Chương 66: Chapter 66: The Contract Initiated by White

Reilly paused his meditation, gently clapping his hands. Instantly, the Wind-Patterned Tiger cub turned its head and rushed over, eagerly nudging Reilly's knee and licking him through his clothes.

Seeing this, Rhett couldn't help but marvel at how gentle this Wind-Patterned Tiger was. Over the past half-month, Rhett had observed that Reilly and the cub got along exceptionally well. He estimated that with a bit of guidance, the chances of taming the cub were as high as ninety percent!

Rhett motioned for Reilly to come closer, and with a puzzled look, Reilly obeyed. Lowering his voice, Rhett asked, "Would you like to tame White?"

Reilly's eyes lit up, nodding enthusiastically like a pecking chick.

"It's simple. I'll teach you a few tricks. Tomorrow morning, you..."

The next day.

As dawn broke, Tuck woke from his sleep to find that both his father and Reilly were missing from the cave.

He rubbed his eyes and muttered, "Huh? Where did Father and Reilly go?"

Howl... Howl...

Urgent cries filled the air, catching Tuck's attention. He looked over to a pile of dry grass a few meters away, where a small, white cub popped its head out, searching anxiously for the familiar figure it had grown attached to.

Tuck noticed the cub's distress and pulled out a piece of meat from his bag, tossing it toward the cub.

Thwap!

By now, the Wind-Patterned Tiger cub had grown strong enough to swat the meat aside with one paw, seemingly uninterested. It trotted around the cave on its short legs, even stepping over Tyles, who jolted awake, rubbing his sleepy eyes.

"Huh? Brother, where are Father and Reilly?" Tyles asked groggily.

"I wish I knew," Tuck replied with a shrug, helplessly watching the cub pace around the cave. But as he reached the entrance, a sudden realization struck him. The cub's distress likely stemmed from Reilly's absence.

Tuck stopped at the cave's entrance, turned back, and patiently waited.

Sure enough, after about half an hour, Reilly's figure emerged from the distance.

In a flash, the white cub dashed toward Reilly, leaping onto him and nuzzling against his clothes with its little head.

Reilly's eyes softened as he reached out to comfort the cub, but then his mouth fell open in surprise. A circular, ethereal symbol began to appear on White's forehead, with intricate lines forming a complex, profound pattern.

Reilly's heart raced, realizing that his father's method was indeed effective. After just one trick—temporarily leaving the cub alone—White couldn't bear it anymore.

Steadying his nerves, Reilly placed his hands on the ethereal symbol and attempted to connect with it using his spiritual power. He expected the process to take some time, but to his astonishment, it was almost effortless. The moment his spiritual power made contact with the symbol, a surge of energy flowed into his body, and the symbol quickly disappeared.

As the surprise on Reilly's face faded, he understood what had just happened. When he looked down at White, their gazes met, and a profound connection seemed to form between them.

Howl!

White let out a small roar, but to Reilly, it no longer sounded like a mere beast's cry. Through their newly formed bond, he could sense White's message: "Hello... Don't leave me alone..."

A smile spread across Reilly's face. He could clearly feel White's deep attachment to him, a bond formed through their magical contract.

Reilly gently petted White's head and pulled out a piece of meat from his bag. White's eyes sparkled with excitement as it stood on Reilly's arm, eagerly chomping down on the meat, fully exposing its vulnerable belly to Reilly. From the moment the contract was formed, White had regarded Reilly as its most trusted companion.

"Congratulations, Reilly," Tuck said, having watched the entire process from the cave entrance. He walked over to Reilly, genuinely happy for him. "They say taming a magical beast is supposed to be challenging, but for you, it was as easy as eating and drinking."

Reilly thought for a moment and replied, "Perhaps the credit belongs more to White than to me." As he spoke, he glanced down at the cub, now playfully nuzzling him.

"That makes sense. It's rare to find a cub with such a gentle temperament," Tuck mused.

Half an hour later, Rhett finally returned. Seeing Reilly and White playing together, he asked, "How did it go?"

"It was a success, Father, and even smoother than you anticipated," Reilly replied with a smile. "Where did you go just now?"

"I scouted the surrounding area," Rhett said, pointing to the east. "There's a lake of ice crystals over there, but I found traces of what could be a Tier 3 magical beast. So, our next hunt will be to the west."

Everyone's expressions grew serious. A Tier 3 magical beast was no joke; encountering one would likely mean certain death for the group.

"Father, we've already had quite the haul. Perhaps we should return to Falcon Town?" Tuck suggested.

"No rush. There's still a large area to the west that we haven't explored yet," Rhett shook his head. He wasn't about to leave before breaking through to Tier 3 Mage. "I've already scouted the western area, and there doesn't seem to be any threats we can't handle," Rhett instructed. "Pack up your things; we're moving out."

Before they left, the group followed Rhett to a nearby crossroads. Rhett checked the markers—a colorful maple and a black oil tree—and nodded to himself. "This is the spot."

With a thought, the earth shifted, revealing a hidden burlap sack filled with their previous loot. Tuck walked over and added his own bulging sack of treasures to the cache.

The goal was to lighten their load. They had collected so much over the past few days that it was beginning to hinder their combat effectiveness. Rhett wasn't worried about anyone stealing their stash; the Dark-Winged Eagle Ridge was desolate and rarely visited, and the hiding spot was well-chosen and deeply buried.

...

Seven days later.

"Tuck, stop fighting the Earthshaker Bear head-on! Fall back!"

"When I say fall back, I don't mean run away! Maintain the distance where it still wants to chase you but can't quite catch up."

"Good, that's the space we need. Reilly, now! Attack the Earthshaker Bear while it's a moving target."

Standing on a sturdy tree branch, Rhett closely observed the tactics of Reilly and Tuck as they worked together to combat the Earthshaker Bear. This powerful late-stage Tier 1 magical beast had tough skin, immense strength, and could even summon a rock armor to bolster its defenses.

Though hunting to accumulate Fate Points was Rhett's primary goal, it didn't stop him from passing on his battlefield experience to his sons.