Soon, the promised “mountain of roasted geese” appeared on the long table in the castle dining hall.
Twenty roasted geese, with crispy golden-brown skin and tender, juicy meat, were carefully stacked, forming an enticing small mountain, and a rich aroma filled the entire dining hall.
Ever since the cook Marlene joined, the standard of food in the castle had greatly improved, especially this roasted goose; it was crispy on the outside, tender on the inside, rich in fat but not greasy, and sprinkled with special spices, its taste was indescribably delicious, deeply loved by a certain picky “kitten”.
Moonlight circled the mountain of roasted geese twice, its eyes sparkling, and a satisfied purr rumbled in its throat.
It no longer stood on ceremony, lightly leaped onto the table, extended a paw towards the nearest roasted goose, skillfully tore off a large piece of oily goose leg meat, and then buried its head to feast.
Watching Moonlight eat with relish, Lei Luo wore a faint smile.
This reward was indeed excessive, but he had his own calculations.
The Storm Gryphon had been tamed, but a new third-tier magical beast, an Ironclad Earth Dragon, had appeared in the northern mountainous region of the territory.
That big fellow had thick skin and flesh, and immense strength, making it an excellent heavy-duty mount and transport force, but its temperament was equally volatile and difficult to tame.
To tame this Ironclad Earth Dragon, Moonlight’s effort would be indispensable.
These twenty roasted geese, the excess portion, were considered an “advance payment.”
Aide stood aside, watching the rapidly shrinking mountain of roasted geese and Moonlight eating with a greasy mouth.
He truly couldn’t reconcile the harmless, gluttonous, and clumsy little cat in front of him with the fact that it had subdued a third-tier magical beast, a Storm Gryphon, with mere aura.
However, there were too many magical deeds associated with Moonlight, and everyone in the territory had already grown accustomed to them.
Moonlight’s appetite was astonishing; it devoured the entire mountain of roasted geese like a whirlwind, then let out a satisfied burp.
It wiped its mouth with a paw, jumped back into Lei Luo’s arms, curled up in a comfortable position, and lazily licked its paws, looking utterly content as if saying, “Fed and watered, all is well.”
“Alright, now that you’ve eaten your fill, it’s time to work.”
Lei Luo rubbed its warm little belly.
Moonlight raised its head in dissatisfaction, let out a “meow,” and pushed Lei Luo’s hand away with its paw, seemingly protesting the interruption of its post-meal nap.
Lei Luo wasn’t annoyed; he just smiled and said, “There’s a big fellow waiting for you in the northern mountains. This time’s target is even tougher than the Griffon.”
Hearing “big fellow,” Moonlight’s ears twitched, and its eyes narrowed, seemingly showing some interest.
To it, taming magical beasts was perhaps like a high-level “catnip toy” game.
“Aide, gather the First and Second Pegasus Knight squads; prepare to depart.”
Lei Luo stood up.
“Yes, My Lord.” Aide bowed in acknowledgment, then turned and quickly left.
A moment later, on the open ground outside the castle, twenty Pegasus Knights were ready to depart.
They wore light leather armor, carried long spears or crossbows, and their Pegasi were in high spirits, occasionally flapping their wings, making a slight whooshing sound.
“Target: Northern Mountains. Maintain vigilance, and pay attention to reconnaissance.”
Lei Luo issued a simple command.
“Yes!” The knights responded in unison.
With a command, twenty Pegasi flapped their wings and soared high, rushing into the sky like arrows from a bowstring, quickly forming a formation and flying north.
Moonlight was wrapped in Lei Luo’s arms, only its small head peeking out, feeling the whistling wind in its ears, and curiously observing the rapidly passing scenery below.
It seemed to enjoy the feeling of flying, and exciting light flickered in its emerald eyes.
The northern mountainous region of the territory had complex terrain, with continuous mountains and dense forests.
The Pegasus Knights circled high in the sky, searching carefully below like hawks.
Ironclad Earth Dragons were massive, and although not as conspicuous as Griffons, the traces they left during their activities, such as flattened trees and huge footprints, could not escape the knights’ keen eyes.
After about an hour of searching, a sharp-eyed knight signaled from high in the sky.
“My Lord, to the southeast, about five li away, signs of a giant magical beast have been found!” the knight shouted.
“Approach for reconnaissance, maintain concealment.” Lei Luo commanded.
The team adjusted their direction, lowered their altitude, and cautiously flew towards the target area.
Soon, in a relatively open valley, they saw their target.
It was a massive crawling beast, over ten meters long and nearly three meters tall.
Its body was covered in thick, rock-like scales, a deep iron-gray, with sturdy, powerful limbs; each step on the ground seemed to cause a slight tremor.
Its head was not large, but its mouth was filled with thick teeth, and a long, thick tail dragged behind it, ending in a bony hammer.
It was precisely their target for this expedition—the Ironclad Earth Dragon.
This Ironclad Earth Dragon appeared to be in its prime, full of vigor.
It was slowly moving through the valley, occasionally sniffing the ground, seemingly searching for food or patrolling its territory.
Its heavy scales reflected a cold metallic luster in the sunlight, full of a sense of power.
Lei Luo’s eyes lit up, and he was secretly pleased.
This Earth Dragon was of excellent quality; if successfully tamed, it would definitely be a great asset to the territory.
He glanced at Moonlight in his arms; the little fellow was also staring intently at the big creature below, seemingly assessing where to “strike” most appropriately.
“Maintain distance, prepare to descend.”
“Once it enters that open space, we’ll go down.” Lei Luo whispered.
The knights acknowledged the order and began circling in the air, waiting for the optimal moment.
However, just then, an unexpected change occurred!
A sharp, high-pitched cry pierced the sky, carrying a powerful pressure from the horizon.
Lei Luo and Aide’s expressions changed simultaneously; they suddenly looked up.
They saw a massive black shadow rapidly diving down from the high clouds, moving at an astonishing speed!
It was a huge flying magical beast with a wingspan of over twenty meters, possessing two thick hind limbs and a pair of massive scale-covered wings, but no forelimbs.
A long neck topped a ferocious head, its mouth filled with sharp teeth, and its dark red eyes were full of brutality and greed.
“Wyvern!”
Aide exclaimed in surprise, his voice carrying a hint of unbelievable tension.
A Wyvern!
This was a being of a higher tier than both the Storm Gryphon and the Ironclad Earth Dragon, one of the top predators in the sky, known for its ferocity and strength.
How could it appear here?
Before Lei Luo and the others could react, that Wyvern had already pounced on the Ironclad Earth Dragon in the valley like a black lightning bolt!
“Roar!”
The Ironclad Earth Dragon clearly also sensed the threat from the sky; it abruptly stopped, raised its head, let out a muffled roar, its entire body’s muscles instantly tensed, and its heavy scales bristled, entering a defensive stance.