Chapter 91

Chapter 91

The Beast Tower, this ancient and mysterious Mage Tower, does not refer to the few comically crooked buildings that outsiders see.

Unlike other towers that reach towards the clouds, this is a tower that delves deep into the earth.

This construction method was initially adopted to fulfill the mission of studying beasts.

Because it houses countless beasts, only by being built deep underground could the safety of the Beast Tower be assured to a level that would put others at ease.

Even though Liszt had described the Beast Tower as having fallen into disrepair, its grandeur remained unchanged from its glory days.

Apart from the impressive structure itself, many facilities within the Beast Tower remain astonishingly advanced even by today's standards.

Lorant and Jacqueline entered the small space enclosed by crystal panels in the hall, and Lorant was surprised to discover that it was actually a mini teleportation array.

One simply needed to step inside, select the desired floor, and the teleportation array would automatically take them there.

Lorant couldn't help but marvel once again at the convenience of magic and the creativity of mages.

They had even managed to create a magical version of an elevator.

The second floor of the Beast Tower houses the current nine members, while the third floor serves as a communal lounge.

From the fourth to the seventh floors, each pair of members shares a research laboratory.

The eighth floor is Jacqueline's private research laboratory.

Each floor of the Beast Tower is surprisingly spacious; Lorant, upon casually inspecting Jacqueline's laboratory on the eighth floor, estimated that one floor alone was about two to three times the size of his own small town.

Considering the desolate surroundings, with their own pastures above ground, they could expand underground as much as they wished.

Moreover, during its peak, the Beast Tower housed over a thousand research mages.

A tower capable of accommodating so many people now serves only nine, naturally making it incredibly spacious.

Starting from the ninth floor, the Beast Tower boasts its proudest achievement.

Here, countless generations of Beast Tower mages have imprisoned various beasts.

The deeper one goes, the higher the level of the beasts.

"At the very bottom, there is a Level 13 beast," Jacqueline proudly explained as she led Lorant through the beast cages. "It was captured by my predecessor and remains the only Level 13 beast ever caught alive."

The higher the level of a beast, the more difficult it is to capture.

And the difficulty increases exponentially.

For example, a dual-classed Knight like Lancelot at Level 7 could easily capture a Level 7 vampire stilt spider, but when he reached Level 8, he might not be able to handle a Level 8 beast.

To capture a Level 13 beast alive, it would conservatively require several mages at Levels 14 or 15 working together.

That's almost half the top-tier power of the Congress of Magic.

Lorant's amazed reaction perfectly satisfied Jacqueline's desire to show off.

It wasn't pleasant to have such treasures hidden away without anyone appreciating them.

"Aunt Jacqueline," Lorant, looking around at the caged beasts, could no longer contain his curiosity. "If the Beast Tower has been imprisoning almost all the beasts for so long, shouldn't they have thoroughly studied them by now?"

Jacqueline nodded. "Of course!"

"But, the _Comprehensive Guide to Beasts_ should have been published by the Beast Tower, right?" Lorant hesitated, feeling like he might be treading on thin ice.

"That book seems to have many inaccuracies..."

Jacqueline was taken aback at first, then realized what he meant and burst out laughing. "Little guy, you must have bought the version aimed at the general public, where many traits and behaviors have been modified."

"There is another version used in the training programs of the Knights Academy and the Congress of Magic. That version omits unnecessary content and focuses solely on how to effectively kill beasts."

"That version contains the real information."

"As for more detailed content, it wouldn't be released easily."

Lorant suddenly understood. The books he had borrowed from the library were intentionally released false versions by the Beast Tower.

He had also read the book issued by Silem Academy, but the information contained therein was useless to Lorant, as the simulator could not replicate it.

He did not want to personally deal with those beasts; he just wanted to understand them better to facilitate breeding.

This was precisely why the Beast Tower had modified its _Comprehensive Guide to Beasts_, releasing multiple false versions, to prevent other mages from engaging in similar activities.

Jacqueline explained, "There was a time when people were quite enthusiastic about 'artificial beasts.'"

"Initially, it was the Beast Tower that created the first artificial beast. At the time, we thought it was the right direction, believing that if we persisted, we would eventually create something different from natural beasts."

"However, as more and more artificially created monsters emerged, some even escaped into the wild and became new, more formidable beasts, we still failed to achieve our goal."

"Even so, the Congress of Magic did not consider it necessary to ban this practice. We believed it was the right path, and success would come if we persevered."

"Eventually, everyone knows what happened. It took us nearly a thousand years to prove that artificial beasts were a completely wrong approach, and the Beast Tower gradually declined amid public opposition."

"Outside the Beast Tower, more uncontrollable artificial beasts continued to proliferate in various corners."

"It was during the tenure of the fifth head of the Beast Tower that he chose to acknowledge the mistake and attempted to rectify the errors made by himself and his predecessors."

"The Beast Tower destroyed all externally distributed information about beasts and went to great lengths to seal this information."

"These valuable insights, accumulated over generations of researchers, once sealed, led to a sharp decline in the number of artificial beasts outside."

"This is an effective measure. So even now, although very few people continue to research artificial beasts, the information embargo on beasts hasn't changed."

Lorant nodded; he could understand the decision made by the Beast Tower's leaders of that time.

During the time he had run the Animal Pet Shop, Lorant had thoroughly investigated the sensational 'artificial beast' incident from back then.

Countless lives were lost in that era, families were torn apart.

The new beasts caused immense panic, and professionals took a wrong path at the cost of countless lives and blood.

