The Egg-Laying Leopard

"Hudson, what's wrong? You seem a bit off today."

Melissa asked with concern.

Since becoming pregnant, she has become a key protected individual. While not exactly with her 24/7, Hudson spends at least a third of his time with her.

As they spent more time together, their understanding of each other deepened. Hudson's changes naturally didn't escape her notice, his wife.

"It's nothing, just that a lot has been happening lately. But it's mostly the outside commotion that's affecting us!"

After a moment's hesitation, Hudson continued, "Many people used bonds to offset the autumn tax levied by the Kingdom on the front lines."

It is said that the amount of taxes paid in war bonds was three times that in cash. In addition to maintaining the kingdom's daily operations, a large portion of these taxes was used to pay the interest on the bonds.

Now that this has happened, the kingdom's budget for next year is likely to be tight.

Just today, I received an invitation to the Crown Prince's wedding. These two things have coincidentally come together; something big is about to happen!

After hearing the explanation, Melissa said thoughtfully, "Hudson, I understand. The large-scale use of war bonds to offset taxes is clearly a deliberate act by the country's powerful nobles."

What you're worried about now isn't the upcoming political turmoil; it's that a group of powerful nobles in the kingdom are secretly plotting something without sending anyone to inform you!

This is indeed a very troublesome matter. However, I once heard my father say that every great noble family that rises to power will be suppressed by vested interest groups, and only by withstanding this test can they truly gain a foothold.

Hudson, your path has been far too smooth. In just five or six years, you've risen from a lowly knight to your current position.

Normally, people don't allow anyone to be different. It's a miracle that you've climbed so fast without being suppressed by a group of powerful nobles.

Perhaps this is related to your interpersonal skills. You've already built up enough goodwill that people feel awkward about doing you a favor. Plus, the existence of the Warcraft incubation base has established shared interests with everyone.

This might get you to join the gaming community, but it doesn't mean you're one of them. To gain their approval, you need to openly and explicitly take sides.

There's no doubt you don't want to be on this side right now.

His Majesty the King's methods are too ruthless, and the alliance of nobles, each with their own agendas, may not be able to win in this power struggle.

The problem is that the King is powerful, while the Crown Prince is quite ordinary. The Royal Authority may hold the upper hand now, but in the coming decades, the situation will most likely reverse.

If you don't join the noble faction now, you're afraid of being marginalized when the situation changes in the future.

This political marginalization will directly impact the subsequent struggle Coslo Family and Dalton Family for dominance in the Southeast Province.

Melissa's words startled Hudson. When did his wife become so formidable? Had he encountered a figure like Empress Wu Zetian?

Why are you looking at me like that?

Isn't this obvious? Am I wrong in my analysis?

Similar cases are recorded in the family annals. Although the protagonist's rise to power wasn't as fast as yours, it wasn't much slower.

After his rise to power, he was suppressed by a group of powerful nobles and eventually died in resentment and depression.

An ancestor provided detailed annotations and solutions after the story.

The specific steps are basically the same as what you're doing now: make many friends, build relationships, get people to share common interests, and eventually integrate into the circle.

It would have been better not to explain; explaining only made Hudson more distressed. He had thought his actions were brilliant, but it turned out someone else had already anticipated this.

If Melissa can see it, then other members of the Hollisir Family could also see it.

The most valuable thing about a noble family is its long-standing heritage; among countless predecessors and ancestors, all sorts of extraordinary individuals may emerge.

It's possible that other families also had remarkable ancestors who made similar deductions. There might even be real-life examples of similar patterns in the past.

In an instant, Hudson realized that Aslant was far too difficult to navigate. Trying to outsmart these ancient noble families was simply too difficult.

The pitfalls we all learned from our predecessors have already covered. As long as we learn from their mistakes, we won't fare too badly.

This reflection didn't last long; Hudson quickly returned to normal. The only lesson humanity learns from history is that it never learns anything.

Those who can learn from this are truly exceptional individuals. Most people are just ordinary people, no matter how high their status; at their core, they are still ordinary.

