Chapter 148 - Captain Doofus’ Second Trait

On the other side of the ocean, eight young men and women clad in gray tactical suits prepared for their journey to the public realms. Their expressions radiated confidence, exuding an aura far beyond that of their peers.

This group was none other than the Tyrannosaurus Rex Squad, the ace team among the fourth-generation beastmasters of the Eagle Federation.

“Rex, how many countries’ fourth-gens do you think will challenge us?”

“No idea, but at least some of Xia’s fourth gens will probably show up. After all, Ian provoked them during the interview.”

“

Haha

. Couldn’t be helped. The thought of showing off our Dragon Intent, which we each possess, and causing such a sensation among their people, it’s just too funny.” Ian said.

𝕗𝚛𝚎𝚎𝐰𝗲𝗯𝗻𝚘𝚟𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝕞

“That Dr. Gu Qingyi was just lucky; she probably obtained her first Dragon-attribute familiar through some unique ascension realm, but it seems future Dragon-attribute familiars like the more powerful ones, will come from us.”

The group gathered for a final discussion about their upcoming match. Just then, a researcher in a white lab coat with short blond hair entered the room. The conversation came to an abrupt halt.

“Dr. Carson?”

Rex, the team leader, asked, “What’s the matter?”

The researcher looked at them and said, “There’s been a response from Xia regarding yesterday’s interview. Not from the officials, but from an individual—a fourth-generation beastmaster.

“Apparently, they might challenge you. It’s that red-eyed crocodile skink trainer, Lu Ran, whose familiar comprehended Dragon Intent.”

“Him?” Ian scoffed.

“Let him come then! What’s the big deal, Dr. Carson? Are you here to warn us about him? There’s no need, right? Any one of us could probably beat him with one hand tied behind our backs.”

The red-eyed crocodile skink, before its evolution, was merely a small lizard. But the Tyrannosaurus... Now that was a genuine king of lizards! An ancient overlord!

The dragon genes it carried were incomparable to those of modern creatures. Even among the dragon subspecies on the Stellar Moon Continent, Tyrannosaurus ranked as one of the strongest species.

“No.”

Dr. Carson warned, “The only one among you guaranteed to defeat him is Rex. Just now, during Xia’s Beastmaster University freshman competition, Lu Ran demonstrated one of his Beastmaster skills. Enough talk. Let me show you the first-hand intel we’ve received.”

He pulled out a laptop and played a live video of the Lightning Flame Dragon obliterating a turtle-serpent. The group had analyzed Gong Kaixin’s turtle-serpent before. Its attack and defense were both formidable.

But seeing it crushed by Sudden Death King’s Lightning Flame Dragon form, the Tyrannosaurus Rex Squad couldn’t help but be astonished.

“According to our intelligence analysts, his skill is called Flame Spirit, originating from the Beastmaster Empire. It was the signature skill of the second emperor and is incredibly powerful.

“This skill exhibits some growth potential. Lu Ran’s Flame Spirit has evidently been developed to contain a unique fiery dragon force!

“When combined with his lightning-attributed skink, it results in a special Lightning-Flame Dragon force. Although this explosive power seems beyond their full control, the skink’s defense is remarkable. They’ve turned this unstable form into a devastating trump card.

“It’s akin to energy compression. It is highly destructive, but the user also bears the consequences. While a Tyrannosaurus’ defense is strong, to play it safe, you must prepare thoroughly before heading out. The research institute has prepared special resources to enhance resistance to lightning and fire attributes.”

“This is just overpreparing,” some of them said laughing.

Although the group felt it might not be necessary to prepare specifically for their opponent, they didn’t mind. After all, the power Lu Ran had yet to fully master only required a bit of caution. But since Dr. Carson insisted, they went along with it.

Why refuse free resources? Still, they couldn’t help but silently mourn for Lu Ran.

Why act so high-profile? Revealing your skills so early? Aren’t you just asking to be countered?

“Hurry it up,” said Rex, the team leader, his voice calm and steady.

