Leeward stared at the Stone Cat as it tried to crush a spider the size of a fist, wondering to himself,
"Should I kill it and take its Spirit Foundation Stone and refine it along with this...?"
The Spirit Foundation Stone he had taken from the corpse of a previous Stone Cat was a Level 2, meaning that the Spiritual Will within it was strong, and it would be difficult to obliterate it.
Monsters themselves are divided into several levels, seven in total; starting with Level 1, the weakest, and going up to Level 7, where they are conscious monsters.
He hadn't yet planned to refine that stone, as he still had to return to the village, but a fleeting thought crossed his mind, an idea he hadn't considered before.
"Should I tame it...?"
He began to look at the stone cat in front of him more deeply. It was a completely unplanned idea, a spur-of-the-moment decision.
But taming it would take time, and on top of that, it would become spiritually bound to him. If the stone cat died, Leeward would be severely harmed by this bond.
Taming beasts is entirely different from taming ordinary animals.
If it grew up and became strong, it would increase Sicilian's level even more as it grew, a mutual evolution for both of us. I can't take it with me to the village... I'll just do it."
It was an unbalanced decision at the moment, but if this beast grew up and reached its full potential, stone cats, when they grew up and their levels increased, became truly terrifying.
And this would give Leeward a powerful spiritual beast that would protect him from any danger. There was a clear logic to this thinking, but it came at the worst possible time
He took a step forward, and the cat went straight for him and let out a warning howl, then cautiously began to back away. But Leeward pounced quickly and seized him by the fur in a flash.
The cat raised its head and bit Leeward's arm, but the wound wasn't deep enough for him to pull his arm away. He grasped its jaw with his other hand and slammed it shut, then sat up abruptly, holding the cat firmly in his lap.
His spiritual field surged outward, forming a dense aura that surrounded them both. The cat began to try to break free with all its might, but the difference between them was vast.
Leeward entered directly with his spiritual field into the depths of the cat's soul, where its spirit seeped through the pores of its skin and propelled its consciousness with it without hesitation.
Until he reached the spiritual foundation stone lying dormant in the cat's heart. Before reaching it, he encountered a simple, transparent spiritual barrier protecting it. Leeward broke through it directly, as there was no real defense due to the difference in the power of the two spirits.
He encountered some resistance, but it was of little use.
The real problem was how to quickly obliterate the will of the stone cat.
He tried to enter the foundation stone, but was met with fierce resistance
The will was far too difficult to extinguish; it represented spiritual consciousness itself. After several failed attempts, he began to strangle the stone with his entire spirit, surrounding it on all sides, pushing relentlessly and cruelly.
"I drew near..."
He was very close to taming the Stone Cat. After a period of time that was almost a full decade, Leward pierced the cat's spirit stone and finally subdued it.
He pierced his spirit stone and merged his spirit with the cat's, until the two became one within the spirit foundation stone. Thus, the cat could hear its master's commands for the time being.
This was difficult; taming a beast that was still alive was no easy feat. Refinement of spirit foundation stones was complicated, but obliterating the will usually didn't take long, and of course, the stronger and higher the stone, the more rigid the will became.
Leward let the Stone Cat rise from its stone. It seemed confused, as if unaccustomed to this new sensation; it began to gnaw at its skin and move its head erratically.
Then it let out a repeated howl.
Leward had consumed a large portion of his energy and had less than a quarter of his spirit field density left. He would either find a way to replenish it or wait for natural spirit regeneration
"I didn't think this would take this long... Oh well, I just hope O'Verd hasn't left the village yet, I have important business with him..."
He whispered softly, accepting the situation as it was.
He raised his hand, then thought only of the Stone Cat.
"...come."
The cat looked directly at him with astonished eyes, then darted off towards him, excitedly playing with his hand.
Leeward smiled quietly. This was a wonderful feeling... but it came at a high price.
