I'm Just a Beast Tamer

Chapter 58: Chapter 56: Mutation

Ferocious?

That’s right!

Gathered together, this group of little guys gave Jiang Zuo a distinct impression of ferocity.

The Black Stone Fish were known for their gentle nature. Their only strengths were stamina and speed.

It wasn’t noticeable with just one, but with a large group, the feeling was completely different.

Jiang Zuo couldn’t help but run another round of tests on these Black Stone Fish.

’Their compatibility is low, so even with an engraved Beast Pattern, it has almost no effect. Not a single one of these dozens of Black Stone Fish can use the Porcupine Roar skill. They seem ferocious because the burden from the Beast Pattern Engraving is so great, making them exceptionally irritable.’

’Huh, it seems it’s not completely ineffective. Their explosive power has gotten a bit stronger.’

After the tests, Jiang Zuo quickly reached a relatively accurate conclusion.

In fish cultivation, there is an ability to leap out of the water, which is a great test of a fish’s explosive power.

Having raised so many Black Stone Fish, Jiang Zuo was extremely familiar with their leaping ability.

When he tested this last, nearly all the Black Stone Fish showed a significant improvement in their leaping ability.

’It seems the Porcupine Roar Beast Pattern isn’t completely useless on the Black Stone Fish after all.’

’I just don’t know if the heavy burden will have other negative side effects besides making them irritable.’

Jiang Zuo suspected it might affect the fish’s lifespan, but that would take time to verify.

His Beast Pattern Engraving skill was close to leveling up, so Jiang Zuo spent a few more days finding dozens of large fish at the bottom of the Li River. He graced them with a Porcupine Roar Beast Pattern and then observed them for a while.

The results showed that after receiving the Beast Pattern, they were much like the Black Stone Fish.

The burden was too great, making them all unusually irritable.

But at the same time, their explosive power had increased.

——Beast Pattern Engraving LV2 (0/500): You have a preliminary grasp of some Beast Pattern Engraving techniques, allowing you to slightly reduce the burden the engraving places on a Pet Beast.

The description and effect of the LV2 Beast Pattern Engraving were simple; it just slightly reduced the burden on the Pet Beast.

The biggest gain for Jiang Zuo from leveling up was probably another slight increase in his Spiritual Power.

It wasn’t much, but Jiang Zuo could still feel that his Spiritual Power had grown stronger.

With 331 portions of Beast Pattern Roar left, Jiang Zuo planned to slowly use them on the fish in the Li River over the next month or so to gain skill experience.

With a level 2 skill, the burden on the fish would be smaller, and the range of fish he could choose from would expand considerably. He wouldn’t have to worry about the fish being too weak and the engraving failing.

After that, in about four more years, his Beast Pattern Engraving would be able to reach LV3.

...

After advancing to Intermediate Beast Tamer, Jiang Zuo could now raise three Black Stone Fish at once, causing his annual attribute gains to soar once again.

Just a quick calculation of the benefits was enough to put Jiang Zuo in a cheerful mood.

However, while he was raising three fish simultaneously, that fellow Great Black also had to begin his advanced training every day.

On top of that, he had to go to the Li River to find fish to engrave ten times, and his schedule suddenly became tight.

Fortunately, after just a few training sessions, Great Black was able to train by himself, so Jiang Zuo didn’t have to worry too much.

Great Black’s training method was also very simple: just howl with all his might, like a wolf.

Whenever he had a free moment, the big guy would let out a howl.

The effect was obvious. The training progress increased daily, while the residual Beast Pattern Power steadily decreased.

Half a year later, when the training progress reached 49%, the Beast Pattern Power was completely depleted.

By his calculations, one Porcupine Roar Beast Pattern could increase the training progress by 26%.

In total, he would need three Porcupine Roar Beast Patterns to complete Great Black’s advanced training.

This consumption rate wasn’t high at all.

Another month or so passed quietly.

In another half a month, this batch of three Black Stone Fish being raised together would reach 100% completion.

This afternoon, Great Black was howling outside the house while Jiang Zuo was inside, drawing a Beast Pattern.

All was quiet around the house, with only the rustling sound of wind blowing through the leaves.

Suddenly, Jiang Zuo stared in astonishment at the few lines of text that had appeared before his eyes.

『A Black Stone Fish has undergone a Mutation!』

『Mission 1 Complete!』

『Obtained Beast Taming Talent "Mutation"!』

『Obtained skill "Pet Beast Diagnosis"!』

’The Pet Beast mutation mission I’ve been thinking about for so long... it was completed in such an unexpected way?’

Jiang Zuo found it a little hard to believe.

But the notification in front of him told him it wasn’t a dream.

Jiang Zuo quickly looked at his status panel.

——Mutated Black Stone Fish: A medium-sized fish that has mutated for some reason. Nearing adulthood, gentle in nature. Due to the Mutation, its strength, endurance, agility, and lifespan are greatly increased. It has three Talent Slots, with the "Learning" and "Combat" talents equipped. Current nurturing progress: 49%.

