Chapter 36: Friends of the Monsters
Chu Jiu briefly lost consciousness.
When he gradually opened his eyes, he found himself leaning against a rock wall, half-sitting, half-lying.
The air here was cold and damp, and the light was dim.
If someone hadn’t gathered the scattered glowgrass and made a cold-light fire pit out of it, this place would’ve been pitch black—couldn’t see a hand in front of your face kind of dark.
Chu Jiu looked toward the cold-light fire and slowly shifted his gaze to the side.
Next to the fire sat a young man dressed in black clothing, eyes closed in rest.
Chu Jiu blinked in a daze for a few seconds, then suddenly recalled what had just happened. His eyes flew wide open as he jerked upright and cried out anxiously, “Little Can!”
The man beside the fire twitched his brow and slowly opened his eyes, looking over at Chu Jiu.
Those eyes—a stunning ice blue, like a mountain lake beneath snow-covered peaks.
But Chu Jiu had no time to appreciate their beauty.
Gesturing with his hands and barely keeping his panic in check, his voice still trembled uncontrollably: “Little Can, that’s my cat. Tiny, black, it just jumped out…”
The young man stared at him for a second—two seconds.
Then finally said, “The little black cat? I saw it.”
Chu Jiu’s eyes lit up instantly. “You did?!”
The man nodded. “I saw it outside the cave. It ran toward a very strange-looking large bird.”
“Ah!” Chu Jiu exclaimed, his heart finally easing.
Thank goodness! It must’ve used its spiritual power to escape the mine… and even knew to look for the Bodo bird!
With that thought, the tension that had made his whole body stiff like a board finally loosened. He leaned back against the wall again and let out a long breath.
With his heart calming down, his mind became clearer.
—!
Suddenly remembering something, Chu Jiu sat up again. “It was you who saved me? I’m sorry, I was in such a panic earlier I didn’t even think to thank you! Thank you so much!”
The man in black replied simply, “No need.”
Chu Jiu asked, “And you are…?”
What was someone like him doing in an abandoned underground mine?
“I’m an ability-user,” the man said. “A monster is sealed deep within this mine. I came to check the condition of the seal.”
Chu Jiu blinked in realization. “Ohh, I see.”
So, what Douglas said about an ability-user sealing a monster down here had more to it.
He paused, then asked again, “The sealed monster—is that the weird bug from earlier?”
The man nodded. “Yes. That monster has now been completely eliminated. There’s no need to be afraid.”
His voice was incredibly steady, his tone calm and resolute. He didn’t need to say much—just hearing it made one feel certain: It really is safe now.
Chu Jiu quietly exhaled again, shivering with lingering fear but also filled with relief: Thank goodness he’d run into this man.
If he hadn’t come to check the seal, Chu Jiu would probably have been buried alive by now.
Then Little Can and even Rawr Rawr Rabbit and the others… there’d be no one left to care for them…
With that thought, Chu Jiu once again gave a sincere thanks to the man in black, then added curiously, “I’m Chu Jiu, a pioneer from Bean Village. May I ask your name?”
The man replied, “My surname is Lu. Lu Qingyan.”
Chu Jiu nodded. “Lu Qingyan—such a nice name.”
He looked around the cave and asked, “So this is where the bug was hiding?”
Lu Qingyan stood up. “Yes.”
“The structure here is stable, and there’s enough space. There’s no need to worry about collapse.”
He glanced up at the shadowy ceiling of the cave. “However, the path leading here has been blocked by the rockfall.”
“Using my ability to kill the creature earlier took a toll on my mental energy… and psychic power. Let’s rest here for a while. Once I’ve recovered, I’ll be able to move the rocks and take us back to the surface.”
Chu Jiu stood up as well. “I see…”
“Then please get some proper rest.”
Suddenly remembering something, he asked, “By the way, is it okay to light a fire down here?”
The air in the cave was freezing cold. If they could have real flames, it would be much more comfortable.
But not all caves are safe for lighting fires—if air circulation is poor, it could be extremely dangerous.
Lu Qingyan answered, “It’s safe.”
Chu Jiu finally relaxed. He opened his backpack, pulled out some dry grass, wood, and flint, then crouched down and began striking sparks while chatting:
“Then I’ll start a fire. Don’t be fooled by how scared I looked when fighting that monster—I’m actually pretty good at making fires and cooking…”
Before he could finish, Lu Qingyan suddenly crouched beside him, helping him organize the dry grass and wood.
That’s when Chu Jiu noticed—besides his all-black clothing, Lu Qingyan even wore black leather gloves.
While timing it just right to add wood to the budding flame, Lu Qingyan said, “You weren’t scared. You actually did very well.”
