Beast Taming Star Journey

Beyond the stone door lay a narrow passage, the air thick with a dampness and a faint metallic scent. The Howling Moon Wolf whimpered softly, pacing anxiously at the ground, sensing the change in atmosphere. I gripped my dagger tightly, warily watching ahead, and took a step forward. "It seems…" the Tungsten Boy suddenly spoke, his voice trembling. "Seems like what?" I asked softly, slowing my pace. The Howling Moon Wolf stopped pacing, its ears perked up, listening intently to the surrounding sounds. "It seems… there are more traps here than when we came before…" The Tungsten Boy swallowed hard, pointing to tiny, almost imperceptible holes in the wall. "Look, these holes weren't here before." I followed his finger and, sure enough, many tiny holes had appeared in the wall, almost blending into the surrounding stone, virtually invisible without close inspection. These holes were arranged randomly, their sizes varying, making them elusive. "What are these?" My heart sank, a sense of foreboding washing over me. "I...I don't know either," the tungsten boy shook his head. "But I feel like there's something dangerous hidden in these holes." His words made me even more wary. I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm. The intelligence room was right in front of me; I couldn't let these unknown dangers intimidate me. I closed my eyes, carefully sensing my surroundings. Besides the dampness and metallic smell, there was a faint smell of sulfur, which immediately reminded me of the fire-breathing traps I'd encountered in the dark forces' stronghold. Could these holes also contain similar traps? A chill ran down my spine at the thought. If that were the case, we were in grave danger. "Wait," I suddenly remembered some hints the tungsten boy had given about traps. He'd said that the traps set by the dark forces were mostly related to the surrounding environment and often had a hidden trigger point. I began to carefully observe my surroundings, hoping to find some clues. On the walls of the passage, besides the tiny holes, there were uneven patterns. These patterns looked like some kind of ancient script, which I didn't recognize, but I had a feeling they held some secret. I reached out and touched the patterns, trying to find some clues. Suddenly, my finger touched a slightly raised pattern, which resembled an eagle spreading its wings. The instant I touched this pattern, I felt the ground tremble slightly, followed by a soft "click," as if some mechanism had been activated… "Oh no!" I thought to myself, turning sharply to look at the tungsten boy. The tungsten boy's face had also turned deathly pale. He pointed deep into the passage and stammered, "Look… look there…" I looked in the direction the tungsten boy was pointing, and saw countless dark shadows surging towards us from the depths of the passage. These shadows moved incredibly fast, like ghosts in the dim light, sending chills down my spine. "Shadow Rats!" the tungsten boy exclaimed. "They're incredibly fast, and their teeth are sharp; they're extremely difficult to deal with!" Shadow Rats? My heart sank. These were small creatures that lived in the darkness, renowned for their speed and sharpness, and they were numerous. If we were surrounded by them, the consequences would be unimaginable. "Howling Moon Wolf, attack!" I gave the order without hesitation. The Howling Moon Wolf let out a low growl and flashed towards the Shadow Rats. Its sharp claws and teeth lashed out, tearing the first few Shadow Rats to shreds. But the number of Shadow Rats was simply too great; they surged forward relentlessly, and even the mighty Howling Moon Wolf was gradually struggling to keep up. I took a deep breath, gripped my dagger, and joined the battle. I tried to avoid direct confrontation with the Shadow Rats, instead using my agility and speed to find opportunities to attack their weaknesses. These Shadow Rats were small in size, but their attacks were exceptionally ferocious. Their sharp teeth could easily tear through flesh, making them impossible to defend against. As I dodged their attacks, I carefully observed their movements, hoping to find their weakness. Just then, I felt the surrounding air suddenly become more oppressive, and a strong sense of crisis surged into my heart. "Not good!" I cried out inwardly, looking up into the depths of the passage, where a figure was slowly approaching. It was the Strategist! A cold smile played on his lips as he held a black staff in his hand, the top of which was inlaid with a red gem that emitted an eerie light. "It seems you're about to break through my defenses," the Strategist's voice was icy and chilling. "However, the game has only just begun." As his words fell, I felt the surrounding mechanisms change again. A black liquid sprayed from the tiny holes, sizzling as it hit the ground, filling the air with a pungent odor. The Shadow Rats, after being touched by the black liquid, began to swell, their eyes turned blood red, and their attacks became even more frenzied. "Damn it!" I cursed under my breath. The changes in these Shadow Rats were clearly the work of the strategist, Lai. Howling Moon Wolf was also affected by the black liquid, its movements becoming sluggish, and multiple wounds appeared on its body. "Howling Moon Wolf, come back!" I hurriedly summoned Howling Moon Wolf back to my side, using my dagger to block the attacks of several Shadow Rats. The situation was extremely unfavorable; I had to find the Shadow Rats' weakness as soon as possible, or we would all be devoured. I carefully observed the Shadow Rats again. Their size, speed, and attack power had all increased, but one thing remained unchanged: their eyes… still so small, gleaming eerily in the darkness. Could it be… their weakness was in their eyes? A thought flashed through my mind, a bold idea surging within me. I whispered to Howling Moon Wolf, "Howling Moon Wolf, attack their eyes!" Howling Moon Wolf seemed to understand my meaning, letting out a low growl, its figure flashing again, pouncing towards the nearest Shadow Rat. It didn't attack the Shadow Rat's body directly, but aimed for its eyes. Sharp wolf claws pierced the Shadow Rats' eyes with pinpoint accuracy. The Shadow Rats let out a piercing scream, their bodies convulsing violently before collapsing to the ground, motionless. It worked! I was overjoyed; my guess seemed correct. "Howling Moon Wolf, keep attacking their eyes!" I shouted excitedly. Howling Moon Wolf, receiving my command, became even more ferocious. It weaved through the swarm of rats, each attack incredibly precise. Every Shadow Rat struck in the eye instantly lost its fighting ability. I was responsible for protecting Howling Moon Wolf, using my dagger to block the attacks of any stragglers. My beast-taming ability was also pushed to its limit; I could clearly sense Howling Moon Wolf's power and the telepathic connection between us. We cooperated seamlessly, like one entity, carving a bloody path through the rat horde. The Strategist's face grew increasingly grim. He clearly hadn't expected me to find the Shadow Rats' weakness so quickly. "Damn it!" he cursed, brandishing his staff, a black beam of light shooting towards me. I was prepared and dodged to the side. The black light struck the ground with a loud bang, leaving a huge crater. I dared not be careless; I knew the Strategist was incredibly powerful, and I had to be careful. "Howling Moon Wolf, let's finish this quickly!" I said to Howling Moon Wolf. Howling Moon Wolf let out a low growl, its speed increasing again, like lightning, weaving through the swarm of rats. In no time, all the Shadow Rats were wiped out. I breathed a sigh of relief and wiped the sweat from my brow. The Strategist's face was ashen; he hadn't expected me to actually defeat his Shadow Rats. "You... who exactly are you?" he asked through gritted teeth. I ignored him and walked straight towards him. "What do you want?" the Strategist asked in terror. I sneered, remaining silent, and continued to approach him. Seeing me closing in, a ruthless glint flashed in the Strategist's eyes. He raised his staff, preparing to attack me again. Just then, I suddenly felt a powerful sense of oppression, a pressure that made me feel suffocated, as if a mountain was pressing down on me. I was startled and looked up sharply into the depths of the passage... A tall figure was slowly walking towards us.