Chapter 100

Among the skills that Harvey currently possesses, in addition to the newly learned Harvest, the attack skill Crow Storm that he showcased in the secret realm, the control skill Malicious Taunt, and the status skill Scarecrow Substitute from his talent core, there are two other skills.

C-grade Wood-type attack skill – Rotten Fruit: This skill forms special fruit through the energy secreted by the user. The effects depend on its own characteristics. Some pets can create fruits that carry toxins or cause negative effects such as paralysis or sleep.

Harvey’s Rotten Fruit uses compressed and released dual-type energy, with an effect roughly equivalent to a small explosive.

The power of Rotten Fruit changes as Harvey’s energy increases. After learning Harvest, Harvey now has an almost inexhaustible energy source, making the power of Rotten Fruit even stronger.

The most surprising skill for Mu Huiyue is Harvey’s A-grade skill, Evil Ghost Face.

This is a rather rare Superior Domain Skill.

Extraordinary creatures of the Lord and Emperor species will independently awaken domain-type skills. The Lord species’ Intimidation is considered an entry-level domain skill, while the Emperor species’ Emperor’s Domain is a large-scale skill capable of controlling an entire area.

Domain skills are well-known for clearing out the weak, easily dealing large-scale intimidation damage against extraordinary creatures of lower tiers.

This is a clear suppression of racial power, and it’s difficult to reverse the disadvantage in battle using skills and tactics alone.

The most effective way to counter a domain skill is to activate another domain skill.

Among them, there are very few high-tier Lord species and high-tier Emperor species that can merge their own conceptual characteristics to awaken Superior Domain Skills.

The Night Demon Scarecrow’s Evil Ghost Face is a high-tier skill formed by combining its intimidation concept with Intimidation, creating a more powerful ability.

One of the reasons the Scarecrow was created was to stand in the fields, scaring away birds trying to steal the crops. This concept, along with its desire for harvest, is integrated into Harvey’s soul core.

Evil Ghost Face can cause a stronger mental tremor than the regular Intimidation, instilling fear in the opponent and affecting their skill performance in battle.

Even when facing Intimidation from a Lord species of the same tier, this skill can take absolute advantage and push back the opponent’s domain.

In addition, the talent core skill Scarecrow Substitute is also a very powerful status effect skill.

The Night Demon Scarecrow generates a scarecrow substitute when there is an energy surplus, using it to absorb damage.

As long as the scarecrow substitute isn’t completely consumed, the Night Demon Scarecrow itself won’t be affected, not just by skill damage, but also by negative impact skills such as Soul Vibration or Sleep Spores.

Currently, Harvey can generate and carry up to three scarecrows, and this number will continue to increase with his tier and energy growth.

The damage threshold that a scarecrow substitute can withstand depends on the Night Demon Scarecrow’s energy. Currently, it can endure roughly one-third of the Scarecrow’s total health.

Even if the damage from a single attack exceeds the limit of the scarecrow substitute, it will only result in the destruction of a single substitute. To attack the Night Demon Scarecrow itself, further offense is required.

This means that in a fully prepared battle, Harvey essentially has three layers of health. If the scarecrow substitute isn’t fully destroyed, it’s impossible to reach the Night Demon Scarecrow’s body.

On top of that, with the forced attack attraction of Malicious Taunt, Mu Huiyue’s mind was instantly flooded with hundreds of tactics ready to be tried.

After understanding the situation with the scarecrow substitute, Harvey had a crow pick up the newly generated scarecrow and deliver it to his Beastmaster.

Mu Huiyue was slightly stunned. “Is this for me?”

“Rustle—” The Night Demon Scarecrow gently swayed its body.

Just like Ellen’s Shadow Stealth, Harvey’s Scarecrow Substitute also has an effect on Mu Huiyue, who possesses Dark-type enhancement talent. It hoped the Beastmaster would carry its scarecrow substitute to protect her safety.