Chu Jiu shook his head. “If only I had better weapons… or if my items could’ve locked the bug in place, even just for a minute, I might’ve been able to escape with my cat.”
He lowered his voice, murmuring like he was talking to himself, “If I were a bit more reliable… Little Can wouldn’t have had to run out because it was worried about me…”
Lu Qingyan said gently, “Don’t worry. That cat is very safe.”
By now the fire had started to crackle, tongues of flame dancing up and wood popping as it burned.
The sound startled Chu Jiu, and he suddenly became aware of himself: Wait—why am I spilling all this personal stuff to a stranger? He saved me, and now I’m dumping my feelings on him like it’s his job to comfort me. That’s totally inappropriate!
He quickly switched topics: “So um… you seem really skilled at fire-starting. Do you do it often?”
Lu Qingyan paused for a moment and said, “I’ve watched it done enough times to pick it up.”
Chu Jiu figured it made sense—since Lu Qingyan was an ability-user who could survive out here in the wilderness alone, having some survival skills was only natural.
So he didn’t press it further and instead asked another question: “That spear you used to stab the bug—what material was it made from?”
If I could make a similar throwing weapon, maybe I wouldn’t end up so helpless next time I face a monster like that.
Lu Qingyan replied, “That was a spear formed from psychic energy, not a weapon made of any physical material.”
To be precise, it was the Spear of Fallen Moon, created using his unstable psychic energy just after barely merging with the spiritual body of this world.
Chu Jiu was a little surprised, and his voice carried a tinge of awe: “That’s an amazing ability! So powerful… and so cool!”
He’d seen Reg use flame arrows against beasts before, but this man’s ability was… much more sharp and imposing.
Lu Qingyan: “…”
Chu Jiu wanted to compliment him some more—but then his stomach growled twice.
His face flushed red as he instinctively clutched his belly. Well, that’s embarrassing. He had planned to eat lunch with Little Can and the Bodo bird after collecting the gypsum, but then a monster went berserk…
After all the running and rolling, he was finally safe—but now his stomach was growling non-stop.
A bit embarrassed, he offered, “Would you like something to eat? I brought quite a bit with me. Eating something might help you recover too.”
Lu Qingyan didn’t seem to notice Chu Jiu’s stomach noises.
Calmly poking at the fire with a stick, he asked, “Do you have anything roasted?”
Chu Jiu quickly said, “Yes, yes, I do! Grilled jerky, grilled mushrooms, grilled chicken wings, grilled lamb ribs… I even brought several kinds of seasonings. I can do honey-glazed, saucy—what flavor would you like?”
At the end, Lu Qingyan casually asked, as if unintentionally, “Do you have grilled fish?”
Chu Jiu froze for a moment. He first pressed his lips together, then bit down on them before finally replying, “Uh… the grilled fish is already reserved.”
If his little cat knew someone else ate the grilled fish, it would definitely be extremely angry—like, impossible-to-appease angry.
Fortunately, Lu Qingyan didn’t insist on the fish.
In the end, Chu Jiu used his abilities to make some honey-glazed chicken wings—crispy brown skin, sizzling with juice.
Lu Qingyan, wearing black gloves, took the bamboo skewer with the wings and gave it a little spin in his hand, seemingly curious.
Chu Jiu hurried to explain, “Don’t worry, I’ve got a space-type ability. These foods are super fresh!”
Lu Qingyan gave a soft “mm” and took a bite of the wing.
Normally, honey-glazed wings would get sauce all over your face, but Lu Qingyan ate with surprising grace and neatness.
Even though he wasn’t eating slowly, his movements were so fluid it barely looked like he was eating at all.
Chu Jiu couldn’t help glancing at him a few times.
And then he noticed—though Lu Qingyan looked composed on the surface, with little expression, there was a moment while eating when his eyes would half-close slightly, like he was momentarily lost in the taste.
That expression instantly reminded Chu Jiu of his cat.
Maybe it was because they both had beautiful, icy-blue eyes.
…Wait, why was he comparing someone to his cat?
Chu Jiu shook his head, telling himself to stop staring and quietly gnawed on his own wing.
*
After finishing the wings, Chu Jiu was about to use his powers again to make some roasted potato fruits, when he saw Lu Qingyan furrow his brow slightly and silently stand up, walking deeper into the cave.
Chu Jiu quickly grabbed a torch and followed, wanting to ask if Lu Qingyan had discovered something.
And he had.
When he brought Chu Jiu into the underground cavern earlier, the cross-dimensional spiritual projection combined with immediately forming the “Falling Moon Spear” to kill the bug had drained his spiritual energy. Even his sensory perception had been dulled.
