Approaching the hill, Ender clearly saw the situation below.
The boulder that had originally blocked the cave entrance was shattered into several pieces. A small white beast lay among the fragments, its abdomen a bloody, empty cavity, devoid of Vitality.
"It really is Little Eighteen's pet, Little White."
After the previous four Little White, the fifth Little White had died.
Jumping down from the bone shield, Ender came to the cave entrance and met the gaze of a pair of large eyes from within.
Ender said softly, "Come out, Nineteen."
"Where's that big bird?"
A small boy, four or five years old, with dirt smudged on his face, poked his head out, cautiously looking left and right, as if worried that the big bird he spoke of would attack again.
"Brother Eleven!"
Before Ender could answer, a small girl, four or five years old, dressed in a dirty animal skin outfit, crawled out of the cave and rushed into his arms.
The loving impact from his Apprentice-level 2 sister caused even Ender's body to sway.
Not caring about the little girl's dirty clothes, Ender picked her up, wiping the dirt and tears from her face.
Ender asked gently, "Little Eighteen, why are you crying so much?"
"That big bird was so fierce, it just…Little White…"
As she spoke, the little girl's tears flowed again.
"It's okay, don't cry anymore. In a few days, Brother Eleven will catch you another Little White."
"Mm, Little Eighteen won't cry anymore."
The little girl wiped her eyes and nodded heavily.
"Eleven!"
A Planetary Level Expert in black leather armor slowly descended from the sky.
Ender saw that the person was his father in this life, Derrick Royce, who ranked seventh among the second generation of the Family.
"Father! Hug!"
The little boy Nineteen reached out to Derrick as he descended from the sky.
Ignoring Little Nineteen, Derrick reached out and took the little girl Eighteen from Ender's arms, gently coaxing her for a few moments.
Ender was accustomed to the scene of his father holding Little Eighteen, and Little Nineteen reaching out for a hug in the same frame.
There was nothing he could do; the Royce Family was dominated by males, with only three females born in the third generation, and Little Eighteen was the youngest, naturally receiving immense doting.
"What's going on with that Night Bird?"
Derrick asked after he had soothed the little girl in his arms.
Ender shook his head slightly, "I'm not sure either. That Night Bird kept staring at…"
At this point, he looked at Little Eighteen and Little Nineteen and did not continue speaking.
"I understand. We'll talk about this when we get back."
Derrick nodded, then, amidst giggles, lifted the little girl high in his arms, "Let's go! Home!"
Watching his father carry Little Eighteen away, Ender looked down at the envious little boy Nineteen.
"Let's go."
Without waiting for Little Nineteen's agreement, Ender picked him up and flew towards the Family's station on his bone shield.
On the way back to the Family, he looked back in the direction the Night Bird had fled.
At this moment, three rays of light surrounded a black figure there, carrying out a righteous group beating.
"Without a Spirit Weapon, bone spikes made solely from the teeth of a Planetary Level Demon Beast are difficult to threaten a Planetary Level Demon Beast."
Ender mused, "Given a Demon Beast's massive size and powerful body, unless the bone spike can break through its defenses and strike its vital parts, such as the heart or brain."
Recalling his battle with the Night Bird, his bone spike had pierced through the defense of its hard feathers and entered its flesh.
It seemed to have caused considerable damage, but to the Night Bird, it was like a mosquito bite, only a momentary pain with little lasting effect.
On the contrary, Ender, after driving the two bone spikes into the Night Bird's flesh, found them clamped by its muscles, unable to be maneuvered further.
If he had fought the Night Bird one-on-one, he would undoubtedly lose in the end, because he would eventually run out of bone spikes to use!
"If I had a Spirit Weapon, killing that Night Bird wouldn't be difficult."
Spirit Weapons have always been known for their sharpness; even incomplete parts of a Spirit Weapon are Sharp Weapons for a Spiritual Master.
For example, Luo Feng, at the Pinnacle of Apprentice Level 9, managed to kill a Planetary Level expert wearing a Tier 1 Force Armor with his Duntian Shuttle.
"But to obtain a Spirit Weapon, I would have to go to Morning Light Academy or the Joint Training Camp."
Round and round it went, always coming back to the idea that he had to leave the Family to become stronger.
Ender shook his head; he didn't want to leave the Family for now, so he stopped thinking about these things… Upon returning to the Family, shortly after entrusting Little Nineteen to his parents, Ender was summoned to the Family's main tent.
Entering the tent, three people were already seated: his father, Grandfather Hollu, and Sixth Uncle Garribel.
All three were Planetary Level Experts.
To be honest, Ender had suspected that his grandfather had a second-class or third- or fourth-class Human Race bloodline.
Because every adult in the second generation of the Royce Family was Planetary Level, and two Stellar Ranks were even born among them.
And all adults in the third generation were Apprentice Level 9, with the eldest brother even reaching Planetary Level 9.
"Father, Sixth Uncle, Eldest Uncle."
After entering, Ender greeted each person, then sat beside his father.
Garribel was the first to speak, "Eleven, you did exceptionally well this time! You didn't flinch in the face of a Planetary Level Night Bird. If it weren't for you, Little Eighteen and Nineteen would have been in danger."
Seeing Sixth Uncle, who was always extremely strict with himself and others, actually speak first to praise someone, made Ender a bit uncomfortable.
One had to know, when he was previously taught Controller knowledge, he had seen his fourth sister criticized by Sixth Uncle many times.
However, he still replied with a smile, "As Little Eighteen and Nineteen's brother, this is what I should do."
His father, Derrick, nodded slightly, then spoke, "Eleven, tell us what happened."
"It was like this…"
Ender recounted how he discovered the Night Bird, then added his own observations.
"I don't know why, but that Night Bird was very persistent. It kept trying to attack Little Eighteen and Nineteen, even ignoring my attacks."
"Indeed, it's strange." Hollu, who managed the Family, listened and pondered carefully, then turned and asked, "Sixth Brother, have the Thunder Eagles in the Family returned?"
"I just checked; they haven't returned."
Derrick spoke up, "They probably won't come back. Since that Planetary Level Night Bird could enter the Family's station silently, those Thunder Eagles are likely gone."
Hearing this, Hollu said, "Recently, keep the little ones from going out."
"Also, I've already informed Father about this. When Father returns, your reward, Eleven, will certainly not be small."
Ender didn't care about the reward Hollu mentioned; Little Eighteen and Nineteen's safety was his greatest reward.
"Hmm?"
Hollu raised his left arm, and his right hand tapped the black communicator on his left wrist, causing a light screen to appear.
"Father's email."
After seeing the sender, he tapped the light screen again, and the email opened.
After reading the email, Hollu frowned deeply, then forwarded the email to his brothers who were not present before saying in a deep voice, "Something has happened!"