Chapter 219: The Inherently Brutal Breed

Chapter 219: The Inherently Brutal Breed



Within the purple eggshell, a fluffy, pale yellow bird head emerged, its beak holding a small piece of shattered purple eggshell. At first glance, it looked no different from an ordinary chick.

Seeing Rain's appearance, the bird's lively eyes curiously examined him, seemingly sensing his lack of ill intent. It chirped happily.

Rain smiled and approached, carefully picking up the fluffy bird and placing it in his palm, stroking it gently.

After a moment's thought, Rain stepped out and said to the guard beside him, "Please ask Miss Veronica to come here for a moment."

"Yes, Baron!"

In a short while, Veronica, dressed in a light blue robe, hurried into Rain's resting room. Just as she was about to ask what he needed, her beautiful eyes noticed the newly hatched chick in Rain's hand.

Veronica was taken aback, her mouth slightly agape. She extended her fair finger and asked in surprise, "Your Excellency Rain, is this the little creature that came out of the purple giant egg?"

"Yes, Miss Veronica. I asked you here to inquire if you can identify what kind of bird this is and what would be suitable to feed it."

Veronica quickly stepped forward, pinching the chick's beak and examining its claws before nodding. "Your Excellency Rain, although I can't accurately identify the species of this bird, it's undoubtedly some kind of raptor."

"As for feeding, insects, beast meat, or fish meat should all be fine. And seeing how strong it is at birth, it's very likely an inherently brutal breed. If you can feed it brutalized beast meat directly, that would be ideal."

Rain nodded in agreement. "Thank you, Miss Veronica."

This was indeed simple.

He had brutalized beast meat readily available, with plenty of brutal bear meat left from his cultivation. It was the perfect opportunity to try it.

Rain walked to a nearby cabinet, took out a piece of raw brutal bear meat, tore off a small strip, and brought it to the chick's beak. The chick eagerly opened its mouth wide and, like a pelican, swallowed the strip in one go.

Simultaneously, it chirped happily again, seemingly asking for more.

After observing for a while, Veronica reminded Rain, "Your Excellency Rain, it seems to really like the brutal bear meat you're feeding it. However, many chicks have a history of choking, so please be mindful of the food portions."

At that moment, the sound of flapping wings came from outside the window. A larger white seagull perched on the windowsill, watching them.

Veronica's twin ponytails swayed cheerfully as she said, "Your Excellency Rain, my mentor, Master Eneas, has replied. It seems we'll soon have our answer."

The girl quickly walked to the window, opened it, and communicated swiftly with the white seagull.

After a few seconds, Veronica, with a hint of surprise and resentment, said to Rain, "Your Excellency Rain, you're truly lucky. My mentor identified it as possibly an egg of a wandering Bloodfeather Horned Eagle."

"I've searched so much, yet I didn't have such luck."

"Bloodfeather Horned Eagle? Miss Veronica, could you give a brief introduction?" Rain's eyebrows arched in a rhetorical question.

He didn't know what kind of bird this was.

"Of course. Bloodfeather Horned Eagles are inherently brutal, a breed known for their ferocity. Unlike other brutal eagle breeds, they don't fly fast, but their adult size is close to that of a horse, with a wingspan of four to five meters. They have solid muscles, a steel-hard beak, and sharp claws, making them extremely adept at close combat."

"Additionally, adult Bloodfeather Horned Eagles have a distinctive pair of antlers on their heads, a prominent feature."

A close-combat raptor?

Although it wasn't what Rain had expected—a raptor with innate abilities—its exceptional close-combat skills could be considered an innate talent.

Rain nodded, but his eyebrows furrowed slightly. "Then, Miss Veronica, why would a Bloodfeather Horned Eagle's egg be in an Iron Beak Sea Eagle's nest?"

"Hehe, that's what I wanted to say," Veronica chuckled, her face blooming with a smile.

"The pressure exerted by a Bloodfeather Horned Eagle forces lower-ranked raptors to leave their nests. Then, the Bloodfeather Horned Eagle lays its eggs in the other bird's nest, usually one to two eggs."

"Furthermore, it releases a special scent that makes the raptor believe the egg is its own, even if the eggs differ significantly in size."

Rain nodded, beginning to understand.

"So, the Bloodfeather Horned Eagle is a brood parasite among raptors?"

Veronica shook her head. "Actually, no. According to my mentor, Bloodfeather Horned Eagles rarely do this."

"Usually, in a stable environment, they don't choose to do this. It's likely due to special circumstances like combat, competition, and so on, that they resort to brood parasitism."

