Hidden Realm 53 to gather more information, with no intention of going out.
Even with the map, as long as they stayed away from unexplored areas, there was essentially no danger.
However, no one knew where Dullhead Swallow would take Happy Seed. It wasn't impossible for it to lead them to unexplored areas. She had to prepare for the worst and be as thorough as possible.
When it was time for dinner, Qiao Sang followed Teacher Mikara to the rooftop restaurant to enjoy their meal.
"What's the mission this time?" Migala asked while cutting her steak.
"Go to Hidden Realm 53 to find a familiar", Qiao Sang replied. "There's a child who recently became a Beastmaster. His familiar was taken by a Dullhead Swallow that came through a Hidden Realm Rift. I need to take him in to find his familiar."
Migala paused in her cutting.
She already realized that this mission would be much more challenging than the previous ones.
"Can someone so newly a Beastmaster be allowed to enter the Hidden Realm?" Migala continued, resuming her cutting.
"Yes, his situation is special. He won't be able to find his familiar without going in", Qiao Sang said, taking a sip of soup.
Migala asked, "What kind of familiar?"
Qiao Sang replied, "Happy Seed."
Migala was silent for a few seconds before reminding her, "You could find someone to team up with."
Qiao Sang shook her head. "Unless I can find a B-Rank or higher Beastmaster, I don't want to team up. Fangy and the others can attack, heal, and escape. Unless I find someone on par with or stronger than me, teaming up would just mean more people to protect."
Migala smiled. "How will you know if you don't try?"
At the B-Class Beastmaster level, it's not like finding a common vegetable. You can't just find someone whenever you want... Qiao Sang didn't argue and said, "I'll give it a try."
Migala felt more at ease.
She was completely confident in Qiao Sang's abilities, but she was still too young. Now, she had to take a child even younger and less combat-ready. There was no guarantee of complete safety.
Only by going in with her could she truly feel at ease.
"How do you plan to find a partner?" Migala asked.
"I'll post a mission", Qiao Sang said.
Migala asked, "What will you offer as a reward?"
Qiao Sang thought for a moment and said, "Probably something from the Supernest."
Migala, hearing this, didn't ask any more questions.
...
4:00 PM.
Beastmaster Center.
First-floor lobby.
Window 12.
A middle-aged woman with fine lines at the corners of her eyes, a narrow face, and a sharp chin handed over Red's Beastmaster Emblem.
"I want to take on a mission related to Hidden Realm 53."
B-Class Beastmaster... The staff member was taken aback and quickly responded with respect, "Certainly, do you have any other requirements?"
"Preferably something from the Supernest as a reward", the woman said.
"Understood, please wait a moment", the staff member said, starting to operate the system.
Suddenly, a noisy commotion erupted nearby.
"Damn, she looks so young but she's already got a B-Class Beastmaster Badge!"
"Look at the familiar in her arms, isn't that the Flame Kiru from Yuhua Region?"
"It seems so... Could she be Qingqing Ni's Beastmaster?"
"Why don't you ask her?"
"That's a B-Class Master, I'm too scared..."
The woman glanced in the direction of the commotion. When she saw the shadow of the familiar, a sense of achievement and pride surged within her.
After all, this was her student!
At that moment, the staff member said, "I'm sorry, there are currently no missions with rewards from the Supernest."
Migala: "..."
"Would you like me to help you arrange another mission?" the staff member asked.
"No, thank you", Migala said, taking back her Beastmaster Emblem.
However, in the next second, a familiar voice sounded from Window 13:
"I want to post a mission to find a team to go to Hidden Realm 53. The requirement is a Beastmaster of B-Rank or higher."
Migala turned her head and saw Qiao Sang.
At the same time, Fangy turned to look as well.
The human and the beast stared at each other for two seconds before Migala turned away first.
"Ya Ya?"
Fangy wore a puzzled expression.
It sensed that the human beside it had a familiar scent.
"What kind of reward are you offering?" the staff at Window 13 asked.
"A piece of Artifacts from Supernest, something you wear in your eyes that can lock onto the general location of Movefamiliars that can use Invisibility", Qiao Sang said.
The staff at Window 12 looked over in surprise.
Then, she turned back, her eyes full of excitement, and said to Migala:
"The mission she just posted fits your requirements perfectly. Would you like me to help you take it?"
Qiao Sang heard the conversation and looked over.
Migala's body tensed slightly, but she quickly relaxed, maintaining a calm expression as she looked back.
Qiao Sang sized her up.
Migala turned her head and said calmly, "I'll take it."
After posting the mission, Qiao Sang retrieved her Beastmaster Emblem.
Soon, her mobile phone vibrated.
She picked it up and saw that the mission had been taken, and the photo of the person was the woman beside her.
Migala finished taking the mission and calmly prepared to leave.
Qiao Sang blocked her path and said, "You took my mission. Don't you want to discuss the details with me?"
"There's no need", Migala replied, remembering the persona she was trying to maintain. "When we enter Hidden Realm 53, I'll know what to do."
Qiao Sang asked, "Are you from Hollow Plains?"
Migala nodded. "Yes."
