Chapter 118: 118 Storm Demon Wolf

Chapter 118 118. The Storm Magic Wolf

With the fall of the unknown magical beast, the crowd erupted into victorious cheers.

"How are everyone's injuries? Especially those of you who were just flung away, check your conditions."

Roning gave a word of instruction and approached the carcass of the beast.

Though the creature was now motionless, looking at its massive body of nearly three meters still brought a distinct sense of oppression, particularly under the rendering of the choking odor left by the explosion of fire elements in the air, which still made one's heart flutter.

Elrond crouched to one side, stroking its fur.

Having been blasted by the Pyroblast, much of the hair on its head had already been burned away, and a portion around the neck was yellowed and curled, but most of it remained intact.

"I wonder what rank this magical beast was; its aura didn't seem like a rank three, yet its strength appeared a bit low compared to a rank four beast."

"It is a rank four magical beast."

Roning said, "Flip over its belly and take a look. There is a scar there, likely left by another beast; it was harboring an injury."

Elrond tried, but lacked the strength, and could only helplessly look for an assistant: "Macken, come over and give me a hand."

"Right!"

Macken was just feeling regretful for having missed a battle, and upon hearing Elrond's call, he immediately stepped forward to push the giant beast over.

"There really is a wound!"

Elrond inspected it and said, "More than one place, my Lord, there are also scratch marks here on its rump."

Roning walked over to examine it; the wound here was not large and was already nearing healing.

"Perhaps this magical beast was defeated during a fight with another beast and only then came to Mountainwoods Town, and having given birth to its cub, it thought to nurse its wounds and thus did not leave."

Elrond asked, "My Lord, how do we handle it?"

"We haul it back, of course; every part of a magical beast is a treasure."

As he spoke, he ran into the grass and scooped up the magical beast cub, the little creature still whimpering softly, and since it had not yet opened its eyes, it naturally had no idea what had transpired here.

"Oh heavens, there is actually a magical beast cub here!"

Macken cried out in surprise; he was only two or three minutes late, how had he missed so much of the good drama?

"I recall that among the group returning this time, the beast tamer who trains the messenger birds is named Browning. Bring him to the castle to see me in a moment, and let's see if there is any possibility of taming this little guy."

Although killing the mother beast one moment and wishing to tame the cub for his own use the next sounded incredibly cruel, such was reality.

Humans always remained on the menu of carnivorous magical beasts, and in human perception, a magical beast was always a threat unless it could be domesticated.

Roning did possess a magical beast contract scroll in his hands, but this was an extremely rare item that could only be crafted by a rank seven Dark Grand Mage, and using it on a rank four beast was somewhat wasteful.

He had pondered that this scroll should either be used to contract a beast with immense potential, or an adult, powerful magical beast; but regardless, it was not suitable for this cub.

Therefore, if he wished to claim it as his own, he could only rely on taming.

"Very well, my Lord, I believe you will surely tame it successfully!" Macken offered his blessings.

"May I hold it?"

Irene walked over and asked timidly.

"Of course you can!"

The cub's body length was only about forty or fifty centimeters, and Irene cradled it in her arms quite easily.

Likely because the scent was utterly unfamiliar and the surroundings were noisy, it kept whimpering uneasily. Irene stroked its small head, attempting to soothe its emotions, but this was clearly not very effective.

"Perhaps it might also be hungry, let us head back first."

Roning blew a whistle, and the Cloud-Stepping Steed trotted over. He vaulted onto the horse, "Chahar, you return as quickly as possible too. Many newcomers have arrived in the territory, and you and Wilson are needed to settle them."

"Very well, Master, I shall return right away."

After Roning returned to the castle, he instructed Galen and Bella to prepare warm milk and goat's milk. The magical beast cub caught the scent of the milk, but because it had not opened its eyes, it could not lap it up on its own.

Left with no alternative, Roning could only fetch a spoon and, along with Irene, feed the little fellow bit by bit; it took the two of them a considerable amount of time and effort just to feed it a bowl of milk.

Once full, the cub finally ceased its whimpering and began to sniff around, exploring its surroundings.

"Master, the Guard Captain has brought Browning to the living room." Outside the room, Galen said respectfully.

"Good."

Roning stood up and smiled, "Come, let us go and learn a thing or two from the beast tamer."

"Alright~"

Irene, who was using a cloth to wipe clean the milk spilled around the cub's mouth, happily picked it up and followed him out.

In the living room, the servants had already served a fruit platter and tea to the beast tamer. Toward this guest from Wushan Castle, Chahar was exceedingly polite.

Browning appraised the living room environment; though the necessary fireplace, sofa, and so forth were all present, compared to Wushan Castle, this place was truly far too spartan, making it difficult to imagine that the Marquis's grandson would reside in such an environment.

Seeing Roning enter from behind, Browning immediately stood up, "Noble Baron of Mountainwoods Town, Browning is delighted to be summoned by you in person!"

