Chapter 6 - Possibility of Growth

Doofus eliminated the demon cat with ease. Lu Ran looked at the cat’s broken neck, finding the sight quite surreal. Although all this was supposed to be a projection, it all seemed so real.

I’m sorry you had to die so miserably, but it was either you or me.

Huh—

Before Lu Ran could contemplate for too long, the demon cat turned into a white light, shattered, and disappeared.

"

Woof?

"

Captain Doofus watched in shock as its spoils of war disappeared. Some speckles of light remained, though. They condensed into a ball the size of a firefly and flew into Captain Doofus, surprising it even more. Right after, it felt itself growing even stronger.

"You got stronger through fighting?"

Noticing a change in Captain Doofus, Lu Ran pulled out his contract card and checked its level. To his confusion, though, it was still at level 1.

"I should be right... Although it isn’t much, killing that monster has made Captain Doofus stronger."

Lu Ran’s thoughts began to race.

"Does it need to kill more monsters to level up? How many does it need to kill, though? Wait! Maybe this is the purpose of this trial."

He originally just planned to avoid all conflicts and survive the day, completing the beginner trial peacefully. Once he got a clearer grasp of the situation, he could then make new plans and try more difficult challenges.

However, having learned that killing monsters could make Captain Doofus stronger, his plans began to change.

Can Captain Doofus gain a few levels here?

The final reward seemed to be related to his performance in the trial. Fighting their way through would likely earn them different rewards from simply being cautious and surviving.

Maybe this trial wouldn’t be as bad as he thought. It could even be a good training opportunity. The OP of the article that he had read most likely only ended up so miserable because they were too weak!

Of course, it was also possible that there were actually more powerful enemies in this secret realm. Still, at the very least, Captain Doofus should be able to handle demon cats with ease!

𝗳𝗿𝐞𝕖𝘄𝗲𝕓𝗻𝚘𝚟𝕖𝐥.𝚌𝕠𝕞

Lu Ran continued to deliberate on how to make the most of this opportunity. He had a hunch that this mysterious black card would one day impact the real world, but he was also worried about his greed putting him in danger.

"

Woof!!

"

While Lu Ran was lost in thought, Captain Doofus kept digging the ground, seemingly hoping to find the missing demon cat.

Lu Ran frowned. "Stop. That thing is gone. We’re staying here for a bit, so get some rest and replenish your strength.”

Captain Doofus tilted his head in confusion."

Woof?

"

Ignoring the dog, Lu Ran focused on the Eye of Detection’s effect, disappointed that it didn't show him an EXP bar for Captain Doofus. If he knew how many demon cats had to be killed before his familiar could gain a level, it would make it easier for him to plan ahead.

Lu Ran did make an unexpected discovery, though—the Eye of Detection could show him his own information.

[Race: Human]

[Beastmaster Rank: Apprentice]

[Beastmaster Skills: None]

Although it was all just very basic information, the “Beastmaster Skills” part still piqued his interest. Captain Doofus’ information window also had a “Skills” section, but it was blank. If they could get skills, maybe their combat prowess would improve.

How do we acquire skills, though?

"We made quite a bit of noise during the scuffle just now. That will probably attract more monsters, so all we have to do is wait here. At least in a clearing this large, we'll still be able to maintain a certain degree of control even if we encounter more monsters," Lu Ran told Captain Doofus.

Having decided that staying here was better than going through thick bushes, he left whatever happened from here on up to fate.

Captain Doofus nodded in agreement.

"

Ruff!

"

In its mind, Lu Ran was responsible for thinking, and it was responsible for fighting.

"Keep an eye on your surroundings," Lu Ran warned.

While they waited for prey, Lu Ran continued to observe the area with the Eye of Detection. The prompts not only showed him the information of creatures but also the information of resources.

What are resources?

After some exploration, Lu Ran finally made a huge discovery. The Eye of Detection didn’t show any information about ordinary weeds and trees, but it worked on some nearby strange plants that stood out to him, including a red mushroom that he had found under a tree.

[Name: Hemostatic Mushroom]

[Grade: Common]

[Description: A mushroom that gradually heals wounds. Can be crushed and applied directly on wounds

Caution: Oral consumption is not recommended and may cause hallucinations of little people dancing.]

Walking on, he also found some green fruits on a thin tree that looked different from others.

[Name: Wood Scale Fruit]

[Grade: Common]

[Description: A juicy fruit that satiates hunger and restores physical strength. Loved by fruit insects, those who consume it have a high probability of obtaining additional protein.]

"I’m glad I found resources without having to explore too far. This item is outrageous, though."

Lu Ran felt his stomach churn. If they had escaped from here at the start, he doubted they could find similar resources elsewhere.

Their unappealing descriptions aside, the two items seemed quite useful. For as long as they didn’t run into any strong monsters, these two items should help them stay in one place and farm for EXP for a while. Surviving for just a day shouldn’t be an issue.

"These things should be usable, right?"

Recalling how the demon cat just disappeared, Lu Ran was worried that picking the Hemostatic Mushroom and Wood Scale Fruit would make them vanish too.

Lu Ran quickly realized that he was just overthinking, though. After he dug out a Hemostatic Mushroom, it did not disappear. It seemed it just couldn’t be taken out of the secret realm.

Lu Ran's eyes lit up. With these things in hand, he was more confident that he could make Captain Doofus level up quite a bit.

"Not bad."

Hmm?

While Lu Ran was lost in a good mood, he felt a wave of heat hit him. Captain Doofus had run over. It panted and drooled at the mushrooms, asking if it could eat them.

"

Ruh?

"

"Didn't you just eat before coming here?"

"

Woof!

"

"You’ve only been in one fight so far. How could it all be burned off? Anyway, this is an external medicine, not meant for eating. You are not allowed to eat anything here without my permission."

"

Woof.

"

With a disdainful gaze, Lu Ran firmly answered, "No means no."

After a short back and forth, Captain Doofus finally gave up on eating the mushroom.. Interestingly enough, Doofus actually preferred to eat vegetables and fruits over meat, earning it the nickname “Salad Dog.”

Lu Ran began to pick Wood Scale Fruits, albeit with some difficulty. Although he and Captain Doofus ate before they came here, it would only keep them satiated for half a day at most. Once they got hungry again, their physical performance would inevitably decline. At that time, the Wood Scale Fruit would prove crucial since it could restore a certain amount of stamina, sate hunger, and quench thirst.

Lu Ran collected all the Wood Scale Fruits and Hemostatic Mushrooms nearby. All in all, about half an hour had passed since they first arrived. To his surprise, though, they didn't encounter new monsters despite waiting in the same place.

Lu Ran frowned. "Will we have to take the initiative and hunt?"

Rustle rustle rustle!

Captain Doofus, who was lying on the ground and dozing off, suddenly opened its eyes and became alert.

Lu Ran brightened up.

"Experience fodder is on its way!"

"

Woof woof!

"

However, the rustles soon started to come from all around them, causing his happiness to quickly die down and his heart to drop. It seemed multiple monsters were rushing toward them at once.

A drop of sweat ran down Lu Ran's face. The black bushes were torn apart again, and five figures emerged from them.

Captain Doofus and Lu Ran were both stunned and speechless.

Um, wasn’t this supposed to be a beginner secret realm?

Lu Ran was confused. Was the creator of the secret realm targeting him?! He wasn’t hacking!

Please, listen to me... T.T