After seeing Housekeeper Qiao off, Yu Zhizhi sat alone on the terrace.
"Rare… Advanced…?"
Unlike the first mission, which targeted the Wolf Clan, this time, the word "Rare" appeared.
The system explained, "Some breeds within the Beast Clan are on the verge of extinction and are thus called Rare. Advanced, on the other hand, is an assessment of a male's Strength, which must be at least SS Level."
Either of these traits would be hard enough to find on its own. Both of them together…
'I hope everything goes smoothly,' Yu Zhizhi prayed silently.
"Besides wolves, what other beastmen does the K family have?"
Seeing Lisa approach with a plate of fruit, Yu Zhizhi asked softly.
Lisa, the little deer, thought for a moment. "There are many kinds of guards. We have goats, hyenas, leopards, crocodiles…"
"Are there any Rare breeds?"
"Yes! The snow leopards of the Leopard Clan. They were just designated a Rare breed by the Valoran Empire last year. It's estimated that in another 20 years, they'll disappear from the Beast Star entirely."
"The K family's snow leopard… where is he?" Yu Zhizhi picked up a lychee, peeled it, and popped the fruit into her mouth.
"I ran into him before when I was helping out in the kitchen. I think he's part of the Hunting Team. If Ms. Zhi Zhi wants to see him, I'll go ask around right now!"
"Is he SS Level?"
"…No, he's not." Lisa explained, "If a male is assessed as S-Class during his ability test, there's no way he'd end up as a guard! SS Level is even more unheard of. Even a commoner with that rank could go directly to the Imperial Army and claim an officer's position."
"Oh…" Yu Zhizhi mentally crossed the snow leopard off her list.
「The next few days.」
Yu Zhizhi was constantly searching for her mission target.
She would wander slowly through the territory during the day, but she could never find a suitable beastman.
'Satan—' Yu Zhizhi couldn't help but call out in her mind. 'The K family doesn't have any Rare, SS Level males!'
System: "There is. Host, please search patiently."
'What are his coordinates?'
System: "If the Host is truly unable to find him, you can go to the System Mall and redeem a [Beast Guide]. It provides automatic pathfinding upon use."
'—That's a great idea!'
Yu Zhizhi had almost forgotten about the System Mall.
She lay on her stomach on the soft bed, a cool, silky blanket covering her waist, kicking her legs up and swaying them gently.
The moonlight was as cool as water.
A pale blue holographic panel appeared before her. She opened the System Mall and saw a dazzling array of items for sale.
She immediately began to search—
[Beast Guide]
CLICK. A small pop-up window appeared, and a transparent, scroll-like object materialized before her.
The information on it read:
[Name: Beast Guide]
[Price: 300 points.]
[Instructions: Input the features of the beastman you wish to find (the more detailed, the better). The guide will automatically appear on the ground and lead the Host to the target destination.]
[System Evaluation: Foolproof pathfinding. How considerate!]
It was different from the other items.
Yu Zhizhi had browsed through many items in the 20 to 50 points range; they were all strange and bizarre, with no discernible purpose.
In comparison, this Beast Guide seemed exceptionally expensive.
Yu Zhizhi had only earned 300 points for completing her first mission. The other 400 were a bonus for the number of beast cubs.
And a single Beast Guide would cost three hundred of them—
She really couldn't bear to spend it!
"It's too expensive. Can't you give me a discount?"
Yu Zhizhi asked in a low voice.
System: "All items in the System Mall are sold at a fixed price."
System: "Actually, the point reward for a Rare-type is quite generous. Host, why don't you take another look at the mission details?"
Yu Zhizhi quickly glanced at the panel for her second mission.
It was indeed two hundred points higher than the last one…
With that, the base reward was five hundred points.
The amount left after deducting the cost of the Beast Guide didn't seem so bad.
"Well, let me think about it…"
Yu Zhizhi hadn't bought a single thing from the System Mall so far.
She wanted to save her points to level up.
She was only 500 points away from advancing from Level 1 to Level 2!
"Can I skip this mission?" Yu Zhizhi sat up, her hands pressed against the bedspread.
System: "Main story missions cannot be skipped."
System: "Friendly reminder—you have five days remaining. If you fail to complete the mission by the deadline, the Host will be [ERADICATED]!"
"Fine…"
Yu Zhizhi took a deep breath and tapped the [Redeem] button, spending 300 points to purchase a [Beast Guide]!
On a dark and windy night, Yu Zhizhi was wide awake. For ease of movement, she changed into the maid uniform she had worn before and stealthily slipped out of her room.
She couldn't waste any more time.
For the past few days, she had searched everywhere she could think of but still hadn't found a male of the Beast Clan who met the requirements.
Yu Zhizhi carried an oil lamp.
The castle, so stately and bustling during the day, seemed unusually subdued and mysterious in the dead of night.
Yu Zhizhi used the Beast Guide.
Small, pale green specks of light, like fireflies, gradually appeared at her feet, forming a path that stretched into the distance.
She slowly followed them.
After walking for about an hour, she arrived at a place that looked particularly desolate.
Shadows of shrubs swayed on either side of a stone staircase that stretched slowly upward. At the top, she could see a building that resembled a church.
Yu Zhizhi carefully climbed the stone steps. It was her first time here, and being nighttime, she couldn't make out her surroundings clearly.
The climate on Beast World Planet varied by region. The Imperial City, where they were located, enjoyed a spring-like climate all year round.
At night, there was only the sound of the wind and the chirping of insects.
Carrying the oil lamp, Yu Zhizhi walked slowly into the church.
It was a small chapel, one that few beastmen ever visited.
There were many such semi-abandoned places in the territory. Except for special events, very few beastmen ever came here.
'Did the Beast Guide lead me down the wrong path?'
'Is the Rare, SS Level male beastman I need to win over for my second mission really here?'
Filled with doubt, Yu Zhizhi followed the guide into the depths of the chapel.
The stone walls on both sides were covered with hanging plants.
Since it was nighttime, she couldn't make out their species.
At the very front, in the area for prayer, stood a sculpture of a wolf beastman.
The firefly-like lights of the Beast Guide stopped right in front of the sculpture.
When Yu Zhizhi came to a stop, she saw the corner of a piece of clothing…
'There really is a beastman here…!'
She approached with the oil lamp. Above, moonlight streamed through a crack in the ceiling, instantly becoming brighter than the lamp in her hand.
When Yu Zhizhi got a clear look at the beastman's face, her pupils widened slightly.
A male of the Beast Clan in a black Divine Robe was leaning against the back of the statue. The golden mask on his face was half-shattered, his complexion was as pale as paper, and he looked severely injured. Beneath him was a pool of dried blood.
"…Is he still alive?"
Yu Zhizhi's mind went blank for a moment.
'—He's not dead, is he?'
She timidly extended her index finger, placing it under the unidentified beastman's nose. She could barely feel him breathing!
'I found him!'
'But he's not breathing!'
Yu Zhizhi stared blankly at his well-defined profile, momentarily at a loss for what to do.
Just as she was about to pull her hand back, the male before her suddenly moved!
He abruptly grabbed the little female's wrist, his fingers locking tight. His now-open, pitch-black eyes shot out a bone-chilling cold.