Versatile Mage c1-2021, page 847
"They are coming!"
Tangyue looked up and saw the sky was filled with the Manta Ray Evil Birds. It felt like the whole sky was shrouded by the creatures, especially when their sapphire eyes were looking down at them...
"Go inside, quick, they won't dive at us!" Chen Shuo told the group confidently.
Chen Shuo led the group to the entrance. They immediately ran inside the rhombus-shaped building. The place was abandoned, but it was not completely run-down. It was a safe enclosed space. The Manta Ray Evil Birds would have to break through the walls and the roof to reach them.
The loud noises were making the group uncomfortable. The Manta Ray Evil Birds circled the sky above the building, but not a single one of them dove down at it after five minutes had passed.
Chapter 1827 - Taming After Ten Years
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
"Are we safe now?" Jiang Shaoxu asked.
She was truly afraid. She had once thought it was just going to be a normal island with a little trouble, but it had turned out to be a tiger's den full of danger. The Manta Ray Evil Birds were still circling in the sky above the emergency outpost. They did not seem to be leaving soon, but they were not diving down either, as they were wary of the building.
"What should we do now? Daybreak is going to come soon. We can't afford to waste any time," Zhao Manyan said.
They had to leave before the sun rose. The Featherless Birds protecting the vicinity of the island were all going to awaken soon. Their numbers were more than ten times those of the Featherless Birds on the island. Their group would have no chance of leaving the island in one piece once they were awake.
"There's a tunnel under the outpost that will bring us to the main ranch and breeding facility. Most Greater Featherless Birds were bred in the trees there," Chen Shuo told them.
"Are you suggesting we take on the root of the problem directly?" Zhao Manyan had to ask.
"Exactly! We must get rid of the Greater Featherless Birds and the Featherless Bird Emperor. If a certain device there is still usable, we should be able to keep the Manta Ray Evil Birds at bay while trapping the Greater Featherless Birds and the Featherless Bird Emperor in the woods temporarily," Chen Shuo said.
"Excuse me, mister, you shouldn't just think about how to rid the public of an evil. You should think about how we are supposed to handle the Manta Ray Evil Birds, and the Featherless Birds that are about to wake up in the sea, even if we do slay the Greater Featherless Birds and the Featherless Bird Emperor. You should figure out our retreat first. Otherwise, our best bet is to turn around immediately!" Zhao Manyan countered.
"Old Zhao is right. It's important to get rid of the Greater Featherless Birds and the Featherless Bird Emperor, but we have to figure out a way to deal with their children and grandchildren, too. We should prioritize our safety first," Mo Fan agreed.
Chen Shuo immediately fell silent. He had been fully preoccupied with the thought of eliminating the Featherless Birds to prevent a potential disaster.
The Manta Ray Evil Birds were constantly making a lot of noise in the sky. Loud whooshes were heard as the creatures swept past the building above them. A few fearless Manta Ray Evil Birds even ignored the metal that the building was built from to search for the entrance.
Ten years ago, this emergency outpost was completely sealed up to prevent the tamed creatures from revolting, but the building was already long abandoned. It was difficult to guarantee there was no opening for the creatures to come inside. They were eventually going to find a way in as more Manta Ray Evil Birds began to circle the building.
"I do have a plan if you trust me," Chen Shuo said.
"Just spill the beans!" Zhao Manyan said.
"As a matter of fact, our project wasn't necessarily a total failure. The Bird Emperor spent a long time living with humans. It had already developed a certain benevolence. Things only went south because we were short on funds, and we made a mistake when taming the Bird Emperor," Chen Shuo began to explain to them.
"Mister, we don't really have much time, so please refrain from dwelling on the past for now. Just tell us what we should do. If it's plausible, we'll go ahead and do it. Otherwise, we should leave the island at once. We won't have that option once the morning comes. This old outpost doesn't feel safe at all," Mu Bai reminded him quickly.
