A post-apocalyptic wasteland.
Animals and plants had mutated, collectively known as
fierce beasts
.
Humans had also undergone mutations, though not as drastic as other creatures.
There were three types of human mutations:
Awakened, Mutants, and Enhancers.
Awakened
: One in ten thousand possessed unique and varied abilities.
Mutants
: One in a thousand, with strength determined by their mutation talent.
Enhancers
: Those who used external forces to strengthen themselves, forming the mainstream power system.
This basic information was something Mu Liang had learned from Mino.
“Huh? Mu Liang, you’re an Awakened???”
Mino stared blankly, unable to process the shocking revelation.
“Yes, my awakened ability is taming animals.”
Mu Liang nodded lightly.
His ability to tame animals would eventually be exposed, so he decided to disguise himself as an
Awakened
.
“Mu Liang, you’re so… so amazing.”
Mino snapped out of her daze and grabbed Mu Liang’s arm, stammering with excitement, unsure how to express her emotions.
Her sister had once told her that their camp had
no Awakened
, only a few
Enhancers and Mutants
.
“Keep your voice down. Don’t let others hear.”
Mu Liang reminded her with a smile.
“Right, right… We must keep your identity a secret.”
Mino hurriedly covered her mouth and nodded repeatedly.
However, she suddenly found herself troubled by a new worry—if Mu Liang was an
Awakened
, would he really stay in such a small camp?
Mu Liang noticed her sudden silence but chose not to disturb her.
Instead, he asked the system in his mind,
“Didn’t you say I could inherit an ability from a tamed animal?”
“Ding! Would you like to inherit the Rock Armor Turtle’s talent: Earth Rock Spike?”
“Inherit.”
“Ding! Improving Earth Rock Spike… Adapting… Inheritance complete.”
As the system’s mechanical voice echoed, Mu Liang felt a refreshing coolness deep in his brain, followed by a warm current surging through his body.
“System, open my attribute panel.”
Beast Tamer: Mu Liang
Stamina: 6 | Speed: 4.3
Strength: 5 | Mental Power: 8.7
Lifespan: 24 years / 100 years
Taming Points: 0 (refreshes daily, can accumulate)
Evolution Points: 0
Ability: Earth Rock Spike (Level 1)
(Ordinary human base stat: 1)
Tamed Beast: Rock Armor Turtle (Level 1)
Talent: Earth Rock Spike (Level 1)
After reading his attribute panel, Mu Liang was completely
stunned
.
All his physical attributes had been enhanced, and his
lifespan
had even increased to
100 years
.
If he continued evolving the
Rock Armor Turtle
, would his lifespan reach a
thousand years
? Even
ten thousand
?
It wasn’t impossible. After all,
taming points refreshed daily
, allowing him to continuously tame new animals.
As long as he kept inheriting
new talents
, his lifespan and attributes would keep improving.
“What kind of ability is Earth Rock Spike?”
Since there was no description on the panel, Mu Liang decided to
test it himself
.
He activated the ability with a thought, and a
sharp rock spike
, about the length of a palm, suddenly
protruded
from the ground a few meters away.
The
Rock Armor Turtle
tilted its head, its
emerald-green eyes
staring curiously at the rock spike in front of it.
“The power is decent. If used for a surprise attack on an enemy’s feet, it could render them immobile.”
“If I knock someone to the ground and then use ‘Earth Rock Spike’ again, it would definitely be a lethal strike.”
Mu Liang’s
military instincts
kicked in, thinking about how to maximize the ability’s
combat potential
.
He checked his attribute panel and noticed that using abilities consumed both
stamina
and
mental power
.
“I can use it about six times before exhausting my stamina.”
“To be safe, I should limit it to three uses, leaving some stamina for emergencies.”
Mu Liang quickly determined his limits.
Now, another problem occupied his mind—
how to obtain energy-containing objects
. This was crucial for
strengthening the Rock Armor Turtle
.
His first goal:
evolve the Rock Armor Turtle to the level of the legendary Black Tortoise.
“Mu Liang, if you’re an Awakened, why did you faint that day?”
Mino suddenly asked.
“I was bitten by a venomous beast,”
Mu Liang casually gave the excuse he had
prepared in advance
.
He could never reveal that he was a
transmigrator
—not to anyone.
“So… once you recover, you’re going to leave, aren’t you?”
Mino’s voice was filled with
disappointment
.
After a moment of silence, she figured it out on her own.
Mu Liang was an
Awakened
. Whether or not he stayed in the camp wasn’t really a question—he had been avoiding the topic from the beginning.
“Yes, I will leave.”
Mu Liang nodded slightly.
Sooner or later, he had to leave the camp.
Only outside could he
tame new animals
and
obtain energy-containing items
.
Mino
bit her lip
and asked bitterly,
“When?”
“In two days,”
Mu Liang decided.
Thanks to his newfound
strength
, his injuries had not only
healed
but his body had become
even stronger
.
He chose to stay
two more days
to investigate whether the camp had any
energy-containing objects
.
“That soon? Can’t you stay a little longer?”
Mino
looked like she was about to cry
, but she held back her tears, gazing at Mu Liang
pleadingly
.
“You forgot? The tax is due in three days.”
Mu Liang raised his hand and
wiped a smudge of charcoal
from her cheek.
To
disguise herself
as a boy, Mino had smeared
charcoal
on her face.
She also wrapped her head in
cloth
and wore
oversized, tattered gray clothing
.
“I’ll catch the lizards, I promise. You have to trust me.”
Mino grasped Mu Liang’s hand tightly, speaking with
determination
.
“Then let me ask you a question.”
Mu Liang’s voice was gentle as he asked,
“In two days, would you be willing to leave with me?”
“I w—”
Mino started to answer but
abruptly stopped
.
She suddenly remembered
her sister’s parting words
before she left:
“Wait for me to come back for you.”
“You don’t have to answer now. Tell me in two days.”
Mu Liang reassured her softly.
After all, they had only known each other for
five days
. Asking her to leave behind
everything she knew
to wander the outside world with him was indeed a
difficult request
.
“Mm.”
Mino nodded lightly, her
small face scrunching up in distress
, her heart in turmoil.
Should she
leave with Mu Liang
? Or
stay and wait for her sister
?
If she chose
wrong
, she might
never see him again
.
If she chose
wrong
, she might
never reunite with her sister
.
This is so hard!!!
Bottom of Form