Beastmaster: I'm really just a forest ranger

Chapter 435 Reinforcements from the Entire Farm!
The warm spring breeze swept through the newly renovated Xuanhe Town.

The once somewhat simple mountain town has now been completely transformed, like a butterfly emerging from its cocoon, displaying amazing vitality and prosperity.

The brand-new town plan is well-organized, with wide and flat streets paved with bluestone slabs and lined with trees sprouting new buds.

One after another, residential buildings with a unified yet exquisite style have sprung up, with white walls and black tiles, arranged in a pleasing and orderly manner.

Even more eye-catching are the public buildings that mark the leap in the town's functions: the magnificent Qinling Beastmaster Special Operations Center building, with its glass curtain wall gleaming in the sunlight, and the busy figures and flashing screens inside can be vaguely seen.
The solemn and elegant Beast Tamer Office of Xuanhe Town has the emblem of the Donghuang Beast Tamer Association hanging in front of the door. People come and go in an orderly manner to handle their affairs.
The Adventurers' Guild Hall, filled with an atmosphere of adventure, has various mission notice boards hanging at the entrance. Many Beastmasters, carrying their bags and accompanied by their pets, gather and exchange ideas here.
In addition, there are large-scale battle clubs where the sounds of energy collisions and cheers from the audience can be heard from time to time.

At the same time, a wide variety of shops line the street, from supermarkets selling daily necessities to specialty stores selling pet food, toys, and equipment for all kinds of animals, to restaurants and teahouses full of local characteristics.

The air was filled with the smell of paint from the new building, the aroma of food, and a vibrant, thriving atmosphere.

The streets and alleys were teeming with people, shoulder to shoulder.

In addition to the original townspeople, there are many more faces from nearby towns and distant cities. They come here to settle, invest, or travel, driven by their aspirations for development and curiosity about this champion's hometown.

Children chased and played, laughing and frolicking; young people dressed fashionably, gathered in small groups; and the elderly sat on newly installed benches in the park, basking in the sun, chatting, their faces beaming with contentment.

The entire town of Xuanhe seemed like a heart infused with boundless vitality, beating powerfully.

Chen Yuan strolled through the bustling crowd, feeling the familiar hustle and bustle and the unfamiliar speed of development. Today, he was invited to attend the opening ceremony of Zhang Hao's "Good Luck Department Store".

This five-story commercial building is located in the heart of the town. Colorful flags flutter, balloons hang high, and countless celebratory flower baskets are placed at the entrance. The place is bustling with activity and excitement.

After the Donghuang Conference concluded, Zhang Hao, who believed he had accumulated a deep network of connections, decisively resigned from his stable job at the Beastmaster Association and devoted all his energy to business expansion.

This department store is an important part of his ambitious plan. It is filled with a wide variety of goods, from daily necessities to items for beast tamers, and even some specialty products imported from other places. It aims to become an important commercial hub that radiates throughout the region.

Moreover, his original Good Luck Farmhouse has long been upgraded to the chain brand Good Luck Homestay, with branches in major scenic spots and transportation hubs in the Qinling Mountains.

The original site of the farmhouse restaurant has been carefully preserved by Zhang Hao and transformed into a museum-like tourist attraction for beast tamers.

Because the walls there retain the signatures of Zhuang Jianbai and other well-known beast tamers, and most notably, the autograph of Chen Yuan, the champion of Donghuang.

Every day, countless beast tamers and tourists line up here just to take photos in front of Chen Yuan's autograph wall. Some even place fresh fruit, light symbolic cigarettes, and silently pray for the blessing of this legendary champion so that they can make a smooth journey on the path of beast taming.

Chen Yuan was both amused and exasperated upon hearing about this almost superstitious behavior.

After the ceremony, a beaming Zhang Hao found Chen Yuan, who was strolling around the department store, and patted him hard on the shoulder, his voice loud and filled with barely suppressed excitement: "Brother Yuan, did you see that?"

