Logan was taken a back by Earl Victor's words; he was about to take Rubina's suggestion to keep his small creature with the Rosengard's to grow but he thought back to a particular video game from his own world and suddenly became interested.
He looked at the small orange newt-like animal who was busily draining the last fire stone of its power, it did this by placing its head near the crystal and breathing in something like red particles from the stone, and yet the little creature was still asking for food as Logan turned on his empathetic ability.
"A fight, like actually hitting some other animal?" Logan turned his attention back to the middle-aged man with apprehension in his voice.
"Well, yes, a one-on-one controlled battle. We have a variety of training grounds for such purposes. You don't think this little one is going to go through life-draining fire stones, do you?" the earl said with a playful demeanor.
Rubina, still beside Logan, placed her delicate hand on his shoulder. "Don't worry, Logan. My dad may seem crazy at times, but he is one of the top animal breeders in this kingdom. I think he knows what is important for the Scorchwyrm and wouldn't take risks or bring any harm to the baby. Right, Dad?"
The earl, seeing Rubina's serious demeanor, let out a chuckle. "You know me well, my dear. Logan, it's important for the young Scorchwyrm to start developing its instincts and strength while you're here. So let's get to it before the day ends—there is much to do!"
The earl clapped his hands as he got up, and a few of his servants began to clean the room. His most trusted maid, Hestia—a woman in her mid-thirties with green hair, green eyes, and a stern aura—brought him a type of lab coat.
Combing his hair back after putting on his white garment, Earl Victor Rosengard began walking outside through the back door, with both teenagers and Hestia following. Rubina, who was in charge of holding the baby newt in case it began to rampage, kept close to Logan and smiled as she noticed the boy looking around with interest.
They passed many facilities that Logan was unable to identify at a glance. There were greenhouses filled with various plants, silos, and buildings that looked like barns, from which various animal calls could be heard. Many workers were bustling about, some cleaning animal waste while others brought food in wheelbarrows or with the help of donkey-like animals carrying bundles of a type of grass.
"Here we are; this should be the perfect place to train your little one, Logan." The earl pointed to a large dome-shaped building at one edge of the estate.
"Wait, don't tell me we will be going in there... ugh!" Rubina turned her head to the side in disgust, her shoulders shivering.
"I'm afraid so, hun. The only creatures this little one will be able to fight are insects, so the Insectarium will be the perfect place." The earl laughed heartily while opening a metallic door.
Everyone entered, and one person in the group made cute whimpering noises, and it was not the infant this time. Logan, who was having a difficult time keeping a straight face, realized he was actually enjoying his time with the father and daughter who had invited him to their residence. He smiled, recalling his own family from his childhood, and couldn't stop a sniffle that he quickly turned into a cough.
[What is happening to me today?]
The boy took a deep sigh, shaking off what was on his mind, and kept following the earl's lead. The building didn't seem large from the outside, but those who entered needed to either go up or down via two different staircases. Their destination appeared to be the lower level, which went underground, where cages and various areas separated special habitats containing thousands of insects. Some winged creatures were free to fly around while others were kept inside glass containers that mimicked their natural biomes.
"Wow, how are you able to keep so many animals in one area?" Logan questioned the earl who was happily talking about each creature as if he had raised them from birth in his usually chatty manner.
The earl turned back to look at Logan, chuckling. "Well, that's the advantage of my class. As a breeder, I have the ability to understand these creatures more easily and grow stronger with each one I successfully rear. Unlike tamers, my strength comes from the number and variety of creatures I breed. However, I don't have the power to enhance their strength directly or to work with plants." The earl concluded, a hint of regret in his tone.
"Well, that's why I'm happy to have you around, hero." Earl Victor returned to his excited tone of voice as he gestured towards a nearby enclosure.
The group entered an enclosure that resembled an ant farm but scaled up to the size of a two-story building. The creatures inside were ants, each the size of Logan's fist, moving through glass and metal tubes that separated various chambers.
