Early in the morning, the sky had just begun to lighten.
The excitement from discovering the Wizard's Handbook last night had not yet completely faded; that thick beast-skin book still seemed to emit a strange magic from his embrace.
Lei Luo sat up, rubbing his somewhat heavy forehead; he had almost fallen asleep holding the handbook last night, repeatedly replaying the details of those magic potion formulas and monster cultivation in his mind until he finally fell into a deep sleep late at night.
“Daily Intelligence Update”
“1: Traces of Magic Snake Claw have been found at the edge of the Emerald Marshes, and large monster footprints were discovered within the Claw’s Team.”
“2: The baron of the neighboring Silvermoon City has issued a public announcement, recruiting retired soldiers and mercenaries with high salaries to expand his private guard.”
“3: A merchant caravan heading to Silver Creek City, due to concerns about the safety of Blackstone Town and a lack of trading goods, has confirmed a change in route and will bypass this town.”
“4: Recently, several herders have reported their livestock disappearing without reason, and patrol teams have found some messy wolf paw prints, confirming the presence of wolf packs around Blackstone Town.”
“5: A merchant caravan from Valley Land is expected to arrive at Blackstone Town in three days and is anticipated to stay in Blackstone Town for one day; please prepare the necessary goods for trade with the caravan in advance.”
“6: At the ridge of the Black Stone Mountain Range, there is a stone pillar forest where hunters have found multiple traces of Gryphon activity.”
“7: …”
“8: A team of over thirty refugees from the western war-torn regions is currently temporarily staying in an abandoned village about forty kilometers from Blackstone Town; it is said that there are several artisans among them, including a blacksmith and a leatherworker, and their situation is dire.”
“9: Guard Captain Ed has been at the bottleneck of a Second-Tier Great Knight for many years, just one step away from breaking through to a Third-Tier Earth Knight. Preparing a precious breakthrough magic potion for him, or bestowing upon him an Ironclad Rhinoceros cub as a contracted magic beast, both have a high probability of helping him break through the bottleneck.”
“10: Near the northern part of Blackstone Town, in the Black Stone Mountain Range, a group of bandits has established a camp in a dangerous mountain stronghold. Currently, this group of bandits is preparing to descend the mountain to plunder, and Blackstone Town, being close to the Black Stone Mountain Range, will be the first to bear the brunt.”
Lei Luo had long intended to bestow an Ironclad Rhinoceros cub upon Ed as a magic pet.
After seeing the intelligence, he decided to immediately put this matter on the agenda.
With bandits about to attack, having an Earth Knight in the territory would provide necessary protection for the territory's safety.
An Earth Knight is already a high-tier combat force among knights.
In a small knight order or mercenary group, they could even be a leader.
If Blackstone Town could have an Earth Knight to guard it, whether it was to deter bandits or to fight against magic beasts, its confidence would be completely different.
Thinking of this, Lei Luo no longer hesitated.
He got up, tidied his clothes, and strode out of the room.
Next to the stable, a temporary beast enclosure had been set up.
Two Ironclad Rhinoceros cubs were being kept inside.
The enclosure was somewhat crude, built with thick logs.
Grunting and snorting sounds came from within, as two half-human-tall, grayish-black Xiao Rhinos chased and played inside.
They had thick hides and rough skin, and their single horns were still very tender, but when they ran, they already had quite an imposing presence, making the ground thump.
Seeing Lei Luo and Ed approach, the two little ones stopped playing and looked over curiously, their round eyes showing a hint of Simple and honest.
In just a few days.
Under Ed's careful feeding, the two cubs had already dispelled their hostility towards humans.
“Ed, how many years have you been a Great Knight?” Lei Luo suddenly asked.
“Lord, it has been seven years.”
“Seven years?” Lei Luo did not ask for the reason, “The usual method for breaking through to an Earth Knight relies on breakthrough magic potions, but breakthrough magic potions are expensive and are controlled by large families, so I cannot provide them to you for now.”
“However, to my knowledge, there is an alternative method.”
Lei Luo stroked the big head of the Ironclad Rhinoceros cub that had come closer.
“Contracted magic beasts, utilizing the opportunity during the contract when the knight and the magic beast’s souls merge and their powers integrate, to break through the bottleneck in one fell swoop.”
“The Ironclad Rhinoceros is a Third-Tier magic beast, perfectly suited to help you break through to an Earth Knight,” Lei Luo said.
Ed suddenly raised his head, looking at Lei Luo in shock.
His lips moved, but for a moment, he couldn't speak.
An Ironclad Rhinoceros cub!
Its value was even higher than a Third-Tier breakthrough magic potion!
If the Lord was willing to exchange the Ironclad Rhinoceros cub with other lords, he could definitely get back several times the value of Third-Tier breakthrough magic potions.
The Lord actually… wanted to bestow it upon him?
This was not just a reward, but also immense trust and expectation!
“Lord… this… this is too precious! Your subordinate…”
Ed, this stern man, now had a slight redness in his eyes.
“Precious? Perhaps.”
Lei Luo patted Ed’s shoulder.
“Captain Ed, loyalty is the most precious thing in this world.”
He said, “Go, don’t disappoint me.”
Ed took a deep breath, then suddenly knelt on one knee, his right hand on his chest, his voice strong and clear: “Your subordinate Ed swears allegiance to the Lord until death! I will never fail the Lord’s expectations!”
“Rise.”
Lei Luo helped Ed up and handed him a magic beast contract scroll.
“Go, establish a contract with your new companion. I will wait here for the good news of your breakthrough.”
Ed nodded heavily, his eyes filled with gratitude and unprecedented determination.
He walked to the side of the beast enclosure, opened the fence gate, and slowly walked towards one of the Ironclad Rhinoceros cubs.
Ed reached out his hand.
The Xiao Rhino was a bit resistant at first, but soon, thanks to Ed’s careful care over the past few days, the Xiao Rhino no longer had any guard against this human who had fed them so many delicacies.
It slowly calmed down, letting out a low whimper, and actively rubbed its head against Ed’s palm.
The scroll was torn open, the light of the contract shone, and an invisible bond connected the man and the beast.
The moment the contract was completed, Ed’s whole body trembled violently!
A powerful and profound aura burst forth from his body!
“Roar!”
Ed let out a long-suppressed low roar, his battle qi surging around him, no longer in the condensed but slightly stagnant peak Second-Tier state, but becoming as substantial, rich, and unrestrained as reality!
Earthy yellow light flowed around him, as if resonating with the ground beneath his feet.
The ground trembled slightly, and the air seemed to grow heavy.
The Xiao Rhino, which had been standing nearby, still somewhat bewildered, also seemed to be affected by its master’s breakthrough, excitedly pawing at the ground with its short legs, letting out a series of joyful snorts, and then crashing into the nearby wooden fence, making a “clunk” sound, actually cracking a thick log.
“…”
Ed felt the surging power within him, then looked at his magic pet, which had caused trouble as soon as it was contracted, and his expression was a mix of laughter and tears.
Lei Luo stood not far away, feeling the steady, mountain-like aura of an Earth Knight emanating from Ed, and a genuine smile appeared on his face.
It’s done!
A Third-Tier Earth Knight!
“Congratulations, Ed.”
Lei Luo walked forward, “From today onwards, you are the first Earth Knight of Blackstone Territory.”
Ed reined in his aura, turned, and once again knelt on one knee before Lei Luo.
“Thank you, Lord, for your benevolence! Ed is willing to be the Lord’s vanguard, until death!”