"What do you see?" Chen Yuan asked, his face full of confusion.

Zhang Hao looked up at the department store in front of him, waved his hand, and exclaimed with great ambition: "A commercial empire is rising."

Chen Yuan joked, "You should become the richest man in Baokun City first."

"Take your time, no rush," Zhang Hao chuckled.

As the two were chatting and laughing, Chen Yuan's phone in his pocket emitted a soft but continuous vibration.

He took out his phone, and Zhou Xu's name was displayed on the screen.

Since Chen Yuan became the association's chief advisor, his former assistant Zhou Xu's position has also risen accordingly. His organizational affiliation has been directly transferred to the association's headquarters, where he is responsible for all of Chen Yuan's schedules, information coordination, and external communications, becoming his de facto steward.

Chen Yuan gave Zhang Hao a look, then walked to a relatively quiet corner to answer the phone: "Brother Xu, what's up?"

Zhou Xu's usual efficient voice came through the receiver: "Advisor Chen, I'm sorry to bother you. The association headquarters just sent an encrypted communication asking if your schedule is available recently. There's a rather important matter that may require your personal attention."

Upon hearing this, Chen Yuan was slightly taken aback, a strange ripple stirring in his heart.

In the two months since he became the chief consultant, the association headquarters has given him a great deal of autonomy and resources, but has never made any specific work requirements of him.

This was the first time headquarters had contacted him proactively, and they even used phrases like "you might need to come forward."

He immediately realized that this was no ordinary matter.

"I'm free recently." Chen Yuan's smile faded, and his tone became calm. "What exactly is it? Send me the relevant information."

Having enjoyed the top-tier resources and status provided by the association, he naturally wouldn't refuse to fulfill his obligations when needed.

"Okay, Consultant Chen. The data has been sent to your encrypted email address, and access has been unlocked. Please check." Zhou Xu was extremely efficient.

After hanging up the phone, Chen Yuan briefly explained to Zhang Hao that the association had some matters to attend to, then declined the subsequent celebrations and quickly left the bustling department store, returning to the relatively quiet farm.

I opened the dedicated computer, which was heavily encrypted, and logged into my email. There, a file marked "Top Secret" lay quietly.

Chen Yuan entered a complex password and dynamic verification code, and the file slowly opened, revealing the title: "Observation, Assessment and Recommendations on Abnormal Activities and Potential Crises in the Underground World".

"Underworld?"

Chen Yuan frowned slightly; this word had triggered certain memories in him.

He took a deep breath and began to carefully read the report, which was dozens of pages long and included numerous pictures, energy monitoring data, and intelligence analysis.

The contents of this report revealed to him an unknown world hidden beneath the calm surface, a world both magnificent and fraught with danger.

The document describes in detail the complex spatial and ecological systems that exist in the vast Qinling Mountains and even deeper underground, where various powerful intelligent beast tribes thrive.

The text highlights two main opposing forces: the Giants' Royal Court, home to the Frost Giants, and the ever-expanding Dark Forces, which aim to rule everything.

The report, written in a calm and objective style, paints a picture of an ongoing underground war:

Under the rule of a Dawn-quality Eternal Night Icescale Dragon, the forces of darkness continuously send their offspring and various ferocious beasts to invade and erode other areas of the underground world, with the Giants' Court being a key target of their invasion.

Upon seeing this, Chen Yuan couldn't help but recall the Stone-Splitting Lizards and Mountain Giants he had encountered in the underground of the Mysterious Forest more than two months ago: "In other words, those Stone-Splitting Lizards were actually an invading force of the dark forces, while the Mountain Giants were responsible for fighting them."

However, the report points out that the Giants' Court is showing signs of fatigue in the protracted war of attrition, with its defenses constantly shrinking and suffering heavy losses.

What worries the association most is that once the Giant King's Court, the "beacon of order" in the underground world, is completely swallowed by darkness, the entire underground ecosystem will fall into chaos and darkness. This chaos is very likely to spread upwards, ultimately endangering the safety and stability of the surface of Donghuang.

