Free Web NovelEven with prior mental preparation, Emily couldn't help but frown when she truly stepped into the Red Tide Territory's geothermal core area.
The air seemed to float with a scorching mist, and waves of steam washed over, baking the rocks hot, making even breathing feel like inhaling the air from deep within a furnace.
She subconsciously tightened the light cloak draped over her shoulders, even though the cloak couldn't block any heat; it was like a psychological comfort.
"Are your feet still hot?" Louis, who was ahead, turned back, his gaze falling on her boots.
Emily nodded, then shook her head, a gentle curve on her lips: "It's alright. Although it's a bit hot, I'm not afraid with you here."
Louis chuckled softly and walked back to her side: "I originally wanted to come alone; this place is indeed too hot."
"I know," Emily reached out and gently wiped the sweat from his temple, "but I also want to understand what you're doing."
From the first day she met Louis, Emily knew in her heart: this man's footsteps were destined not to remain between greenhouses and banquets.
Emily wanted to walk by his side, not stay in place and wait.
The ground was scorching hot like an iron plate; every step felt like dancing on flames.
Although she was an elite knight and could resist most of the high temperature with her battle qi, sweat still continuously seeped out, flowing from her neck into her collar, dampening her close-fitting clothes.
"So," Emily turned her head to look at Louis, who was walking ahead, and asked while wiping her sweat, "what kind of snake are we here to catch, exactly?"
Louis didn't look back, but his tone was as relaxed as if he were strolling in the mountains: "Fire Scale."
Emily hummed softly at his words, not asking further.
Of course, she knew what that was.
She wasn't an Apprentice Knight new to the military, nor was she some young lady sitting in a courtyard reciting poetry.
She grew up in the North and had a rough understanding of this dangerous magical beast that hid in scorching rock crevices.
Fire Scale is a reptilian magical beast that lives in extremely high-temperature environments, commonly found in areas with frequent volcanic activity, around geothermal fault lines, and in rock crevices near sulfur pits.
Its body is about three meters long, its scales are as hard as iron, and its entire body is deep red or orange-gold, capable of withstanding continuous high temperatures above ninety degrees Celsius.
It has gregarious habits, is highly aggressive, and its teeth contain high-temperature venom that, once injected into a wound, can cause severe burning reactions or even neurological dysfunction.
Its scales, liver, gallbladder, and venom glands are all high-value alchemy materials.
Due to its stable thermal energy output characteristics, it is highly favored by various military alchemists.
However, due to the difficulty of capture and the harsh environment, Fire Scale has long been on the list of high-priced resources.
Therefore, Louis's purpose for this trip was not just to "catch a few snakes."
Instead, it was to prepare for the Red Tide Territory's subsequent combat readiness research, Magic Bomb technology, and even the training system for special forces.
"The surface temperature in this area has already exceeded ninety degrees," Louis said, observing the terrain, "Sulfur gases, cracked rock steam—exactly the environment Fire Scale bees prefer."
"Mm, I smell it," Emily nodded, her nasal cavity filled with a faint smell of sulfur, and also a kind of damp, sweet scent.
The surrounding rocks had already turned reddish, as if repeatedly scorched, freēwēbηovel.c૦m
Between the crevices, white smoke occasionally rose, swirling and tumbling in the air with the airflow.
Faded snake skins occasionally appeared on the ground, their fine scales shimmering slightly in the light.
"They usually move in groups and like to forage at dawn and dusk," Louis whispered, "We need to find their nest before they return to it."
"So how many do you plan to catch?" Emily asked.
"If we're lucky and can find a nest, we'll try to capture them alive," Louis said calmly, "Use some for experiments, and domesticate the rest."
Domesticate Fire Scale?
Emily didn't ask aloud, but a hint of interest appeared in her eyes.
The scorching ground was trembling slightly.
"Found it," Louis's fingertip lightly touched the faint, almost imperceptible winding trail, "A Fire Scale's crawling track, and it's a fresh one."
Emily looked in the direction he pointed, and behind a cracked rock not far away, a faint crimson scale shadow flashed, like some kind of hot, lurking phantom.