——Mutation LV1 (0/100): Universal talent, can be equipped on any Pet Beast currently being raised. During the Beast Taming process, there is an extremely small chance of causing the Pet Beast to undergo a natural Mutation.

——Pet Beast Diagnosis LV1 (0/100): Through observation, touch, and other interactive behaviors with a Pet Beast, you can diagnose and discover problems it may have. At the current skill level, you can only diagnose relatively familiar Pet Beasts.

...

Jiang Zuo was most concerned about the "Mutation" talent.

If the Mutation Talent was powerful, then completing the Desolate Heaven Beast Bone Armor mission in the future would be much easier.

Every mission Jiang Zuo had completed so far had given excellent rewards.

The Desolate Heaven Beast Bone Armor mission was so insane; he couldn’t imagine how generous the rewards would be.

However, expectations were one thing. Jiang Zuo knew that a LV1 talent couldn’t possibly be that outrageous.

As expected, the LV1 Mutation Talent only gave a Pet Beast an extremely small chance to mutate.

While not useless, it was barely better than nothing.

After a moment of thought, Jiang Zuo spent 100 Beast Taming Reputation to directly level up the Mutation Talent to LV2.

’Trying to level up this Mutation Talent naturally, without using Beast Taming Reputation... I can’t even imagine it, even with an infinite lifespan.’

——Mutation LV2 (0/100): Universal talent, can be equipped on any Pet Beast currently being raised. During the Beast Taming process, there is a small chance of causing the Pet Beast to undergo a natural Mutation.

’The LV2 Mutation Talent... well, at least it’s not "extremely small" anymore. It dropped a prefix.’

’It should, probably, increase the mutation chance a little, right?’

Jiang Zuo couldn’t be bothered to think about it further. He swapped Great Black’s "Combat" talent for the "Mutation" talent.

Great Black only had a 70-year lifespan. If he wanted to live longer, mutation was the only way.

With the added Mutation Talent, Great Black at least had a glimmer of hope.

Below the Beast Taming Talent section was the skill section, where Jiang Zuo saw the description for "Pet Beast Diagnosis."

This was undoubtedly another excellent Beast Taming Skill.

If he had possessed this skill earlier, he might have been able to discover the problem with those Black Stone Fish he had engraved with Beast Patterns.

This skill wasn’t hard to level up. Jiang Zuo planned to practice on those Black Stone Fish. By the time he diagnosed all of them, the skill would probably be close to LV2.

Finally, there was the Mutated Black Stone Fish that had triggered this entire event.

The Mutated Black Stone Fish’s description had changed significantly. Its attributes had greatly improved across the board, and it had gained an additional Talent Slot—all of which was to be expected.

After all, Great Black hadn’t mutated, merely undergone a bloodline enhancement, and he had received similar benefits.

What caught Jiang Zuo’s attention the most was the change in its nurturing progress.

Originally, its nurturing progress had reached 96% today.

After mutating, the progress had suddenly dropped to 49%.

In other words, this Mutated Black Stone Fish would require Jiang Zuo to raise it for another half a year or more before it was fully grown.

Jiang Zuo walked to the bank of the Li River and summoned the Mutated Black Stone Fish.

Watching the large Black Stone Fish leisurely swim over, Jiang Zuo thought, unsurprised, ’So it really is this one.’

Among the three Black Stone Fish in this batch, one had been a size larger than the others since it was young. Throughout the nurturing process, its size and attributes were greater and stronger than average.

However, Jiang Zuo hadn’t paid it too much mind.

Among the Black Stone Fish he had raised in the past, such specimens would occasionally appear.

In the end, they just ended up being a little larger than ordinary Black Stone Fish.

He hadn’t expected this particular one to actually mutate.

Jiang Zuo suddenly wondered, ’But why did this one mutate when none of the others did?’

Having watched this Black Stone Fish grow day by day, Jiang Zuo knew he wouldn’t figure out the reason just by looking at it.

But he had just obtained the Pet Beast Diagnosis skill. It was the perfect time to test it out.

Jiang Zuo silently used the skill to diagnose the Mutated Black Stone Fish.

After a moment, a diagnosis appeared in his mind.

’This fish is very healthy, its qi and blood are vigorous, and it is wreathed in a trace of spiritual aura.’

’Wreathed in a spiritual aura?’

’What is that?’

Jiang Zuo couldn’t help but be taken aback.

’Did it come into contact with Spiritual Qi, causing the mutation?’

’But within the Heaven and Earth Sealing Spirit Array, if it’s not a Cultivator, where would it get Spiritual Qi?’

But the diagnosis couldn’t be wrong. Jiang Zuo immediately asked the Mutated Black Stone Fish if it had been to any special places.

The next moment, a blurry image appeared in Jiang Zuo’s mind.

The location was somewhere on the riverbed, surrounded by swaying waterweeds and many river pebbles.

And on top of the river pebbles, a huge Pet Beast Egg lay quietly!

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