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Chapter 206: A New Simulation, Tucker's Disappearance
🕑 Added 2024-09-18 05:43:36 +0000 UTC"Uh..." Lawrence's eyes lowered, filled with hesitation.
Seeing this, Rhett instantly understood what had happened.
His eyes flashed with realization as he glanced at his eldest son, Tucker, who was casually chatting and laughing with the two orcs. It had to be Tucker who had forgotten again.
Rhett shook his head, not dwelling on it, and instead said, "Lawrence, the reason I called you over is to help you tame the magical beast pup."
Lawrence's eyes lit up with excitement. "Lord Rhett, how do I do that?"
Now sixteen, Lawrence had developed well, standing at a height of 1.8 meters with broad shoulders, strong arms, and a handsome face. If it weren’t for his own special abilities, Rhett might have thought Lawrence was the protagonist, the true child of destiny.
Rhett looked intently at Lawrence. "It's simple. Just like when you train a kitten, a puppy, or a rabbit. In a moment, you'll..."
Lawrence listened attentively, his face showing understanding. He eagerly said, "I got it, Lord Rhett. Let's start right away!"
Rhett turned and called out to Tucker, "Tucker, we're starting. We just need your Mog now."
Since arriving in the territory, the two orcs had mostly interacted with the workers at the lumberyard, knowing few others. But Tucker was an exception. He often visited the lumberyard to chat with the orcs, admiring their muscular physiques and strong bodies, and since he showed no prejudice, he had become quite friendly with them.
"Huh? Oh, got it, Father!" Tucker scratched his head and turned to the minotaur. "Well, you guys keep working. I'll see you later."
"Mm..." The minotaur grunted in agreement, its deep voice resonating.
After a brief exchange, the plan proceeded as usual.
At this moment, Mog was circling in the sky, unnoticed by the White-Eyed Rat pup below.
Lawrence took the sprig of spirit grass Rhett handed him and used it to play with the little mouse, feeding it one leaf at a time.
Rhett and Tucker stepped aside.
Mog, flying above, followed Tucker's earlier instructions, counting its wingbeats as it circled.
Everything was going according to plan.
Suddenly, an unexpected disturbance arose.
A faint, ominous ripple spread from the horizon. Mog remained unaware, preening its feathers with its beak, until the dark aura in the sky grew stronger, and a faint, pungent smell filled the air.
Chirp! A hoarse cry pierced the air, and the ground below was cast in shadow.
Mog, sensing danger, looked up in alarm. A massive eagle with black-and-white feathers loomed behind it in the sky, its gray eyes filled with a sinister gleam. It stared at Mog with a crazed hunger, clearly seeing it as prey.
Terrified, Mog trembled and instinctively fled downward.
The black-and-white eagle let out a derisive screech and swooped down, pursuing its target!
On the ground, Lawrence stared up in shock, horrified by the scene above. This was no drill.
Realizing something had gone wrong, he drew his sword, ready for battle.
"Hmph!" A cold snort echoed.
Earth Spire!
The air thickened with earth elements. Rhett, who had noticed the danger first, had already begun casting his spell when the black-headed eagle appeared.
A sharp spire of stone materialized!
Rhett’s hands moved swiftly, but his thoughts raced faster. Why had a Tier 4 black-headed eagle appeared so suddenly?
There had been no warning in the simulation...
Thud!
The spire pierced the black-headed eagle’s chest. The eagle, completely unaware of the presence of a Tier 5 Magister below, was caught off guard.
Blood sprayed from the sky, raining down on the lumberyard and staining the trees with crimson droplets.
Chirp...
A mournful cry echoed closer and closer.
The black-headed eagle, its heart pierced by the spire, quickly lost its life force. Unable to fly, it plummeted to the ground.
Lawrence saw the eagle falling toward him and quickly grabbed the White-Eyed Rat pup, running to safety.
Thud! The black-headed eagle crashed into the ground, leaving a small crater.
Rhett turned to his eldest son and urged, "Tucker, hurry, finish it off!"
