Chapter 85

Chapter 85

It turned out that Lorant's calculations regarding the birth of the animal pets were quite accurate.

Two days later, all the Gale Horses began hatching.

The Gale Horses that hatched from the over two-meter-tall animal pet eggs were even taller than the first batch that had grown in the time instrument.

As soon as they emerged from their shells, each Gale Horse stood more than two and a half meters tall, with a well-proportioned body exuding power and grace.

Their appearance was captivating; Lorant believed no one could see them without being utterly charmed.

Hundreds of Gale Horses, as usual, ate their eggshells. After they had a good sleep and the warm air inside the warehouse dried the residual mucus on their bodies, Lorant gradually led them out of the warehouse.

Although the cold wind still raged outside, the Gale Horses, as animal pets, had remarkable physical constitutions.

As a species that was already two and a half meters tall at birth, with bodies made entirely of muscle, the Gale Horses did not need to be pampered like delicate flowers.

Even freshly hatched, they were already incredibly strong.

In this aspect, they were far easier to manage than the young Luli Ice Flame Dogs from years ago.

They were quite hassle-free.

The stables outside the Animal Pet Shop had been expanded to accommodate all the Gale Horses.

The stables, standing five meters high, were divided into thousands of compartments, similar to the layout of the exotic beast warehouse.

The difference was that there was no need for security measures here; thus, each compartment had only a symbolic one-meter-high gate to separate the Gale Horses.

Thick straw was laid out in the stables, allowing the Gale Horses to rest comfortably and have a good sleep.

For this purpose, Lorant sprayed a plant essential oil he had mixed himself onto the straw. The scent contained many calming elements that helped stabilize the Gale Horses' emotions.

This allowed these newborns to settle down peacefully.

On either side of each compartment were water troughs and feed troughs.

Lorant had already prepared ample food in each feed trough. The dark-colored feed, made from a mix of exotic beast meat and plants, was a delicacy for the Gale Horses.

One by one, the hungry Gale Horses, having just woken up from their slumber, entered their compartments without much prompting and started eating contentedly.

After settling all the newborn Gale Horses and watching them adapt to their compartments and begin to feel drowsy,

Lorant immediately locked the stable doors and quickly ran back to his room on the second floor.

The unusual animal pet egg had already been moved by Lancelot to the sealed-off terrace on the second floor.

Soft cushions were placed underneath it, and a nest made of straw was also prepared nearby.

Perhaps due to some special reasons, this particular animal pet's hatching time was delayed compared to its siblings.

When the other Gale Horses in the warehouse had already eaten their eggshells and taken a good nap, this one had only cracked a tiny bit.

As Lorant hurried back up the stairs, the little Gale Horse was just poking its head out of the shell.

The human and the animal met each other's gaze.

The little Gale Horse was entirely green, with its signature green eyes shimmering with a mist-like fluidity more pronounced than its siblings.

Its gaze was lively, indicating a level of intelligence far surpassing its brothers and sisters.

Seeing Lorant appear on the stairs, the little one's eyes lit up with evident joy.

It seemed to recognize Lorant and behaved like a calf finding its mother, cooing affectionately.

Lorant approached quickly, gently stroking the Gale Horse's nose. The guidebook in his mind suddenly flipped open.

In the section marked SR, SSR, UR, an unusual light flickered.

Under "SR," a familiar entry appeared:

"SR Gale Horse (Windskin)"

Curious, Lorant clicked on it, revealing a familiar guidebook interface.

The entirely green Gale Horse elegantly trotted before Lorant, with green skin subtly rippling with wind currents.

"Entirely green Gale Horses possess skin rich in wind elements, allowing them to achieve fifty percent higher maximum speed than ordinary Gale Horses in 'Windwalk' mode, significantly enhancing wind element affinity and immunity to some wind element magic damage."

The description of Windskin was brief, but every sentence filled Lorant with excitement.