"So, as you can see, the egg didn't hatch prematurely, and the Bloodfeather Horned Eagle didn't push the Iron Beak Sea Eagle's chick out of the nest."

Rain understood a bit more.

It seemed he was indeed quite lucky to have found an inherently brutal breed's egg.

"By the way, my mentor also suggested that since Bloodfeather Horned Eagles grow faster than regular birds and their temperament becomes extremely fierce as they mature, you should adopt avian transformation techniques as soon as possible. This will help promote its growth and make it more familiar with you."

"Thank you, Miss Veronica, and please convey my gratitude to Master Eneas as well." Rain bowed slightly, expressing his gratitude.

Indeed, leaving such a professional task to an expert yields near-optimal solutions swiftly.

"By the way, Lord Rain, although you observed my Eneas Avian Transformation Technique, you probably haven't mastered it yet, right? Over the next few days, I'll try to demonstrate it to you once a day." Veronica spoke with genuine enthusiasm.

Gazing into Veronica's sincere eyes, Rain was momentarily at a loss for words.

Claiming to have already mastered the Eneas Avian Transformation Technique? Her learning ability was indeed frightening, considering he had only observed it once! After a moment's thought, Rain nodded and smiled, "Then I'll trouble you, Miss Veronica. I'm not yet proficient in the Avian Transformation Technique."

"Hehe, Lord Rain, your talent in knighthood is already exceptional. It's only natural that the Goddess hasn't altered your wizardry aptitude as well."

Veronica couldn't help but smile.

Soon, the two arrived at the simple alchemy room where Veronica had previously demonstrated her technique.

"Lord Rain, you can use ready-made rapid growth potions, Phantom Grass, and other ingredients."

"However, when drawing the hexagram wizard array using Moonlight Ink, the caster must personally prepare it, infusing it with extremely subtle mental energy for proper formulation."

"Additionally, Moonlight Ink has a time limit. It's most effective within twelve hours, usable but not ideal between twelve and twenty-four hours. Beyond twenty-four hours, the special energy particles within will dissipate, making it nearly impossible to draw the wizard array."

"So, the first hurdle is preparing the Moonlight Ink."

"The second challenge lies in personally drawing the wizard array."

As Veronica demonstrated the Eneas Avian Transformation Technique again, she meticulously pointed out several difficulties in the technique, step by step.

Although Rain had already learned it, he seemed to be infected by the girl's sincerity and listened attentively.

As the twin-tailed girl finished her demonstration, Rain, who had been observing, received several system notifications:

[You have focused on observing the Eneas Avian Transformation Technique, and your related insight has improved!]



[Your skill, Eneas Avian Transformation Technique, has improved. Experience gained: 54]



[You have focused on the Eneas Avian brothers excelled in sword and shield techniques, their wizardry aptitude might be equally exceptional.

[Congratulations! Your skill, Eneas Avian Transformation Technique, has leveled up to lv2]



After gaining another 54 experience points, Rain's Eneas Avian Transformation Technique advanced from lv1 (69/100) to lv2 (23/300). Fragmented memories of the technique began to flood Rain's mind, and he quickly absorbed and mastered them.

"Lord Rain, mere observation isn't enough. Why don't you give it a try?" The twin-tailed girl wiped the fine sweat from her forehead and suggested.

After some thought, Rain felt that with two observations and Veronica's meticulous guidance, he should be able to perform some of the steps without seeming too exaggerated.

So, Rain nodded and said, "Of course, Miss Veronica. I'll give it a shot."

"Sure, Lord Rain. You can try it first." Veronica smiled and stepped aside, curious to see how much he had learned.

Perhaps, after seven or eight failed attempts, he might be able to prepare the Moonlight Ink successfully? Veronica wondered.

Five minutes later, Rain successfully prepared the Moonlight Ink on his first attempt.

Ten minutes later, Veronica stared at the fresh wizard array on the ground, identical to the one she had drawn. For a moment, her eyes widened, and her mouth hung slightly agape.

She felt that perhaps she should retract her previous statement. The Goddess seemed to have bestowed upon Lord Rain a wizardry aptitude as exceptional as his knighthood talent!

As Rain placed the Bloodfeather Horn Eagle chick in the center of the wizard array's soft pad, he held the potion and began the transformation process, establishing a peculiar connection with the chick.

This connection wasn't a result of the transformation technique's effect but rather a recognition by the system that a pet relationship had been established between Rain and the chick.