"Their nest should be near that lava trench ahead," Louis stood up, patted his trousers, and said indifferently.
He waved his hand, and the knights, who were already on standby, quickly divided into three groups.
The lure group was responsible for attracting the target to appear, the observation group recorded behavioral responses and released mist, and the protection group stood guard with shields to prevent sudden attacks.
A knight standing beside Louis, with swift movements, took out a silver-white portable distillation device.
The device looked like a crystal jar firmly protected by a metal frame.
A light blue liquid was carefully poured into the core slot of the jar by another knight.
"Activate," the knight whispered, pressing a mechanism on the side of the device with his thumb.
A faint "hiss—" sound was heard.
The next second, wisps of light blue cold mist rose from the top of the device, and the mist, carrying a scent mixed with grass and mint, appeared particularly cool in the hot, scorching air.
A silent aura, like before the first snow, slowly enveloped the nearby heat.
The other knights also activated their atomizers one after another, and for a moment, the entire rocky area seemed to be quietly dragged from purgatory into a snowy landscape.
The Fire Scale faintly wriggling in the rock crevices seemed to sense something, their movements became sluggish, no longer agitated, but cautiously raised their heads, their noses gently swaying, sniffing the peculiar scent permeating the air.
Emily also frowned slightly, staring at the gently spraying device, her nose twitching, sensing a faint mixed scent of grass and mint.
"What kind of potion is this? I don't think I've seen it before," she couldn't help but ask.
"Frostleaf Vine guidance agent," Louis replied casually, still focused on observing the slowly wriggling red figures in the rock crevices ahead.
"Frostleaf Vine?" Emily repeated in a low voice, "Why haven't I heard of it?"
"Normal," Louis's lips curved slightly, and a hint of a 'showing off' expression appeared in his eyes.
"It's an extremely rare low-temperature vine plant in the northern wilderness, often epiphyzing on cold rock walls. When mature, it secretes a sticky blue sap that is cold and pungent. I had people collect a batch to experiment with, and after refining, it was made into this guidance agent."
Emily tilted her head, looking at the slowly spreading white mist, a hint of seriousness in her expression: "Are you saying... this thing can control Fire Scale leeches?"
"Accurately speaking, it 'inhibits the berserk reaction in the instincts of all magical beasts'," Louis's tone became a bit more serious.
"When threatened, magical beasts like the Fire Scale will directly enter a self-destructive frenzy. Forget about capturing them, it's even difficult to get close. But this potion can penetrate their nervous system by releasing cold mist, inhibiting that state."
He paused, as if observing a snake that was about to move, "Just like now, it's hesitating, sniffing, instead of directly pouncing and self-destructing."
Emily nodded, her pupils reflecting the shadow of the Fire Scale seemingly swimming in the mist.
He wasn't an alchemist, yet he could design such a thing, like some kind of wild genius—
She silently watched his focused profile as he operated, a feeling she had never experienced before rising in her heart.
"I originally thought you were just the type who knew how to fight," she said softly, a curve on her lips, "but it turns out you even research how to catch and raise magical beasts so thoroughly."
"Magic Bombs and Fire Oil also need raw materials, you know," Louis shrugged, his tone calm, "This world is going to get more and more chaotic now. If we don't prepare the power that 'doesn't rely on human soldiers' early, we'll suffer sooner or later."
The mist had gradually spread, clinging like threads to the edges of every scorching rock.
The light blue mist, like a light veil, brushed through the air, as if the entire geothermal canyon had been draped in a dreamy, frost-woven veil.
"Mist layer stable," Louis looked up at the light refraction in the sky, confirming the humidity and wind direction, "We can begin contact."
A lean, masked knight slowly stepped out.
He was wearing a customized brown and silver protective suit; this was Adrian, responsible for this induction mission.
A knight from the Calvin Family with a hunter specialization.
He slowly approached the rock crevice area where the Fire Scale was located,
The crimson-bodied, scale-armored magic snake, coiled on the warm rock, no longer held its neck high as before, but moved slowly, its tongue flicking less frequently.