"Don’t worry, Father!" Tucker’s eyes were firm with determination.
Tucker stood on a stump, sword in hand. With a powerful leap, he unleashed a combat technique, sending a fiery slash toward the dying eagle.
Slash!
The blade struck the eagle's chest, deepening the wound, and blood sprayed out in jagged patterns.
Despite his carefree attitude, Tucker was meticulous in battle, never overlooking any detail.
[Family member kills an enemy two tiers above, Destiny Points +2]
As the eagle’s life force completely faded, the light screen appeared as expected.
The mysterious Tier 4 black-headed eagle lay dead in a pool of blood.
Rhett remained calm outwardly, though internally, he pondered where this eagle had come from. "Tucker, handle the materials. We’ll have roasted beast wings tonight!"
Tucker’s mouth watered. "Got it!"
"Lord Rhett, leave this to me," Lawrence offered eagerly, stepping forward.
Seeing Lawrence’s enthusiastic expression, Rhett nodded slightly.
Given permission, Lawrence excitedly drew his skinning knife and began expertly dissecting the eagle, using the techniques Flano had taught him.
As he worked, Lawrence replayed the earlier scene in his mind. Lord Rhett had killed the terrifying Tier 4 beast with a single spell.
Lawrence's blood boiled with excitement. He, too, wanted to become that powerful!
Soon after, Lawrence finished and brought a bag of materials to Rhett. "It’s done, Lord Rhett. All the materials are packed."
Rhett looked at Lawrence and said thoughtfully, "Not bad. With today’s unexpected events, it's best to postpone taming the White-Eyed Rat pup. We’ll try again in three days."
"Understood!" Lawrence replied firmly.
After Lawrence left, Tucker stopped comforting Mog, who had been badly shaken. The close call had left the bird terrified, clinging to Tucker’s leg with its dark wings.
Tucker, still shaken himself, said, "Father, Mog was really scared. I should take it back and calm it down."
"Haha, your beast’s personality is quite different from yours," Rhett joked.
Tucker shrugged, looking down at the scattered feathers on the ground. He muttered, "How did a Tier 4 black-headed eagle suddenly show up? Father, wasn’t it a Tier 2 black-headed eagle that attacked you once?"
Rhett’s face darkened as the unpleasant memory resurfaced. "Yes, but that one escaped. It couldn’t have been this one."
Rhett frowned, deep in thought.
Though it was just a minor disruption, he couldn’t shake a sense of unease.
Considering it had been a while since his last simulation, Rhett decided to conduct one just in case.
[Start Text Simulation? Each year of simulation consumes 5 Destiny Points.]
"Yes, simulate for one year."
[Year 476 of the Kingdom’s Calendar, December 23rd: Riley successfully brews a low-grade poison, becoming a full-fledged alchemist. With your help, Thales, Henk, and Makov all successfully tame magical beast pups. However, during Lawrence’s taming attempt, a Tier 4 black-headed eagle attacks, and you easily kill it.]
[December 24th: Unica becomes an apprentice alchemist.]
[December 29th: Shirin advances to a Tier 3 Knight.]
[Year 477, January 17th: Lawrence breaks through his bottleneck and becomes a Tier 2 Knight, earning the title of a true genius! That night, Armando, upon hearing the news, sneaks into the Dark Eagle Branch to slay beasts in a fit of jealousy. His fury clouds his judgment, leading him into the deeper areas, where he is killed by a passing Tier 6 black-headed eagle. The eagle then wreaks havoc on the lone peak, killing all the Dark Eagles, including Vordell.]
[January 18th: The Tier 6 black-headed eagle does not leave the area but instead causes chaos throughout the territory, bringing disaster to Dark Eagle City. It kills numerous civilians and several extraordinary individuals before finally departing at night. Your subordinates, Vicki and Tarder, perish in the chaos.]
[January 21st: Flano’s wife, Laurine, advances to Tier 2 Knight.]
[February 3rd: The recent eagle attacks have shaken your authority. Many extraordinary individuals leave the city, and news of the attacks causes a significant drop in population influx.]
