Chapter 169

Chapter 169

Fortunately, those present were all seasoned combat professionals. As long as they were strong enough, they could pretend not to see the strange appearance of these beast pets.

Lindbergh was the first to react. He turned his head and asked Lorant, "Little Lorant, is this the Devouring Frog you mentioned?"

Lorant nodded and stepped forward to look at the children who had been teleported over. The first batch included Frog One to Frog Five.

Consistent with Lorant's naming style, these Devouring Frogs were unsurprisingly given numerical names.

"That's right, Uncle Lindbergh. These are the latest beast pets bred by our Animal Pet Shop, the Devouring Frogs," Lorant said.

Lorant patted Frog One's thigh to get its attention and then had the knights guide the children out of the teleportation array.

The central area of the fortress was as vast as the grassland, and even if the Devouring Frogs were twice their size, they could easily move around.

These usually not-so-active Devouring Frogs had just experienced their first teleportation, which made them somewhat excited. Each of them curiously looked around.

Lorant allowed these big guys to wander curiously, with people following them to prevent them from bumping into others.

After all, although these guys wouldn't randomly attack people, their body structure meant they couldn't always watch their feet.

Devouring Frogs always had their heads tilted upwards, so they might accidentally step on someone without noticing.

If one of these heavyweight guys stepped on a human, those who hadn't reached the sixth or seventh level of knighthood might suffer a fracture on the spot.

A normal person would feel pain for half a day if accidentally stepped on by a young Glassy Ice Flame Dog, let alone one of these huge guys.

After the five Devouring Frogs left the teleportation area, the light of the array brightened again.

After several rounds of this, finally, all thirty-one Devouring Frogs appeared in the fortress.

Except for Little Transparent, which Lorant kept as a secret weapon and was still at the Animal Pet Shop watching the clouds, all the other Devouring Frogs were here.

Seeing these thirty-one Devouring Frogs, Lindbergh couldn't help but show a look of awe.

The appearance of the Devouring Frogs gave off a completely different sense of pressure compared to other beast pets.

Their fierce appearance always made people feel that even a sixth or seventh-level beast would not last a single round against them.

"Uncle Lindbergh." Seeing Jin Baoli teleport over with the last Devouring Frog, Lorant said to Lindbergh, "These are all the Devouring Frogs we have for now."

"Would you like me to explain the abilities of these beast pets?"

Lindbergh snapped out of his reverie and the first thing he saw was his son standing next to the young shop owner with that annoying smile, clearly mocking his earlier lapse in attention!

He gave Lancelot an indiscernible glare and then turned to Lorant with a kind attitude.

"Of course, Lorant. I'm eager to see what surprise you have for me!"

Lorant smiled slightly and took the booklet from Jin Baoli's hand.

It was the result of an all-night effort by the mage team at the Animal Pet Shop, detailing all the abilities of the Devouring Frogs, including the strength they could produce and the duration.

"First of all, I think demonstrating the Devouring Frog's abilities would be clearer than just explaining them," Lorant said to Lindbergh. "Could you give me a weapon?"

The golden-haired general was very accommodating, immediately unfastening his sword from his waist and handing it to Lorant.

"Use my 'Lion's Roar.' I don't mind," he said naturally.

This sword was Lindbergh's personal weapon, forged by a powerful dwarf master when Lindbergh officially reached the ninth rank. It was crafted with materials he had accumulated over many years and was a perfect fit for him.

Lindbergh always carried this sword with him and rarely let others touch it. Handing it to Lorant was a sign of trust.

Lorant didn't decline and directly took the huge sword.

The sword was as heavy as Lorant had imagined, and he could barely hold the hilt to keep it from falling to the ground.

Fortunately, Lancelot quickly noticed his predicament and stepped forward to take the long sword.

"Frog, um, twelve." Lorant sighed in relief and carefully looked at the chart Jin Baoli had prepared, selecting a Devouring Frog with the most visually impressive ability to make a strong impression.

