CHAPTER 179: MAKING A CAGE FROM PORCUPINE QUILLS

Sam and the beast pups all nodded their heads repeatedly, their eyes filled with trust.

My "painting the future" skill seems to be improving, Eric thought to himself. What to do, the responsibility on my shoulders is getting heavier. Just thinking about it is already a bit tiring.

Just then, Max, carrying a giant porcupine on his shoulder, squeezed his way in. The porcupine was so oversized that he had to lift it high just to get it through the courtyard gate.

"Oh, why is Sam here?"

Nano peeked his head out from behind the porcupine’s tail, grinning: "Don’t you need to go work at the cafeteria? We caught a whole den of porcupines today. We already sent one to you at the cafeteria, hurry up and go to work!"

"I’m working here, too!"

Sam shot him a glare, indignantly pointing at the results of his labor: "Didn’t I clean this whole bunch of ducks? And this pile of internal organs, I washed them squeaky clean!"

Eric also spoke up to confirm: "Sam really wasn’t slacking off. He went to the trap area early this morning and brought back all the wild ducks and white rabbits, and he even helped me process the whole flock of ducks."

"Everyone’s luck is really good today, even catching a porcupine." Sam licked his lips, clearly already thinking about the fragrant smell of stewed organs: "This time, there’ll be a lot of fresh offal. Porcupine organs are the fattiest and most fragrant."

Michael followed behind Nano, grinning and carrying a wild chicken: "I still think goat organs are tastier. That goat offal soup Eric made last time, you didn’t eat just a little of it."

He looked at the ducks and rabbits filling the courtyard and continued: "Your traps had a pretty good harvest, too. Doesn’t Eric like to eat chicken feet and wings? This time, there’s enough for you."

Hearing this, Eric indeed felt a bit tempted: "With so many ducks, if only I had pickled chili, I would have made pickled chicken and duck feet with lemongrass and calamansi..."

Pickled chili must be made from fresh chili, while the kind he traded with the merchant caravan were all dried, which couldn’t be used. If there were fresh chili...

In an instant, a series of delicious dishes made from pickled chili appeared in his mind, making Eric swallow his saliva.

He suddenly remembered that he had carefully saved all the seeds from the dried chilies, originally intending to plant them next spring.

No sooner said than done, Eric hurriedly ran into the storage room and took out the bag of chili seeds.

He found a clay pot, filled it with soil, then used his finger to poke small holes, sprinkling the chili seeds evenly inside.

Because he had eaten quite a few chilies, Eric had accumulated a lot of seeds. After sowing a few in the pot, he stored the rest back in the storage room.

He carried the clay pot, in a mood to show off, went out to the courtyard and placed it down amidst the baffled crowd.

"Uh, Eric, what are you planning to do?" Michael looked at his actions, confused.

Nano bent down, staring at the pot of soil, and spoke doubtfully: "Why plant things in the courtyard at this time? The seeds will freeze to death. Didn’t you always have to plant them on the heated bed for them to survive?"

Michael seemed to have a sudden realization: "Oh, you want to ask Evan to use magic to help you, right!"

Only Max, who had a vague guess in his heart, stood quietly waiting for Eric’s next move.

Eric ignored them. He squatted down, both hands fiddling with the clay pot, and then began to cast magic on the chili seeds, just as he had done with the dry branch earlier.

After using it a few times, he had gradually become accustomed to the feeling of casting magic and could vaguely sense how to use the elements.

When he focused his mind, tiny fluorescent green specks of light, like joyful sprites, flew over. They passed through the thick soil, gently enveloping each seed, bestowing them with vitality and life.

The seeds buried in the soil quickly sprouted green, slowly pushed out of the ground, and then gradually unfurled their first tender leaves.

Michael’s and Nano’s eyes widened as they watched the sapling grow. Max, standing beside them, although mentally prepared, found his breathing becoming heavier.

The seedling grew rapidly until it was about a finger tall, then it stopped.

Nano’s jaw dropped, pointing at the sapling: "Eric, you... you can actually use magic? And it’s nature magic!"

Michael also stared intently at the pot, his ears standing straight up.

"Haha, this is magic I just learned!" Eric boasted smugly: "Evan said my talent is very high, I might even become a high-level mage in the future!"

"Becoming a Magus isn’t impossible either." Evan added from the side: "His compatibility with magic is very strong."

Although they didn’t have a clear concept of mage rankings, just hearing the two words "Magus," everyone understood that these were legendary figures, the kind that were extremely rare and hard to find.

In an instant, the expressions of the several people changed. Michael slapped Eric on the shoulder in amazement, but fearing he would hurt him, he only dared to pat lightly: "That’s amazing, Eric! This is the first time I’ve heard of a beastman possessing magic talent! Doesn’t that mean our Snow Wolf tribe is about to have its own Magus!"

Max smiled and said: "Then from now on, can’t you plant whatever you want?"

Eric nodded proudly.

The beast pups also gathered around, tilting their heads to look at the lush green plants in the pot. This was the first time they had seen green plants in winter.

Sam, having been shocked once before, had some resistance. Compared to nature magic, the porcupine organs still held a greater appeal.

"Well, I’m off to work at the cafeteria!" After saying that, he hurried away.

The few people in the courtyard gave him a perfunctory wave, then continued to crowd around the clay pot, examining it with great interest.

Max stood up and began to process the giant porcupine. He plucked out all the sharp quills and stiff hairs, and disemboweled it. Previously, this work was usually done in the square or by the riverbank, but ever since Eric’s courtyard had a well, everyone processed their prey right here for convenience.

Unless they hunted prey that was too large, they would clean it outside before bringing the meat back to Eric.

Max chopped off the head and trotters separately. Previously, the trotters of magical beasts were the part beastmen liked the least, but Eric was very fond of them. He had successfully conquered the entire tribe with delicacies, causing all kinds of trotters to become a rarity instead.

The sharp quills that were plucked out were three to four meters long. Eric couldn’t help but shiver as he looked at the ferocious porcupine head with its wide-open eyes, dying with grievance.

The terrifying memory of being madly chased by a boar suddenly rushed back, an experience that had almost become a psychological trauma for him.

But these quills were really not bad. They were sharp, long, and extremely sturdy; after all, this was the porcupine’s weapon.

Eric walked over to the pile of sharp quills, picked one up to examine it, and nodded in satisfaction.

These quills could be used to make a rabbit cage. But at this height, the rabbits here might jump out. Maybe they should be used for the roof.

"I want to raise rabbits, these quills can be used to make a cage."

Seeing Max, who was skillfully butchering the meat nearby, look over with a questioning gaze, Eric raised the quill to explain.

But where should the rabbit hutch be built? Although there was only one for now, there would definitely be more and more later. As long as they could breed, with the rabbit’s reproductive ability, the number would certainly not be small.

Don’t be fooled by the rabbits’ fluffy and cute appearance; this species stinks terribly when raised in large numbers. Eric still vividly remembered when he was in the dormitory, a roommate impulsively decided to raise a rabbit. In the end, its horrible smell made the whole room unbearable, and it was mercilessly "expelled" by a collective vote.

Therefore, the rabbit hutch must be placed a bit further away.

But if it was too far, he was afraid that as the number of rabbits increased, the stench would attract magical beasts, and they wouldn’t be able to respond in time.

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