Chapter 104

After recording all the data, Xie Qingwei pondered for a moment, then logged into the intranet from the research lab’s computer and pulled up a report on a secret realm investigation.

“The number of records on Night Demon Scarecrows is very scarce, and evolutionary forms have never been documented. Currently, the academic community generally believes that its evolutionary form is something like this.”

Mu Huiyue looked over at the page that Professor Xie had pulled up. It was an investigation report from many years ago on a dark-element secret realm, the A-level secret realm “Horrific Canyon,” where the Night Demon Scarecrow made its second appearance in the Haila region.

The ruler of the “Horrific Canyon” secret realm is a mid-level emperor species of the dark element, the “Fear Executioner,” which is what Professor Xie referred to as the evolutionary form of the Night Demon Scarecrow.

Mu Huiyue: “…”

She considered herself to have quite a broad aesthetic and could find the handsome and cute parts in dark-element beasts, which most people would deem gloomy and terrifying. But this “Fear Executioner” was just too grotesque.

Its entire body was covered in sticky pus, and it looked like a giant, torn-up rag that had been twisted together and then stretched out, with countless scarlet eyes growing all over it. Its lower half consisted of six spider-like legs, as tangled and intricate as a scorpion’s. Even through the screen, she could almost smell the putrid, rotten stench.

Compared to this creature, the “Lickers” they encountered in the Undead Castle seemed almost gentle and harmless.

When it comes to dark and terrifying dark-element extraordinary creatures, she was clearly much worse at dealing with this pure, spine-chilling type.

“The core innate skill of the Fear Executioner is the S-level dark-element domain skill ‘Fear Entity,’ an advanced skill that evolves from the A-level skill ‘Evil Ghost Face,'” Xie Qingwei explained. “Most known Night Demon Scarecrows have ‘Evil Ghost Face’ as their core innate skill. This is an advanced domain skill and should technically be on the same level as B-level deterrence. Therefore, Night Demon Scarecrows with the A-level core skill ‘Evil Ghost Face’ are classified as high-level monarch species, but haven’t yet reached the full strength of emperor species.”

Mu Huiyue rubbed the goosebumps on her arm and looked at the Night Demon Scarecrow standing obediently next to the detection device, its body affixed with sensory magnets. Her mind was filled with some old meme images.

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“Because it appeared in the same secret realm and has the same core innate skill, is it speculated that this is an evolutionary form of the Night Demon Scarecrow?” She looked at Xie Qingwei and asked.

“That’s right,” Xie Qingwei nodded. “This is the evolutionary chain after the ‘Intimidation’ trait of the Night Demon Scarecrow has developed deeply. Both the core innate skill and the evolutionary pattern of its traits make it very reasonable.”

“But Harvey’s situation is a bit different. Compared to the ‘Intimidation’ trait, it should lean more towards the growth energy of the wood element.”

Xie Qingwei switched the computer screen back to Harvey’s health data and stroked her chin, contemplating.

“The core innate skill, ‘Scarecrow Substitute,’ is already quite rare. And on top of that, it’s learned ‘Harvest’… Honestly, if Harvey weren’t right in front of me, I would never believe a Night Demon Scarecrow could learn ‘Harvest.'”

“However, this also presents a new evolutionary opportunity. ‘Scarecrow Substitute’ has a higher-tier A-level skill, and Harvey has enough evolutionary potential… it’s just that no one can predict what kind of evolution a Night Demon Scarecrow nurtured with wood-element growth energy will undergo.”

Mu Huiyue couldn’t help but feel a little relieved. She truly couldn’t bear the thought of reliable, handsome little Harvey evolving into something like the ‘Fear Executioner’…

No matter what it evolved into in the other direction, it couldn’t be worse than the deeply developed ‘Intimidation’ trait, which already carries the concept of fear, like the ‘Fear Executioner.’

She glanced at the data displayed on the computer screen and said, “There’s no need to worry about the evolution process. Before returning from Xizhou, the Withered Glory Spirit Deer specifically visited me. It told me that if Harvey encounters any evolutionary bottlenecks in the future, he can seek its help.”

“If Harvey can find a suitable evolutionary direction, he can go to Xizhou and, under the protection of the Withered Glory Spirit Deer, complete his evolution.”