“Thank you, I’ll keep it with me.” Mu Huiyue couldn’t help but smile as she accepted the first time Harvey had actively shown goodwill.

Her shadow rippled beneath her feet. Ellen had originally wanted to say he would protect Huiyue’s safety, but after a moment’s thought, he refrained from forming a shadow.

In case they encounter a dangerous scenario like the Trial Illusion or the Withered Wasteland again, Ellen couldn’t guarantee that he would always be by the Beastmaster’s side. Having a scarecrow substitute to block damage would at least ensure that Huiyue wouldn’t suffer fatal wounds, giving him the opportunity to rush to her aid immediately.

Harvey, though still newly born, showed reasoning close to that of high-tier pets.

In contrast, Baiya, also in the growth stage, spent most of the time acting cute with the Beastmaster.

“Woof?” Feeling the gaze from Ellen, the white puppy innocently tilted its head.

As for Harvey’s future training direction, Mu Huiyue planned to have him learn more defensive skills to leverage his advantages and continue developing into a tank-type creature.

After reviewing the pets’ situations, Mu Huiyue opened the game interface for Spirit Ranch Story.

Apart from contracting Harvey, the rewards from this trip to Xizhou included accumulated points.

Contracting a new pet, exploring and uncovering the S-tier secret realm, and battling in the Trial Illusion had all earned quite a bit of spirit well drops.

Together with the points accumulated during the first month after the start of the school year, Mu Huiyue now had enough resources for a twenty-pull.

There are about two weeks left until the Harvest Season Special Recommended Summon mentioned in the event preview begins.

During this time, she needs to accumulate as many spirit well drops as possible, so she can complete her pulls during the event and obtain various rare seeds all at once.

With Harvey around, these seeds will quickly mature and bear fruit, greatly enhancing Mu Huiyue and her pets’ strength.

Mu Huiyue looked toward the Night Demon Scarecrow stationed in the fields.

Harvey seemed very satisfied with the Farmland in the Beastmaster space. After burying itself in the soil, it hadn’t moved at all.

It stretched its body out, gently swaying with the breeze in the field. The healthy crystal grass wheat seedlings in the field also swayed in the same rhythm, creating a warm and harmonious scene.

“Rustle—” The scarecrow made a soft sound toward its Beastmaster.

“Thank you for walking toward me that night.”

…

Mu Huiyue opened her eyes.

The plane on her return trip was still in flight, with the rumbling sound of the air rushing by and the even breathing of the sleeping passengers around her.

She shifted in her seat and stretched her slightly stiff body.

Ellen had returned to her shadow with the Beastmaster’s awareness, and Mu Huiyue couldn’t help but smile.

In the Beastmaster space, Baiya was sleeping in the Rest Hut, using its favorite bone toy as a pillow, while Harvey still stood in the field.

Its affection for the Farmland was probably similar to Ellen’s attachment to the Beastmaster’s shadow—whenever there was free time, it would always be there.

Thinking back to the moment when she made the contract, Mu Huiyue couldn’t help but feel a little sentimental.

The Night Demon Scarecrow’s race and attributes were in line with her goals, but in such a dangerous and unstable environment, she never expected that it would be something she could form a contract with at first.

It wasn’t until she entered that long yet brief dream that she saw the core consciousness of the Night Demon Scarecrow and heard its regrets and longing for the harvest, which strengthened her resolve to contract with it.

Why did she happen to see Harvey’s consciousness dream at that time?

This was the second thing in the Withered Wasteland that Mu Huiyue didn’t understand. After thinking it over, she guessed it might be because her Beastmaster talent had upgraded, making her more sensitive to emotional perception.

While thinking this, she slowly closed her eyes, preparing to rest for a bit before the plane landed.

Above her seat, in a corner of the overhead luggage rack that no one was paying attention to, a transparent, rounded outline flashed briefly.

The fantasy beast in Invisibility status revealed a rather pleased little expression.

