Chapter 96 - Awakening of the Ancient Creature

“Manager Ying?”

“I naturally trust Manager Ying’s strength, but would she really want to come and protect me?”

Lu Ran doubted it. After all, she was the owner of an intel store and likely very busy. Would she even have any free time?

“If it were under normal circumstances, wanting her protection would probably leave you in massive debt,” Gu Qingyi chuckled.

Please, not more debt!

Lu Ran’s face turned sour.

“However, your situation is a bit different.”

Gu Qingyi picked up the phone left behind by the Crimson Earl and said, “As an information dealer, what do you think would entice her the most?”

“Information,” Lu Ran replied.

“Correct. The intel on the Stone of the Other Shore is so significant that I imagine she’d be eager to explore it with you. Besides, Dr. Lu mentioned that obtaining the Stone of the Other Shore could unlock the secrets of Limitless City.

“This secret is something every nation has been trying to uncover for the past three years, including Manager Ying, who is immensely curious about Limitless City. Otherwise, she wouldn’t have entered into a personal contract just to go in and take a look.

“And now, with a new lead for investigation, there’s no way she’d pass it up,” Gu Qingyi said slyly. “We should be able to get this one for free.”

“What!?” Lu Ran was stunned.

Dr. Gu is so devious. I never realized it before.

“Well, shall we go with Manager Ying then?” Lu Ran asked.

A powerful time-and-space attribute creature as a bodyguard—who else could boast such a privilege? However, Manager Ying didn’t seem particularly fond of Doofus. Lu Ran glanced at Captain Doofus, who wore a bewildered expression.

Was it Doofus’s fault?

“Come on, let’s go to your place. I’ll contact Manager Ying to come over.”

Gu Qingyi gathered the stack of Undead Resurrection beastmaster skill cards, setting one aside and handing it to Lu Ran.

At Lu Ran’s home, before Manager Ying arrived, Gu Qingyi continued chatting and advising him.

“Although the undead attribute is still considered taboo in many nations, if you want to learn that skill, now truly is the best time. After all, necromancers have a new path to level up.”

“Are you referring to the mutated beasts in the wild?” Lu Ran asked, handing Dr. Gu a homemade drink from the fridge.

Before the revival of spiritual energy, necromancers seeking to level up quickly had no choice but to hunt beastmasters. Now, with the abundance of extraordinary creatures after the revival, there was no need to hunt beastmasters. The wilderness was filled with extraordinary souls, making this the ideal era for necromancers.

“Correct. However, the biggest issue with the undead attribute is that consuming souls affects the minds of both the familiar and the beastmaster, eventually turning them into something neither human nor ghost.

“So, if you plan to cultivate the undead type, it’s best to wait until you reach a higher beastmaster grade and be selective with your familiars. Choose those with firm wills. “It’s not that countries haven’t thought about conducting in-depth research on the undead type, but there hasn’t been a good entry point. Now...” Gu Qingyi held up a black card.

“Your parents sent you hundreds of skill cards that can mass-produce necromancers. These can be handed over to the authorities in Xia. With time, Xia should be able to establish its own undead army.

“As for you, don’t worry too much. Focus on growing steadily. Your parents’ matters,

The Other Shore

matters, and the Death Dragon—I’ll investigate all of that for you. “Your focus should be on the upcoming breakthrough into the ascension realm and the freshman competition a little over a month from now!” Gu Qingyi encouraged.

“Thank you, Dr. Gu.”

Lu Ran smiled wryly, grateful to know Dr. Gu. Without her, the impact of this news would have been no less than learning about his parents’ deaths years ago.

“No need to thank me. Alright, she’s here.” Gu Qingyi glanced toward the balcony.

Ripples in the space flickered, and a beautiful bobcat with money patterns across its body appeared inside the room. Upon seeing it, Lu Ran was visibly stunned.

Gu Qingyi explained, “Manager Ying has many forms, all of which are cats. This form must be suited for Green Sea City.”

“What’s going on? Why did you suddenly call me here? What’s this important intel?” Manager Ying asked, puzzled, as she looked at Lu Ran and Gu Qingyi sitting on the sofa.

“Ying, you’re here!” Gu Qingyi greeted with a smile. “Lu Ran is involved in a significant event tied to a legendary item and the secret of Limitless City. I figured you’d be interested, so I invited you here. Would you like to investigate it with him?”

Lu Ran was surprised. He hadn’t expected Dr. Gu’s mastery of language to be so refined. Not a single mention of bodyguarding, yet every word suggested that Manager Ying act as his bodyguard.

“Hm? Him?” Manager Ying was taken aback, not understanding how a newcomer like Lu Ran could be involved in legendary items and secrets of Limitless City—such high-tier information.

“Lu Ran, tell Ying about your recent experience,” Gu Qingyi prompted.

