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Chapter 196: The White-Eyed Mouse's Lair
🕑 Added 2024-09-16 04:46:06 +0000 UTC"Squeak!"
"Squeak!"
Faint, sharp cries echoed through the air. Tylers perked up his ears and lay flat on the ground, listening intently. He then exclaimed in surprise, "Father, I think I hear something down below?"
"Yes, I hear it too. Let's go check it out!" Rhett feigned excitement and grabbed Tylers' arm, leaping off the waterfall's edge.
Wind elements quickly gathered around them, forming faint green lights that enveloped them like feathers, allowing them to float gently downward until they landed steadily on the water's surface.
They weren't walking on water; Rhett didn't possess that skill. Instead, just before landing, Rhett froze the lake beneath them, creating a semi-transparent ice floe.
Splash! Splash! Splash!
Endless splashes erupted as if the Milky Way had descended, creating a spectacular scene that filled Rhett with joy as he paused to admire it.
After a moment, he pointed to the waterfall and spoke slowly, "There seems to be a water curtain cave behind it. Inside, four magical beasts are engaged in a fierce battle!"
"Hmm, judging by the sounds, they seem like rodent-type magical beasts. Could they be White-Eyed Mice?" Tylers stared at the waterfall, curious.
"Yes, and there are also two Ice Mice," Rhett replied softly.
With that, he pulled Tylers along and dashed toward the waterfall.
Despite the waterfall's powerful force and chilling spray, it posed no challenge to Rhett.
With precise control of his mental energy, earth elements quickly condensed, and a massive boulder appeared, blocking the waterfall's path.
Water sprayed everywhere, as if silver rain was falling from the sky, revealing a spacious area beneath. A cave about four meters wide came into view, dark and mysterious from the outside, revealing nothing within.
As they ventured inside, the darkness persisted, but faint blue flashes illuminated the path ahead, accompanied by a chilling cold that permeated the air.
The ground and walls bore countless pits and claw marks, along with several translucent blue ice spikes, evidence of a recent battle.
The fight was still ongoing!
Four figures—one blue and three white—darted around like arcing lightning, moving at breakneck speed, leaving afterimages in the cave.
Rhett summoned light elements, illuminating the cave and immediately focusing on the Ice Mouse. Its body was covered in wounds, crisscrossed with claw marks. Its fur stood on end as it struggled in battle, clearly at a disadvantage, but its eyes burned with a fierce will to survive.
Its sharp teeth ground together, emitting angry and anxious squeaks.
Tylers widened his eyes, noticing the four flashing figures. He was taken aback and exclaimed, "Wait, Father, didn't you say there were two Ice Mice and three White-Eyed Mice? Did one of them die?"
However, after scanning the surroundings, aside from bloodstains on the ground and the damaged terrain, Tylers found no sign of any corpses.
"One of them... is inside the Ice Mouse's belly. Its life force is incredibly weak, so you couldn't sense it," Rhett explained calmly.
Tylers froze in place, his eyes lighting up with joy as he exclaimed, "An Ice Mouse baby? Does that mean... I can have my own magical beast?"
Rhett chuckled, glancing at Tylers, "Not interested in a flying magical beast anymore?"
"Uh..." Tylers scratched the back of his head, embarrassed. "Well, actually... mice are pretty cute too. I think Mina would definitely like something small and adorable."
"Once you've decided, there's no going back. I'll get it for you," Rhett said quickly, patting Tylers on the head. His eyes narrowed as he saw that the battle was reaching a critical point. The Ice Mouse was in grave danger, and it could suffer a fatal blow at any moment.
Without hesitation, Rhett cast a Flowing Sand spell!
The four fourth-tier magical beasts were locked in fierce combat. Two of them flanked the Ice Mouse, leaving it vulnerable from both front and rear, while the third guarded the cave entrance to prevent its escape. They had already established a rudimentary tactical formation.
Suddenly, the moist soil in the cave turned into a viscous, liquid-like substance, creating a whirlpool that exerted a powerful suction force!
Caught off guard, the four rodent-like magical beasts found themselves trapped, squeaking in panic as they frantically tried to move their legs, only to sink deeper.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
Fearful cries filled the air, and whether White-Eyed or Ice Mice, their eyes reflected pure terror.
