Green Mountain Base – City Gate
The next morning, Tianyu packed food, water, and simple equipment, and walked to the massive steel gates that separated the safe zone from the wild. Everyone leaving the base had to register. No exceptions.
The registration clerk looked up as Tianyu approached and blinked in surprise.
"Name, age, magical beast level," the clerk said, flipping through a form. When he saw Tianyu's details, he frowned slightly. "Boy… the wilderness is dangerous. If your beast isn't strong, you won't make it far."
His tone held genuine concern, not mockery. After all, many who went out never returned.
"It's alright," Tianyu answered with a calm smile.
The clerk hesitated, but rules were rules. He stamped the form and handed Tianyu his exit pass.
After three rounds of safety checks, the heavy gates opened—and Tianyu stepped into the wilds for the first time.
A forest sprawled ahead of him, dark and lush. Wetlands shimmered in the distance. Tall grass waved in the wind like an ocean of green.
With a flick of his wrist, he summoned Silver Moon Wolf.
"Xiao Hui—hunt."
"Awooo!"
Silver Wolf responded with a sharp howl that cut through the morning air. Then its figure blurred—turning into a streak of silver lightning that wove fluidly through the tall grass.
Almost immediately, the system chimed inside Tianyu's mind.
[ Ding — Killed Agile Guinea Pig. (100,000 required for 1 evolution point) ]
[ Ding — Killed Striped Green Mantis. (200,000 required for 1 evolution point) ]
[ Ding — Successfully killed… ]
[ Ding… Ding… Ding… ]
The notifications continued rapidly.
Tiny bodies were thrown into the air. Silver Moon Wolf bounced between prey with frightening efficiency—sometimes slicing through them with a flash of its claws, sometimes knocking them over with sheer speed. Its silver fur flowed like water, vanishing and reappearing between the grass blades.
To Tianyu, it looked like a streak of moonlight darting across the earth.
But the more he watched, the more he felt reality settling in.
"It's… getting harder," Tianyu muttered, sighing as he read the system window.
Experience gain had slowed. These low-level magical beasts barely gave anything anymore. And unlike the chickens in the slaughterhouse, the creatures here did not stay in one place. Once Silver Wolf cleared one patch, the area became silent—empty.
They would need time to repopulate.
Silver Wolf needed stronger prey.
Tianyu gazed toward the deeper parts of the forest. The trees grew denser there, forming a darker silhouette. It was intimidating, but if he remained in this outer grassland, improvement would come too slowly.
"Let's go farther," he said softly.
He took a few steps toward the forest—only to pause when he heard footsteps from ahead.
A small group of people emerged from between the trees. Their uniforms marked them as official personnel from Green Mountain Base. One of them was a familiar face.
"Little Tian? You're out here?" It was Sun Xianfeng, his neighbor. A Simple, honest, and always smiling person.
Tianyu's expression brightened. "Brother Xu!"
Sun Xianfeng jogged over with his round face full of concern. Behind him stood five more people—armed, alert, and each accompanied by their own magical beast.
"You didn't come alone, did you?" Sun Xianfeng's eyes widened. "It's dangerous even near the base. What are you doing out here?"
Before Tianyu could answer, one of the men behind Sun Xianfeng nudged him. "Sun Xianfeng, aren't you going to introduce us?"
Their curiosity grew the moment they spotted Silver Wolf standing proudly by Tianyu's side. A creature like that… out here with a student? It wasn't something you saw often.
Tianyu quickly explained himself, and soon he learned the truth.
This group wasn't just random hunters—they were the Green Mountain Base Cleaning Team.
Their job was simple but crucial: Destroy magical beasts near the base to prevent infestations of insects, rats, and other small creatures that could become disasters if left unchecked.
Sun Xianfeng crossed his arms and looked at Tianyu sternly. "Well? What are you doing here?"
Tianyu rubbed the back of his neck. "The college entrance exam is coming. I… want more combat experience."
Sun Xianfeng frowned. He had watched Tianyu grow up, watched him struggle. He wasn't about to let him wander the wild alone.
He turned to his captain. "Captain Lei Feiyu, can we let Little Tian join us temporarily? We'll keep him close to the base. He can learn safely."
Lei Feiyu—tall, weathered, and carrying a presence like a seasoned soldier—looked Tianyu up and down. His aura alone felt heavier than anyone Tianyu had met before.
Sun Xianfeng patted Lei Feiyu's shoulder eagerly. "Brother Hao is a good man, Little Tian. And he's strong—very strong. A bronze-level armored envoy!"
Tianyu's heart nearly stopped.
An armored envoy.
A real one—right in front of him.
At black-iron level, a human could finally cultivate illusory power.
At bronze level, that illusory power merged with the beast—fusing man and magical beast into one.
The boost was not small. It was overwhelming.
A bronze-level armored envoy was already a pillar of strength in a base like theirs.
Lei Feiyu's lips curved slightly. "He called me Brother Hao. How could I reject him?"
Just like that, Tianyu was accepted.
*
They moved together through the outer wilderness. Lei Feiyu led, Sun Xianfeng chatted, and Silver Wolf trotted beside Tianyu like a vigilant guardian.
Sun Xianfeng pointed forward. "Little Tian, see those plants? The ones like a peacock's tail?"
Tianyu nodded.
"That's phoenix-tail grass. Seems harmless, right? But if you ever see one flare its tail—kill it."
"Why?"
"It's like a siren. It'll send out a warning to magical beasts nearby. If you ignore it, within minutes you'll have an entire swarm rushing you."
The cleaning team made quick work of small beasts and harmful plants as they went deeper.
Tianyu watched closely, absorbing everything Sun Xianfeng shared. Each tip felt like a treasure.
