A/N: The large 100-kilometer Herd had mixed types of Bisons, not just the frosthide Bisons

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Chapter 423: Capturing Bisons - 2

As the leader Bisons entered the area created by Leo, they instantly rushed toward the fruit, they instantly rushed toward the fruits placed at the centre, each trying to be the first to claim them.

But as they ran, their throats were suddenly slit open, blood gushing out in heavy streams. Before they could even realise what had happened, their vision darkened, their bodies collapsing to the ground one after another. Moments later, even their corpses disappeared into Leo’s spiritual space. Even the soil was turned over to hide the traces of blood.

"Nyxa, I got your food..." he muttered under his breath, remaining in stealth.

He did notice small mouse like creatures scattering and burrowing into the ground from the Bisons’ fur, but he couldn’t spare them any attention—not when the rest of the herd was about to arrive.

As the leaders had been the first to enter, the others never realised what had happened. They simply walked straight into the trap of their own accord.

Since the fruits were limited—and a handful of Bison could devour them entirely—numerous obstacles had been prepared along the way.

The Bisons kept pouring in, nearly 100 of them—males, females, and calves mixed together—as they pushed toward the fruits. All were Frosthide Bisons.

grunk... grunk...

Mwaaaa!

The mother Bisons called out repeatedly to keep their calves close, while the calves responded in kind, trying to stay with their pairs as they moved forward.

The males, on the other hand, moved more freely, searching for the best possible path to reach the fruits.

When most of them were around 10 meters away, they suddenly found their feet stuck. Assuming they had stepped into uneven ground, they struggled to pull free.

At the back, Leo silently used [Earth Manipulation] and [Vine Estranglement] to seal the entrance and reinforce the walls, raising them higher—unnoticed by most of the Bisons. The Bisons that were yet to come inside, finding their path obstructed, and the scent of the fruits disappeared because of the sudden strong wind. They simply backed away to the herd in confusion.

A few that did notice inside the bowl area tried to flee, only to realise their legs were tightly bound by thick vines. No matter how they struggled, they couldn’t break free.

HRRAA-UGH! HRRAA-UGH!

Panic spread rapidly as the herd began calling out for help. Only then did they realise the leader Bisons were missing. They thrashed wildly, even using their icy abilities to freeze the vines gripping their legs in an attempt to shatter them.

But everything proved useless.

The vines wouldn’t break.

The sound of their cries couldn’t reach the herd, drowned by powerful gusts of wind blowing in the opposite direction.

And the fruits—were suddenly gone.

They were trapped. And it was already too late.

The main herd didn’t even notice their disappearance. And even if a few individuals did, they paid it no mind, assuming they had wandered off to find something else to eat.

The ones that had returned to the herd were already spread apart, and with the nonexistent proper way of communication, the message about that weird place didn’t spread.

"Lord, now we just need to wait until the main herd moves further away," Sylrael said quietly.

And so, they waited.

With Lily maintaining a strong opposing wind, neither scent nor sound could escape. The reinforced vines had already pinned most of the Bisons to the ground, leaving no chance of escape.

The waiting game began.

Leo and the others remained hidden for nearly half a day, watching as the Bisons grew increasingly restless. Those that had bellowed endlessly earlier had grown quieter—exhaustion finally catching up to them.

The mother Bisons became increasingly distressed, watching their smaller calves—Low 1-star to High 1-star—pinned helplessly to the ground. The calves whimpered, unable to reach their mothers or feed.

The males, however, continued struggling relentlessly. Their repeated attempts coated the entire 100-meter area in layers of frost, their icy abilities achieving nothing.

By now, the main herd had moved tens of kilometres away.

It was finally time to act.

But Leo’s attention had shifted elsewhere.

Frostwhisk Mice (Mid 1-star) - Ordinary Bloodline

He held a mouse-like creature by the tail, pinched between his fingers. Including the tail, it was barely the length of his arm—similar to the large mice from his previous world.

It had pale white fur, with faint icy veins visible beneath its skin. What intrigued him most, however, was where he had found them—deep within the fur of the Bisons. And not just one, but dozens of them across every Bison.

"So these were the little creatures that came out of the dead leader’s body when I made it disappear..." he murmured.

He showed it to Sylrael, who immediately understood.

"Lord, since beasts in this world are massive," she said, gesturing toward a 3-meter-tall High 2-star male Bison,

"many tick-like parasites feed on them. This happens in my world as well. So, furry beasts like Bisons allow creatures like these—mice and small birds—to live in their fur. They feed on those parasites, preventing disease and infection."

Leo nodded slowly. That made them useful. Perhaps even necessary.

"But Lord," Sylrael continued, her tone cautious,

"if you bring them along with the Bisons into the territory, they might burrow into the ground and damage our magic plants and stored food. Not to mention, they reproduce quickly. The territory could become infested."

"But they’re important for the Bisons, aren’t they?" Leo asked.

Sylrael nodded.

"For hygiene, yes. But if needed, elves can take over that role."

Leo fell silent, thinking.

"How long would 2-star or 3-star elves take to clean a single Bison? And how often would it need to be done? I won’t allow 1-star elves—they’re too weak to handle them."

"Lord... perhaps 1 hour every other day..." Sylrael said hesitantly, already realising the implication. It consumed too much time when there were other important tasks, such as defending the territory.

Leo shook his head.

"No. That’s a waste of time. Better to keep these mice—but under control." He paused, then looked at her.

"Any suggestions?"