Above the mage!

Chapter 524 Beast Taming Genius
The underwater light was dim.

The dark green water plants swayed gently with the ripples of the water, like ghostly strands of hair.

The adult capybara was curled up in the mud and sand, its camouflage was perfect.

If it weren't for the special abilities granted to Gao De by his Water Entanglement Body, it would have been almost impossible to detect its existence in such dim light.

But now that he'd discovered it, he wasn't going to hold back.

Gao De's eyes were calm as he slowly raised his right hand, a faint bluish-green halo emanating from his fingertips.

As his mana flowed along the magical veins, he subtly activated the model of the [Entanglement] spell within the sea of ​​spells.

Gao De's moves were quite sophisticated. Entanglement was just a control spell; if the plant he used wasn't thorny, it wouldn't cause any damage to the target.

One reason is that his original idea was to recruit these wild capybaras, so he definitely couldn't be too harsh.

Another point is that, after all, they showed mercy to Tuanzi. As a human, you can't be less reasonable than a water beast, can you?
The next instant, the water plants that had been swaying around the mud and sand where the adult capybara was hiding suddenly came to life, as if injected with a magic potion.

The grass stems grew wildly at a speed visible to the naked eye, and the leaves, which were originally less than half a foot long, quickly expanded and became wide and tough.

It was like a flexible tentacle, wrapping around the adult capybara.

The adult capybara, which had been hiding in the mud, was clearly not expecting to be attacked suddenly. It abruptly raised its head from the mud, its wide-open eyes filled with astonishment.

It was about to make a move when the wildly growing water plants had already entangled its body.

With the help of magic, the water plants became extremely resilient, firmly fixing it in place and binding it tightly.

The whole process, though complicated, actually happened in the blink of an eye, and this second-tier adult capybara was completely entangled.

It let out a low, angry groan, its massive body twisting violently as it tried to break free from the water plants' hold, but the more it struggled, the tighter the plants entangled it.

The surrounding waters have become difficult terrain due to the rampant growth of aquatic plants, making it extremely difficult for small capybaras to get close.

Fortunately, Gaode chose ordinary aquatic plants as the medium for his spell, rather than thorny brambles or poisonous water vines.

Although the capybara was restrained, it was not injured. It only splashed with fine water droplets as it struggled, showing that its anger was mixed with a bit of panic.

Seeing that his first move had succeeded, Gao De immediately began preparing his next spell.

After all, it was an adult second-tier capybara. Although he had gained an advantage by striking first, Gao De knew that it was unlikely to defeat the opponent with just one [Entanglement] spell.

The reason it has been able to be trapped for so long is thanks to the "Green Wood Longevity Scripture," which has a significant boost to plant-based spells.

This makes his [Entanglement] spell stronger than that of other second-circle mages, most notably in the extremely resilient aquatic plants he cultivates.

After gaining control of the other party, the next step is to persuade them to work for you.

Capybaras are highly intelligent aquatic animals with a relatively docile temperament. Even wild capybaras are relatively easy to communicate with compared to other aquatic animals.

Moreover, Gaode also has two powerful tools: incentives and penalties.

However, Gaode did not immediately use [Beast Link+] to communicate with it.

The prerequisite for establishing a mental link with [Beast Bond+] is that the creature is friendly or charmed.

Clearly, this adult capybara's current puffed-up appearance and wary look are far from friendly.

Once freed from its restraints, it will likely launch an attack on me immediately.

But it's not a big problem.

A thought flickered in Gao De's mind. He mobilized the magic power within the Wood Magic Crystal to activate another spell model in the Sea of ​​Spells.

The next moment, a clear and melodious tune quietly began to play.

The sound was like the crisp sound of water hitting jade, mixed with the rustling of water plants swaying, blending perfectly into the underwater environment without appearing abrupt at all.

The melody reached the adult capybara's ears clearly, as if whispered gently in its ear.

[Mysterious Chorus]:
This spell can lure a creature nearby that hears the music, and then engage in a mental battle.

If the fight fails, the creature will become friendly towards you for the duration of the music and for one hour thereafter.

The adult capybara's originally tense body paused slightly upon hearing the melody.

It blinked warily, seemingly wondering where the sound was coming from.

But the gentle melody seemed to possess some kind of magic, gradually calming its violently heaving chest and weakening the low growl in its throat.

