Silver-Ranked Sterling Bulls

[Moonlit Starhorn Cow: Daily intake of this silver-ranked cow's milk for a week would increase a person's strength by 100 catties. Reduces with continuous consumption.] 

Asher's eyes glowed. Free hundred catties just by drinking milk! 

His twinkling eyes veered toward the cattle, and without a second thought, he fused them all, reducing their numbers to 507. He spared the last one because it had no partner to fuse with. Seeing 500 tall mystical cows suddenly appear in place of their ordinary cows, the herders were enveloped with shock.

One could easily fit an egg in their open mouths.

They looked at their thin canes and the size of the cows and were dumbfounded. Had their lord just transformed their cattle into beasts?

Moonlit Starhorn were famous for their milk and meat, which could attract the attention of nobles and big merchant guilds like a magnet to metals.

But, they were fearsome wild beasts that moved in great numbers, and only a few succeeded in rearing them domestically. 

"Milord, won't these beasts escape?" A herder asked out of fear. He couldn't even muster the courage to threaten the mooing cows with his staff.

"They won't." Asher had faith in the upgrade process. It was done in a way that those who underwent the upgrade, man or beast, would know who had caused it. 

In a way, it increased their loyalty. 

While humans had complex minds and could still betray, it was different for beasts. Their simple minds made them easily loyal and submissive to Asher.

"I would like to taste their milk for lunch." 

The herders who were able to caress the Moonlit Starhorn cows after discovering they were shockingly more docile than the ones that had before nodded with big smiles. 

"Oh yes, I would love to have that one as meat. I haven't eaten meat to my satisfaction for years." Although Asher's soul entered this body recently, he still felt the same craving the dead Asher had. After all, it was still the same body, and the body craved meat. 

Everyone looked at where Asher pointed, and there they saw the cow that wasn't merged. 

Why did it look like that cow was the fattest amongst the ordinary ones? 

Kelvin looked at Asher meaningfully.

After leaving the side of the cattle, Asher went over to a fenced place where there were about 100 bulls. 

[These bulls are too weak to mate with the cattle. Would you like to produce ten powerful bulls that would be able to subdue all 507 Moonlit Starhorn Cattle? Yes or No?]

Asher's eyes widened. 

'So you can say something other than the normal upgrade information!'

[Yes. But I prefer being silent.] 

Asher could sense hints of pride in the system's female voice, but there was still restraint laced in her tone. It went to show that he was also the master in their relationship. This conclusion brought his heart to rest. 

He didn't want to be lord over his people and a slave to a system.

A lord wasn't meant to be a slave to anything! 

'Upgrade the bulls.'

Swoosh! 

The hundred bulls were smashed together, and the result was 10 six-foot-tall, muscular bulls. Their skins were silverish-white, and their horns grew bigger and longer. From domestic livestock, they transformed into imposing wild beasts!

[Sterling Bull: A territorial beast that is 10 times stronger than ordinary bulls.]

Upon seeing these fearsome beasts coming toward Asher, Kelvin swiftly stood in front of him, drew his sword from the leather scabbard, and pointed it toward the beasts, but they still proceeded without a shred of fear.

Each of them was in the silver rank, so one more silver-ranked swordsman whose aura was still shaky wasn't enough to frighten them. However, they could also sense that Asher, who was smaller, was also a silver-ranked warrior, and his aura was hidden but terrifying.

When they arrived, Asher swiftly pulled Kelvin behind him and stretched his hand out. Instantaneously, the bulls screeched to a halt and lowered their heads. 

"They were just coming to pay respects, Kelvin." He smiled.

....

By the time the sun rose to its peak, Asher finished his tour and returned to the stone castle. This castle was a disgrace to a noble, but he had to make sure the town was dealt with. He had hopes that in a month's time there would be enough corn to feed people because he had fused all the maize seeds in the town and asked more people to go farm, promising them meat.

More herders were hired to take care of the cattle and bulls, and they were also anticipating meat tonight. Without money, Asher could only resort to this method to make people work.

Kelvin pushed the doors to the sacred hall open, and Asher walked in. He first spotted Sirius. The sound of the door woke Sirius up. Its ears twitched, and it lazily opened its eyes.

When it saw Asher, it went back to sleeping. 

Asher sat on his wooden chair and faced Kelvin, who eyed Sirius. The beast was growing into a behemoth, and right now, the castle was too small for it. They would have to start rebuilding, as Ashbournes do not sit without their pet beasts.

It was some kind of unspoken ritual.

"Milord, you should go visit your ancestral library while I tend to your meals." 

Asher nodded, and Kelvin left. 

Some time later, as he kept staring into nothing, the emotions from Lia's betrayal began to flood in. It also came with another concern the owner of this body. He was also betrothed to Liya, the golden-haired Elf Lady he designed after the likeness of his girlfriend.

When they saw the innate talent young Asher Ashbourne had, Count Tigris quickly betrothed his daughter, who was 5 years older to him. 

Young Asher had already begun to nurture fantasies of marrying the beautiful Liya before his awakening crashed everything. 

The twelve years of pain gnawed at Asher Ashbourne's heart until he died and earth Asher took over. 

"Heh…" A chuckle laden with self-mockery left his lips. 

"Women." He gripped the armrest of his chair tightly. He got to his feet and left for the library so as not to drown in his thoughts.