10: Chapter 10 Hunt Complete! Children!

A moment later, the Alpha Wolf was driven into a dead end against a cliff face.

It turned around, fighting like a cornered beast, leaping to attack in a final struggle.

Rowan did not dodge or evade; he stepped forward, gripped his sword with both hands, and delivered a seemingly plain, dim blue thrust!

Frozen Oath Thrust!

"Pfft!"

The sword tip pierced through the wolf's mouth and out the back of its head, nailing it firmly to the cliff face.

The Alpha Wolf's limbs twitched violently a few times before it went still.

[Winter Oath-Keeper Swordsmanship Proficiency + 1]

Rowan withdrew his sword, and the wolf corpse slid down limply.

He leaned on his sword, panting slightly.

But his mind was crystal clear.

Looking at the scattered beast corpses on the ground.

He had a clearer understanding of his own strength.

When engaging head-on with Winter Oath-Keeper Swordsmanship, wearing armor, and in peak condition, he could handle a siege of more than five Silver-blood Wolves and emerge victorious.

Of course, this consumed a lot of Battle Qi and stamina.

If he were to use the lv3 Silent Pilgrimage Archery for long-range sniping, the situation would be completely different.

That would be a more efficient hunt.

"During actual combat, one's spirit is highly focused, the application of sword techniques and Breathing Techniques is pushed to the limit, and every ounce of strength is used where it counts; it is only natural that proficiency growth efficiency far exceeds daily solo practice," Rowan silently summarized.

"However, safety is always the top priority."

"Such actual combat must be conducted under the premise of ensuring one has sufficient certainty."

"Otherwise, it would be better to go back and slowly grind for proficiency."

With the system panel, he did not need to seek enlightenment on the true edge of life and death.

Steady improvement is the true path.

An intense feeling of hunger washed over him like a tide; this was the instinctive reaction after high consumption.

Rowan quickly took out the prepared magical beast meat rations from the bag at his waist and began to chew them mouthful by mouthful.

At this moment, the hunter Finn slid down from the tree and walked over with somewhat weak legs.

His face was pale.

Looking at the wolf corpses all over the ground.

Then looking at the Lord, whose armor was stained with blood yet stood unmoving.

His eyes were filled with awe.

"My Lord," his voice was a bit dry, "I have been hunting for over ten years, and I have never seen anyone kill Silver-blood Wolves like this."

He paused, then added sincerely, "You are even more terrifying than the giant bears in the mountains."

Rowan smiled but said nothing, stuffing the last piece of ration into his mouth.

These Silver-blood Wolves were treasures from head to toe.

Their fur was thick and tough, making them excellent materials for making cold-resistant winter clothing and lightweight leather armor.

Although the wolf meat was coarse, it was filling and contained faint magical energy, which could be used to train Apprentice Knights.

Their bones, tendons, and sharp claws also had their own uses.

The two of them quickly went into action, using hunting knives to process the wolf corpses and the snow deer slightly, then tied them onto the sled.

Five Silver-blood Wolves and one snow deer weighed over a thousand jin in total.

But with Rowan's immense strength and Finn's assistance, the heavy sled slowly began to move across the snow, plowing two deep grooves that extended all the way down the mountain.

Just about half an hour after they left.

"Awooo—"

A more majestic wolf howl sounded from deeper in the mountain range, shaking the forest valley.

Immediately after, from all directions, wolf howls echoed like a tidal wave!

Rising and falling, continuous and unending.

Then, one figure after another began to appear.

Silver-gray, like flowing mercury, they quietly emerged from behind every ridgeline.

They silently gathered in this forest clearing where the slaughter had just ended.

More and more.

Twenty, fifty, eighty...

In the end, over a hundred Silver-blood Wolves crowded into this not-so-spacious forest clearing.

Orderly and disciplined, without a hint of chaos.

An invisible and oppressive savage aura permeated the area.

The wolf pack automatically parted to create a path.

A giant wolf with a shoulder height of over 1.3 meters and a sturdy build comparable to an adult polar bear walked over slowly.

Its fur was not pure silver-gray; on its neck grew gorgeous long golden hair like a lion's mane.

Its eyes were deeper, filled with a kind of wild and cold intelligence, and there was a faint lightning-shaped white mark on its forehead.

This was a mutated Alpha Wolf that far exceeded its peers, the hegemon of this area.

It walked to the center of the clearing, lowered its head to sniff the bloody scent left by its kin, and a hint of complex, human-like meaning flashed in its eyes.

But it did not linger for too long, nor did it let out any meaningless wails.

In the cold winter, survival is above all else; no energy can be wasted.

It lowered its head and began to devour the still-warm internal organs and flesh on the ground.

The surrounding wolf pack watched quietly without stepping forward.

After being satiated, the giant wolf with the golden mane leaped onto a bare boulder at the edge of the clearing and sat down.

Its sharp gaze swept over the messy footprints on the snow and the deep drag marks of the sled.

Finally, it looked toward the direction down the mountain where the tracks disappeared, toward the direction where the vague outline of the human settlement lay.

...

White Cliff Castle.

Rowan and Finn's return, fully loaded, was warmly welcomed by the gate guards and residents.

When they saw the five ferocious Silver-blood Wolf corpses on the sled, gasps and cheers rang out in unison.

"The Lord is mighty!"

"So many Silver-blood Wolves?!"

Rowan handed the sled over to the overjoyed servants to handle, but there was not much joy on his face.

He looked around at the simple and excited faces, spoke in a deep voice, and though his voice was not loud, it clearly drowned out the noise:

"Everyone, stay alert and strengthen the patrols."

