C30 Terra Heart Shield

"Everyone, be careful! The Needle-Armored Hedgehog is trying to take us down with it. It looks like it's about to detonate its spikes. Find cover, quick!" Feng Yixiu urgently warned as he realized the danger.

But it was too late. Before they could reach the nearest tree, a "whoosh" sound filled the air as hundreds of steel-like thorns rained down on them like petals in the wind.

Instinctively, Feng Yixiu shielded Shen Ruyu with his body, his back bracing against the incoming sharp spikes.

"Dang, dang, dang..."

Despite the cacophony of impacts, Feng Yixiu felt no pain.

"Huh? What's happening?" Feng Yixiu slowly released Shen Ruyu and turned to see a thin, pale yellow shield in front of him.

"Phew... That was close!" Han Xiao, still a bit shaken, let out a sigh of relief.

"Gulp, gulp..."

Nearby, Lou ambled over to Han Xiao, rubbing against his leg as if to claim credit.

"Could this shield be Lou's battle skill?" Feng Yixiu speculated.

With a smile, Han Xiao lifted the turtle spirit and affectionately stroked Lou in his arms, nodding in confirmation. "Exactly! Lou must have used its battle skill, the Terra Heart Shield, on its own just now."

"We owe Lou big time for this one. Make sure you treat Lou right from now on – our little lifesaver!" Feng Yixiu said with a chuckle, petting Lou's head.

"Of course, I will. I don't need you to tell me that. I'll always take good care of my Battle Companion," Han Xiao assured, thumping his chest.

"Should I tell Lou how you took down the Needle-Armored Hedgehog?" Feng Yixiu teased with a mischievous grin.

"Wuwu..." Han Xiao quickly clamped a hand over Feng Yixiu's mouth before he could continue.

"Don't say such things in front of my Battle Companion, baby. You'll traumatize him!" Han Xiao implored.

"Fine, fine... I'll keep quiet," Feng Yixiu agreed with a laugh.

"Look, what's that floating above the Needle-Armored Hedgehog?" Shen Ruyu suddenly cried out.

Both men immediately turned their attention to the Needle-Armored Hedgehog's body, where a silver-gray glow shimmered, faintly revealing a silver-gray card enveloped within.

Upon witnessing the spectacle, the trio immediately approached the Needle-Armored Hedgehog to take a closer look at the curious occurrence.

"This must be a Dark Companion card," Feng Yixiu remarked with composure.

Even though the card was shrouded in a silvery-gray glow, making it difficult to discern, he had encountered Dark Companion cards before and was not overly astonished.

"Absolutely! It's a gray iron-level Dark Companion card. Who would have thought that on our first magic beast hunt we'd score a Dark Companion card? We're really quite fortunate!" Han Xiao exclaimed with enthusiasm.

Shen Ruyu reached out, plucked the Dark Companion card from midair, and examined it intently.

The card's glow faded swiftly, revealing its true form—a magic beast identical to the Needle-Armored Hedgehog depicted on the card.

"Needle-Armored Hedgehog—Spike," Shen Ruyu recited the details from the Dark Companion card.

"This Dark Companion card seems like it would be of greater benefit to Leffo. My turtle spirit doesn't appear to favor offensive moves, so it's not particularly helpful. And since the fire spirit specializes in long-range attacks, it doesn't seem all that useful either," Han Xiao pondered before adding thoughtfully.