Free Web NovelA thick fog enveloped the entire valley entrance, turning it into a greyish-white dream.
Standing on the hill, Louis tightened his cloak, watching the cold mist slowly rising ahead: “The fog is thick enough, start releasing the scent.”
“Yes!” A knight quickly lifted the lid of the stew pot.
A rich, fragrant steam wafted out, carrying the scent of animal fat and meat bones, spreading through the cold mist.
This was no ordinary aroma, but a specially formulated Inducible stew designed to attract beasts through their sense of smell.
According to Silco’s previous experiments, bears would be irresistibly drawn to the scent.
Sure enough, not long after, a heavy thudding sound came from the distant woods.
“They’re here,” Lambert gripped his weapon, his eyes vigilant.
Through the swirling mist, the first to emerge were a few plump little creatures—Two-Headed Bears cubs.
They waddled out like furry snowballs on short legs, each with two miniature bear faces atop their heads, one on the left and one on the right, curiously sniffing the air.
Their wet noses twitched, clearly drawn by the scent, yet they cautiously looked around.
Following closely, heavy footsteps echoed from the forest as the mother bears made their appearance.
They were much larger than the cubs, with broad backs and well-developed muscles, their two heads growling low while coldly surveying their surroundings.
They exuded an undeniable sense of oppression, their thick fur a mix of greyish-white and light brown, resembling a giant beast born from ice and snow.
Their fangs gleamed coldly, and the white mist they exhaled in the fog resembled swirling smoke.
Soon, the entire beast horde appeared in succession, large and small Two-Headed Bearss huddled together, dozens of them standing as a chaotic yet formidable army of wild beasts.
Some were still playfully pushing each other, emitting low “murr-murr” sounds, occasionally swiping a paw at the muddy ground, instantly sending wet earth splashing.
“—So many,” even Lambert couldn’t help but gasp.
Once these behemoths stepped into the foggy area, their originally steady and powerful strides immediately became hesitant.
Their low growls gradually softened, taking on an inexplicable hoarseness, as if even their breath carried a hint of confusion.
“Mrow...” An adult Two-Headed Bears shook its heads, both heads violently swaying as if trying to dispel the sudden dizziness in its mind.
But it was no use; its steps began to falter, its heavy paws leaving a crooked trail in the snow.
Even its originally tense, watchful gaze became unfocused.
“Thump!”
Another bear even stopped abruptly, its two heads looking at each other as if in mutual disdain.
Then it stumbled, almost sitting down on the ground, letting out a groggy low growl, as if it were drunk.
The fog agent had taken effect.
Louis narrowed his eyes, watching the vast expanse of white mist slowly swirling, knowing full well that it contained carefully manufactured Frostleaf Vine extract.
This substance had little effect on humans, but its interference with the nervous system of magical beasts was extremely strong.
The lower the magic concentration in a magical beast, the more susceptible it was. ƒrēewebnoѵёl.cσm
Just when everything seemed to be progressing smoothly, an unexpected change occurred.
“ROAR—!!”
Two deafening roars exploded almost simultaneously.
From within the thick fog, two adult male bears, noticeably larger than the other Two-Headed Bearss, suddenly charged out.
Their fur bristled, their massive paws furiously clawed at the ground, and their four eyes glowed with a fierce, blood-red light, radiating insane killing intent.
“Oh no!” an Apprentice Knight exclaimed.
These two were clearly the alpha beasts of the pack, with robust builds and muscles bulging like iron and stone, faintly shimmering with a dark blue luster.
White mist spewed from their nostrils, and their low growls carried an unusual irritability and ferocity.
The Frostleaf Vine extract did affect them, but instead of making them docile and dazed like the other bears, it made them aware of their companions' abnormality, making them even more vigilant and violent!
“ROAR!!”
One male bear violently crashed into a wooden wall, its immense strength directly overturning the several-meter-high wall with a thunderous crash.
The other bit through a thick wooden stake, its eyes fixed on the nearest knight, and lunged!
“Get out of the way!!”
But this small team was not unprepared rookies.
Lambert’s voice quickly quelled the chaos: “Hemp ropes! Frostleaf explosion bottles ready—stop them!”
Five knights moved almost simultaneously, their actions clean and decisive.
Two reinforced, specially made hemp rope nets were violently flung out, whistling through the air towards the charging behemoths.
With a snap, the first bear was firmly ensnared, its massive body struggling wildly on the ground, its huge claws tearing at the ropes, but it couldn't break free immediately.