He bowed respectfully as he spoke, "Ever since entering Mountainwoods Town, I have heard the people praising your achievements. Your presence has brought new life to this barren land!"

"Your praise is truly delightful to the ears!"

Hearing such flattery, though Roning found it somewhat corny, he had seen enough of it to no longer find it strange.

He gestured for the other to sit, "Mr. Browning, I shall trouble you with the training of the messenger birds for Mountainwoods Castle this time! If there is anywhere you require assistance, you may raise it with anyone in the castle, and they will pass it on to me."

"Rest assured, my Lord, within three months, I will surely establish the bird path between Mountainwoods Town and Wushan Castle."

Regarding a matter personally entrusted by the Lord Marquis, the messenger bird management team of Wushan Castle attached great importance to it.

Not only had they prepared a sufficient number of messenger birds for training, but they had also dispatched the highly experienced bird-taming expert, Browning.

"I asked you here today for another matter."

Roning gave Irene a glance, and Irene, standing behind, stepped forward carrying the magical beast cub.

"Is this a dog?" Browning was puzzled.

"Today I led the knights of the territory to slay a magical beast that invaded our lands; this is the cub it left behind."

Roning explained, "I wished to consult you, Mr. Browning, on whether there is a way to tame this cub for my use?"

Browning's eyes widened, and he quickly walked up to Irene in astonishment, "Heavens, this is no dog, this... this is truly a wild magical beast cub, and it hasn't even opened its eyes yet!"

"May I hold it?" he asked, seeking permission.

Roning nodded, "We know absolutely nothing about the information of this magical beast, nor do we know what type it belongs to."

Browning did not answer immediately; he lifted the cub by the scruff of its neck, suspending it in the air to examine it closely, marveling as he looked.

"My Lord, if I am not mistaken, this should be the cub of a rank three magical beast, the 'Storm Magic Wolf'!"

A rank three magical beast?

Roning asked in surprise, "But the magical beast I killed was of rank four."

A rank four magical beast?

Browning's eyes widened in shock, "My Lord, you were actually able to slay a rank four magical beast?"

"This was all thanks to Macken and the other knights; I merely went along to join in the excitement."

McKenton stood by, feeling awkward—he had not landed a single strike or slash throughout the entire ordeal, yet now he was being credited with the triumph.

Browning believed him wholeheartedly; along the way, he had witnessed McKenton sparring with the Knight Galil, and he knew this burly guard officer possessed formidable strength.

“The strongest Storm Wolf specimens can only reach Level Three. I’ve never heard of one reaching Level Four.”

He hesitated briefly. “My lord, may I see the dead wolf?”

“Of course.”

Ronin nodded, instructing Elin to remain inside with the pup, while he led the beast tamer to the outer fortress.

“This is indeed a Storm Wolf!”

Upon seeing the dead beast, Browning was utterly convinced.

“But its size exceeds that of an ordinary Storm Wolf—it must be a mutated variant. That explains why it reached Level Four.”

“It moves swiftly, its claws are razor-sharp, its fur offers exceptional defense, and it can channel supernatural power to launch attacks.”

As he spoke, Browning regarded McKenton with deep reverence. “To slay such a creature, your prowess is truly astonishing.”

“Ah, you flatter me!” McKenton scratched his head, embarrassed.

Ronin smiled and explained, “Though it was a Level Four beast, its abdomen bore a long, unhealed wound that severely crippled its combat capability—this is why we had the chance to kill it.”

Browning immediately examined the corpse closely.

After a long pause, he conceded to Ronin’s assessment.

“Storm Wolves possess familial traits—they typically live in packs led by a male and female, along with their offspring. The fact that only this female appeared here suggests her entire clan has been annihilated.”

Browning continued his analysis: “The alpha male must be dead. The rest of the pack likely slaughtered as well. That’s why only this lone female remains.”

Ronin frowned deeply. “So… there’s another beast in the mountains near Hillwood Village capable of destroying an entire Storm Wolf clan?”

No matter how large the clan had been, the enemy must have possessed the strength to defeat a Level Four beast.

If a Storm Wolf could reach Hillwood Village, then so could that predator.

“That’s not necessarily true,” Browning countered, shaking his head. “Once a Storm Wolf loses its pack, it abandons its territory and migrates great distances. This female has been pregnant until birth—three months. That means her original territory could be as far as three months’ travel from Hillwood Village.”

Ronin understood this was merely speculation. “McKenton, ensure the safety of the Ironwood Forge district!”

“Yes, my lord!” McKenton replied solemnly.

Ronin suppressed his unease and steered the conversation back. “Enough about the Storm Wolf for now, Browning. I need your help—I’d like you to tame that little one.”

“I am honored to serve you, Baron.”

Browning was deeply intrigued by beast taming. “If this pup had already lived alongside its mother long enough to awaken its wild instincts, I couldn’t guarantee success. But since its eyes haven’t even opened yet, taming it will be vastly easier!”

(End of Chapter)