[February 7th: Nigel, a trainee at the training grounds, advances to apprentice Knight.]
[February 13th: Henk's brother, Felix, visits him, and they reunite with great joy. Felix expresses deep gratitude to you. After some persuasion, Felix decides to join your territory.]
[February 15th: Two mages who joined your territory last year become apprentice alchemists under Henk's guidance.]
[March 13th: A traveler arrives in your territory. Riley strikes up a conversation and learns new painting techniques over three days, greatly improving his skills!]
[March 22nd: Carlton, the president of the Dalton Chamber of Commerce’s Twilight City branch, visits you to discuss establishing a branch in Dark Eagle. You gladly agree, and during the conversation, you mention your plan to publish the novel Coiling Dragon. Carlton is intrigued but stunned after reading part of it, and he enthusiastically agrees, predicting that the book will be a massive hit!]
[August 20th: The novel Coiling Dragon causes a sensation in the royal city, sparking a frenzy among readers!]
[September 5th: The Third Prince, Hogus Golden, quietly visits your territory, expressing his admiration for Coiling Dragon. He praises the descriptions of wind-element mysteries in the book, saying they left him in awe.]
[September 11th: Hogus stays in your territory for a week. After receiving a rush copy of the complete Coiling Dragon, he leaves satisfied, gifting you a large quantity of Aurora Potions as thanks.]
[September 19th: Laurine advances to Tier 2 Knight.]
[October 2nd: The Snow Fairy, Nina, awakens and advances Riley to Tier 3 Magician.]
[October 3rd: You decide to reveal the existence of the fairy to Felix, Henk’s brother, who has remained low-key since joining the territory six months ago. Felix is shocked and delighted, revealing that he knows an alchemy master in the royal city who is connected to a wind-element fairy owner. Felix suggests that you could mutually benefit by exchanging fairy blessings.]
[October 15th: Since you had not visited, Master Niru from the Circle Tower comes to your territory personally to discuss Blood Source Beads. He requests a trade for a crimson Blood Source Bead, which you agree to. After negotiations, you receive an alchemy handbook of insights in exchange.]
[October 19th: You decide to head to the royal city to seek out leads on fairy owners.]
[October 29th: Kalina becomes pregnant with a second child.]
[November 4th: Olex, from the training grounds, advances to Tier 1 Knight.]
[November 13th: Upon arriving in the royal city, Felix brings you to the alchemy organization he was previously a part of—the White Forest Alchemy Guild.]
[November 15th: After waiting two days, the alchemy master finally finds time to meet you. Upon learning you possess a fairy, he is overjoyed. He tells you that the wind-element fairy owner is currently away but will inform him upon his return.]
[December 11th: Your eldest son, Tucker, mysteriously disappears and has been missing for three days. Worried, you begin investigating.]
[December 12th: After extensive investigation, you discover that Tucker entered the Dark Eagle branch four days ago and then mysteriously vanished without a trace.]
[Text simulation ends. Would you like to continue simulating?]
"No!"
What happened? Rhett's heart pounded as he read through the simulation results. The earlier chaos caused by the Tier 6 black-headed eagle could be managed, and now that he knew the trajectory, he could take precautions. However, Tucker’s mysterious disappearance left him baffled and deeply concerned.
He took a deep breath.
"Tucker, what's wrong?" Tucker blinked his large eyes, looking at Rhett.
Rhett's brow furrowed, worry etched across his face. Staring intently at his eldest son, he asked, "Tucker, have you offended anyone?"
"Yes!"
Tucker's expression turned serious.
Rhett narrowed his eyes, a hint of coldness flashing in them. "Who is it?"
"Thales, that guy."
Tucker sheepishly scratched the back of his head. "Earlier, I used Mog to teach Blue a lesson, and I admit I went a bit hard on him. Thales is a bit petty, so I’m sure he’ll hold a grudge."
Rhett’s face darkened, his lips twitching as he struggled to resist the urge to slap Tucker.
"Get out of my sight."
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