Beast Taming Star Journey

I staggered backward, more and more rocks falling from above, the cave seemed about to collapse. The Beastmaster was startled by this sudden turn of events and stopped approaching. "Damn it!" he cursed, turning and running into the passage. I didn't want to be buried alive, so I followed him out. Thankfully, the cave collapse was only partial, and we escaped unharmed. Ignoring the Beastmaster, I desperately scrambled back the way I came. The Tungsten Boy was still waiting for me; I had to get the intelligence back as quickly as possible. Back in the crevice where I had been hiding, I found the Tungsten Boy waiting anxiously. "Are you alright?" he asked with concern, seeing my dust and disheveled appearance. I shook my head. "I'm fine. We need to get out of here quickly." I briefly explained the situation in the cave and decided to change course, bypassing the dangerous area. The Tungsten Boy told me that based on his observations while he was imprisoned, the intelligence chamber should be nearby, but it was surrounded by traps and we had to be extremely careful. I took a deep breath and cautiously moved forward. A faint metallic smell filled the air. I sniffed it, and it seemed familiar, but I couldn't quite place it. We moved forward along a narrow passage, the walls on either side smooth as a mirror, without any gaps. "Watch out!" The tungsten boy suddenly grabbed my arm, pointing to an inconspicuous metal disc on the ground ahead. "That's a pressure trap, don't step on it." I nodded and continued around the disc. As we went deeper, the traps became more and more numerous—some were pressure traps, some were infrared sensors, and others were hidden weapons concealed in the walls. I had to be extremely vigilant, relying on my keen senses and the tungsten boy's warnings to avoid these deadly traps step by step. However, even the most careful precautions can slip up, and I still accidentally triggered a small trap. A tiny poisoned needle shot out from the wall, grazing my arm and drawing blood. I groaned and quickly covered the wound with my sleeve. Fortunately, it was just a minor injury, and the poison wasn't strong. "Are you hurt?" the tungsten boy asked worriedly. I shook my head. "It's nothing, just a minor injury." I tore off a strip of cloth and quickly bandaged the wound before continuing on. We walked for about half an hour more, finally arriving at a massive metal door. The door's surface was engraved with intricate patterns, exuding an ancient and mysterious aura. I had a feeling the intelligence room was behind this door. I tried pushing the door, but it wouldn't budge. It seemed the door was locked by some kind of mechanism. I carefully examined the patterns on the door, trying to find clues to unlock it. The tungsten boy was also helping me. He pointed to an inconspicuous groove on the door and said, "Look here, doesn't it look like a keyhole?" I leaned closer and, sure enough, the groove did resemble a keyhole, only much larger than a normal one. "But we don't have a key," I said, somewhat dejectedly. Suddenly, I sensed a strange energy fluctuation emanating from inside the door. This energy fluctuation… it felt familiar! A thought flashed through my mind. Could it be…? “Wait!” I stopped the young man from speaking, my gaze fixed on the pattern on the door. “I know how to open it…” That familiar energy fluctuation was extremely similar to the energy fluctuation of my tamed beast—the Howling Moon Wolf! The Howling Moon Wolf possessed the ability to manipulate metal. Could this door be made of some special metal? I took a deep breath, placed my hand on the door, and concentrated, trying to establish a connection with the Howling Moon Wolf. “Howling Moon, can you feel it?” I murmured to myself. The Howling Moon Wolf responded, and a powerful energy surged into the metal door through my arm. The pattern on the door began to emit a faint glow, the intricate lines flowing slowly as if they had come alive. I sensed the internal structure of the door; the complex mechanism unfolded in my mind like a precise blueprint. Strategist, you schemed so much, yet you overlooked the mental connection between me and the Howling Moon Wolf! This door was not made of ordinary metal, but a special metal called “Meteorite Iron,” which was extremely sensitive to energy fluctuations. The patterns on the door weren't decorations, but keys to unlock mechanisms, though they required a specific energy frequency to activate. I guided the energy of the Howling Moon Wolf, drawing intricate patterns on the door according to the image in my mind. Each pattern corresponded to an internal mechanism; if the sequence was correct and the energy frequencies matched, the complex interlocking mechanism would be unlocked. As I continued, the fluorescence on the door grew brighter, emitting a soft hum. I felt a powerful resistance, as if an invisible hand was preventing me from