Beastmaster King-Chapter 54 - The Life-bound Weapon

“Oh? You’ve thought this through?”

This content is taken from freeweɓnovel.cѳm.

Gu Qingyi was quite surprised, given that Lu Ran had only been a beastmaster for a week. At that stage, she had still been worrying about food for her familiar.

“Yes! Let’s hear it.”

“Alright, first off, it’s about the Weapon Control Trait. Familiars that absorb this trait show exceptional skill in wielding weapons, as if the weapon becomes an extension of their own body, right?”

Gu Qingyi nodded.

“Earlier, Manager Ying mentioned that globally, no beastmaster’s familiar has ever perfectly evolved using the Weapon Control Trait as the core. They’ve all failed due to the lack of compatibility between the familiar and the trait.”

“That’s right. When a fused trait is compatible with the familiar, the familiar awakens a species' talent, greatly enhancing its combat ability. However, no familiar has ever awakened a species talent after fusing with the Weapon Control Trait,” Manager Ying explained.

“Even your senior, who died abroad, couldn’t get his familiar to awaken any talent after absorbing the trait.”

Lu Ran nodded, recalling how his senior had lamented this in his journal.

“I believe one of the key points in fusing with this trait is the familiar’s proficiency with the weapon before the fusion. For example, if a monkey were already skilled in using staffs before absorbing the trait, the probability of awakening a species talent would be much higher than if it knew nothing beforehand.”

“So, you’re saying that since Captain Doofus is already highly proficient in swordsmanship, you’re confident in its perfect fusion,” Gu Qingyi said.

“That’s one of the key points. My beastmaster skills allow me to synchronize my sword training experience with it, doubling its sword expertise. In this regard, it’s not lacking at all. That’s why it was able to comprehend Sword Momentum,” Lu Ran explained as Captain Doofus struck a tactical pose, insisting it was simply a natural genius.

“You must know my mentor, Master Jiang Dou, one of the few sword masters in Xia who has comprehended Sword Momentum. Even among humans, few reach his level. However, Captain Doofus has managed to do it, which proves my point.”

Gu Qingyi and Manager Ying twitched slightly. If your mentor knew you were comparing him to a husky, he’d definitely beat you up.

“This advantage already sets Captain Doofus apart from other familiars trying to fuse with the Weapon Control Trait, but it’s not the main reason I’m set on this route. I’ve thought of another method to increase the success rate!

“Have either of you ever read Xianxia novels?” Lu Ran asked cautiously.

“What are you getting at?” Gu Qingyi asked.

“In Xianxia novels, protagonists often bind their weapons by blood, creating a deeper connection. Some even have life-bound artifacts that grow stronger with them over time.

The Weapon Control Trait lets familiars harness external power, which undeniably boosts combat ability. However, no matter how skilled a familiar becomes with a weapon, it remains an external tool. The connection, based on ‘experience’ and ‘feeling,’ can never be absolutely perfect.

But what if we found a sword for Captain Doofus that acts as a life-bound weapon—one that grows with it and forms a deep bond? With solid swordsmanship and a life-bound weapon, wouldn’t that perfectly complement the Weapon Control Trait?”

Gu Qingyi was taken aback.

“What’s your plan?”

Lu Ran grinned. “While clearing the Demon Cat Forest Secret Realm, I got a Demon Cat Claw for forging weapons. So, why not use one of Captain Doofus' teeth in the process? That way, the weapon would have a physical connection to it!”

Captain Doofus looked utterly bewildered.

“Woof!”

Captain Doofus covered its mouth, eyes wide with fear.

Lu Ran, have some humanity!

“You’re serious?” Gu Qingyi and Manager Ying were both stunned.

Most people gather materials from slain monsters to forge weapons, but you’re planning to harvest parts from your own familiar? Are you a devil?

Lu Ran gave Captain Doofus a reassuring glance.

Don’t worry, it’ll be fine. We’ve got the Divine Deer Pendant, remember?

Captain Doofus had already broken its teeth once in the secret realm when its jaw was shattered by a demon cat’s bones, and the pendant had restored it. Since its teeth can regenerate, it seemed logical to take one as a Wind-attribute material for the weapon’s forging process.

Gu Qingyi, Manager Ying, and Captain Doofus all fell into deep thought. Using a part of the familiar itself as a forging material to craft a life-bound weapon was certainly a novel-worthy idea. Even Gu Qingyi was momentarily lost at this husky’s apparent swordsmanship talent. She couldn’t determine whether Lu Ran’s approach to evolving the familiar would succeed.

