Chapter Fifty-One: Fox in the Lantern's Glow

One white sun coin plus one bottle of healing potion—not bad at all.

Accepted.

[Blue Snowflake gives you a detailed explanation of the differences between Blackwater Algae, Shadowbone Flower, and Withered Flower. Although they look similar, they are not the same.]

[Before you leave, Blue Snowflake gives you a bottle of Spirit Potion to help you use Spirit Sight and quickly locate the Shadowbone Flower.]

As expected from the Tower of Potions—their generosity with potions is remarkable.

Now, Morningstar has two bottles of Spirit Potion, more than enough to let him unleash his skills.

[You rise to bid farewell and set out for the Land of Shadowbones.]

[While daylight still burns, you mount your little donkey and head toward the Land of Shadowbones.]

...

[A gloomy wind brushes your cheek; you and your donkey are shrouded in a massive shadow.]

[You arrive at the Land of Shadowbones. Before you lies the skeleton of a colossal beast. The immense remains sit here, breeding countless monsters that feed on its corpse, forming this realm of perpetual twilight.]

[You've heard stories about this place from other Night Patrollers. Allegedly, these are the remains of a giant Black River Shadowbeast. Yet the enforcers here, the Black River Prison, chose not to deal with this ever-growing monstrous beast. In the end, it was slain by a Death Squad Hunter passing through.]

[You look to the sky, where flocks of Black River Catastrophe Messengers ride great ravens, patrolling the skies. They must cover the entirety of New City’s District 8 every day to ensure there are no signs of a major disaster brewing.]

[Many calamities are immortal. They permanently erode habitable land, and once they occur, there is no reversing them.]

Morningstar had come across some entries about such calamities on the Daywalkers’ forum.

For example, spatial calamities like the Lightless Abyss persist even after killing the Abyssal Shade. As the calamity spreads, the land habitable for humans continues to shrink.

[Your gaze drops from the sky to the ground ahead, traversing the great skeleton. In the distance, you spot a small black creature slipping away.]

A small black creature? Is it a monster?

From the place’s description, it’s clearly unsafe here.

Morningstar sharpens his focus, ready for combat at any moment.

Morningstar’s quest: Target—Shadowbone Flower!

[Current Spirit: 9/16]

[The Morningstar leaps from your palm, quickly locking on to the Shadowbone Flower beneath the spine.]

[You dismount your donkey, use your Black Rain Boots to climb the spine, and find the Shadowbone Flower.]

[You have obtained the Shadowbone Flower.]

Morningstar taps the Shadowbone Flower to check its value.

[Shadowbone Flower:

Description: A rare flower growing on the bones of those aligned with shadow and flower affinity. It can be used to make potions or ingested for unknown hallucinations.]

A rare flower—one sun coin for it is a good deal.

With the quest item in hand, and with the Morningstar’s tracking, Morningstar finds these missions significantly less challenging.

There’s still plenty of spirit left.

Having arrived in a new place, it’s time to make full use of the Morningstar’s main function.

Morningstar activates the Morningstar’s Search.

[The Morningstar flutters from your hand, flying to a spot behind a black stone.]

[You grip your long blade, stepping cautiously toward where the Morningstar points.]

[You pause—you hear the sound of chewing.]

[The tracked item vanishes as the Morningstar returns to your hand.]

The item vanished? Morningstar, what have you found this time!?

In the next instant, Morningstar is startled—a long-missed crimson text flashes before his eyes!

[Behind the black stone, a massive beast suddenly emerges from the shadows. Its hungry gaze is fixed upon you!]

Thankfully, its level doesn’t exceed 5; Morningstar can check its stats.

Morningstar clicks “Beast” to view the monster’s panel.

[Wandering Shadow Lantern Fox:

Affinity: Lanternshade

Level: 7

Health: 45

Strength: 20

Agility: 25

Inspiration: 30

Description: An exceedingly rare beast that wanders in darkness, it likes to devour things aligned with shadow and lantern as materials for its own growth. Eventually, it can evolve into a terrifying calamity beast that traverses darkness and possesses a certain level of intelligence.]

A glaring line of text flashes like the stars.

[Warning: This is no ordinary monster! Proceed with caution!]

[The Lantern Fox before you stands four meters tall, a bright lantern hanging from its neck, exuding the aura of a giant beast. It has caught the scent of shadow-aligned items on you, bares its terrifyingly sharp teeth, and is intent on devouring you whole!]

An extremely rare, darkness-traversing calamity beast!

This doesn’t seem ordinary at all!

Although Morningstar senses danger, a thought flashes through his mind:

Can this fox be tamed?