Frog Twelve heard its name and thumped its sturdy legs to walk over to Lorant.

Although they weren't particularly clingy, the Devouring Frogs were very obedient to Lorant.

They did whatever he asked, behaving in a manner quite contrary to their intimidating appearance.

"Little one, energize it," Lorant said to Frog Twelve, pointing to the sword that Lancelot was easily holding.

Frog Twelve rolled its tongue and swallowed the sword into its belly.

Normally, swallowing such a large sword without getting pierced would be impossible for a Devouring Frog of its size.

But Lorant knew that besides their energizing ability, Devouring Frogs also had a spatial ability, allowing them to temporarily function as a spatial tool. So, it wasn't unreasonable for them to swallow the sword.

None of those present had ever seen such a 'performance' before and all stared wide-eyed as the Devouring Frog swallowed the sword.

Under the expectant gazes of everyone, Frog Twelve swallowed and then opened its mouth to spit out a lump.

When Lindbergh's precious sword was unceremoniously spat onto the grass by Frog Twelve, everyone's expressions were a bit complicated.

But as their attention shifted to the great sword, no one was concerned about the beast pet's 'bad habit' of spitting things out randomly.

Frog Twelve's energizing ability was 'Lightning,' which was why Lorant chose it. The visual effect of this ability ranked in the top three among all Devouring Frogs.

At this moment, Lindbergh's longsword had streaks of blue-white lightning wrapped around its blade, crackling noisily.

The entire greatsword was flickering with lightning, and even from a distance, one could feel the immense energy it radiated.

This was the most powerful empowerment effect among the thirty-one Devouring Frogs.

Frog Twelve was capable of applying an empowerment to weapons that was akin to the fifth-level spell 'Lightning Enwrapment,' allowing each slash of the weapon to be accompanied by a bolt of lightning.

One of Lancelot's most proficient spells was 'Lightning Enwrapment,' so upon seeing Frog Twelve, he couldn't help but shake his head in awe.

The ability that a fifth-level mage would need countless years of practice to master was effortlessly displayed by the Devouring Frog.

Moreover, empowering a weapon didn't even seem to exhaust it much.

Although the empowerment had a time limit, even the shortest-lasting lightning empowerment could last a full half-hour.

In the Black Forest, this might be somewhat impractical, as within the half-hour journey into the forest, unless one had the assistance of a Wind-Breaking Horse, it would be difficult to find a beast worthy of a fifth-level spell.

However, things were entirely different at the Lopulo mountain pass.

One could complete the empowerment at the camp and fully experience the power of a mighty fifth-level spell within half an hour without any burden.

Even though this empowerment could only be applied to weapons and couldn't perform ranged attacks like the actual 'Lightning Enwrapment,' it still packed a punch.

The lightning could only be activated through direct attacks with the empowered weapon, and the effect was best displayed on a sword blade, with staves and bows being far less effective.

But these limitations didn't diminish the empowerment's overall power!

Not to mention, the Devouring Frog's empowerment could be performed multiple times.

According to a night's worth of research by Jin Baoli and the others, the more powerful the Devouring Frog's empowerment, the shorter its duration.

Moreover, the number of times it could empower per day was relatively fewer.

It seemed that some law of energy conservation was at play.

Even so, Frog Twelve could empower up to a hundred weapons in one go when fully fed.

After an empowerment, as long as these big guys were well-fed and allowed to rest comfortably for about six hours, they could perform another empowerment.

In other words, this Devouring Frog could empower weapons twice a day, each time empowering up to a hundred normal-sized weapons.

The data varied among different Devouring Frogs. For instance, Frog Thirty, which had the weakest empowerment ability, could apply a slight 'Heavy Strike' effect to sharp weapons.

When using blunt weapons, there was a chance to land a strike with twice the user's strength.

This effect was not only weak but also random. Even if one was lucky enough to receive the empowerment, it might not trigger even once before the hour was up.

Thus, its empowerment duration was naturally the longest among all the Devouring Frogs.

