Chapter 205: Dark Eagle Lumberyard
Ever since returning from the White Rat Branch, Rhett had made sure to prevent Firegrip from encountering the three White-Eyed Rat pups and the Ice Rat pup. He even forbade any chirping sounds, all to facilitate the upcoming "role switch."
Yes, this time, the "villain" meant to scare the pups would be none other than Firegrip and Mog!
With four magical beast pups needing taming, Firegrip and Mog would each take on two.
This way, in the future, Whitegrip, Firegrip, and Mog would each have caused some childhood trauma to two of the pups, ensuring that all enemies were evenly distributed. No need to worry about anyone getting ganged up on later...
"Better to worry about fairness than scarcity. Yes... Not only should rewards be distributed evenly, but enemies too," Rhett thought, smiling as he stroked his chin. He leaned down and whispered a few words into Firegrip's ear, conveying his instructions.
"Chirp?" Firegrip blinked its bright eyes and chirped a few times, a bit confused.
Rhett chuckled and patiently repeated the instructions a few times until Firegrip finally understood, its small head nodding in excitement as it flapped its wings enthusiastically. Firegrip loved anything new and exciting.
It then began twisting its neck, looking around for the "target" Rhett had mentioned.
"Hehe, wait a bit before carrying out the order. Fly up into the sky first," Rhett said with a smile, patting Firegrip's neck.
Whoosh! Firegrip flapped its wings, soaring into the sky with a powerful gust of wind. The dry grass on the ground swayed wildly, and some blades were even snapped in half, scattering in all directions.Rhett then turned to the alchemist. "Henk, it's your turn now!"
"Leave it to me!" Henk replied, his spirits lifting as he realized Rhett’s plan. He was thrilled by the high probability of success and quickly headed back to the Alchemy Tower to fetch the White-Eyed Rat pup.
When Henk returned, Rhett and Riley had already hidden far away, leaving no one in sight.
Chirp, chirp!
Chirp, chirp!
The White-Eyed Rat pup, freshly awakened, squeaked happily as it basked in the bright sunlight.
It knew its caretaker was about to take it out to play and wagged its tail joyfully.
After two months of growth, the White-Eyed Rat pup had reached about half the size of a human hand. Although this type of magical beast remained small even in adulthood, it wouldn’t grow much larger than an ordinary rat.
Excited, the pup leaped off Henk's hand and began rolling around in the soft, dry grass, exposing its pale red belly to Henk's gaze, playfully seeking attention.
Its tiny eyes squinted into slits as it gently wiggled its limbs, looking utterly adorable and bringing a smile to Henk's face.
He bent down, giving the pup a gentle nudge to make it roll over before stroking its back. The White-Eyed Rat pup lay on the ground, content to be petted.
In the past, when it had been trapped in a stone box, it lived in constant darkness and fear.
When it first saw the light, Henk had been there, carefully caring for it. Naturally, the bond between them was strong.
After playing for a few minutes, Henk spoke kindly: "Little one, stay here and play for a bit. I'll be right back."
Of course, the pup couldn’t understand such simple words, much less follow them.
But Henk was experienced. He had already placed a small pile of bellflower leaves on the ground to distract the pup. After stroking it for a while longer, he quietly left when it started eating.
Meanwhile, Firegrip circled silently in the sky.
Its instructions were to count a hundred wingbeats after the human and the rat had separated, then dive down and "scare" the White-Eyed Rat pup!
Whoosh, whoosh, whoosh, the wind howled.
With the human gone, Firegrip began counting its wingbeats.
After a while, it let out a high-pitched cry, folded its wings slightly, and dived toward the ground like an arrow!
Chirp!
The sudden sharp cry startled the White-Eyed Rat pup, causing it to jump on the spot.
When it landed, its back arched, and it trembled, its tail instinctively pressing against the ground in fear.
Looking up, its tiny eyes widened. The enormous eagle descending upon it was terrifying. Since birth, it had never seen such a strange and fearsome creature.
Its heart pounded as if it might leap out of its throat at any moment! To this tiny creature, Firegrip was nothing less than a demon. As it swooped down, fierce and intimidating, the pup's instincts kicked in, filling it with terror and panic.
