Beast Taming: Slaughter Atlas

Chu Chen looked at the incredibly sumptuous dinner on the table, and his appetite was immediately whetted.

During their three-day journey, they had only eaten some dry rations to stave off hunger. Now seeing so much delicious food, they naturally wanted to have a good feast.

Father Chu and Mrs. Chu quickly added dishes for him without asking about the Shadow Golden Mantis and that Beast Taming Egg.

Once Chu Chen was full, Father Chu put down his chopsticks, his face serious, and asked in a deep voice, "Tell us, what exactly happened?"

Upon hearing this, Mrs. Chu also turned her gaze to Chu Chen.

Seeing this, Chu Chen realized he could no longer conceal the matter, though he hadn't intended to hide it since he couldn't explain the origin of those gifts.

Chu Chen immediately recounted his journey to Black Mist City succinctly, leaving out any mention of the dangers.

However, Father Chu and Mrs. Chu were well aware of the dangers and their expressions instantly turned grim.

The two exchanged glances but said nothing more. Living in such a world, danger was always present, and no one was exempt.

Only by becoming stronger could they have a better chance of survival.

Chu Chen didn't rush to take out the gifts; after all, it was about a week until the New Year, and he planned to give them out during the celebration.

"Is Black Mist City large? Are there many strong people there?" Father Chu asked curiously.

Hearing this, Chu Chen smiled and recounted all he had seen and heard in Black Mist City.

Father Chu and Mrs. Chu had lived in Celestial Star City since birth. They had never been to other cities and were naturally very curious about Black Mist City.

After Chu Chen's account, they were quite eager to visit Black Mist City. Of course, they weren't thinking of moving; they just wanted to travel there.

This reminded Chu Chen that once he improved his strength, he could take his parents to Black Mist City and other medium and large cities for travel.

After returning home, Chu Chen's life returned to its usual calm.

The slaughterhouse resumed operations, though the daily slaughter volume had significantly decreased. In the past, he could gain more than a thousand Slaughter Values daily; now he could only gain five or six hundred.

But Chu Chen didn't mind. Even if the amount was small, it was still meat. As long as he persisted, the Slaughter Value would eventually rise again.

After the city defense battle ended, the school officially started the holidays.

Even during the holidays, Chu Chen did not dare to slack off. After returning from the slaughterhouse in the morning, he began revising his lessons while the two beasts trained alone in the courtyard.

In the afternoon, Chu Chen went to the Daoist School to command the two beasts for training.

After six in the evening, Chu Chen would typically train in the cultivation room of the Daoist School, returning home at midnight.

This routine did not bore Chu Chen. On the contrary, he enjoyed it and felt himself getting stronger every day.

In the blink of an eye, a week had passed. As dawn broke, the sound of firecrackers echoed in the alleys, and Spring Festival couplets were pasted at the entrances of households.

Chu Chen rubbed his eyes to wake up, folded his quilt, and got up to wash.

By this time, Father Chu and Mrs. Chu had already prepared breakfast.

Breakfast consisted of white rice, fish, and tofu.

The fish symbolized abundance every year, and the tofu represented a life full of blessings.

After breakfast, Chu Chen went to the courtyard to prepare food for the three beasts.

Lei Yao and Nirvana were both omnivorous, and their diet included a wide variety of nutritious foods.

However, after gifting Lei Yao the Sturdy Body Talent, its appetite increased several times over.

Meanwhile, the Shadow Golden Mantis preferred high-protein insects. For this reason, Chu Chen prepared many high-nutrient mealworms, which were evolved live specimens.

They had higher nutritional value and an excellent taste.

Over this period of feeding, the wildness of the Shadow Golden Mantis reduced significantly, and it became familiar with Father Chu and Mrs. Chu.

They had taken turns feeding it in the past few days.

The Shadow Golden Mantis was not picky and had visibly grown much sturdier.

Chu Chen took out some snacks for the three beasts and said with a smile, "Today, you can take a day off. Eat and drink to your heart's content."

Lei Yao and Nirvana immediately showed expressions of joy, while the Shadow Golden Mantis went to the incubation chamber and looked tenderly at the Beast Taming Egg inside.

Seeing this, Chu Chen smiled and said, "Don't worry, it will hatch soon."

The Shadow Golden Mantis merely nodded in response, its gaze never leaving the incubation chamber.

Seeing this, Chu Chen helplessly shook his head and turned to walk back into the house.

At this moment, an unexpected change occurred. Suddenly, the Shadow Golden Mantis let out a nervous screech, raising its Blade Arm and cutting toward the incubation chamber.

Chu Chen's expression changed dramatically upon seeing this, and he quickly stopped it: "Don't move, let me take a look."

With this, Lei Yao immediately let out a low growl and swiftly blocked in front of the incubation chamber.

After spending time together, it had come to trust Chu Chen greatly.

Thanks to Lei Yao's conveyance, it stopped its attack on the incubation chamber.

Chu Chen hurried to the incubation chamber, only to see the Beast Taming Egg inside start to move. Although the movement was slight, it was indeed moving.

Chu Chen patted the Shadow Golden Mantis's insect legs and said, "It's okay. Your child is about to hatch. Please be patient."

Lei Yao made a low growl and then leaned its head in to see what was happening.

The Shadow Golden Mantis understood Chu Chen's words upon hearing the growl and fixed its gaze on the incubation chamber, fearing any mishaps.

This was Chu Chen's first time witnessing a beast hatch. He immediately retrieved a chair from the Spatial Ring and several bags of snacks.

The three beasts watched Chu Chen with curious expressions.

Chu Chen had no intention of explaining. He sat on the chair, grabbing snacks in his hand, and started eating.

"It'll take a while for it to hatch. Let's have some snacks while we wait," Chu Chen said with a smile.

Hearing this, Lei Yao and Nirvana quickly brought over their snacks.

So, a human and two beasts ate snacks, waiting for the birth of the Shadow Golden Mantis's child with the demeanor of onlookers enjoying the show.

The Shadow Golden Mantis was rather speechless at this sight. It glanced at the human and two beasts with a deep growl of discontent before returning its attention to the Beast Taming Egg.

As time passed, the amplitude of the egg's movement grew larger, and surprisingly, the Shadow Golden Mantis's body began to shake as if helping its child exert strength.

Seeing this, Chu Chen hastily moved his chair aside; he didn't want to be caught up in the chaos.

After settling in a new spot, Chu Chen heard a faint cracking sound.

He quickly looked toward the incubation chamber and saw a crack appear at the top of the Beast Taming Egg. A sharp blade tip pierced through the eggshell.

Seeing this, Chu Chen couldn't help but raise an eyebrow. This little fellow's Blade Arm is truly sharp. It hasn't even hatched yet and already shows remarkable destructive power.

The Shadow Golden Mantis let out an excited screech as if cheering its child on.