So far, the difference between this Gale Horse and ordinary ones lay in its ethereal 'Windskin.' This alone was a significant enhancement.

Speed was already the greatest advantage of the Gale Horses.

The presence of Windskin increased the Gale Horse's maximum speed by fifty percent, which was an extraordinary improvement.

Now, Lorant could confidently say that this newborn was already the fastest animal pet in the Animal Pet Shop.

Even the nearly adult Luli Ice Flame Dogs couldn't match it.

With a face full of surprise, Lorant looked at the innocent Gale Horse and couldn't resist rubbing its mane vigorously.

He had guessed that this egg might contain a higher-quality Gale Horse, but he never imagined it would be an SR animal pet egg.

This was the first SR-level animal pet in the Animal Pet Shop.

Through it, Lorant confirmed some information.

The highest normal rank for animal pets is S, which represents their own strength or breeding difficulty.

At least from the animal pet paths that Lorant currently understands, B-ranked Crystal Ice Flame Dogs are stronger in every aspect compared to C-ranked Windbreaking Horses.

This is likely the basis for the guidebook's ranking of these animal pets.

However, this ranking does not always represent everything in real life.

For example, for the Knight Regiment, the appeal of Windbreaking Horses far outweighs that of Crystal Ice Flame Dogs.

This situation will continue until all members of the Knight Regiment have their own Windbreaking Horse.

During this period, even if Lorant breeds a more powerful animal pet, it cannot shake the status of Windbreaking Horses in the hearts of the knights.

Regardless, Lorant takes the 'SR' he has bred quite seriously.

He thoroughly examined the condition of this Windbreaking Horse.

This Windbreaking Horse looks more elegant than an ordinary one when you ignore its skin color.

Every muscle on its body harbors tremendous explosive power, concealing immense strength.

Its semi-illusory blue mane appears denser and longer, and the long hair around its ankles is more graceful.

Its skin seems to flow like wind, and Lorant feels as if its color subtly changes.

It stood straight, lowered its head, and gently rested it on Lorant's shoulder, rubbing against him as if seeking affection.

Lancelot watched curiously from the side: "Why do I feel like this little guy seems to know you?"

Such a scene feels strangely warm.

Like...

a child seeking comfort from its mother.

While stroking the Windbreaking Horse's neck, Lorant turned his head with a helpless look at Lancelot, who was watching: "I don't know either. Maybe it just saw me first when it hatched?"

Lancelot shook his head firmly: "Impossible. From the moment it broke out of its shell, I've been here without leaving. I'm sure it saw me first."

He was indeed certain that he and the foal made eye contact immediately after it hatched.

Lorant said there's no evidence that this matters, but he believes it can improve the bond between the animal pet and its owner.

This is similar to how people often perform rituals before drawing cards, believing it increases their chances of getting a SSR.

Although this hasn't been proven, everyone who draws a SSR claims it works.

So before Lorant appeared, Lancelot believed this too.

The little guy was so friendly towards him, unlike other Windbreaking Horses that were initially repelled by him. This one showed immediate affection and sought his touch.

Lancelot was delighted and regained confidence, thinking he wasn't the one all animal pets disliked.

But this dream shattered the moment Lorant arrived. In an instant, the little guy forgot about him and eagerly went to Lorant.

Lancelot felt a pang of jealousy, unsure whether it was because of the horse or Lorant.

After settling the Windbreaking Horse, Lorant pondered the issue with a frown.

"Hmm... Could it be because I touched its eggshell every day?" Lorant speculated. Honestly, his knowledge of animal pets isn't much better than anyone else's, and many of his behaviors are based on pet videos he saw in his previous life.

Moreover, this little guy isn't an ordinary animal pet; it's Lorant's first SR-ranked 'rare' animal pet.

Lorant couldn't explain the difference between SR-ranked and ordinary animal pets.

Now, he could only offer some unreliable guesses.

Even after the Windbreaking Horse ate its shell and fell asleep in its nest, they still hadn't figured out why.

