12 Chapter 12: Beast Affinity

Under the weight of their grudge, the Blackwood clan was grinding harder than ever to boost their psychic powers.

Ethan was super focused when he noticed on the screen that Nathan had rallied all the Blackwoods, except 3-year-old Olivia, and they were heading towards the Silver Iron Woods.

He quickly clicked on Nathan's icon.

The screen instantly started tracking the family's movements.

"The elixirs given to us by our Forebearer are almost gone, but last time I was in the Silver Iron Woods, I stumbled upon some super tempting fruit trees!"

"This time, I need all my family to pull together!"

The family was united in their resolve.

Meanwhile, Ethan was on the edge of his seat in front of the screen, ready to use his skills if the family encountered any danger.

The Silver Iron Woods were no Mystic Boar Forest; this place was crawling with strange beasts.

Even though Nathan had been in and out of the woods, he always stuck to the edges and moved alone, which was way easier.

But this time, it was a full family expedition, and most of them didn't have much hunting experience.

Yet, Ethan didn't stop them.

If the Blackwoods wanted to grow, they had to face tough challenges. If they just wanted to wait around the altar for his Divine Gift, they might as well be destroyed.

...

Before long, the family entered the Silver Iron Woods.

And they encountered their first battle.

A cat demon with a tail blazing like fireworks and a body covered in golden fur!

Ethan maneuvered the mouse and clicked on this bizarre cat demon, instantly pulling up its info.

[Flame-tailed Psychic Cat (Common)]

[Description: It's small but super fast, allowing it to survive on the outskirts of the Silver Iron Woods. Watch out for its speed, and... its tail]

Ethan was surprised; after the resurgence of psychic powers, this planet also had its share of strange beasts, even forming large species.

But Ethan hadn't seen this type in his school lessons.

A quick online search turned up zilch.

But Ethan knew that common class beasts were mostly within the Iron Will range.

At that moment.

The Flame-tailed Psychic Cat was frantically trying to escape Nathan's pursuit.

"Swoosh!"

The sound of an arrow slicing through the air rang out, shot by 6-year-old Julian of the Blackwoods, bending his bow!

"Meow!"

The Flame-tailed Psychic Cat narrowly dodged the arrow, turning back to hiss and meow, probably throwing some choice words.

But it couldn't curse for long!

In its path of escape, the Blackwoods had already set a trap.

Luna and Amelia, the dynamic mother-daughter duo, burst out from between two trees, clutching a massive brown net, and swooped down on the fleeing Flame-tailed Psychic Cat. They were smeared with dirt, probably to mask their scent.

The cat's tail flames flared up like crazy, but their net seemed prepped for just this scenario—it wasn't burning up at all.

Just as the Flame-tailed Psychic Cat started clawing and biting at the net.

Lucas stepped up, fingers twisted in some mystical gesture, and the net shimmered with a blue glow, trapping the fiery feline for good!

"Meow, meow, meow!!!"

When the whole family circled around, looking down at the trapped Flame-tailed Psychic Cat, the critter's curses got even dirtier.

[Captured a common beast—Flame-tailed Psychic Cat. It glares at all the Blackwoods in fury, but after Luna feeds and pets it, it shows a barely noticeable hint of comfort.]

"Planning to make this Flame-tailed Psychic Cat a house pet?"

Ethan eyed the cat caged up, raising an eyebrow. Clearly, this cat wasn't even enough for a snack, but keeping it as a pet to guard the house might not be a bad idea.

However, the game screen didn't reveal what the family was thinking.

They were already gearing up for the next hunt.

In Ethan's memory, Nathan had encountered plenty of beasts before, but usually solo, and often the beasts got away. Now, with the family working together, things seemed a lot easier for Nathan.

Before long.

Ethan watched as the family took on beast after beast in the Silver Iron Woods, mostly smaller ones, as the size of the beasts usually indicated their strength.

This time they stayed in the Silver Iron Woods for five days.

[Captured a common beast—Shadow Hound. After a beating from Luna, it stuck out its tongue, looking all buttery. But once Luna walked away, it started barking madly again.]

[Captured a nest of common beasts—Mile Pigeons. Luna pulled out a flute, and as the weird tunes played, the Mile Pigeons got all dizzy and confused.]

[Captured a common beast—Anteater...]

Huh?Caught that many beasts?

Ethan scratched his head, watching this unfold. Looks like this family was planning to catch and raise a whole menagerie of beasts, but taming them takes skills, and it all seemed to hinge on Luna.

"Dang, Luna, you've been holding out on me! You secretly learned beast taming?"

He opened up the profile for Nathan's wife.

Ethan suddenly realized.

[Luna]

[Level: Foundational Energy, Tier 1]

[Skills: Qi Gathering, Beast Taming]

[Trait: Beast Affinity]

[Can sense the emotions of beasts, making it easier to get close and tame them. Taming success rate increased by 100%!]