Suddenly, a small tongue of flame shot out from its mouth, hot but brief, not forming a complete stream of fire.
“It’s nothing, just a warning flame,” Adrian reported in a low voice. “It’s not a hunting breath; its emotional state is still one of low anger.”
Louis whispered, “Then increase the dosage by another ten percent. We need to form a ‘Frostleaf Veil’ in this area.”
As the second round of distillation began, a denser blue mist slowly released, merging with the humid air of the canyon itself, like a thin veil enveloping the Fire Scale.
It began to slow its movements, its head resting on the ground, eyes half-closed, clearly entering a state of tranquility.
“Begin contact.”
Adrian steadily approached. He put on a pair of special frost-covered gloves and gently reached out to touch the side of the Fire Scale’s neck—one of the most sensitive areas on its body.
The snake’s body trembled slightly but did not pull away.
He then took a small strip of meat from his waist and slowly offered it to the snake’s head.
The Fire Scale paused briefly, its tongue flicking the meat, emitting a low hiss.
Adrian’s eyes lit up. “It’s a neutral signal; it doesn’t see me as a threat.”
“Excellent, the inducement team is to begin,” Louis murmured.
The team immediately sprang into action, with the inducement team luring it to the prepared taming area.
The protection team took their positions, ensuring the safety of the perimeter.
The observation team continued to analyze the Fire Scale’s breathing rate and muscle tension changes.
Throughout the entire process, the Fire Scale did not display any intense hostility. Even when a soft restraint was placed on it, it merely wiggled slightly before obediently allowing itself to be guided slowly into the taming area.
When the cold iron net closed and the restraints locked, the entire canyon suddenly fell into a profound silence.
“Capture successful.”
The Knights breathed a sigh of relief, some even cheering softly, but maintaining restraint.
As the first Fire Scale was successfully guided to the taming area, the pace of the operation quickly accelerated.
“Follow the same procedure,” Louis ordered in a deep voice, his sharp gaze sweeping across the geothermal rock valley. “Today, we need to clear this activity zone as much as possible.”
The Knights quickly divided into groups, and distillation devices, like spiritual lamps releasing blue mist, were set up along both sides of the canyon.
As the cold mist rose again and the air humidity gradually increased, a thin, even “Frostleaf Veil” quietly formed, as if covering the entire scorching rock plain with a transparent icy gauze.
The Fire Scales gradually fell into a state of tranquility.
Their movements in the mist became slow and sluggish, and they even began to nestle along the rock crevices, as if enjoying this long-awaited coolness.
Adrian approached again, his movements steady, skillfully touching the neck of a slightly larger female snake with his frost-covered gloves and feeding it a strip of meat.
The Fire Scale let out a long, low hum, a gentle hiss, devoid of hostility.
“Neutral signal; it does not perceive humans as predators,” he gestured to Louis.
The entire team acted in perfect tacit agreement, and then several Fire Scales were successively fitted with soft restraints and slowly and steadily guided out of the valley.
Three hours later, over seventy Fire Scales were all captured, almost wiping out the snake population in this area.
The most striking among them was the giant individual coiled at the edge of the lava fissure.
A nine-meter-long Fire Scale King, entirely crimson with scales reflecting a metallic luster.
Although it remained wary under the influence of the potion, it did not erupt with aggression and was ultimately successfully guided to the taming area.
The taming environment had also been prepared in advance.
This was a natural lava cave, located next to the geothermal core of the Red Tide Territory’s scorching zone. The cave was winding, yet everywhere glowed with the red light of natural magma.
Inside, multiple modified distillation devices were installed, slowly releasing diluted Frostleaf Vine essence to keep the entire taming area in a “semi-sedated” state.
The mist was thin and even, gently covering the ground and the snakes’ movement paths.
Occasionally, a few restless Fire Scales would try to spit flames, but what came out was only heat waves, not actual fire, which dissipated into nothingness in the mist in the blink of an eye.
“Instinct suppression is good,” Adrian nodded after observing. “As long as the dosage is maintained, it should ensure stability during the taming phase.”
Louis stood with his hands behind his back, watching the snakes quietly move, his mind churning with thoughts.
