Winter Lord: Starting with Daily Intelligence

Chapter 145 Two-Headed Bear

The fog was thick, enveloping the entire valley entrance in a gray-white dream.

Standing on the hill, Louis pulled his cloak tighter and looked at the slowly rising cold mist in front of him: "The mist is thick enough, start releasing the incense."

"Yes!" A knight quickly lifted the lid of the stew pot.

A rich, fragrant steam wafted out, carrying the scents of animal fat and meat bones, spreading through the cold mist.

This is not an ordinary aroma, but a stewing agent specially formulated to stimulate the sense of smell of wild animals.

According to previous experiments by Hilco and his team, bears can't help but approach the scent as soon as they smell it.

Sure enough, not long after, heavy footsteps came from the woods in the distance.

"They're here." Lambert gripped his weapon tightly, his eyes wary.

Amidst the swirling mist, the first to peek out were several round little creatures—the cubs of a two-headed bear.

They looked like fluffy snowballs, with short limbs, and waddled out. On their heads were two mini bear faces, one on the left and one on the right, curiously sniffing the air.

Its wet nose twitched, clearly attracted by the aroma, yet it also looked around warily.

Immediately afterwards, heavy footsteps echoed from the forest, and the mother bears made their appearance.

They were much larger than the cubs, with broad backs and full muscles. Their two heads growled as they coldly surveyed their surroundings, exuding a formidable sense of oppression.

Its thick fur is a mix of gray, white and light brown, much like a giant beast born from ice and snow.

Those fangs gleamed coldly, and the white mist they exhaled from the fog swirled like wisps of smoke.

Soon, the entire herd appeared one after another. Large and small two-headed bears huddled together, dozens of them standing together, like a chaotic yet powerful army of wild beasts.

Some were still playfully shoving each other, making low "whooshing" sounds, and occasionally slapping the muddy ground with their paws, immediately sending up splashes of wet soil.

“…So many.” Even Lambert couldn’t help but gasp.

Once these behemoths stepped into the fog, their originally steady and powerful steps suddenly became hesitant.

Their growls gradually softened, taking on a strange hoarseness, as if even their breath carried a hint of confusion.

"Awoo..." A fully grown two-headed bear shook its head, its two heads shaking violently at the same time, as if trying to dispel the sudden dizziness in its mind.

But it was no use. Its steps began to falter, and its heavy claws left a crooked trail on the snow.

Even his previously tense gaze, which was fixed on his surroundings, became unfocused.

"despair!"

The other bear even suddenly stopped, its two heads looking at each other as if they disliked each other.

Then he stumbled and almost fell to the ground, letting out a groan as if he were drunk.

The spray has taken effect.

Louis squinted, watching the white mist slowly sway, knowing full well that it contained the carefully crafted Frost Leaf Vine Essence.

This substance has little effect on humans, but it has a very strong disruptive effect on the nervous system of monsters.

The lower the magical energy concentration of a monster, the easier it is to be affected.

Just when everything seemed to be progressing smoothly, an unexpected change occurred.

"Roar--!!"

Two deafening roars rang out almost simultaneously.

From the thick fog, two adult male bears, each significantly larger than the other two-headed bears, suddenly charged out.

Their fur stood on end, their huge claws dug fiercely at the ground, and their four eyes gleamed with a ferocious, blood-red light, exuding a mad killing intent.

"Oh no!" a trainee knight exclaimed.

These two were clearly the leaders of the pack, with robust bodies and muscles bulging like iron, faintly gleaming with a dark blue luster.

They exhaled white breath from their nostrils, and their low growls carried an unusual irritability and ferocity.

Frostleaf extract did work on them, but it didn't make them obedient and confused like it did on other bears.

Instead, they became aware of their companions' unusual behavior, becoming even more alert and agitated!

"Roar!!"

A male bear suddenly crashed into a wooden wall, the immense force of which directly overturned the wall, which was several meters high, with a loud bang.

The other one chewed up a thick wooden stake, its eyes fixed on the nearest knight, and pounced!

“Get out of the way!!”

But this team is not a bunch of unprepared rookies.

Lambert's voice quickly cut through the chaos: "Rope! Frostleaf Burst Bottle ready! Stop them!"

The five knights moved almost simultaneously, their movements clean and swift.

Two specially made, weighted hemp rope nets were flung out and flew whistlingly toward the oncoming giant beast.

With a snap, the first bear was firmly caught in the noose. Its massive body struggled wildly on the ground, its giant claws tearing at the rope, but it couldn't break free for a moment.

