Chapter 153: The Hollow Beast in the Shadows! (April 2400 Monthly Ticket Bonus Chapter)

Having sensed the presence of a third party in the shade, Xiao Qing silently moved a little closer toward Yue Li's direction.

It didn't pay much attention to this unknown guy, since in its perception the opponent's strength was very weak.

But it still, at the first moment, quietly informed Yue Li of the situation.

Yue Li's eyes flickered slightly; without turning to look at the opponent's position, as if she knew nothing, she continued to sit with her knees hugged, smiling, watching the person and beast practicing swordsmanship by the stream.

Soon, the departing Shui Hua and Xiao Hong returned with various fruits and two weak spirit beasts they had caught; Xiao Hong exhaled fire and began cooking skillfully.

Since Qin Chuan discovered this guy's talent in this area, he had assigned the arduous task of cooking to Xiao Hong, and Xiao Hong lived up to expectations, gaining more and more experience; her cooking skills are now on par with Qin Chuan's.

Not long after, the two persons and four beasts sat in a circle in the shade, with a clean picnic cloth spread in the middle; piled like a small hill were freshly picked fruits still glistening with dew, and roasted beast meat golden and sizzling with oil, exuding a rich aroma that made mouths water.

There was also a pot of soup, made from a few fish Shui Hua casually caught and stewed; the broth was milky white, fresh without fishiness, needing little seasoning, and it left Yue Li, who had tasted it, exclaiming in delight.

"Let's eat!"

Qin Chuan swallowed, then tore off a beast leg with his bare hands; beneath the golden skin, large chunks of tender white meat clung to the bone, brimming with visible juices in the sunlight, making one want to bite in immediately to savor its delicious flavor.

After handing the beast leg to Yue Li, Qin Chuan blew on his palm, then tore off another beast leg and took a bite.

Under the crisp skin, the beast meat texture is fine and tender; the fat beneath the skin, fully roasted, melds into the meat, and several spices native to this world dispel the last greasy feeling, doubling the meat fragrance.

The rich aroma quickly filling his mouth and nose made Qin Chuan's eyes light up; he couldn't help but give Xiao Hong a thumbs-up.

As expected, this kind of thing should be left to a fire-type spirit beast.

Squeak~

Xiao Hong proudly wagged its tail; as a non-meat eater, it held the nuts specially picked for it, its sharp teeth skillfully cracking the shells to reveal the kernels layered inside.

Shui Hua and Xiao Qing were just as unceremonious.

When Shui Hua opened its big mouth, a portion of the food on the picnic cloth would disappear, quickly chewed away, whether fruit or beast meat, none could escape.

Xiao Qing's claws were like knives; it swiftly tore the beast meat into large chunks, giving half to Shui Hua and slowly shredding the other half into meat strips to swallow.

Normally, Shui Hua eats faster than Xiao Qing, and afterward it eyes Xiao Qing's uneaten beast meat with a hungry gaze.

At that time, Xiao Qing will glare at Shui Hua menacingly, as if saying, 'If you dare to move, I'll beat you to death.'

Among the four spirit beasts, the one with the most refined and peculiar eating habits is probably Xue Gao.

It only needs to float lightly above the food, cover it with its lower body, and in the next instant the food vanishes.

Under the sweeping gusts raised by the two persons and four beasts, the food on the picnic cloth visibly decreased.

Just then, a soft gulping sound echoed nearby.

The four Elite Tier Lv30 spirit beasts instantly caught that sound; aside from Xiao Qing, which had anticipated it, the other three spirit beasts immediately turned toward a spot beneath the shade, showing puzzled expressions.

"What's wrong?"

Qin Chuan poked his head out from a beast rib as large as half a face, his expression bewildered, with a few oil stains on his cheeks.

"You better wipe it off quickly."

Watching Qin Chuan's somewhat comical eating manner, Yue Li couldn't help but curl the corner of her mouth; she set down her food, took out a handkerchief, and passed it over.

After Qin Chuan wiped his face clean, she slowly said, "While you were teaching Xue Gao swordsmanship, an uninvited guest arrived."

"An uninvited guest?"

Qin Chuan followed the beasts' gazes, but saw only tender green leaves.

Invisibility? Or earth escape? Or something else?

While various speculations arose in his mind, Qin Chuan shouted, "Don't hide; we've already found you." One second, two seconds, three seconds later.

In the sight of the two persons and four beasts, a cluster of black fire suddenly appeared on the grass leaves shrouded by shade.

That firelight was not scorching; although it had the form of fire, it was not of the fire attribute.

Drawing power from the surrounding shade, the black fire grew larger and larger, expanding from fist-sized to basketball-sized, then with a muffled 'bang' it exploded, transforming into a spirit beast with a somewhat strange appearance.

It looked like a pure black cat with no variegation, but its head was covered by a bone-white bony helmet, exposing only a tuft of furry ear.

In place of the other ear was a bone-white horn, its tip burning with a cluster of black flame, identical to the flame it had when it first appeared.

On the bone helmet, there are clear cracks at the mouth and nose, but the interior cannot be seen.

Most striking, however, are the black, hollow eye sockets on the bone helmet.

Upon appearing, this spirit beast instinctively shuddered before the four Elite Tier spirit beasts; although its eyes were hollow, its unconscious backward lean and clenched tail clearly expressed its inner fear.

It did not choose to flee; its hollow eyes fixed on the food on the picnic cloth, and its body swaying left and right revealed its inner hesitation.

Before Qin Chuan and Yue Li's eyes, the spirit beast's scan results simultaneously appeared.

【Spirit Beast Species: Shadowflame Cat】

【Spirit Beast Attribute: Dark】

【Spirit Beast Level: Juvenile Stage Lv10】

【Spirit Beast Status: Uncontracted】

【Spirit Beast Description: Dark-type spirit beast Shadowflame Cat, friendly and timid in personality, likes to hide in shadows and silently observe the surroundings.】

Hiding in the shadows to observe the surroundings? That indeed matches the situation of this Shadowflame Cat just now.

But as for its timid personality, that raises a question.

A Juvenile Stage spirit beast being able to face four Elite Tier spirit beasts without fleeing shows a courage that nearly matches Xue Gao's.

Or… maybe it's truly starving and desperate? "Come here, I'll give you something to eat."

Qin Chuan casually picked up a fruit, gesturing for the Shadowflame Cat to come over.

The four beasts exchanged glances, restraining their auras.

Sensing the goodwill of Qin Chuan's party, the Shadowflame Cat's trembling gradually subsided; it cautiously stepped forward a few paces, seeing that the four fearsome spirit beasts in its eyes offered no obstruction, it immediately grew bolder and hurried up to Qin Chuan.

But it did not take the fruit from Qin Chuan's hand; its hollow eyes silently gazed at the roasted meat before Qin Chuan.

"So you wanted meat," Qin Chuan realized.

That's right.

The Shadowflame Cat is, after all, a Lv10 Juvenile Stage Spirit Beast; finding food to stave off hunger is no issue, and only roasted meat it has never tasted before would arouse such interest.

It looks like it's not just desperate from hunger; it's genuinely a glutton.

He tore off a piece of meat and handed it to the Shadowflame Cat, watching it instantly turn into black flames that engulfed the meat; after a moment it resumed its form and the meat had vanished, a smile flickering in Qin Chuan's eyes.

Speaking of which, I seem to have a special affinity with the black cat.

The Shadow Leopard that first entered the Dream World, being a leopard that also counts as a cat, makes perfect sense.

The mutated black cat he saw in reality later became his opponent at the final moment of his examination.

Now, it's yet another black cat.

(End of chapter)