Indeed, the system notification appeared as follows:

[Ding! Host has formed a contract with a Brutalized Beast for the first time. Current conditions do not meet the requirements for promotion to Beast Tamer (Legendary)!]



[Promotion to Beast Tamer (Legendary) prerequisites: 1. Beast Tamer (Extraordinary) level 5 or higher; 2. Mental Power of 24 points or more; 3. Possession of any three or more Brutalized Beasts as pets; 4. Successful transformation of at least one ordinary animal into a Brutalized Beast. Current conditions do not meet the requirements, promotion to Beast Tamer (Legendary) has failed!]



Hmm? Reading the sudden system notification several times, Rain was delighted!

When the prerequisites for a profession are listed, although sometimes challenging, they provide a clear path to achieve the required conditions.

The Bloodfeather Horn Eagle chick, transformed by wizardry, noticeably grew larger. At this moment, it affectionately ran over, rubbed against Rain, and opened its mouth wide, chirping loudly as if saying, 'I'm hungry!'

Witnessing this, Veronica envied and asked, "Lord Rain, can I borrow the Bloodfeather Horn Eagle for a couple of days to raise it? I'll take good care of it.

"Of course." Rain nodded and smiled.

It was a good opportunity for him to think and organize a few other matters, and the interruption of a fledgling bird would only be a nuisance.

Once he returned to his room, Rain began to ponder Baron Captain Baran's previous advice.

Upgrading the quasi-oblivion to oblivion, for him, was critical to improving the 'Bear King Breath Technique'.

He still had some skill points left, so after some thought, Rain decided to try out the effect.

As Rain added 1 skill point to the Bear King Breath Technique, the technique suddenly advanced from lv9 to lv10.

Instantly, a flood of memories about the Bear King Breath Technique's cultivation flooded into Rain's mind.

These cultivation memory fragments were like a long movie flashing through Rain's mind, and then, as if by instinct, they merged into his bodily memory.

When Rain opened his eyes again, it was as if he had endured years of arduous cultivation of the Bear King Breath Technique.

At this moment, he could clearly feel his blood circulation accelerating, and his body seemed to have a furnace within, providing immense heat and a peculiar transformation.

At the same time, Rain could feel his muscles and tendons becoming stronger.

The Force within him, originally as thin as a pinky finger, quickly thickened to the size of an index finger and began to flow rapidly throughout his body.

Although there was constant consumption during the flow, it seemed that with every part of his body it passed, millions of cells would provide a tiny, almost imperceptible droplet of Force to the Force stream.

Thus, accumulating these tiny contributions, the Force stream remained the thickness of an index finger, an unceasing flow.

At this moment, Rain felt the enhancement of the Force and the immense power within his body. He could sense that true mastery of the Great Technique was just a step away.

It was as if a thin layer of paper stood before him, and with a forceful thrust, he could achieve his goal.

Unfortunately, his remaining skill points on the attribute panel had already reached 0.

However, Rain checked the Weapon Master (Legendary) job level again. Due to the previous combat experience reward, it had already reached lv4 (649/1000), which was more than halfway.

If he continued to cultivate as planned, he should also be able to achieve this goal before going to Minster for the 'Sword Bearers' assessment.

Next was the combat review.

What Rain felt most deeply this time wasn't the League Deceiver's tenacity, nor the Deceiver's versatility, but rather the squad combat's impact and understanding.

Perhaps some defense-oriented magic had little impact on him, but others were different.

For example, Veronica's magic 'Water Walking' before the battle allowed him to fight on the water's surface as if it were solid ground, which was of extraordinary significance.

Secondly, Nathaniel's magic 'Swift Wind' increased his speed by about 20%, and with his speed increasing by 20%, the combat power boost might reach as high as 40%.

In Rain's opinion, these two very different magics had a significant impact on his combat power.

It was precisely because of the support of various magics from the other members of the Fish Dragon Squad during combat that Captain Baran could persist in the face of a Deceiver, a type of opponent that severely countered him.

Another point was that Rain had a premonition: since the Empire Navy's special department 'Tide Walkers' operated in such a squad mode, the larger Empire 'Sword Bearers' organization should also have a similar structure.

However, this was a matter for the future. What was more important now was that he had become stronger, and when facing potential teammates in the future, he would have more confidence in their mutual selection.

After some thought, Rain walked to the back of the desk, opened the drawer, and took out the parchment scroll of 'Blood Fury Archery'. He carefully read through it.

He planned to improve his archery first, giving himself another long-range attack ability.

After carefully reading 'Blood Fury Archery' several times, Rain had an epiphany and left the room, heading to the training room in the Fishing Port Town Hall.

