Fantasy Family Simulator (FFS)

The Ironhorn Ram's nostrils flared with anger, expelling rings of hot air as its massive horns glowed yellow once more. In this state, it faced the Flame Hound's fiery claws with much more composure. However, Rhett, who was closely observing, noticed the slight tremor in the Ironhorn Ram's muscles, indicating that it was reaching its limits.

Squinting his eyes, Rhett didn't rush. From his understanding of this magical beast, the Ironhorn Ram had impressive endurance and could likely hold on for a bit longer. Yet, the battle between the two beasts had reached a deadlock, with both sides pushing their limits.

Rhett gripped his staff tightly, waiting for the right moment to strike.

Half an hour passed. The Ironhorn Ram, now panting heavily, collapsed to the ground. Its scorched wool, stained with fresh blood, presented a grotesque sight. However, its horn had managed to pierce the Flame Hound's abdomen, causing the latter to howl in pain. In retaliation, the Flame Hound's claws gouged out the Ironhorn Ram's right eye.

"Tsk, tsk, that was a nasty move," Rhett thought as he assessed the situation. Both beasts were clearly at the end of their strength. Not wasting any more time, Rhett decisively cast Earth Thrust.

Two Earth Thrusts erupted from the ground, impaling the beasts directly in their vulnerable abdomens. Generally speaking, the underbellies of most land-based magical beasts were weak points, and Earth-type magic like Earth Thrust posed a significant threat to them.

Caught off guard, both the Ironhorn Ram and the Flame Hound found themselves suspended in mid-air by the Earth Thrusts. Realizing too late that they had been ambushed, the beasts' magical cores were depleted, and their bodies were drained of energy. They could only glare hatefully in the direction of the boulder.

"Taylor, don't be afraid. I'll be right in front of you. Just use your weapon to strike their weak points," Rhett urged as he led Taylor toward the incapacitated beasts, fearing they might die before Taylor had a chance to strike.

"Phew! Don't be scared; you can do this!" Taylor muttered to himself, trying to bolster his courage.

When they reached the beasts, the grisly sight made Taylor's legs go weak. The Flame Hound's fierce gaze, undeterred by its impalement, still brimmed with murderous intent as it stared down Rhett. Just a glance from the beast made Taylor instinctively take a step back.

Rhett frowned. To him, this kind of look was nothing new. He had faced far more brutal and savage enemies on the battlefield and had long since become immune to such intimidation. However, the Flame Hound's defiance, even in its dying moments, showed it was a beast of unparalleled ferocity—likely much harder to tame than even the Firefeather Eagle.

With a thought, Rhett sent a small stone hurtling toward the Flame Hound's eye, causing it to howl in pain and finally turn its head away.

Covered in a layer of earth-yellow light, Rhett stood protectively in front of Taylor. With the Rock Shield activated, the two heavily injured beasts posed no threat to him, despite the high mental energy cost of maintaining the shield.

"Taylor, be bold! A man can lack strength, but not courage. Face your challenges with bravery!" Tucker encouraged, giving Taylor a firm pat on the head.

Gripping his two-meter-long spear tightly, its tip sharpened to a deadly point, Taylor stood behind his father, finding reassurance in the sturdy shield protecting him.

"Ah!"

With a shout to steel his nerves, Taylor thrust his spear at the Flame Hound. However, the beast's tough hide resisted the blow, and the spear failed to penetrate. Taylor paused, embarrassed by his failure.

"Go for the eyes—that's a weak spot for most magical beasts," Reilly advised.

"Got it!"

Taylor took a deep breath and tried again. But this time, the Flame Hound twisted its head, easily dodging the slow-moving spear.

"Don't give up. It won't hold out much longer!" Rhett urged.

The Flame Hound trembled with rage. To be humiliated by a mere human in its dying moments was an unbearable torment!

After ten long minutes, the Flame Hound's strength finally gave out. Exhausted to the point where even moving was a challenge, it could no longer resist. With one last effort, Taylor drove the spear into the beast's left eye.

The Flame Hound let out a final, reluctant breath and slumped lifelessly to the ground, finally at peace.

[Family member killed a creature three ranks higher, +3 Fate Points]

"Ha! Well done, Taylor!" Tucker ruffled Taylor's hair with a grin. "Now, let's do the same to that Ironhorn Ram!"

Catching his breath, Taylor moved over and repeated the process on the Ironhorn Ram, which was similarly too weakened to evade.

[Family member killed a creature three ranks higher, +3 Fate Points]

Rhett glanced at the notifications and the six newly acquired Fate Points. He couldn't help but marvel at the results. For Taylor, killing a second-tier magical beast meant overcoming obstacles across three entire stages: from an ordinary person to an apprentice, then to first-tier and second-tier.

If Tucker or Reilly had done the killing, they would have only earned 2 Fate Points today. The threefold difference, when accumulated over time, would result in a significant disparity. That was why Rhett had decided to include Taylor in the expedition to the Darkwing Eagle Range.

"Taylor, you'll need to strengthen your body from now on," Rhett said as he gently tousled Taylor's hair. "Don't think that just because you lack talent, you can neglect yourself. The future holds many good things for you. For example, a stronger body and better stamina. Trust me, your future self will thank you for the training you do now."

Rhett's last words, laden with meaning, made Reilly chuckle. He added, "Taylor, if you're already panting after just a few spear thrusts, life's going to be pretty tough later on, don't you think?"

Taylor looked confused at first, then caught on as he noticed the mischievous smiles on his father and brothers' faces. His face flushed red with embarrassment as he stammered, "I… I just didn't eat enough breakfast! I do exercise regularly!"

Tucker threw an arm around Taylor's shoulders, speaking in a warm, familiar tone, "Haha, your exercise routine is probably less intense than what the male servants do around the castle. I have a suggestion—how about you join the guards in their morning physical training sessions? I'll join you, so what do you say?"

Taylor scratched his head. "Well… I guess I could give it a try." With his father and brothers all encouraging him, he couldn't really say no.

...