The bellflower leaves it had been eating were forgotten as it realized that the one companion in its life, its only "family member," was nowhere to be seen.
Chirp, chirp, chirp!Chirp, chirp, chirp! The White-Eyed Rat pup squeaked in helplessness, its cries growing more frantic. It scrambled to burrow into the entrance of the Alchemy Tower, desperate for safety.
But to Firegrip’s sharp eyes, the pup’s movements were slow as molasses.
Seeing its target trying to flee, Firegrip opened its beak, releasing a burst of fire.
In the next moment, a small fireball descended from the sky, landing right in front of the White-Eyed Rat pup.
A wave of heat spread out, igniting the dry grass and sending white smoke rising.
The White-Eyed Rat’s eyes were filled with the fiery glow, and the scorching heat made it even more frightened. Instinctively, it retreated.
Silently, a shadow enveloped the pup.
Firegrip had swooped down to within three meters of the White-Eyed Rat, slowing its approach, but the wind from its wings blew the pup’s fur into waves.
Clinging to the grass with its tiny paws, the pup struggled to keep from being blown away. Once again, it squeaked frantically, as if it were a leaf tossed in the wind.
For the first time, the White-Eyed Rat pup felt the fragility of life, realizing what it meant to be helpless. It longed for Henk’s comforting hand and embrace.
Chirp, chirp.Chirp, chirp. It didn’t know what it was calling for, but instinctively, it was crying out for the one who had always cared for it, hoping that person would come and save it.
Firegrip, following Rhett’s orders not to cause any harm, refrained from making a real attack.
But the pup didn’t understand any of this. In its confusion, it felt crushed under the weight of the magical beast’s aura, leaving a deep imprint of fear in its heart.
The bullying went on for about ten minutes.
Inside the circular tower, Henk had been watching the entire scene, his hands gripping the windowsill tightly as he grew increasingly anxious.
He was terrified that Firegrip might accidentally injure his beloved pet.
Each pitiful squeak tugged at his heart, and several times, he was on the verge of rushing out to save it, but he held himself back.
Finally, deciding the time was right, Henk dashed out, wind elements swirling around him as he sprinted, magic wand in hand.
He shouted, "You vile beast, get away from here!"
As his words echoed, a blade of wind, glowing with a dense green light, sliced through the air toward Firegrip.
Chirp...
A cry of fear rang out.
This time, it was Firegrip's turn to feel a twinge of dread.
The wind blade flew so fast that Firegrip barely had time to react. By the time it noticed, the blade had already brushed past its back, shaving off a patch of feathers.
Chirp!Chirp! Remembering Rhett's orders to flee if attacked, Firegrip obediently followed the command, flapping its wings with all its might as it sped away into the distance!
Henk raced over to the White-Eyed Rat pup, casting a few more wind blades after the fleeing Firegrip for good measure.
Of course, it was all for show.
Each wind blade expertly avoided hitting Firegrip, a display of precise control worthy of praise.
The powerful wind element fluctuations were keenly felt by the White-Eyed Rat, a fellow wind-type magical beast. It even stirred something deep within the pup, making it feel a strange sense of connection.
It gazed up at Henk with awe, then glanced at Firegrip, now a distant dot in the sky.
Tears welled up in the little creature’s eyes. It squeaked twice, then leaped onto Henk’s shoulder, nuzzling his face with its warm white fur, seeking comfort. Its tiny claws gripped his clothing tightly, refusing to let go.
Henk smiled warmly.
Following Rhett's advice, he gently stroked the White-Eyed Rat pup’s back, occasionally feeding it some bellflower leaves.
Not long after, a circular shadow appeared in the air, adorned with mysterious symbols. A surge of mystical energy flowed through it, and Henk's eyes widened in shock before that shock turned into joy. Following Rhett’s instructions, he quickly established a connection with the circular shadow, allowing the mysterious power to flow into him.
Soon, the shadow disappeared, and Henk looked down at the pup on his shoulder with a newfound sense of fulfillment.