opening the door. It was the Strategist! He noticed! I gritted my teeth and increased the flow of energy. Sweat streamed down my forehead, soaking my clothes. I had to open the door before the Strategist adjusted the mechanism layout! With a "click," one mechanism on the door was unlocked, making a crisp sound. Then, the second, the third… As more and more mechanisms were unlocked, the metal door began to slowly move. "Not good!" the Tungsten Boy suddenly exclaimed. Following his gaze, I saw dozens of sharp metal spikes suddenly emerge from the walls on both sides of the passage, closing in on us like bear traps. In the nick of time, I pulled the tungsten boy behind me and simultaneously condensed the energy of the Howling Moon Wolf into a shield, blocking our path. "Clang!" The metal spikes struck the shield, producing a piercing metallic clang. The shield vibrated violently, and I felt a tingling numbness in my arm. The strategist's reaction speed was even faster than I expected! He had adjusted the mechanism layout in such a short time! I took a deep breath, enduring the pain in my arm, and continued to manipulate the energy of the Howling Moon Wolf, dismantling the last few mechanisms. "Click!" The final click of the mechanism opening rang out, and the metal door finally opened completely. A chilling aura surged out from within, and I felt a powerful sense of oppression. I knew I had succeeded, but I also knew that an even greater challenge awaited me… I glanced at the wound on my arm, where the poisoned needles had begun to turn purple. I could almost see Su Yao's worried eyes... I had to finish the mission as soon as possible... The tungsten boy tugged at my sleeve, "We..." He tugged at my sleeve, "Shall we... go in?" His voice trembled slightly, clearly frightened by the trap earlier. I nodded without speaking and stepped into the secret chamber first. The chamber was dimly lit, with a faint musty smell in the air. Strange runes were carved on the walls, emitting a weak light that illuminated part of the space. I looked around, cautiously observing my surroundings. The energy of the Howling Moon Wolf flowed within me, ready to deal with any sudden danger. I could almost see Su Yao's worried eyes, her slender fingers gently stroking the wound on my arm, her eyes filled with heartache. Thinking of this, my heart trembled slightly, a warm current welling up inside me. I gritted my teeth, transforming the tenderness in my heart into motivation to move forward. I had to finish the mission as soon as possible so I could return to her side sooner. "Here..." The tungsten boy pointed to a pile of junk in the corner of the secret room, his voice hesitant, "It seems... someone has been here." I went over to examine it closely and found some scattered papers and broken jade slips among the junk. I picked up a piece of paper; it had some strange symbols written on it that I didn't recognize. It seemed that the strategist had already moved the intelligence beforehand, or... he deliberately left these things to mislead me? Just then, I suddenly noticed that a brick on the wall was slightly different in color. I reached out and pressed it, and the brick actually dented inward. Immediately afterward, a slight "click" sounded, and a hidden door appeared in the wall. A new passage appeared before me, deep and dark, as if leading to an unknown abyss. A cold aura emanated from the passage, making me shiver involuntarily. Was this a shortcut to the intelligence room? Or a trap deliberately set by the strategist? My mind was filled with doubt. If it was a trap, then I might face even greater danger if I went in. But if this is a shortcut to the intelligence room, then I can complete the mission faster and return to Su Yao's side sooner. I hesitated for a moment, but ultimately decided to take the risk. I took a deep breath and said to the tungsten boy, "Stay close to me." The tungsten boy gripped my clothes tightly, his eyes filled with fear. I patted his shoulder, signaling him not to be afraid. I gathered the energy of the Howling Moon Wolf in my hand, forming a faint glow that illuminated the path ahead. I stepped into the passage, the air inside growing even colder, as if an invisible pair of eyes were watching me. The walls of the passage were covered with more complex runes, radiating an eerie light. I felt a powerful sense of oppression, as if something was approaching me. Suddenly, I heard a faint sound coming from the depths of the passage, like… the sound of metal scraping? I stopped, held my breath, and listened carefully to the sounds around me. The sound grew clearer and closer… "What's that sound?" the tungsten boy asked, his voice trembling as he gripped my clothes tightly. I held up a finger, signaling him to be quiet. I gripped the glowing light tightly, watching warily into the depths of the passage. In the darkness, a blurry figure slowly emerged… “Who?” I whispered.