Chapter 11: The Gods’ Game

"For ordinary people like us, joining the official ranks is already the best path forward."

"Among the Beastmasters who have survived these three years, the vast majority now serve within the official organization. Their beasts have reached formidable levels, granting them access to intelligence, resources, and artifacts far beyond our reach as newcomers. By joining, we can at least partake in some of these benefits."

"Naturally, that comes with obligations, doesn't it?" Lu Ran was never one to believe in free lunches.

"Nothing too demanding. For instance, if rogue Beastmasters cause trouble in civilian areas, the official ones are responsible for maintaining order and national security..."

"As far as I recall, mandatory assignments are rare, and there are always non-combat roles to choose from. Take me, for example—I recruit newcomers by choice. Even so, the pay is quite decent," Xiao Bailong said with a cheerful grin.

"So, what do you think? Tempted?"

Lu Ran declined politely, "I'll need some time to consider."

"Fair enough, take your time to learn more."

"Any other questions?" Xiao Bailong didn't press the issue, respecting Lu Ran's autonomy—something that left a good impression.

Yet deep down, Xiao Bailong shook his head.

This kid was clearly a student.

He hadn't yet tasted the hardships of the real world.

Otherwise, he'd understand just how rare and valuable a stable, ironclad job like this truly was.

"I do have questions—too many, actually. I don't even know where to begin. Could you tell me what I should know first?" Lu Ran asked.

"Alright," Xiao Bailong replied. "As you've seen, once you pass the novice trial and enter Infinite City, you'll be teleported to a residential zone. The house you arrive in will be your personal dwelling here, accessible only to you—outsiders cannot force their way in."

"Beyond the residential area, Infinite City is vast and filled with various facilities for you to explore. From what I know, there isn't just one Infinite City; there are many. The ones in the Xia Kingdom are separate from those abroad, and even within our own borders, the territory is divided into seven Infinite Cities by administrative regions."

"If you wish to travel between Infinite Cities, you'll need to use the teleportation arrays within them, which require Crystal Coins to activate. That said, most facilities are similar across all cities, with only minor differences in certain secret realms, so there's usually no need to force a transfer."

"Within Infinite City, you'll encounter other Beastmasters, as well as shops run by them. These establishments allow you to sell or trade resources obtained from secret realms or purchase essential items for training your beasts. I strongly recommend conducting transactions only with stores affiliated with the official organization—to avoid being scammed."

"Also, combat is strictly forbidden within Infinite City. Violators will be dealt with by the city's patrol beasts. If you need to settle disputes, do it in the arena."

"Now, about the secret realms."

"The novice secret realm you just completed is the absolute easiest—it contains almost no creatures above level 5. Other realms won't be so forgiving."

"For Beastmasters looking to grow stronger, unless they possess immense wealth and power in the real world—enough to buy resources from other Beastmasters—the fastest way to improve is through secret realms."

"But let me clarify—secret realms are not places where you simply 'defeat monsters to level up.'"

"You probably noticed in the novice realm that killing monsters granted your beast experience points. That, however, is a special reward mechanism exclusive to the trial realm. In most secret realms, such benefits are exceedingly rare."

"What?" Lu Ran was taken aback. No monster grinding for level-ups? Wouldn't that make progressing incredibly difficult?

"Exactly," Xiao Bailong chuckled. "However, in return, the secret realms we access—though still projections—contain resources that can be brought back into the real world. Utilizing these resources effectively can boost a beast's strength just as well as traditional leveling."

"As a result, many Beastmasters enter secret realms not to clear them but to harvest resources. For them, passing the trial isn't the goal—extraction is. Of course, the rarer the resource, the harder it is to obtain. Some are guarded by powerful beasts, while others drop from defeated creatures…"

"Here's some good news. Unlike the solo novice trial, future secret realms allow Beastmasters of similar levels to form teams. This is another advantage of joining the official ranks—you'll be systematically paired with teammates who specialize in different aspects, making survival and resource collection much easier."

Teaming up...

Lu Ran hesitated.

This was precisely why he had no interest in joining.

He didn't trust strangers and preferred to avoid situations where he'd be forced to cooperate with people he didn't trust.

He believed in the existence of good people, but he also knew the world wasn't full of them.

For now, he had no intention of exposing the Divine Deer Pendant.

Meanwhile, Xiao Bailong continued his pitch. "The official secret realm exploration team is the most successful in the country, clearing more realms than any other group. It's filled with elite Beastmasters."

"That said, regular secret realms are only part of the story. The most critical realms are the breakthrough secret realms. Once a beast reaches a level that's a multiple of 10, a corresponding breakthrough realm appears. Passing this trial is the only way for both the Beastmaster and the beast to advance beyond their current limits. Moreover, success grants you a new contract card, allowing you to bond with a second beast. As of now, breakthrough secret realms are the only known way to increase your contracted beast count. Contract cards are among the few non-tradable resources."

"Now you understand—this realm is the most crucial of all."

"Alongside breakthrough realms, there are also public secret realms, but they aren't relevant to you yet. The struggle for ownership of public realms is a battle between major guilds."

"That's all for now. Any other questions?"

"Yes," Lu Ran said, processing the flood of information. "These secret realms… They're all projections? Then where exactly are they projecting from? Do other worlds truly exist? Is this just a game, or…"

Xiao Bailong pondered for a moment before answering. "That's quite the question—one even I don't have the answer to. From what I know, all secret realms so far appear to be projections."

"As for whether the strongest Beastmasters have encountered actual living worlds… I have no idea."

"But here's what I can tell you: ordinary secret realms do not contain intelligent life. The novice and regular realms we enter are just projections of wilderness from other worlds, devoid of human presence. Only in breakthrough secret realms might we encounter beings from other civilizations—human projections. These realms are currently our best chance to understand Infinite City and the true nature of the Beastmaster system."

He shrugged. "Ultimately, we know very little about Infinite City. All we can do is play by its rules. Perhaps it's just a game of the gods, or maybe it's the resurgence of a long-lost, hyper-advanced civilization. Either way, one thing is certain—this phenomenon will reshape our world."

"Like it or not, the era of Beastmasters is upon us."

"You, my friend, need to seize the opportunity. Focus on growing stronger—forget about school, forget about working a nine-to-five. I paid off half of my million-dollar mortgage just by selling a single material. Can you even imagine?"

"Of course, that was something I didn't need. If a resource benefits you, invest in yourself first. Speaking of which, what was your secret realm rating?"

"You look like you've had a rough time… Was it an E?"

"Yeah, it wasn't easy," Lu Ran admitted. "By the way, how can I determine my beast's attributes?"

"Oh? Now that's a sharp question." Xiao Bailong grinned. "Infinite City has 'Attribute Stones' scattered throughout. Have your beast attack one, and the stone's reaction will reveal its attribute."

"However, awakening an attribute requires an external stimulus—usually an 'Attribute Awakening Fruit.' These fruits are high-tier resources, and for newcomers, they're not easy to obtain."