Chapter 657: 104. Nali visits
Chapter 657: 104. Nali visits
“So, the Ice Owl Species actually can’t fly anymore?”
“Yep, our wings no longer have that function… but people in our clan still like to decorate their wings, especially the males. Their wings are bigger than ours, and when we’re in love and getting married, we choose our partners based on how good-looking their wings are…”
“Are wings now used for courtship?”
Fisher looked up at the somewhat miniature wings behind Frey and suddenly discovered the difference between the Ice Owl Species and the Grey Bird Species and other winged demi-humans. In fact, the ancestors of the Ice Owl Species should have been capable of short-distance gliding. According to Frey, the Ice Owls originally lived on the northern coastal edges of the Northern Realm, subsisting generation after generation by hunting sea fish. The war the Phoenix Species fought to defend the Northern Realm had not affected them, and it was not until the Phoenix vanished that they slowly came into contact with the Six Clans and humans.
“Courtship sounds a bit strange though, as if you’re talking about animals… don’t you like demi-humans?”
Fisher glanced wordlessly at Valentina beside him, explaining for her benefit,
“To some extent, all living creatures you can see are animals—humans, the Ice Owl Species, the Six Clans, and even the Phoenix. No matter how high their Rank is, they all have corresponding biological characteristics and patterns. Perhaps some creatures are special and do not need reproduction, but most creatures do, and therefore, they need specific mating strategies… Strength, intelligence, whether they look good, and whether their reproductive ability is strong enough etc., are all crucial factors. They are even more important for understanding a strange new demi-human race.”
Valentina opened her mouth, then looked up and down at Fisher, who was recording data. Through his white shirt, the contours of his muscles were faintly visible, making Valentina wonder if this guy was hinting at something towards her. As a result, her fair cheeks for some reason warmed slightly, but in the end, she said nothing.
“Alright, the record on the Ice Owl Species is nearly complete. Thank you for your cooperation, Officer Frey. You’ve been a huge help…”
“It’s nothing, I actually didn’t do much. I really don’t deserve such praise.”
Fisher put the final touch on the drawing of Frey’s figure in his notebook, then paused for a moment and wrote “Less than or equal to Fifth Rank” beside “Life Rank”, which meant that the general Rank of the Ice Owl Species was in the Humanoid Rank.
Originally, he had wanted Valentina to help, but the young lady had no similar experience researching demi-human races, frequently looking around and asking irrelevant questions during her work, which eventually led Fisher to decide to do the research himself.
“So, Kexie Ning, are you ready?”
He then turned his head to look at the Slime mother and daughters curled up behind him. After saying this, the two daughters immediately pushed Kexie Ning forward, and then retreated even more tightly into the corner of the room. Fisher couldn’t help but feel a mix of amusement and frustration, while Valentina pursed her lips and teasingly said,
“No wonder the Moon Princess likes the Slime Species the least among the Six Clans. These snobbish and cold-hearted creatures are truly difficult for me to accept as well…”
“Their family includes a few specially different Slimes, otherwise, they wouldn’t have stayed in the Northern Realm and not gone back to the Boundary… If you are fortunate enough to meet other Slimes, you’ll find that this race is actually quite interesting.”
“I’m curious, what did you see in the Slimes’ Boundary that makes you think so highly of them?”
“I’m curious too, what did you see in Ice that caused you such distress last night?”
“…”
Wheelchair-bound Valentina puffed up her cheeks slightly, her hair also slightly standing on end as if bristling, and if it wasn’t for her leg disability, she would probably be coming over to beat Fisher up right now; but even so, the resentment stirred by Fisher’s disagreeable personality was almost taking on a physical form, prompting Fisher to quietly shift his seat a little further away from her, fearing that she might get so angry that she’d suddenly stand up and hit him.
Fisher had no intention of telling Valentina about his plans to integrate the Slimes into various parts of the world, as it would be beneficial for later events; he simply had Kexie Ning sit in front of him, in the spot where Frey had just been, and then he started a new page in his notebook, writing at the top, “Slime Species.”
When he was researching Frey, the Demi-human Girls Completion Manual in his chest pocket had become slightly warm, suggesting that he had reached the first stage of biological research. Fisher was not particularly concerned about the progress of social research since studying the Ice Owl Species was really just about completing the cotton candy sequence.
“After the research is done, you can leave here and go back to the Boundary. Don’t worry, it won’t take long.”
Kexie Ning nodded in agreement, spreading herself comfortably on the couch, since she had already witnessed how Frey was studied and thus felt less anxious.
“Hold on, your name is… Fisher, right? I’ve been a little puzzled since the first time I saw you; you’ve always looked at me with such a strange expression. Have you seen me somewhere before, or heard of me?”