He felt a unique bond forming, a strange yet wonderful feeling of having a new companion.
Chirp, chirp.
Chirp, chirp.The White-Eyed Rat pup felt the same way.
It clung to Henk's shoulder, unwilling to come down, as if it had formed an attachment.
On the other side, Rhett and Riley, seeing the task complete, quietly left, not wanting to disturb the peaceful moment.
They left the warm scene for Henk and his new companion, the White-Eyed Rat.
Then, using the same method, they borrowed Mog from Tucker, found Thales and Makov, and successfully had them tame a White-Eyed Rat pup and an Ice Rat pup using Firegrip and Mog.
Finally, only Lawrence remained.
At this point, Tucker was stroking Mog's head, laughing heartily. "Haha, Father, did you see how Blue got scared? I think Thales' magical beast is the most timid one I’ve ever seen. Hahaha..."
Thales, his cheeks flushed, had just finished cleaning up a puddle on the ground. He held the Ice Rat pup, Blue, in his arms and shot Tucker a furious glare, his voice filled with indignation.
"Tucker, you did that on purpose, didn’t you? Do you know how close your Mog came to scratching my dear companion with those filthy claws?"
Seeing Tucker’s smug expression, Thales was convinced he was right.
Angry, he declared, "Hmph, don’t be so cocky! Don’t underestimate this pup—when Blue grows up, I’ll have him teach Mog a lesson!"
"Oh?" Tucker raised an eyebrow but didn’t take it seriously. He replied casually, "Well, you better keep a close eye on Blue. If he ends up in the branch and Mog eats him, don’t blame me."
"Hmph, just you wait and see!"
Thales pouted, holding Blue tightly as he left without looking back, unwilling to argue further with Tucker.
Rhett stood nearby, quietly observing his two sons' banter.
"Now only Lawrence remains. Tucker, go to the training grounds and bring him here," Rhett instructed as he stood in the Dark Eagle Lumberyard. This lumberyard was located on the western side of Dark Eagle City, where orcs and woodworkers labored. However, most of the workers were currently busy with city construction.
They were at the edge of the lumberyard, where scattered logs lay on the ground.
Rhett watched as two orcs—a minotaur and a boar-man—chopped away at the trees. Wielding giant axes custom-made by the Iron Brothers Blacksmith Shop, they could split tree trunks as thick as a man’s embrace with a single blow, the loud crack of wood splitting echoing through the air!
In Rhett's plans, these two orcs would become the main force in harvesting magical trees in the future! For ordinary woodworkers, cutting down Rock Iron Trees and Frost Pines would be highly inefficient.
But for these two Tier 2 orcs, the task was a breeze. And since the demand for magical trees would be far less than that for ordinary trees, their immense strength and endurance made them perfect for the job.
The only thing they needed was a lot of food to satisfy their huge appetites, but that was no issue for Rhett.
When Lawrence arrived, he gazed at the two three-meter-tall orcs with a hint of reverence in his eyes.
The reverence wasn’t directed at the orcs but at the lord who had tamed them and made them so obedient! Tucker walked over, patted Lawrence on the shoulder, and grinned. "Go on, Father wants to talk to you."
"Understood, Master Tucker."
Lawrence glanced at Rhett, who was standing fifty meters away with his back turned, and then walked over with determination.
"Lord Rhett, is there something you need me to do?"
Rhett turned around, smiling. "Lawrence, how is the White-Eyed Rat pup doing?"
Lawrence let out a breath. "It’s doing well. I’ve named it Vicki."
"Oh? And why that name?"
"Well... Unica once told me that when she was little, she had a puppy named Vicki. One day, it was taken by a wolf in the wild, and she was very sad for a while." Lawrence's eyes darted nervously as he spoke, embarrassed.
Oh, so you’ve managed to win over the only female mage at the training grounds without me noticing... Rhett thought as he eyed the tiny pup perched on Lawrence's shoulder. He said calmly, "Vicki, is it? Well then, let's begin."
"Huh? Lord Rhett, begin what?" Lawrence asked, confused.
"Didn’t Tucker tell you on the way here?" Rhett frowned slightly.
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