These Fire Scales would serve as the raw materials for his primary combat tools against the Broodmother, and this was just the first step; everything had just begun.
So, halfway through the capture, Louis sent for Silco.
He stood at the edge of the hot mist, turning his head to quietly instruct Adrian, “Pick a few older, less fertile individuals. The larger the better, and they must have sufficient fat content.”
Adrian nodded in acknowledgment and quickly selected three old snakes, each over four meters long, from the already tamed Fire Scale group.
With practiced movements, he secured the snakes with cold iron chains, and then the Knight team together dragged them into the dissection tent behind.
Silco, dressed in a white robe with several layers of fire-resistant leather on his cuffs, walked in steadily, carrying a toolbox.
He said nothing, simply waved his hand, and the toolbox opened, revealing a complete set of silver dissection instruments and refining apparatus.
With Adrian’s assistance, he precisely cut open the Fire Scale’s abdominal scales and gently separated the reddish soft fat from beneath its belly.
The fat was viscous, with a faint, flickering glow, emitting a strange burnt-mineral scent.
“The texture is dense and contains weakly volatile minerals,” Silco said in a low voice, a hint of excitement flashing in his eyes. “As expected, Fire Scale fat is mixed with natural combustion-aiding crystal salts.”
He quickly began processing the experimental sample, using a “cold press + silver charcoal adsorption” alchemical treatment method to filter out impurities in layers from the fat and stabilize its component activity.
As the apparatus operated, it eventually produced a deep red, semi-solid paste that remained stable at room temperature.
When he carefully ignited a small sample, the flame instantly leaped up, burning quietly with no black smoke residue.
“It’s a success,” he murmured. “This is a high-quality fuel—”
Seeing the experiment succeed, Louis was also pleased. “Let’s call it Fire Scale Paste.”
In the alchemical experimental area within the lava cave, firelight reflected on the damp rock walls.
Next was the experimental phase. Silco stood before a cold iron table, clad in a thick protective alchemical robe, holding the freshly refined deep red paste.
He smeared a small pinch of it onto a cold iron plate and ignited it with a common flame. The flame immediately flared up, burning brightly and steadily, only completely extinguishing after nine minutes, leaving no scorch marks or residue on the plate.
“This stuff is really good,” he murmured in admiration. “It can burn in wetlands, and it ignites without smoke. If I hadn’t made it myself, I’d almost think it was a finished product from the Jade Alchemy Academy.”
Then he dripped several refined essences of magic into a small pinch of Fire Scale Paste, stepped back a few paces, and lit it.
“Boom!”
Instantly, the bursting flame shot up nearly two meters, and a wave of heat swept over, stinging one’s face slightly.
Silco raised an eyebrow. “This explosive combustion temperature is at least six hundred degrees. It’s also a good material for making Magic Bombs. Hmm... stability is good, and the temperature is high.”
He meticulously recorded the data, then looked at Louis, who was observing nearby.
He curiously asked, “So, what do you plan to do with this Fire Scale Paste? Primarily for combat, or for everyday use?”
Louis’s gaze was calm, but his tone held a subtle anticipation. “Prioritize developing combat-oriented Magic Bombs and explosive oil. Ideally, they should °• N 𝑜 v 𝑒 l i g h t •° be easy to carry, have stable ignition delay, and possess area-of-effect explosive capabilities.”
He paused, “Of course, if you have any other ideas, you can always tell me.”
Silco chuckled upon hearing this. “I have a few small ideas, but I’ll need a few days, as I haven’t fully understood this stuff yet.”
Louis nodded, saying faintly, “A few days is enough time for you, but be careful not to blow up the laboratory.”
The two “Magic Bomb maniacs” exchanged smiles, and under the flickering firelight, a dangerous concept was gradually taking shape.
Just as Louis was about to continue watching Silco’s Magic Bomb experiments, a Knight quickly approached. “Sir, several individuals claiming to be ‘Mages of Mages’ have come to request an audience.”
Louis nodded slightly upon hearing this, calmly stating, “Take them to the meeting hall to wait for me. I’ll be there shortly.”
