Chapter 99

The trip to Xizhou ended successfully, and Mu Huiyue boarded her return flight.

Taking advantage of the time on the plane, she sank her consciousness into the Beastmaster space and carefully reviewed the harvest from the Harvest Festival.

The greatest gain, of course, was the newly contracted pet, the Night Demon Scarecrow.

In the Beastmaster space, the three pets gathered beneath the World Tree. Ellen and White Fang both curiously examined their new companion.

The Night Demon Scarecrow had a very special life form. It lacked some of the characteristics of living creatures, but it was indeed a living extraordinary being.

Its body resembled a true scarecrow—constructed from straw, with a body made of dried thorns and withered fruits, a large straw hat, and a cross-shaped wooden stake supporting its form from behind. It was an immobile shape.

For the Night Demon Scarecrow, simply raising its head slowly was considered an extremely intense movement.

Most of the time, it expressed its emotions through the rustling sound of the wind and the crows on its arms.

These crows were called Night Crows, the exclusive companion creatures of the Night Demon Scarecrow, similar to the death mist associated with undead creatures.

However, while the death mist was an ethereal, shapeless fog, the Night Crows were tangible. Many of the Night Demon Scarecrow’s skills were released through these crows.

After seeking the approval of her new companion, Mu Huiyue carefully attempted to stroke the crows.

The Night Crows had an extra layer of dark, soft feathers around their necks compared to real crows. Their backs were also fluffy, and the roots of their feathers had the warm, comforting sensation unique to down feathers, making them so comfortable to touch that one couldn’t help but fall in love with them.

With a single thought from the Night Demon Scarecrow, these crows could instantly transform into a dark mist and disappear, only to reassemble and take physical form once again.

The speed at which the Night Crows reformed was so quick it was hard to see. One moment, it seemed there were fewer crows, and when one looked again, the number had returned to its original count.

According to the Night Demon Scarecrow, the Night Crows were part of its body. Just as humans use their hands to handle tools, it could make the crows carry out various tasks.

White Fang, the most curious of the group, stepped forward and sniffed at the scarecrow’s body. Then it gently poked the dark wooden stake sticking into the earth with its claws.

Ellen, with his skeletal frame, now had a new wooden post companion, making him the most agile among Huiyue’s pets!

The little white dog looked up at the Night Demon Scarecrow and curiously barked.

“Woof woof?” (If my feet are in the ground, how can I walk?)

“Rustle—” (Like this.)

The Night Demon Scarecrow gently rocked its body, and more crows gathered, forming a dark cloud that slowly lifted it and moved it toward the target location.

“Woof woof!” White Fang wagged its tail excitedly. This method of movement is so cool!

“Rustle—” (It can also move like this.)

After the crows lowered it to the ground, they vanished, and the Night Demon Scarecrow’s figure disappeared as well, as if it had vanished from the spot.

“Woof woof?!” White Fang ran forward and sniffed around. There was no scent trail from the scarecrow—it had simply vanished!

Mu Huiyue smiled and glanced toward another direction behind the World Tree. Ellen also looked over.

She noticed that when it moved earlier, one of the crows had flown toward this direction, holding a scarecrow dummy in its beak.

The next second, the Night Demon Scarecrow’s figure appeared here.

This was a technique it had used in the “Withered Wilderness,” swapping its body with a scarecrow dummy to achieve an almost instantaneous teleportation effect.

Even with such a movement ability, the Night Demon Scarecrow couldn’t move as nimbly as White Fang in combat—this was due to its inherent characteristics.

The traits of a pet are not inherently good or bad; it all depends on how the Beast Tamer nurtures and utilizes these traits. The Night Demon Scarecrow, unable to move nimbly, was perfect for using a combination of [Malicious Taunt] and [Scarecrow Dummy] to become an excellent target for drawing hate.

“Woof woof!” White Fang excitedly ran toward the reappeared Night Demon Scarecrow.

It understood the swap from earlier—wasn’t this just like its own [Moonshadow]?

“Rustle—”

The Night Demon Scarecrow gently swayed its body, producing a pleasant rustling sound. Even though its head only had a deep crimson eye, with no visible change in expression, one could still feel its amusement through the rustling noise.

It was in a good mood—soft, stable, and completely different from when Mu Huiyue first met it.

Since watching the grand festival at the Harvest Festival, witnessing the [Wide Area Prosperity] of the Withered Spirit Deer, and seeing the real scene of a bountiful harvest, the Night Demon Scarecrow had been in a constant state of happiness.

Without a doubt, as a Dark-type pet, its preferred emotion was [The Joy of Harvest].

Mu Huiyue walked toward the [Farm Fields] in the pasture and waved at the Night Demon Scarecrow.

The black cloud of crows lifted the Night Demon Scarecrow and placed it by her side. Ellen emerged from the shadows, and White Fang happily ran over.

She had kept her promise for the Night Demon Scarecrow to witness the true harvest, and now only the other important agreement made when the contract was formed remained.

“This is our [Farm Field],” Mu Huiyue said softly, looking at the towering scarecrow.

She handed a skill scroll glowing with a rainbow light to one of the Night Demon Scarecrow’s crows.

“And this is the [Grade A Skill Book: Harvest]. It will teach you the skill called [Harvest], allowing you to master the power of bringing prosperity to the land.”

“Rustle—” The Night Demon Scarecrow gently swayed in the breeze of the farm field.

If I learn this skill, will I be able to bring a bountiful harvest to our farm fields?

Mu Huiyue smiled and nodded. “Yes, not just in the Beast Master Space’s farm fields, but in the real world too. We’re all looking forward to the harvest you’ll bring.”