“Mmm~”

…

…

The plane landed smoothly, and Mu Huiyue planned to report back to school first, then go to the Dark System Research Institute to have Professor Xie Qingwei check on Harvey’s condition.

The experience from this trip to Xizhou had given her new insights into the research topic of Contract Entropy, and it was the perfect opportunity to discuss it with Professor Xie.

As she walked into the school, Mu Huiyue noticed that the battle arena seemed especially lively today.

Even outside the school gates, she could hear sounds coming from inside, and more and more students were heading that way.

Under normal circumstances, such a setup in the battle hall would only happen during an internal competition, but Mu Huiyue hadn’t heard of any recent school competitions.

She casually asked a classmate, who said that a university exchange team from the Hira region had come recently. They hoped to engage in friendly exchange and sparring with Da Yan’s Beastmaster University, and their first stop after arriving was Jingzhou University.

Hearing this, Mu Huiyue couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow. Could this be considered as coming to challenge the school?

It was said to be a friendly exchange and sparring, but if Jingzhou University lost, not only would they lose face in front of foreign visitors, but as the first stop of the Hira exchange team, they would surely be ridiculed by other universities in Da Yan.

She turned around and headed in the direction of the battle hall.

The atmosphere in the venue was intense. Mu Huiyue quickly spotted Wen Li on the battle stage. Opposite her was a young man with short brown hair and golden eyes, casually watching her.

The match had already ended, and Wen Li’s Flame Strike Cat was facing off against the Crimson Fireworm…

Mu Huiyue saw the round, fiery-red cocoon above the Flame Strike Cat’s head. It had been a week since she last saw it, and the Crimson Fireworm had already finished forming its cocoon.

It was a doubles match, and Wen Li had lost the battle, her face full of reluctance.

If it weren’t for the fact that the opponent insisted on a doubles match and her little Crimson Fireworm happened to be in its cocooning state, its combat power was weaker than hers as a Beastmaster, there was no way they should have lost so easily!

“Allow me to take the win,” the brown-haired young man opposite spoke in the Hira region’s language.

He shrugged nonchalantly, “It seems that Da Yan’s fire-based inheritance isn’t all that impressive. I thought it would be more interesting.”

Wen Li’s veins popped, and the fiery patterns on her skin flashed briefly. She was just about to roll up her sleeves and take matters into her own hands.

The students from the Hira exchange group wore smiles, in sharp contrast to the grim expression on the face of the Battle Department’s director from Jingzhou University, who was sitting nearby.

This student from Hira, named Fel, had already won three consecutive matches.

He was a superstar who had just entered Hira University this year, a level 4 Beastmaster. His pet hadn’t even reached its mature form yet. The Hira exchange group had suggested a sparring match between freshmen, and the director in charge of the reception had gladly agreed. However, they hadn’t anticipated facing this situation.

“Instead of continuing with this freshman sparring, why not send your strongest Beastmaster from the Battle Department?” Fel smiled as he gestured with a finger. “Whoever it is, my pets won’t lose.”

The room fell silent for a moment. If they let a senior from the Battle Department win through rank suppression, Jingzhou University’s position would be no different from losing the match.

Moreover, based on the previous battle, the seniors might not even be able to secure a steady win.

Doubles battles were a strong suit for Hira’s Beastmasters, and with Fel’s Beastmaster talent… Was it really necessary to send Xiang Xun?

Sending the school’s ace team member to defeat the exchange group’s freshman would sound worse than simply letting Jingzhou University lose a sparring match.

The director of the Battle Department gave a strained smile, trying to suppress his frustration, as the exchange group looked on expectantly.

“How about we…?”

“I’ll do it.” A clear voice rang out across the battle stage.

A black-haired girl with a graceful appearance moved through the crowd of onlookers and walked confidently toward the battle stage.

She spoke fluently in Hira, “I’m Mu Huiyue, a freshman from the Battle Department. May I have a word of advice?”