Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

Vorderger shook his head with a smile as he processed the Darkfeather Eagle's corpse. After exchanging a few brief words, they quickly tidied up and departed, continuing their mission to lure the enemy deeper.

A week later, on November 5th, deep in the forest, a piercing cry gradually weakened as a fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle let out a final groan, collapsing into a pool of blood. Rhett and Vorderger had joined forces to bring this fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle to the brink of death. This time, they allowed Tales to deliver the finishing blow.

It wasn't until the notification of increased Destiny Points appeared on the screen in front of him that Rhett intervened, "That's enough, Tales. The Darkfeather Eagle is dead. Step back."

"Understood, Father!" Tales replied, stepping back. Vorderger stretched, then walked over to retrieve the arrows from the Darkfeather Eagle's body for reuse. He then turned to Rhett, who remained calm, and said excitedly, "Lord Rhett, this is already the third fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle we've taken down. From what I've observed around their nest, there were only about three fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagles in total. Now that they're all dead, only the lower-tier ones should be left on the mountain, and they should be easy to deal with."

"Not necessarily," Rhett said as he gazed into the distance. He could barely make out the distant mountain peak, shrouded in mist but with its sharp summit piercing the clouds like a spike. "In some magical beast tribes, there's often a strong leader residing in the nest—a core figure who rarely leaves. There might be such a presence in the Darkfeather Eagle's nest."

"That's possible," Vorderger nodded, then added confidently, "But with our strength, even if there's another fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle, it won't be a match for us. Besides, it's all speculation. There's no guarantee a fourth-tier magical beast is even there!"

Rhett smiled slightly, "True, the threat isn't great, but it's always better to be cautious. Still, now is a good opportunity. We should prepare and set out."

Seeing Rhett's confidence, Vorderger's own confidence swelled. He slashed through a nearby branch with his sword and shouted, "Let's go!"

Given that Tack, Ryleigh, and Tales lacked the strength, they brought only Milton and Vicki this time. The four of them left the forest and emerged onto a wide path, no longer concealing themselves as they boldly advanced toward the lone peak ahead.

Ten minutes later.

"Kaw—Kaw—"

The eagles' cries in the sky grew louder and more frequent. Magical beast tribes have strong territorial instincts, and as the Darkfeather Eagles circling in the sky noticed the intruders, they became furious. One of them let out a long, sharp screech, like a signal for attack. In an instant, dozens of Darkfeather Eagles from all directions began to dive, cutting through the air like black meteors plummeting to the ground.

Milton's expression tightened as he drew a large red wand and shouted, "Fireball!"

Beside him, Vicki's wine-red hair swayed as she silently cast a Flash Spell. In an instant, a blinding light erupted mid-air, illuminating the area for hundreds of meters around them as bright as day. The Darkfeather Eagles that had come too close, those below third-tier, shrieked in terror and chaos, flying erratically. Some even collided with each other in a panic, while even the third-tier Darkfeather Eagles had their flight disrupted by the intense light.

In the midst of this, Milton's fireball struck a third-tier Darkfeather Eagle, charring half of its feathers and leaving it trembling. It instinctively tried to flee, only to be crushed by a falling boulder—a spell cast by Rhett. The timing was perfect, not only finishing off the injured third-tier Darkfeather Eagle but also intercepting a Shadow Arrow that had been fired by a fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle hidden in the mist on the other side of the mountain.

The Shadow Arrow struck the boulder with a dull thud, leaving only a small crater. Though the Shadow Arrow was strong in its concealment, penetration, and corrosiveness, its explosive power was limited compared to Fireball.

Rhett had already sensed the fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle lurking on the other side of the peak, hidden in thick mist. This particular eagle had unusually bright eyes, displaying a higher level of intelligence. Realizing that its tribe was in danger of being wiped out if it didn't intervene, it sprang from its hiding place and launched itself like a black lightning bolt.

This fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle weaved through the clouds, performing a 360-degree flip and spreading its wings wide. As it twisted in mid-air, it tucked its beak under its wings and fired a Shadow Arrow, a clear indication of its superior combat skills compared to its kin.

Rhett narrowed his eyes and noted this detail but reacted swiftly. He released his mental energy, and an Earth Spike shot toward the path of the Shadow Arrow. The two collided, and the Shadow Arrow dissipated like black water droplets scattered in the air. However, the Earth Spike was also weakened, its tip blunted, and the Darkfeather Eagle destroyed it with a peck.

At that moment, Vorderger drew his bow and infused it with a powerful burst of energy, aiming directly at the primary target. The arrow, charged with energy, shot forward like a streak of light but missed its mark, hitting the nearby mountainside instead.

Suddenly, a Dark Veil enveloped Vorderger, and he shouted, "I can't see anything!"

Rhett, who had remained silent, finally found his moment. This time, he wasn't the victim of the Dark Veil but an observer. He had noticed that when the Darkfeather Eagle cast the Dark Veil, its body stiffened momentarily, as if it required all its strength to perform the spell. Seizing this opportunity, he quickly gathered his mental energy and cast a falling stone spell. The falling boulder restricted the eagle's movement, forcing it to choose between flying up or down.

