Free Web NovelAn indescribable smell permeated the laboratory.
There was the stench of urine, the smell of some burnt herbal residue, and various other odors, all mixed into a wonderfully hellish aroma.
Scattered herbs, overturned medicine bottles, and traces of dried, unidentifiable liquid lay everywhere on the floor.
Pale yellow vapor floated in the air, carrying a hint of damp and ambiguous warmth.
Silco, wearing gloves and covering his nose, had a face full of despair: “Damn it, this is ridiculous.
I'm a talented alchemy apprentice, a future Grand Alchemist, recognized even by the Emerald Federation, and what am I doing now? Refining turtle urine?!”
His face was etched with unwillingness, yet he had no choice but to undertake this arduous task.
Weeks ago, Lord Louis, who appeared gentle but was actually perverse, personally issued this seemingly inexplicable experimental directive:
“Devise a potion that can soothe the agitated emotions of male turtles, and use their mating instincts to gently induce heat.”
When he heard this task, the first thought that popped into Silco's mind was:
Is this person out of their mind? Is great alchemy meant for this?!
But Louis very carefully explained the importance of this medicine.
“Winter is coming soon. The Red Tide Territory can still hold up with its geothermal heat, but what about those places outside? No geothermal heat, no resources, burning firewood for warmth is simply not enough—”
So Silco could only brace himself and endure seven rounds of failure.
Either the pot exploded or the table burned through, and once he even almost blew up the entire laboratory.
Until yesterday, he finally extracted a slightly smoky-smelling element from countless female turtle excretions.
He used female turtle urine as the main ingredient, combined with several common but difficult-to-blend herbs, and then subjected it to complex extraction and neutralization.
He simulated the estrus hormone of female Fireback Turtles, mixed with trace amounts of tranquilizer.
It could both trigger the male turtle's mating instinct for heating and avoid depleting its vitality, while also softening its formidable aggressiveness.
He gave this thing an outrageously embarrassing name: “Turtle Allure Scent.”
“I have to say, although this method is a bit base, the effect should be—? Hmm, reliable.”
Silco concluded, then looked down at his stained robe and sighed: “If only I had known, I wouldn't have stolen that damn formula back then—”
He took off his gloves and opened the laboratory window. Cold wind poured in, finally diluting some of the nauseating smell.
Outside the experimental field, the cold wind was biting, but the onlookers were in high spirits, and the atmosphere was exceptionally lively.
“...It’s finally starting.” Silco rubbed his reddened hands, feeling unexpectedly nervous.
His gaze fell on the center of the field, where a large male Fireback Turtle, the subject of this experiment, was located.
Heat faintly rose from its shell, and its thick limbs restlessly pawed at the ground.
On the other side, Louis stood in the front row with Sif beside him, his expression focused, hands clasped behind his back.
The experiment officially began, and several assistants together slowly poured the “Turtle Allure Scent” into the distillation apparatus.
“Release ‘Turtle Allure Scent’ first round!” an assistant shouted, then immediately retreated.
Soon, a faint yellow smoke slowly diffused across the open space, enveloping the huge Fireback Turtle.
A subtle scent immediately permeated the air.
It was a mixture of fishy, musky, and a strange herbal smell, causing people to frown.
“...Ugh, this smell, it’s disgusting every time I smell it.” Silco wrinkled his nose while staring intently at the male Fireback Turtle.
At first, the male turtle only slightly raised its head, seemingly a bit confused.
But in less than half a minute, it suddenly became excited, stomping heavily on the ground, and slowly approached the placed dummy female turtle.
“Here it comes,” Louis said expectantly.
The Fireback Turtle began to circle the dummy female turtle, exhaling hot air from its nostrils, its movements becoming increasingly agitated.
Finally, it leaped on top and began to—
Rub intensely, emitting strange low growls.
“Ah—!” Sif covered her eyes, her cheeks instantly flushing red, yet she couldn't help but peek through her fingers at this strange scene.
Then she secretly turned her head and glanced at Louis with her peripheral vision.
But his face remained unruffled, completely unaware of the blush-inducing scene, as if he were just staring at an ordinary stone.
Not long after, the Fireback Turtle's carapace began to turn a deep red, like a baked iron block, faintly emitting heat.
“It's starting,” Louis raised an eyebrow, taking a step back.
Sif subconsciously retreated a few steps, her eyes fixed on the large turtle that was “working.” frёewebnoѵēl.com
The Fireback Turtle grew hotter and hotter, its shell glowing dark red, the surrounding air distorted, and steam billowed out in waves, causing the entire experimental field to heat up.
“Getting too close will cause burns,” Louis reminded in a low, calm voice.
The Fireback Turtle's core temperature could reach seventy to eighty degrees Celsius; the effect was quite good.
Sif bit her lip and nodded.
“Second contact,” the experimenter sprinkled a little more of the potion.
This time, the male «N.o.v.e.l.i.g.h.t» turtle became noticeably much more compliant; after rubbing, it didn't become agitated but quietly lay down.
“This potion works even faster than expected,” Silco couldn't help but grin, his eyes shining.
After the third round of “Turtle Allure Scent” was released, the male Fireback Turtle's steam release frequency noticeably decreased, and the heat released was not as high.
“The gentleness is indeed improving,” Louis nodded slightly, a hint of satisfaction flashing in his eyes.
He quietly ordered, “Try it one more time, confirm if it allows close-range inspection.”
The knight experimenter, imbued with fighting qi, slowly approached. The male turtle only swayed slightly, making no attacking movements.
The experiment was a success.
“Very good, this experiment was a great success.” Louis turned, his gaze falling on Silco, who was secretly smiling in the crowd, and called out, “Silco!”
“Here!” Silco immediately straightened up, his expression full of anticipation.
“I'll reward you with a hundred gold coins.” Louis took a heavy money bag from the knight's hand and casually tossed it over.
“Ah!! So heavy!” Silco almost dropped it, and quickly said, “Your Lordship is wise! The Lord is generous! Hahaha,
I'm rich this time!”
Complaints? What complaints? All forgotten!
Hehe, it smells so good!
After a few days of intensive training, the twelve male Fireback Turtles of the Red Tide Territory finally completed their taming and adaptation.
The Red Tide Territory's beast-taming knight team quickly assembled. The twelve tamed male Fireback Turtles lined up, the deep red glow on their carapaces shimmering with faint warmth in the cold wind.
“According to the plan, four new affiliated territories, each with three turtles, must arrive before the severe winter,” Louis instructed.
“Yes!”
The knights responded crisply, and began loading the Fireback Turtles onto specially made cold-iron transport racks in batches.
Their heavy bodies and slow movements meant that even when tamed, these behemoths were still quite a “handful.”
According to the plan, each Fireback Turtle in each territory will provide centralized heating during the cold snap, maintaining a warm environment for 3 to 5 days.
Once the energy blocks on their backs are depleted, they will immediately be sent back to Red Tide for reheating, and new turtles will be dispatched to take their place.
Although the method is a bit clumsy, this is currently the optimal solution.
“Such a hassle—” Sif couldn't help but murmur softly.
Louis stared at the turtles for a long time and said, “At least it can save many lives, but the number is still too small. Transportation is troublesome, and breeding isn't active either—next year, we must increase breeding efforts.”