The report's conclusions clearly state that the association believes intervention is necessary to support the Court of Giants and curb the expansion of the dark forces.

When Chen Yuan's gaze swept over the images of the Eternal Night Icescale Dragon in the report's appendix—slightly blurry yet still exuding a terrifying aura—captured by cutting-edge detection equipment, his pupils contracted slightly.

The hideous, pitch-black dragon body, entwined with ominous pale frost, exudes a chilling aura of destruction even in still images.

Xi Ri quality!

This is the highest quality, second only to the gods, a truly terrifying existence standing at the top of all living beings!
Such an existence is equivalent to the Radiant Ember Dragon that Chen Yuan once saw in the Abyss Dragon Cave.

Chen Yuan couldn't help but remark, "Although Huangtian Jinlong is a bit too benevolent, he is at least honest and doesn't cause trouble."

However, when his gaze fell upon the report describing the current state of the Giants' Court, especially the mention that the core members of the court included the "Frost Giants" and that the current Giant King was struggling to hold on, a familiar figure instantly flashed into his mind—the Frost Giant.

Chen Yuan leaned back in his chair, his fingertips lightly tapping the table. A complex and slightly sentimental smile appeared on his face as he recalled the massive figure that resolutely walked into the Qinling Mountains under the spring sunshine.

I never expected that we would meet again after only a few days apart.

Moreover, this meeting took place in the midst of a massive vortex that concerns the fate of the underground world and could even affect the surface.

"It seems that it's really not easy to have a few days of peace and quiet," Chen Yuan muttered to himself, smiling helplessly.

The deity he was constantly on guard against had not yet appeared, and unexpectedly, this kind of thing happened in the underground world.

After a while, he closed the document, cleared all browsing history, and got up to go outside.

The setting sun bathed the farm in a warm golden hue, and the little ones enjoyed their leisurely evening time.

Chen Yuan walked to the center of the farm's open space, clapped his hands, and attracted the attention of all the little ones.

"Everyone, hold on for a moment." His voice was clear and steady. "We might have to go on a long trip to a rather special place."

The little ones immediately quieted down, and pairs of eyes, some curious, some excited, and some calm, all turned to look at Chen Yuan.

"Our destination this time is the underground world, or more precisely, the Giants' Court." Chen Yuan said succinctly, with a slight smile. "That's right, the Giants' Court where the Frost Giants reside."

Upon hearing this, the little ones immediately became excited. "Awooo!!"

Cola was the first to jump up excitedly, its tail wagging like a propeller. It stared straight at Chen Yuan, its eyes filled with undisguised longing.

Tell me, Master, who do you want to do?

Chen Yuan patted Kele's head and chuckled, "Why are you so violent? All you ever talk about is fighting. Where did you pick up such bad habits?"

After a brief pause, he cleared his throat and said loudly, "But you're right, we are indeed going to fight, and we're fighting for the Frost Giants."

Then, Chen Yuan slowly recounted the struggle between the Giants' Royal Court and the forces of darkness: "A group of wicked men wanted to invade the homeland of the Frost Giants."

After these words, the little guys were filled with righteous indignation and volunteered to fight. Even the duck, who usually avoided battle, angrily threw down its snacks and shouted, "Quack quack quack!"

Bad guys deserve to die!

I'm going to turn all of their bodies into crunchy little snacks!
A black line appeared on Chen Yuan's forehead as he muttered to himself, "How come even ducks are so violent?"

With a thought, Chen Yuan looked at the eager little ones and smiled, "Alright, let's get ready then. Since this battle involves a large scale, we all have to participate."

Chen Yuan's gaze swept over each of the little ones, finally settling on the tall figure at the gate: "You should go this time too."

"Crack?"

At the same moment,

Deep within the Giants' Court, on the Giants' Square, ravaged by war and now even more solemn and desolate, the remaining frost and scorch marks silently testify to the ferocity of the fierce battle that had just taken place.

