The Second Son of the Marquis Wants to Laze Around-Chapter 65: Level 5. Thunderclaw

"What happened?"

One of the knights asked in concern, seeing Raven rubbing

her eyes, wincing.

"There was a flash of light... it blinded me. It killed my monster. I didn’t even see it move."

Leon’s eyes narrowed. He was already starting to put the pieces together, figuring what kind of monster that attack her tamed-monster bird.

"That’s a level 5 monster," he said grimly.

The surrounding knights all reacted with surprise at his words. At that moment, Kristoff and the senior knights approached, overhearing the conversation.

"Are you certain?" Kristoff asked.

Leon nodded. "It’s the Thunderclaw—a level 5 beast that uses lightning elements."

Kristoff’s eyes widened. Although he was a high-ranking knight, he hadn’t encountered this particular monster before. Some of the other knights, however, were visibly more shocked.

"Wait... you mean the Thunderclaw?"

"Whoa. That’s my first time hearing about it."

"Are they really level 5?"

While the knights murmured among themselves, Kristoff turned to Leon with a more serious expression.

"How much do you know about this creature?"

"More than enough," Leon answered calmly. "I’ve encountered it before when I was part of an adventurer party. I barely survived."

Kristoff nodded, then addressed the rest of the group. "Does anyone else have experience or knowledge about this monster?"

The knights looked at each other for a moment before two raised their hands—one was a young man with short black hair, the other a woman with a neat brown ponytail.

Seeing this, Kristoff gave them a small smile and nodded. "Then, the two of you will share to everyone with Leon about the monster. Use this time to discuss a strategy on taking it down–"

"Capturing," a voice suddenly interrupted.

Everyone turned. Eren approached the group, his usual book in hand and a calm, unreadable expression on his face.

"Remember, your mission is to take it down and capture it—not kill it," he reminded them with a sharp gaze.

He tossed something toward Leon, who caught it instinctively. It was a golden magic scroll—the same kind Eren had previously shown to Commander Gareth and Kristoff.

Then Eren turned and handed another scroll to Kristoff. This one shimmered with a deep purple hue.

As Kristoff unrolled it and read its contents, his eyes widened in shock. The knights around him also peeked over his shoulder, their faces quickly mirroring his astonishment.

Eren then turned his attention back to Leon and the junior knights. "You have three minutes to come up with a plan," he ordered.

Finally, his cold lazy gaze shifted to Raven, who flinched slightly under the weight of his stare.

"In the meantime," he said, "keep your eyes on the cat—and wait for the right moment to lure it."

.....

Three minutes had passed, and the preparations were complete. The knights swiftly took their positions, hiding behind trees, rocks, and bushes, while Leon and ten of his teammates were also ready hiding in different spot, drinking all the buff potions.

Leon turned to glance at Raven, Kristoff, the young master, and the senior knights who stood farther behind. Giving them a sharp nod, he said confidently,

"We’re ready."

Kristoff nodded back and shifted his gaze to Raven, who was fully focused, her senses merged with her bird monster’s vision through her Skill, as she scouted their target.

"Mrs. Raven?" Kristoff called out.

"I’m on it," Raven replied, her voice calm but tense. She immediately began maneuvering her tamed monsters, commanding them to attack the Thunderclaw and lure it toward where they are.

— RAAAA!

An angry roar tore through the air, so loud it shook the trees slightly.

"It’s coming!" Raven shouted, sweat dripping from her brow as she concentrated hard. Half of her tamed monsters had already been wiped out, leaving only five survivors darting frantically through the air.

...

Meanwhile, deep within the woods, the Thunderclaw Lion roared in rage as it chased the infuriating flock of bird monsters disturbing its slumber.

When it had first sensed the presence of one bird, the Lion had immediately reacted, striking it down with a bolt of lightning. Thinking the annoyance over, it had curled back up for another nap—only to be bombarded again by even more of the irritating pests!

The Lion’s golden fur bristled with electricity as it swung its massive paws at the buzzing intruders. Though none of the birds could harm it, their constant fluttering and sharp cries grated on its nerves like a thousand mosquitoes scratching at its ears.

— ROAAAR!

— Splash!

With a swipe and a flash of electricity, it struck down four more of the bothersome creatures. Only one desperate bird remained, frantically fleeing for its life as it zipped across the trees.

The Thunderclaw’s entire body crackled as its speed increased, electricity surging through its limbs. With a murderous gleam in its eyes, it lunged forward, its mouth opening wide to bite down and end the final annoyance—

— BOOM!