Rhett watched calmly, and when he saw the fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle dive downward, a cold smile appeared on his face. He cast an Earth Spike from below, aiming for the heart.

It seemed like the perfect moment to strike, but this Darkfeather Eagle, the guardian of its nest, demonstrated extraordinary combat prowess once again. In a moment of crisis, the eagle twisted its body, dodging the spike and avoiding the boulder. It even managed to spit a splash of corrosive acid toward Rhett's group while evading.

Milton and Vicki had no time to dodge, their eyes filled with terror. They had seen the power of the corrosive acid before and knew that being hit by it would lead to a terrible fate.

"Damn it!" Rhett's expression darkened. He could have pressed the attack, but saving his comrades was more important. He cast another falling stone spell, using the boulder to block the corrosive acid. Vorderger, who had been tense, sighed in relief. Milton and Vicki, grateful for their narrow escape, exchanged a look of gratitude before spreading out to avoid being caught in another similar attack.

"Lord Rhett, this Darkfeather Eagle is cunning, and its combat skills seem superior to the others. We must work together and act quickly, or it may escape if it senses defeat," Vorderger said, taking a deep breath and drawing another arrow from his quiver.

Rhett narrowed his eyes, his experience in combat quickly forming a plan. He spoke rapidly, "Don't shoot yet. Wait for my falling stone spell to block its retreat, and then aim for its head."

"Got it!" Vorderger agreed without hesitation, trusting Rhett's judgment after witnessing his expertise over the past few days.

Rhett took a deep breath, focusing on the eagle's position. As the boulder loomed overhead, Vorderger seized the moment, drawing his bow and releasing the arrow in one fluid motion. The Darkfeather Eagle responded by forming a tiny black hole in its beak, quickly condensing dark energy into a Shadow Arrow to intercept the incoming arrow. It then instinctively dodged the boulder while scanning its surroundings for more threats.

But at that moment, an Earth Spike suddenly shot out from behind the eagle. Startled, the eagle twisted its body once more, narrowly avoiding the spike, which instead struck a nearby second-tier Darkfeather Eagle, killing it instantly.

Twenty minutes later, after a fierce battle, the remaining fourth-tier Darkfeather Eagle finally fell. Rhett and Vorderger had expended considerable effort to defeat it. The eagle's refusal to flee, choosing instead to fight to the death with its tribe, gave them the time they needed to wear it down.

With the leader dead, the rest of the Darkfeather Eagles were divided. Half of them fled desperately, while the other half stayed to fight to the death. Vorderger quickly decided, "Take down the fleeing ones first, then deal with the rest!"

As the remaining Darkfeather Eagles tried to escape, Vorderger no longer needed his bow. He leaped into the air, his burst of speed outpacing the fleeing eagles. Once within range, he cut them down with his sword. With their leader gone, Rhett could focus on dealing with the remaining enemies. One by one, his Earth Spikes tore through the air, each one claiming a life.

As the black rain of feathers fell, Milton and Vicki watched with envy at Rhett's efficiency. After clearing out the remaining enemies, Milton and Vicki approached Rhett, bowing in gratitude. "Lord Rhett, thank you for saving our lives earlier. Without your intervention, we would have been doomed by that corrosive acid."

"It was nothing," Rhett replied with a modest smile as if he had done something insignificant. Then, scanning the area, he said, "There are many Darkfeather Eagle corpses around. You should start collecting them."

Milton grinned, "No rush. They're all dead, and there are no other magical beasts around to covet their corpses. Let's head up the mountain and help you search for the Darkfeather Eagles' eggs."

As soon as he finished speaking, Milton and Vicki eagerly headed up the mountain to begin the search. Vorderger, having gathered the distant eagle corpses, soon joined them.

The isolated peak stood nearly a thousand meters tall. Despite their extensive experience in the wild, it took the four of them most of the day to search every nook and cranny of the mountain. As Rhett had anticipated, they found only one magical beast egg.

Vorderger scratched his head in disappointment, "It seems Lord Rhett's luck wasn't great this time. We only found one magical beast egg because some of the young eagles had already hatched. I noticed that a few of the Darkfeather Eagles that attacked us today were only one or two years old. Also, we found a nine-month-old hatchling on the mountain, but it's too grown to be tamed."

"Sigh," Rhett let out a soft sigh, though he wasn't surprised by the outcome. He gently cradled the egg wrapped in thick cloth and examined it closely. Unlike the Firefeather Eagle egg he had seen before, which had a warm feel and faint fire element aura, this Darkfeather Eagle egg was cold to the touch, with a texture more like a smooth, icy wall than an eggshell. Its entire surface was pitch black, blending seamlessly into the darkness.

Yet Rhett could sense the egg's vibrant, burgeoning life force with his mental energy. He recalled the last simulation and thought, "No wonder the simulation mentioned that this egg would hatch in February next year. With such strong life force, it must have been incubating for quite some time!"

"But who should I give this egg to?" Rhett pondered. Tack wanted a magic-savvy beast, and the Darkfeather Eagle fit the bill perfectly. On the other hand, Tales, being a dark magic user, would be a perfect match for the Darkfeather Eagle as well.