Chapter 373: Capturing Chocobo

Since it's just a chick, this should be easier. With Hiddleston's "Rock Wall" magic, they could completely block its path and trap it like a fish in a barrel.

But Liszt didn’t choose to do so.

He looked at the chocobo, which still lingered and was unwilling to leave. Suddenly, he felt that this bird must have some desire: "It appeared due to the presence of the barley worm. This means it feeds on spirit bugs? That's a bit hard to believe. Although spirit bugs are not as valuable as low-grade dragon beasts, raising them is terrifying."

Feeding on spirit bugs would be extravagant even for raising a dragon, let alone a low-grade dragon beast.

Given the rare production of spirit bugs, it was truly incredible that the chocobo had grown to such a size. He inferred that the chocobo was only interested in the spirit bugs.

"Maybe I can use something else to lure it?" Thinking this, he had someone bring over some dried meat and throw it towards the chocobo.

The chocobo was startled by the dried meat and hid in the bushes, but soon came out again, cautiously approaching the dried meat and pecking at it without eating.

"Doesn't eat meat?"

Liszt then had bread and fruit thrown over. The chocobo ate a little but showed little interest, still staring longingly at the spirit bug in the squire knight's hands.

"My lord, this strange bird probably wants to eat the barley worm," Marcus said directly, "We should just kill it. Keeping it around is a waste of the spirit bugs."

"Not in a hurry. Let me try again." Liszt rejected the suggestion.

He didn’t think that the chocobo, a reward from the smoke mission, was meant to wipe out the abundant spirit bugs on his land. After some thought, he decided to test if jade would work. Maybe this low-grade dragon beast also liked to eat jade. He threw a piece of jade near the chocobo's feet.

The chocobo pecked at it but remained indifferent.

Dried meat didn’t work, nor did bread and fruit, and jade didn’t work either. Liszt frowned: "Could this bird really want a spirit bug?"

"My lord, kill it!" Marcus suggested again.

Hiddleston also barked, getting a little impatient.

But Liszt still chose to try luring it. After all, it was his reward and had to be treated "gently." However, half an hour later, with a wide array of items laid out in front of the chocobo, none had successfully lured it. At this point, he could no longer remain gentle.

With a cold face, he directly gave the order: "Hiddleston, rock wall!"

With a loud thud!

Hiddleston charged forward, unleashing its magic. A ten-meter-long rock wall accurately covered the area behind the chocobo.

"Squawk!"

The chocobo screeched and bolted, its movements light and agile. It jumped over the rock wall from the left side. But before it could escape, Hiddleston released another rock wall. This mid-grade magical beast, trained by Liszt, had greatly increased in intelligence and knew how to use magic to assist in hunting.

However,

Everyone underestimated the speed and agility of the chocobo. This low-grade dragon beast, resembling a long-necked rooster, could leap high like a flea. Whenever its path was blocked by a rock wall, it jumped over it. Back and forth, they couldn’t even lay a hand on it.

The knight squad had already circled around the bushes, trying to corner it, but they couldn’t block it. Even when Liszt ordered them to shoot it with arrows, they still couldn’t hit it.

After a busy and sweaty effort, the chocobo was still bouncing around unscathed.

"My lord, this bird isn't right. It's not an ordinary beast," Marcus said with a dark face after missing several arrow shots.

Liszt waved his hand, no longer wasting effort. The plan to corner the chocobo failed: "It really is extraordinary. Since we can't block it, everyone stop."

Fortunately, this chocobo seemed to be playing with them. It could have escaped but chose not to, playing hide-and-seek instead. It was clear that the barley worm had a strong attraction for it; otherwise, it wouldn't have risked staying.

The knights stopped, and Hiddleston flopped onto the ground, panting heavily, having chased it the most. Yet, despite casting rock wall after rock wall, they couldn’t catch the chocobo.

He could only awkwardly but still maintaining his dignity, stick out his tongue, pretending the hot weather was affecting his performance.

As they stopped, the chocobo also stopped, jumping onto a rock wall, staring intently at Liszt and the others, as well as the jade box in their hands that contained the barley worm.

Their best bet was to use the barley worm as bait to lure the chocobo into the trap.

But Liszt was reluctant. Considering the chocobo's speed and agility, if it ate the bait and still got away, that would be embarrassing. Moreover, it was hard for him to judge whether it was worth losing a barley worm for a low-level dragon beast with an unclear nature and purpose.

Suddenly, a flash of inspiration struck him, and he came up with a new plan.

He asked Marcus to find some rope and make several hunter's snares, casually throwing them on the ground. He then picked up the jade box, opened the lid, and shook it in his hand to attract the chocobo's attention. The yellowish barley worm immediately caught the chocobo's attention, causing it to cry out "kada", "kada".

Liszt quickly snapped the lid shut.

He then turned around, placed the barley worm in another jade box, and discreetly handed it to Marcus.

He then turned around again, holding the empty jade box, and placed it in the central area of the snare trap. Slowly stepping back to a position ten meters away, Liszt and Marcus each held a rope, waiting quietly.

"Kada!"

The chocobo obviously didn't understand what the ropes on the ground were. Its intelligence hadn't evolved to that level yet.

So, after pacing back and forth anxiously, unable to resist the temptation of the barley worm any longer, it tentatively approached the jade box, only to retreat halfway. After a few attempts, it finally couldn't hold back and rushed towards the jade box.

As it stepped into the trap.

Liszt yelled, "Pull!"

Several Earth Knights pulled on the ropes they held. Most of the snares missed, but Griffin's rope successfully looped around the chocobo's claw, tightening instantly. The sudden change startled the chocobo, and it frantically turned to escape, only to be yanked back heavily and fell to the ground with a thud.

At that moment, Hiddleston, like a black brick, fiercely pounced on the chocobo, pressing it firmly to the ground just as it was about to get up.

"Hiddleston, no biting!" Liszt ordered hurriedly.

He didn't want his hard-earned reward to be bitten to death. Hiddleston instinctively obeyed the command, not biting but pressing down on the struggling chocobo, its massive form rendering the bird immobile.

The knights then rushed over, tying up its head, feet, and wings, securing the chocobo tightly.

The low-level dragon beast was successfully captured.

"Pretty plump!" Charles Trapp remarked as he tied the knots, rubbing the chocobo's belly. "Sir, this bird will keep us fed for days!"

Liszt, however, stroked the chocobo's dinosaur-like head, clearly pleased with the hunt. "We’re not eating it. I’m going to tame it and make it my mount!"