59: Chapter 59 This person and their pet are not quite right.

After dealing with the Corrosion Flame Hyena, Lin Chen quickly scanned the battlefield.

On the other side, Su Qingyuan had already teamed up with a member of the Rescue Team to finish off the last Tier 2 Dark Species.

Seeing Su Qingyuan take control of the current situation, Lin Chen felt a bit more at ease.

He turned around and gave a simple instruction to Zhou Ming and the others, who were still somewhat dazed:

"You guys rest here for a bit; I'm going to help out ahead."

After saying that, he didn't even wait for a response from Zhou Ming and the others before turning around without hesitation, leading the slightly panting but still intense-eyed Flame Claw Beast as they hurried toward other combat zones.

That posture didn't look like someone heading into a dangerous battle; it looked more like someone rushing to a long-awaited harvest festival.

Zhou Ming and the others watched Lin Chen's eager back and were stunned once again.

Isn't he afraid?

Just looking at these monsters sent a chill down one's spine, and fighting them was even more nerve-wracking—every clash felt like dancing on the edge of a blade.

They had been able to hold on just now thanks to Su Qingyuan's command and the timely arrival of the Rescue Team, but it was mostly their survival instinct and the will to help their companions that kept them going.

Now that the battle was over, all that remained was the exhaustion of survivors and the lingering fear of the near-death experience.

They just wanted to go home now, to get as far away from this nightmare as possible.

But Lin Chen didn't seem to feel that way at all; far from showing any fear or fatigue, his fighting spirit was higher than ever.

Everyone looked at each other, unable to understand.

Su Qingyuan, who had been observing Lin Chen and the Flame Claw Beast out of the corner of her eye, withdrew her gaze, the complex emotions in the depths of her heart rippling once again as she recalled the entire process of the Flame Claw Beast's fight against the Corrosion Flame Hyena.

"Not only is his beast-taming talent extremely outstanding, but his commanding level and combat intuition are equally excellent; even the skill proficiency of the Flame Claw Beast itself is remarkable."

"Most importantly, he isn't afraid when facing Dark Species."

"Even though these were only the lowest-level Dark Species."

"If he can really maintain this current growth rate..." Su Qingyuan's eyes flickered as her thoughts raced, "Perhaps in that future all-consuming disaster, he can help me."

She knew well how difficult the road ahead would be; even with her foresight, she alone could hardly turn the tide.

On the path to finding a savior, she needed allies, reliable partners.

And the talent, character, and attitude toward the Dark Species that Lin Chen currently displayed all showed her a certain possibility.

"But the premise is that his growth rate cannot slow down, and his character cannot become lost after gaining power..." Su Qingyuan pondered silently.

Geniuses are prone to early deaths, especially in this era of upheaval.

She needed to observe and provide some guidance and help at the right time to see what kind of tree this seed would eventually grow into.

In the time that followed, Lin Chen and the Flame Claw Beast were seen nimbly weaving through the battlefield, which was gradually being brought under control by the Rescue Team.

They did not participate in battles that were in a stalemate or where the opponents were too powerful; instead, they specifically sought out Tier 1 and Tier 2 Dark Species that had been injured or repelled by the Rescue Team, or were isolated.

The Flame Claw Beast's killing efficiency was surprisingly high; often while other pets were still maneuvering against their targets and looking for an opening, the Flame Claw Beast had already delivered a fatal blow like a whirlwind sweeping away clouds before pouncing on the next target.

A young staff member watched the aggressive Flame Claw Beast, his face full of confusion.

His pet had also just entered Tier 2, so why was its performance against the Dark Species worlds apart?

This Flame Claw Beast acted as if it had some kind of damage-increasing buff; the damage it dealt was inexplicably high.

Just then, a boy from the group chat quietly nudged over to Zhou Ming's side, bumped him with his elbow, and asked in a low voice with unmistakable surprise and excitement:

"Hey, Zhou Ming, did you say before that Lin Chen was your Private Sparring Partner?"

Zhou Ming was still immersed in the shock of Lin Chen's rampage and nodded subconsciously: "Yeah, why?"

"Is it convenient to ask how much he charges for sparring?" The boy's eyes sparkled as he lowered his voice even further.

"Five hundred an hour, why?"

Zhou Ming answered casually, but then he suddenly reacted, turning his head sharply with eyes wide, staring warily at this friend he usually got along well with:

"Crap! What are you trying to do? If you're thinking of poaching my find, let me tell you, not a chance! I discovered Brother Chen first!"

The boy was startled by Zhou Ming's intense reaction and quickly waved his hands: "Don't get excited, don't get excited! I'm not trying to poach him... I just think..."

He paused and cast his gaze toward Lin Chen again:

"Being able to hire a sparring partner of this caliber for only five hundred yuan an hour... the value for money is just insane. No, I have to go back and talk to my parents; we have to increase the pay, significantly, or I won't feel at ease!"

Zhou Ming: "???"

He was stunned at first, but then alarm bells rang in his heart: "No way, I have to give Brother Chen a raise! A salary increase! Double it! I absolutely can't let these guys steal Brother Chen away!"

The chaotic battle in the valley finally gradually drew to a close.

With the strong intervention of the Rescue Team, the remaining Dark Species were gradually cleared out.

The air was thick with the inseparable smell of blood, charred remains, and filth; the carcasses of the Dark Species and the bodies of a few sacrificed pets lay scattered about, a complete mess.

Lin Chen stood by a pile of Dark Species remains and took out an energy cube to toss to the Flame Claw Beast.

"Gagu!"

The Flame Claw Beast caught it in one bite and chewed contentedly as its exhausted stamina slowly recovered.

Taking advantage of this gap, Lin Chen's mind shifted slightly as he sank into his consciousness and brought up the system panel.

[Current badge of light progress: Same-tier Dark Species 11/100]

[Current level progress: Tier 2 Stage 3 (36/48)]

Through one intense battle after another, the exhausted Flame Claw Beast had killed five more Dark Species—three Tier 1 and two Tier 2—successfully gaining an extremely generous amount of experience points.

As a result, the Flame Claw Beast's level had risen directly to Tier 2 Stage 3, and it was even just a step away from Stage 4.

This leveling speed was so fast it felt unreal to Lin Chen.

The corners of his mouth curled up uncontrollably, eventually turning into a bright, satisfied smile.

The harvest from this trip was truly bountiful!

Lin Chen standing in the middle of a pile of monster corpses with a bright smile appeared exceptionally eerie, even a bit creepy, to the still-shaken Zhou Ming and the others nearby.

Someone muttered in a low voice, "Lin Chen doesn't have some kind of strange hobby in this regard, does he?"

The crowd fell silent.

After swallowing the energy cube, the Flame Claw Beast's stamina recovered slightly; it clenched its claws, feeling that it was much stronger than before.

This feeling of rapidly becoming stronger just by killing monsters was truly wonderful.

It scanned the surrounding remains, then suddenly put its claws on its hips and grinned: "Gagu!!!"

"Gugu gaga, I'm almost invincible!"

"I really am a genius!"

Everyone looked at the similarly laughing Flame Claw Beast, then back at Lin Chen's bright smile, and couldn't help but shrink their necks.

This duo is not quite right.