Chapter 47

The night had not yet completely faded, and the air in Fengqi Canyon was still filled with the scent of blood and dust. This book is first published on Tian Tian Kan Xiao Shuo, 𝓉𝓉𝓀𝓈. 𝓉𝓌 for a super smooth, error-free, and non-disordered reading experience.

Roko stood on a high ground, watching his busy subordinates below.

They were cleaning the battlefield, gathering warhorses, and moving the wounded.

Although they had paid a small price, this raid was undoubtedly a complete victory.

113 top-tier Storm Colts—the value of this wealth was enough to accelerate the development of Vanguard Valley several times over.

However, Roko's brows were not completely relaxed.

A dozen centaurs had escaped, including that young centaur leader.

In this borderland where the weak are prey to the strong, letting enemies go was tantamount to leaving behind a root of disaster.

"Hart."

Roko called out in a low voice.

Guard Captain Hart quickly came to his side, his steady face showing a trace of fatigue, but more of the excitement after victory.

"Young master, what are your orders?"

"Take the most elite scouts and continue to track them westward."

Roko's tone was calm, yet it carried an unquestionable determination: "Those dozen centaurs, especially that leader, must be found."

Hart felt a chill in his heart; he knew Roko wanted to cut the weeds and eliminate the roots.

The fleeing centaurs were wounded, so logically they shouldn't have gone far.

But the Orc Wasteland was vast and boundless with complex terrain; trying to find a dozen people was like looking for a needle in a haystack.

Moreover, continuing to go deep into the wasteland would only increase the risks.

"Yes, young master."

Hart did not hesitate and went to carry out the order.

Once Roko made a decision, he would not change it easily.

Fula stood quietly beside Roko, wearing simple leather armor.

The black cloth covering her face had been removed, revealing those heterochromatic eyes.

She didn't speak, just leaned tightly against Roko, as if this could give her strength.

The day's slaughter had made her somewhat uneasy, but as long as she stayed by Roko's side, that unease would be dispelled by a warm and firm power.

For the next three days, Roko took Fula, along with some knights and minotaurs.

They launched a search in the border area of the Orc Wasteland west of Fengqi Canyon.

The Orc Wasteland.

This name itself represented danger and the unknown.

The air was filled with a primitive and wild atmosphere, different from the buffer zone near Vanguard Valley.

The ground was no longer fertile soil, but hard earth mixed with gravel and withered yellow grass.

As far as the eye could see, there were rolling hills and occasional low bushes.

"Young master, this is the activity range of Chailangren."

The scout walking in front reminded him in a low voice.

He was experienced and could judge danger from the smell and traces on the ground.

Roko gripped the longsword at his waist, the 【Flame Breathing Method】 circulating within his body, Battle Qi flowing quietly.

Fula also became more vigilant, her heterochromatic eyes scanning the surroundings alertly.

Her cat ears twitched slightly, catching even the slightest movement.

They moved forward cautiously, avoiding potential dangers.

Occasionally, they would find some messy footprints and bloodstains; those were traces left by the centaurs when they fled.

But these traces would soon disappear on the hard ground or be covered by wind and sand.

The search process was tedious and full of pressure.

As the search area expanded, they gradually went deeper into the wasteland.

The environment here became harsher, and occasionally some huge skeletons would appear.

Those were the remains of some powerful creatures, silently telling of the cruelty of this land.

Huge birds would occasionally circle in the sky, casting unsettling shadows.

"Young master, the traces have completely broken off."

Three days later, Hart returned with several scouts, a trace of helplessness on his face.

They had tried their best, but the wasteland was too big, and the fleeing centaurs seemed to have vanished without a trace.

Roko looked at the boundless wasteland before him, the wind blowing by and kicking up fine dust.

Continuing the search would not only have slim hopes but would also put himself and his subordinates in greater danger.

Deep in this land, more powerful orc tribes were hidden.

There might even be powerhouses that even a Great Knight Peak like Hart would find difficult to deal with.

He could feel that the feeling of being watched in the surrounding air was becoming more and more intense.

