- Fantasy Lord: Start with Daily Intelligence
- FLDI Chapter 155
Stunned at first, Thor quickly composed himself. A surge of life energy erupted from him once more, spreading an overwhelming chill in all directions.
The ice spread rapidly, visible to the naked eye.
Thor stepped forward cautiously, his knight’s sword already unsheathed, frost creeping along its blade.
Suddenly sensing something, Thor swung his sword decisively.
A massive arc of energy shot toward the water’s surface.
Boom!
The water erupted, and frost quickly spread, freezing the disturbed area and extending deeper into the flowing river.
A shadow darted swiftly beneath the water, narrowly avoiding Thor’s attack, only to find its escape paths cut off as Thor continued his relentless assault.
Every direction the shadow turned, it was met with either slicing arcs of energy or the encroaching freeze.
Gradually, the upstream portion of the reservoir was entirely sealed by ice, leaving the shadow with no escape.
Suddenly, the shadow lunged toward the deeper part of the dam, attempting to dive into the depths and escape.
But Thor had anticipated this.
His sword glowed with icy energy as he swung again, sending a sharp, freezing slash ahead of the creature.
Boom!
The strike shattered the water, forcing the shadow into the frozen currents. The cold rapidly engulfed its surroundings, encasing the creature and the nearby water in solid ice.
Thor approached cautiously, the frost spreading further as he walked. Reaching the frozen area, he stomped lightly, sending a shockwave that lifted the ice-bound shadow to the surface.
As the block of ice emerged, Thor finally saw what the shadow was—a bizarre, monstrous fish.
The creature was unlike any he had seen. Its body was grayish-black, with a darker back and lighter underbelly. Its sides were marked with irregular black patches, and its fins bore alternating black-and-white spots.
The fish’s size was roughly twice that of a fully grown tilapia, and its sharp, jagged teeth gave it a menacing appearance. Most importantly, it radiated a rich life energy.
“This… could it be?” Thor murmured, his brows furrowed as he studied the fish.
Then, a realization struck him.
“A Giant Viperfish?”
Thor recalled the creature from a record in the library. Native to the northern provinces, giant viperfish were not ordinary fish.
Unlike the commonly farmed tilapia, the viperfish was one of the main ingredients for mid-tier life potions.
Mid-tier life potions, much like their lower-tier counterparts, had several recipes, and the viperfish was a key component in one of them.
When combined with Godwood Fruit and Life Grass, the potion produced was not only more effective than standard mid-tier versions but also significantly more valuable.
In Lorren City, a single mid-tier life potion could fetch between 2,000 and 3,000 gold coins at auction. The high price was largely due to the potency of potions made using the Habus Trading Company’s viperfish-based recipe.
Thor’s eyes glimmered with excitement.
The presence of a giant viperfish in the reservoir wasn’t just a surprise—it was an opportunity.
If the reservoir could sustain one viperfish, it could likely support more. Perhaps even a breeding population.
If successful, Thor could farm these fish and use them to craft mid-tier life potions.
And he had the ingredients—Life Grass and Godwood Fruit were already within his grasp.
As for potion-makers? If the three alchemists couldn’t manage it, Anna certainly could.
The prospect of mass-producing mid-tier life potions was staggering. These potions, unlike their lower-tier counterparts, were effective even for Great Knights, enhancing their strength and even improving their chances of breaking through to Earth Knight.
With this, Eagle Territory could soar to unprecedented heights.
Thor quickly withdrew his chilling aura to avoid accidentally killing the fish.
As the ice melted, the viperfish regained its freedom, momentarily dazed before darting back into the depths.
Thor examined the upstream area, considering his next steps.
Determined to prevent the fish from escaping or being disturbed, he extended his freezing power, creating a massive ice barrier upstream.
This temporary barrier would hold for a few days, ensuring the reservoir’s ecosystem remained undisturbed while he made preparations.
Thor summoned Nia, his loyal unicorn steed, and sent her to fetch Allen, his trusted ally known for his ability to harmonize with nature.
Nia’s speed ensured Allen would arrive within half a day.
In the meantime, Thor continued his exploration of the reservoir.
By the time night fell, his search had uncovered a shocking revelation—the reservoir contained not just one, but seven giant viperfish.
They had clearly made the reservoir their home, and none showed signs of leaving despite the disturbances.
This was confirmation that the environment was ideal for their survival—and possibly for farming.
—-
As the sun dipped below the horizon, the sound of hoofbeats announced Allen’s arrival.
“My lord!” Allen called, dismounting hurriedly. His hair was disheveled from Nia’s high-speed journey, and he was slightly out of breath.
Thor wasted no time.
“Allen, I have an important task for you,” Thor began.
“In this reservoir, there is a type of black fish. I need you to oversee its farming. Do you think you can handle it?”