"Bleh, I told you how much I hate creatures with many legs, but these hairy things are even worse." Rubina used Logan's back to shield her from the sight of the giant ants.
Logan couldn't help but chuckle at Rubina's reaction, but he couldn't find it within himself to push her away.
The earl led them deeper into the enclosure, stopping in front of a large chamber where a group of ants were busily repairing part of their nest. "These are Battle Ants. They make the perfect training partners for young beasts like your Scorchwyrm. They are strong and numerous, but their attacks are more about testing endurance than reflexes so that it will be easier for a baby creature like yours."
"Well then, let's start!" The earl called in three workers to create a small ring of stones where the battle would take place. "We'll place your Scorchwyrm here and start introducing one Battle Ant at a time until the young one gets tired. Remember, the goal here isn't necessarily to win, but to help your Scorchwyrm develop its instincts and, of course, to feed it."
Rubina, who wanted to use her hands to cover her face, placed the baby creature in the ring and stepped back, her eyes flickering between concern and repulsion.
As soon as it was placed down, two worker ants were introduced into the ring, both using their antennae to sense their surroundings, searching for something to fix or a meal to bring back to the colony. They quickly detected the presence of a small animal that could make for a quick snack for their queen and began moving in symmetry to surround their prey.
The Scorchwyrm didn't seem too bothered as it instinctively crouched low, its eyes focusing on its nearest opponent.
The air was thick with anticipation as all the spectators held their breath. The three creatures were ready to face off, each one planning their next move carefully.
As one of the Battle Ants neared the young salamander's face, it blew a searing flame in its direction, burning two of the ant's legs. The ant let out a screech of pain as a sizzling noise and smoke filled the air, causing the teenagers to wince.
Weakened, the Battle Ant closest to the Scorchwyrm was dealt a finishing blow as the young creature bit down, tearing off its head. The ant's mandibles were unable to protect it, splitting in half under the force of the Scorchwyrm's small but razor-sharp teeth.
Logan suddenly felt the mark on his collarbone flare up briefly before returning to normal.
The battle was not over. The second Battle Ant, sensing the death of its companion, let out a screech and changed its battle stance. It was difficult to tell if it wanted to escape or continue fighting, but it had no chance as the young Scorchwyrm, fascinated by its first meal, charged forward. It wanted more after the first prey disappeared in seconds, devoured by the hungry creature. Enthusiastic and emboldened, it attacked the second opponent with vigor.
Within seconds, the Scorchwyrm had devoured the ant effortlessly, while Logan sensed a repeated chant of "food" echoing in his mind.
"I doubt those two were enough to satisfy our little one here. So bring in more. Let's increase the difficulty—how about one Battle Ant Warrior instead of more worker ants?"
Logan and the rest watched as workers moved swiftly to clear the remains of the previous battle, preparing even larger rocks for the next challenge using earth magic.
Anticipation for the next match was building. It grew even more intense as a well-built ant, twice the size of the first two, was introduced into the ring. Its menacing armored exoskeleton shone with orbs of light, placed like mini suns over each biome.
The earl went toward the edge of the ring, measuring each opponent's chance of victory before nodding in approval. "This should be a little more difficult, but it will be a good test to measure how fast you grow when your tame kills monsters. That is to say, you should also be gaining experience with each of your Scorchwyrm's kills."
As before, the infant's natural instincts kicked in, and it began to crouch, readying itself to avoid any damage. This time, the Scorchwyrm chirped a little deeper, almost growling, while the Ant Warrior used its antennae to pinpoint the nearby threat.
The cue to start was the flames the young salamander emitted, but the powerful insect avoided them this time, sidestepping with only a few hairs on its legs singed. It advanced with its mandibles ready, but another flame stopped it before it could get closer.
Now it was the Scorchwyrm's turn to move. It sensed that the power reserve for its flames wouldn't last forever, so it had to rely on its sharp teeth. It needed to injure at least a few legs to land a direct hit.