Strangely, after eating the food prepared by the youth, his energy recovery was at least three times faster than usual.
With his strength returning, he quickly sensed something unusual.
Lu Qingyan looked toward a smooth, pitch-black rock wall ahead and said to Chu Jiu behind him, “This isn’t ordinary stone.”
Chu Jiu stepped closer with the torch. Other than it being a bit more reflective, he couldn’t see anything different.
But something in his gut told him to trust Lu Qingyan completely.
So he asked, “Then what is it?”
Lu Qingyan didn’t answer directly. Instead, he said, “Step back—five meters.”
Chu Jiu obediently did so.
Lu Qingyan also stepped back, raised his right hand, and spread his fingers—
In an instant, countless blue lights burst from his palm and landed on the “rock wall.”
A few seconds later, the “wall” crumbled into fine sand, rustling to the ground.
As the dust cleared, it revealed a narrow cave hidden behind it!
But what shocked Chu Jiu most wasn’t the hidden passage. It was what was inside.
Three large, brownish cocoons were stuck to the inner walls—each about half a person tall.
What… is this? These weren’t in any of the illustrated monster cards.
Could it be… grotesque insect eggs?!
Chu Jiu’s heart skipped a beat and he shouted, “Be careful! These might be bug eggs!”
Lu Qingyan paused slightly, then conjured a blue mist in his right hand and swept it over the three cocoons.
He turned his head slightly and told Chu Jiu, “These aren’t grotesque insect eggs.”
“These things are actually creatures that were encased by the monster’s saliva.”
Chu Jiu immediately thought of the gross, gooey stuff the bug was about to spit at him earlier.
He shivered, then suddenly remembered something. He stepped up beside Lu Qingyan, standing shoulder to shoulder as they observed the cocoons together.
One minute passed.
Chu Jiu: “These—”
Lu Qingyan: “They—”
They spoke at the same time.
Chu Jiu instinctively turned his head and happened to catch Lu Qingyan doing the same—those icy blue eyes focused right on him.
Chu Jiu quickly said, “You go first.”
Lu Qingyan turned back to the cocoons. “The creatures inside… they’re still alive.”
Still alive?!
Chu Jiu’s eyelids twitched twice in surprise.
Lu Qingyan continued, “They still have heartbeats, but they’re extremely faint—likely in a state of suspended animation.”
Chu Jiu rubbed his cheeks. That meant… they could still be saved?
If only they could remove the cocoons…
With that thought, Chu Jiu quickly shared what he’d noticed: “These cocoons—or the monster’s ‘saliva’—must be the same material as [Sticky Sludge]!”
He realized this because earlier, when he threw a [Sticky Sludge Trap] at the grotesque bug, the bug didn’t avoid it—it just charged right through, totally unaffected.
In fact, the sludge on the ground seemed to merge into the monster’s body, like it was made of the same stuff.
And now, looking closely at the cocoon—its texture, its sheen—it really was the unmistakable Sticky Sludge.
Just as he was about to explain what Sticky Sludge was, Lu Qingyan spoke first:
“I see.”
“Extremely adhesive… once solidified, it forms a flexible outer shell that can’t be broken…”
“Even regular blades and weapons would get stuck in it—cutting these open is nearly impossible.”
“It’s the perfect tool for subduing prey.”
Chu Jiu nodded in agreement, then hesitated. “But why can this monster spit out sludge like that? Isn’t that the [Swamp Sludge Beast]’s ability…?”
Still, he didn’t dwell on that for long.
“Anyway, since I know what it is, I’ve got a way to get rid of it.”
“Just give me a sec.”
With that, Chu Jiu quickly gathered ingredients and used his powers to create three large bottles of [Plant Ash Water].
“This is an alkaline solvent—it neutralizes the sludge. Just pour it on.”
As he spoke, he prepared to pour the liquid onto the cocoons himself.
But Lu Qingyan naturally took the bottles from his hands and said, “We still don’t know what’s inside. Step back—I’ll handle it.”
Letting the high-powered psychic take the lead?
…Actually, that made total sense.
Chu Jiu didn’t argue and obediently backed away.
The moment the three bottles of solvent were poured over the cocoons, the thick, sticky brown coating that clung to the wall instantly turned to liquid and started dripping down.
And the things inside the sludge slowly slid down to the ground, revealing their true forms—
They were… three squirrels?
Chu Jiu rubbed his eyes, realizing that these three “squirrels” were a bit different from ordinary ones.
For example, they were about twice the size of a normal squirrel.
And they were all wearing tiny leather outfits.
What’s more, each of them carried a tool on their back: an axe, a shovel, and a pickaxe.
Seeing these tools gave Chu Jiu a hint.
