Chapter 319 – The Missing Wind Thunder Eagle

Punk didn’t agree with Ben Lajie’s viewpoint in the slightest.

After carefully observing the numerous spires constructed using the simple “Mud to Stone” spell, Punk estimated that Monbay Windbeak must have hired external spellcasters to build them back in the day. After all, the eagle himself didn’t appear to know any spells, and it was highly unlikely for a spellcaster to emerge from the Stormwind Eagle tribe where most members lacked intelligence.

Structurally, these spires were well-suited for large birds to perch on. Thus, Punk expressionlessly mocked Ben Lajie with facts:

“Don’t question its practicality with your ‘nouveau riche art.’ Those pillars are clearly meant for larger Stormwind Eagles to inhabit. This spire-like structure facilitates their takeoffs and landings!”

“That’s not nouveau riche art—it’s the embodiment of splendor and chromatic richness! It’s… uh…!”

Ben Lajie’s retort came out as a mumble, suggesting he was aware his “art” was indeed somewhat tacky and utterly impractical. In the end, having no counter to Punk’s mockery, he could only stride briskly toward the depths of the Stormwind Eagle Nest:

“Whatever, someone like you would never understand art. Let’s hurry inside and investigate. Finding clues is what matters most right now, isn’t it?”

For the remainder of the journey, neither Punk nor Ben Lajie continued their conversation. As they delved deeper into Monbay Windbeak’s nest, both grew increasingly vigilant. After all, Monbay Windbeak was a powerful magical creature who had long been a Master-Level entity. No one knew whether it had set up defensive measures in its lair, or if such measures—assuming they existed—would remain active after the eagle’s demise.

The Stormwind Eagle Nest was located in the deepest part of the mountain, where an enormous cave capable of housing an entire mountain had been forcibly excavated underground. The cave, with its barely noticeable curvature, had not only hollowed out the entire peak but also extended over a kilometer underground. Without seeing Monbay Windbeak’s mountain-sized frame, it would be hard to believe such a massive “cave” served as the dwelling for a single Stormwind Eagle.

The ceiling of the cave was entirely adorned with gleaming green jade. Monbay Windbeak had deliberately embedded these beautiful, rare minerals into the cavern’s roof, making them sparkle like dark green stardust in the darkness.

However, judging by the numerous scratches and fissures throughout the cave, even this vast cavern was somewhat cramped for a creature of Monbay Windbeak’s size to rest in. The thick layers of wormwood covering the floor, along with scattered Gold Coins, had been compressed into thin sheets, and beautiful diamonds were squeezed deep into the stone walls.

Monbay Windbeak’s sleeping area yielded no clues. After a thorough inspection, Punk flew toward the cave’s ceiling. Indeed, beyond a large opening above, there was a smaller cavern—this was where the ordinary Stormwind Eagles resided.

Although these eagles lived in the cave, they generally lacked intelligence and were merely ferocious magical beasts. Their usual activities in the cave consisted of sleeping and excreting. Thus, when Punk and Ben Lajie entered this smaller cavern, they were greeted by the foul stench of fermented dung.”Oh heavens, this place reeks terribly and is utterly disgusting. I think we should just go back to dissecting corpses instead. I don’t even want any clues from here anymore.”

Ben Lajie exclaimed with disgust the moment he stepped into the dung-clogged cave entrance. The portly old man immediately cast the Apprentice-Level spell “Air Filtration” at top speed and began his incessant complaining:

“I’ve long advised Monbay to find another place to live. Even if he’s too large for a proper castle, he should at least sleep in a different cave. But that fellow actually claimed he could feel a sense of home here. Good heavens! Does he actually consider these freely defecating livestock as family? How can he possibly stand the stench?”

Ben Lajie stood on a small patch of hardened dung while searching for new footing. Even with the air filtration spell, the visual impact of multicolored dung piles forming small mountains remained overwhelmingly potent. Had it not been for the need to preserve the scene for investigation, Ben Lajie would undoubtedly have torched the entire cave without hesitation.

“You find this place dirty and smelly because you’re a human accustomed to human cities. But you must understand that before awakening his intelligence, Monbay Windbeak was a storm eagle no different from those flying birds outside. This is where he grew up, and what you dismiss as worthless ‘livestock’ might be cherished clan members in Monbay’s eyes.”

Punk glanced at Ben Lajie and spoke unhurriedly:

“Don’t apply human conventional thinking to understand magical beasts’ psychology. Their aesthetics fundamentally differ from yours and mine. At the very least, I’ve rarely heard of magical beasts preferring human forms or human females, even though the ‘Greater Polymorph’ spell isn’t particularly complex.”

What Punk said might contradict many knightly tales, but this actually reflected the truth. At least in Vedrasha and Punk’s extensive life experiences—including those of his adoptive parents—they had never encountered magical beasts fond of human culture. Most magical beasts would absolutely avoid transforming into other species’ forms unless absolutely necessary. This wasn’t about intelligence but rather an inherent cultural difference.

Therefore, Punk found nothing strange about Master-Level powerhouse Monbay Windbeak carving out living spaces for his clan above his own cave while allowing other storm eagles to defecate freely. Storm eagles were inherently highly social creatures, and aside from collecting protection fees, Monbay Windbeak had almost no contact with human cities. His preference for living among his clan members was perfectly logical.

However, after entering this cave, Punk did notice something peculiar. What struck him as odd wasn’t the storm eagles’ living habits, but the Windbeak Clan community itself, or rather:

“…Where have all the storm eagles gone?”

Punk looked seriously at Ben Lajie.

“If I recall correctly, you mentioned Monbay Windbeak leads a sizable storm eagle community. Now… where have all the other storm eagles disappeared to? We’ve reached the deepest part of their nest without encountering a single storm eagle. Even if they went hunting collectively, they wouldn’t have taken all their fledglings along, would they?”

“Hiss… This is indeed very abnormal!”Ben Lajie’s expression had also lost its frivolous complaints about the stench. He began to imitate Punk’s cautious and meticulous approach, carefully sensing the filthy Wind-Thunder Eagle cave. However, his conclusion was no different from Punk’s:

“Nothing, not a single one. There are no secret passages or hidden spots. Logically, this should be the peak breeding season for Wind-Thunder Eagles—the place should be filled with their eggs! And those numerous, mindless, frenzied Wind-Thunder Eagles couldn’t have silently migrated away from the Hoth Mountains. But… these Wind-Thunder Eagles have truly vanished without a trace.”

With an increasingly grim expression, Ben Lajie even used Mage Hand to sift through piles of droppings one by one. Yet… the entire cave held no secret passages or hidden mechanisms. The once overcrowded Wind-Thunder Eagle colony, which should have filled this cavern… had simply… disappeared!

Join the group quickly! 548859662

(End of Chapter)