Beast Taming Star Journey

Chapter 373 Exploring Clues to the Anomaly

Chapter 373

The room was pitch black and empty. I lit a tinderbox, the dim light barely illuminating the outline of the room. It looked like an ordinary storage room, cluttered with odds and ends, covered in dust, and filled with a musty smell. The trail had gone cold? A sense of loss washed over me.

The little animal seemed to sense my emotions; it paced anxiously at my feet, whimpering softly. I crouched down and gently stroked its fur. "Don't worry, we'll find the answer."

Just then, the little beast suddenly raised its head and ran towards a corner of the room. I quickly followed, and the firelight illuminated that corner—there was a small door there, almost blending into the wall; if it weren't for the little beast's reminder, I would never have noticed it.

My heart started racing. Could this be the hidden entrance? I tried pushing the door, but it wouldn't budge. It seemed locked. I took the dagger from my waist and tried to pry open the lock.

"What are you doing!" A furious shout came from the doorway.

I turned around and saw several beast tamers standing in the doorway, staring at me with hostile expressions. One of them pointed at the small beast in my arms and shouted, "You actually brought this monster into the research lab! It's the source of the mutation!"

My heart sank. Sure enough, I'd been misunderstood. I tried to explain, "That's not it. I'm investigating clues about the anomaly..."

"Shut up!" another beast tamer interrupted me. "What right do you have to investigate? You're just a..." He paused, his tone full of disdain, "...a grassroots beast tamer!"

"Get him out! We can't let him continue to endanger the Alliance headquarters!" someone shouted.

I held the little animal tightly in my arms; it trembled. I knew that if I were driven out now, I would likely never have another chance to get close to the truth. I took a deep breath, preparing to argue my case, when I heard a clear, cold voice come from behind the crowd:

“You’ve misunderstood him; he’s trying to find the truth.”

I turned to look, and Su Yao pushed through the crowd and walked up to me. Her eyes were firm as she looked at the crowd, standing in front of me. Looking at her back, I felt a surge of gratitude. Su Yao continued:…

Su Yao stepped forward, shielding me. Her eyes were firm as she looked at the crowd and said, "You've misunderstood him. He's trying to find the truth." Looking at her slender yet resolute back, I felt a surge of gratitude. A warm feeling welled up inside me, dispelling the tension and unease I had felt earlier. It's so good to have her here.

“Miss Su Yao, we know that you and this boy have a close relationship, but this matter is of great importance and cannot be taken lightly!” The beast tamer who had spoken rudely earlier softened his tone, but still carried a hint of doubt.

Su Yao ignored him and turned to me instead, asking softly, "What did you discover?"

I told her what I had just discovered and pointed to the tightly closed small door. Su Yao glanced at it, then said to everyone, "I believe him, and please believe me too. Let me go in with him and see if we can find some clues."

Her tone was calm, yet carried an undeniable authority. The crowd exchanged glances, but ultimately parted to make way. Su Yao gave me an encouraging look, and I took a deep breath, trying to pick the lock again. This time, with Su Yao's support, my movements were more resolute.

With a click, the lock opened. I pushed open the door, and a chilling aura rushed out, making me shiver. The little beast also let out a low growl, as if sensing some danger.

The room grew even darker, with only a faint sliver of light filtering through a small window. I lit a tinderbox and cautiously entered. Su Yao followed closely behind, a longsword gleaming coldly in her hand, as she warily surveyed her surroundings.

The room was empty, except for a few worn-out tables and chairs. Had the trail truly gone cold? I searched frantically, hoping to find some clue.

Suddenly, my gaze fell upon a stone in the corner. The stone looked ordinary, but something about it felt off. I walked over, crouched down, and examined it closely. Strange patterns seemed to be etched on the stone's surface, covered by a thick layer of dust.

I gently wiped away the dust, and the patterns gradually became clear. These weren't ordinary patterns, but a hidden rune! The rune emitted a faint black light, emanating a chilling aura very similar to the one I had sensed from the Beastmaster. Moreover, this aura contained a trace of dark power that sent shivers down my spine, as deep and unfathomable as an abyss. This… could it be an aura related to dark forces?

My heart began to race; this discovery filled me with both excitement and apprehension. I was excited because I had finally found a clue to the anomaly; I was apprehensive because a huge conspiracy might be lurking behind it.

I told Su Yao about this discovery, and she also looked surprised. She carefully examined the runes and said in a deep voice, "The aura on these runes is indeed related to the forces of darkness."

We exchanged a glance, both seeing the gravity in each other's eyes. This discovery confirmed our suspicions: the anomaly might indeed be related to the forces of darkness. But what secrets lay hidden behind these runes? And how could we dispel the misunderstandings of the other beast tamers and continue our investigation?

“We need to take this rune back to the thulium researcher…” Su Yao said, reaching out to touch the rune. I grabbed her wrist, a sense of foreboding washing over me. “Wait…”