Chapter 154: Chapter 145: Double-Headed Bear

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White Rock Valley remained shrouded in thick fog, the quietly renovated training grounds at the valley floor stood silently.

Nebulizers were embedded in the crevices of the cliffs, releasing a layer of cold white mist every three days, making the entire valley seem like a tamed snow cage.

The animal pens were neatly completed, wooden structures entwined with water moss and lined with bark fragments, coarse and simple, but sufficient to simulate the atmosphere of the forest.

However, this wasn’t for comfort, but to ensure these double-headed bears could eat well and grow quickly.

Each bear had its own independent pen, with feeding cycles precise to the minute, twice a day, morning and evening.

Mash mixed with stewed beast bone soup was poured into feeding troughs, and that rich aroma had become their primary signal for swallowing and reacting.

The training results proved very effective, especially with the cubs, who were almost natural-born food hunters.

“The success rate of the whistle test is over seventy percent,” Beast Tamer Egger said, flipping through a stained ledger, his tone barely concealing his excitement,

“Seventeen rushed to the trough upon hearing the whistle, with three arriving within three breaths, a very prompt response.”

“How about scent guidance?” Louis asked slowly.

“The effects are also good, particularly with that thickly boiled bone soup,” Egger nodded, “We’ve started increasing the conditioning training, ensuring that once they smell it, they approach automatically, without needing extra guidance.”

He raised his hand to point at the scene in the valley. Over there, several beast tamers were managing pen allocations.

Young bears were gathered in small pens for training, while adult bears were placed in the outer circle.

They were made to move along designated paths to adapt to fixed walking patterns.

A row of rough recording boards hung in front of the pens—feeding amounts, reaction times, mood markers…

There were even brief personality notes for a few.

“Number fourteen, cub, eats actively but is thin, increase feeding.”

“Number thirty-seven, adult male bear, overeats, needs restriction to prevent excessive weight gain.”

The mist once again spread through the valley like a slowly drifting curtain.

Suddenly, a low growl was heard.

It wasn’t from alarm, but a lazy, inertia-laden voice mixed with a pure hunger instinct.

Louis stopped in his tracks, his gaze fixed on a nearby bear cub.

The cub was lying on a frozen stone block, lazily licking a frozen beast bone, its two heads swapping angles occasionally, crunching audibly.

Upon hearing footsteps, it raised its head and slowly approached the side of the pen.

Two pairs of eyes looked at Louis, their depths holding an instinctive sense of smell and a hint of numb longing.

Louis remained silent, taking a small piece of cold meat from the beast tamer’s hand, weighing it in his fingers, and casually tossing it into the pen.

The cub instinctively lowered its head to catch it, turned around and retreated to the stone block beside it, focused on gnawing.

The two heads seemed used to competition, occasionally twisting, but quickly quieting down.

Louis watched the cub, slowly speaking, “No need to tame them too well… as long as they eat fast, grow fat, and breed prolifically, that’s enough.”

Having inspected the overall situation of the training grounds, Louis’s mood was unexpectedly good.

As he walked, he saw the cubs in the pens responding swiftly and having a strong appetite.

The training results exceeded expectations, especially the way a few of them competed for food, making it seem like they were indeed well-raised.

His eyes turned to the other side, falling on an adult double-headed bear.

The creature was robust, with thick, glossy fur, its two heads swaying back and forth, eyes sharp, nostrils slightly flared, seemingly always scenting the air, exuding an untamed fierceness.

Louis glanced a couple of times, the corner of his mouth suddenly curling into a slight smile, casually saying, “Egger, slaughter one and see how it tastes?”

Egger was taken aback but was also very excited; after all, he hadn’t tasted demon beast meat yet: “As you command. But… which one?”

“This one,” he pointed lightly, his voice calm but indisputable, “this one is too restless, doesn’t cooperate with taming, not very useful.”