The other was also precisely tripped by a rope around its front paws, crashing to the ground with an angry bellow.
It rolled frantically on the ground, trying to break free from its restraints.
“Throw!” Lambert commanded.
Two small bottles, shimmering with an icy blue glow, flew out, cutting through the air with a cold glint, accurately smashing onto the heads of the two giant bears.
“Bang!”
A silvery mist instantly exploded, surging out like a tide, enveloping the beasts’ heads; the dense Frostleaf smoke, like a damp, cold net, tightly wrapped around them.
The giant bears struggled violently, their low growls becoming hoarse and rapid, their four eyes still fixed on their surroundings.
Their ferocity remained, but their movements became slower and more sluggish.
A few seconds later, they finally collapsed onto the snowy ground, panting heavily.
Their eyes became dazed, and their previous violent ferocity was completely suppressed, leaving only helpless struggles. freewёbnoνel.com
White Rock Valley remained shrouded in thick fog, and the quietly renovated breeding ground at the bottom of the valley stood silently.
Fogging devices were embedded in the cliff crevices, spraying a layer of cool white mist every three days, making the entire valley seem like a tamed snow prison.
The beast pens were neatly constructed, with wooden structures entwined with moss and paved with bark fragments, rough and simple, yet sufficient to simulate the atmosphere of a mountain forest. However, this was not for comfort, but to ensure these Two-Headed Bearss ate well and grew quickly.
Each bear had its own independent pen, with feeding cycles precisely timed, once in the morning and once in the evening.
Meat paste mixed with stewed animal bone broth was poured into the feeding troughs, and that rich aroma had become the primary signal for their swallowing and reactions.
The training results were evident, especially with the young bears, who were almost natural food hunters.
“The success rate of the whistle test is over seventy percent,” trainer Egg said, flipping through a stained record book, his voice filled with barely concealed excitement.
“Seventeen bears ran to the trough when they heard the whistle, and three of them reached it within three breaths, reacting very quickly.”
“And the scent guidance?” Louis asked slowly.
“The effect is also good, especially for the thick, stewed animal bone broth, which they are most sensitive to,” Egg nodded. “We have already started intensifying the conditioned reflex training, ensuring that they actively approach as soon as they smell the scent, without needing extra guidance.”
He raised his hand and pointed to the scene at the bottom of the valley. There, several trainers were managing the separate pens.
The young bears were concentrated in a small pen on one side for training, while the adult bears were arranged in the outer circle.
They moved along designated paths, adapting them to fixed walking patterns.
In front of the pens hung rows of rough record boards—feeding amount, reaction time, emotional markers, and even a few brief personality notes.
“No. 14, cub, active feeder, underweight, increase feeding.
“No. 37, adult male bear, overeating, needs restriction to prevent obesity.”
The thick fog once again permeated the valley, like a slowly drifting curtain.
Suddenly, a low growl sounded.
It wasn’t ❀ Nоvеlігht ❀ (Don’t copy, read here) an alarm, but a lazy, habitual sound, mixed with a pure instinct of hunger.
Louis stopped, his gaze falling on a young bear not far away.
The cub was sprawled on a frozen stone block, lazily licking a frozen animal bone, its two heads occasionally changing angles, gnawing with a crunching sound.
Hearing footsteps, it raised its head and slowly approached the edge of the pen.
Its two pairs of eyes looked at Louis, with an instinctive olfactory reaction and a hint of dull craving in their depths.
Louis said nothing, took a small piece of cold meat from the trainer’s hand, weighed it between his fingers, and then casually tossed it into the pen.
The cub instinctively lowered its head to take it, then turned and retreated to the stone block, gnawing intently.
Its two heads seemed accustomed to competing, occasionally twisting, but quickly settled down again.
Louis watched the cub and slowly spoke: “There’s no need to tame them too much—as long as they eat quickly, grow fat, and reproduce often, that’s enough.”
After inspecting the overall situation of the breeding ground, Louis was unexpectedly in a good mood.
As he walked, he saw the cubs in the pens, one by one, reacting quickly and having good appetites.
The training results were even faster than expected, especially the way they scrambled for food, which made it seem like they were indeed well-raised.
He turned his gaze to the other side, his eyes falling on an adult Two-Headed Bears.
That one was robust, with thick, glossy fur, its two heads swaying back and forth, its eyes sharp, its nostrils slightly flared, as if constantly sniffing for scents, exuding an untamable ferocity.
