C19 The Spoils of War

Surrounded by the enthusiastic men of Chen Village, Chen Wu made his way home. They all eagerly gathered around him, for he was now a Demonic Pet Master!

Becoming a Demonic Pet Master meant that one's strength and Spiritual Energy would greatly exceed that of an Everyman, and they would have the aid of powerful Demonic Beasts. Each one was a formidable individual!

Moreover, obtaining the Demonic Pet Master's certificate from the designated location entitled one to a substantial basic subsidy from the Empire. To the Everyman, this subsidy was a fortune!

In this world, still in the throes of a feudal era, the nobility and the powerful had access to resources far beyond the reach of the common folk. The commoners, at the bottom of the social hierarchy, had little hope of becoming Demonic Pet Masters and were burdened with the obligation to pay taxes regularly.

The villagers of Chen Village could never have imagined that the young boy who used to follow them into the mountains would one day become a figure of such stature, far beyond their reach. While some were green with envy, the majority were thrilled. Chen Village had produced a Demonic Pet Master, and who would dare oppress them now?

...

Upon arriving home, Chen Wu immediately secluded himself in his room.

The triumph over Hu Wang paled in comparison to his eagerness to assimilate the spoils of the Life And Death Battle.

As per the rules, all of Hu Wang's possessions were now Chen Wu's upon his death. Chen Wu had turned a blind eye to the Hu Family servants moving Hu Wang's body because he had already taken the Soul Ring from the corpse as soon as Hu Wang's death was confirmed.

The Soul Ring, an exceedingly rare storage device, was crafted from ores imbued with Spatial Power. It was a rarity for a Grade 1 Demonic Pet Master to possess such an item, which Hu Wang had only through the backing of the century-old Hu Family.

Soul Rings came in low, medium, and high grades, and this one was of the low grade.

Such a Soul Ring was a rarity even in Green-mount Town!

But now, it belonged to Chen Wu!

"I hope Hu Wang had some treasures on him. Let's hope I'm not disappointed!"

Chen Wu connected his Spiritual Energy to the Soul Ring and was instantly transported to another space. It was an expansive, white, rectangular world, no more than ten square meters in size, cluttered with a hodgepodge of items.

Chen Wu swept his Spiritual Energy across the clutter, swiftly setting aside a pile of items that seemed to be of no particular use.

"Soul Crystals!"

True to Chen Wu's expectations, he spotted a small collection of silver-white energy crystals tucked away in the corner, each roughly the size of a thumb. Soul Crystals served as the specialized currency for Demonic Pet Masters, imbued with a certain amount of energy that could be utilized for the cultivation of both demonic pets and their masters. The energy within was pure, unlike the variously attributed Demonic Cores that Demonic Pet Masters obtained from their hunts, which were less beneficial for a pet's growth unless they matched in attribute.

Demonic Cores could be exchanged for Soul Crystals at a ratio of 1:10, meaning one Grade 1 Low-level Demonic Core could fetch ten Soul Crystals. The exchange rate increased with the grade of the Demonic Crystal; a Grade 2 Demonic Beast Crystal Core could be traded for twenty Soul Crystals, a Grade 3 for thirty, and so on.

The uses for Soul Crystals were extensive. They were not only pivotal in cultivation but also acted as the currency for Demonic Pet Masters, facilitating the trade of virtually anything.

The pile Chen Wu discovered contained over two hundred Soul Crystals, a truly astonishing fortune. Hunting Demonic Beasts was a perilous endeavor, with the risk of fatal accidents ever-present. Moreover, healing a Demonic Beast in the Demonic Pet Space was a slow process, often necessitating the purchase of expensive Healing Pills beforehand.

Chen Wu also came across a small stash of about a dozen Low-level Healing Pills, which could rapidly staunch bleeding and restore a modest amount of a Demonic Pet's vitality. These were valued at several dozen Soul Crystals each.

Chen Wu had been scraping by, his years of herb gathering on the mountain yielding a mere ten Soul Crystals at most. This find had significantly padded his previously thin wallet.

His focus then shifted to the search for any hidden psychic techniques.

"Found it, a Psychic Technique jade!"

He quickly unearthed a smooth jade stone nestled within a wooden box. It was indeed a Psychic Technique jade, inscribed with the methods for a Demonic Pet Master to cultivate and deploy psychic techniques.

Chen Wu absorbed the information swiftly, though his mind felt somewhat swollen from the rapid intake. After a moment, a smile spread across his face. He had discovered the low-level Psychic Technique "Berserk." When applied to a Demonic Pet, this technique would send it into a frenzied state, boosting all its attributes by 10%. For a Demonic Pet already possessing the Berserk skill, the duration of its frenzy could be extended by about a third. This explained why the Blood Wolf, despite being impaled by Blood Rain, still had the strength to charge at its adversary.

However, reducing its sense of pain didn't mean the Blood Wolf was immune to injury. It still sustained the damage it was dealt, which is why, after the effects of Berserk wore off, the Blood Wolf was left so weakened that Blood Rain could finish it off in an instant.

Undoubtedly, this was an incredibly useful Psychic Technique. With it, Chen Wu could significantly enhance Blood Rain's capabilities.

Yet, Chen Wu set the technique aside for the moment, opting to continue his search. He came across the "Demonic Pet Encyclopedia." His attraction to knowledge was undeniable. As a former university student, Chen Wu understood the transformative power of knowledge, particularly for a Demonic Pet Master. A thorough understanding of the various Demonic Pets would be immensely advantageous in wilderness combat.

The book was quite basic, accessible even to the Everyman. Chen Wu then discovered three more boxes; typically, anything stored within them was far from ordinary.

"This is Purple Copper, a metal used in crafting Low-level Treasure Weapons. It's not of much use to me, though." He quickly deemed the soccer ball-sized metal as "useless," planning to sell it off when the opportunity arose.

Inside the second box was a fist-sized Demonic Core, radiating an intense Demonic Qi. "A Grade 3 Demonic Core! Hu Wang must have acquired it after slaying a Demonic Pet."

Chen Wu himself possessed a Grade 3 Demonic Core, along with several Grade 1 and Grade 2 Demonic Cores, all rewards from his intense training day when he and Blood Rain honed their synergy through a series of Demonic Beast battles. If the core was Wind-type, it would be beneficial for Blood Rain, potentially boosting its strength and, over time, even aiding in its advancement.

Chen Wu was most astonished by the contents of the last box: a tattered map that, judging by the forest depicted on it, appeared to be of Phoenix Nest Mountain.

"This looks like a map, but it's quite worn. The marked location seems to be the southern part of Phoenix Nest Mountain. Isn't that near the Poison Pool?"

It was in the direction of the Poison Pool that Uncle Hu had vanished. Chen Wu didn't hold out much hope for this so-called map, but he decided to check it out when he had the chance.

What Chen Wu cherished most, however, was the magical Soul Ring. With this ring, he could conveniently store numerous items in an airless space, preserving dead objects and even keeping perishables fresh. On his next hunt for Demonic Pets, Chen Wu could take away small Demonic Pet carcasses or valuable parts, knowing that Demonic Pet remains were quite valuable.

Once he had finished organizing, Chen Wu picked up the Berserk Technique and began his training.