If all powerful nobles were that powerful, the Aslant Continent would have been unified by humanity long ago, and the human race would not have split.

If someone has actually read a similar script, it might actually be a good thing for Hudson.

No matter how old the formula, the story can always be new. Relying on past experiences will only lead to humiliation.

"Thank you, Melissa. Your words today have been very helpful to me."

You're right, when you don't know what to do, it's best not to do anything!

Melissa was completely bewildered by Hudson's words. Her mind was racing. "Did I just say that?"

Early in the morning, the bright sunshine bathed the earth, and Hudson headed to the Warcraft Hatchery with great enthusiasm.

Today is a good day. The pregnant monster has started to give birth, and although the eggs are the result, it doesn't dampen anyone's spirits at all.

Looking at the three mutated, large Griffon Egg inside the nest, Hudson completely understood the feelings of the mother griffin lying dead on the ground.

Despite her limited intelligence, she still possessed memories as a magical beast. As a griffin with experience in reproduction, she recognized her own eggs.

Compared to the previous clutch of a dozen or so eggs, look at the three extra-large eggs that have changed color that have been laid now, what is this thing?

If the Griffin King saw this, he would definitely not let her off the hook. She might even be expelled from the flock, embarking on a solitary journey of no return!

"These three eggs are all of very good quality. The hatchlings will be at least third-tier magical beasts, and if you're lucky, they might even reach fourth, fifth, or sixth tiers."

It must be admitted that the Dragon Race bloodline is indeed powerful. You must know that the female griffin on the ground is only a second-tier magical beast. Just one mating has greatly increased the potential of her offspring.

The only question is what the offspring will look like. The probability of mutation in these hybrids is extremely high; even from the same litter, it's possible for three different magical beasts to emerge!

The old magician's lament left Hudson speechless. If you're going to say something, at least be detailed. Leaving things unsaid makes you an easy target for ambush when walking alone at night.

However, he seemed to have seen the old man's portrait once before, at the Royal Capital Library.

As one of the few Great Sorcerer openly recognized in the Alpha Kingdom, he is just one step away from the legendary Holy Domain.

Alright, let's let this old rascal go for now. In the Mountain Territory, the only ones capable of ambushing this old guy are Hudson's dragon and bear.

If this guy were to get ambushed in his territory, the word "murderer" would practically be written all over Hudson's forehead. And when his followers and their accomplices came knocking, things would get complicated.

"Respected Mage Robert, we all know that different kinds of magical beasts are prone to mutation when they reproduce. How can we make them maintain the same form and become the same species?"

Hudson asked with concern.

Everyone's going to such lengths, not to enrich the Warcraft population. The diverse array of Beastplate mounts is simply not suitable for building a legion.

The cost and effort required to create a single population purely by chance and luck is simply too enormous, far exceeding everyone's ability to bear it.

Fortunately, magic still exists in this world, and it is entirely feasible to use extraordinary power to influence the direction of species mutation.

"This is simple. Just soak these three eggs in a special potion for the same amount of time, and the magical beasts that hatch will be of the same species."

The same procedure can be followed for any subsequent eggs of this type. As long as the soaking time is the same, the hatched monsters will be of the same species.

However, everything has two sides. Changing the mutation direction of the monster cubs by using magic potions will also greatly weaken the cubs' growth potential.

Naturally mutated dragon-like magical beasts have at least a one-in-three chance of giving birth to magical beasts of the fourth rank or higher, but under the intervention of magical potions, all the cubs are only third-rank magical beasts.

Furthermore, the artificial nurturing process weakens the original wildness of the magical beasts, making their chances of breaking through bloodline limitations in the future extremely low.

Robert emphasized his words.

It's clear he supports letting the cubs mutate freely, but unfortunately, in such matters, his word doesn't count.

Looking at the Warcraft legions under the command of the major forces on the mainland, you can see that the level of the Warcraft they are equipped with is generally not high, which shows the choices they have made.