Louis looked for a moment, then a faint smile curved his lips, and he casually said: “Egg, slaughter one to see how it tastes?”
Egg was startled, but also very excited; he had never tasted magical beast meat before: “At your command. But—which one should I choose?”
“This one,” he pointed, his voice calm but unequivocal. “It’s too restless and doesn’t cooperate much with training, so it’s not very useful.”
The chef team arrived quickly, led by the territory’s head chef, “Haldor,” who was wrapped in a thick cloak, his eyes gleaming with excitement.
Several large pots, portable charcoal stoves, and a complete set of cutting boards and knives were swiftly set up like a battlefield kitchen.
The butchering and cutting process was assisted by several experienced knights; the giant bear was quickly processed neatly. Some meat pieces were directly put into large pots for soup, with bone marrow and thick bones added together, and fine foam rose from the broth.
Another portion was cut into large chunks, sprinkled with frost salt and dried grass seeds, and roasted directly over charcoal fire.
Cooking smoke intertwined with the mist, and the aroma was thick and sticky, instantly filling the valley with a primal, wild allure.
Several bears in the pens sniffed the scent, and their two heads simultaneously poked out, looking at the activity outside, as if they thought it was their own food being cooked.
In the center of the misty valley, a circle of temporary long tables was quickly set up, made of thick logs as dining surfaces, covered with thick animal hides as seats.
The cold ground contrasted sharply with the steaming cooking smoke.
Louis sat at the head, wrapped in a thick cloak, holding a cup of hot soup.
Beside him were Lambert, Weil, and other knights, as well as Head Chef Haldor, Egg, and several main breeders.
Roasted bear ribs were quickly brought to the table, sizzling with fat, crispy on the outside, and still slightly pink inside.
Snowbud root, frost salt, and thickened bone marrow were added to the soup pot, the aroma was overwhelming, and even the air carried a sticky, savory freshness.
Weil’s eyes widened, thinking of the Two-Headed Bears’s appearance: “Is this, is this really good?”
Louis unhurriedly picked up a piece of rib, examined it carefully, then decisively took a bite.
After chewing a few times, he frowned slightly, seemingly savoring it carefully,
“...Hmm,” he slowly nodded. “The meat is firm, with a hint of wild gaminess, but indeed much finer than ordinary livestock. The fat is not greasy, and the muscle fibers are very strong—”
And Weil, who had just been disdainful, was already wolfing it down, eating very quickly.
But not long after, he collapsed onto his seat, rubbing his belly, and sighed contentedly: “So delicious—”
Lambert picked up a bowl of soup, drank it in one gulp, closed his eyes, and murmured: “I can feel a faint trace of battle qi flowing, though not strong, it does provide some enhancement.”
“Hmm,” Louis nodded. “If this subtle effect can be mass-produced, it will be enough to support the supplies for low-rank knights. It’s very valuable.”
Egg and Haldor, who did not have knight bloodlines, exchanged glances and each took a taste.
Egg smacked his lips: “The taste is really good, but there’s no special feeling.”
They ate for over an hour, and eventually, there was no more conversation.
Egg, still gnawing on a roasted rib, opened his small notebook and mumbled: “My Lord, it’s a good time to report on the livestock situation.”
Wiping his mouth, he cleared his throat: “Currently, the main livestock species in Red Tide Territory are cattle, sheep, and reindeer introduced from the far north. These cold-resistant creatures have adapted faster than expected.
However, the numbers are not yet ideal. Although the scale has expanded significantly, it’s still far from being able to fully support the consumption of the entire territory.”
His tone shifted, with a hint of pride: “However, the current stock can sustain about a thousand people without issue. The latest batch of cattle and sheep calves have just been born, and the numbers will double in half a year.”
Louis nodded while drinking his hot soup, his expression quite approving.
After finishing the last sip, he looked at Egg: “You’ve done very well, the progress is beyond expectations.
But this is not enough. Animal husbandry is the foundation of the territory, and we must establish a stable supply chain. I will purchase another batch of livestock, focusing on adult female animals, to try and scale up within two years.”
Egg’s eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly: “My Lord is wise! As long as we add another batch of breeding stock, the scale of animal husbandry will quickly take shape, and the food and meat supply in Red Tide Territory will definitely improve greatly.”
Red Tide Territory’s animal husbandry, like the new green quietly emerging on this icy land, was steadily growing.