“Well, since you’ve made up your mind, you should go ahead and try it. If it works, you’ll have essentially pioneered a brand-new evolution path. Come to think of it, this is quite interesting. The first three generations of beastmasters have never thought of this,” Gu Qingyi claimed.

“Is there anything you need my help with?”

“Not right now. I just need to reach Level 10 quickly so that we can meet the strength requirements for clearing the Abandoned Laboratory Secret Realm. After all, there’s probably no Weapon Control Trait for sale on the market, and even if there were, I wouldn’t be able to afford it.”

“True. That trait is pretty unpopular, so it’s not high in demand on the market. It’s been a long time since anyone has challenged that secret realm. You’ll have to obtain the trait on your own,” Gu Qingyi said.

“In that case, I’ll recommend two secret realms to you.

“They should help you and Captain Doofus improve your strength. I’ll also gather some intelligence on the Abandoned Laboratory Secret Realm and pass it on to you.”

“Thank you!” Lu Ran was pleased. He was already indebted for the Dokarona Flower, so adding more intelligence wouldn’t make much difference.

Saves me a trip to the Cat Maid Cafe.

On one side, Manager Ying felt dizzy seeing Gu Qingyi offer information for free—information Lu Ran had been planning to buy from its shop.

Great... Really great! All my hard work setting this up, only to lose out!

“I recommend the Blizzard Mountain Secret Realm at normal difficulty and the Mantis Jungle Secret Realm at hard difficulty for beginners. The Blizzard Mountain Secret Realm is unique because it has no monsters. Instead, the challenge is traversing the blizzard, testing a familiar’s cold resistance, defense, and reaction speed.

“Captain Doofus should handle the cold resistance well, but the icy winds deal constant damage, cutting like blades and affecting both the familiar and the beastmaster. Hailstorms make navigation even more difficult.

Completing the realm rewards the high-tier resource Cold Wind Seed, which enhances the frost aspect of a Wind-attribute familiar’s abilities. While it’s not as powerful as awakening the Ice attribute or gaining the Northern Wind Trait, it’s ideal for your current level. For a husky, mastering frost power will further unleash its combat potential.”

“This secret realm...” Lu Ran’s eyes lit up.

He remembered hearing about it before. If this was how it worked, then it was perfect, just as Gu Qingyi had said. It seemed like a great fit.

“As for the Mantis Jungle Secret Realm, it’s home to a high-tier transcendent species known as the Blade Mantis, a Wind-attribute creature. The Blade Mantis is capable of flight, and its strength lies in its speed and attack power, making it extremely dangerous. Since you’re focusing on swordsmanship for your familiar, this secret realm would be perfect for your training.

“The jungle also contains a high-tier resource called Blade Grass, which the Blade Mantises hoard. It’s their favorite food and can greatly enhance the cutting properties of Wind-attribute attacks, making them more powerful. Defeating a Blade Mantis can also yield a rare material known as the Mantis Wing. When ground into powder and applied to a familiar, this resource increases their sensitivity to wind and air currents.

“A beastmaster once used this resource to train a butterfly familiar, which became so skilled at reading air currents that it could dodge attacks with its eyes closed. Additionally, there’s a chance to obtain the Mantis Blade, a Wind-attribute weapon forging material. I’ve covered the common materials dropped by Blade Mantises, but the secret realm boss is a level 10 Blade Mantis that wields both the Wind and Metal attribute, making it even more formidable.

“If you defeat it, you’ll clear the secret realm and earn greater rewards, such as the high-tier resource Heart of the Insect. When consumed, this resource enhances the sharpness and durability of a familiar’s teeth, claws, and scales.

“Oh, and if your completion score exceeds S rank, there’s a slim chance of obtaining the Wind Enhancement beastmaster skill. The loot is highly valuable, so it’s worth spending time farming for it.

“If you manage to achieve an SSS rating in both secret realms, I believe you'll be ready to challenge the Hell-difficulty beginner secret realms. However, I recommend forming a team for Hell difficulty. While skilled beastmasters can solo the first three difficulty levels, Hell difficulty is much tougher. You could team up with your sister or find some like-minded beastmasters to form a squad for the challenge.”

“Got it.”

After Gu Qingyi finished, Lu Ran took a deep breath.

It seemed that he and Captain Doofus had plenty of training ahead. Compared to the rewards in the Demon Cat Forest Secret Realm, the Blizzard Mountain and Mantis Jungle secret realms sounded far more promising.

After a few rounds in these secret realms, Captain Doofus would be soaring. Lu Ran glanced at Captain Doofus, who, in turn, flashed a sharp look!