“Woof woof!” White Fang wagged its tail in agreement, its eyes filled with sincerity.

With the acceleration from the Harvest skill, they’d be able to gather plenty of [attribute fruits] from the farm fields, and those fruits were delicious!

“Click.” Ellen also nodded sincerely.

The experience fruits and enhancement experience fruits harvested from the [Farm Fields] could rapidly improve one’s strength, and the Night Demon Scarecrow both needed and eagerly anticipated them.

The emotions of the Beast Master and their companions were conveyed through the contract.

This was the Night Demon Scarecrow’s most familiar feeling—the anticipation of a bountiful harvest.

Unlike the countless scenes it had witnessed in its memories, Mu Huiyue and her companions did not [wish] for it; instead, they gave it the skill that could bring about the harvest.

“Rustle—” The Night Demon Scarecrow slowly raised its head, and the crows flying in midair opened the precious skill book.

Brilliant light enveloped the Scarecrow’s form, and Mu Huiyue nervously clenched her palms.

Grade A skills symbolized the power of the imperial races. In theory, the monarch race could learn them, but the risks involved in teaching during the growth phase were also quite high.

After all, White Fang still couldn’t teach the B-level healing skill, [Moonlight].

However, Mu Huiyue trusted the Night Demon Scarecrow’s longing for a harvest, and this was the most important agreement in their contract.

The brilliance of the skill book continued to change, and the crows on the Scarecrow’s arms all flew out. It swayed its body made of thorns and wheat stalks, its head slightly raised beneath the wide-brimmed straw hat. Its blood-red single eye gazed at the vast farm field growing within the Beast Master Space.

Reflected in its eye was the sight of the giant white stag, whose mighty hooves brought a bountiful harvest to the land.

The crows that had flown away returned to the Night Demon Scarecrow’s side, and the black cloud lifted it into the [Farm Field].

The Night Demon Scarecrow stopped at the center of the field, its wooden stake deeply embedded in the soil. The abundant wood-type energy spread out from it, flooding the land repeatedly, and then flowing back into the Scarecrow’s body through the veins of the earth.

The energy waves continued to spread and interact, and for the first time, the Night Demon Scarecrow felt connected to the earth.

It sensed that the rich soil around it was nourishing different seeds, which were quietly growing under the infusion of harvest energy.

In the near future, these seeds would bear bountiful fruits, bringing a joyous harvest.

Grade A Wood-type Status Skill: [Harvest], successfully taught.

Mu Huiyue looked at the farm field information on the game panel. The growth time for the crystal stone seeds and experience fruit trees she had previously planted had decreased by at least a quarter, and this was just the effect of one [Harvest].

She walked toward the Night Demon Scarecrow in the field and smiled, asking, “How does it feel?”

“Rustle—” The Night Demon Scarecrow gently swayed in the wind, its voice light and joyful.

It liked this place.

“By the way, we should probably give the Night Demon Scarecrow a name, right? Just calling it by its species name is too long.”

Mu Huiyue stroked her chin, thinking for a moment. The Night Demon Scarecrow was a native species of the Hella region, rarely seen in Dayan. Should she consider adopting a name in the style of the Hella language, like Ellen…?

Suddenly, she had an idea. “…How about Harvey? It also means harvest.”

“Rustle—” A crow flew from the scarecrow’s arm and landed on the Beastmaster’s shoulder.

The crow retracted its claws and let out a dry yet cheerful call.

Harvey showed his approval of the name through action.

Mu Huiyue smiled and opened the information panel for her third contracted pet.

[Name]: Harvey (Night Demon Scarecrow)

[Attributes]: Dark, Wood

[Race Level]: High-tier Lord

[Growth Stage]: Fifth Stage of Growth

[Talent Core]: Scarecrow Substitute (Wood, B-grade)

[Skills]: Evil Ghost Face (Dark, A-grade), Harvest (Wood, A-grade), Malicious Taunt (Dark, B-grade), Crow Feather Storm (Dark, B-grade), Rotten Fruit (Wood, C-grade)

[Normal Hidden Power]: 61258P

Although Harvey had only been born recently, his growth stage had increased rapidly. By the time of the contract, he had already reached the fourth stage of growth. After receiving the harvest blessing from the Withered Glory Spirit Deer, he directly advanced to the fifth stage. His normal hidden power was almost catching up to Ellen’s level before he entered Xizhou.

According to the Withered Glory Spirit Deer, this was because the “Withered Wasteland” had only birthed this one extraordinary creature, the Night Demon Scarecrow. All the energy resonance had concentrated on it, creating its extraordinary potential.

Moreover, as a Dark-type creature born from collective consciousness resonance, Harvey inherently possessed reason within his memory core. Unlike ordinary creatures, which go through a period of naive confusion at birth, Harvey could effectively control the sudden surge of hidden energy within his body.

As the stages progressed, Harvey’s rate of improvement would gradually slow down. Before reaching maturity, Mu Huiyue still hoped that he would steadily improve his skill proficiency and combat experience, naturally evolving to higher stages.

But in any case, with Harvey’s growth potential, it’s certain that he will smoothly break through to maturity and evolve into the Emperor-level species in its complete form.

The Night Demon Scarecrow itself is a rather rare high-tier Dark-type species, and there has never been an individual record of it appearing within Dayan. Currently, all investigation reports come from the secret realms of the Hella region.

As for records of its evolutionary forms, they are even rarer, and Mu Huiyue’s current investigator privileges don’t allow her to access the complete records.

For now, she put aside the research on the evolutionary forms and was more interested in Harvey’s cultivation path.