Within the consciousness of this adult capybara, there seemed to be an invisible force pulling it in two directions: on one side, its natural wariness of Gaode, and on the other, the alluring power of magic.

It instinctively wanted to resist, but the force gradually eroded its vigilance and wariness.

Then, the hostility in its eyes gradually dissipated, and its tense body relaxed.

Its originally wide-open eyes narrowed slightly, and its gaze toward Gao De held a hint of confusion, yet also a subtle sense of closeness—it had not been exempt from the effects of the [Mystic Chorus] spell.

If the remarkable effect of the [Entanglement Technique] is due to the additional bonus from the "Green Wood Longevity Scripture", then the mental power confrontation of the [Mysterious Chorus] is a pure numerical crushing victory.

Don't underestimate Gao De just because his mage level is only at the early second ring. In terms of mental strength alone, even mages at the late second ring are inferior to him.

Animals, except for special species, are inherently weaker in terms of mental strength due to their physical strength, and are naturally no match for Gao De.

Seeing that the adult capybara had become friendly, Gaode no longer hesitated and swam towards it.

The group of first-tier juvenile pigs became anxious when they saw their leader bound by water plants.

Now that Gaode has suddenly appeared, it immediately bristled, revealing an alert and angry expression, its black bean-like eyes wide open, and a low growl emanating from its small nose.

They thrashed about in the water, splashing tiny droplets, clearly trying to rush up and intercept Gao De to protect their leader.

However, at this moment, the adult capybara affected by the [Mysterious Chorus] spell let out a low but powerful "groan".

The cry was not aggressive in the slightest, yet it carried an undeniable authority. The previously restless dolphins froze instantly, their eyes still fixed on Gao De with wary intent, but they made no further move.
Clearly, this adult capybara is highly respected in the group, and the young capybaras are very dependent on it.

This scene further solidified Gaode's idea of ​​acquiring Gaode.

A group of wild capybaras that obey commands are definitely a capable force.

Gao De seized the opportunity and arrived in front of the adult capybara, silently canceling the [Entanglement] spell.

Without the magical power, the wildly growing water plants immediately returned to their original state, swaying gently with the waves.

Although the second-tier capybara was no longer restrained, it showed no hostility in its eyes when Gao De approached; instead, it displayed a bewildered friendliness.

Gao De slowly extended his right hand, gently placing his palm on the other person's wet, slippery head.

【Beast Bond+】. Gao De's consciousness was drawn by a gentle force and gently collided with the consciousness of the adult capybara, without any obstruction or barrier.

This is a connection of hearts.

After the Wind Spirit Moon Shadow's skill points were allocated to [Beast Link+], the High Mage, who had not undergone any systematic training, possessed a skill and effectiveness in taming beasts that even surpassed that of professional beast tamers.

Simply put, the combination of [Beast Bond+] and other spells allows God to communicate directly and seamlessly with the "beast" itself.

The most difficult hurdle in animal taming is actually communication. As long as the animal can understand the human's intentions and the human can understand the animal's needs, many problems will be solved.

After all, most beasts are not complicated in their thoughts; what matters is whether they are docile and loyal by nature.

Capybaras are officially recognized as a "good animal".

"Who are you?" A gentle, bewildered thought traveled through the mind link to Gao De's mind.

Gaode didn't beat around the bush or deceive the other party. With just a glance, the impatient Tuanzi immediately understood and darted out from the nearby water plants like a round cannonball.

Its little head was held high, its tail tip swayed smugly, and it even deliberately bared its teeth at the capybara leader. Its smug look was as if it was showing off, "My dad's here, you try being arrogant again."

"I am Tuanzi's master." Gao De's thoughts were transmitted through the mind link without any sense of oppression.

"Are you here to avenge him?" The capybara leader's mind became tense.

“Of course not. These lotus roots are yours. It was wrong of Tuanzi to steal them. You didn’t kill it, you just taught it a lesson. It’s all reasonable. What grudge is there, let alone revenge?” Gao De was very understanding.

"Then why..." The capybara leader was stunned. He hadn't come here for revenge, so why did he start by binding her?

"I'm not here to harm you, but to give you and your people a better option." While communicating with the capybara leader, God had already activated his Mandora Eye to observe the other party and confirm something.

The next moment, a glint of light flashed in his eyes.

It was clear that the energy on the other person's body surface was in a "critical state," extremely concentrated and about to overflow, yet stagnant, as if trapped by an invisible barrier.

"A better option?" The capybara leader was even more confused.

