Chapter 70: Chapter 70: The Soft Tiger Pelt
Rhett squinted slightly, gripping his magic staff in one hand and gesturing with the other, "The three of you, fall back. I'll handle this beast!"
"Yes, Father. Please be careful!"
A battle between two third-tier beings was exceptionally dangerous. Given their current strength, they knew it would be difficult to intervene.
Ensuring they stayed safe and didn't hinder their father was their primary concern.
The three of them retreated a hundred meters to a safe distance, hiding behind thick trees and watching as their father displayed his power!
Earth Spike!
Faced with the imposing third-tier Frost Crystal Tiger slowly advancing, Rhett remained calm, his hands moving swiftly as he cast his spell.
A two-meter-long spike descended from the sky.
Now, the Earth Spike was twice as large as when Rhett had been a second-tier mage! The condensed earth-yellow aura was even thicker, and the whistling sound as it pierced through the air could be heard even by the three onlookers a hundred meters away.
The Frost Crystal Tiger below pushed off with its four limbs, creating waves like a tsunami. It momentarily hovered above the water's surface before spitting out an ice spike from its mouth!
The ice-blue and earth-yellow spikes collided with a loud crash, shattering into countless ice crystals and fragments of stone.
Ice crystals filled the sky, creating a hazy scene. The broken stones scattered in all directions, splashing into the lake.
Plop, plop, plop! The lake's surface was once again disturbed, sending up countless tiny droplets of water, creating a magnificent spectacle!
Rhett cast a Rock Shield on himself!
With a wave of his staff, he kept his eyes on the Frost Crystal Tiger as it came ashore, quickly launching a Ground Thrust.
The Frost Crystal Tiger was highly alert, but the cunning angle of the Ground Thrust still pierced its abdomen!
In truth, Rhett had aimed for the tiger's heart, but with a third-tier magic beast like the Frost Crystal Tiger, he wasn't confident in landing a fatal blow.
Feeling a surge of excitement, Rhett knew that as long as he landed a hit, he had a whole series of follow-up attacks ready.
"Great opportunity!"
Rhett's eyes gleamed as he concentrated, summoning a massive meteor from the sky.
The Frost Crystal Tiger, filled with rage, roared as the pain triggered its primal instincts. It opened its mouth and shot out another ice spike.
At the same time, its massive paws repeatedly struck the ground beneath it, creating afterimages as they shattered the earth spikes.
Boom, boom, boom!
The meteor shattered under the ice spike and crashed to the ground, shaking the earth. Despite the blood flowing from its abdomen, the Frost Crystal Tiger managed to escape the dire situation.
The Frost Crystal Tiger now eyed the human in front of it with a newfound caution, no longer displaying the initial disdain. After suffering a real blow and feeling the pain, its eyes were now filled with intense vigilance.
It was accustomed to being arrogant in the Dark Crest Eagle's territory, rarely encountering anyone who could bring it down so quickly.
Roar...
The Frost Crystal Tiger growled lowly, crouching as it began to circle Rhett cautiously.
"Hmm? This Frost Crystal Tiger doesn't seem like the reckless type..." Rhett held his breath, his eyes darting as he devised a plan.
He took a step back, testing the tiger's reaction.
Roar...?
Seeing this, the Frost Crystal Tiger instinctively thought this was like the usual fights it had with other beasts—both sides backing off after mutual destruction.
In its mind, it wondered, "Huh? The opponent doesn't want to fight anymore? Well, that's fine. I'm not sure I could win anyway."
Feeling a bit of relief, it was happy to avoid a deadly confrontation with such a troublesome opponent.
However, Rhett had no intention of letting his opponent go. While feigning retreat, he carefully observed the Frost Crystal Tiger's every move.
Although magical beasts were smarter than ordinary animals, their intelligence paled compared to humans—unless they were of a high tier or possessed special bloodlines that granted exceptional intellect.
On the surface, Rhett maintained a cautious demeanor, but inwardly, he smirked when he noticed the Frost Crystal Tiger's stance relax.
"Ground Thrust!"
Just as the Frost Crystal Tiger was preparing to leave, it sensed something amiss beneath its feet. In a flash of panic, it tried to dodge, but the well-aimed earth spike pierced directly into its heart.
The force it had been gathering dissipated in an instant.
Rhett shook his head, "Still too inexperienced to outsmart me."
As a mage with over a decade of military experience and multiple honors as a soldier, Rhett understood that the outcome of a battle was never determined by raw power alone.
Psychological warfare, environmental awareness, and strategic thinking all played crucial roles in determining the result of a fight.
Exploiting the enemy's weaknesses and maximizing one's strengths—this time, Rhett had used the lower intelligence of a lesser-tier magical beast to deceive it into lowering its guard. In his view, this was simply a normal tactic in battle.
In a life-and-death struggle, only the result mattered.
Victory or defeat determined life or death—there was no room for unnecessary principles.
Howl!
By the time the Frost Crystal Tiger realized it had been tricked, it was too late. The sharp earth spike pierced its heart, causing blood to gush out and stain its icy blue fur.
Roar...
Roar...
The fierce roars echoed through the mountains, shaking the ground and causing leaves to rustle and fall from the trees.
Riley picked up a leaf that had just landed on his head and murmured, "Father is incredibly strong..."
A few minutes later, the dying Frost Crystal Tiger finally succumbed to Rhett's relentless attacks. It was crushed by a massive boulder near the lake, its blood seeping into the soil and dripping into the icy waters.
"Taylor, hurry!" Rhett shouted urgently. Since the Frost Crystal Tiger was a third-tier magical beast, he was worried it might have one last burst of strength. He had left it with only a sliver of life, likely less than a minute away from death, so time was of the essence.
"On it, Father!"
Taylor hurriedly trampled through the snow and grass, quickly reaching the Frost Crystal Tiger's side. He repeatedly stabbed it in its vulnerable spots until Rhett saw the confirmation in his magic display and called out, "Alright, Taylor, stop. The beast is completely dead."
"Ah," Taylor sighed in relief, leaning on his spear. He thought to himself, "As expected of a third-tier magical beast. Even that part of it was hard to pierce."
Riley and Tucker came over, circling the Frost Crystal Tiger with eyes full of excitement.
"This is the first time I've been so close to a third-tier magical beast, and it's still warm," Tucker said with a grin, rubbing the tiger's fur. His eyes lit up. "This fur is so soft. I'm definitely making an undershirt out of it!"
"I stabbed it, so I want to make a rug out of it!" Taylor said eagerly. "Just imagine sitting on this rug, reading a book, drinking something cold, and basking in the sunlight by the window. Oh, my goodness..."
The mere thought of it filled Taylor with joy.