The other end was also precisely tripped by the rope, its front paws caught, and it crashed to the ground with a loud thud, letting out an angry howl.

It rolled wildly on the ground, trying to break free of its restraints.

"Throw!" Lambert commanded.

Two small bottles, gleaming with an icy blue luster, flew out swiftly, slicing through the air with a cold light, and struck the two giant bears squarely on the head.

"boom!"

The silvery mist exploded instantly, surging out like a tide and enveloping the giant beast's head. The thick, frosty smoke was like a damp, cold net, tightly binding them.

The giant bear struggled violently, its growls becoming hoarse and rapid, its four eyes still fixed on its surroundings.

The menacing aura remained, but the movements became increasingly slow and sluggish.

A few seconds later, they finally collapsed to their knees on the snow, panting heavily.

His eyes were filled with confusion, and the violent ferocity he had shown before was completely suppressed, leaving only a powerless struggle.

…………

Baiyan Valley was still shrouded in thick fog, and the quietly renovated breeding ground at the bottom of the valley stood silently.

The atomizing device is embedded in the cliff crevice, spraying out a layer of cool white mist every three days, making the entire valley seem like a tamed snow cage.

The animal pen has been neatly completed. The wooden structure is covered with moss and bark scraps, rough and simple, yet it is enough to simulate the atmosphere of the mountains and forests.
However, this wasn't for comfort, but rather to allow these two-headed bears to eat more and grow faster.

Each bear has its own enclosure, and the feeding schedule is strictly followed, once in the morning and once in the evening.

The wheat balls, mixed with stewed animal bone broth, were poured into the feeding trough. Their rich aroma became the first signal for the bears to swallow and react. The training was clearly effective, especially for the bear cubs, who were almost natural predators.

"The whistle test success rate is over 70%." Animal trainer Egger said, his voice brimming with barely concealed excitement as he flipped through his stained notebook.
"Seventeen animals ran towards the feeding trough upon hearing the whistle, and three of them were able to arrive within three breaths, showing remarkable speed."

“Scent guidance?” Louis asked slowly.

"The results are quite good, especially for the thick bone broth that's been simmering." Aiger nodded. "We've started to intensify the training of conditioned reflexes to ensure that they automatically approach the smell without needing any further prompting."

He pointed to the view at the bottom of the valley. There, several animal trainers were managing the enclosures.

The cubs were grouped together in a small enclosure on one side for training, while the adult bears were placed in the outer circle.

Move along a prescribed path to help them adapt to a fixed walking pattern.

A row of crudely made record boards hangs in front of the column—food intake, reaction time, mood markers...

There are even a few brief personality notes.

"Number fourteen, cub, eating actively, but underweight, increase feeding."

"Number 37, adult male bear, eating too much food, needs to be restricted to prevent obesity."

Thick fog spread through the valley again, like a slowly drifting curtain.

Suddenly a deep roar rang out.

It wasn't a warning, but rather a lazy, habitual voice mixed with a simple, instinctive hunger.

Louis stopped and looked at a bear cub not far away.

The bear cub was lying on an icy stone block, lazily licking a frozen animal bone, its two heads occasionally shifting angles as it chewed, making a crunching sound.

Hearing footsteps, it raised its head and slowly approached the fence.

Two pairs of eyes looked at Louis, their gazes carrying an instinctive olfactory response and a hint of numb longing.

Louis remained silent, took a small piece of cold meat from the trainer, weighed it between his fingers, and then casually tossed it into the pen.

The bear cub almost instinctively lowered its head, turned around, and retreated to the stone block, where it focused intently on munching.

The two heads seemed used to vying for dominance, occasionally twisting slightly, but quickly falling silent again.

Louis gazed at the bear cub and slowly said, "There's no need to tame them too well... As long as they eat quickly, grow fat, and reproduce a lot, that's enough."

After inspecting the overall condition of the breeding farm, Louis was in a surprisingly good mood.

As he walked along, he saw that the bear cubs in the enclosure were all very alert and had a strong appetite.

The training results were faster than expected, especially the way those few animals were fighting for food, which made people feel that they were indeed raised in a very good manner.

He turned his gaze to the other side, his eyes landing on an adult two-headed bear.

The creature was burly, with thick, glossy hair. It swayed its two heads back and forth, its eyes were sharp, and its nostrils were slightly flared, as if it were constantly sniffing out scents. It exuded an untamed ferocity.

