novelraw Chapter 262 - 256: Hunting the Scorpion-tailed Lion
Chapter 262 - 256: Hunting the Scorpion-tailed Lion
The next morning, Raylo was woken by a tugging sensation.
He opened his eyes to see a small, round, black head leaning over his bedside, a pair of big, dark, lively eyes staring at him.
Coal Ball had woken up at some point and was tugging on Raylo’s night robe with its little paws, a low rumbling sound coming from its throat.
Right on cue, its stomach let out an earth-shattering roar, so loud that Moonlight, who was perched on the windowsill grooming its fur, couldn’t help but shoot it a disdainful look.
Raylo chuckled.
The little fella had slept for a day and two nights. It seemed to be starving.
"Hungry?"
Coal Ball nodded vigorously, its head bobbing like a bobblehead.
"Someone."
Raylo called out.
A Personal Guard quickly appeared at the door.
"My Lord."
"Go tell Cook Marlin to prepare breakfast as soon as possible."
Raylo glanced at Coal Ball, which was clinging to him, and added,
"Especially the roasted meat. Prepare a lot."
The Personal Guard acknowledged the order and left.
In the dining hall, the long dining table was laden with food.
Golden fried eggs, a mountain of sausages and roasted meat, steaming fresh milk, and freshly baked wheaten bread.
The moment Coal Ball saw the food, its eyes went wide.
It dove headfirst into a plate larger than its own head and began tearing through the food like a storm.
It ate so quickly that it choked on the milk, coughing up a small, black spatial ripple. The ripple swallowed a nearby silver butter knife before spitting it back out in mid-air.
Moonlight was much more elegant. It slowly and methodically used its paw to poke at a piece of tender roasted fish on its plate, removing the bones before taking a bite. Its manners were a stark contrast to Coal Ball, which was wolfing down food beside it.
Watching these two little fellas, Raylo felt his mood brighten.
Just then, the sound of hurried footsteps came from outside the door.
A Pegasus Knight in Leather Armor strode into the dining hall, his armor still damp with the morning dew.
"My Lord!"
The Knight dropped to one knee, his voice booming.
"An urgent military report from the patrol team."
Coal Ball looked up curiously, its little face covered in grease and a sausage still dangling from its mouth.
"Speak."
Raylo put down his knife and fork.
"We’ve discovered a Tier Four Magical Beast on the edge of the northern forest—a Scorpion-tailed Lion. It seems to have wandered into our territory by accident and is currently roaming around."
"A Scorpion-tailed Lion?"
Raylo’s eyebrows raised slightly.
’The Venom of a Scorpion-tailed Lion can even paralyze a Giant Dragon. If I can utilize it properly, whether for tempering a Weapon or crafting a special Alchemy Potion, it would be an unexpected trump card.’
’My future enemies are too powerful. I can’t pass up anything that increases my chances of victory.’
"Its exact location?"
"About ten miles east of North Wind Canyon."
"Excellent."
Raylo stood up.
"Relay my orders. Seal off that area and forbid anyone from approaching. Also, have the patrol team maintain surveillance and report its movements at all times."
"Yes, My Lord!"
The Knight accepted the command and quickly withdrew.
"Moonlight, Coal Ball, eat up."
Raylo said.
"We’ve got work to do."
Moonlight finished the fish on its plate in a couple of bites, then stuck out its tongue to lick its paws clean.
Coal Ball, on the other hand, used its Power of Space to directly "swallow" the last half-plate of roasted meat into its stomach. It let out a satisfied burp, its belly stretched taut like a leather ball.
...
The top floor of Black Stone Castle, which was originally the castle’s watchtower and attic, had been leveled and converted into a huge, empty, open-air platform.
The ground was paved with heavy granite, inscribed with Magic Runes for reinforcement and load-bearing, capable of withstanding tens of thousands of tons of pressure.
This place was the temporary Dragon’s Nest for the Golden Dragon, Sun.
When Raylo arrived with the two little ones, Sun was coiled in the center of the platform, sleeping soundly.
Its hundred-meter-long body was like a rolling, golden mountain range, and each Dragon Scale shimmered with a sun-like radiance.
The sound of its even breathing was like the pumping of bellows, stirring up waves of heat.
"Sun, wake up."
Raylo walked forward.
The Golden Dragon’s eyelids twitched, and it slowly opened one eye.
It had, of course, already heard Raylo and the others arrive. But here in Black Stone Territory, there was no need to be as vigilant as in the wild. As it opened its eye, its vertical pupil, like molten gold, regained its luster.
"Good morning, Raylo."
Sun’s voice was tinged with the laziness of someone who had just woken up, yet it was still as resonant as a great bell.
"Is something the matter? I was dreaming of a very fat Flame Demon, and I was just about to start eating."
"I have prey more interesting than a Flame Demon."
Raylo smiled.
"A Tier Four Scorpion-tailed Lion that has wandered into the territory."
"A Scorpion-tailed Lion?"
Sun perked up. Its other eye opened, and it lifted its massive head slightly.
"You mean those little spiky bugs? Their meat is sour and tough. Not tasty at all."
"I’m not after its meat."
Raylo said.
"I need the Venom in its stinger."
A flash of understanding passed through Sun’s enormous golden eyes.
"I see. You want to use its Venom to deal with other big guys. An interesting tactic. Alright, I’ll help you. It’ll be a good chance to stretch my muscles."
As it spoke, it unfurled its colossal body. Its huge Dragon Wings spread out, nearly covering the entire platform and casting a vast shadow.
As it moved, an immense Dragon Mighty swept out.
Raylo let out a whistle, and a high, clear cry echoed from the sky.
A tawny figure dove down from the clouds—it was none other than Storm Griffin King Baofeng.
It landed precisely beside Raylo and affectionately nuzzled his arm with its huge head.
Raylo vaulted onto Baofeng’s broad back and nodded to Sun.
"Let’s move out."
"Keep up, little Griffin."
Sun let out a low roar. With a powerful push from its limbs, its massive body shot into the sky.
A fierce wind howled, and the entire Black Stone Castle seemed to tremble at its departure.
Not to be outdone, Baofeng let out a cry. With a beat of its wings, it became a bolt of Lightning, carrying Raylo, Moonlight, and Coal Ball as it followed close behind, disappearing over the horizon.
「An hour later, high above the mountain forest east of North Wind Canyon.」
The Golden Dragon and the Griffin circled a thousand meters up in the air.
Without Moonlight casting a Transformation Technique, Sun’s body was simply too massive. Birds and beasts in the forest below fled in a panic wherever it flew, which actually saved them the trouble of searching.
"Found it."
Sun’s resonant voice rang in Raylo’s mind.
Raylo followed its line of sight.
In a forest clearing below, a monster the size of a giant elephant was pacing irritably.
It had the powerful body and savage head of a lion, but a pair of tattered, bat-like wings grew from its back. A nearly ten-meter-long scorpion tail arched high behind it, the dark-green stinger at its tip glinting coldly in the sunlight.
It was the Scorpion-tailed Lion.
It had clearly sensed the threat in the sky, for it let out a threatening roar in the direction of Sun and Baofeng.
Raylo looked down at the prey below.
"Prepare to engage."