Chapter Forty-Four: The Birth of a Battle Companion (Part One)

As we know, Melody of the Strings searched for Wild Goose Formation across the river in vain, and like us, he too imagined that the long-haired elven girl would dive alone beneath the water, risking her life. The noble and passionate spirit of a ranger compelled him to plunge headlong into the water without a second thought. Unfortunately, just as he bravely leapt in, Wild Goose Formation happened to emerge from the water. I truly believe that Melody of the Strings' chivalrous act was born entirely from the heart of an elven archer, but it was clear his waterlogged brain had not thought things through.

Thus, his mind was once again filled with water, and the tranquil surface bore the addition of another frail, floating corpse.

“If that’s the case…” Melody of the Strings seemed deeply wounded by the blow. He hung his head, dejected. “…doesn’t that mean I died twice just now for absolutely nothing?”

There was nothing Phyllin and I could do but look at him with sympathetic eyes.

Yet, his clumsy and earnest behavior seemed to win Wild Goose Formation’s friendship and goodwill in no small measure. Her bright, large eyes gazed gratefully at the elven ranger’s face as she said, “Thank you for searching for me so anxiously, and I’m sorry for making you die for nothing.”

“It’s nothing, really…” Melody of the Strings waved his hands quickly, his face flushed as red as a cloud dyed by the setting sun—whether from excitement or happiness, I could not tell. He scratched his head awkwardly and grinned foolishly, repeating, “You see, I didn’t help you at all… haha… not much help at all…”

A sweet but oddly tense atmosphere settled over us. Phyllin glanced at the two of them and smiled mysteriously at me. Suddenly, I felt that some subtle change, unknown to us, was quietly unfolding between these two.

We had no way of bringing the subdued Maelstrom Crocodile, Astane, back to the Silver Star River by Moonstream City. On land, it was far clumsier than it was in water. Rather than rely on its four stout but short legs to crawl home step by step, it would be more practical to gather a hundred helpers and carry it back together.

Fortunately, the underground river beneath Red Mountain was a tributary of the Silver Star River. By following the current, the Maelstrom Crocodile could swim straight back to its habitat, sparing us much trouble.

As we took our leave, Wild Goose Formation playfully scratched the nose of the enormous beast, pointing to the exit of the underground river and bidding it a reluctant farewell. The giant aquatic creature seemed to relish the touch of the long-haired elf girl’s fair hand, squinting its eyes and letting out a couple of soft “woos” before swishing its tail and sinking into the depths of the subterranean stream, soon vanishing from sight.

Having helped Wild Goose Formation complete her class advancement quest, we left the Red Mountain Cavern. Outside, we found a new swarm of dark elves had appeared and blocked the entire mountain path. Unlucky for them, this ragtag group of reinforcements met us head-on; we dispatched them with little effort, leaving Phyllin a heap of bodies to satisfy her insatiable thirst for loot.

“Damn paupers, all dressed up in gaudy clothes, but carrying only a few measly coins—serves them right to die!” Phyllin grumbled as she greedily stripped every corpse of anything valuable, stuffing her pack full, occasionally venting her frustration with a sharp kick from her pointed little boots to a face, utterly immune to the handsome elegance typical of dark elf men.

After all these escapades, I finally reached level thirty-four, just one level shy of the requirement for class advancement.

Just as when we first arrived, we left a trail of adorable creatures—little bears, little wolves, and the like—trailing behind us across the Gemflower Plain. Along the way, Melody of the Strings became the favored target of the Black-Bellied Vipers. After being poisoned, his face glowed a vivid green, looking for all the world like a glossy stalk of celery. Yet even so, he endured without retaliating against the beasts attacking him.

“I’ve always liked animals,” he said, sweating as he gingerly detached a viper coiled around his arm, forcing a smile for Wild Goose Formation. “I firmly believe animals are mankind’s eternal friends.”

Nonsense! Back when he and I hunted down the rabid dog Kapran together, I never saw him trying to “befriend” that wild hound. On the contrary, he was the most enthusiastic and aggressive of us all. If not for the viper’s venom keeping his face green, you’d see just how red with embarrassment he’d be right now.

Back in Moonstream City, we went straight to the city’s beast tamer trainer—a middle-aged elf with a small goatee, who seemed very pleased at Wild Goose Formation’s arrival.

