Giant Dragon Lord: Starting from Daily Intelligence-Chapter 142 - 136: Moonlight’s Change of Temperament
At dinnertime, the castle’s dining hall was brightly lit. A rich, tempting aroma of meat already drifted from the long oak table.
Servants brought out platter after platter of tonight’s main course: charcoal-grilled Tier Four Crocodile Dragon Meat.
There were hundreds of pounds of the Crocodile Dragon Meat, cut into moderately sized chunks. It was roasted until the outside was golden-brown and crispy, while the inside remained tender and juicy. The fat sizzled under the high heat, and the aroma was so strong it felt like it could blow the roof off.
This was the remaining stock from the last Mire Crocodile Dragon hunt.
To ensure the rapid growth of Moonlight, a True Dragon, the vast majority of the thousands of pounds of Crocodile Dragon Meat went into its belly, aside from the occasional piece Raylo tasted for himself.
Even Baofeng, Black Stone Territory’s most distinguished hero who always charged at the forefront, had only received a few scraps at the very beginning to get a taste. After that, it could only enjoy the smell.
Just as Raylo picked up his knife and fork, ready to enjoy his dinner, a white figure appeared leisurely at the dining hall entrance.
Moonlight flicked its fluffy tail and, with a nimble leap, hopped onto the dining table.
Its pale golden eyes swept over the mountain of roasted meat. It then narrowed them in satisfaction, a nearly inaudible purr rumbling in its throat.
Dinner was over.
Moonlight licked its paws, cleaning the grease from around its mouth, looking thoroughly satisfied.
Raylo watched its lazy, cat-like posture, cleared his throat, and carefully chose his words before beginning his grand "persuasion" plan.
"Moonlight."
He tried his best to make his voice sound as friendly and amiable as possible.
"You know that new batch of Pegasi that just arrived at the castle? Do you think you could... do me a small favor?"
He spoke cautiously, his eyes fixed on Moonlight, already bracing himself for the little tyrant to make an exorbitant demand—like asking for a mountain of roasted geese as payment.
After all, in the past, asking it for help often resulted in him being ripped off.
To Raylo’s surprise, Moonlight merely lifted its eyelids lazily to glance at him, then let out a low purr. It had actually agreed.
Raylo froze for a moment, almost thinking he had misheard.
"It... agreed? Just like that?"
’Why the sudden change of heart from this little one today?’ he wondered inwardly.
’Being so agreeable is completely out of character for it.’
With this small measure of surprise and anticipation, Raylo led Moonlight to a temporary corral built behind the castle.
A large open area had been enclosed with a Solid log fence, inside which fifty-some newly captured Pegasi were crowded together.
These Pegasi were majestic in build with full-feathered wings, but at this moment, they still seemed restless and agitated.
They clearly hadn’t adapted to their confinement yet. They let out sharp neighs from time to time, their hooves anxiously pawing at the dirt. Their snow-white wings flapped nervously, kicking up clouds of dust and filling the air with a wild scent.
Moonlight, still looking like a lazy, oversized cat, took a light leap from Raylo’s shoulder and landed silently on the high roof of the adjacent stable.
In the darkness of the night, it looked down from its high perch upon the restless herd below. Its pale golden eyes suddenly lit up in the dark, shining with a soul-stirring light, like two faintly burning golden Flames.
"AWOOO!"
A low roar, not particularly loud but imbued with a strange penetrating Power and supreme majesty, emanated from Moonlight’s throat.
In an instant, an incorporeal pressure, as heavy as a mountain, burst out from Moonlight like a tidal wave from a broken dam, instantly enveloping the entire corral.
It was a fear that stemmed from the very depths of their bloodline, an absolute suppression based on the hierarchy of life.
Giant Dragon’s Dragon Mighty!
The herd of Pegasi, which had been restless and trying to ram the fence, froze in place the moment the Dragon Mighty descended, as if an invisible hand had seized them by the throat.
Their proudly held heads instantly drooped, their eyes filled with utter terror and shock.
Immediately after, whimpers rose one after another. They began to tremble violently, their strong limbs shaking uncontrollably as their hooves nervously scraped the ground.
A dozen or so of the weaker-blooded, more timid Pegasi even went weak in the knees and, with a THUD, fell to the ground. Their great wings drooped limply, and they buried their heads deep in the fodder, their entire bodies shaking violently in a display of complete and utter submission.
The entire process, from Moonlight’s low roar to the complete subjugation of the Pegasus herd, took only a few breaths’ time.
Raylo stood to the side, watching the scene with bated breath, the shock in his heart beyond words.
’That’s... it?’
’So easily?’
He had originally thought Moonlight would have to use its "physical taming method" on each Pegasus one by one, just like before.
He never expected that a single low roar, a mere release of pure Dragon Mighty, would make this proud and arrogant herd of Pegasi bow their heads in submission, becoming as docile as sheep.
"Moonlight, you..."
Raylo opened his mouth, but for a moment, he was at a loss for words.
He could clearly feel that the pressure Moonlight was emitting now was far more powerful and concentrated than ever before.
’This little guy’s growth rate is just too astonishing. What terrifying Power is hidden inside its seemingly small and delicate body?’
Moonlight seemed to sense the turmoil in Raylo’s heart. It retracted its pressure, and its eyes, which had been burning with golden Flames, returned to their usual laziness.
It leaped nimbly from the roof back to Raylo’s shoulder and rubbed its furry head against his cheek, letting out a smug purr from its throat, as if to say, "See? A piece of cake."
The rubbing tickled Raylo, but his heart was filled with understanding.
He had a sudden realization. No wonder Moonlight had been so "generous" today, willing to "work for free" and not even mentioning its beloved Roasted Goose Mountain.
It turned out that for Moonlight, taming these Low Tier Pegasi was an effortless task, as easy as lifting a finger. It was just helping out in passing, not even enough to count as a warm-up.
He couldn’t help but chuckle. He reached out and scratched Moonlight’s chin, eliciting an even more contented purr.
"You little rascal,"
he chuckled in a low voice.
"You’re getting better and better at hiding your true strength."
「The next morning.」
The Knight training grounds of Black Stone Castle.
Dawn was breaking, the air crisp and cool.
Raylo stood, his hands clasped behind his back.
Ed and Alex stood in attendance at his side.
Before them, twenty Knights stood in neat formation.
Their armor bore the marks of battle, and their faces held a mixture of solemnity and excitement.
These Knights were all Warriors who had fought tooth and nail on the Jade Swamp front lines and distinguished themselves in service.
Raylo’s gaze swept over the Knights before him.
"Knights, I have seen your valor and loyalty. Today is the day I fulfill my promise and reward the meritorious."
He gestured to Ed and Alex.
The two stepped forward and together lifted a heavy oak chest.
With a CLICK, the lid opened, revealing neat rows of Crystal Bottles. 𝙧𝙚𝙚𝔀𝒆𝓫𝓷𝙤𝓿𝒆𝙡.𝒄𝙤𝓶
Each bottle contained a viscous, dark brown liquid that shimmered with a strange luster in the morning light, as if it held some kind of powerful Life Force.