Louis glanced at it, a slight smile suddenly appearing on his lips. He casually said, "Aig, how about we slaughter one and see how it tastes?"

Aiger was taken aback, but also very excited; he had never tasted monster meat before. "Yes, sir. But... which one should I choose?"

“This one.” He pointed with his hand, his voice calm but undeniable. “It’s too restless and doesn’t cooperate with taming, so it’s not very useful.”

The chef team arrived quickly, led by the territory's head chef, "Hard," who was wrapped in a thick cloak and whose eyes shone with excitement.

Several large pots, a portable charcoal stove, and a complete set of cutting boards and knives were quickly set up, as if they were going to war.

The process of dismembering and cutting was assisted by several experienced knights, and the giant bear was quickly and neatly processed.

Some of the meat chunks were directly added to the large pot to make soup, along with the bone marrow and thick bones, causing the broth to foam up.

The other part is cut into large pieces, sprinkled with salt and hay seeds, and grilled directly over charcoal.

Smoke and mist mingled, the aroma was so strong it was almost sticky, and the valley was instantly filled with a primal, wild allure.

Several bears in the enclosure smelled the aroma and poked their heads out at the same time, peering at the commotion outside, probably thinking they were being cooked.

In the center of the misty valley, a temporary long table was quickly set up, with sturdy logs forming the dining platform and thick animal hides laid out as mats.

The cold earth and the rising smoke from the chimneys create a stark contrast.

Louis sat at the head of the table, draped in a thick cloak, holding a cup of hot soup in his hand.

Beside him were knights such as Lambert and Wel. Also present were head chef Halder, Egger, and several key breeders.

The roasted bear ribs were quickly served, sizzling with fat, crispy on the outside and pinkish on the inside.

On the other side of the soup pot, snow bud roots, salt, and bone marrow simmered until thick were added, creating an irresistible aroma that even the air seemed to carry a sticky, savory flavor.

Will's eyes widened as he imagined what a two-headed bear looked like: "Is...is this really delicious?"

Louis slowly picked up a piece of rib, examined it carefully, and then decisively took a bite.

He chewed a few times, his brow furrowing slightly, as if he were savoring the taste.

“…Hmm.” He nodded slowly. “The meat is firm, with a slightly wild, gamey smell, but it’s definitely much more tender than ordinary livestock. The fat isn’t greasy, and the muscle fibers are very defined…”

Meanwhile, Will, who had just been complaining, was now wolfing down his food, eating very quickly.

But soon he collapsed onto the mat, rubbing his stomach, and sighed contentedly, "So delicious..."

Lambert picked up the soup bowl, drank it down in one gulp, closed his eyes, and whispered, "I can feel a trace of battle qi flowing within me. Although it's not strong, it has definitely improved my skills a bit."

“Hmm.” Louis nodded. “If this subtle effect were mass-produced, it would be enough to support the supplies of low-ranking knights. It’s very valuable.”

Aiger and Halder, who had no knightly blood, exchanged a glance and each took a bite.

Aiger smacked his lips: "The taste is really good... but there's nothing particularly special about it."

We ate for over an hour, and eventually ran out of things to talk about.

While gnawing on a roasted rib, Aiger opened his small notebook and mumbled, "Sir, let me give you a report on the livestock situation."

He wiped his mouth and cleared his throat: "Currently, the livestock in the Red Tide Territory are mainly cattle, sheep, and reindeer introduced from the far north. These cold-resistant creatures are adapting faster than expected."

However, the quantity is still not ideal. Although the scale has expanded considerably, it is still far from enough to fully support the consumption of the entire territory.

He changed his tone, adding with a touch of pride: "However, the current stock is enough to sustain a population of around 1,000. The latest batch of calves and lambs was born, and the number should double in six months."

Louis nodded as he sipped his hot soup, his expression showing approval.

After finishing the last sip, he looked at Egger: "You've done a great job, the progress is better than expected."

But that's not enough. Livestock is the foundation of our territory; we must establish a robust supply chain. I will purchase another batch of livestock, focusing on adult females, and strive to scale up the operation within two years.”

Aiger's eyes lit up, and he nodded repeatedly: "Your Excellency is wise! As long as we add another batch of breeding stock, the livestock industry will soon be established, and the grain and meat supply in Red Tide Territory will definitely be greatly improved."

The livestock industry in Chichao Territory, like the new green shoots quietly emerging on this icy land, is steadily growing.

(End of this chapter)