"These lotus roots are of great benefit to your clan, and with their help, you have a glimmer of hope for advancement. But you also know that these lotus roots alone are far from enough to break through that barrier, right?"

"And I can provide you with better conditions, help you advance, help the race become stronger, and so that you no longer have to worry about survival."

Gaode started offering bribes directly.

He had previously felt that something was off about the capybara leader being curled up motionless in the mud and sand. Now, upon closer inspection, he realized that the leader was on the verge of advancing and was in "seclusion" accumulating energy for a breakthrough.

However, it is clear that advancing is not such a simple matter. Although there are some signs, there is still a long way to go before it can be successfully advanced.

In addition, the overall structure of this capybara group is very strange and unreasonable.

There is only one adult capybara; the rest are juveniles, and there are more than a dozen juveniles.

In a typical capybara group, there are at least two or three adult individuals caring for the young capybaras.

In addition, although the capybara leader is an adult, he is obviously not very old, at most a young capybara.

There's clearly more to this story than meets the eye.

The capybara leader's breathing quickened noticeably, and his voice carried a stronger sense of longing, "Really?"

It's clear that it's extremely eager to advance and increase its power.

“Yes,” Gao De had anticipated this question, and pulled out a pre-prepared oilcloth bag from his pocket, unfolding it.

Inside lay a palm-sized, dark red chunk of meat, a high-grade blood food taken from a third-tier leyline creature, containing extremely pure magic and blood energy.

The capybara leader's nose twitched involuntarily, its eyes filled with longing; it could clearly sense the allure of the meat.

This is not counting.

Gao De increased his bet again, and a surge of magical energy emanated from his left palm.

Immediately afterwards, a handful of crystal-clear, gem-like sweet berries appeared out of thin air, possessing a magical power that could arouse animal instincts and exuding a fatal attraction.

【Divine Berry Technique+】.

The little capybaras were instantly captivated, their little heads turning in unison to Gaode's left hand, their beady eyes filled with longing, their noses twitching, and even their breathing becoming rapid.

A few of the bolder young capybaras couldn't resist taking a few steps forward with their short legs, but they stopped abruptly when they met the gaze of the capybara leader.

"As long as you and your people are willing to obey me, just like Tuanzi, I can give you all these things."

"You should be able to tell that Tuanzi is younger than all the other cubs in your pod, but apart from you, none of them can rival it. That's because it follows me."

"Obey my orders. I won't let you do anything too dangerous. All I need is for you to keep an eye out for underwater treasures and help me track and detect enemies when I need to."

With this two-pronged approach, the capybara leader's resolve was clearly beginning to waver.

Gao De added fuel to the fire, his tone carrying an objective "reminder": "If you disagree, I won't force you, but you need to think carefully. Without my help, can you complete the advancement? Can you protect this lotus root forest?"

It will help you advance, and it will definitely have a similar effect on other water beasts. What will you do if you are discovered by even more ferocious beings?

“If you encounter other aquatic beasts, even if you can defeat them, you will inevitably suffer injuries or even deaths while leading so many capybaras.”

After giving the "reminder," Gao De handed the piece of blood food to the capybara leader without waiting for a reply, and at the same time scattered the gem berries in his left hand to the little capybaras beside him.

The capybara babies were stunned for a moment, then looked at their leader with anticipation in their eyes.

The capybara leader took a deep breath and nodded.

With the leader's permission, the capybaras cheered and rushed toward the floating gem berries.

As for the capybara leader, it slowly lowered its head, gently took the high-grade blood food that Gao De handed over, and began to swallow it.

As the blood food was consumed, a warm energy instantly spread throughout its body, and the barrier to advancement that had troubled it for so long actually began to loosen slightly!
It suddenly raised its head, and in its eyes looking at Gaode, there was no longer any hesitation.

Then, it slowly lowered its body and gently rubbed its head against Gaode's palm.

This is the highest form of etiquette among capybaras, signifying submission and trust.

Through the telepathic connection, Gaode could clearly feel the message it conveyed: "I...we are willing to obey you."

Sigh, it really wasn't a lie, I am a beast taming genius!

Gao De was overjoyed.

Besides the two spells he received from the Snowfield Guardian playing a significant role, the "Azure Wood Longevity Scripture" and the natural aura that Flora brought him also gave him a great innate advantage in the field of beast taming, making it easier for him to gain the trust of beasts.

(End of this chapter)