"Basically, every Manta Ray Evil Bird takes orders from the Bird Emperor, which means, if we are able to complete the plan ten years ago and tame the Bird Emperor successfully, not only can we resolve the threat posed by the overpopulation of the Manta Ray Evil Birds, the Bird Emperor will give us a ride and even bring us to safety!" Chen Shuo said.
"What kind of a plan is that? You already failed to tame it ten years ago. You had so many experts, Mages, and devices back then, but you still failed to tame the Bird Emperor. Why would you think we can do it now after ten years?" Tangyue demanded.
"That's why I said you have to trust me completely. I wasn't fully in charge back then, but I'm extremely familiar with the Bird Emperor. If you try to tame it according to my method, I believe it might remind the Bird Emperor of its past as a Contracted Beast, thus convincing it to obey us," Chen Shuo said seriously. He even sounded a little excited.
"Chen Shuo, are you sure it's still possible to tame a creature who has now become the Bird Emperor of the Manta Ray Evil Birds?" Mo Fan asked in a serious voice.
"I'm sure of it; the Bird Emperor's master was my master! As his disciple, I was following him around. He brought me here to take care of his Contracted Beast, Evil Star, before he passed away. I came because I was eager to make some contributions, and I also saw how much potential the plan to tame the Manta Ray Evil Birds had. I thought my master's Contracted Beast might lead us to a great evolution, and my master would be very pleased with the result.
"Unfortunately, when they started to have some positive outcome, they focused on breeding Manta Ray Evil Birds with a purer lineage instead of putting their attention on taming the creatures first, which eventually led to the overpopulation of the Manta Ray Evil Birds. However, I understand Evil Star. It still has the spirit of a Contracted Beast. It's willing to be tamed, but we need someone worthy enough to convince it by following my instructions," Chen Shuo said.
"What do you mean someone worthy enough to convince it? Can't you do it?" Jiang Shaoxu asked.
"I can't. The Manta Ray Evil Birds are extremely competitive. It will never submit to anyone weaker than it. My master only managed to sign a Contract with it because he managed to defeat it by himself. There's only one way to convince it; to take on the creature alone and defeat it without relying on any tricks!" Chen Shuo said.
"I have defeated many demon creatures, yet not a lot of them were willing to surrender just because you can defeat them. Most of them preferred to die rather than submitting themselves to a human," Mo Fan pointed out.
"Yes, that has always been the case, but the difference is that this Bird Emperor was once a Contracted Beast, so it won't reject humans!" the old soldier countered.
"Mo Fan, you should be pretty strong now. If the Bird Emperor is really that intelligent, you might earn its trust by defeating it. Why don't you have a go at it?" Tangyue said.
"But my Contracted Space is full!" Mo Fan said.
"Taming it and making it a Contracted Beast are different things!"
Chapter 1828 - The Umbrella of Coconut Trees in the Sky
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
Mo Fan was willing to go along with Chen Shuo's plan if there was no other way.
The truth was, Mo Fan had never tamed a demon creature before. He simply treated it as a learning opportunity. If he really could tame these Manta Ray Evil Birds, it might significantly increase his homeland's firepower along the coastline!
Taming was not really related to the Summoning Element. It was actually an ability of the Psychic Element, as it relied on Psychic Magic to communicate with a demon creature and slowly rid it of its savage nature and convert it into something positive. The creature would gradually submit to humans, and become a pet or a comrade in battle.
Most tamed creatures could only obey simple instructions. For example, the Heavenly Eagles were mainly responsible for carrying their masters around, protecting them, and assisting them in battles. Their minds were not linked like the connections between a Summoned Beast or a Contracted Beast and their Summoners were. Their relationship was not as close, nor would they have such outstanding synergy.
Most tamed creatures were only treated as mounts. It was quite difficult to convince tamed creatures to fight other demon creatures!
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"My father wanted me to become a Tamer and serve in the military when I was younger, but I kind of strayed away from the path somehow. To be honest, I'm under huge pressure knowing the burden is currently on my shoulders, considering they failed the attempt ten years ago," Jiang Shaoxu admitted.
The group was now heading toward the Sky Coconut Grove through a secret passage from the emergency outpost. It was where the Great Featherless Birds and the Featherless Bird Emperor lived. The old devices for taming purposes were stored there, too.