Then, Sun Xianfeng stomped lightly on the ground. "And remember," he said, "the deeper you go into the wild… the more you'll realize even the underground isn't safe."
Tianyu raised an eyebrow.
Sun Xianfeng continued, voice lower now. "The tiny beasts you've been killing? Insects, rats, those little creatures? They don't last up here. The strong beasts rule the surface. The weak ones… they hide under the soil."
Tianyu finally understood.
Every inch of the wild belonged to magical beasts—above ground or below.
And the deeper he went, the more dangerous it would become.
*
Tianyu took a deep breath, his gaze drifting toward the darker parts of the forest. If he wanted Silver Wolf to grow, this was where he needed to be.
The wilderness was terrifying.
But it was also the path forward.
And he was ready to take it.
"How do you know if magical beasts are hiding underground? Simple—look at the fungi."
Sun Xianfeng crouched down and plucked a small straw mushroom from the soil. He held it out to Tianyu. The mushroom looked ordinary—its cap pale, stalk thin, smelling faintly of damp earth. Yet Sun Xianfeng tapped it with a serious expression.
"See this? If these aren't growing in an area… it means something underground is disturbing the soil. Usually, magical beasts. If the ground is covered with these mushrooms, it's safer. If not, be careful. Something big might be living under there."
Tianyu stared at the mushroom with new respect. Before today, he never imagined something so normal-looking could determine life or death in the wild. Sun Xianfeng and the others taught him everything they could as they moved. Every scrap of knowledge sank into Tianyu's heart. The wilderness wasn't just a battlefield—it was a puzzle that needed experience to decode.
Silver Moon Wolf continued to run ahead, its silver fur flashing like starlight. Whenever a magical beast appeared, Tianyu gave a quiet command.
"Xiao Hui—attack."
And each time, Silver Wolf responded with a graceful blur. Its claws cut through the grass. Its energy shimmered across the air. The cleaning team members paused more than once, watching in open amazement.
Lei Feiyu nudged Sun Xianfeng. "This kid… he's not simple at all."
Sun Xianfeng beamed proudly, as if Tianyu were his own younger brother. "He's always worked hard."
The team went deeper into the wild. Trees grew closer. The sunlight thinned. A faint smell of rot and damp earth lingered in the air. Eventually, visibility dropped so low they could barely see the ground ahead.
Lei Feiyu raised his hand.
Everyone stopped immediately.
A thick black fog seeped between the trees, spreading like ink.
"Something's wrong," Lei Feiyu said, voice dropping. His expression hardened.
His magical beast mark lit up. A huge shadow rose behind him—growing, expanding, towering—until it filled the space like a moving mountain.
"ROOOAR!"
A thunderous bellow shook the forest.
The Explosive Black Bear appeared—over five meters long, its fur dark as obsidian, its paws wrapped in dancing flames. Heat rolled off its body in waves. It looked like a living avalanche of muscle and fire.
Tianyu's breath caught in his throat. "So… this is a bronze-level magical beast…"
The difference in pressure was overwhelming. Even Silver Wolf stiffened, eyes wide, pupils glowing with excitement instead of fear.
Tianyu placed a hand on the wolf's neck. "Someday, Xiao Hui… we'll stand at that level."
"Awooo!"
Silver Wolf let out a low, burning growl, eyes fixed on the black bear with intense yearning.
Then, Lei Feiyu attacked.
"Explosive Fire Fist!"
The Explosive Black Bear slammed its fists together. Sparks scattered like fireflies, then its burning paws smashed into the ground.
BOOM!!!
The earth split open. Flames shot upward. The shockwave knocked loose leaves and dust everywhere. Cracks widened beneath their feet—deep, jagged scars tearing through the soil.
And then—
From inside those cracks, black gas surged upward.
"Get ready!" Lei Feiyu shouted.
A screeching noise filled the air.
SHRRR! SHRRR! SHRRR!
Hundreds of winged shadows shot out of the cracks—like black arrows slicing the air.
"Damn it… these are Black Devil Bugs."
Sun Xianfeng cursed and summoned his magical beast—a red-eyed striped leopard which sprang forward instantly. Twin beams of red light shot from its eyes, piercing through the nearest black devil bugs.
More and more bugs poured out.
Lei Feiyu's expression darkened. "This isn't normal. This many… It's a nest. And if it's a nest, then—"
His face turned grim. "There might be a bronze-level Bug King."
The moment the words left his mouth, the tension in the air thickened. Even Silver Wolf lowered its body, fur bristling.
A nest of black devil bugs was terrifying enough.
A bug king made it catastrophic.
Lei Feiyu crushed another cluster with a fiery swing. "If this continues, thousands will swarm the base within days!"
He clenched his jaw. "Everyone—follow me! We're going down to purge the nest!"
The Explosive Black Bear roared, flames bursting around its body as it burned the bugs to ash. The smell of charred shell filled the air.
Sun Xianfeng stepped in front of Tianyu, leopard snarling. "Little Tian! Go back! This is too dangerous!"
Red beams flashed again, killing several bugs instantly. Sun Xianfeng didn't even look back as he barked:
"If it were a few scattered bugs, fine. But this—this is a nest. If a bronze-level bug king appears, everything will fall apart in seconds!"
Lei Feiyu shouted while fighting, "Tianyu! Listen to Sun Xianfeng! Leave! That's an order!"
The other team members echoed him desperately.
"We'll handle it—go back!"
"Don't risk your life here!"
"You have a future, kid! Don't waste it!"
But Tianyu didn't move. He placed a hand gently on Silver Wolf's head and shook his head.
"I can take care of myself."
Silver Wolf growled—low, deep, and ready for battle.
"ROOOAR!"