Bang bang!
As the two were chatting, there was a knock on the door.
Zhou Shi's voice came, "Get up, prepare to depart!"
The two tidied up efficiently and left the room.
Chen Shu, carrying a large hiking backpack and wearing a black T-shirt and blue jeans, smiled slightly, looking incredibly sunny.
But who would have thought this guy was so abnormal?
The receptionist cast a resentful glance at Chen Shu, clearly still bothered by last night's events.
The others looked at Chen Shu with strange smiles, clearly having misunderstood something.
"Xiao Yu, stay away from him in the future," Zhou Shi said.
Chen Shu scratched his head, utterly bewildered. "I was just giving a spoiler, why are you so wary of me?"
The group left the hotel and, after a simple breakfast, headed towards the area behind the town.
"Halt!"
As the group arrived in front of the large building behind the town, they were intercepted by soldiers.
Zhou Shi, clearly understanding the rules, presented his ID.
The soldier scanned his ID on a nearby device, and a synthesized electronic voice announced, "Zhou Shi, Black Iron One-star Beastmaster, leader of the 666 Beastmaster Regiment!"
"Pfft!" Chen Shu couldn't help but burst out laughing.
He hadn't expected the regiment to be called "666 Beastmaster Regiment," and it was particularly hilarious when announced by an electronic voice.
Zhou Shi's mouth twitched, and he then produced a bank card, deducting the entrance fees for everyone.
Alien dimensions were important resources controlled by the state, so it was naturally impossible for Beastmasters to enter for free.
Both exploring new alien dimensions and defending them required significant expenses.
The group successfully reached the front of the building but did not enter. Instead, they proceeded towards the dense fog behind it.
"This is the entrance to the Qingyuan Forest!"
Soldiers patrolled back and forth in the dense fog, instilling a sense of solemnity.
Finally, Chen Shu saw a faint white glow in the fog, as if emanating from another dimension.
The group stepped forward and entered.
Soft sunlight streamed in, and a gentle breeze carried a refreshing floral fragrance, invigorating the senses.
The group's spirits immediately lifted, and they felt much more awake.
"Is this a farmstead?"
Chen Shu looked around, his expression filled with curiosity.
As far as the eye could see, wooden houses stood side by side, and the ground beneath their feet was soft soil covered in green grass. The group seemed to have arrived in a small village.
Furthermore, large birds several meters in size patrolled the sky, their fierce gazes surveying the land.
And all around, soldiers in military uniforms moved about, accompanied by powerful contracted spirits, guarding against any potential crises.
"Town Spirit"
Chen Shu's gaze was immediately drawn to the armbands on the soldiers' right arms, which clearly read "Town Spirit."
"These are the Town Spirit Guards responsible for guarding alien dimensions. Remember not to act too presumptuously here," Zhou Shi said, primarily addressing Chen Shu.
"If you dare to break the rules, expect consequences."
The group left the small village, encountering numerous contracted spirits along the way. Town Spirit Guards were even seen resting inside the wooden houses.
Although the small village appeared unremarkable, it concealed an unknown number of Beastmasters, and even Black Iron-level Beastmasters could be encountered frequently.
Despite the lack of defensive fortifications, it exuded an overwhelming sense of security.
Chen Shu asked curiously, "Uncle Zhou, why aren't there any Gatling guns with blue lights popping out here?"
Zhou Shi glanced at him and replied, "Modern technology in alien dimensions is significantly weakened and has little effect. Beastmasters are the main combat force."
Chen Shu nodded, understanding why Beastmasters had become the main force in society. It was intrinsically linked to human survival; otherwise, if ferocious beasts invaded, it would be a disaster for Blue Star.
The group left the Town Spirit Guard base.
As far as the eye could see, ancient, towering trees stood in the distance, reaching at least tens of meters high.
Around the group were only massive tree stumps, clearly having been cleared by the Town Spirit Guards.
Zhou Shi and the others tensed up, their expressions filled with vigilance, and they summoned their respective contracted spirits.
Zhou Shi's contracted spirit was a large black wolf, over four meters long, with sharp fangs bared, exuding a commanding presence.
As a Black Iron-level Beastmaster, he naturally had two contracted spirits, but he hadn't summoned the other.
The other members of the Beastmaster Regiment also summoned their contracted spirits.
A black crow had already ascended into the sky, constantly scouting in all directions.
There were also iron-backed beasts resembling giant lizards, exquisitely beautiful blue-tailed butterflies, and firebirds flying at low altitudes.
Although the Qingyuan Forest was considered an ordinary alien dimension, it was still fraught with danger.
An ordinary ice wild rabbit could easily kill someone.
Experienced Beastmasters would release their contracted spirits early to ensure their safety.
"Is the atmosphere that tense?"
Seeing everyone on high alert, Chen Shu couldn't help but feel his heart tighten. He quietly took out a bag of potato chips.
"Stop eating and summon your contracted spirit!" Zhou Shi turned around, looking exasperated.
"You're truly calm. At a time like this, you're still eating potato chips."
Chen Shu said, "Uncle Zhou, my contracted spirit has a defect."
Old Deng said, "As long as it can be useful, don't worry about its defects."
"Oh."
Chen Shu nodded in agreement, and a golden slime, about a meter in size, appeared out of nowhere.
Hoo hoo hoo...
The slime's eyes were closed, its mouth slightly open, and drool occasionally dripped out.
"Quick, wake it up."
Chen Shu's mind raced as he called the slime from its slumber.
The slime's eyes slowly opened, appearing dazed.
Gurgle...
It looked around in confusion, "Are there enemies nearby?"
"Let's go. The vicinity has been cleared by the Town Spirit Guards, so there won't be any ferocious beasts," Zhou Shi said, taking the lead and officially heading into the Qingyuan Forest.
As the team proceeded, Zhou Shi discovered the slime's defect.
This thing was too slow!
It barely kept pace with the group, but before long, it would start falling asleep as they walked.
"Xiao Chen, is this contracted spirit of yours for real?" Zhou Shi sighed. "Forget it, put it away."
Chen Shu obediently stored the slime into his beast-taming space.
Old Deng put his hand to his forehead and said, "Xiao Yu, let your firebird protect the two of you. Leave all other combat to us."
The team's speed immediately returned to normal. Despite being in a forest, there was a clear main path.
The Qingyuan Forest had appeared fifty years ago, and countless Beastmaster Regiments had already explored it. Where many people walked, a path naturally formed.
As the group moved forward, trees abounded on all sides.
Gentle sunlight filtered through the gaps in the leaves, and the sound of insects chirping could occasionally be heard. The air was incredibly fresh, and the scenery was as beautiful as a comic.
"Our team's tasks are mainly twofold: capturing three live Green-Eyed Snakes and collecting Grade Two Iron Core Fruits."
Zhou Shi, while cautiously scanning their surroundings, spoke.
The task of capturing Green-Eyed Snakes was issued by a laboratory in Nanjiang City for live experimentation.
The Grade Two Iron Core Fruits were needed by a company attempting to refine Black Iron-level defensive potions.
In addition to completing these two tasks, the remaining objective was to collect rare materials whenever possible or hunt mutated-level ferocious beasts.