Chapter 14 - Lone Ranger
Of course I’m going to leave a 5-star review!" Lu Ran laughed. The second-largest intelligence agency turned out to be unexpectedly humble.
"So, did you need any other information? For newcomers, I would recommend trading for some advanced intelligence on cultivating familiars." Rain's cat ears wiggled, which surprised Lu Ran.
"What do you mean by that?" Lu Ran asked.
"Well, for example, you can get information on what cultivation resources are needed to make your familiar stronger and where to find them. You can also ask which secret realms are safer and better for training. These would all be classified as advanced intelligence.
“We also offer advanced intel, which covers monsters and secret realm exploration strategies that are very suitable for newcomers like yourself. And then there’s the most important thing you should know—the ideal evolution path! Of course, that would be considered even higher-tier intel.”
Lu Ran looked at White Dragon, who stroked his chin and nodded. "You can obtain basic intel for free if you join the Beastmaster Alliance, but advanced intelligence still comes at a price."
"After all, a lot of intelligence was obtained by our predecessors, sometimes at the cost of their lives," Rain added.
Lu Ran nodded in understanding. "I see. I’ll think about it."
"No rush! I'll contact the people in the Medicine Pavilion in the meantime," Rain said.
"Okay—wait, I do need another piece of information," Lu Ran mentioned, having suddenly realized that he had almost forgotten something!
"Oh? What is it?"
"Where’s the best place to go if I want to buy equipment such as weapons and armor, or materials to forge a custom weapon?"
"This is very basic information," Rain replied as she smiled. "You could’ve just asked Mr. White Dragon next to you, but let me recommend a reputable smithy in the city for free. The coordinates are 8766, 1273. Its owner is a top blacksmith and third-generation beastmaster. Their prices are pretty reasonable, too."
Lu Ran wrote down the coordinates. He then asked about another matter that he had been puzzled about. "Speaking of which, what is the situation with civilian beastmasters?"
He had some general ideas, but he wanted confirmation.
"Oh, did I forget to tell you?" White Dragon replied. "Rain and I are actually considered civilian beastmasters. Civilian beastmasters are those who don’t challenge or clear secret realms, and aren't solely centered around improving their beastmaster abilities.
"The crudest method for improvement is training in secret realms, but as you experienced in the beginner trial, those places are very dangerous. Most people choose never to enter again after their first time. Instead, they learn specialized skills such as cooking, forging, or medicine concocting to earn crystal coins from combat beastmasters.
“With their income, they in turn buy resources to increase their level and hire combat beastmasters to assist them in advancing through ascension realms. This method allows for steady level advancement. Those are essentially the two paths you can take."
“You’ve given up on becoming a combat beastmaster, Mr. White Dragon?" Lu Ran asked.
"Yeah, I have a wife and kids. After some thinking, I decided to stay out of danger. I’m actually doing pretty well. Even the most ordinary civilian beastmaster can bring in an income that the elites outside can’t even imagine. If you asked me, I would recommend becoming a civilian beastmaster. Civilians usually get to live the cushiest lives, but..."
Remembering that Lu Ran had scored at least a D with a husky, White Dragon realized that Lu Ran didn’t really need his advice to make a good decision.
"I also came to work here because I didn't like fighting, and I’m honestly quite satisfied with it. The seniors in the store take good care of me and provide me with a lot of work and training opportunities," Rain elaborated.
"Look, even though I’m just an intern, they still allow me to manage such a large place alone!" Rain exclaimed proudly with a sparkle in her eye. After all, this was a very famous intelligence hub in Limitless City!
Lu Ran just listened silently. Are you sure they’re not just trying to squeeze some overtime out of you? The owner of this coffee shop must be really black-hearted to trick interns like this.
After pondering for a moment, Lu Ran began to feel that becoming a civilian or combat beastmaster was not mutually exclusive. If a beastmaster could customize nutritious meals and build equipment for their familiar, their familiar would certainly reach higher levels. However, in the end, it came down to energy and talent.
"Pedestrian, if you need to buy weapons, then I'll take you there! I'm familiar with the roads here, and I can give you some advice when we get there,” White Dragon offered.
Ever since he discovered Lu Ran's potential, he had started paying him more attention. In his eyes, Lu Ran was a walking bonus check!
Lu Ran didn't want to be an inconvenience, though, so he ultimately declined. "Well... I don’t plan on going there now. I'll go later by myself."
"Okay," White Dragon replied deflatedly.
"You guys keep chatting; I'll be back in a moment," Rain said, excusing herself. "But before I go, let's add each other as friends."
Lu Ran nodded and added Rain to his contacts. Afterward, Rain motioned for Lu Ran and White Dragon to stay seated while she contacted the Medicine Pavilion through the maid cafe’s exclusive channel.
Meanwhile, White Dragon gave Lu Ran a burning gaze. "What was your actual score, Pedestrian? If you scored high enough, then whether you join a government organization or a major guild, you would still be groomed extensively. If you want to go down that route, I can write you a recommendation."
Lu Ran grinned. "My score wasn’t that high. I actually scored lower than Pig Farmer. As for joining an organization... I haven’t decided yet, and want to learn more about them first."
