Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 425 Job Adjustment: Advisor to the Headquarters of the Eastern Beast Tamer Association!

Two days passed silently in this self-contained world, where the flow of time seemed to differ from the outside world in the Abyss Dragon Cave.

A clear, jewel-like blue sky stretched out before me, with wisps of white clouds drifting lazily by. Gentle sunlight streamed down, not scorching, but rather bringing a warm and pleasant feeling.

A gentle breeze ripples across the vast expanse of lush green grass, creating a soft, rustling sound like a green ocean, carrying the refreshing fragrance of herbs and a rich, spiritual atmosphere.

Chen Yuan lay lazily on the soft meadow, a sweet grass stem casually dangling from his mouth, his hands behind his head, his eyes half-closed, letting the cool breeze gently caress his cheeks and stir the hair on his forehead.

The tension and strain of the Donghuang Conference completely dissipated at this moment, transforming into a sense of languor and contentment that emanated from the very core of them.

Although it was only two short days, he was almost completely immersed in the unique tranquility of this secret realm, forgetting all the disturbances of the outside world.

Not far away, there is a lake that is like a huge sapphire set at the foot of the mountains.

Youmi concealed all her aura, her figure blending perfectly into the environment, almost invisible.

It was having a great time playing with a group of small dragon cubs, who carefully lowered their long tails into the clear lake water, the tips of their tails swaying gently as bait.

The spirit fish in the lake, which shimmer with spiritual light and possess a shallow dragon bloodline, often cannot resist this temptation. Every now and then, one or two bold ones will come up to tentatively peck at the food.

Once a fish takes the bait, the baby dragons will excitedly let out a tender dragon roar and suddenly flick their tails out of the water.

Water splashed everywhere, refracting seven colors in the sunlight, and the panicked spirit fish was carried into the air.

Meanwhile, Youmi, who had been lurking nearby, would instantly reveal itself, its claws flashing as fast as a ghost, and precisely disembowel the still struggling spirit fish, handling it cleanly and efficiently.

Afterwards, Youmi and the little dragons sat together, sharing this extremely fresh and delicious food, making satisfied snoring and cheerful hissing, creating a harmonious and joyful atmosphere.

"Grrrrrrrr~~~"

After the small misunderstanding two days ago, Youmi had already built a good relationship with these silly little dragons and directly infiltrated their inner circle.

In the past two days, Youmi has been eating spirit fish until she's stuffed, and her strength has actually improved quite a bit as a result.

This place is simply Yumi's paradise!

In the higher reaches of the sky, a completely different scene unfolds, one of lightning speed.

Cola is having a friendly race with a Purple Lightning Azure Dragon that is also known for its speed.

Cola walked on air, with surging air beneath its four feet and howling winds surrounding it. Its figure transformed into a light brown lightning bolt that tore through the sky, constantly performing various difficult turns, dives, and ascents in the air. Wherever it passed, the clouds were easily pierced, leaving clear trails.

Its opponent, the Purple Lightning Azure Dragon, was not to be outdone. Lightning crackled and popped around its body as it pushed its speed to the limit, like a real bolt of lightning relentlessly chasing after Cola.

The two raced each other, sometimes running parallel, sometimes crossing paths, their speed so fast that they left only afterimages. This startled some dragons that were leisurely flying in the nearby airspace, causing them to give way and let out a dragon roar that was both dissatisfied and somewhat amazed.

On the other side of the lake, in a relatively quiet area, the Morning and Evening Flower Fairy was having a friendly exchange with a Dreamy Healing Dragon.

The two seem to be exploring the essence of healing. The Morning and Evening Flower Fairy displays its petals and luminous dust containing life energy, while the Dreamy Healing Dragon draws on pure light energy to resonate with it.

Their communication is gentle yet profound, but they remain constantly vigilant.

Once the distant Egg-Egg Cangming Spirit Master is engaged in a fierce battle with his opponent, or if either side is injured, the Morning and Evening Flower Fairy will immediately transform into a golden streak of light and rush to the scene as soon as possible. She will then apply the new techniques she has just learned to practice and verify their effectiveness.

Looking at the vibrant and harmonious scene before him, Chen Yuan couldn't help but smile contentedly. He stretched out his arms and legs, his joints making a series of crisp cracking sounds, and he thought to himself, "It really is most comfortable to lie down all day long."

During the two days spent in the Abyss Dragon's Cave, apart from Egg being frantically challenging, getting injured, and growing, the other little guys seemed to have found their own fun, fully enjoying the novelty and relaxation brought by this dragon clan's secret realm, and at the same time making some good friends.

His thoughts drifted slightly away.

While Egg was diligently honing his skills, he had Spark take him on a brief tour of the Abyss Dragon Cave.

Although this secret realm was full of life and teeming with dragons and beasts, its actual area was not as boundless as he had initially imagined.

