Chapter 110 – The White-Headed Eagles

Chapter 110 – The White-Headed Eagles

In his previous life, there had been a wilderness outpost near a similar colony of white-headed eagles. However, the outpost’s strength at the time was insufficient, and they dared not provoke the eagles, planning to eliminate them once their power had grown.

But as the humans grew stronger, the white-headed eagles increased their numbers and power at an even faster rate. Perhaps because they laid eggs, producing many offspring at once, by the time the outpost was ready to deal with them, the eagle population had tripled, with most reaching mid-tier Level 1 strength.

The first wave of combatants who charged at the demonic birds was completely slaughtered. The enraged eagles then located the outpost.

Against these winged demons, walls were useless. The outpost’s interior was even more dangerous than the wilderness – at least trees provided some cover outside. The buildings couldn’t hold many people, and except for the walls, none were particularly sturdy.

The outpost was destroyed, with no survivors. However, some had posted about the eagles on forums during the siege, serving as a warning to others.

The lesson was clear – eliminating the eagles early, despite heavy losses, would have been better than total annihilation. From then on, people adopted the principle: if you can destroy a demon beast horde, do it immediately. Who knows what mutations they might develop?

The steep mountain was challenging to climb, though shrubs provided some handholds. Even with his enhanced defense, Cheng Yang’s palms were sore from the rough vines.

He was impressed by Liu Xiyue, the delicate girl who followed silently between him and Yu Kai without complaint.

Suddenly, Yu Kai shouted, “Lord, watch out!”

Cheng Yang had already heard the rushing wind. Looking up, he saw a white-headed eagle diving like a meteor, its talons gleaming metallic in the sunlight.

“Perfect timing!” Cheng Yang smirked. “Liu Xiyue, take it down.”

With a murmured incantation, Liu Xiyue activated her Holy Word spell. The eagle’s fierce eyes dimmed instantly, its majestic dive turning into a lifeless fall. Cheng Yang caught the corpse – a Level 1 early-stage eagle, dead before it knew what hit it.

Yu Kai stared in shock. He’d expected Cheng Yang to attack, but the bird had fallen without anyone lifting a finger. And Cheng Yang had said Liu Xiyue did it? A novice priestess who’d only been a class holder for five days?

“Lord, this… this…” Yu Kai stammered, pointing at Liu Xiyue.

Cheng Yang explained Liu Xiyue’s abilities briefly, wiping away Yu Kai’s pride at recently advancing to high-level apprentice. The man looked at Liu Xiyue with new respect – this delicate school beauty was turning into a formidable force.

“Miss Liu,” Yu Kai joked nervously, “should I keep my distance? One Holy Word from you and I’m done for!”

Liu Xiyue smiled. “Commander Yu, you’re two stages above me. My spells wouldn’t affect you.”

Yu Kai knew she was right, but also realized Cheng Yang was grooming her as a key asset. While her overall growth might not match his, her offensive power would soon surpass his.

“Alright,” Cheng Yang interrupted, “save the chatter for later. We’re still in danger.”

They continued climbing, occasionally spotted by eagles. Whether due to greed or arrogance, the birds attacked alone without alerting others, falling one by one to Liu Xiyue’s spells. By now, she’d killed two mid-stage Level 1 eagles, though no late-stage ones had appeared yet.

After about ten minutes, they neared the summit. What they saw took their breath away.

Bird nests were common, but who had seen nests the size of houses? Even Cheng Yang, with his year of post-apocalyptic experience, had never witnessed such massive structures. Considering the eagles’ ostrich-like size, it made sense, though it defied pre-apocalypse norms where even large birds built modest nests on cliffs.

“That’s not a nest,” Yu Kai whispered, “it’s a treehouse!”

“Quiet,” Cheng Yang hissed. “Find the alpha eagle. We must eliminate it first, or you and Liu Xiyue are in danger.”

Yu Kai nodded. While his 100+ HP gave him some security, Liu Xiyue’s mere 20 HP made her extremely vulnerable to any late-stage or peak Level 1 eagle with attack talents.

The mountaintop hosted two to three hundred massive nests, most guarded by eagles. This explained why only a hundred or so eagles circled above while so many nests filled the area.

“Old Yu,” Cheng Yang asked, “how did you discover the treasure these demons are guarding?”

Yu Kai chuckled. “I forgot to mention – it’s only visible from below, in a tree’s canopy. One of my men found a working military telescope two days ago.”

“Lucky you,” Cheng Yang remarked.

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