Xie Qingwei was once again surprised. Every year, so many Beastmasters pass the Harvest Rite and enter into contracts with companion beasts in the ‘Fenghe Basin,’ but she had never heard of anyone receiving the Withered Glory Spirit Deer’s promise.

“To think that the Guardian Spirit of Xizhou would actively offer ‘after-sales service’… It really cares about you and Harvey.”

“It said it was a ‘thank-you gift for waking me up’…?” Mu Huiyue recalled. “But I guess it’s mostly because Harvey is the first beast in a thousand years to be born from the ‘Withered Wasteland,’ right? The Withered Glory Spirit Deer is also curious about what it will eventually become.”

At these words, the Night Demon Scarecrow, which had sensory magnets affixed to it, emitted a soft rustling sound.

At this point, Mu Huiyue turned to look at Xie Qingwei. The reason she came straight to the Dark Attribute Research Institute after returning to campus, besides Harvey’s health check, was because she had another matter she wanted to discuss with Professor Xie.

“About the ‘Harvest’ skill… Professor Xie, I have a new idea.”

Mu Huiyue walked over to the Night Demon Scarecrow and stood beside it, pressing the detection sensory magnet to the corresponding spot on herself.

Xie Qingwei paused for a moment, then realized what she was doing. The data from the sensory magnet detector was mostly related to latent energy values, which were not applicable to human Beastmasters. Only the “Contract Entropy” value applied to both the beast and the Beastmaster.

She switched the detection mode to focus on “Contract Entropy” and nodded at Mu Huiyue.

“Harvey learning ‘Harvest’ was a bit of a risky approach on my part, but it was based on my previous assessment of him.”

Mu Huiyue adjusted the sensory magnet and continued, “Strong emotional obsessions can have a substantial impact on a beast’s potential and even alter some of its traits…”

“Harvey was born from a collective consciousness resonance. His obsession with ‘Harvest’ is unmatched. I’ve witnessed his dreamlike consciousness, so I understand his desire… This obsession ultimately led him to master ‘Harvest,’ a skill that doesn’t align with his natural traits.”

“Professor Xie, don’t you think this is similar to a change in a ‘core innate skill’?”

Xie Qingwei was momentarily stunned, then fell into deep thought.

Core innate skills typically reflect the extraordinary creature’s inherent traits and strengths. Even within the same species, there can be individuals with different core innate skills, meaning their traits can be divergent.

An extreme example is the little cloud dog, whose core innate skill directly determines its elemental attribute.

Then there’s Harvey, who diverges from the intimidation trait and, driven by his obsession with harvest, becomes a Night Demon Scarecrow completely different from his kin.

If strong emotions and obsessions can enable dark-element beasts to master skills that don’t align with their traits, then they should similarly be able to alter their “core innate skills.”

Having realized this, Xie Qingwei almost wanted to applaud her student.

No wonder Mu Huiyue was the top scorer in the Star State entrance exams—she had never let up in her thinking during the process of training her beasts. As a researcher, she observed and recorded everything she experienced, trying to identify patterns that had yet to be discovered.

Xie Qingwei didn’t have time to speak; she immediately opened the research computer and began recording her thoughts and insights.

She exhaled softly, looked up at Mu Huiyue, and said, “Go on, tell me more about your thoughts.”

“I’m thinking that if we can find a way to accurately quantify, or more specifically describe and express this emotional obsession, we might be able to find a breakthrough. I also believe this is closely related to the ‘Contract Entropy’ you proposed.”

After saying this, Mu Huiyue glanced at the Night Demon Scarecrow beside her.

Harvey had just been born, emotionally pure yet also possessing a strong obsession due to the collective consciousness resonance. Through Harvey’s dreamlike consciousness, it was easy to understand the emotional state deep within him.

In other words, right now, it would be easier for Harvey and the Beastmaster to form an emotional resonance within their contract.

“Harvey, do you remember the scene from the official Harvest Rite ceremony?” Mu Huiyue asked him.

“Rustle—” The Night Demon Scarecrow swayed gently, making a soft, happy sound.

Of course, he remembered.

It was the first time in its life that it had witnessed true harvest, and it was such a grand and magnificent sight.

