C65 Fairies

Wang Yan had to admit, he'd underestimated Rice Bucket.

As the temperature dropped, foolishness was shut out, and intelligence reclaimed its territory.

Anyone who dared call a Husky dumb would have Wang Yan to contend with!

"Awoo!"

Rice Bucket let out a skyward howl, resonant and prolonged.

With his robust, upright stature and the swirling snowflakes around him, he truly embodied the majesty of a Wolf King.

But the moment was fleeting. After his call, Rice Bucket shook off the snow, and within three seconds, the goofy dog was back.

Wang Yan watched Rice Bucket frolic and roll in the snow, a pang of sorrow in his heart—he had misplaced his trust.

"Boss, why do you even have hopes for this creature? It's less intelligent than a chicken!" Goldie scoffed, clearly annoyed by Rice Bucket's nonsensical licking that left its feathers in disarray.

Despite Goldie's numerous attempts to discipline Rice Bucket, the foolish dog never learned, seemingly impervious to both reward and punishment.

"If you ask me, we might as well stew it. In this cold weather, there's nothing like... nothing like... heh heh heh..." Goldie's eyes gleamed mischievously as its IQ seemed to dip perilously close to Rice Bucket's level.

Thump!

A sudden tumble from its perch sent Goldie into the snow. Flapping its wings, it twirled and danced, eyes shut...

Wang Yan was baffled, "???"

It took him a full thirty seconds to piece together the scene before him—a dog and a bird, both utterly confounded.

Rice Bucket had gained a new skill upon advancing to Lord status: the 'Dumbfounded Strike.'

Periodically, it would select a target at random and drastically reduce their IQ.

It seemed Goldie had been struck by the skill.

"Well, I'll be! That's one heck of a trick. To unleash it during a fight to the death—it's unbeatable," Wang Yan mused, impressed. He scooped up Goldie, swung himself up, and settled onto Rice Bucket's back.

Gales roared and snowflakes swirled.

In such conditions, most beast tamers would be immobilized, but for Rice Bucket, it was all in a day's work.

The wind elements swirled around him, scattering the snow while propelling Rice Bucket to accelerate.

But that was just the beginning. As Rice Bucket raced wildly, his tail shot up, and a powerful blast of air erupted from behind, boosting his speed significantly.

Despite Rice Bucket's dim-witted nature, he more than sufficed as a mount.

That Rank 2 skill, in particular, was simply unbeatable.

Name: Whirlwind (Rice Bucket)

Quality: Lord

Level: Rank 3, Star 2

Attribute: Wind

Upgrade: Requires flesh and blood of a Rank 4 or higher ferocious beast or other energy-rich substances.

Quality Skills:

Wings of Wind: An elite skill that significantly increases movement speed in the presence of wind.

Son of Wind: A leader skill that harnesses the power of wind, generating tornadoes around the user to reduce incoming damage from all directions and prevent enemies from approaching.

Dumb Strike: A lord skill that periodically selects a target at random to drastically reduce their intelligence.

Rank 1 Skill:

Aowu: Awoo.

Rank 2 Skill:

Jet Style: Releases a burst of air from behind to enhance running speed.

Rank 3 Skill:

Dog Paddle: Each digging attempt carries a slim chance of uncovering treasure.

Beyond his aptitude for escape, Rice Bucket also showed promise as a miner, with each dig offering a chance to unearth treasures.

However, don't put too much stock in those odds—just give them a glance and move on.

After reaching Rank 3, Wang Yan took Rice Bucket out to the wilderness to treasure hunt, hoping to strike it lucky and find something valuable.

But often, the odds were deceiving. Rice Bucket did dig up plenty, but none were treasures.

It was bones upon bones, and occasionally, a pile of excrement from some unidentified ferocious beast.

Maybe for a dog, these finds were treasures.

But Wang Yan was human, and his standards differed.

The wind elements danced around, whipping up a flurry of snowflakes.

Wang Yan rode like a knight of legend, traversing the snowy landscape on the back of a dog, arriving and departing in the same manner.

"Awoo!"

The resonant howl reverberated into the distance as Rice Bucket abruptly halted, flinging the gold that had been perched on his head into the air.

"Damn it, you dumb mutt!"

Goldie heaved itself out of the snow, cursing up a storm in frustration.

Rice Bucket, on the other hand, seemed oblivious, busily sniffing around.

"Seriously? Did you find poop again?"

Goldie leaped onto Wang Yan's shoulder, vigorously shaking off the snowflakes from its feathers.

The Mystic Ice Realm was known for its ice fog flowers, typically found clinging to the snowy mountain cliffs.

Beyond excrement, Goldie couldn't imagine what else could be buried under the thick blanket of snow.

"Awoo!"

Rice Bucket let out another howl and started to furiously dig with its paws.

Goldie slipped off Wang Yan's shoulder, aiming to land on Rice Bucket's head, but miscalculated and ended up with a face full of snow.

"You idiotic dog, this means war!"

Enraged, Goldie unleashed a golden sword energy that struck Rice Bucket right in the hindquarters.

"Awoo! Woof!"

The sharp pain sent Rice Bucket leaping high into the air, its tail clamping down immediately.

"Alright, knock it off."

Wang Yan sighed, grabbed Goldie, and tossed it behind him.

Five minutes of digging later, the "treasure" was finally unearthed.

Rice Bucket trotted over, proudly carrying a fist-sized piece of ice in its mouth.

The ice was remarkably smooth, shaped like a regular polyhedron, with a shadowy figure barely visible inside, seemingly alive.

Crystal Formation Water: A crystalline condensation of pure water elements, with a slim chance of harboring an elf within.

"An elf?"

Wang Yan scrutinized the crystal. The shadow inside did bear a striking resemblance to the mythical creatures.

"Could this be an elf?"

Goldie gazed intently at the Crystal Formation Water, while Green poked its head out from the clothing.

"It's likely an elf, of the water or ice variety, though not fully developed yet."

Wang Yan placed the Crystal Formation Water into his storage bag, patted Rice Bucket's large head, and offered some well-deserved praise.

Rice Bucket had demonstrated its knack for finding real treasures, not just feces and bones.

That alone merited commendation.

Mounting his canine companion, Wang Yan pressed on, venturing deeper into the Mystic Ice Realm.

He sprinted relentlessly, pausing only a few times along the way. Each stop yielded a piece of Crystal Formation Water.

The production of this item wasn't actually low, but its well-concealed nature made it exceedingly difficult to find, which in turn drove its price to exorbitant levels.

Once in possession of this item, a special technique could be employed to accelerate the growth of the internal elves, allowing for a contract to be signed before they reached full maturity.

Elves didn't take up a slot in the Soul Contract, yet a beast tamer was limited to just one in their lifetime.

Acquiring a second would cause the elves to merge. With good fortune, a new elf might emerge; with bad, it could mean a total loss, with nothing to show for the effort.

Wang Yan intended to secure a superior one for his own use, selling off any lesser finds.

Should he stumble upon an exceptional specimen, the trip would be worthwhile, dragon species or not.