A quiet night passed.

A day at the Animal Pet Shop begins with Ruth's steaming bowl of oatmeal and a sandwich.

After breakfast, Lorant took Silem and the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs to the stables outside the shop.

There were several abandoned houses nearby. Due to the cold weather making construction difficult, Lorant had been slowly exploring one or two houses each day to see if anything could be reused.

If he found something usable, he marked it for later use. Even though he now had ample funds, the instinct to save and reuse things, deeply ingrained in every Chinese person, remained strong in him.

Over the past few days, Lorant had used intact beams from several houses to create play facilities for the Windbreaking Horses.

These horses are still foals and can't resist the simple toys. Last night, they played around the rough wooden stakes, refusing to leave.

Of course, not every house yielded reusable materials. Most were too damaged to use, which is when Lorant would call the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs to demolish them.

After the beast tide, the energetic Crystal Ice Flame Dogs needed to wreak havoc daily in the shop's backyard to calm down.

The iron toys Lorant prepared for them earlier were easily destroyed once they grew up.

Now, these mischievous dogs needed something to keep them occupied. After destroying three sets of iron toys in two days, Lorant decided to give them a proper task.

Fortunately, they now had a place where they could unleash their energy without restraint, and the dogs were even more excited than when facing beasts.

Two wooden houses a day were promptly demolished by the 'demolition squad.'

Today, Lorant didn't bring them to demolish houses; he decided to experience the joy of letting the horses run free.

Drive all the Wind-Cleaving Horses out of the stables, and a large number of them begin to frolic uncontrollably on the grass.

At this moment, the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs get excited.

They run faster than the Wind-Cleaving Horses, gradually herding the scattered horses together.

Lorant finds it somewhat familiar; he vaguely remembers that these little guys seemed to isolate beasts from the edge of the beast tide during the invasion, slowly consuming them.

This is the habit of Crystal Ice Flame Dogs when they hunt in groups.

It's somewhat like how lion prides hunt and also similar to how shepherd dogs protect their flocks.

However, Wind-Cleaving Horses are not lambs that only bleat in the face of danger.

Although they were initially panicked, they soon realized Lorant's intentions and began to gather together voluntarily.

Lorant specifically brought out the Wind-Cleaving Horse named Little Qing.

Little Qing quickly blended into the herd and, as expected, became its leader.

Whether due to bloodline suppression or something else, even though it had just joined the herd, Little Qing now led from the front.

With each neigh, the Wind-Cleaving Horses gradually closed ranks according to its commands.

At this moment, a conflict occurred.

One Crystal Ice Flame Dog got too excited while chasing and, thinking it was back in the days of hunting during the beast tide, lost control and swiped at a Wind-Cleaving Horse with its paw.

Fortunately, it hadn't completely forgotten what it was doing and didn't really intend to harm the horse; otherwise, one swipe would have reduced the Animal Pet Shop's Wind-Cleaving Horse count by one.

Even so, the Wind-Cleaving Horse still cried out in pain.

The herd became agitated, with some panicking and others trying to retaliate.

At this moment, Little Qing stepped forward without hesitation.

From a distance, it let out an angry neigh and charged forward, its speed, faster than the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, shocking everyone present.

Like a bolt of green lightning, it struck the stunned Crystal Ice Flame Dog that had made the mistake.

The Crystal Ice Flame Dog was caught off guard and was knocked over.

The tall body of the Wind-Cleaving Horse, combined with its speed, acted like a bullet, sending the Crystal Ice Flame Dog flying.

All the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs froze in place.

To them, wasn't this just play? Why did it turn serious?

But the Wind-Cleaving Horses didn't see it that way. Their newly appointed leader dared to attack a clearly much stronger "enemy" when their companions were in danger.

This was incredibly inspiring!

Encouraged, the originally panicked herd quickly calmed down, facing the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs fearlessly.

At Little Qing's command, the herd would collectively attack.

Even knowing they couldn't win, they would fight back.