And the one-hour duration couldn't compensate for the weak empowerment ability. Frog Thirty recovered its energy much faster than its brothers.

In the same amount of time, other Devouring Frogs could only use their abilities twice, while Frog Thirty could use its ability three times.

That was its strength.

Everyone's eyes were fixed on the greatsword lying on the ground. Lancelot had started to act like a young master. Lindbergh's confidants were almost all people brought from Cavendish's county.

Lancelot was very familiar with them and found a young knight nearby, ordering him to wipe the slime off the hilt of the sword with a clean cloth.

The young knight carefully wiped the slime, as the greatsword looked quite dangerous. He felt that if he wasn't careful, he might become the first unlucky person to be electrocuted by the sword.

Before Lancelot could take the sword, Lindbergh eagerly grabbed it.

He raised his familiar longsword high, examining the thin streaks of lightning encircling the blade in the sunlight.

Though the lightning looked thin, its power was fully present.

Lindbergh's delight was unmistakable on his face.

As the owner of the sword, he could feel the changes in his blade more than anyone else.

"Amazing energy!" Lindbergh lightly stroked his sword, and the small bolts of lightning unconsciously struck his palm but couldn't harm a powerful seventh-level knight.

Even without the wielder actively attacking, the energy contained in the empowerment with the power of a fifth-level spell was absolutely not weak.

Watching the small lightning bolts strike Lindbergh's hand, Lorant couldn't help but marvel.

The flesh of a knight close to legend seemed to have little to do with the human race anymore!

It was like living marble! No, marble didn't have their strength!

Lindbergh had no idea that Lorant was silently speculating whether he really felt no pain or was just maintaining the dignity of a General in front of everyone.

All Lindbergh could think about was his sword. "Let's go! Let's test the effect of this empowerment!"

The great general's call was met with immediate response, and a large group of people moved to the side.

Everyone watched Lindbergh as he swung his sword, and a flash of light cut through the air.

Of course, this wasn't the empowerment effect of the Devouring Frog, but Lindbergh's own qi slash.

However, the lightning that still flickered on the sword's edge and the electric light that shone in the pit where the sword had struck were clearly the results of the Devouring Frog's empowerment.

Everyone except Lancelot and Lorant was astonished by the power displayed.

Lindbergh gently stroked his sword, and the delight on his face grew even more.

"Young Lorant, how many weapons can these thirty-one Devouring Frogs empower with such ability each day?" He looked at Lorant excitedly, full of anticipation.

Lorant knew that Lindbergh had obviously developed some misunderstanding. He probably thought that all Devouring Frogs could empower weapons in this way.

He smiled and said, "Uncle Lindbergh, please don't worry. I'll tell everyone everything I know."

"What I just demonstrated is the use of the Devouring Frog's ability." Lorant pointed to the sword still surrounded by lightning and said, "However, not every Devouring Frog has the same empowerment ability."

"Each of these thirty-one Devouring Frogs has a different empowerment effect. The one you just saw, we call it 'Lightning Empowerment.'"

"In addition, we also have 'Flame Empowerment,' 'Spell Empowerment,' 'Toxin Empowerment,' and other different empowerment abilities."

"Each empowerment has different effects, and the duration they can last on a weapon varies as well. Next, Ms. Jin Baoli, the chief research mage of the Animal Pet Shop, will explain in detail the different abilities of each Devouring Frog."

Lorant stepped back half a step to let Jin Baoli take over and explain the abilities of all thirty-one Devouring Frogs one by one.

Lindbergh and his group were completely patient, listening intently.

Even though the pets had already given them plenty of surprises, the Devouring Frogs were still astonishing.

They were amazed by the wonders of such magical creatures.

After Jin Baoli finished her introduction, Lorant stepped forward again. "Uncle Lindbergh, can we have a good talk about these Devouring Frogs?"

Lindbergh smiled knowingly. "Of course, come on, kid, let's go to the office and have a good chat. And you, Ed, come with us."

Ed, one of his logistics officers, had mainly been responsible for coordinating with the Animal Pet Shop recently.