Thor’s tone was calm but firm.
“If successful, you’ll earn 500 merit points for the initial setup and an additional 20 points monthly as long as the operation continues.”
Allen’s eyes widened at the offer. Five hundred merit points were enough to cover all his needs for advancing to Great Knight.
Still, he hesitated. “May I see the fish first, my lord?”
Thor nodded, appreciating the caution. “Come, I’ll show you.”
With Allen’s help, Thor hoped to transform this unexpected discovery into an extraordinary opportunity for Eagle Territory.
Allen had never engaged in fish farming before, and even he was uncertain whether his natural abilities would be sufficient.
“Follow me,” Thor instructed, leading Allen toward the dam.
At this point, the ice still hadn’t dissipated, and both Thor and Allen were able to walk across its surface.
As they moved, Thor immediately felt something unusual.
Tilapia began to swim toward them, encircling Allen’s feet.
When Allen crouched down, a dark shadow appeared right in front of him, causing the surrounding fish to scatter in fear.
But Allen’s eyes lit up with excitement. Instinctively, he reached his hand into the water.
As soon as his hand entered the water, the shadow swam closer, and even when Allen raised his hand to touch it, the giant viperfish didn’t flee.
Instead, more shadows appeared, surrounding Allen’s hand.
Looking closely, there were not seven, but nine viperfish.
Clearly, two of them had been missed during his previous inspection.
After gently stroking the fish, Allen withdrew his hand and stood up. Despite this, the viperfish did not leave, instead continuing to swim in circles around him.
“Master, I believe it’s possible!” Allen said, excitement in his voice.
“They’ve settled here, and Little Three and Little Five have even laid eggs.”
Thor beamed with happiness.
“Ha! Excellent!”
“I’m impressed. Once we return, I will reward you with the merit points. From now on, the viperfish farming will be your responsibility. Do whatever you need to expand their numbers, and don’t hesitate to ask for anything.”
Thor’s heart swelled with joy as he laughed out loud. Despite having suspected this outcome, the confirmation filled him with a surge of exhilaration.
This was the primary ingredient for crafting mid-tier life potions.
With the giant viperfish in his territory, the production of these potions was now all but guaranteed.
This was something even the Dresrosa Family might struggle to achieve.
After all, the ingredients for mid-tier life potions—Godwood Fruit, Giant Viperfish, and Morpheus Flowers—were rare.
More importantly, crafting mid-tier life potions required at least a second-tier mage.
That’s right—a second-tier mage.
While lower-tier potions could be made by alchemists, mid-tier potions required a mage who had the ability to manipulate the elements—something only a second-tier mage could do effectively.
Even first-tier mages or ordinary alchemists would be unable to do this.
With these materials and the necessary skills in hand, Thor was now in a position to produce something that most duke and marquis families could only dream of.
The thought made his heart race with excitement.
“Yes, my lord!” Allen said, his voice filled with determination.
“I won’t disappoint you!”
However, as Allen stood, a hesitant expression crossed his face.
“My lord…” he began, though his words seemed uncertain.
Thor, noticing the hesitation, asked with a slight frown, “What is it?”
Allen took a deep breath. “I have a younger brother… Could I use my merit points to have him join the Eagle Knights?”
He bit his lip, clearly embarrassed to ask.
Thor considered it for a moment before responding.
“Of course. As I’ve said, anyone can join the order as long as they have enough merit points. Family members can also benefit from this.”
“You don’t need to ask my permission for that.”
“However, think carefully, Allen. Merit points aren’t easy to come by, and you’ll need many for your own cultivation in the future.”
Thor nodded in approval. He had no objections to Allen’s request.
“I’ve thought it through, my lord,” Allen said, a smile breaking through his earlier hesitation.
“I’m glad to hear it,” Thor replied. “You can visit Kuwait and have him registered. That’s all it takes.”
Thor was unconcerned with such small matters.
“Yes, my lord!” Allen responded eagerly, his face filled with gratitude.
Thor then gave a few more instructions. He assigned Berg to another task—since they were now focused on the viperfish farming, they could no longer continue raising tilapia.
The tilapia would likely serve as food for the viperfish.
However, Thor hadn’t given up on tilapia farming entirely.
He chose another spot downstream to set up a new tilapia farm, assigning Berg to oversee the operation.
Of course, it would take some time to get everything set up.
Berg wasn’t troubled by this; in fact, he was pleasantly surprised, especially when Thor rewarded him with 50 merit points for his hard work.
—-
The discovery of the giant viperfish and the possibility of farming them to produce mid-tier life potions marked a major turning point for Thor and his territory. With this development, Eagle Territory was poised to rise to a new level, potentially gaining the upper hand in both alchemy and military power.
The foundation had been laid, and the future looked brighter than ever.
(End of Chapter)