Chapter 34: Traveling with a Beauty

After organizing his belongings, Lu Kuan opened the character attribute panel and gazed at his stats with a satisfied expression.

“Name: Old Deer
Race: Northern Human
Level/Class: Level 10 Ranger / Level 1 Beastmaster
Current Experience: 1120 / 1378
Health: 110 / 200
Energy: 100 / 100 (+1/sec)
Stamina: 31 / 65
Strength: 7+3
Agility: 9+1
Constitution: 5
Intelligence: 5
Perception: 6
Charisma: 4
Resistance: Cold 5 (racial talent)
Available Skill Points: 0
Available Attribute Points: 0
Class Skills: Old Hunter (class specialization, hit rate +3%), Shock Shot (level 1), Bone-Shattering Arrowhead (level 3), Reconnaissance (level 3), Listening (level 2), Aim (level 3), Enhanced Pet Taming (level 1), Coordination (level 1), Mental Communication (level 1), Steadfast Companion (level 1), Loyal Guardian (level 1), Light Weapon Mastery (level 2), Hunter’s Blade Slash (level 2)
Life Skills: Herb Gathering (level 4), Alchemy (level 2)
Current Equipment:
Valentir, Ranger’s Oath (relic)
Warrior’s Family Heirloom Hunting Bow (excellent)
Martial Artist’s Ring (excellent)
Beastmaster’s Headscarf (excellent)
Swift Leather Boots (superior)
Inferior Leather Breastplate (common), Inferior Leather Shorts (common)…
…
Character Hit Rate +5%
Reputation: Rookie
Combat Power Score: 215”

“A score of 215~ haha, just looking at this, I could probably rank among the best in the world~” Lu Kuan was quite pleased with his current stats. In just a few days, he had gone from a trash character in rags to an exceptional ranger adorned in treasures; he had every reason to be satisfied and proud.

Left in his backpack were a blue shield dropped by a demon and three black gemstones.

In “Echoes of the Gods,” gemstones are enhancement items; they can be cut by jewelers and inlaid into weapons and armor, or used as alchemical ingredients. Lu Kuan had no use for them for now and planned to deposit them in the bank shortly.

With his advancement secured, the weight in Lu Kuan’s heart was finally lifted. He sprawled out on the soft bed, utterly content.

His body rested, but his mind remained active: having completed this stage of his quest, his next priority was to find a suitable pet. Only then would he become a complete Beastmaster, able to unleash his full potential.

Ordinary pets wouldn't satisfy him; to acquire a unique, world-class companion, even Lu Kuan would need to strategize carefully.

He had been so busy he’d forgotten everything else. Only now did he have time to check his message manager, which was flooded with congratulatory notes: Dai Guang, Eternal Night in Paradise, Lazy Old Man, Qian Duoduo, and even Green Robe and the other two girls had sent their regards.

Lu Kuan first replied to Eternal Night in Paradise, confirming that their original agreement remained unchanged and he would join the dungeon expedition as scheduled.

He then responded to his friends in turn, while ignoring Qian Duoduo and Lazy Old Man’s requests to buy his purple-grade gear.

“Master, won’t you reconsider? If you’re willing to sell, we can negotiate the price,” Qian Duoduo replied almost instantly, clearly keeping a close watch on his messages.

“This really isn’t for sale. If I come across anything good in the future, I’ll contact you first,” Lu Kuan declined resolutely.

Qian Duoduo’s offer was generous—a five-figure sum. To say Lu Kuan wasn’t tempted would be a lie. But such growth-oriented equipment was vital for his future; he had to keep it firmly in hand, especially since the ring was part of a set!

After handling his messages, Lu Kuan rested in the inn for two hours to fully recover his stamina, repaired his gear, replenished his consumables, and by the time he finished, it was already past noon.

He had agreed to meet Green Robe and the others at the bank entrance. When Lu Kuan arrived and saw the three girls, they all burst out laughing.

Lu Kuan, like the three girls, had chosen to wear a mask, so together they looked like a gang of bandits about to rob the bank.

“Hehe~ Popular guy, are you copying us now?” A Kui teased, pointing at Lu Kuan’s black mask.

Lu Kuan shrugged, making a helpless expression that sent the others into peals of laughter; Bai Coco and Green Robe couldn’t help but giggle aloud.

All three girls were beauties, but Green Robe was the most striking; even though only her eyes were visible, Lu Kuan still felt his heart ripple slightly.

“Ladies, shall we depart?” Lu Kuan gestured politely, and the four set off toward the city outskirts.

Their quest destination lay at the foot of the Frostfire Mountains, quite a distance away. They took a carriage to a small town near the mountain base, then had to proceed on foot into the forest.

Inside the carriage, since there were no other passengers, the four removed their masks. Sitting in the cramped carriage with three beautiful women, headed into the unknown of a fantasy world, Lu Kuan suddenly felt life was rather pleasant.

A Kui proactively shared the quest details with Lu Kuan, giving a brief overview of the situation.

In essence, they were searching for a rebellious runaway teen named Ah Tang, who had fled all the way from Lava Fortress to the Frostfire Mountains.

Today marked the fifth day since Ah Tang’s disappearance.

“You said our destination is a hunter’s cabin?” Lu Kuan glanced at the quest log, pondering for a moment before asking.

“That’s right,” A Kui leaned against the carriage window, brushing her wind-blown short hair back and nodding. “All previous clues pointed there. We spent two days searching, but all leads ended at the cabin.”

Beside her, Bai Coco kept nodding, a bit anxious. “Wolves often roam there, and the Frostfire Mountains are full of monsters. Who knows if that kid is still alive?”

“No worries, even if he’s dead, finding the body completes the quest,” Lu Kuan replied without looking up from the log.

“What? That’s so sad…” Bai Coco immediately pouted, unhappy with Lu Kuan’s cold attitude.

Lu Kuan shook his head and smiled, offering no defense. He glanced at Green Robe, who was gazing out the window, not participating in the conversation, seemingly lost in the grandeur of the mountains.

Following her gaze, he saw sunlight streaming through the carriage window. The afternoon forest air was still fresh, and the mountain breeze carried northern plateau chill, making the summer heat seem utterly absent.