Chapter 19

Chapter 19

Lorant took a moment to rest as Silem entered the room with freshly processed beast meat.

Lorant decided to use whole crystals, crushed and mixed into the beast meat, creating two large pots of what he called 'canned meat.'

The 'canned meat,' named by Lorant, didn't look very appealing but combined the functionality of a staple food with the deliciousness of jerky.

Previously, when funds were tight, the dog food they made was a simplified and portable version of this 'canned meat.'

Lorant thoroughly ground the beast meat using the 'crushing spell' in the kitchen, then mixed it with powdered crystals of two different attributes.

He cooked the minced meat over a low flame, let it cool on the side, and then mixed it with well-roasted wheat flour.

Finally, he poured the processed plant beast juice into the cooled minced meat and reheated it.

At this point, a large pot of unappealing-looking meat paste was ready.

If he wanted to preserve it for a long time, he would need to dry it over high heat to turn it into 'dog food.'

Lorant carried the large pot of meat paste to the side to cool. Although it didn't look very appetizing, the group of creatures outside, making soft whining noises, proved its irresistible appeal.

Seeing that it was almost feeding time, Lorant filled twelve small bowls with the fresh canned meat.

As soon as he opened the back door, a bunch of fluffy tails all sat obediently together, their bright eyes following Lorant's movements eagerly, pawing impatiently.

Even though they were eager, their owner had taught them to be polite before eating!

"Woof!"

Lorant pushed through the restless little creatures with his legs, carrying the bowls for Little Yi and Little Er.

Although they sat obediently, they blocked the space where the bowls should be placed.

Lorant had to push them aside to place the bowls on the wooden stand.

"Mr. William, could you help me move these little guys out of the way while I set up their bowls?" Lorant struggled, noticing that the usually well-behaved creatures were entranced by the new food today, refusing to budge.

William watched the creatures waiting politely for their meal and nodded at Lorant's request: "Place the bowls? That's simple, right on those indented shelves by the door?"

"Yes, Mr. William. The bowls have corresponding numbers; please place them in order. The kids know their own bowls and will get upset if they're mixed up," Lorant said happily, seeing William's willingness to help.

William nodded but did not take the bowls Lorant offered. Instead, he raised his hand, and the bowls floated out of the room, automatically settling into their designated spots.

Lorant felt the bowls he was holding start to float upward. He cautiously opened his palm and saw the two bowls follow the ten others, automatically landing in their correct positions.

"Did you make this yourself?" William bent down, intrigued, dipping his finger into the canned meat. A small magical array appeared on his fingertip.

"Twelve types of beast meat, seventy-eight plant beasts, crystals, and minerals. Hmm, complex ingredients."

A small array appeared above William's right eye, seemingly looking at something Lorant couldn't see in the air.

"Why did you choose these ingredients, Lorant?" William asked, still focused on the air, glancing briefly at Lorant.

"Oh, I developed this myself," Lorant said without blushing. "You know, I'm half an alchemist. When I didn't have the resources, I made a simpler version of dog food. This is the improved version."

He wasn't really an alchemist; although he had some talent, he didn't even know the formula for a common cold potion, except for some 'catalytic potions' whose effects were unspeakable.

"I must say, you've done well." William nodded, acknowledging something in the air. "Based on the blood analysis I did yesterday, this mixture is indeed suitable for them."

"Blood analysis?" Lorant looked up sharply. "When did you take blood samples?"

"Hey, relax. Yesterday, I took a bit of blood from these charming little guys and tested it with blood magic," William said nonchalantly.

He pointed at Little Wu, who was eating intently: "From this one, on its right front paw."

Lorant glanced at William, then grabbed Little Wu's front paw and examined it carefully. There was no sign of any wound or even a pinprick.

Lorant pressed the paw all around, relieved to see that Little Wu showed no signs of discomfort.

Little Wu looked at Lorant blankly, then immediately dove back into its bowl, eating faster.

Hurry! If you don't eat quickly, others will finish and come to snatch your food!

After checking Little Wu and confirming it was unharmed, Lorant sighed in relief but still gathered the courage to speak to William: "Mr. William, if possible, please inform me before conducting experiments."

"Oh, sorry, little guy. I'll remember next time," William said without any real remorse.

Lorant was helpless. In this world, the strong ruled, and those with power had the final say.

As a great mage, William could easily obliterate Lorant with a single spell. It was already a courtesy that he maintained a polite facade.

Though Jaina had said Lorant could supervise William's experiments, Lorant knew his place. All he could do was suggest and hope William would accept.

"By the way, I'll create an extremely cold area and a lava floor to test these little guys' temperature tolerance," William said, quickly changing the subject.

"Can you designate an area for me? Or I can find a spot outside. There should be empty land around the outpost," William asked.

Lorant's eyes lit up. He had always been curious about the fifth skill of the Luli Bingyan Dogs, the passive 'Endurance,' which referred to 'extremely high tolerance.'

Lorant nodded in agreement: "Sure, Mr. William. I'll designate an area in the backyard for you to place the regions you mentioned."

Lorant said enthusiastically, "The large, separate area in the back yard, near the town, is all yours to use."

"You can use that area freely, but you must ensure our safety."

"Of course," William nodded without hesitation.

Lorant continued, "If possible, I would even hope that you could permanently retain the magical scene you want to create in the back yard."

Lorant had a good idea. If the venue William created could demonstrate the "patience" of the Lapis Ice Flame Dogs, keeping this area in the back yard would effectively showcase it clearly to future guests.

However, William shook his head. "To make it permanent would be difficult. It involves very advanced array knowledge, which I am not specialized in."

Lorant was somewhat disappointed, but William's next words rekindled his hope.

"However, after a successful test, I can set up a device activated by crystals for you."

"The magic array will suppress itself when not activated, revealing its true form only when turned on."

"This will reduce the maintenance costs of the crystals and extend the lifespan of the array. If you use it for ten minutes a day, it should last about a year."

Lorant was delighted. "Oh, of course, that's perfect."

Although he didn't get a permanent array, this result exceeded Lorant's expectations.

He began to see letting William have free access to the Animal Pet Shop as a good thing.

Lorant led William to the largest plot of land currently separated by a stream in the back yard.

Standing beside William, Lorant asked, "Mr. William, do you think this place is big enough?"

"It's acceptable. Although the ground isn't level, it's still manageable." William looked around critically and reluctantly agreed.

"Step back, little one, I'm about to start." Having chosen the spot, William rolled up his sleeves and raised his staff, getting into position.

Lorant took two steps back onto the small bridge over the stream, watching as William muttered strange incantations and drew peculiar arcs in the air with his staff.

After about five minutes, William's left hand pulled out a strand of 'Frigid Air' wrapped in ice from the air, while his right hand slowly gathered fire elements, eventually forming a tiny flame in his palm.

With him at the center, two opposite elements began to spread outward, one to each side.

As the magic swept over, the original ground began to change slowly. Thick clouds appeared in the sky on the left, first dropping small snowflakes, then turning into swirling ice shards.

On the right, the ground seemed to melt under intense heat,

Standing directly behind William, Lorant felt his left side being warmed by flames while his right side froze due to the falling ice shards.

He turned around to balance the temperature on both sides.

Unlike this weak human, the Lapis Ice Flame Dogs beside Lorant were unaffected by the scattered temperatures in the air. They sat curiously by Lorant's legs, watching everything unfold.

Hidden dangers of magma beneath the ground, snowflakes and layers of ice shards falling from the sky.

Ice and fire, reality and magic, together formed an extraordinary sight rarely seen in everyday life.