The Witch Hunter System

609 Encounter

Kewee! Kewee!

The Steel-Beaked Eagles' distant cries resounded again as two large, shadowy figures dropped out from the dark clouds that hung in the high skies.

Jihaad's scream had not attracted one but two adult Steel-Beaked Eagles!

Furthermore, they appeared to be a pair.

The two Steel-Beaked Eagles stuck close to each other, almost like they were embracing each other, as they dived with coordinated rotation. With their sharp steel beaks and mighty wings, they drilled through the air with high speed.

Without a doubt, Jihaad was their prey.

In normal cases, Jihaad wouldn't fear the adult Steel-Beaked Eagles, even if they came at him in pairs. However, the sky was their domain. On the other hand, his maneuverability was severely limited as he was free-falling.

Under such a situation, he could only brace himself and receive the Steel-Beaked Eagles' attacks head-on.

However, as the Steel-Beaked Eagles closed the distance with their sharp beaks ready to penetrate through Jihaad's aura-enhanced body, two stones ripped through the air with extraordinary precision and speed.

Naturally, these small stones had been flicked by Vaan.

Puchi! Puchi!

The small stones struck the Steel-Beaked Eagles dead in the eyes, piercing their brains before shattering into pieces and exacerbating the internal damage.

In that instant, the Steel-Beaked Eagles lost all strength and life. Their drill-like attack lost its coordination as their bodies bumped into each other and separated. In the end, they plummeted past Jihaad, narrowly missing him.

Jihaad couldn't help but break into cold sweats at the close meeting with death.

But after overcoming the dreadful experience, Jihaad couldn't help but feel even more shocked by Vaan's precision.

Given the swiftness of the Steel-Beaked Eagles, simply striking their bodies with projectiles was already considered impressive. However, not only did Vaan hit their bodies, but he had also struck their weakest points with impeccable timing, leaving them no chance to react and defend!

The precision of the attack was impressive, but the timing was even more so!

Jihaad wondered whether he could have replicated such a result with his own skills. However, he could only shake his head in shame. The difference between them was like comparing heaven and earth; it wasn't even worth considering!

However, Jihaad wasn't disheartened by the gap that existed between them. Instead, it only fueled his motivation to strive for a higher peak.

Jihaad's eyes glowed with determination.

'Sir Pendragon is a master who has honed his throwing skill to the zenith! Just how exactly did he train to reach such a level of skill?' Jihaad wondered.

Improving one's cultivation only needed hard work, but mastering one's skills required talent!

Jihaad became obsessed with self-improvement as he replayed the scene repeatedly in his mind. He thought he could acquire Vaan's skill if he kept studying it.

Even after landing safely on the ground with Vaan's help, he kept pondering the matter. Before he knew it, the appetizing scent of cooked meat brought him back to reality.

The two bodies of the Steel-Beaked Eagles had already been salvaged and separated into three main piles: forging materials, potion ingredients, and edible meat.

The eagle meat alone weighed over a thousand kilograms, enough to feed a hundred ordinary humans for almost two months straight. Even if Vaan and Jihaad ate twenty people's worth of portion in a single sitting, it was still too much meat for them.

As such, Vaan had invited the nearby group of warriors to join them for dinner.

On the surface, it seemed like Vaan was being kind for sharing his food with these strangers. But in truth, he was using food to entrap them and acquire free labor.

"That smells great," Jihaad praised after getting a whiff of the aromatic spices that blended with the sizzling eagle meat.

The three warriors roasting eagle meat with Vaan's utensils and spices could only smile wryly and thank Jihaad for his praise before peeking at Vaan with apprehension. They were afraid of offending this great warrior. Thus, they were very mindful of their behaviors.

Although Vaan had not done anything that would make him seem unreasonable and easily offended, he did watch them cook for him with folded arms.

He was only studying their cooking method, but his attention put great pressure on them.

Nevertheless, after everyone ate their fill, they continued their travel together. Vaan and Jihaad gradually learned the names of the three warriors – Dahr, Dink, and Dunny. They were actually brothers who shared the same mother.

The remains of the two Steel-Beaked Eagles were also divided between the five people. However, Vaan took the lion's share.

Of course, Vaan could have taken everything for himself since he killed the Steel-Beaked Eagles.

However, Jihaad contributed by acting as the bait, even though he wasn't aware of it then. On the other hand, dismantling the two large birds had been the three brothers' efforts. As such, they all deserved some share of the loot.

The value of the two Steel-Beaked Eagles wasn't worth much in Vaan's eyes anyway.

At most, the salvaged materials, ingredients, and meat could only be traded for sixty low-rank mana stones. Such a meager amount was only enough to support normal living in the empire; it wasn't enough to support cultivation.

"Dahr, the roast meat cooked by you three brothers was not bad at all. You three brothers should keep cooking until we reach the Dukedom of Dragonmoor," Jihaad seriously suggested.

Prior to leaving his home, Jihaad had never cooked in his life. And even then, his own cooking had been terribly bland or inedible.

"Haha… Thank you for appreciating our cooking, Sir Jihaad," Dahr, the eldest brother of the three, replied with a forced smile before thinking to himself, 'Our cooking is nothing compared to real master chefs. However, we can still be regarded as food saints among amateurs, huh?'

Did Vaan know how to cook?

Of course, he did. In fact, his cooking proficiency was the highest in the group. He just didn't want to cook for everyone.

Why should he cook when he could get someone else to do it?

Suddenly, Vaan paused his steps, prompting the rest of the group to halt. Everyone quickly discovered a man in black leather armor blocking the path ahead.

Actually, the person wasn't trying to block their path. He was just using the same path from the opposite direction. However, he exerted such strong, intimidating pressure that it seemed like it was impossible to get past him.

"Is there a Vanderlin Pendragon among you?" Bakram tiredly asked with an imposing yet aloof tone, having repeated the same questions over a hundred times.

Everyone subconsciously glanced at Vaan.