Chapter 754 Double Kill

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The phoenix eggs held most of Liszt's attention, but the towering tree cradling the nest still demanded his scrutiny.

"This is a spirit bug-infested plant!" he quickly realized.

Yet the spirit bug itself was missing. Liszt circled the tree but found no spirit bug with similar properties.

"Where did it go? It couldn’t have been eaten—the plant’s magic remains intact... This nest has been here awhile. Did the spirit bug flee from the Wyvern-Phoenix, too terrified to return?" The theory made sense.

He didn’t wander far. After scouting the area, he took cover by the fire-attribute spirit bug tree. "Acheronides, have you identified this tree’s species?"

"The books list nothing like it, brother." Acheronides picked a few leaves and shook her head.

Liszt examined some leaves as well.

They were five-pointed, their silhouette faintly maple-like, but their edges were softly rounded, unlike any maple. The tree stood thirty meters tall, its trunk arrow-straight, branches smooth and sinuous, bark polished—an elegant oddity. Liszt had never seen its like.

"Not a maple... A phoenix tree? No, phoenix trees don’t grow like this."

Phoenixes—or "undying birds"—were said in legend to roost in phoenix trees, burning to ash only to rise anew. But legends were just stories; the three eggs before him proved even a supreme dragon-like beast was still mortal.

Even a *Fire Dragon* needed Liszt’s aid and tremendous effort to rebirth. How could a mere Wyvern-Phoenix hybrid achieve immortality so easily?

Besides, the Phoenix Feather brought by envoys from the Steel Ridge Kingdom suggested these hybrids weren’t rare—they surely dwelled in both the Eagle and Steel Ridge Kingdoms.

With the tree’s origins unclear, Liszt let Acheronides continue studying it while he scouted the area, awaiting the Wyvern-Phoenix’s return and planning his approach. Dragon Knights were powerful, but he couldn’t predict the hybrid’s speed—if too swift, capturing it would prove tricky.

He waited until dusk.

Liszt wasn’t concerned. Birds always come back to their nests.

True enough, as night draped the flaming mountain’s forest, silence settled, broken only by distant animal calls. Then, through his Magic Eye’s sight, a blaze of crimson magic streaked across the distance.

The energy vividly outlined a great bird’s form.

"Acheronides, heads up—the phoenix returns!" Liszt unsheathed the *Frostbite Dragon Slayer* and slipped into a battle-ready stance, masking his presence.

Acheronides hid nearby, poised to channel the Magic Web. "Brother, my Water Ring Sever is ready."

"On my mark."

The plan was straightforward: Acheronides would cast Water Ring Sever to bind the phoenix while Liszt lunged to shatter its wings. Then they’d evade its magic and subdue it—or summon Leo if it resisted too fiercely.

Just a giant bird, after all. No need for elaborate plans.

The phoenix raced homeward—then wheeled sharply at the tree’s approach, circling overhead with shrill, echoing cries. It refused to land, clearly sensing intruders.

"We’re spotted." Liszt didn’t hesitate. "Now, Acheronides!"

*Whoosh!*

Magic flared. A colossal water ring materialized, coiling around the circling phoenix.

"Screech!"

The phoenix writhed, shrieking.

Liszt lunged with lightning speed, soaring into the air as his Magic Eye locked onto the Phoenix's position. Swinging the Frostbite Dragon Slayer Sword, he smashed it brutally against the struggling Phoenix's wing.

**Boom!**

As expected, the Phoenix's wing shattered under Liszt's explosive strike, sending it spiraling helplessly to the ground. With a thunderous crash, it impacted the earth, immediately unleashing a burst of fiery magic that obliterated the water-binding spell in an instant.

But before it could recover, Liszt's assault descended like a hurricane.

The Wyvern Phoenix, massive as an elephant, was stomped under Liszt’s boot. He then rained blows from the Frostbite Dragon Slayer Sword upon its remaining intact wing, battering it until the bones snapped.

In mere moments, the Wyvern Phoenix was rendered flightless, both wings broken.

It let out a piercing shriek before unleashing a new wave of fiery magic—akin to the high-level spell *Blazing Repulsion Ring*, but far more potent. Liszt surged with Dragon Aura, meeting the attack with flame-infused mana to dissipate the blast.

Acheronides's second spell struck true, binding the Phoenix once more.

Seizing the opening, Liszt swiftly produced the mithril shackles. He clamped one spindly leg, then the other, yanking the chain's latch to tighten the restraints, locking the Phoenix's limbs in place. A second set secured its neck, the other end clamping its beak shut.

Now fully restrained, the Phoenix couldn't even cast spells—its magic reduced to useless flickers of flame.

Though its power was high-grade, Liszt feared fire the least. Ignoring the searing heat, he wrenched the two shackles together, completing the Phoenix's immobilization. The fight hadn't lasted long—the creature's strength was unremarkable, barely surpassing that of a Domain Knight.

"Piece of cake... Leo, quit whining. You'll get your Phoenix meat soon enough," Liszt said, clapping his hands to placate the meat-obsessed dragon.

He hadn't even examined the Wyvern Phoenix yet—no way was he letting Leo devour it raw.

But then Leo's warning flashed through his mind: another Phoenix was closing in fast. Liszt barely dodged as a larger Phoenix dive-bombed his previous position, its wings fanning out blades of fire that seared the ground black.

"Another one? Perfect—one to roast, one to stew!"

Now familiar with their tricks, Liszt remained unshaken. With a signal to Acheronides to weave binding magic, he danced through the flames, crippling the newcomer's wings and slamming it down. Another set of mithril shackles made quick work of its restraint.

When the Steel Ridge envoy had delivered gifts—including mithril—Liszt had immediately commissioned Sir Alvin Eaglesword to forge shackles specifically for Phoenix hunting.

Mithril, the indestructible magic metal, was prized for restraints. Though it could bind knights, its true purpose was taming magical beasts. Once locked, only brute force could break them free.

**"Rawr!"**

With the battle over, Leo howled for meat, impatient as ever.

"Hold on. It’s not even on the fire yet. I won’t let you eat raw meat—only cooked, understand?"

**"Rawr!"**

Leo didn’t care!