"This hunt caused quite a commotion and may draw retaliation from the wolf pack. Pass the word down: have the blacksmith shop rush to make another batch of arrowheads, keep the militia training as usual, and double the night watch."

Everyone's expression tightened, the cheering died down, and was replaced by solemn acknowledgment.

After years of continuous repairs, the castle's main defensive fortifications were basically completed.

Of course, in this process, the help of the former Lady of the territory, Sylvia, was indispensable.

The militia at his disposal had been expanded to fifty men; although their equipment was crude, they at least had basic organization.

Coupled with some simple coordinated combat magic formations, and relying on the castle and fortifications, it was more than enough to deal with small groups of beasts or bandits.

Human physical fitness is not top-tier in the natural world, but the ability to create and use tools is enough to make up for many innate deficiencies.

A militiaman holding a sharp spear and knowing how to coordinate might well be able to contend with a Silver-blood Wolf in favorable terrain.

This hunt had a bountiful harvest.

Rowan turned and walked toward the central castle.

Behind him, the clamor of the residents was left in the gradually thickening twilight.

The castle's huge oak gates slowly opened, and gentle orange light spilled out like water.

Carrying the sweet scent of baked bread, the richness of stewed meat, and the unique smoky smell of fireplace wood.

Just as he stepped into the hall, a series of light and hurried footsteps came from the direction of the spiral staircase.

"Papa!"

The one rushing at the front was Mia.

The two-year-old blonde girl was still not very steady when running.

She spread her arms, stumbling, her big green eyes filled with pure joy.

Rowan subconsciously wanted to retreat, but stopped himself, allowing his daughter to tightly hug his cold iron boots.

Following closely were Aidan and Finn.

The two of them charged over like little calves, and after seeing their sister hugging Papa, they cheered and joined in.

They were wearing thick little linen pajamas, their cheeks were rosy, and they smelled of soapberry.

"Papa! Have meat-meat!" Aidan looked up with his little face, shouting in a milky voice, clearly having learned of the hunt's harvest from the servants' snippets of conversation.

"Wolf! Big wolf!" Finn gestured, his eyes wide and round.

"Slow down, be careful." Rowan bent down, gently rubbed Mia's soft blonde hair, and patted his two sons' heads in turn.

His movements were a bit stiff.

For the past three years, the delicate work of taking care of the children was mostly done by Sylvia and the nannies; he was not good at such work.

But now, Sylvia had run away, and the children's enthusiasm made him unable to resist, so there was no need to resist.

"My Lord, you are..." a young and pretty nanny reminded him timidly, her eyes landing on the dark red stains that had already frozen on Rowan's breastplate and arm guards.

Mia followed the nanny's gaze.

She let go of the boots, curiously extended a little finger, and touched a piece of fur stained with blood on the armor.

The cold and rough sensation made her flinch, but it was mostly curiosity.

"Papa, red?" she asked, looking up.

"Yes," Rowan squatted down and explained in the simplest language, "It is the wolf's blood and fur."

"Wolf, bad!" Aidan immediately waved his little fist and said indignantly.

"Papa, hit!" Finn gestured, imitating him.

"Alright, everyone move aside, let the Lord take off his dirty armor first." Butler Henry appeared at the right time, having the nanny step forward to lead the children away.

Then the servants stepped forward and skillfully helped Rowan remove his armor.

A young maid guided him through the arcade to the bathing room that had already been prepared.

Steam rose from the huge oak bathtub, and bay leaves and lavender floated on the water's surface.

Rowan stepped into the water, leaned against the edge of the tub, closed his eyes, and let the maid wash away the dust and mud.

After bathing, he changed into light-colored casual clothes.

In the hall.

Dinner had been laid out on the long table.

Rowan sat down at the head of the long table.

Previously, Sylvia sat next to him.

Now the seat was empty.

The small chairs and high stools for the seven children were arranged on both sides of the long table, served by maids and nannies.

Dinner was the fresh, tender venison brought back today.

Rowan cut the venison on his plate, looked at the panel in his mind, and fell into deep thought.

[born succubus more children more blessings system]

[Name]: Rowan Flynn

[Age]: 21

[Current Eligible Partner (Score > 90)]:

Sylvia Latour (92 points)

[Current Number of Offspring]: 7

Mia Flynn (2 years old, eldest daughter)

Aidan Flynn (2 years old, second son)

Finn Flynn (2 years old, third son)

Maeve Flynn (0 years old, fourth daughter)

...

[Inherent Class]: Succubus

[Inherent Skills]:

Charm lv.3 (1032 / 10000)

Effect: Induce a state of infatuation in the target through eyes, language, or aura, lowering their psychological resistance.

Drain lv.2 (2351 / 4000)

Effect: Absorb emotional energy from the target through intimate contact, such as pleasure, affection, etc., to gain attribute points.

[Secondary Class]: Myriad Knight

[Class Skills]

Myriad Furnace Breathing Technique lv2 (Official Knight) (64 / 10000)

Winter Oath-Keeper Swordsmanship lv1 (257 / 500)

Silent Pilgrimage Archery lv3 (24 / 5000)

[Eligible Offspring Count Milestone Rewards]:

7: Obtained [Random Class Card × 1, Random Class Skill Card × 2] (Claimed)

14: Obtain [Specified Class Card × 1, Specified Class Skill Card × 2]

28: Obtain [Random Saint-tier Class Card × 1, Random Saint-tier Class Skill Card × 2]

...

The inherent skills Charm and Drain were basically useless after losing an eligible partner.

The progress of the Myriad Furnace Breathing Technique was also very slow.

If it continued like this, who knows when he would be able to promote to Great Knight.

At least the progress of the Winter Oath-Keeper Swordsmanship was decent.