Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence-Chapter 149 - 143: The Space Young Dragon Lured by Moonlight
A thought struck Raylo, and a bold guess surfaced in his mind.
’Could it be that this little rascal, Moonlight, lured back the missing Space Young Dragon from deep within the Black Stone Mountain Range?’
At this thought, Raylo was no longer in a hurry to get closer.
He took a few steps back, knowing he couldn’t be impatient when dealing with such a wary young Magical Beast.
It was a strategic retreat. He would first let it acclimate to the new surroundings and lower its guard.
Drawing on his experience with Moonlight, Raylo turned, walked to the door, and called out for an attendant.
"Go to the kitchen and find Marlin. Have her prepare ten roast geese and bring them here as soon as possible."
The attendant took his leave.
Inside the room, Moonlight had already led the little black cat onto Raylo’s large bed.
The two cats—one snow-white, the other pitch-black—had likely just run in from the mountains, and were now unceremoniously tracking fresh, muddy paw prints all over the soft bedding.
Raylo paid them no mind, sitting down at his desk and watching with great interest.
Moonlight was acting like the boss, diligently teaching the little black cat "how to be a proper cat."
It demonstrated how to lick its paws with elegance, how to wash its face with its forepaws, and even let out a few standard MEOWS.
The little black cat, for its part, looked every bit the loyal follower, mimicking Moonlight’s every move. Though its posture was a little stiff, it was clearly a very serious student.
Raylo could see it clearly: the little black cat’s current form was obviously a disguise created by Moonlight using the Transformation Technique.
’Looks like my guess was right on the money.’
About the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, Marlin the cook arrived carrying a huge tray, upon which were ten fragrant, neatly arranged roast geese.
Raylo took the tray at the door and placed the golden, glistening roast geese on his desk.
The rich, meaty aroma instantly filled the room.
"AWOO!"
Moonlight’s nose twitched. It let out a happy cry, leaped down from the bed, and hopped nimbly onto the desk. It couldn’t wait to sink its teeth into a roast goose wing.
After a couple of bites, it seemed to remember its little follower. It looked up at the little black cat on the bed and let out another "AWOO," beckoning it to come and share the feast.
The little black cat was still rather timid, but between Moonlight’s urging and the irresistible lure of the roast goose, it cautiously padded to the edge of the bed and leaped onto the desk.
Raylo tore off a plump goose leg and gently placed it about half a foot in front of the little black cat, making no further movements.
The little black cat first glanced warily at Raylo, then at the goose leg just inches away. Its nostrils twitched.
The scent of the freshly roasted goose assailed its senses.
After a dozen seconds, it finally succumbed to the aroma. Cautiously, it stretched out its head, snatched the goose leg, and retreated to Moonlight’s side to nibble at it.
Compared to Moonlight, who was devouring its food like a whirlwind, the black cat’s table manners were far more delicate.
A faint smile touched Raylo’s lips.
’Good. The first step—exchanging food for a bit of trust—is a success.’
’As for how to win this little "black cat" over completely, I can figure that out later.’
「The next morning.」
At the shouted commands of their officers, the Knights quickly readied their gear.
The rising sun bathed the castle of Black Stone Territory in its golden light.
"SKREEE!"
A clear, ringing cry pierced the clouds and mist, echoing from the eastern sky.
Everyone looked up to see a dazzling golden light streak across the sky like a shooting star, slowing only as it neared the castle.
It was a magnificent Golden Feathered Griffin. Its feathers shimmered like gold in the dawn light, and each beat of its wings stirred up powerful gusts of wind.
The Golden Feathered Griffin landed gracefully on the open ground before the castle, kicking up a cloud of dust.
A young woman in a fiery red Mage Robe vaulted nimbly from the Griffin’s back.
"Brother!"
Lillian spotted Raylo at the head of the formation and ran over, her face alight with excitement.
"I’m not late, am I? The troops from Amber Territory are right behind!"
Raylo looked at his vibrant sister and smiled.
"Not late at all. You’re just in time."
Sure enough, the army of Amber Territory appeared on the horizon behind Lillian, their banners waving and their ranks in perfect order.
The two armies soon joined forces.
With a blast from the Horns, the grand army broke camp and began its mighty march east, toward Red Leaf Territory.
Raylo circled at low altitude, mounted on "Baofeng," the Storm Griffin King. Its tawny Iron Feathers glinted like metal in the sun.
A large cat, one black and one white, was perched on each of his shoulders.
The black cat was clearly nervous, pressing half its body against Raylo’s head as it scanned its surroundings with vigilance.
The route Raylo had chosen ran right along the border between Black Stone Territory and the Jade Swamp.
Here, the terrain gradually sloped downward, and the faint smell of decay began to permeate the air.
The sprawling mountains and the swamp interlocked in a jagged pattern, forming a breeding ground for Magical Beasts and all sorts of malevolent creatures.