Lu Ran nodded and gestured toward the phone on the table holding his mother’s message.

A moment later...

“I knew The Other Shore was searching for a legendary item! But I didn’t expect your parents had already uncovered key clues to finding it!”

“The Death Dragon is one of the four Supreme Divine Dragons of the beastmaster world. Even among legendary species, it’s top-tier.”

“The Stone of the Other Shore is related to it? If it’s a legendary secret, it might indeed help unlock the secret of Limitless City!”

As Gu Qingyi had predicted, after watching the video, Manager Ying was visibly surprised. No beastmaster on Blue Planet had ever nurtured an overlord species, let alone a legendary one. The highest-grade resources available to beastmasters were only at the Epic-grade.

Now, legendary creatures and items were in play—a matter of monumental importance. However, Manager Ying wasn’t a fool. After the initial surprise, she furrowed her brow and looked at Gu Qingyi and Lu Ran with suspicion.

“Wait. With such a sensitive background—and parents who were high-ranking members of The Other Shore—even if they were victims, are you asking me to investigate with him and act as his bodyguard? Given his background, he’s bound to have constant trouble.”

Gu Qingyi blinked innocently. “Hm?”

“So, it seems Lu Ran might indeed need some protection. Manager Ying, could you perhaps protect him while investigating?” Gu Qingyi said in a faux-thoughtful manner.

Manager Ying rolled her eyes. After a moment of deliberation, she replied, “Fine. Given that this intel is so interesting, I’ll open a Cat Maid Cafe branch in Green Sea City and settle down here.”

“Thank you.” Gu Qingyi smiled, understanding that Manager Ying was willing to do her a favor—a favor she wouldn’t forget.

“By the way...” Manager Ying turned to Lu Ran.

“I may be your bodyguard, but only within reason. We’ll share intelligence regarding the Stone of the Other Shore, but don’t think you can get freebies from me for anything else...”

“No, of course not.” Lu Ran clasped his hands together in thanks. “I’m already grateful to have Manager Ying’s protection.”

“I’m not that kind of person! Are you considering contracting an undead familiar in the future? Otherwise, how will you search for the Stone of the Other Shore?” Manager Ying asked.

“To be honest, this requires careful selection. You can’t just contract any mutated beast and convert it into an undead—the potential would be too low. If your mother’s message suggested you need a powerful undead, you should aim for something formidable.

“I have a better recommendation. Want to hear it? Since it falls within our cooperative content, I won’t charge you.”

“What?” Both Lu Ran and Gu Qingyi looked at her curiously.

Manager Ying explained, “As mentioned in the video, ancient extraordinary beings once existed on Blue Planet. Some were even worshiped as tribal totems by humans.

“However, as they struggled to adapt to the changing environment, they gradually disappeared. Most of them fell into deep slumber. I was among them back then.

“Fortunately, being weak at the time, I didn’t require much spiritual energy. As a ‘Nine-Tailed Cat’ with nine lives, I managed to awaken in the modern era. But those beings weren’t as lucky. Their lives withered over the ages, and many must be dead by now.

“Even with the recent spiritual energy revival, reviving fully would be difficult unless they encountered something extraordinary. We could search for these surviving ancient creatures, still slumbering somewhere.

“By offering to help them transform into an undead form, granting them a second life, you could make them your familiar!” Manager Ying suggested.

“Those who survived until now are all exceptional. Contracting their souls would mean you’d no longer need to fear The Other Shore. Soon, you could wield power that rivals the first-generation beastmasters.”

“Really?”

Lu Ran’s excitement grew as he suddenly thought of the Divine Deer. If he could contract a totemic creature as powerful as it, even in spiritual form, it should be extremely strong.

“Manager Ying, how come you never mentioned this before?” Dr. Gu was also intrigued. The idea of seeking out ancient creatures to contract was explosive.

“Even I don’t know where they’re all slumbering.” Manager Ying shrugged. “I’m just guessing. I mentioned it so he could obtain a powerful undead familiar faster.

“Gaining recognition from a legendary item won’t be easy... your familiar needs to be strong.

“Now, I’ll send out my avatars to start searching. If we’re lucky, we’ll find one. But if not, we might just have to raise any undead we find.

“Also! To contract such beings, you’ll need to strengthen yourself first. Otherwise, they won’t submit easily.”

Manager Ying scrutinized Lu Ran. “An Apprentice at rank 1... that’s too weak. In six months, can you become a rank 3 beastmaster?”

“Six months? I’ll be a legendary beastmaster by then,” Lu Ran joked, feeling much better after chatting with Manager Ying and Dr. Gu.

Next to the sofa, Captain Doofus and the Sudden Death King clapped.

Truly worthy of our beastmaster, aiming high.

“What???” Manager Ying and Gu Qingyi were confused.

Are you okay?