In the afternoon, Relo led his knights to "pay a visit" to the irascible mother on the southern bank of the Blackwater River.
The afternoon sun was somewhat lazy, but the air around Blackstone Town carried a hint of tension.
Old Buck's organized rat-catching operation was proceeding methodically. Pit holes and simple traps could be seen everywhere around the town's periphery.
The air was filled with a faint earthy smell and the scent of a specially made rat-repelling herb.
Every high-level magical beast was a precious asset and a powerful ally to any lord.
The iron-armored rhino was a third-order magical beast, its combat strength comparable to that of a third-order Earth Knight.
Though pegasi were desirable, their whereabouts were erratic, and capturing them was extremely difficult. Relo had arranged for two knights to patrol the forest edge in shifts, hoping to catch them by chance.
Although the iron-armored rhino had a fiery temper, its formidable defense and charging power made it an ideal mobile fortress on the battlefield if raised from a young age.
Half an hour later, the group, lightly equipped, departed from Blackstone Town, heading south.
The Blackwater River wasn't particularly wide, winding and snaking its way south of the Blackstone Mountains, forming a fertile riverbank rich in vegetation.
The terrain on the southern bank gradually rose, and the vegetation became denser, mostly low shrubs and drought-resistant grasses, with a few twisted black iron trees stubbornly growing here and there.
The air carried a faint, pungent odor, characteristic of areas where large magical beasts roamed.
Ed, with his rich experience, took the lead, frequently stopping to observe the traces on the ground and the surroundings.
"My lord, look here," Ed said, crouching down and pointing to a series of enormous hoof prints on the ground.
The prints were deeply embedded in the soil, with clear edges, obviously left not long ago.
"It's an iron-armored rhino," Bolin chimed in, peering over and his expression grave. "Judging from the freshness of the traces, it should be nearby."
Relo nodded, signaling them to continue forward while heightening his own perception to the utmost.
After breaking through to become a full-fledged knight, his five senses and spiritual power had significantly enhanced. Every rustle in the wind, even the subtlest elemental fluctuations, couldn't escape his detection.
They advanced several hundred meters more, passing through a dense thicket, and the vista before them suddenly opened up.
It was a relatively flat river valley, with some enormous boulders scattered near the riverbank.
In the center of the valley, a colossal creature lay resting.
Its body was like a moving hill, covered in thick, rough, black metallic-like carapace, reflecting a dull, somber light under the sunlight.
Its enormous head bore a massive, sharp-tipped horn that glinted menacingly above its nose.
Its limbs were thick and powerful, like four colossal pillars supporting its heavy frame.
It was indeed the third-order magical beast, the iron-armored rhino!
At that moment, the beast seemed to be dozing, its heavy breathing resembling the sound of a bellows, each breath carrying a wave of heat that made the surrounding grass sway slightly.
Underneath its belly, two smaller rhinos, also covered in black carapace but still somewhat tender and grayish-black in color, frolicked beside their mother.
Their horns were just beginning to take shape, giving them a somewhat endearing appearance.
Relo's gaze shifted back and forth between the iron-armored rhino and its two cubs, his heartbeat quickening slightly.
After observing for a while, Relo noticed that although the mother rhino seemed to be dozing, her ears frequently turned, clearly maintaining a high level of alertness.
Any slight disturbance might alarm her.
Just then, an unwary second-order magical beast, a demonic hyena, slyly poked its head out from the nearby thicket, its eyes fixed on the two frolicking young rhinos, drooling.
It had just emerged from the thicket and hadn't had time to survey its surroundings when the originally lying iron-armored rhino suddenly opened its eyes!
They were blood-red, filled with brutality and madness!
"Mooo—!"
A thunderous roar erupted, shaking the entire valley.
The iron-armored rhino's colossal body instantly rose from its prone position to stand, almost without any delay.
It locked its gaze on the unfortunate demonic hyena, its four hooves furiously digging into the ground, leaving several deep pits.
The next moment, it moved!
Like a runaway heavy siege hammer, it charged toward the demonic hyena with unmatched momentum!
Its speed was astonishing!
Completely out of proportion to its enormous size!
Its heavy body thundered across the ground, causing the earth to tremble slightly.
From the moment it started to the moment it approached its target, it was almost the blink of an eye!
The second-order demonic hyena didn't have time to react before it was directly hit by the charging iron-armored rhino!
"Splat!"
A dull thud echoed as the demonic hyena, like a fragile rag doll, was instantly smashed to pieces, its flesh and blood splattering everywhere, not even managing to let out a scream.
The iron-armored rhino didn't slow down, charging forward another several dozen meters, smashing several half-person-high boulders along the way before finally coming to a gradual halt. It shook the blood and bits of flesh from its head and let out another roar filled with intimidation, as if declaring its sovereignty.
Relo and the others, hiding behind the boulders, watched with their hearts pounding and cold sweats trickling down their backs.
"My goodness..."
Ed swallowed hard, his face somewhat pale. "That speed... it's comparable to a warhorse charging at full speed, no, even faster! And that impact..."
Bolin also looked horrified. "If we were hit head-on by that, even wearing full plate armor, we'd probably turn into a pile of mush."
Both senior knights were battle-hardened veterans, but facing the terrifying power displayed so vividly by a third-order magical beast, they couldn't help but feel a sense of powerlessness.
They were well aware that with their speed, they couldn't possibly dodge the iron-armored rhino's charge.
Yet, Relo's eyes grew brighter and brighter.
Fast!
Astonishingly fast!
But that speed seemed to be in a straight line.
Relo's mind raced.
The iron-armored rhino's charge was unparalleled in power and speed, but in the moment it smashed the demonic hyena and the boulders, it barely changed direction.
Such a charge, relying solely on its enormous weight and brute force, would inevitably lack agility in turning.
Moreover, it seemed easily provoked, especially when its cubs were involved.
"Its speed is indeed fast, but it's not unbeatable," Relo said softly.
Ed and Bolin looked at Relo with some surprise upon hearing this.
In their view, what they had just witnessed was almost a display of despair, yet their lord was saying it could be dealt with?
"My lord, what do you mean?"
Ed asked, unable to fathom any way to block or dodge such a charge in one go.
"We don't need to block it, nor do we need to dodge it," Relo replied.
"We'll make it run away on its own."