The chef team arrived quickly, led personally by the territory’s head chef “Helder”, wrapped in a thick cloak, eyebrows brimming with excitement.

A few large pots, portable charcoal stoves, a whole set of chopping boards and knives, set up a field kitchen as efficiently as waging a battle.

The process of skinning and cutting was assisted by several seasoned knights, and the giant bear was swiftly processed neatly.

Some meat chunks were directly put into the pot to make soup, the marrow and thick bones thrown together, the soup bubbling with fine foam.

Another portion was cut into chunks, sprinkled with frost salt and dried grass seeds, and grilled directly over the charcoal fire.

The cooking smoke intertwined with the mist, the aroma so thick it was sticky, permeating the valley with an original wild allure.

Several bears in the pen smelled the scent, their two heads poking out simultaneously, peeking at the commotion outside, almost as if they thought it was their meal being cooked.

In the valley center, a makeshift long table was quickly set up, formed by using stout logs, with thick beast skins as seats.

The cold ground contrasted sharply with the steaming cooking smoke.

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

Next to him were knights Lambert, Weir, and also the head chef Helder, Egger, and a few key breeders.

The grilled bear ribs were quickly brought to the table, sizzling with grease, crispy on the outside, retaining a hint of pinkness within the meat.

Meanwhile, the soup pot had snow root buds, frost salt, and marrow boiled to thickness added, the fragrance alluring, making even the air carry a touch of sticky freshness.

Weir widened his eyes, thinking of the double-headed bears’ appearance: “Is this… really delicious?”

Louis unhurriedly picked up a rib, examining it closely, then decisively took a bite.

Chewing a few times, his brow furrowed slightly, seemingly savoring carefully.

“…Hmm,” he nodded slowly, “The meat is firm with a hint of wild gamey taste, but definitely more delicate than ordinary livestock. The fat isn’t greasy, with a strong muscle fiber texture…”

Meanwhile, the previously skeptical Weir had already started devouring it quickly.

But it didn’t take long before he collapsed on the seat, rubbing his belly, and sighed contently: “Delicious…”

Lambert picked up a bowl of soup, drinking it in one go, closing his eyes for a moment, and muttered in a low voice: “You can feel a trace of Fighting Energy flowing, albeit faint, it does provide a bit of enhancement.”

“Indeed,” Louis nodded, “If this subtle effect can be mass-produced, it’s sufficient to support a low-tier knight’s supply. It’s very valuable.”

Without knight lineage, Egger and Helder exchanged glances, each trying a bite.

Egger smacked his lips, “The taste is indeed good… but I don’t feel anything special.”

After eating for over an hour, there really wasn’t much more to discuss.

Egger, while gnawing on a roasted rib, opened his portable notebook and said indistinctly, “Lord, it’s a good time to report on the livestock situation.”

Wiping his mouth, he cleared his throat: “Currently, the main livestock types in Red Tide Territory are cattle, sheep, and reindeer brought in from the far north, and these hardy animals have adapted faster than expected.

Still, the numbers aren’t ideal; although the scale has expanded significantly, it’s far from enough to fully support the entire territory’s consumption.”

Changing his tone, a hint of pride emerged: “But given the current stock, sustaining a supply for around a thousand people poses no issue. The latest batch of calves and lambs has just been born, doubling the number in half a year.”

Louis nodded while sipping hot soup, his expression quite approving.

Finishing the last sip, he looked at Egger: “You’re doing great, progress is ahead of expectations.”

But this isn’t enough. Livestock is the foundation of the territory; we must establish a stable supply chain. I’ll purchase another batch of livestock, focusing on adult females, aiming to scale up within two years.”

Egger’s eyes lit up, nodding continuously, “Brilliant, my Lord! With another batch of breeding stock, the livestock scale will soon take shape, greatly improving Red Tide Territory’s grain and meat supply.”

The livestock industry of Red Tide Territory, like new green budding quietly on this icy land, was steadily growing strong.

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