"Baron!"

"Good day, Baron!" The guards, sheriff, and night watchmen greeted Rain one after another.

Rain nodded and said, "You guys practice on your own."

"Yes, Baron."

Rain then went to the nearby archery range, picked up the strongest bow with the highest poundage, and started practicing on his own.

With the foundation of basic archery, Rain quickly grasped Blood Fury Archery. Soon, a system notification appeared:

【You have practiced Blood Fury Archery, and your understanding has improved!】

【You have learned a new skill - Blood Fury Archery】

【Your Blood Fury Archery skill has increased by 2!】

【The system has detected that you have also cultivated the basic archery technique. Do you wish to merge it into Blood Fury Archery? This merger will consume 0 skill points.】

(Note: After the merger, basic archery will no longer be displayed on the panel, but the host can still use its techniques.)



(Note: After the merger, Blood Fury Archery will absorb the advantages of basic archery and improve. The host's experience in basic archery will be converted into experience for the improved Blood Fury Archery at a certain ratio.)



Seeing the system notification, Rain nodded slightly.

Upon this, he had already anticipated, as the Basic Swordsmanship and the Dragoon Empire Military Sword Technique were both one-handed sword techniques.

Without much hesitation, Rain immediately chose 'Yes'.

Instantly, the Basic Archery lv3 on the Weapon Master (Legendary) panel disappeared, and in its place appeared Blood Fury Archery lv1 (78/100).

The transformation of the lv3 Basic Archery resulted in a level that didn't even reach Blood Fury Archery lv2, which surprised Rain.

Apparently, the level of Blood Fury Archery was far superior to Basic Archery.

However, Rain soon showed a delighted expression because, for him, the stronger the Extraordinary Combat Technique, the better. As for the difficulty of cultivation?

Haha, he had a cheat! After carefully contemplating for a while, Rain realized that after integrating the Basic Archery, the Blood Fury Archery had hardly changed, which further confirmed that Blood Fury Archery was indeed on a higher level than Basic Archery.

In other words, this fusion had resulted in minimal improvements and enhancements to the Blood Fury Archery.

Rain then continued to practice the Blood Fury Archery.

With the talent 'Basic Extraordinary Insight' boosting his experience gain, Rain successfully raised his Blood Fury Archery to lv2 within an hour.

Almost simultaneously, scattered memories related to the cultivation of Blood Fury Archery flooded into Rain's mind, gradually merging into his muscle memory.

---

Meyster County Coast.

In the depths of the sea, about ten meters deep.

If Rain were present, he would undoubtedly be surprised because before him was a twenty to thirty-meter-long, oval-shaped metallic object resembling the Nautilus from the 19th-century novel Twenty Thousand Leagues Under the Sea.

Although the outer shell was made of iron plates joined by rivets, the technology didn't seem very advanced. Still, in the Dragoon Empire, it was an unimaginable advanced product.

Inside the submersible.

The Federation Commodore was talking to a young man named Jonistan.

"Jonistan, do we have any definite news about the Ancient Gnome Empire ruins that Vorod mentioned? Have you contacted the Zalar Resistance Army, and is there any feedback from them?"

"Commodore, I contacted the Resistance Army half a day ago, but strangely, after so long, there's still no response from them." Jonistan said with a frown.

"These Resistance Army folks, always so eager to ask for aid, but now that we need them, they're nowhere to be found." The Commodore's face turned angry as he spoke.

"The Leviathan Squad's Nehru has asked us about the intelligence regarding Fishing Port Town. The Empire Navy's forces in the nearby waters have started to strengthen, and the window of opportunity we have is shrinking."

"If there's still no news, send a message to Lord Nehru, telling him to abandon the plan to attack Fishing Port Town."

"However, he mentioned a young Grand Knight of the Dragoon Empire with the rare talent 'Steel Will'. We should continue investigating him."

"People with such unique talents could potentially pose a threat to our Federation. We must nip this in the bud." The middle-aged man's expression turned serious as he pondered for a moment.

"I'll send this information to Lord Nehru immediately and suggest that if he intends to attack Fishing Port Town and kill this Baron Rain, he should also minimize the disturbance."

"Yes, Commodore!" The young man, Jonistan, bowed slightly and then slowly retreated.

"The activities of the cults in various places have become more apparent. Perhaps soon, we will have a common enemy with the Dragoon Empire. At least, in some aspects, we can still cooperate with the Empire." The Commodore muttered to himself.

(End of Chapter)

Chapter end