Ed, being tactful, went straight to Lindbergh's office liquor cabinet and prepared drinks for everyone. "General, flash beer again? What would you and the shop owner like?"

He and Pang De were both followers of Lindbergh, so they were accustomed to calling Lancelot 'Young Master.'

Lancelot, without any hesitation, placed an order for himself and Lorant. "Two glasses of iced water will do. If you have some Candy Rabbit juice, that would be even better."

Lindbergh plopped down into his seat and laughed. "There's no room for your indulgences here, kid! This is the military, and the hardworking spirit can't change."

Ed, who was slowly pouring the flash beer—a specialty of the elves, each bottle worth several hundred gold coins—had a slight twitch at the corner of his mouth upon hearing his superior's words.

Is this really okay?! Drinking flash beer while saying that!

"Is that so?" Lancelot shrugged. "Then, Lorant, let's forget about the Candy Ear Brew you were planning to send him. We wouldn't want to disrupt their hardworking spirit!"

Seeing the father and son bickering, Lorant wisely averted his gaze and, like Ed, began studying the patterns on the ceiling.

Lindbergh paused for a moment when he heard this. He cleared his throat. "Well, there's no need to go that far. I'll accept little Lorant's gesture of goodwill."

"Yes, even if I endure some hardship, the other kids in the military will enjoy what little Lorant sends."

Just as Lancelot was gaining the upper hand and was about to press further, Lorant pulled on his clothes.

The knight, like a Glass Ice Flame Hound that had been chained up, immediately lost some of his momentum and obediently sat down next to Lorant, turning his head away.

Lindbergh looked at the two with a somewhat strange expression and quickly changed the subject. "Alright, let's talk business!"

"Little Lorant, how do you plan to price the Devouring Frogs?" He placed his hands under his chin, his sharp eyes locking onto Lorant, instantly becoming serious.

At this moment, Lorant, who was used to seeing Lindbergh always smiling in front of Lancelot and Diana, clearly realized that this man was a near-legendary knight, a general who commanded countless people.

He was like a golden lion, his sharpness never fading. It was just that he deliberately hid it on usual days.

However, Lorant wasn't about to be overwhelmed by such presence.

His confidence came from his pet, Baby. As a pet that directly attacked the soul, Baby had complete bloodline suppression over knights and warriors who cultivated their physical bodies.

Lorant genuinely didn't feel inferior to anyone.

Moreover, Lindbergh wasn't deliberately exerting his authority, so Lorant could still face him with ease.

In response to Lindbergh's question, Lorant smiled and shook his head. "This time, the Animal Pet Shop isn't planning to sell the Devouring Frogs outright."

Lindbergh was slightly stunned. Since all the pets from the Animal Pet Shop had been for sale before, he subconsciously assumed the Devouring Frogs would be the same.

But now they weren't planning to sell them?

If they weren't going to sell them, why bother bringing all the Devouring Frogs for a showcase?

Lorant continued, "This time, we're planning to adopt a new approach. While we won't sell the Devouring Frogs, we'll place them in camps. You only need to pay a certain fee to empower your weapon through them."

Seeing Lindbergh deep in thought, he revealed his true intentions and began to explain his plan. "We'll offer different packages to encourage adventurers to empower their weapons."

Ed, as the logistics officer, was naturally very sharp about these matters. He furrowed his brow. Instead of paying repeatedly, a direct purchase would certainly be a cheaper buying model.

But since Lorant had already said so, there was probably no room for negotiation.

"Mr. Lorant, could we have some discounts for the military?" Ed asked.

Although they didn't know the exact price of each empowerment, even if it was calculated in silver coins, given the military's numbers, the accumulated expenditure over time would be an enormous sum.

Lorant, of course, was aware of their concerns and had already thought about this. "Of course, Uncle Lindbergh has provided me with a lot of help. It's only right that I offer the military a reasonable plan."

"If the military agrees, we can sign an annual contract." Lorant said with a smile.