Suddenly, a volley of magic attacks rained down! Explosions erupted around the beast, forcing it to leap sideways just in time. Its sharp instincts screamed of danger, and its body tensed as it scanned its surroundings, realizing it had been drawn into a trap.

Emerging from their hiding spots, all the knights revealed themselves at once, surrounding the Thunderclaw in a tightening circle.

The monster growled, its muscles coiling for a counterattack. Despite being outnumbered, it did not feel threatened—each knight’s strength was far beneath its own.

— Vooon!

Just then, something unexpected happened. A giant purple dome-like barrier materialized around them, sealing the battlefield within its shimmering walls.

...

...

One minute earlier...

Kristoff had been struggling with the magic scroll Eren had handed him. The scroll contained a powerful spell capable of trapping any target inside a massive, soundproof dome for an entire hour—essential for keeping the Thunderclaw from escaping once the battle began.

However, Kristoff had never seen such a high-grade item before, let alone used one. He frowned as he fiddled with it.

"You need to pour your mana into it," one of the senior knights explained, watching with a chuckle as Kristoff looked utterly clueless.

"Like...this?" Kristoff asked, concentrating as he pressed his mana into the scroll.

— Vooon!

The scroll lit up brilliantly, and a small purple magic circle floated above his right hand, spinning slowly like a hologram.

Kristoff’s eyes sparkled with amazement, like a child seeing magic for the first time.

"Whoa! That’s so cool! What do I do next?" he asked eagerly, grinning ear to ear.

One of his comrades couldn’t help but laugh.

"You have to aim at the target and release the spell."

As they quickly explained the next steps, a loud cry rang out.

"It’s here!" Raven’s voice snapped everyone’s attention toward the trees.

In the distance, her final bird monster flew frantically, with the massive Thunderclaw charging right behind it, electricity crackling along its body.

"Now!" Leon shouted.

Five knights immediately launched their magic attacks, aiming carefully. The Thunderclaw dodged most of the spells with surprising agility, but the knights succeeded in forcing it toward the very center of the trap zone.

Now that it was closer, they could finally get a clear look at it,

A monstrous lion, easily three times larger than any lion on Earth, its body wrapped in shining golden fur that crackled with electricity. Sparks danced along its powerful frame, and its tail, shaped unmistakably like a lightning bolt, twitched with lethal energy. Its eyes glowed a fierce, wild blue, burning with primal power.

As the junior knights sprang from their hiding spots, Kristoff, fueled by determination, and a bit of panic, opened his right palm, pointing it at the Thunderclaw. Following his friends’ instructions to the letter, he activated the spell.

An invisible energy shot forward and struck the beast without it even noticing. Instantly, a massive magic circle appeared under the Thunderclaw’s feet, and the dome barrier solidified, sealing the battlefield within a 20 meter radius.

"Prepare for battle!" Leon’s voice boomed across the field.

The knights all drew their weapons and began chanting their spells, their faces serious and focused. This was their first battle against a true level 5 monster—an opponent leagues above anything they had ever faced before.

Except for Leon, who had already survived such a deadly encounter once before.

— ROOOOOOAR!

With a thunderous roar that echoed like a lightning strike splitting the sky, the Thunderclaw’s eyes burned with fury. Sparks exploded around its body as the fierce battle officially began.

....

....

Kristoff, along with the other senior knights and Raven, watched the battle unfold before them in silence, their faces complicated with worry and tension. It had been two hours since the battle started, and the junior knights were still struggling to take the Thunderclaw down—it was simply too strong.

None of them attempted to intervene, as it was the knights’ mission to handle the monster alone.

–Blast!

–Arghhh!

The Thunderclaw released an electric strike blast from its mouth, hitting five knights and sending their bodies flying toward the edges of the dome. Fortunately, three knights who had been stationed outside quickly moved in, casting healing magic and administering potions to stabilize the injured.

Although the team was constantly being beaten down by the level 5 monster, thanks to Leon’s strategic planning, no one had died or suffered fatal injuries yet. The purple dome surrounding them played a big part in that.

It turned out that the magic scroll Eren had given them not only trapped the monster but also contained its attacks within the dome. Those who were injured would be blasted outside the fighting area but remain outside the dome’s safety zone, allowing the standby healers to quickly treat them. Once they were healed, the knights would return to battle again.

"They’re doing good," Raven said quietly, her voice finally breaking the heavy silence.