N-A-A Chapter 9: Takeoff in the literal sense!
Chapter 9: Takeoff in the literal sense!
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Sensing this warm, comfortable, and welcoming energy, the wariness in the Winter Feather Sparrow's eyes gradually dissipated. It comfortably squinted its eyes and even took the initiative to move closer, rubbing its fluffy head against Lin Ze's palm.
About ten minutes later, Lin Ze withdrew his hand.
"grumble!"
The winter-feathered sparrow cried out excitedly and suddenly spread its wings.
call--!
A gentle breeze suddenly swept through the living room. Only then did Lin Ze truly appreciate the sheer size advantage of this winter-feathered bird. When its ice-blue wings were fully extended, its wingspan definitely exceeded one meter! Each feather was like a meticulously sculpted ice blade, shimmering with a cold light under the lamplight.
"Wow, she's really beautiful," Lin Ze couldn't help but exclaim. With that kind of looks, she'd definitely turn heads if you took her out.
"By the way, Xiaodong, can you carry me with your current strength?" Lin Ze pointed to himself, then to the ceiling, making a flying gesture.
The winter-feathered sparrow tilted its head and looked at Lin Ze, seemingly assessing its master's weight. After a moment, it confidently puffed out its chest and let out a clear chirp: "Chirp chirp!"
The meaning was clear: No problem, leave it to me!
"Great! Come on, give it a try!"
Lin Ze stood up straight excitedly, patted his shoulder, and gestured for the Winter Feather Sparrow to come up and grab him.
With a flap of its wings, the Winter Feather Sparrow nimbly flew to the top of Lin Ze's head, then extended its sharp claws, as if forged from refined steel, and landed steadily on Lin Ze's shoulder.
"Okay, takeoff... Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Ouch! Put me down!"
Before Lin Ze could finish his boastful words, they turned into a series of pig-like screams.
In order to hold onto Lin Ze, the Winter Feather Sparrow instinctively tightened its claws. Those were the sharp claws of a demon at the advanced stage of the servant level! Even though it tried its best to control its strength, the sharp claw tips still pierced through Lin Ze's thin T-shirt in an instant and dug deep into his flesh.
Hearing its owner's scream, the Winter Feather Sparrow was startled and quickly released its claws, flapping its wings and flying to the sofa next to it.
Lin Ze clutched his shoulder, wincing in pain. He pulled open his collar and saw several bloody holes in his shoulder, blood seeping out.
"Chirp chirp..."
When the winter finch on the sofa saw its owner bleeding, it immediately looked like a child who had done something wrong, its head drooping, its wings drooping, and its eyes filled with self-blame and frustration. It thought it was because it was too stupid to have hurt its owner.
Seeing the Winter Feather Sparrow's pitiful look, Lin Ze ignored the pain in his shoulder and quickly went over to pat its head with his uninjured hand.
"Oh dear, it's not your fault, it's my fault," Lin Ze said with a wry smile, trying to comfort me. "You're a powerful demon, and my delicate skin can't withstand your attacks. I was too hasty and didn't prepare any proper defenses. Don't be sad, you fly very well and are very strong, I'm very satisfied!"
After Lin Ze soothed and comforted it, the Winter Feather Sparrow cheered up and affectionately pecked at Lin Ze's hair with its beak.
"Looks like I'll need to get some equipment first if I want to become a bird rider."
As Lin Ze bandaged his wound, he was making plans in his mind.
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Early the next morning, Lin Ze went straight to the Hunter Alliance Hall in the city center of Bo City.
The Hunter's Alliance is a hub for mages in the world of Full-Time Mage, where they accept bounties, trade demon materials, and purchase magical tools. Lin Ze is a familiar face here because he frequently comes to sell remnants of souls and some low-level demon materials.
He navigated the bustling hall with practiced ease and arrived at the equipment customization area on the second floor, where he found a senior leather armor craftsman named Lao Li.
"Hey, Brother Lin, what are you here for today? I just got a batch of top-quality demon wolf pelts, want me to make you a leather armor?" Old Li greeted Lin Ze warmly.
"Uncle Li, forget about the leather armor. I'm here today to have a top-of-the-line shoulder armor custom-made by you," Lin Ze said bluntly.
"Shoulder armor? These things aren't common. What do you need them for?" Old Li asked, somewhat surprised.
"Hehe, it's a secret. Uncle Li, just tell me if you can do it. The requirements are simple: it must be extremely tough, able to withstand the claws of a servant-level advanced stage demon or even a warrior-level demon, while the lining must be soft so as not to affect the movement of my arm." Lin Ze stated his requirements.
Old Li stroked his stubble and pondered for a moment: "It's doable, but to withstand the penetrating power of a Warrior-level monster, ordinary materials won't do. I suggest using three layers of the tough belly hide of a Servant-level Cyclops Wolf for the base, and for the outer layer... I happen to have a piece of the hard hide from the back of a Warrior-level Bone-Spiked Wolf that the hunter-mage team risked their lives to get back a few days ago! With this as the outer shell, let alone claws, even a low-level fire spell might not be able to burn through it in one go!"
"The hide of the Bone-Spiked Wolf? That's good stuff! Let's use this!" Lin Ze's eyes lit up, and he made the decision without hesitation.
"However... this price isn't cheap." Old Li rubbed his hands together and gestured a number.
Seeing that number, Lin Ze's heart bled. It was almost enough to wipe out most of his savings from the past six months!
"Okay! Money is no problem, but I need it expedited, I need it this afternoon!" Lin Ze gritted his teeth, determined to get his hands on it if he could fly!
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As dusk fell, Lin Ze, carrying his newly forged shoulder armor, eagerly returned to the back mountain in the suburbs.
This armor was made with exceptional craftsmanship. The outer layer was made of dark gray bone-spiked wolf hide, with natural bone texture on the surface, exuding a faint demonic aura; the inner lining was made of soft and comfortable wolf belly hide. Wearing it on his shoulders, he did not feel heavy at all, but instead made Lin Ze look more imposing.
"Xiaodong, time to get to work!"
Lin Ze summoned the Winter Feather Sparrow, patted his heavily armed shoulders, and said with boundless pride, "Come on, grab whatever you want this time, grab as hard as you can! If you can break this skin, I'll admit defeat!"
"grumble!"
The winter-feathered sparrow chirped excitedly, flapped its wings, and flew back to the top of Lin Ze's head.
This time, it showed no hesitation, its sharp claws digging fiercely into the hard, bony wolf hide on Lin Ze's shoulder.
Click!
With a teeth-grinding scraping sound, the Winter Feather Sparrow's claws dug firmly into the texture of its armor, but could not advance an inch further. Lin Ze only felt a slight weight on his shoulder, but no pain whatsoever.
"Perfect! Hold on tight, take off!" Lin Ze shouted.
"grumble--!"
The winter-feathered sparrow let out a high-pitched cry, and its pair of ice-blue wings, which were over a meter long, flapped downwards sharply.
Whoops!
A powerful updraft rose from the ground, swirling up a flurry of fallen leaves. Lin Ze felt a sudden lightness in his body, and his feet instantly left the ground.