"Such pressure you are under, but why the hell do I have to take on the Manta Ray Evil Birds' Emperor alone!?" Mo Fan grumbled immediately.
Mo Fan thought Chen Shuo meant he just had to fight the Bird Emperor with all his strength to defeat it, but he just realized he was going to take on the Bird Emperor alone, since it was the only way to earn the creature's approval.
Mo Fan could not care less about getting the creature's approval. Why couldn't they just take on the Bird Emperor together and beat the crap out of it? If it was not convinced of their strength, they could just beat it up a few more times! However, they had to turn it into a fair duel where others were not allowed to intervene. Were they crazy? Did they seriously want him to fight the creature fair and square? Mo Fan never bothered fighting anyone fair and square!
"Mo Fan, think about it; if you manage to tame the Bird Emperor, you can make it your mount. If I were you, I would feel very ashamed in front of other Super Mages and Summoners considering how bad you are with water. After all, you can only ride your second Contracted Beast at night.. uh, what I'm trying to say is, this is a great opportunity for you. It's the prologue to you dominating the Pacific Ocean!" Zhao Manyan cheered him on.
Mo Fan gave it serious thought and realized Zhao Manyan was not being totally unreasonable.
Mo Fan had initially planned to get himself a flying beast as his second Contracted Beast, but he ended up with a little snake demoness instead. Any Wing Magical Equipment was extremely expensive, too. There was no way he could get one that was fit for his level with the money he had.
Therefore, finding a mount was indeed the perfect solution!
Magical Wings were extremely costly. Those that cost only one or two hundred million were too slow for his current level, so he did not bother wasting his money on them.
"Jiang Shaoxu, your main focus on the Psychic Element is the Illusionary Branch, right?" Mo Fan asked.
"Yeah, so I don't feel too confident. I only know a little about how to tame a creature," Jiang Shaoxu confirmed.
"I'll ask someone to give you a hand later, but make sure you keep the Greater Featherless Birds and the Manta Ray Evil Birds at bay while I'm fighting the Bird Emperor. I seriously don't want to die here!" Mo Fan told her.
"Don't you worry, we'll be keeping an eye for you!" Chen Shuo let out a relieved sigh when Mo Fan finally agreed to the plan.
"How long until we reach the Sky Coconut Grove? It'll be daybreak soon."
"We are almost there."
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Wanggui Town...
Zhu Min and Li Dong staggered out of a bar, each with a hand around the waist of a woman with heavy makeup. Tangyue had finally considered giving up on the operation today. They no longer had to put on an act before her, and could finally relax.
A few bulky figures slowly approached them as they reached the junction. A man in a huge coat was leading them. He had a stern face as he cast an aloof gaze at Zhu Min and Li Dong.
"Is this what you should be doing when you're on duty?" the man harrumphed coldly.
"Fa...father!" Zhu Min's legs trembled as soon as he saw the man.
"Chief!" Li Dong collected his thoughts quickly. He rapidly pushed the woman in his arm away.
The woman immediately cursed in the local dialect when Li Dong's attitude changed so suddenly.
The chief of the Enforcement Union squinted, as if he was observing some filthy wild hens, a disdainful and heartless look in his eyes. The faces of the two women turned pale, as if their thick makeup was about to fall off their faces. They immediately ran away, not daring to say a word further.
"Where's the Vice Chief?" Chief Zhu Qi said.
"I...I think she went home," Li Dong said.
"Humph, why did a Senior Enforcer tell me she had gone to Dawn Island with a few people, then?" Zhu Qi asked.
"No way, we clearly saw her..." Zhu Min began.
"I told you two to keep an eye on her, yet you couldn't even do such a simple task. I know better than anyone else how dangerous Dawn Island is. I asked you to keep an eye on her not only to be wary of her, but to stop her from doing anything reckless, too. After all, she was assigned here by the Lingyin Enforcement Union. If she dies on the island, it will bring us a lot of trouble," Zhu Qi said.
"That woman must be out of her mind!" Li Dong swore.
