Translator: Nyoi-Bo Studio Editor: Nyoi-Bo Studio
Gao Peng had no idea why he was feeling this way, but he figured there had to be a good reason behind it.
“Stripey, scout the area and see if any monsters are still lurking beneath you. Flamy, go up high and watch out for any other monsters in the vicinity. Let me know as soon as you spot something dangerous coming our way,” ordered Gao Peng.
Upon receiving their orders, Flamy flew up into the sky and began surveying the ground below, while Stripey extended its power through the ground, alert to the slightest vibration beneath its feet. However, none of them found anything.
Gao Peng grew more anxious. “Has that three-headed dog finally caught up to us?”
His eyebrows furrowed. Sensing that something didn’t seem right, he quickly called his familiars back. Once he was on Flamy’s back, he ordered it to put as much distance between them and Dragon Death Valley as it could.
Suddenly, a huge crimson bird emerged from the clouds. Gao Peng and the others had been hiding in the clouds for half an hour. However, nothing seemed to be chasing after them. Still sitting on Flamy’s back, Gao Peng wondered if he was seeing monsters where none existed. It was possible he was engaged in a battle of wits with the air itself.
What am I thinking right now? thought Gao Peng.
“Doesn’t look like anything’s coming after us, Gao Peng,” said Flamy. They had been hiding in the clouds for a long time, yet there was no sign of anything coming after them from any direction.
“I suppose my brilliant plan worked. We were able to shake off our pursuer,” muttered Gao Peng.
“Wow, Gao Peng, you’re so awesome, which is probably why you were able to raise an equally awesome familiar such as me,” praised Flamy, while still making sure to give itself praise, too.
Gao Peng couldn’t help but laugh at this.
After a while, Gao Peng found a place to land, where he then let the others out from his familiar space.
The sea stretched to the east. Gao Peng was at first reluctant about going in that direction. However, he thought that it would be a waste of his time to go back the way they had come. He was already familiar with that route and all the monsters lurking there. It no longer held any surprises for him.
Gao Peng still had yet to visit the sea in the Black Fog World. He had no idea how it differed from its counterpart on Earth.
“Let’s head east.” He was holding a flat wooden plank in his hand, on which he had carved out a rough map of the Black Fog World. Labyrinths were the only thing of note in the south; there was nothing left for him to explore in that direction. It was just as well for him to venture to the east and visit the sea.
He could even try his hand at subduing a Water-type monster that lived in the waters of the Black Fog World. Gao Peng had always wanted a Water-type familiar of his own.
Now that he had awakened his Familiar Space ability, he didn’t need to worry about having too many familiars in tow. Once he signed a Blood Contract with a potential familiar, all he had to do was pop it into his Familiar Space!
He could pull out any familiar from it in accordance with the situation in hand. Of course, he would first need to have a diverse team of familiars in order to adapt to any situation he might find himself in. Only now was Gao Peng able to appreciate the convenience of having a Familiar Space. Even though there were a number of downsides to it, one could safely say that the pros outweighed the cons.
In the past, Gao Peng had his qualms about taming a Water-type familiar, as it would be inconvenient to carry it around on dry land. Water-type familiars thrived in aquatic environments. However, on dry land, their capabilities were severely limited.
The Water-type familiars mentioned here were of the sort that lived exclusively in huge bodies of water, such as pre-Cataclysm whales and sharks, as opposed to their amphibious counterparts, such as frogs, toads, and newts.
Both types of creatures were usually Water-type familiars. Under normal circumstances, the former would naturally be better equipped to engage in aquatic combat. However, they were inferior to the latter when it came to ground combat.
Most human beings were land-dwellers, with the inhabitants of archipelagos being an exception to this rule. While an adequately resilient Water-type familiar could still survive on dry land, its powers would be greatly affected.
This was the reason why only a few trainers wanted to keep aquatic Water-type familiars back on Earth, save for those who lived close to the sea. The inconvenience of carrying aquatic Water-type familiars around and the limitations they would suffer on dry land contributed hugely to its lack of popularity among trainers.
Stripey’s presence had made the whole journey all the more comfortable. It was excited to have all these people on its back and never bored, as it could be with its friends and master at all times. It was having the time of its life right then.
“I see you’ve brought back two blades of boxthorn grass. Good job,” said Gao Peng, rubbing Moneymaker’s head with his hand.
“Xiao Hua, come over here.” He beckoned to Xiao Hua in the distance. It was carrying a schoolbag on its back and a palm-sized book in its hand while wearing a flower crown on its head.
Xiao Hua carefully put its book back inside its bag and skipped over to where Gao Peng stood. It knew who was in charge here and would always be on its best behavior when Gao Peng was around.
“Silly, bring me my tools,” said Gao Peng. Silly produced a pile of bottles and a variety of experimental tools from its portable space.
Gao Peng began stripping the boxthorn grass that Moneymaker had brought him of its seeds, then proceeded to pound them into a fine paste.
Xiao Hua was currently Level 30, its present tier Elite. Among Commander-tier monsters, this was considered average.
Compared to Gao Peng’s other familiars, Xiao Hua was at a stage where it posed no threat to either man or monster. Even Moneymaker, whom Goldie seemed to hold in disdain, was a full-fledged Lord-tier familiar. Even though it was a Mystic-type familiar that specialized in finding buried treasure, it could still beat Xiao Hua in mere seconds.
Gao Peng watched as Xiao Hua finished the concoction that he had prepared for it. Returning the empty bottle to Gao Peng, it sat on the ground cross-legged and gazed at Gao Peng, wide-eyed. It was propping itself upright with both hands on the ground.
“Chirp.” Xiao Hua’s nose twitched, then it felt a sharp pain coming from its back, nearly causing it to cry out.
Dumby quietly walked over and came to a stop five paces away from Xiao Hua, which was now writhing on the ground in anguish. It wanted to step forward and give its daughter a big hug if that was what it would take to alleviate its pain. However, after a moment’s hesitation, it decided that it was best to simply watch over the younger familiar for now.
It knew that it couldn’t shield Xiao Hua from harm for the rest of its life. Dumby began clenching and unclenching its fists anxiously…
The pain that had gripped Xiao Hua lasted for around five minutes. When it was finally over, Xiao Hua was brought to rest on Stripey’s back. Suddenly, a pair of pink, fleshy wings sprouted from Xiao Hua’s shoulder blades.
Its wings were about as big as a chicken wing one would normally find in a fried chicken restaurant. They were featherless and almost transparent enough that one could see the veins running through them.
After a while, Xiao Hua woke up, its fleshy wings trembling.
[Monster Name]: Winged Mountain Ape
[Monster Tier]: Level 31
[Monster Grade]: Perfect
[Monster Attribute]: Earth/Water
[Monster Ability]: Power Walking Level 1
[Monster Weakness]: Darkness
[Monster Description]: Adapted to living in mountainous terrain, the Winged Mountain Ape is a gentle creature with a long lifespan. It likes to eat fruits. It is also fleet-footed, allowing it to traverse mountainous and swampy regions speedily.