Ten Pegasus Knights fanned out high above, like sharp-eyed hawks, carefully scouting the Jade Swamp for any movement and watching for any of the Demon Serpent’s Fangs.
The march was not without incident.
"Northeast, three hundred meters! Spotted a Mire Giant Frog, Tier Two!"
A Pegasus Knight swooped down from on high, shouting his report.
Raylo’s gaze swept over, and he issued a command to a Storm Griffin Knight at his side.
"Solon, you go."
"Yes, my lord!"
The Knight acknowledged the order and spurred his Storm Griffin out of the formation, diving toward the target like a bolt of lightning.
A moment later, a short croak, cut off by the cry of the Storm Griffin, signaled the end of the battle.
Solon returned to the formation on his Storm Griffin, the corpse of the Mire Giant Frog clutched in its talons.
"Five kilometers north! Five Swamp Crocodile Lizards—four Tier Two, and one suspected Tier Three!"
"Mammoth Knights, advance!"
Raylo commanded.
Ten Mammoths thundered toward the target, their heavy footfalls shaking the ground as their riders guided them.
Their tusks shimmered with light and their long trunks whipped through the air, quickly trampling the small pack of ferocious Swamp Crocodile Lizards into a bloody mess.
"Three kilometers ahead! A small band of Snake-man Scouts, about thirty of them, mixed with a few Highly Poisonous Flying Mosquitos!"
"Earth Dragon Knights, crush them head-on!"
Raylo ordered the Earth Dragon Knights to charge, with a squad of Pegasus Knights providing cover.
The ten new Earth Dragon Knights were already itching for a fight. At the command, they let out a unified roar and spurred their fearsome Earth Dragons forward, charging out like a torrent of steel.
The charging Earth Dragons were more ferocious than stampeding Barbarian Bulls. The squad of Snake-man Scouts was utterly defenseless and was instantly torn apart, scorched, and crushed into paste.
The few Highly Poisonous Flying Mosquitos that tried to escape by air were chased down and shot out of the sky by the covering Pegasus Knights.
The Knights attacked in waves, clearing out potential threats while also getting live combat training.
The Knights, bonded with powerful Magical Beasts, were filled with fervor. Each attack unleashed astonishing combat power, leaving Raylo quite satisfied.
Though the army’s pace was not fast, they had traveled over two hundred kilometers and the rewards were substantial.
The intact corpses of two Tier Three Magical Beasts were dragged back: one was a Mire Poison Python with venomous fangs, and the other a thick-hided Swamp Crocodile Lizard. In addition, they had collected the bodies of seven Tier Two Magical Beasts and a number of Tier One and Unranked swamp creatures.
Valuable materials from these Magical Beasts—such as Scale Armor, poison sacs, Magic Cores, and sinews—were carefully harvested and sorted.
The energy-rich flesh of the slain beasts served as rations for the Magical Beast mounts like the Storm Griffins and Earth Dragons, as well as for the Knights themselves.
Both the Storm Griffins and the Earth Dragons were massive carnivores, so these spoils of war significantly eased the logistical burden.
「On the morning of the second day.」
When the Sun had risen high in the sky and burned away the morning mist at the swamp’s edge, an urgent warning came back from the Pegasus Knight scouts.
"My lord! A massive Demon Serpent Legion spotted! Three kilometers straight ahead!"
A Pegasus Knight with a grave expression flew back, his voice sharp with urgency.
Raylo and Lillian exchanged a glance and spurred Baofeng into the sky.
Soon, they saw the so-called Demon Serpent Legion for themselves.
It was a crushing, black tide composed of at least a thousand Snake-men armed with crude Bone Spears and Short Blades.
These Snake-men had the thick tails of serpents for their lower bodies, while their upper bodies retained some humanoid features, covered in green or brown scales. Forked tongues flickered from their mouths, emitting threatening HISSES.
A large number of Swamp Magical Beasts were mixed in among the ranks of the Snake-men.
There were massive, armored, and immensely powerful Mire Giant Crocodiles; there were packs of Foul-smelling Giant Lizards exuding a thick, rotten stench; and in the air, Vampire Bats flapped their leathery wings, letting out ear-piercing screeches.
This motley legion was marching south in a great horde, following the border between the swamp and the forest.
Judging by their direction, they were clearly headed for the human territories to the south.
Lillian’s brow furrowed.
"Brother, this is a considerable force. They look like an advance party assembled from deep within the Jade Swamp. Their target must be one of the smaller, poorly defended territories to the south."
Raylo’s gaze swept over the writhing, malevolent flood below.
"Since we’ve run into them, there’s no reason to let them pass. This is a perfect chance to test the mettle of our new army."
He turned to Lillian.
"Lillian, care to stretch your legs a bit?"
A glint of excitement flashed in Lillian’s eyes as she tossed her long, golden hair.
"With pleasure."