These weren’t squirrels. In the Folk Legends book Douglas had gifted him, there was a mention of a sentient race:
[In the rugged mountains lives a curious, intelligent race known as the Dwarf Beasts. Their lifespans far exceed that of humans, and they’re physically much stronger.
Even on the brink of death, as long as external conditions improve, they recover quickly. Compared to humans, their speech is limited, with tones resembling young children.
But they possess far superior metallurgy skills, able to forge weapons, armor, and hunting traps from refined iron.
In search of better ore and fuel, they often carry digging tools and wander through various caves.
A miner once said over drinks, ‘We were digging away and suddenly, a dwarf beast popped out from the other side—scared me half to death!’
Though humans and dwarf beasts rarely interact, it’s said that they sometimes accept commissions from human adventurers to forge or enhance equipment.
There are even tales of a ‘Core Furnace’ in the dwarf beasts’ settlement that can smelt ‘Refined Steel.’ Weapons made from this are said to be able to slay any monster with ease.
But be warned—dwarf beasts are very wary. They only accept commissions from humans they trust.
If you’re not one of them, even if you stumble into their settlement by accident, you won’t see them—let alone get them to forge anything.
This reminds one of a delightful tale: The Adventures of Halifa, which tells how a boy born in a candy shop became friends with dwarf beasts…]
Last time, while camping on Sunny Plateau with Little Can, Chu Jiu had shared that legend with the kitten. Halfway through the story, the little one had already fallen asleep, yawning.
He never expected to actually meet dwarf beasts in an underground cave!
When had they come here? How long had they been trapped by the grotesque bug?
And more importantly—what kind of commissions would they accept? Could they forge metals strong enough to fend off that bug?
To get answers, they’d have to wait for the little “squirrels”—no, dwarf beasts—to wake up.
Just then, Lu Qingyan spoke up: “So they’re dwarf beasts.”
“They really do have excellent vitality. Since coming out of the cocoon, their breathing and heartbeat have been steadily recovering.”
“They should regain consciousness very soon.”
Chu Jiu’s first reaction was surprise—Lu Qingyan knew the descriptions of dwarf beasts from the Legends too?
But then it made sense. Douglas had given him the book, so Lu Qingyan, also an ability user, likely read it too.
About fifteen minutes later, the squirrel with the axe twitched its triangular ears, rubbed its eyes with a paw, then slowly lifted its head and looked in surprise at Chu Jiu and Lu Qingyan.
After two seconds, it squeaked, “Humans! Humans!”
The cry woke up the other two squirrels, who also blinked and stared at Chu Jiu and Lu Qingyan—then shrieked in unison: “Humans! Humans!”
Chu Jiu winced, ears ringing, and instinctively raised his hands in a calming gesture, trying to explain, “Don’t panic, we were also attacked by the monster and ended up here…”
But his words didn’t help at all. Especially when they heard the word “monster,” the dwarf beasts grew even more frantic.
They shouted, “Monster! Monster! Escape! Escape! Dig! Dig!”
The three of them spun around, grabbed the tools from their backs, and actually started digging!
And despite the rocky wall seeming quite solid, they managed to carve out a hole in no time—maybe it was a racial talent?
Chu Jiu panicked. He couldn’t let these ironworking little squirrels run off now! He had to get them to stay!
But how?
“Roast meat! Delicious roasted meat!”
Chu Jiu pulled out a roasted chicken leg. The dwarf beasts didn’t react—if anything, they dug faster.
In desperation, Chu Jiu remembered his title.
Right! The description said:
[When you first shout your title to a non-human intelligent being, their favorability toward you will increase by 10%.]
Dwarf beasts weren’t spirits, but they were non-human intelligent beings!
He had no time to feel embarrassed. He quickly called out to the little squirrels, “Wait! I’m Chu Jiu, a pioneer from Bean Village—Friend of Spirits!”
But alas, the cave was far too noisy. His normal voice was completely drowned out by the sound of pickaxes.
Did he really have to shout it?
Chu Jiu clenched his jaw, took a deep breath, and yelled:
“Stop digging!”
“I’m Chu Jiu, a pioneer from Bean Village! My title is Friend of Spirits! I won’t hurt you!”
The moment he finished, he couldn’t stop thinking: This is so embarrassing, this is so cringy…
And unlike all those times it was just him and Little Can, this time there was another person watching!
But—thankfully—the title seemed to actually work.
The three little squirrels stopped digging, turned around one by one, and stared at him.
“You’re the just Friend of Spirits?”
“You’re the kind Friend of Spirits?”
“You’re the brave Friend of Spirits?”
Chu Jiu: “……”
Help. I’ve never felt this much secondhand embarrassment in two lifetimes.
Thank you for the update