His Tyrannosaurus was the strongest among the team, having undergone two trait fusions. It had evolved into the squad’s only Low-King Species. It was a true king and the ultimate bastion of the Tyrannosaurus Rex Squad. No opponent could pass through Rex’s wall, not even Lu Ran’s Lightning Flame Dragon.

...

On Xia’s side. After finishing his battle with Gong Kaixin, Lu Ran quickly left the arena, only pausing to watch the match of his next opponents.

However, those two were even weaker than Gong Kaixin. As such, Lu Ran shifted all his focus to Captain Doofus and the Tyrannosaurus Rex Squad.

Captain Doofus had been level 19 for some time. After Lu Ran shared information about the Tyrannosaurus Rex Squad the previous day, Captain Doofus began training even harder, devouring food with an insatiable appetite.

When Sudden Death King was available, Captain Doofus trained with it in Dragon-Slaying Sword Intent. When Sudden Death King wasn’t free, Captain Doofus meditated, cleared its mind, and observed the trees and rocks in the Training Secret Realm.

It hypnotized itself into believing they were dragons that needed to be sliced.

When Lu Ran arrived, Captain Doofus had already combined Dragon-Slaying Intent and various energy techniques to develop a finishing move.

Skyward Dragon Slash!

This move combined high-speed energy acceleration, energy compression, and close-quarters combat using a sword against dragons.

In action, Captain Doofus became like a battle-driven tornado, enveloped by raging winds and speeding forward in the blink of an eye while gripping the Dragon-Slaying Sword in his jaws. Wherever he went, dragons would ascend to the heavens.

It was the first time Captain Doofus applied tenfold energy compression to boost his speed. Luckily, his energy control and physical strength were sufficient to handle this power. Otherwise, executing this move would result in more than missing teeth; his entire body would suffer total bone fractures!

Clearly, Captain Doofus had refrained from comprehending this move earlier to avoid reducing himself to scraps, like his discarded teeth.

“Take a break,” Lu Ran said as he watched the tireless Captain Doofus.

“

Woof!

”

“Alright, keep at it. I’ll check on the public realms. The Tyrannosaurus Rex Squad is likely starting now.”

Lu Ran reconnected to the virtual network, where videos of the Tyrannosaurus Rex Squad’s defense challenge had already been uploaded.

The match rules were 1v1. The Tyrannosaurus Rex Squad exclusively used their Tyrannosaurus familiars. As soon as the platform was set up, beastmasters from the Eagle Federation’s affiliated nations stepped forward to challenge the legendary Tyrannosaurus.

These challengers weren’t necessarily aiming to win. They simply sought to witness the Tyrannosaurus’ power firsthand. Some hoped to display their talent and receive an invitation to join the Eagle Federation’s ambitious program.

In the footage, the terrifying King of Lizards, nearly 20 meters long, demonstrated overwhelming power. Whether the opponents were Northeastern Tigers, Polar Bears, Elephants, or Lion Kings, none lasted beyond the first round.

The message to the world was clear: against the Tyrannosaurus, no modern predator could hold its ground.

“They are indeed strong,” Lu Ran muttered, his expression thoughtful.

The Tyrannosaurus Rex Squad rotated through their roster. When one member grew tired, another took their place. Yet every member displayed fearsome strength, far surpassing Gong Kaixin and Zhou Mo.

Though Ian’s interview remarks were arrogant, the squad’s abilities justified the bravado. From the freshman competition’s perspective, the combination of the Tyrannosaurus species and Dragon Intent created nearly insurmountable pressure.

Their attributes varied widely: Fire, Lightning, Earth, and Rock. Their traits, including Ancient Bloodline and Dragonborn, were all maximized to level 20, unlocking the full potential of their dragon lineage.

As Lu Ran watched, Manager Ying made her appearance.

“What now?” Lu Ran asked.

“Fine, I’ll leave,” she teased.

“No, no, stay~!”

“

Hmph!

”

She tossed an item toward him—a fruit with an elemental appearance. Lu Ran’s eyes widened.

[Name: King of Wind Fruit]

[Grade: Treasure]

“Not buying it,” Lu Ran said decisively.

“

Tu!

