Versatile Mage

Translated by XephiZ

Edited by Aelryinth

“Are we safe now?” Jiang Shaoxu asked.

She was truly afraid. She had once thought it was just going to be a normal island with a little trouble, but it had turned out to be a tiger’s den full of danger. The Manta Ray Evil Birds were still circling in the sky above the emergency outpost. They did not seem to be leaving soon, but they were not diving down either, as they were wary of the building.

“What should we do now? Daybreak is going to come soon. We can’t afford to waste any time,” Zhao Manyan said.

They had to leave before the sun rose. The Featherless Birds protecting the vicinity of the island were all going to awaken soon. Their numbers were more than ten times those of the Featherless Birds on the island. Their group would have no chance of leaving the island in one piece once they were awake.

“There’s a tunnel under the outpost that will bring us to the main ranch and breeding facility. Most Greater Featherless Birds were bred in the trees there,” Chen Shuo told them.

“Are you suggesting we take on the root of the problem directly?” Zhao Manyan had to ask.

“Exactly! We must get rid of the Greater Featherless Birds and the Featherless Bird Emperor. If a certain device there is still usable, we should be able to keep the Manta Ray Evil Birds at bay while trapping the Greater Featherless Birds and the Featherless Bird Emperor in the woods temporarily,” Chen Shuo said.

“Excuse me, mister, you shouldn’t just think about how to rid the public of an evil. You should think about how we are supposed to handle the Manta Ray Evil Birds, and the Featherless Birds that are about to wake up in the sea, even if we do slay the Greater Featherless Birds and the Featherless Bird Emperor. You should figure out our retreat first. Otherwise, our best bet is to turn around immediately!” Zhao Manyan countered.

“Old Zhao is right. It’s important to get rid of the Greater Featherless Birds and the Featherless Bird Emperor, but we have to figure out a way to deal with their children and grandchildren, too. We should prioritize our safety first,” Mo Fan agreed.

Chen Shuo immediately fell silent. He had been fully preoccupied with the thought of eliminating the Featherless Birds to prevent a potential disaster.

The Manta Ray Evil Birds were constantly making a lot of noise in the sky. Loud whooshes were heard as the creatures swept past the building above them. A few fearless Manta Ray Evil Birds even ignored the metal that the building was built from to search for the entrance.

Ten years ago, this emergency outpost was completely sealed up to prevent the tamed creatures from revolting, but the building was already long abandoned. It was difficult to guarantee there was no opening for the creatures to come inside. They were eventually going to find a way in as more Manta Ray Evil Birds began to circle the building.

“I do have a plan if you trust me,” Chen Shuo said.

“Just spill the beans!” Zhao Manyan said.

“As a matter of fact, our project wasn’t necessarily a total failure. The Bird Emperor spent a long time living with humans. It had already developed a certain benevolence. Things only went south because we were short on funds, and we made a mistake when taming the Bird Emperor,” Chen Shuo began to explain to them.

“Mister, we don’t really have much time, so please refrain from dwelling on the past for now. Just tell us what we should do. If it’s plausible, we’ll go ahead and do it. Otherwise, we should leave the island at once. We won’t have that option once the morning comes. This old outpost doesn’t feel safe at all,” Mu Bai reminded him quickly.

“Basically, every Manta Ray Evil Bird takes orders from the Bird Emperor, which means, if we are able to complete the plan ten years ago and tame the Bird Emperor successfully, not only can we resolve the threat posed by the overpopulation of the Manta Ray Evil Birds, the Bird Emperor will give us a ride and even bring us to safety!” Chen Shuo said.

“What kind of a plan is that? You already failed to tame it ten years ago. You had so many experts, Mages, and devices back then, but you still failed to tame the Bird Emperor. Why would you think we can do it now after ten years?” Tangyue demanded.

“That’s why I said you have to trust me completely. I wasn’t fully in charge back then, but I’m extremely familiar with the Bird Emperor. If you try to tame it according to my method, I believe it might remind the Bird Emperor of its past as a Contracted Beast, thus convincing it to obey us,” Chen Shuo said seriously. He even sounded a little excited.

“Chen Shuo, are you sure it’s still possible to tame a creature who has now become the Bird Emperor of the Manta Ray Evil Birds?” Mo Fan asked in a serious voice.

“I’m sure of it; the Bird Emperor’s master was my master! As his disciple, I was following him around. He brought me here to take care of his Contracted Beast, Evil Star, before he passed away. I came because I was eager to make some contributions, and I also saw how much potential the plan to tame the Manta Ray Evil Birds had. I thought my master’s Contracted Beast might lead us to a great evolution, and my master would be very pleased with the result.

“Unfortunately, when they started to have some positive outcome, they focused on breeding Manta Ray Evil Birds with a purer lineage instead of putting their attention on taming the creatures first, which eventually led to the overpopulation of the Manta Ray Evil Birds. However, I understand Evil Star. It still has the spirit of a Contracted Beast. It’s willing to be tamed, but we need someone worthy enough to convince it by following my instructions,” Chen Shuo said.

“What do you mean someone worthy enough to convince it? Can’t you do it?” Jiang Shaoxu asked.

“I can’t. The Manta Ray Evil Birds are extremely competitive. It will never submit to anyone weaker than it. My master only managed to sign a Contract with it because he managed to defeat it by himself. There’s only one way to convince it; to take on the creature alone and defeat it without relying on any tricks!” Chen Shuo said.

“I have defeated many demon creatures, yet not a lot of them were willing to surrender just because you can defeat them. Most of them preferred to die rather than submitting themselves to a human,” Mo Fan pointed out.

“Yes, that has always been the case, but the difference is that this Bird Emperor was once a Contracted Beast, so it won’t reject humans!” the old soldier countered.

“Mo Fan, you should be pretty strong now. If the Bird Emperor is really that intelligent, you might earn its trust by defeating it. Why don’t you have a go at it?” Tangyue said.

“But my Contracted Space is full!” Mo Fan said.

“Taming it and making it a Contracted Beast are different things!”