“Ah, welcome back, young one blessed by the gods. May Nechernia’s dew forever nourish your soul…” He greeted her warmly as soon as she approached. “…You have completed a difficult task. All you have done proves you possess a heart attuned to nature. Now, you are honored as one of the Children of the Wild. Soon, I will teach you some basic skills.”

Soon enough, Ranger Wild Goose Formation—no, Beast Tamer Wild Goose Formation—learned the art of taming wild beasts. This is the most fundamental skill of a beast tamer; the creatures she tames will become her lifelong friends and companions, living and fighting by her side. Each beast tamer may tame only three beasts in their lifetime, and once tamed, they must remain loyal to their choices; there can be no changing of pets thereafter.

Seeing her friend complete her advancement, Phyllin bounced over, unable to contain her excitement. “So? Have you decided yet? What kind of pet do you want?”

Melody of the Strings squeezed in eagerly, his tone brimming with excitement. “I’ve heard black panthers from the peak of Mount Uzig are excellent—stealthy, good at ambush, and high damage. The Rainbow-Winged Serpents of Umbrian Valley are great, too, with poison attacks. Or you could go for a tank—a Highland Grizzly is perfect; high defense and health, and you could escape even if surrounded. Plus…” He was so enthusiastic, you’d think he was picking a pet for himself.

Of all the beasts I’d encountered, truly outstanding ones were rare. Choosing a companion for battle is not a decision to be made lightly.

“You could consider a Vampire Bat—fast, with leeching and sonic screech abilities. The Prairie Man-Eating Spider is also good—venomous and useful for setting traps,” I offered, recommending two choices I found appealing.

“Those oddballs don’t compare. If you ask me, Little Goose, save all your pet slots, and when you reach a high level, I’ll go with you to catch a dragon as your pet. That would be truly impressive!” Phyllin’s imagination was as boundless as her obsession with treasure. Still, her plan was only marginally more likely than having me bare-handedly defeat the Apocalypse Lord Darlenthil and his millions of troops—or her giving away half her possessions.

“Dragons are magical beasts. Beast tamers can’t tame magical beasts as pets…” Melody of the Strings reminded Phyllin softly, and was rewarded for his kindness by having his long ears pulled—though I almost forgot, elves’ ears are long to begin with.

“Well…” Bombarded with so many suggestions, the long-haired elf beast tamer found it hard to decide. She furrowed her brows, pouted her lips, and looked even more adorable in her hesitation. “…I haven’t decided yet. I think I should see what options are out there first.”

“I’ll go with you…” Melody of the Strings blurted out, then, remembering he’d only known this elven girl for less than a day, blushed and amended, “…’We’ll’ go with you. Anyway, tomorrow’s the weekend and we have nothing planned for tonight.”

Luckily, Phyllin didn’t notice anything amiss. The lady mage cheerfully slung her arm around the elf girl’s shoulders and declared with great enthusiasm, “All right, then we’ll go together. We’ll make sure you catch the most impressive, most powerful pet ever…”

…

(Last night, my dear wife pointed out: the chapters are now too fragmented and disjointed, which many readers have complained about. It’s probably one of the reasons for the criticism. She’s absolutely right, but I don’t have a good solution. Forcing myself to split finished chapters isn’t ideal, but with so little material in reserve, I have no choice.

Still, her advice is spot on.

Something else surprised me: there’s been a heated debate in the comments—well, a discussion—maybe a controversy. I’ve heard that only the best works inspire conflicting opinions, so from that perspective, my “Solo Journey”… heh, allow me a little pride.

In any case, I thank all readers for their engagement. I think both commenters made good points. Emotionally and in temperament, I’m closer to the one with the long string of numbers as a username (I can’t remember it)—his views on gaming are much like my own—ah, and don’t forget to vote for me! But Zhao Yonggang’s criticism, especially about my lack of detail, is also justified—I accept it completely. However, kicking your wife for playing games too willfully is something I can’t endorse, so I’ll let that slide.

I’m considering adding a new poll to see which gaming attitude readers prefer—maybe awarding bonus points as well. What do you think?

No objections heard (of course not), so that’s settled. I’ll update the poll tonight.

Lastly, a reminder: this novel, like the game it’s based on, is meant for enjoyment. There’s no need to take it too seriously, and arguments are even less necessary. As long as you enjoy reading, that’s enough, right?

Ah, I’ve rambled on—my apologies. OTL…)