Earth Spike!
Without hesitation, Rhett unleashed three Earth Spikes, targeting the three White-Eyed Mice trapped in the quicksand.
Three earthen spikes shot up from the ground, skewering the White-Eyed Mice like a string of gourds, sending them flying into the air, their limbs flailing helplessly as their life force quickly ebbed away.
Blood slowly dripped from the spikes as the life force of the three White-Eyed Mice faded rapidly.
"Tylers!" Rhett called to his son.
"Got it!" Tylers responded eagerly. Excitement gleamed in his eyes as he looked at the White-Eyed Mice. The thought of soon having his own Ice Mouse baby filled him with joy.
Shadow Arrow!
A silent black arrow shot forth, barely noticeable, aimed at one of the White-Eyed Mice.
Although the Shadow Arrow was obvious to the White-Eyed Mouse, it was firmly skewered on the spike, unable to move as it watched the arrow approach.
Fear consumed it.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
The three White-Eyed Mice cried out in despair, even pleading for mercy.
White-Eyed Mice were known for their cunning. When facing weaker opponents, they were ruthless. If they couldn't win a fight, they'd call for reinforcements. If that failed, they'd run. And if running didn't work, they'd beg for mercy. They were one of the most cunning and intelligent magical beasts.
But Tylers remained unmoved. These stationary targets reminded him of his days as an executioner on the defensive line of the canyon, and he swiftly finished them off.
【Family member kills an enemy two levels higher. Fate Points +2】
After three consecutive notifications appeared, Rhett finally turned his attention to the Ice Mouse. The Flowing Sand spell had ended, and the Ice Mouse, having narrowly escaped death, was still in a daze. Seeing the two figures blocking the cave entrance, it shivered and dared not make eye contact.
Despite being a fourth-tier magical beast, the Ice Mouse, though not as intelligent as a human, understood that the two before it were powerful beings who had just killed the other three White-Eyed Mice—foes it couldn't hope to defeat!
Trembling, the Ice Mouse cowered in the corner, casting pitiful glances toward Rhett but not daring to move.
"Squeak! Squeak!"
Rhett chuckled at the sight and approached the three White-Eyed Mice, skillfully extracting three cyan-colored magic crystals with a small tool knife.
He then slowly walked over to the Ice Mouse and tossed the three corpses onto the ground.
Thud, thud, thud.
The faint thuds caught the Ice Mouse's attention. It looked at the three corpses before it and sniffed the air, catching a whiff of their enticing scent!
Pregnant and having just endured a fierce battle, the Ice Mouse desperately needed to replenish its energy.
It glanced up at Rhett, who wore a gentle smile. The Ice Mouse, somewhat confused, seemed to understand that the human had offered it the corpses of its former enemies as food.
Gratefully, it wagged its tail—a simple gesture of thanks, as it didn't know how to express gratitude in human terms.
Then, it quickly pounced on the White-Eyed Mice's bodies, savoring the satisfaction of revenge and the urgent need to eat.
Crunch, crunch.
The sound of claws tearing through flesh and the crunching of bones echoed through the cave.
In just a few minutes, all that remained of the three White-Eyed Mice were some bones, patches of fur, and bloodstains.
The Ice Mouse's belly, already swollen from pregnancy, now bulged even more after its meal.
It looked at Rhett with gratitude, but due to its innate fear and wariness, it didn't dare approach.
"Father, should we kill it now?" Tylers asked, glancing at the Ice Mouse and then at his father.
Though he felt a pang of guilt, Tylers knew that aside from family, other matters held little weight in his heart—especially when it came to securing his interests, where there could be no hesitation.
"Hmm, it seems like it's close to giving birth—within the next ten days, I’d say. Once the baby is born and before it opens its eyes, we'll take it," Rhett said, observing the blue-and-white belly of the Ice Mouse.
"That works," Tylers agreed, nodding.
Then, Rhett guided Tylers to the side of the cave wall, creating a wide path for the Ice Mouse to escape.
The Ice Mouse blinked in confusion, glancing between Rhett and the waterfall outside.
Finally, it seemed to understand—it was being allowed to flee. Overjoyed, the Ice Mouse wagged its tail faster before dashing out of the cave.