The air was still filled with a faint smell of gunpowder and the acrid smell of extinguished energy, and a suffocating atmosphere enveloped this ancient underground space.

Zheng Zhang walked steadily past the giants who were silently cleaning up the battlefield and leaning against broken stone pillars to catch their breath and heal their wounds, and walked towards the most majestic figure in the center of the square—the King of Giants.

At this moment, the King of Giants was sitting cross-legged on the ground. The spot on his chest where he had been struck by the breath of the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon was now an ominous dark gray color, with deep cracks and emanating wisps of dark, chilling aura. Clearly, his injury was extremely severe and he was far from recovered.

But its icy blue eyes still held undiminished regal majesty, though deep within them lay a trace of weariness and worry that was hard to dispel.

Zheng Zhang walked closer, stopped, and looked up at the King of Giants, his face showing an expression of mixed joy and solemnity.

He took a deep breath, his voice clear and powerful, echoing across the silent square: "Good news! I just received a coded message from headquarters. The beast tamer we mentioned has agreed to our request and is on his way to the Giants' Court."

The King of Giants lowered his enormous head slightly, his icy eyes fixed on Zheng Zhang, his gaze seemingly flickering for a moment.

It made no sound, but the boulder pressing on its chest loosened slightly.

Despite lingering doubts about whether the unfamiliar human beast tamer could truly turn the tide of battle, in this time of crisis, any powerful external aid is like a ray of light piercing through the dark clouds, bringing a precious glimmer of hope.

At this moment, Zheng Zhang's gaze involuntarily turned to the ice-blue figure standing quietly beside the King of Giants—the Frost Giant.

This was the first time he had observed this suddenly appearing, incredibly powerful young giant so closely.

Recalling the bits and pieces he had heard before, and knowing that this was the descendant of the King of Giants who had been exiled to the outside world in his early years and had only just returned, Zheng Zhang couldn't help but feel a strong sense of curiosity.

What particularly intrigued him was that this frost giant seemed to have lived in a human settlement and even had some connection with human beast tamers.

“My Lord Frost Giant,” Zheng Zhang said, choosing his words carefully, his tone politely inquisitive, “I’ve heard the King of Giants mention that you were previously wandering in the outside world. What was that experience like? I’ve also heard that you had contact with other humans?”

Upon hearing the question, the Frost Giant turned its icy blue eyes to Zheng Zhang, its gaze calm: "Roar."

As the pet and the tamer's level increases, sometimes they can understand each other's meaning simply by observing their mental fluctuations, without needing other pets to translate.

According to the Frost Giant, after leaving the royal court, it wandered the outside world for a long time and was once in distress.

Until it met a kind human who took it in, giving it a place to live and food to eat.

In order to become stronger, the human made him help with a series of physical labor tasks such as moving bricks, and he made remarkable progress as a result.

"Moving bricks?"

Zheng Zhang's expression froze instantly, and the corner of his mouth twitched slightly. He almost thought he had misunderstood.

He stared in disbelief at the Frost Giant's massive and powerful body, recalling the terrifying power it had previously displayed—enough to withstand a single blow from the Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon.

A gifted frost giant, stranded in the outside world, is taken in by humans, and his daily training consists of carrying bricks?!
This sounds like a complete fantasy!
Almost instantly, he mentally labeled the complete stranger as a "fraudster" and "exploiter of free labor."

This is clearly taking advantage of the Frost Giant's naivety, using the promise of free food and lodging as bait to trick it into doing heavy work!
Noticing the undisguised suspicion and even a hint of sympathy in Zheng Zhang's eyes, the Frost Giant grew anxious.

It took a small step forward, its icy paws unconsciously clenching, and roared repeatedly: "Roar! Roar! Roar!"

The farmer is a very powerful and capable person!
He absolutely did not deceive himself!
Although the work there is arduous, every time it moves a boulder or chisels, it becomes more adept at controlling its own strength, and its physique becomes stronger without it even realizing it!
This is a very meaningful experience!