White Dragon was speechless. This kid was quite the stubborn brat.
"Right now, beastmasters as a whole can be roughly divided into four groups. Specifically, the first generation from three years ago, the second generation from two years ago, the third generation from one year ago, and us, the fourth generation. Among the first-generation beastmasters in the Xia Empire, only thirteen are active on the frontline, and they all hold high positions within the alliance.
"The second and third-generation beastmasters are currently more active and serve as the backbone of Xia’s beastmasters. The founder of the Cat Maid Cafe and the president of the Medicine Pavilion are both second-generation beastmasters.
"Although the Cat Maid Cafe, Medicine Pavilion, and other organizations were established by individuals, they are actually all part of the Xia Empire Beastmaster Alliance. They don’t directly take orders from the empire but are under its supervision. That’s basically what separates official beastmasters from semi-official beastmasters. I am a full-time official beastmaster, and Rain is a semi-official beastmaster. In actuality, there is no such thing as being entirely unregulated.
"If you want a stable job, just copy me and join the government. If you want more freedom, you can join major guilds or chambers of commerce. Think of it as becoming an employee at a company. These companies are then constituents of the Beastmaster Alliance, which is composed of government organizations and major guilds."
Although he would get a sizable bonus for recruiting Lu Ran, White Dragon still laid out the different distinctions to Lu Ran since he didn’t like tricking people. In his conservative mindset, most people would still choose a stable job! After all, with one, a man could last until the end of the world.
"Those two are pretty much your only options. If you want to run secret realms in the future, you will almost certainly have to form a team. However, no one dares team up with a bunch of randoms because that tends to be unreliable. If you want a reliable one, you’ll have to either join the government's Secret Realm Raid Team or a guild team."
"I can’t raid them solo?" Lu Ran questioned.
"Raid them solo…?" White Dragon felt a pit in his stomach. The newborn calf wasn’t afraid of tigers. "Why do you think there are only a few first-generation beastmasters left? Except for those who retired and became civilian beastmasters, most died in secret realms even though they brought a team with them. Very few beastmasters can raid a secret realm alone—no, probably no one could."
Despite giving it some thought, Lu Ran was still inclined to raid secret realms alone. After all, he had the Divine Deer Pendant, which he was hoping to keep hidden. It was the reason he hesitated to accept White Dragon's various invitations.
If he joined the government or a guild, he would definitely lose his autonomy. He had to prepare for the worst. Rather than being bogged down with problems in the future, it was better to keep to himself from the beginning. Could utilizing the Deer Pendant to run secret realms solo be more efficient than teaming up? If possible, he wanted to be a lone ranger in the early stages.
When the advantage of the Deer Pendant showed diminishing returns, and the secret realms later on became more difficult, it wouldn’t be bad to consider joining an organization. By that time, he would already have a certain level of strength anyway. No, even now, he could already form his own team or even a guild composed only of people he trusted!
"What are y’all chatting about?" Rain joined back in. "I’ve contacted the people in the Medicine Pavilion. They said they will be sending someone over immediately.
Lu Ran looked at White Dragon. "I still need to think about it, but thank you."
"Think long and hard," White Dragon replied. He then turned to Rain. "What did the Medicine Pavilion say?"
"They will bring the Wind fruit to trade. In addition, I helped Pedestrian A obtain an additional 700 crystal coins."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome. Just come by more often in the future," Rain said with a smile. She urgently needed a lot of good reviews to complete her internship!
"Okay... Actually, give me a cup of this." Lu Ran pointed to the "Mind-Cleansing Tea" on the menu.
A pot of Mind-Cleansing Tea was 50 crystal coins. Though it was the cheapest drink here, it had the same price as the intel he had just received.
The ingredients of Mind-Cleansing Tea were produced in Wangfeng Canyon—a level 2 secret realm that beginner beastmasters shouldn’t enter. Lu Ran mainly valued the effects of the tea, which could relieve fatigue, clear the mind, and resolve some minor physical problems.
Although he was significantly stronger and had a much more robust physique now, he still ran around in the Demon Cat Forest for a whole day. He could barely even keep his eyes open now. He also hadn’t slept well in a long time since he had been taking a lot of make-up classes in school lately. Hence, he hoped that the cup of tea would help him hold on a little longer.
"Okay." Rain immediately went to prepare tea.
"Fancy, but young people should enjoy themselves every once in a while," Surfing White Dragon commented.
"It’s my treat. You should have a few cups as well," Lu Ran offered.
"I've been waiting for you to say that." White Dragon laughed.
Lu Ran shrugged. I’m doing this to make it easier to reject you later.
Soon, the tea was done, and Lu Ran poured a cup for Surfing White Dragon to thank him for his help. Rain couldn’t have one since the establishment’s rules prohibited her from accepting anything from customers.
The two drank tea as they waited for the people from the Medicine Pavilion. According to Rain, the other party should arrive soon. A while later, they heard a cry from outside, and a young man dressed in a doctor’s coat descended outside the maid cafe on an eagle.
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