"Father, why did you let it go?" Tylers asked in surprise.
Rhett calmly replied, "No need to rush. We're just letting it stretch its legs. Let's follow it."
Tylers, feeling relieved, quickly followed Rhett out of the cave.
The next hour of travel passed without encountering any magical beasts.
They crossed lakes, leaped over valleys, and followed in the footsteps of the Ice Mouse until they arrived at the base of a small mountain within the White Mouse Range.
The Ice Mouse, sensing Rhett following closely behind, remained wary. While it feared his strength and was confused by his actions, its recent experiences made it less resistant to the two humans.
Despite its caution, the magical beast occasionally glanced back, observing whether the humans posed any threat.
Only when they reached the mountain's base and noticed that the two had made no hostile moves did the Ice Mouse begin to calm down.
Then, under the watchful eyes of Rhett and Tylers, it suddenly leaped more than twenty meters into the air.
Its front claws clung to a slightly protruding rock, and it slammed its head against the mountain.
Tylers, puzzled as to why his father had brought him here, watched the scene unfold with surprise and exclaimed, "What is it trying to do? Is it planning to commit suicide?"
Rhett, feigning surprise, chuckled and said, "Heh... I think I know what it's up to. Just watch and see."
Hearing his father's words, Tylers grew thoughtful, his curiosity still piqued, and he focused his attention back on the Ice Mouse.
Crack!
The sound of cracking rocks came from above.
Several small stones rolled down, landing at their feet.
"Father, there's a small hole up there!" Tylers suddenly shouted, pointing upward. "It looks like a mouse hole, but bigger than an ordinary one."
"It is a mouse hole."
"Huh?" Tylers turned to look at his father.
"Deep inside this mountain is a White-Eyed Mouse nest. It's not very large, and inside... there are just a few young ones..." Rhett mused aloud. "I suspect... they might be the offspring of the three White-Eyed Mice we encountered earlier in the water curtain cave."
"What? There are three White-Eyed Mouse pups here?" Tylers exclaimed in disbelief.
"Yes, Tylers, no need to shout," Rhett said with a steady smile. "They're about a few hundred meters away from us, still sound asleep."
"I think this Ice Mouse, like most rodent-type magical beasts, holds grudges and might have come here seeking revenge."
"Oh~ I see!" Tylers suddenly understood, his eyes lighting up with excitement. "Father, you need to stop the Ice Mouse quickly! We can't let it eat the three White-Eyed Mouse pups!"
"Don't worry!" Rhett replied confidently.
Suddenly, the ground began to rumble.
Tylers watched in astonishment as the ground beneath Rhett's feet started to shake. A square stone platform slowly rose, eventually stopping fifty meters above the ground.
Rhett wasn't a wind-element mage and couldn't fly, so he had to use this method to gain elevation.
As he concentrated his mental energy, the rocks in the mountain began to loosen one by one, tumbling down toward the outside.
Thud, thud, thud, thud, thud.
The sound of falling rocks echoed in Tylers' ears, and he couldn't help but grin, knowing his father was about to retrieve the young ones.
Above, as the rocks gradually disappeared, a narrow passageway formed, leading to a spacious area dozens of meters deep.
The Ice Mouse, busy digging its way up, suddenly froze, realizing what Rhett was doing. It stood there, at a loss for what to do.
Rhett wasn't in a hurry to retrieve the young ones. Instead, he summoned dark elements, sending them into the nest to envelop the three pups, blocking their view of the outside world.
Fortunately, the tiny creatures hadn't opened their eyes yet. Wrapped in the dark elements, they barely reacted, twitching briefly before falling back asleep.
After a few minutes, the narrow passage Rhett had carved out became wide enough for him to pass through.
He leaped over and quickly made his way to the three White-Eyed Mouse pups.
A dark mist shrouded the three young ones, and there were dried bloodstains on the ground, likely from the birthing process.
Rhett's lips curled into a smile as he examined the pups, each about the size of an ear, their bodies curled up and trembling slightly. Their skin was bright red, with no fur yet to cover them.
"Looks like they were born just two or three days ago..." Rhett estimated.
If he took them back immediately and kept them isolated from the outside world for seven days, it shouldn't affect them much.
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