Steady Progress

Although finding the footprints was quick, by the time Caelan caught up to the Chocobo flock, it was already nearing dusk.

Caelan, after all, didn't have the demon hunter's senses that made footprints glow red, nor did he have guide bugs that tracked monster droppings. He relied entirely on his own sharp eyes to find a trodden path through the dense vegetation.

By the time he finally spotted those distinctive yellow feathers ahead, his eyes were aching.

Caelan patted Stone again: "Be careful, go around from the side. Don't kill them, just injure them will do."

Stone was far more professional at hunting than Caelan, so not much instruction was needed.

And Stone's performance left Caelan very satisfied—

It first suppressed its aura, stealthily approaching within twenty meters of the resting Chocobos, then suddenly leaped out of the grass, unleashing its draconic might without reservation.

"Roar!!!"

Accompanied by a dragon's roar, birds in nearby trees stiffened and fell directly, while in the distance, large flocks of birds flew up in terror.

As for the Chocobos right in front of them, facing Stone's overwhelming pressure, they all froze in place as if under a spell.

Some even tilted their heads, unsure if they had fainted or died.

Caelan only jumped out at this point, flipping open the Monster Codex at his waist, and runes instantly enveloped the flock of Chocobos.

To conserve magic, Caelan decisively collected them all onto a single page of the Monster Codex.

【Chocobo Flock】

【Race: Avian Beast】

【Level: 16】

【Strength: 74】

【Agility: 83】

【Stamina: 65】

【Toughness: 56】

【Magic: 21】

【Talents: Flock, Sprint】

The attributes were around Level 10 values; their level was likely increased due to being in a flock.

However, Caelan didn't expect much from their combat strength; good enough was fine.

He then looked at the ground—there were still three left that hadn't been collected, having been scared to death directly.

Chocobos could be trained into mounts for battle, so they weren't timid birds. The key was probably the dragon's overwhelming might.

But to be fair, Caelan had never experienced it, so he didn't know what that feeling was like.

These three dead Chocobos were useless, so Caelan let Stone deal with them. What it couldn't eat, it was to tie to itself and bring back for the others in the castle.

While Stone was feasting, Caelan glanced at the sky.

There should still be enough time to visit that mine, then head straight back to the castle afterward. The timing should be just right.

As for Graystone Town... he had already gotten the information he needed, so there was no need to make a special trip.

Caelan had his own territory and no extra energy to help them defend their Town.

...

By the time Caelan arrived at the mine, it was almost dark.

The journey was longer than expected, and the road wasn't entirely peaceful either.

The good luck was catching a sleeping Stone Troll, which he quietly collected.

【Iron Head Stone Troll】

【Race: Troll】

【Level: 12】

【Strength: 123】

【Agility: 13】

【Stamina: 126】

【Toughness: 177】

【Magic: 0】

【Talents: Toughness, Long Sleep, Gigantic Strength】

A prime example of high stats, low combat effectiveness.

Three attributes over a hundred, a single punch could probably stun Stone, yet its level was only 12.

The most disappointing aspect was its Agility of 13 points.

What did 13 Agility mean?

Even the wobbly Skeleton Soldiers in Caelan's Monster Codex, whose speed was like a turtle's crawl, had over twenty Agility.

Around ten Agility points was about as fast as a crawling infant.

Due to this, Stone Trolls couldn't hunt. Besides eating plants, they could only consume rocks and the minerals within them, using their internal scorching heat organs to convert them into a hard shell covering their entire body.

Coupled with the almost infinite lifespan of Troll-type monsters and their increasing size with age, they actually became slower as they aged, eventually being crushed to death by their own bodies, transforming into an immovable mountain.

According to records in the Demon King's City library, one of the Seven Demon Generals, Mountain Prison King Priestley Gabriel, built his fortress on the back of a Stone Troll that had lived for an unknown number of years, using ample Aether to drive the Stone Troll forward, crushing everything in its path.

Caelan didn't have the abilities of this Demon General; he simply planned to place this Stone Troll at the entrance as a stone lion for protection.

If he had the chance in the future, he'd get another one, and two would make a perfect pair for the entrance.

Anyway, Stone Trolls usually slept and only ate rocks when awake, so there was no need to worry about its food.

"Speaking of which, if I fuse a Stone Troll with other agile monsters, could it compensate for its slowness?"

Caelan thought for a moment and decided to put that question aside for now.

He only had this one Stone Troll; if the fusion didn't go well, it would be a huge loss.

However, if he caught a few more Skeleton Crawlers later, he could fuse them with the original Skeleton Soldiers to boost their combat power.

Caelan mused, leading Stone, and stepped into the mine entrance.