It was as if something was hiding in the dark, quietly observing them.

"Stop the search." Roko's voice carried a trace of unwillingness, but more of rationality: "We're going back."

He finally gave up.

Although hidden dangers remained, compared to the safety of the entire team, this was a necessary choice.

Returning to Vanguard Valley, it was already evening.

The camp was brightly lit, a scene of busyness.

Martina saw Roko return and immediately greeted him, holding a thick ledger.

"Roko! You're finally back!" Her pure white eyes carried a trace of worry, but it was quickly replaced by excitement: "Those Storm Colts! They are simply amazing!"

Roko smiled and patted her shoulder.

"Let's go, let's go see our new friends."

They came to the open space on the side of the canyon.

Over a hundred Storm Colts were gathered here, guarded by some knights and minotaurs.

Under the moonlight, these magnificent warhorses appeared even more extraordinary.

They stood quietly, occasionally snorting, with faint breezes circling around them.

【Storm Colt】

【Grade: Elite Grade Warhorse】

【Status: Healthy】

Roko opened the 【Attribute Panel】, scanning the information of these warhorses.

"These horses, the strongest few, have strength that has barely reached the Great Knight level."

Hart stepped forward, his tone unable to hide his excitement.

As a knight, he knew the importance of a good horse.

These Storm Colts were simply the mounts he had dreamed of.

Martina circled a snow-white Storm Colt with a mane like flowing clouds, her eyes flashing with a fascinated light.

"So beautiful!"

"And the value is also extremely high!"

She muttered to herself, as if calculating how many gold coins these horses could be exchanged for.

Roko looked at these Storm Colts full of power and wildness, his heart filled with a sense of accomplishment.

This adventure was worth it!

"We need to build stables for them in Vanguard Valley," Roko said: "And we also need to specially clear a pasture to ensure their food supply."

"Of course!"

Martina nodded immediately; she had completely entered the role of a butler.

"I have already asked Bake to arrange manpower to start leveling the land and building stables tomorrow."

She paused, her tone carrying a trace of anticipation: "Roko, can these Storm Colts... be bred?"

This question was like a bucket of cold water, instantly extinguishing the enthusiasm in Roko's heart.

"Bred?"

Roko looked at Hart.

When gathering information, he seemed to have heard something about the difficulty of breeding Storm Colts.

Hart's expression darkened slightly, and he shook his head.

"Young master, the breeding of Storm Colts is extremely difficult; their estrus period is very short, and they have extremely high requirements for the environment."

"More importantly..."

He pointed to those Storm Colts: "These horses seem to have undergone special treatment."

Roko's heart sank.

"What do you mean?"

"Castration."

Hart said directly.

"To facilitate transport and management, centaur tribes usually castrate young Storm Colts used for trade."

"This can reduce their wildness and make them easier to tame."

Castration?!

Roko's eyes widened.

Martina also let out an exclamation, her snow-white fox ears instantly drooping, her pure white eyes filled with unbelievable disappointment.

"You mean, these horses can't have foals?"

Martina's voice carried a crying tone, as if she had lost several gold mines.

Hart nodded.

"Yes."

"And the cultivation and training of Storm Colts require professional centaur trainers."

He sighed: "We know too little about Storm Colts; even without castration, it would be almost impossible for us to breed them successfully."

Roko looked at those magnificent Storm Colts, a strong sense of helplessness surging in his heart.

Possessing a treasure mountain but unable to make it grow endlessly.

This feeling was terrible.

But he quickly adjusted his mindset.

"They can't be bred, but they are still top-tier warhorses," Roko said in a deep voice: "Their value lies in the present, in the fact that they can immediately improve the combat power of our knight order."

He looked at Hart.

"Let the knights get familiar with them as soon as possible; starting tomorrow, conduct integration training."

Hart nodded immediately, light reigniting in his eyes.

For a knight, owning such a Storm Colt was an honor in itself, and even more so a huge improvement in strength.

Although not being able to breed them was a huge regret, the value of this batch of Storm Colts before him was still immeasurable.

Roko decided to make the most of them.