Chương 161: Expertise of Beast Taming
Middle-earth was a relatively peaceful fantasy world. At this time, before the invasion of Sauron's orc army, most of the continent was safe, except for the borders with the orcs. The Shire, home to the hobbits, was a paradise forgotten by most.
With the efforts of the hobbit villagers and the arrival of Balin's dwarf construction team, Wayne Manor progressed smoothly. Under Balin's guidance, the manor took shape according to the planned schedule.
Since slaying the black bear Bisog, Wayne occasionally accepted invitations or actively sought bounties, using his flying carpet to travel and rid the surrounding areas of dangerous monsters, all while training his deathclaw cub Robin.
Time flew by, and a year and a half later, the massive Wayne Manor was complete. The dwarf craftsmen returned to Bree, and some hobbit workers transitioned from construction to become planters on the manor. Even Old Ford, upon retirement, was invited by Wayne to be his butler, managing the entire estate. Old Ford, an experienced administrator, proved his worth by running the manor efficiently.
The reason Old Ford, a retired consul, accepted Wayne's employment lay in the hobbit system of nobility. While Ford had held a position of authority, it was merely a job. At nearly ninety, he was considered elderly even among hobbits. Had Wayne not extended such a warm invitation, the old hobbit would have retired to a peaceful life as a farmer.
As Wayne's butler, Old Ford's primary responsibility was managing the manor's farmland, reclaimed during construction. Left unattended, it would revert to wilderness. Fortunately, most hobbits were skilled farmers. Under Old Ford's supervision, they planted vast amounts of pipe-weed, along with some herbal seeds Wayne brought from the Witcher world, as an experiment. Though it would take time for these crops to generate income, the manor was functioning smoothly under the old man's care. The esteemed Wayne was finally living the grand life of a manor owner.
Moreover, Wayne's reputation continued to grow, spreading throughout the Shire and beyond. Whenever people faced insurmountable monsters, they thought of the witcher who had repeatedly completed bounties and easily dispatched such creatures. However, the people of Middle-earth affectionately referred to him as the "Witcher" rather than the more formal "Monster Hunter."
...
One sunny morning, sunlight streamed into Wayne Manor's luxurious bedroom. As Wayne awoke in his comfortable bed, White Fang excitedly ran around the bed, wagging his tail and rumpling the neat blankets.
After several laps around the bed with no reaction from Wayne, the playful wolf pup howled, leaped onto the bed, and attempted to lick his face. But before it could reach him, Wayne gently pinned its head down. The force was just enough to keep the pup from moving, whimpering and trying to lick Wayne's hand instead. Amused by the act, Wayne released the direwolf, who promptly scampered out of the room.
Two years had passed since Wayne arrived in Middle-earth, and it was almost time to return to the Witcher world. Without external distractions, he had focused on training, achieving most of his goals. Due to limitations and lack of resources, his Sign and Mutation levels remained the same.
While he had considered introducing Gwent to Middle-earth, it was still too early, and his influence wasn't widespread enough to promote the game. Swordsmanship had been his primary focus, practicing diligently every day. His dedication paid off, as he raised his swordsmanship from level six to ten, unlocking a second skill specialization—a first among his many skills.
Among his auxiliary skills, surprisingly, flying the magic carpet also increased his Riding level, unlocking another specialization. Unfortunately, he lacked the ability points to activate this new feat.
Wayne's other auxiliary skills, while mostly unchanged, saw significant improvement in cooking and animal handling. This was due to his focus on taming the deathclaw cub, Robin, primarily through a combination of animal handling techniques and building rapport through cooking and feeding. As a result, his animal handling level jumped from one to eight, unlocking a specialization, and his cooking level rose from seven to eight.
Additionally, he had accumulated 600 common-level and over 20 expert-level treasure boxes in his system space, unopened. His experience from nearly 700 quests had raised his witcher level from eight to ten, slightly improving his physical fitness and granting him two ability points to activate skill specializations.
Animal Handling Skill LV8: Animal Affinity +8, Master's Bond +8.
Skill Specializations:
Beast Language: As a professional animal handler, your extensive experience allows you to understand the language of most beasts, enabling communication and better command of your pets.
Effect: Gain the ability to speak and understand most animal languages.
Master Animal Tamer: Your meticulous training ensures your pets receive superior nutrition and training, making them the best of their kind.
Effect: The attributes of your pets increase by 10%.
Faced with the two animal handling specializations, Wayne quickly chose "Beast Language." While the other option could boost Robin's combat prowess, Beast Language was more valuable to a witcher dealing with diverse situations. The ability to communicate with animals would turn the entire wilderness into his network of helpers and informants.
The second specialization for level 10 swordsmanship was also powerful:
Swordsmanship LV10: Swordsmanship power +50%. Already possesses the feat: Cat's Agility. Optional specializations:
Swordsmanship Genius: Your extensive training has revealed your natural talent for swordsmanship. You possess unparalleled growth speed in this area. Effect: Swordsmanship level improvement speed +200%.
Innate Divine Power: Your swordsmanship training has led to exceptional strength growth. Are you naturally gifted with divine power?
Effect: Strength attribute increases by ten, and you gain an additional two strength points with each level up.
The level 10 specializations were clearly more potent than the level 5 ones. Wayne was momentarily torn between the two swordsmanship options. The former doubled his sword skill improvement speed but offered no immediate strength boost. The latter provided an instant strength increase of one-third and additional strength growth with each level up.
Both skill specializations were undeniably practical, making the choice difficult. After careful deliberation, Wayne opted for "Innate Divine Power." While "Swordsmanship Genius" offered faster skill improvement, the strength attribute had broader applications. It increased his attack power and allowed him to wear heavier armor. His current weapon, a 35-kilogram two-handed sword, was already manageable, but increased strength would significantly enhance its power. The concept of "overwhelming strength" held great respect in martial arts.
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