Who said I’m selling it to you?” Manager Ting spat back.

“This is prepayment for your ‘professor salary.’ The Beastmaster University’s headmaster—yes, the one who promised a Treasure-grade resource to anyone who could crush the Tyrannosaurus Rex Squad—heard about your challenge and sent this as part of your reward.

“Captain Doofus is about to fuse with the Nature Manipulation Trait. To ensure it gains an excellent species talent, its energy control must be exceptionally high to perfectly integrate this trait.

“Captain Doofus is up to the task, but the more energy control it has, the better. This King of Wind Fruit will elevate its wind control to the pinnacle, making it rival that of a wind-attributed King Species.

“It should also allow it to instantly reach level 20. Additionally, during evolution, it will greatly enhance its species rank, unlocking more of its potential.”

“A salary advance? That works,” Lu Ran said, unfazed by the fruit’s rarity. After all, he was the first-ever Dragon Chef, so such pay was reasonable.

“I’m off then!”

With the King of Wind Fruit in hand, Lu Ran swiftly returned to Limitless City. He headed straight for the Training Secret Realm, where Captain Doofus was hard at work.

King of Wind Fruit... Nature Manipulation Trait Crystal... In this small Training Secret Realm, Captain Doofus was on the verge of completing two-thirds of his evolution progress.

First, Lu Ran used the King of Wind Fruit to strengthen Captain Doofus to level 20, granting him wind control on par with a wind-attributed King Species. Next, Lu Ran began the trait fusion process.

Nature Manipulation Trait! This top-tier trait was one of the most effective traits for raising species rank. Its effect allowed familiars to not only generate energy within their bodies but also harness external natural energy corresponding to their attributes!

“

Awooooo~!

”

As the trait fused, Captain Doofus’ evolution triggered a massive weather phenomenon, likely due to the unique nature of the trait. Under the shimmering light of fusion, chaotic winds erupted from Captain Doofus’ body. Its black-and-white fur grew longer, flowing in the wild gusts.

The most striking change was in the sky. Lu Ran raised his arm to shield himself from the storm as he looked upward. The clouds over the Training Secret Realm were split apart by the violent winds as if cleaved by a sword.

Against this backdrop, the sky appeared divided in two, with a deep sword scar etched across the heavens.

BOOM!!!

What stunned Lu Ran the most, however, was the seemingly solidified wind energy. It swirled around Captain Doofus as if bowing to crown a new king! The relentless storm merged into a grand ceremony, welcoming the birth of a new sovereign.

During this process, the wind energy in the sky underwent extreme compression. Once, twice... tenfold... twentyfold. What began as a colossal heavenly sword, spanning tens of meters, gradually compressed into a regular-sized sword.

Simultaneously, Captain Doofus’s physique underwent significant changes. His tail, already longer than most Huskies, extended even further, becoming sleek and majestic. His fur grew denser, seamlessly blending with the wind and exuding an aura of dignity.

Buzz!!!

High above, the compressed heavenly sword formed from natural wind energy descended in an instant, and Captain Doofus caught it with his tail. With an imposing glare, Captain Doofus glanced at Lu Ran, who was taken aback. He then tossed it the Frosty Sky Greatsword.

In a split second, Captain Doofus gripped the massive sword in its jaws while simultaneously wielding the Sky Sword with its tail, achieving a flawless dual-wielding form. An overwhelming aura spiraled outward, creating a vortex of energy radiating from Captain Doofus.

“

Awooooo!!!

”

[Name: Gale Sword Dog]

[Attribute: Wind]

[Species Rank: Superior-Champion (Low-King)]

[Level: 20]

[Species Talent: Sword Sovereign]

Gale Swordsmanship (This talent allows familiars to manipulate swords formed from natural wind with absolute precision. When using Wind-attributed sword techniques, the skill’s power, grade, and effects are significantly enhanced!)

“Holy shit, dual-wielding?” Lu Ran muttered in astonishment.

Gale Swordsmanship?

He couldn’t help but wonder just how powerful this Wind-attribute energy was.

Could it even rival something like a spatial storm?