Volume One, Chapter 25: For Safety’s Sake, the Three of Us Should Share a Tent!

At this moment, Lin Yao was unaware that Xia Mengying was in grave danger.

Guided by Xia Yumeng, he and his formidable entourage were rapidly approaching the location of the Rose Treasure. Along the way, any alien races or exotic beasts they encountered were swept aside by his overwhelming force. However, his Beastmaster level remained at 11, still about 40% away from reaching level 12. The number of Shadow Werewolves under his command had increased from 12 to 13. With his growing strength, Lin Yao’s ability to "spawn troops" had become significantly faster. For the outer perimeter of the danger zone, 13 Shadow Werewolves were more than enough to handle most situations.

Led by Xia Yumeng, he brought Zhu Zhihan and the 13 Shadow Werewolves into a small forest. According to Xia Yumeng, the entrance to the Rose Treasure was hidden deep within these woods. Lin Yao followed her for nearly an hour until she stopped, breathless, and pointed toward a seemingly unremarkable patch of forest, saying, "It's right here."

"Here?" Lin Yao activated his [Detection] skill to scan the surroundings, but found nothing. He turned to Zhu Zhihan and asked, "Zhihan, have you sensed anything?"

Zhu Zhihan nodded obediently and stepped forward to a patch of empty ground. After sensing intently, she said uncertainly, "Brother Lin, the entrance to that interdimensional rift seems to be right here, but how do we get in?"

As a member of the Dragon race, Zhu Zhihan possessed exceptionally powerful mental and sensory capabilities. Other Beastmasters and beasts of her level would have sensed nothing at all. Yet, with just a slight focus, she detected a subtle abnormality. The awkward part was that even after she pointed it out, Lin Yao still sensed nothing. However, trusting her judgment, he asked Xia Yumeng, "What now? How do we proceed?"

Xia Yumeng had known Lin Yao was not an ordinary person, but she hadn't expected his dragon-kin beast to be capable of locating an interdimensional rift through pure mental perception. Not wanting to delay, she didn't play coy. A spark of energy appeared at her fingertip, and she pricked her finger, allowing a drop of blood to fly toward the seemingly empty air.

"There are many ways to open this type of rift," Xia Yumeng explained while triggering the opening, "but I only know this one."

As soon as she finished speaking, a portal of light appeared in the empty clearing. Lin Yao immediately sent several Shadow Werewolves ahead to secure the area before leading Zhu Zhihan and Xia Yumeng through the portal.

Shortly after entering, Zhu Zhihan noticed something quite unexpected. "Brother Lin, why are there Green Demon-men here too?"

In truth, Lin Yao was wondering the same thing. After a moment of thought, he offered two explanations. "This rift might have other entrances, and these Green Demon-men could have entered through those. Or, when the Rose family first created this pocket dimension, they may have placed a tribe of these beings here to serve as guardians."

He looked at Xia Yumeng for confirmation. She nodded, "Both are possible, but they could also have been captured by other powerhouses to serve as cannon fodder. So, shall we go around them or fight our way through?"

"Obviously..." Lin Yao provided the answer with his actions, ordering his 13 Shadow Werewolves to charge at the Green Demon-men. At this point, most of his werewolves were level 11, matching his own level. Normally, they would be evenly matched, but Lin Yao’s werewolves were different. Facing the paper-thin defense of the Green Demon-men, they took them down with ease.

While others would have focused solely on finding the treasure, Lin Yao killed as he went, sparing no alien creature he encountered. He was in high spirits; the density of creatures in this rift meant he didn't have to hunt for targets. He, Zhu Zhihan, and his werewolves were all growing rapidly, and the vast expanse of this closed dimension promised even more to harvest.

Hours later, they stopped by a river. After confirming the area was safe, Lin Yao decided to make camp. Following six hours of intense combat, he had finally reached level 12, and his count of Shadow Werewolves had risen to 15. During the break, he focused on restoring his energy and mental strength.

He pulled two camping tents from his system space, one for Xia Yumeng and one for himself and Zhu Zhihan. The Shadow Werewolves did not need rest; as long as they weren't destroyed, they could fight indefinitely. Given the dangerous nature of the closed dimension, Xia Yumeng didn't want to sleep alone. Hesitantly, she asked, "I'm worried about being in danger and causing trouble for you... if it's alright, could I share your tent?"

Zhu Zhihan nodded, "I don't mind, ask Brother Lin."

Lin Yao was conflicted. He and Zhu Zhihan shared a [Damage Sharing] talent, which couldn't be applied to Xia Yumeng because she wasn't his beast. Having her in the same tent would make it easier to protect her, but three people in a one-person tent was awkward. After weighing his options, he agreed.

Once they were inside, Lin Yao realized the "severity" of the situation. The tent was cramped, and he felt himself pressed between soft "airbags" on both sides. To avoid awkwardness, he spent the entire night practicing [Meditation]. This allowed him to recover his energy and mental strength while bypassing the need for sleep. Had he not done so, he might have struggled to keep his composure, as he was well aware of the "ferocious dragon" he had to suppress.

Xia Yumeng, meanwhile, felt a surge of respect for him. She had expected that sharing a tent might lead to a compromising situation, but Lin Yao remained focused on his cultivation, never slacking even for a moment. With such diligence, it was no wonder he was so powerful.

By the next morning, his Shadow Werewolf count had increased to 17, and his energy was fully restored. However, just as they were ready to move out, a group of uninvited guests appeared near the camp.