With Spark flying at full speed, it only took half a day to fly from one end of the grassland to the other end of the mountains and roughly figure out the boundaries.

During this process, Chen Yuan used various pretexts such as "observation and learning", "comforting the wounded", and "exchanging feelings" to touch almost every kind of dragon pet in the Abyss Dragon Cave.

From majestic dragons to adorable young dragons, from ferocious fighting dragons to gentle support dragons, he even experienced the various tactile sensations of scales on his fingertips—cool, warm, rough, smooth, hard, and soft.
As his thoughts raced, his gaze fell upon the battlefield on the opposite shore of the lake.

Egg has just gone through an exceptionally tough battle, narrowly defeating a powerful dragon using its newly acquired combat skills.

"hold head high!!!"

Egg-shaped creature hovered proudly in mid-air, surrounded by swirling clouds and mist, its slender body appearing and disappearing in the mist.

The dragon's triumphant roar carried an undeniable weariness. It had sustained numerous new wounds, and while its aura was more concentrated and powerful, the rate of increase had clearly slowed. In addition to the joy of victory, its eyes held a deeper sense of gravity and contemplation, as if it had encountered a bottleneck.

Unbeknownst to them, it has become increasingly difficult for it to make substantial and significant progress through combat.

Chen Yuan slowly sat up and spat out the grass stem in his mouth.

Egg's progress over the past two days has been remarkable, with his practical experience, skill integration, and willpower training all reaching new heights.

However, the effect of repetitive battle training on Egg's improvement has begun to diminish.

Although the dragon beasts in the Abyss Dragon Cave are strong, their combat patterns and energy attributes are relatively fixed. For Egg, who has already adapted to and defeated many opponents, there is limited room for improvement if he continues to stay here.

If the daily progress of an ordinary pet is considered as one, then Egg's progress over the past two days would be ten. However, after two days of repetitive training, Egg's progress today has decreased to five.

Although it still has a huge advantage over ordinary pets, Egg is not satisfied with that.

“It’s time,” Chen Yuan murmured to himself.

Staying would certainly allow the little ones to enjoy a few more days of idyllic leisure and allow them to collect more source points, but the benefits to Egg's growth are already not high.

More importantly, he wanted to go home.

Having made up his mind, he stood up, brushed the grass clippings off his clothes, and let out a clear whistle.

Upon hearing the signal, Youmi, who was playing, Cola, who was racing, Chenmu Huaxian, who was exchanging ideas and learning, and Dandan, who had just finished a battle, all immediately stopped their activities and quickly gathered around him.

Chen Yuan glanced at the little ones and smiled slightly: "Let's go home."

A moment later, Chen Yuan led the little ones toward the Radiant Heavenly Dragon.

The Radiant Dragon seemed to have sensed their arrival long ago. Its deep, enormous dragon eyes slowly opened, calmly gazing at Chen Yuan and his pets before it.

Chen Yuan stopped in front of Huangtian Jinlong and bowed slightly: "Senior Huangtian Jinlong, thank you for your hospitality and guidance these past two days. Egg has benefited greatly. However, it is time for us to return to the outside world."

He had been away from Xuanhe Town for quite some time, but he had gained a great deal during that time, acquiring enough Source Points to unlock the next stage of advancement for the little guys.

"Ang~"

The Radiant Dragon nodded slightly, its gaze sweeping over Chen Yuan and the little ones before finally settling on Egg, which was hovering in mid-air. It stared at it for a long time, its eyes flashing.

After an unknown amount of time, the Radiant Heavenly Dragon extended its enormous dragon claw and lightly touched the void. A dragon scale, no bigger than Chen Yuan's palm, appeared out of thin air and transformed into a stream of light, flying to Egg's front.

"Ang~"

Egg blinked, gazing at the dragon scales before it with great curiosity.

Another dragon scale that can absorb energy?

But after calmly sensing it for a moment, Egg realized that there was no surging fire energy in this dragon scale; it seemed to be just an ordinary scale.

Chen Yuan asked, "Senior, what is this?"

"Ang~"

The Radiant Dragon waved its claws at Egg, indicating that although the dragon scale did not contain fire energy, it was extremely useful.

"hold head high?"

Egg tilted its head, its dragon eyes gleaming.

What's the use?
But the Radiant Dragon seemed to have no interest in answering in detail. It yawned, then lowered its huge head, closed its eyes slightly, and slowly fell into a deep sleep.

Seeing this, Chen Yuan muttered to himself, "Damn it, it's that riddle-maker again."

Looking at the dragon scales floating in front of Egg, Chen Yuan felt no resentment. He told Egg to keep the dragon scales safe and then, led by the Purple Lightning Azure Dragon, headed to the entrance of the Abyss Dragon Cave.

"Goojiujiu~"

On the eve of her departure, Youmi quickly flew to the group of little dragons she had once pranked.

After spending two days together, it had formed a deep friendship with the little dragons because of the plump and delicious fish, and it felt a little reluctant to leave.

