Beast Taming Star Journey

Thick fog churned, like boiling milk, thickly enveloping us, reducing visibility to only an arm's length. Su Yao's golden-winged eagle let out a sharp cry and circled uneasily in the air.

The snow wolf beneath me also lowered its body, letting out a low whimper, its white fur standing on end.

"Something's strange." I squinted, trying to see through the thick fog.

A nauseating, sweet-smelling stench filled the air. It wasn't just the putrid smell of the swamp itself, but something else... something sinister.

"Be on guard!" I ordered in a deep voice. The march of the team slowed down noticeably, and everyone gripped their weapons tightly, their nerves on edge.

We cautiously approached the new stronghold of the dark forces—a dilapidated castle hidden deep in the swamp.

It was less a castle and more a pile of huge stones, with eerie vines crawling through the cracks and emitting an unsettling fluorescent green glow.

The battle began faster than expected. Before we could even get close, countless dark figures burst out of the castle and surged towards us like a tide.

These dark figures were incredibly fast and agile, making them difficult to catch. They emitted sharp, piercing cries, brandishing their blades and attacking our group relentlessly.

"Defense! Defense!" roared the Beastmaster, commanding his giant bear to block the front of the group.

The giant bear roared, waving its enormous paws to swat away the approaching shadows. But the number of shadows was simply too great, seemingly endless.

Screams rose and fell, and I watched helplessly as some beast tamers lay dead in pools of blood, a pang of pain shooting through my heart. This battle was far more brutal than we had imagined.

The defenses of the dark forces are exceptionally strong.

"Damn it!" The Beastmaster slammed his fist into a boulder, which shattered into pieces instantly.

His face was full of anger and helplessness.

"What exactly are these things?"

"Calm down, Pu!" I shouted. "Don't panic!"

Although I was filled with anxiety, I knew that it was precisely in times like these that I needed to remain calm. I tried to concentrate and search for the enemy's weaknesses.

I closed my eyes and sensed the energy fluctuations around me. Gradually, I felt a faint, yet strangely malevolent energy emanating from the center of the castle.

I suddenly opened my eyes and looked towards the center of the castle. There, a woman in a black robe stood on a high platform, coldly watching us.

A strange smile graced her pale face, and she held a black staff in her hand.

Beside her stood a tall man, his entire body shrouded in black armor, obscuring his face.

“The strategist…” Su Yao said through gritted teeth, “It’s her! She’s the mastermind behind the dark forces!”

My heart sank. The name "Female Strategist" was not unfamiliar to me.

She is the most mysterious and dangerous figure in the dark forces. It is said that she has powerful mind control abilities and can manipulate any living being.

"Looks like we're in trouble..." I took a deep breath and turned to look at Su Yao. "Take care of yourself..."

"Yao, cover me!" I roared, and golden light burst forth from my body, spreading along my arm to the snow wolf.

I can clearly sense the energy flow of all living things around me; even the crawling of insects underground cannot escape my perception.

This is my cheat code—the Equal Contract. It not only allows me to share power with my beasts, but also lets me sense the energy flow of all living things in the surrounding environment, thus finding the enemy's weakness.

The castle appeared impregnable, but to my perception, it was like a sieve, riddled with holes. The northeast corner, where energy flow was thinnest, was the weakest point in its defenses!

"Pu! Northeast corner, concentrate your forces and break through!" I shouted, my voice echoing through the thick fog.

Although the Beastmaster was reckless, he was not stupid. He immediately understood what I meant, roared, and charged ahead with his giant bear toward the northeast corner.

Other members of the forces of justice followed closely behind, piercing the defenses of the dark forces like sharp knives.

"Damn it! How did they know the defenses there were weak!" The female strategist on the high platform changed her expression drastically. She waved her black staff and chanted incantations. A surge of black energy erupted from the staff, transforming into a giant black spider that pounced on the beast tamer.

"Your opponent is me!" Su Yao snorted coldly, and the golden-winged eagle let out a loud cry, like a golden lightning bolt, cutting through the thick fog and engaging in a fierce battle with the black spider.

I took a deep breath and commanded the snow wolves to attack from the side, disrupting the dark creatures' formation.

The snow wolf is incredibly fast, like a white lightning bolt, weaving through the shadows, each attack taking the life of a dark creature.

The morale of the forces of justice soared, and they fought bravely, gradually gaining the upper hand. Screams and roars mingled together, creating a brutal symphony of war.

"Damn it! Damn it!" The female strategist's face grew increasingly grim; she hadn't expected us to break through the defenses so quickly.

She brandished her staff again, summoning more dark creatures in an attempt to halt our advance. However, it was all too late.

The forces of justice have breached the defenses and surged into the castle like a tidal wave. The resistance of the dark creatures is growing weaker, and the scales of victory are tipping in our favor.

"Retreat!" The female strategist finally realized that a crushing defeat was imminent. She glanced at the battlefield unwillingly, then turned and fled into the depths of the castle.

"Trying to run?" Su Yao sneered, and the golden-winged eagle let out a sharp cry, chasing after the female strategist.

I didn't stop Su Yao, but instead directed the snow wolves to continue clearing out the remaining dark creatures.

Although we achieved an initial victory in this battle, I still felt a sense of unease.

The retreat of the female strategist was too sudden and too decisive. It seemed that some conspiracy was hidden in it... After the battle, I found the beast tamer, who was directing his men to clean up the battlefield.

“Pu, don’t you think… this victory came too easily?” I asked in a deep voice.

The Beastmaster paused for a moment, then nodded. "It is indeed strange... the resistance from the dark forces is much weaker than we expected..."

The unease in my heart grew stronger. I looked up into the depths of the castle, where darkness seemed to conceal countless unknown dangers…

"Yao hasn't returned yet..." I muttered to myself, then walked deeper into the castle... A cold wind blew by, sending a chill down my spine...