"Go take a look around, and make sure she's still alive," Zhu Qi ordered them.
---
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Dawn Island, the Sky Coconut Grove...
The Sky Coconut Grove was made up of coconut trees that had been growing on a tall hill for more than a hundred years. Their dense leaves were bundled up together. The top of the trees bent slightly too, making them look like an enormous umbrella. It was quite a spectacular sight.
The main training and breeding ranch was located in the Sky Coconut Grove. There were iron nets all over the trees, looming over them like a sky. Together, they resembled a huge dome protecting the island!
Chapter 1829 - Submit To Me
Translated by XephiZ
Edited by Aelryinth
The base of the main ranch was half set into a mountain, built using the same special metal as the outpost to prevent the Manta Ray Evil Birds from getting closer. It had done a great job preserving the building.
When they arrived inside the building, Mo Fan noticed many devices covered with huge pieces of leather. They looked like machines that had not been used for many years, rather than being completely abandoned and run-down. The sight explained why Chen Shuo wanted to give his plan a try. The devices were still in good condition. They could be used right away, once they were connected to a power source.
"Can you see the netting above the trees? Those are actually made of metallic gravel. They aren't used to trap the Manta Ray Bird Emperor, Evil Star, but were actually used to magnify the efficacy of the Psychic Element, like a kind of metallurgy. When the Taming Force of the Psychic Element is inserted into these devices, the nettings produce a psychological pulse to tame Evil Star. We would do it once every month before, but from what I learned, they started whipping Evil Star with electric shocks, forcing it to submit to their authority with pain.
"However, the method we used to tame Heavenly Eagles isn't effective on Evil Star. It would never be afraid of humans and submit itself to us, despite being whipped countless times. Therefore, the best way is to Pacify it instead, and calm its thoughts. We'll then help it remember its past, and the friendly time it spent with humans. Mo Fan will then challenge it to a duel so it will obey the orders of a human who's stronger than it..." Chen Shuo had been quiet along the journey, yet he was very excited whenever he mentioned Evil Star. He had a passionate look in his eyes now.
"So you're saying that I'll need to activate the magic nets with Spirit Ripple to help it recover its benevolence first, before Mo Fan overpowers it?" Jiang Shaoxu summarized the drawn-out instructions.
"Exactly. If the plan doesn't work, the Manta Ray Evil Birds will never be on friendly terms with humans!" Chen Shuo stated solemnly.
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Mo Fan was not feeling very confident in Jiang Shaoxu's Psychic Element. The woman's main focus was on illusions. If Xinxia was here, he would only have needed to go through the motions since the creature would be Pacified pretty easily.
"Apas, come out here." Mo Fan went to a corner and summoned his second Contracted Beast while the others were busy preparing the magic netting.
Apas had been hiding in her Contracted Space after she found the Receiver Crystals. It was the perfect time to be asking her for help. There was no way Mo Fan would let his second Contracted Beast's talents go to waste!
"Help me subdue that Manta Ray Bird Emperor," Mo Fan told her.
"What benefits do I get?" Apas seemed to have gotten used to the business model between them. She would be willing to help as long as she would be getting something that fancied her in return.
"I'll sort out your identity with my connections. You will be able to study in the Plant School of Pearl Institute as you wish," Mo Fan offered her.
Apas' eyes glittered as soon as she heard the offer. Her attractive eyes curled charmingly in joy and excitement.
"Really? You're not trying to trick me, aren't you?" Apas said warily.
"Since when did I trick you?" Mo Fan said sternly, but for some reason, he almost bit his own tongue when he was talking.
Apas wanted to study at the Pearl Institute. Frankly speaking, she just wanted to live like a normal girl, being able to learn magic, go to school, go to the library, and enjoy a peaceful yet fulfilling life.
She might be a Medusa Princess, but she was not too passionate about her heritage. She was instead curious and obsessed with the magic of humans.
She had been practicing every day since Mo Fan had helped her Awaken the Plant Element. However, she was not particularly talented at it. Mo Fan was actually surprised by how clumsy she was.