This is the characteristic of weak herd animals.

They unite and fear no death.

However, the situation didn't escalate further.

Little Qing was quite smart; it recognized the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs. They had met yesterday when Lorant took the little guy downstairs for a walk.

So although Little Qing appeared extremely angry, seemingly ready to fight the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs to the death, neither side truly fought in earnest.

As an SR, Little Qing's intelligence matched that of the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs.

The two cunning creatures exchanged glances and immediately put on a show in front of the Wind-Cleaving Horse herd.

The brave Wind-Cleaving Horse king fearlessly attacked the great demon in a suicidal charge.

This instantly earned Little Qing the heartfelt recognition of all the Wind-Cleaving Horses.

From that moment, the herd officially chose its leader.

Little Qing knew its limits. After initially knocking Eleven away, it merely chased after Eleven at a moderate pace, constantly stretching its neck as if wanting to bite it.

If it were a real fight, the worst threat would be pulling out a few strands of fur.

Eleven, feeling guilty, obediently played along.

Once they reached the inside of the Animal Pet Shop, out of sight of the herd, the cunning little ones rubbed heads and ended their game amicably.

With a leader, the Wind-Cleaving Horses became exceptionally easy to manage.

At Little Qing's command, the entire herd moved as one, executing its orders without hesitation.

Lorant rode on Little Qing, leading the herd along the town's internal roads.

He then led these little guys onto the main road, roaring past the checkpoint of the Fifth Outpost.

The gatekeeper, a young knight, watched enviously as the herd of Wind-Cleaving Horses galloped by.

He kept fantasizing about owning one and riding alongside the herd like Lorant.

Baqi and Valina stood on the second floor, opening the window and watching the dusty road, unable to help but sigh.

"Baqi said with a heavy expression, as if recalling some unpleasant memories, 'In the past, such a scene could only be seen during the ancient Knight Regiment a thousand years ago or during a beast tide. Whenever you see such a sight, it's always accompanied by slaughter and bloodshed.'"

Valina nodded. "Indeed, when I first heard that commotion, my heart skipped a beat."

The sound of thousands of horses galloping was quite awe-inspiring the moment it was heard.

Even hundreds of horses could create an earth-shaking effect, let alone the astonishing number of Windbreaker Horses Lorant was leading now.

They had returned from the Lopulo Mountains less than a year ago and were exceptionally sensitive to such massive sounds.

If Lorant were here, he would tell them they were showing signs of post-war trauma.

"Valina, go and urge the Animal Pet Shop. Since they've already produced so many Windbreaker Horses, when will they deliver the ones for the outpost?" Baqi paused for a moment, then quickly brought his thoughts back to reality. He looked at the herd with envy. "At least, shouldn't they give me the one I reserved first?"

Valina glanced helplessly at her leader. Ever since experiencing the agility and intelligence of the Windbreaker Horses, traditional mounts had lost all appeal to the knights.

Baqi had locked his mount in the mount space and hadn't released it for a long time.

He was solely focused on waiting for his own Windbreaker Horse to arrive.

One couldn't say whether he was fickle or devoted.

"They said we have to wait until..." Valina started but then saw Baqi's intense gaze and sighed. "Fine, I'll go ask later."

Not just the Fifth Outpost, the logistics team of The Knights of the Thorns, who were overseeing the relocation of tenants, was also stunned by the sight of the galloping horses.

As soon as the horse herd ran far enough, a young knight rushed into the Fifth Outpost and used the teleportation array to leave.

It was clear they were going back to report to Paul.

Soon, these Knight Regiment members would all appear at the Animal Pet Shop demanding their Windbreaker Horses.

Lorant felt he truly enjoyed the sensation of riding.

Whether it was Lancelot's mount or the current Little Qing, the exhilarating feeling of wind rushing past was captivating.

His adrenaline surged throughout the ride, and even after returning to the living room, he was still buzzing with excitement.

And more excited than him was Silem.