[“Hungry!” The Lantern Fox looks at your tiny figure, opens its maw full of sharp teeth, and bites at the Shadow Dagger in your right hand!]

[You promptly release the Shadow Soul to confuse it. As the Lantern Fox bites down on the Shadow Soul, you pivot on your left foot, draw the Debt-Cleanser Blade, and execute a fierce draw slash imbued with black fire!]

[Your slash lands on the beast, the black fire rending its flesh, but the Lantern Fox’s special tissue negates the physical damage. The enemy’s health drops to 37!]

[Its surface flesh burns and rapidly regenerates, restoring its health to 40.]

Physical damage reduction plus flesh regeneration!

So this is a rare monster!

Morningstar has to admit, this creature is indeed a tough opponent.

Fortunately, he possesses a Corrosive Potion to counter flesh regeneration—as long as he can land a hit with it!

[The Lantern Fox ignores you, ravenously chewing on the Shadow Soul!]

“???”

It’s ignoring me? Morningstar is stunned—the creature doesn’t seem very smart.

[The Lantern Fox devours the shadow-aligned object, restoring its health to 41.]

So the Shadow Soul counts as a shadow-aligned item...

Morningstar is amazed—the Shadow Soul, aside from serving as a servant or scapegoat, can actually be eaten!

[Your Shadow Soul, though gravely injured, refuses to give up and lands a punch with its half-ruined body!]

The Shadow Soul doesn’t give up.

Taking advantage of its final moments of delay, Morningstar decisively selects the Corrosive Potion and hurls it.

[You smash the Corrosive Potion at the Lantern Fox.]

[The potion shatters on the Lantern Fox, rapidly dissolving its body—you hear a violent cracking sound.]

[You grip your blade, ready to strike again, but are startled by a surprising sight.]

[Cracks spread across the Lantern Fox’s entire body, splintering like shattered porcelain.]

[As the outer shell crumbles, you glimpse the Lantern Fox’s true form.]

A tiny black-furred fox, barely thirty centimeters tall, leaps out, a small round lantern hanging from its neck.

Morningstar checks the panel again—the Lantern Fox’s health is now 10, all stats drastically reduced, and it’s afflicted with weakness.

So that was it—the large size was some kind of transformation skill; once broken, the true form is revealed.

[“Whimper, whimper...” The Lantern Fox, seeing how tall you are, makes a strange sound, hoping you’ll spare it—it was only hungry.]

After eating my Shadow Soul, you want to leave?

Judging from the description, this is a very rare beast worth taming.

Morningstar taps the Beast Pact Chain and selects “Use.”

[As the Lantern Fox tries to escape, you plant your blade in its path.]

[“Whimper, whimper...” Seeing your fierce gaze, the Lantern Fox’s eyes fill with tears. Sensing its end, it returns to the Shadow Soul for one last meal.]

[You slowly wrap the chain around the weakened Lantern Fox.]

[The Lantern Fox struggles—immense bloodline power surges as it tries to break free!]

[Cracks appear in the chain!]

Even in a weakened state, it can’t be tamed easily? Morningstar is startled—but that only proves its rarity!

[The Lantern Fox feels hungry.]

[Struggling, it pitifully asks if you have something for it to eat.]

It should be possible... Morningstar chooses “Yes”—any misstep now would mean failure.

[The Lantern Fox collapses in hunger, ceasing its struggle.]

[At the last moment, the chain slowly fades. You see a shell-shaped mark appear on both your hands—the contract is sealed.]

[The Lantern Fox is now your contract beast.]

[You have obtained the contract beast, Lantern Fox.]

Morningstar immediately checks the Lantern Fox’s panel.

Aside from the basic stats, it possesses the [Colossal Shadow Form] ability, allowing it to create a powerful outer shell and dramatically enhance its strength.

It also has [Shadow Step], greatly increasing its speed in darkness.

Both are excellent abilities—now he won’t need to ride his little donkey, and he has a formidable new ally.

But what really catches his attention is that the Lantern Fox is less than half a year old!

As long as it’s fed enough shadow-aligned items, it can rapidly mature, perhaps even gaining the ability to meld into shadows and much more.

Unfortunately, its loyalty is only at 50%—not very high. He’ll have to nurture it over time.

[The Lantern Fox, with teary eyes, asks if it can keep eating.]

The Lantern Fox, its shell broken and now extremely weak, desperately needs food to recover.

Yes.

[The Lantern Fox runs to the Shadow Soul and begins to feed.]

Very good.

Just then, Morningstar rubs his hands together, when suddenly, he seems to hear the caw of a crow.

An urgent message pops up from the forum!

Morningstar reads the message, summons his blade, and frowns.

Something terrifying is coming.