Chapter 40: Two Pets Tamed at Once!
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With less than a day and a half remaining until the end of the seven-day Beginner Protection period, all human Lords felt a sense of crisis like a sharp blade drawing ever closer to their throats. No one was foolish, and everyone wanted to survive. So at this time, everyone was giving their utmost to race against time and develop. The majority of Lords had begun sending their forces out to acquire resources and opportunities.
Naturally, this wasn't limited to the human Lords alone. All alien races were similarly positioned — especially the weaker races, who felt the impending crisis more acutely than the confident stronger ones.
And because of this widespread mobilization, clashes were to be expected. Since that morning, bloody conflicts had not ceased across the vast world of Aurandra. Miniature wars ignited throughout the day, and massacres — which the word "brutal" could only barely begin to describe — were taking place in millions of locations simultaneously.
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None of these events had any bearing on Kaiden. Despite belonging to a race considered weak, he was operating at his own natural rhythm. And he felt no worry about his forces — twenty elite soldiers at this stage could handle most conceivable challenges. It was whoever faced them that should be worried, not him.
In any case, at this moment he had a more important matter occupying him.
On the southeastern border of his territory, his remaining elite soldiers — Laura among them — had succeeded in luring a large, hungry lizard through monster entrails placed as bait.
This was the monster he had chosen after careful deliberation. Since arriving in this world, the creature he had encountered most was this type of monster. He felt that taming it would serve him well, as it was well-suited to this arid environment.
At this moment, the lizard monster's imposing appearance had been completely stripped away. It could no longer even stand. Wounds covered its body in their entirety, bleeding from numerous places. It looked thoroughly wretched, unable even to move its head.
"It seems my soldiers went a little overboard…" Kaiden murmured from behind the protective barrier. But he felt no sympathy for the lizard. This had been necessary to increase his chances of taming it. He raised his hand and used his Epic skill "Earth Manipulation," pinning the lizard's limbs and tail. Even its head and jaws were secured to the ground — only its eyes and forehead were visible above the wide restraint pressed against it. Though it lacked the ability to move, Kaiden had no intention of taking risks.
"Well, I think that's sufficient." Kaiden clapped his hands together like someone admiring his own handiwork, then stepped forward with confident strides, crossing the protective barrier. "I think this is the first time I've crossed the protective barrier…" he murmured. He felt no awe or strangeness or anything different about crossing it for the first time. The air was the same — everything was the same.
But he didn't want to delay further, fearing the lizard would either die or recover its strength. The Monster Taming Voucher appeared in his right hand. Following the instructions, he took an arrow from Laura, who stood beside him along with the other elite soldiers on full alert to protect him. He pricked his finger without any change in expression, marked the voucher with his blood, and pressed it against the lizard monster's forehead without delay.
When the human hand drew near its head, the lizard attempted to open its jaws to take a bite. But unfortunately for it, its mouth was sealed. So the opportunity was lost, and the voucher touched its forehead without resistance.
The moment it made contact with the monster's forehead, a blinding light erupted from the voucher. The lizard felt a terrifying force attempting to invade its mind and resisted violently.
"If I can't tame you, I'll kill you and grill you for dinner!" Kaiden, also feeling the monster's mental resistance, threatened with a lethal look in his eyes — unconcerned whether the monster understood his words.
Perhaps the lizard understood Kaiden's threat, or perhaps it could no longer resist the taming voucher's invasion. Either way, the ferocity and resistance and hostility that had shone in its eyes slowly dissolved — replaced by eyes that looked at Kaiden with warmth.
"Whoa~"
On his end, Kaiden felt a strange spiritual bond with the lizard monster before him at that very moment. It was difficult to describe precisely, but he felt — and was certain — that this lizard would never harm him. He could sense its thoughts. There was a mental link between them, and he understood instinctively that he could give it commands and it would obey without the slightest hesitation.
Upon seeing this, Kaiden didn't hesitate. He removed the earth restraints binding the lizard.
The lizard extended its tongue in a friendly gesture. But despite being freed, it still couldn't move — it was still injured. As its now-tamed monster, Kaiden could feel that it was in pain. His somewhat hardened heart softened a little, and he drew several health potions from his inventory.
"Open your mouth." Upon hearing its master's voice, the lizard obeyed without hesitation or thought and opened its large jaws to their full width.
The elite soldiers at the side were stunned watching the lizard's obedience to their respected Lord. Their reverence for Kaiden grew considerably in their hearts.
Kaiden was unaware of his soldiers' thoughts, occupied as he was with opening the health potions. He opened six or seven vials and poured them all at once into the lizard's open mouth. He felt neither fear nor apprehension before the monster's sharp teeth. He now understood how animal tamers dared to feed dangerous predators without fear — it was the mutual trust between the tamer and their companion.
After finishing, the lizard swallowed its dose of healing potion. Its larger wounds began shrinking at a noticeable rate. Unfortunately, the wounds didn't heal completely, but they transformed from severe injuries to mild ones. Kaiden didn't invest more in the creature's healing — he didn't have a large stockpile to spare.
Finally, the lizard was able to stand and approach Kaiden. The elite soldiers tensed, weapons aimed threateningly at the lizard. The lizard felt frightened and sent sulking signals to Kaiden — like a sad puppy. Kaiden felt amused, and gestured to his soldiers to lower their weapons. He stepped toward the lizard and touched its broad forehead. The texture was hard and rough, nothing like the small, furry pets one would find comfortable to pat on the head.
"Let's head back inside." After satisfying his curiosity, Kaiden returned with his soldiers, the large lizard trailing behind them.
When Kaiden took the first step inside the territory, a system notification appeared before him:
[System Alert: You have tamed the "Prairie Lizard" monster to become your companion. You may view the pet's status and information in the "Lord's Status Board."]
It was immediately followed by a quest completion notification:
[Quest "Beast Master!" Completed! Reward dispatched to the Lord's inventory: Random Rare-tier Pet Summon Voucher ×1.]
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— End of Chapter Forty —