Chapter 60: The Golden-Horned Beast

After leaving the dungeon, Beast did not rush to enter another one. Instead, he sought out a small stream, sat down beside it, and took out the materials he had gathered during his previous run. Having now changed his profession to chef, he felt compelled to experiment; before, he lacked ingredients, but now that he had them, he could not bring himself to be stingy.

First, Beast washed his pot with fresh water, then had the Dragon Beast bring over the firewood they had found along the way. With Dragon Beast capable of breathing fire, Beast was spared the awkward task of starting the fire himself.

It was fortunate, he mused, that this was a game world. The stream, by design, was as clear as could be. In reality, he would have needed to check for parasites or other hazards before using the water.

After that, Beast took a slab of Tyrannosaur Beast meat, processed it simply, and tossed it into the pot. With nothing else to do while the food cooked—since it wouldn’t be ready in an instant—Beast and his companion found themselves idly waiting. He could not leave for convenience’s sake; if he did, what would happen if someone came by and stole the meal?

In total, about half an hour passed before Beast finally finished cooking the Tyrannosaur Beast meat. Using Dragon Beast’s claws, he divided the meat in two: one portion for Dragon Beast, the other for himself.

The first bite brought a feeling difficult to describe. It was not delicious, nor was it so bad as to be inedible; it could be swallowed, and it did not provoke revulsion. It qualified as food, but certainly not as a delicacy.

Yet, after that first bite, Beast noticed his condition seemed to improve. While neither the updated nor original game content described this effect, he surmised it must be a hidden feature.

Here, he realized, was a distinction between this game and others. In most games, characters are like tools—no need to eat, no fatigue felt. But here, while there was no explicit rule about eating to increase strength, Beast could clearly sense his status recovering after the meat. It was not quite as good as when he first emerged from the login space, but it was much better than immediately after finishing the dungeon.

“An interesting mechanic…” Beast muttered, taking another reluctant bite and swallowing. Though the taste left much to be desired, it did, at least, restore some stamina—something he could appreciate.

At that moment, Beast sensed something amiss. Instantly, he adopted a combat stance, activating Demon King’s Might and launching a kick that sent Dragon Beast sprawling further away. Empowered by Demon King’s Might, he soared into the air.

Just as he finished these preparations, fissures split the ground beneath him, shattering the earth entirely. Thanks to his sharp senses, Beast had managed to react in time; otherwise, a sneak attack might well have succeeded.

“Who’s there?” Suspended in midair, Beast scanned the surroundings. He saw no humans, but his gaze settled on two digital beasts approaching from nearby. His eyes narrowed—they were Goldhorn Beast and Silverhorn Beast.

Goldhorn Beast, a ghost-type virus species at the mature stage, specialized in the Rage Ghost Blaze technique. Together with Silverhorn Beast, they were known as the Gold and Silver Siblings of the Ghost Clan—a pair of terrifying berserkers. Bold in matters of love, Goldhorn Beast was the passionate type, attacking any favored digital beast with relentless vigor.

Silverhorn Beast, also a ghost-type virus species at the mature stage, specialized in the Gold and Silver Thunder Strike. Known alongside Goldhorn Beast as the Gold and Silver Siblings of the Ghost Clan, Silverhorn was a silent, burly little demon. The red gourd on its back contained Goldhorn Beast’s liquor and was connected to some alternate dimension; it was said that any digital beast sent to this dimension would be transformed into liquor.

Though Beast saw no other players nearby, he was certain Goldhorn Beast and Silverhorn Beast belonged to players. There were no local habitats for these beasts, and they would not have traveled such a distance to ambush him otherwise.

Suddenly, Goldhorn Beast pressed its feet into the ground and sprang upward, aiming a powerful kick at Beast in midair—a move called Thunder Ghost Kick.

Silverhorn Beast opened its mouth and unleashed a Fire Ghost Orb attack toward Beast.

Seeing this, Beast enveloped himself in Demon King’s Might and countered Goldhorn Beast’s kick, sending it back. Yet his expression changed instantly, for at the same time, the Fire Ghost Orb reached him. Dark energy surged from his body, forming a shield-like defense that barely held back the attack. By then, Beast had landed back on the ground.

On the other side, Dragon Beast witnessed the scene and opened its jaws wide, preparing to unleash a fiery breath at Goldhorn Beast and Silverhorn Beast.

Beast quickly shouted, “Don’t attack them! Get away from here, and try to find the hidden player—hurry!”

It wasn’t that Beast didn’t want Dragon Beast to fight, but the opponents were far too strong. In that brief exchange, Beast had sensed their power—at least 0.5 times greater than his own.

What did 0.5 times mean? It meant their combined combat power likely exceeded 800, and, frankly, perhaps even reached around 1,000 each. This suggested their minimum attack power was over 2,000, and if they were stronger, it could be upwards of 3,000.

Dragon Beast, with only about 1,000 attack power, could not possibly contend with them. Even if it fought with everything it had and all buffs were maximized, it would still fail to pierce their defenses.

In truth, Beast himself felt overwhelmed. He wasn’t their match, either.