If he didn't ensure his safety and this beast died right then, he would suffer a spiritual injury that could keep him bedridden for many days, and that would ruin everything he had planned.
He got up from the ground, then gazed up at the sky above him. Its features were beginning to take on colorful shapes, stars and galaxies appearing in the distance amidst a vast and deep space.
The sight was quite dazzling. Leeward picked up the Stone Cat, then ran straight towards his sheep.
"I've been here a long time already, and left my sheep alone for a long time. I'll be back soon to look for them..."
In the village of Morge, about 10,000 meters west of the North Hill, was the village he lived in
Leeward finally reached the village entrance with his sheep. He gathered them all into one flock and placed the stone cat among them. Its thick wool completely covered it, so it was not visible at all.
Leeward did not want anyone to see that he had taken a small spirit beast and tamed it. This was not, after all, part of the contract by which he would gain his freedom—the contract that had bound him as a slave.
The village floor tiles were tidy, though some dust was scattered across them, with small potholes along the path. The wooden houses were neatly arranged, forming streets with a quiet character.
The village night was not yet quiet; it was not yet deep, and light still spread through the streets. There were several people—traders with their carts, and others sitting near the taverns, giving thanks.
There was much disorder on that street.
A commoner stared at Leeward in the middle of the street. He was drunk, sitting near a tavern on a rickety wooden bench. His eyes were bloodshot, his face sweaty, and a medium-length beard covered his features
I'm not used to seeing you come back late, slave Kashin,What could be the reason... Did some wolves scare you... Hahaha"
He burst out laughing sarcastically, like a cheap drunk.
Leeward turned his head at him without stopping walking. His mother's nickname was Keshin, which he had inherited from her. Then he whispered,
I think you should mind your own business. I'm a slave, as you said, but I'm not a lowly wretch like you. Or don't you remember the day your teenage nephew beat you up, even though you're an adult... Hahaha, you fool, Vigoa!
Leeward sneered at him, then continued on his way in response to the insult. This made Vigoa angry. He tried to get up violently while drunk.
Wait, what did you say, you slave? Who gave you the honor of even speaking? I'll teach you some manners so you learn to respect others...
He said this as soon as he got up.
With his first two steps, he tripped and fell face-first to the ground near the pub's curb. This made some of the other drunks there burst out laughing at him
Figua turned to them, his misery deepening. He clenched his jaw so hard his teeth chattered, then rose and zigzagged towards Leeward.
Who are you to humiliate me, child...
He yelled loudly, then threw a punch at Leeward.
Leeward caught his hand easily. It was weak and trembling. Showing no mercy, he looked at him with that one eye, then threw another punch straight to his face.
Feguà fell to the ground, his nose bursting with blood, and he began to writhe and scream as if in agony.
"You shouldn't have messed with me... This isn't the first time you've been beaten, old man... Mind your own business."
Leeward continued on without looking back, while he could hear mocking laughter directed at Feguà, the drunken old man, as most of the villagers called him. He was well over fifty, but a heavy drinker.
Leeward finally reached a wooden gate. There was a farm surrounded by a large stone wall, and this was the gate in the wall.
Leeward opened the gate by pushing it, and it made unpleasant groans until it opened fully
Inside the farm, he saw several wooden houses scattered around the edges, with a stable for horses, a barn for cows and another for sheep, and several scattered chicken coops, all in an organized structure
The sheep all went in, and he followed them, closing the gate again. He led them to a pen on the side, surrounded by a small, round wooden fence.
He opened its gate and let them all in, still wondering where to put the stone cat.
I'll just leave him here for now until I talk to O'Fred, and I hope he really accepts. I don't want any trouble at the moment...
He went straight back, walking briskly across a completely dirt floor, scattered at the edges of which were several sleeping dogs.
At the slaves' hut, Leeward saw that the master had brought in a number of new slaves.
He didn't stop to investigate, but he had never expected it.
What could be the reason? Had he bought new slaves?
He thought this might be an opportunity to gain his freedom from that old man...