Seeing the Frost Giant's eagerness to defend himself, even with a hint of protectiveness, Zheng Zhang sighed inwardly, put on a "I understand, you're right" smile, and stopped arguing.

He had already formed a preconceived notion that this powerful frost giant had been tricked by that cunning human, and had been tricked quite badly, and still firmly believed it to this day.

Ah, still a farmer.

He suddenly remembered that the renowned consultant Chen from Donghuang was also a farmer, and couldn't help but sigh to himself, "Indeed, there are differences even among farmer owners."

However, upon further reflection, Zheng Zhang felt an even deeper sense of amazement.

If what the Frost Giant said is true, and it really does train itself mainly through the most primitive and basic physical labor, such as carrying bricks, without undergoing skill training, energy guidance, and resource accumulation from the Beastmaster system, relying entirely on its own talent and this clumsy method, then how terrifying must its talent be?

What kind of talent allowed it to not only break through to the fifth rank in such a short time, but also master such terrifying combat power?

Zheng Zhang subconsciously glanced at his main pet beast beside him, whose aura was already quite strong. This pet beast had only recently broken through to the fifth rank under his dedicated training. If it were to truly fight against this Frost Giant, the outcome would be uncertain.

Suppressing these conflicting thoughts, Zheng Zhang composed himself and said to the Giant King and the Frost Giant, "In any case, let's wait patiently for now. I believe all the problems will soon be solved."

The King of Giants slowly nodded, and then began to consume spiritual plants to recover from his injuries.

A moment later, Zheng Zhang returned to his teammates.

Members of the Special Operations Team of the Criminal Investigation Department immediately surrounded them, their faces filled with anticipation.

"Captain, is everything settled? Is Consultant Chen really coming?" A young female team member with a neat ponytail and sharp eyes asked in a low voice, her face filled with barely suppressed excitement. "I'm finally going to see Consultant Chen in person!"

A tall, strong, and composed male team member next to him nodded and said, "It's been more than two months since the Donghuang Tournament ended. I heard that Advisor Chen has been in seclusion for training. His strength must have improved a lot, right? I really don't know how strong he is now."

Another team member, who wore glasses and appeared more refined, pushed up his glasses and said with a hint of worry in his voice, "Captain, I'm not trying to discourage you."

"The dark forces are coming on strong this time, and that Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon is a terrifying existence of the Dawn quality. Can Advisor Chen alone, even with us and the Giants' Court, really withstand it? Won't the pressure be too great?"

Seeing the various expressions on his teammates' faces, Zheng Zhang gave a calm smile and explained:

"Don't worry, Advisor Chen's main task is to block and try to repel that Eternal Night Ice Scale Dragon."

"As long as the strongest point is contained, the remaining Dark Minions can be gradually wiped out with the existing strength of the Giants' Court, plus the cooperation of our Investigation Department's teams that are lurking in various places. By stabilizing the defense line, there shouldn't be much of a problem."

He paused, his gaze sweeping over the crowd, his tone full of confidence: "The key to this war lies in the ultimate showdown. And I have absolute confidence in Advisor Chen."

"Don't you have any?"

Everyone answered in unison, "Yes!"

Zheng Zhang looked up at the dark, indistinct rock top illuminated by the glowing crystal clusters and the aftershocks of the battle, as if he could see through the layers of rock and see the figure rushing from the surface: "What we need to do now is conserve our energy and wait patiently. At Advisor Chen's speed, he may arrive here in no time. We need to make preparations to meet him in advance."

After saying this, Zheng Zhang's gaze involuntarily fell on the Frost Giant not far away, his thoughts churning: "This Frost Giant has very good talent, and it doesn't have a contracted Beast Tamer."

"If Advisor Chen can sign the contract, he will gain a powerful force directly, and may even be able to strengthen relations with the Giants' Court."

"Yes, I'll talk about this later. Hopefully, Consultant Chen hasn't contracted a new pet beast yet."

(End of this chapter)