If given a choice, everyone would want their Magical Beast Mount to be more powerful, but unfortunately, monsters of the fourth tier and above have developed a certain level of intelligence.

Trying to use potions to accelerate growth is tantamount to provoking a rebellion among the monsters. Such potions, which damage potential and lifespan, are no less potent than poison in the eyes of monsters.

There are potions that can accelerate the growth of magical beasts without side effects. However, the raw materials required are almost extinct on the continent, and the manufacturing process is incredibly complicated, making mass production impossible.

"Since Mage Robert has proposed a different incubation plan, I think it would be better to change the previous plan for distributing cubs and instead directly distribute monster eggs."

The specific method of incubation should be decided by each party to avoid further disputes.

However, the mother animal must unconditionally cooperate with the incubation process until it is complete; only then will the previous agreement be fulfilled!

"That's what Viscount Racquel said calmly."

As a representative of the Moxi Duchy, Rackel is a typical example of how war changed his destiny. After a major battle, he was successfully promoted to the heir to the title.

This once again proves that the winner is not necessarily the most powerful, but definitely the one who survives to the end.

Because of his excellent cooperation with Hudson, this crucial task fell directly on his shoulders.

The reason for making this suggestion now is not that the Moxi Duchy wants to cause trouble, but rather that it does not want to cause any further setbacks to the Beast Legion's plan.

The moment the words were spoken, the scene erupted in excitement. Representatives from various factions immediately began discussing the matter.

There are supporters and opponents. But overall, the number of supporters is greater.

Regardless of the distribution method, as long as the previously agreed proportions remain unchanged, everyone's core interests will not be affected.

It's always better to decide your own destiny than to let others decide it. Those who can come here are all the chosen ones of various powerful forces, and they inevitably have an air of arrogance about themselves.

Seeing the eager expressions on everyone's faces, Hudson knew that some people had been fooled by that old man Robert.

Allowing the beast eggs to hatch naturally without using magical potions seems to open up endless possibilities, but it also brings endless risks.

If the goal is simply to improve a nobleman's mount, then Sub-Dragon Beast with greater potential is naturally better. However, if the aim is to build a monster army, then it's best to abandon such thoughts as soon as possible!

It's estimated that these high-quality Sub-Dragon Beast haven't even had time to grow up, while other people's monster legions have already formed combat power.

Knowing this, Hudson still made no move to offer any warnings. He guessed that many of the nobles present shared a similar thought: to fool as many as they could.

If you manage to kill some fool, you just eliminate a potential competitor. Competition among nobles has always been this straightforward and unpretentious.

Since they got off to a good start, the pregnant female animals have been giving birth one after another in the days that followed.

The only problem is that the production has decreased significantly compared to before. Even a high-producing magical beast like a griffin can only lay a maximum of four eggs per litter, and if you're unlucky, you might only lay one egg.

"What? The Black Mountain Leopard laid eggs?"

Hudson asked in surprise.

It's not that he's making a fuss over nothing. Black Mountain Leopard are mammals, and they always reproduce by giving birth to cubs. This time, they actually laid eggs!

Laying eggs isn't a big deal; Giant Dragon hatch from eggs. Given that Giant Dragon genes dominate, changing reproductive attributes is understandable.

The question is, as a mammal, would Black Mountain Leopard incubate its eggs?

The female leopard won't incubate the eggs, Maxim's lousy dragon is even less likely to. If neither parent can incubate the eggs, are they expecting some unlucky bird to take them in?

Or perhaps we could resort to ruthless magical technology and artificially incubate the leopard's eggs?

This is certainly not an isolated case. In the subsequent breeding process, many more mammalian magical beasts will lay eggs.

Fortunately, I had a group of partners with me; otherwise, I would have been completely dumbfounded in this special situation.

"Yes, Your Excellency. The Black Mountain Leopard's eggs have just hatched, and they've already attracted the attention of a group of mages. They're currently studying the two eggs!"

Tom said excitedly.

Clearly, those two special eggs also held considerable appeal for him.