This identity was genuine; she had conducted the transaction with the real person.
Even if the Imperial Beastmaster Academy's mechanical pets were powerful, they couldn't infiltrate the Beastmaster League's system to create a fake identity.
B-Class Beastmasters weren't easy to come by. If she were to approach one again like she did at the entrance to Mystic Realm 88, it would definitely raise suspicion.
Contacting through a mission posted at the Beastmaster Center was a more reasonable approach.
Qiao Sang suddenly smiled.
"The clothes you're wearing are exactly the same as what my Teacher wore today."
Migala: "!!"
Before she could say anything, Qiao Sang continued, "We can talk more when we enter the Hidden Realm."
With that, she turned and left.
Migala: "..."
She recognized me, didn't she?
She definitely recognized me!
Stay calm, Qiao Sang is probably just guessing. As long as she can confirm I'm a B-Class Beastmaster... Thinking this, Migala took out her mobile phone and sent a text to the person she was impersonating.
...
"Do you think that was Teacher Mikara?" On the way back to the Residential Area, Qiao Sang chatted.
"Ya Ya!"
Fangy wore an "I remember now" expression.
It realized the scent was so familiar because it was the same as its Beastmaster's Teacher!
"Xunxun?"
Treasure Seeker appeared, looking confused.
Teacher Mikara?
The human with the same clothes?
"Steel Blade."
Steel Treasure was the most composed.
It's possible. The clothes were the same, and almost everyone in the hall guessed you bonded with Qingbao through Fangy, but she remained very calm, which is unusual for someone from this region.
This morning, it was your Teacher who asked you to post the mission. Some familiars can change a human's appearance, so she might have altered her own.
"Steel Blade."
Steel Treasure called out in conclusion.
Perhaps your Teacher wants to protect you but doesn't want you to know she's protecting you, so she hid her identity.
You're thinking what I'm thinking... Qiao Sang looked at Steel Treasure and gave an approving nod.
"Qingqing!"
At that moment, Qingbao appeared, one claw making a fist and tapping the other, wearing an "I have a way to find out" expression.
"What way?" Qiao Sang asked, interested.
"Qingqing."
Qingbao gave an innocent smile.
If it suddenly appeared in front of that human, whether or not she screams would tell us everything.
Good idea... Qiao Sang looked at Qingbao with a complex expression and said, "No need."
Then she thought of something and couldn't help but smile.
"Actually, if that person is really Teacher Mikara, it would be great. With her around, I'd be much safer in the Hidden Realm."
...
Time passed quickly, and soon it was five days later.
Qiao Sang arrived at the Beastmaster Center's entrance and immediately saw the person assigned to her mission.
The woman walked up and said, "My name is Xu Gehong."
"Ya Ya?"
Fangy sniffed with her nose, looking puzzled.
Keep pretending... Qiao Sang pretended to know nothing and said, "I'm Qiao Sang."
"Xunxun..."
Treasure Seeker remained hidden, circling Xu Gehong and trying to spot any inconsistencies on her face.
"Don't waste time. Let's go now", Xu Gehong said, forming hand seals.
Instantly, a massive Crimson Star Array lit up.
A bird familiar about seven meters tall, mostly blue with three silk-like tail feathers, appeared within it.
Damn, it's not Teacher Mikara... Qiao Sang's heart sank, but she kept her composure and nodded at Steel Treasure.
Steel Treasure slowly grew larger.
Qiao Sang mounted it and followed the Navigation and Xu Gehong to the location of Hidden Realm 53.
Half an hour later.
They reached the entrance of Hidden Realm 53.
The area was set up like a tourist attraction, with many shops and vendors.
Xu Gehong looked around and said, "I'll go to the bathroom first."
"Okay", Qiao Sang nodded.
Xu Gehong headed toward the bathroom.
The Azure Bird shrank and quickly followed.
Sigh, it's not Teacher Mikara, and this tension is rising... Qiao Sang took out her mobile phone and called the Beastmaster from Happy Seed.
After two beeps, the call was answered.
"Hello, have you arrived yet?" Qiao Sang asked.
"Not yet. My parents insisted on seeing me off, so it took some time at home, but I'm on my way and will be there soon!" the voice on the other end said.
At her age, it's understandable that her parents would want to see her off... Qiao Sang said warmly, "No rush, call me when you get here."
"Okay."
Qiao Sang hung up and suddenly remembered something.
She hadn't told her mother about bonding with Qingqing Ni or becoming a B-Class Beastmaster...
As these thoughts flashed through her mind, Xu Gehong approached, the Azure Bird by her side.
Qiao Sang gathered her thoughts.
...
Meanwhile.
In the public restroom.
The real Xu Gehong hid in a corner, both hating and envying the scene.
Damn!
The mission target is actually Qingqing Ni's Beastmaster!
If I had known, I could have taken this mission too!
If not for that S-Class genius, I wouldn't allow Qingqing Ni's Beastmaster to be deceived like this!
Damn! Damn!
What's with this character setup!
Otherwise, we could have talked about Qingqing Ni on the way! (End of Chapter)
Chapter end
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