"Coo-choo!!!"

Yumi bared its teeth and waved its paws.

It's not that I'm reluctant to part with it!
But after Lord Youmi left, there was never another handsome and clever pet to help them catch spirit fish.

Yes, it is like that!

When Youmi flew to the little dragons, she couldn't bring herself to say goodbye. She had wanted to wave her claws in a show of nonchalance, but in the end, she could only manage a stiff smile.

"hold head high!"

In the silence, the little dragon in the lead suddenly grabbed a huge, plump spirit fish and threw it at Youmi.

"Coo-choo!"

With a look of astonishment, Youmi cried out, then hurriedly hugged the spirit fish, which was larger than itself, and struggled to lift its head, its round eyes looking at the little dragons.

"Ang ang ang~"

The little dragons raised their heads in unison, and their roars echoed in the wind, lingering for a long time.

The process of returning to the outside world was similar to that of entering. After a dizzying spin, Chen Yuan opened his eyes again and found himself back in the deep, dark rock passage.

The massive stone gate, engraved with ancient dragon patterns, slowly closed behind him, fitting perfectly as if it had never been opened, completely isolating that dragon's sanctuary from the outside world.

A staff member who had been waiting there immediately came forward and bowed slightly: "Advisor Chen, Chairman Ye is waiting for you. Please come with me."

Chen Yuan nodded and followed the staff to a heavy solid wood door at the end of the passage.

The staff opened the door, and Chen Yuan stepped inside.

This is a very spacious office with huge bookshelves on all four walls, filled with various ancient books and documents, and the air is filled with a faint fragrance of books and the aroma of aged wood.

Chairman Ye was sitting behind a large mahogany desk, holding a steaming cup of tea in his hands.

Sunlight streamed in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows, gilding his gray hair and kind yet sharp face with a golden edge.

Upon seeing Chen Yuan enter, Chairman Ye put down his teacup, a gentle smile appearing on his face. He gestured for Chen Yuan to sit down in the chair opposite him: "You're back? Have a seat."

"Ye Sheng and the others came out first and told me about the situation inside."

His gaze held undisguised admiration as he slowly spoke, "Advisor Chen must have gained a great deal from the Abyss Dragon Cave."

Chen Yuan sat down calmly and smiled slightly: "Indeed, I have made some small gains."

After a few brief pleasantries, Chairman Ye's expression turned formal as he got down to business: "Advisor Chen, I invited you here mainly to discuss some follow-up arrangements after you won the Donghuang Tournament."

He leaned forward slightly, his hands clasped on the table, and said calmly, “After our discussion and research, and considering our high regard for outstanding talents like you, we have provided you with several options.”

He extended his first finger and slowly said, "This first option, which is also the path most recommended by the association, is to formally transfer your organizational affiliation from the Qin Province Beast Tamer Association to the association headquarters."

He paused, then emphasized, "This means you will become a core member directly under headquarters. All future training resources and task assignments will be directly managed and prioritized by headquarters. The level of support you will receive will be far greater than that of local associations."

However, he immediately changed the subject: "Of course, this also requires you to stay in the capital for a long time to work and live, so that headquarters can make overall arrangements and respond to various important tasks in a timely manner. After all, headquarters needs important forces that can be mobilized at any time."

Chen Yuan remained calm and nodded slightly.

Then, Chairman Ye held up a second finger, his tone profound: "This second option is a relatively flexible arrangement, which is to follow the Qin Province Association's arrangement for you."

"You can simply transfer your organizational affiliation to headquarters and nominally become a special advisor to headquarters, enjoying benefits and resource support that are several times more generous than what you received in Qin Province."

"However, you don't need to be stationed in the capital. You can go back to the Qinling Mountains you know, back to Xuanhe Town, and live the life you want. Only when headquarters encounters some particularly difficult situations and needs your help will they send you an invitation for assistance. You can choose whether to take on the task based on your own circumstances."

Finally, he shrugged, his tone becoming relaxed, and joked, "Of course, you can also choose the third option, which is to not accept any position and become a completely free and unemployed beast tamer. The association respects the personal choice of every beast tamer, but in that case, you will miss out on the generous benefits and special resource channels provided by headquarters."

After Chairman Ye finished speaking, he stopped talking, picked up his teacup, gently blew away the foam, took a slow sip, and then cast a calm but questioning gaze at Chen Yuan, patiently waiting for the latter's decision.

A brief silence fell over the office.

Chen Yuan smiled slightly and said without any hesitation, "President Ye, thank you for the headquarters' kindness and high regard. I choose the second option."

Upon hearing this answer, Chairman Ye indeed wore a knowing smile.

He put down his teacup, slowly stood up, walked around the large desk, and extended his warm, generous hand to Chen Yuan: "On behalf of the Eastern Beast Tamer Association headquarters, I welcome you to officially join us, Advisor Chen!"

(End of this chapter)