The antlered branches, resembling the snow-white giant deer of the forest, moved through the wheat fields, as if stepping across golden oceans. With each step it took, it carried the power of “Wide-Ranging Prosperity,” a pure life energy that soaked into the earth, while the earth and the life forms dwelling within it also reciprocated the Withered Glory Spirit Deer’s gifts.

It saw the people rejoicing because of the harvest, heard their songs praising the bounty, and the blissful laughter and satisfied voices became the eternal background music of the Harvest Rite.

With a sense of lingering regret that crossed countless times and spaces, it finally witnessed the harvest.

“It’s my first time seeing such a spectacular harvest too,” Mu Huiyue said with a gentle smile.

What seemed like a brief and ordinary exchange, Xie Qingwei noticed that the “Contract Entropy” between Mu Huiyue and the Night Demon Scarecrow suddenly surged.

The “Contract Entropy” that should have peaked at the moment of the contract actually increased significantly under these circumstances.

Xie Qingwei didn’t dare shift her gaze for a moment, carefully recording the detection data with the help of the guardian spirit.

However, this increase in entropy didn’t last long. After a few minutes, it returned to its original value, similar to the situation during the adoption day at the nursery when the banner soldiers were involved.

“Indeed, the Contract Entropy has increased,” Mu Huiyue confirmed her hypothesis through this small experiment.

“I’ve been thinking about the results of the previous test and the scenario during Ellen’s evolution. That day, apart from the B-grade resource, the ‘Ethereal Blue Eternal Flower,’ the graveyard where the evolution took place, and Ellen’s own skill proficiency, there was actually one more detail.”

“I told him that even if he encountered danger, Ellen would protect me, right?”

“In that moment, Ellen’s emotional feedback in the contract was exceptionally strong, and soon after, he evolved.”

Mu Huiyue reminisced, “The feeling in that instant… how should I describe it? It was very much like when I use my Beast Tamer talent—Dark Element Enhancement during a battle. It felt like a strong…”

“Resonance,” Xie Qingwei answered.

“Exactly,” Mu Huiyue nodded. “When I first encountered Ellen, we were in a very dangerous realm, and he had an intense obsession with protecting my safety.”

“Harvey’s situation is similar. When it recalls the grandest harvest scene, I can sense the emotional resonance in our contract.”

Mu Huiyue continued, “Many Dark Elemental extraordinary creatures are born in different types of emotional resonance, right?”

Xie Qingwei nodded, especially regarding high-tier Dark Elemental extraordinary creatures, like guardian spirits, vengeful spirit dolls, which are born based on emotional resonance in certain special circumstances, as well as the case of the Night Demon Scarecrow, born from collective consciousness resonance.

“This is the thought I had from Harvey’s consciousness dreamscape.”

“The emotional resonance gathered together is so intense that it breaks through a certain threshold, and thus, the Night Demon Scarecrow comes into being.”

“If a Beast Tamer’s contract with a Dark Elemental pet could reproduce the intense resonance they experienced at their birth, it wouldn’t need to last long—just breaking through that threshold again…”

Xie Qingwei’s eyes lit up with thought, “…Could it cause an evolutionary leap, like the one that occurred at the moment of their birth?”

“It wouldn’t be a life leap driven by the core talent skill,” Mu Huiyue explained. “In cases where strong emotional obsession allows a pet to learn non-characteristic skills, if the resonance becomes strong enough or reaches a certain threshold… it is entirely possible to reverse the process and drive the pet’s evolution, even changing its core talent skill.”

“Rumble…” The slender guardian spirit flew to the Beast Tamer’s side, recalling the moment of its own evolution. Indeed, it was when it felt the emotional resonance of its birth again.

“Although we still don’t know how to find this ‘threshold,’ maybe there’s no fixed ‘threshold’ at all…”

Mu Huiyue’s voice faltered for a moment. These observations and speculations were just her own guesses. There was still much work to do to verify and summarize the research conclusions that could be reproduced.

“Our research institute is specialized in doing exactly this,” Xie Qingwei chuckled, her expression full of excitement, just like the day she first met Mu Huiyue.

Nothing is more attractive to a researcher than a promising research direction.

“We’ve got a lot to do next. Feng Le, our little student, is going to be wailing. I’ll see if I should have your senior return to help…”

Professor Xie couldn’t wait to start planning the next research tasks.

“I have a feeling, this time, we’ll make a huge breakthrough.”