"I understand, Aunt Jacqueline. So, these detailed records are available within the Beast Tower, right?"

Jacqueline nodded: "That's correct. These data are stored within the Beast Tower, and you can access them freely."

Lorant felt a surge of joy, visibly elated.

The two were on their way to the Level Four beast area. When Jacqueline offered to take Lorant to visit the core beast zone of the Beast Tower, he asked if they had any "Swamp Sludge" beasts.

These beasts were only Level Four but were rare, hard to detect, and had exceptional escape abilities.

But the Beast Tower lived up to its name, as even such beasts were kept inside.

Lorant felt another wave of joy.

His breeding line for the "Devouring Frog" was missing just this one type of beast.

Lorant proposed borrowing the "Swamp Sludge" to try out his new breeding idea, and without hesitation, Jacqueline agreed.

"No problem, child. All resources within the Beast Tower are open to you," the young woman said with an air of authority.

Outside the beast cage, she quickly prepared the beast for Lorant.

Apart from the areas where beasts were confined, the Beast Tower also housed numerous laboratories built over the years for various experiments.

This trip had truly broadened Lorant's horizons.

Walking through the Beast Tower, he felt every inch of it suited him perfectly, everything he needed was there.

"If only I had a place like this," Lorant's face was filled with undisguised envy as he gently stroked the walls of the sterilization room before reluctantly leaving.

His expression suggested he wanted to move all these laboratories back to his own home.

Jacqueline was delighted: "If you like it, come often! Your Animal Pet Shop should have a teleportation array, right? I'll have the Cavendish boy connect this place to your shop. Come whenever you want!"

"And coincidentally, most of the labs on my floor are empty. You can do whatever you want here!"

Jacqueline now seemed like an old fox eyeing a tender, juicy chick.

She wanted to lure Lorant to the Beast Tower, ideally to stay and focus solely on experiments, never leaving. That would suit her perfectly.

Now, Lorant was the apple of Jacqueline's eye, and she would grant him anything he wanted.

Seeing the unhidden affection in her eyes, Lorant felt a bit embarrassed.

"Of course, thank you."

After finishing their tour, they returned to the luxurious lounge on the third floor.

Comfortable sofas, top-tier equipment, a cabinet full of high-end wine—everything was provided.

It was clear that these great mages did not neglect their own comfort.

Lorant sipped the juice Jacqueline handed him, his obedient demeanor softening the heart of the old mage across from him.

"Aunt Jacqueline, are you currently researching the breeding of beast pets?"

Sipping his juice, Lorant brought up the topic that Jacqueline had been avoiding.

He knew his worth and understood that he wasn't the protagonist of a Mary Sue novel, where strangers would bare their hearts after a few words, eager to shower him with all their treasures.

As a representative of the Beast Tower, Jacqueline's kindness toward him indicated that he held significant value to them.

And he knew exactly what that value was.

Seeing Lorant bring up the topic himself, Jacqueline didn't deny it. She nodded: "Yes, ever since we learned that beast pets are real, we've restarted our research."

"So, has the Beast Tower made any progress?" Lorant tilted his head, curiously looking at the mage who might be the most knowledgeable about beasts in the world.

He wondered if beast pets could be discovered without his guidebook.

Hearing this, Jacqueline sighed, her radiant golden hair seeming to dim.

"No, honestly, we feel like we're back in the artificial beast period. When you came in, you must have seen Robert and Wade—they were dealing with a batch of meaningless artificial beasts."

Lorant recalled the two mages covered in blood and understood why they looked that way.

It seemed the Beast Tower had failed many times with artificial beasts recently.

Jacqueline no longer hid the truth: "We compiled all the raw materials acquired by the Animal Pet Shop and tried to reconstruct your breeding method, but so far, we haven't succeeded."

Jacqueline glanced at Lorant's expression, knowing this wasn't a proud admission.

In a sense, it was stealing Lorant's achievements.

She worried that Lorant might hold a grudge, affecting their cooperation.

However, Lorant's expression remained unchanged.

Indeed, Lorant wasn't particularly upset. From seeing the pile of Slimes at the entrance, he knew what the Mage Tower was doing.

Seeing Jacqueline admit so readily actually relieved him.

"Uncle Jacqueline, this kind of thing isn't something to be proud of, is it!" Lorant raised an eyebrow, taking the upper hand in the conversation and adopting a confrontational stance.

Jacqueline cooperated by showing a hint of guilt, making the young one feel he had the advantage in the conversation, which helped him relax.

"That's true. Although you've already joined the Beast Tower, we're still willing to compensate you for our previous actions." Jacqueline looked sincerely at Lorant, her face full of remorse, waiting for him to state his terms.

Lorant thought for a moment and nodded. "Alright, let's keep that compensation on hold until I decide what I want."

"No problem."

"Then, Uncle Jacqueline, could you show me your laboratory? I'd like to see how far you've progressed."

Hearing Lorant's tone suggesting he might offer some guidance, Jacqueline stood up excitedly, ignoring everything else.

"Sure, let's go now!"

The research into the simulated breeding of Slime animal pets was conducted on the fourth floor of the Beast Tower.

Lorant saw countless plant-type beasts that had entered the Animal Pet Shop neatly categorized and arranged.

Moreover, because many of the potions had been tested by William, their contents were confirmed, leaving only the dosages to be determined.

Thus, Lorant saw that the Beast Tower had already produced the 'Anesthetic', 'Crystal Ice Flame Dog Special Nutrient Solution', and 'Universal Nutrient Solution' he initially used.

Lorant picked up each bottle, sniffed them lightly, and nodded.

"Yes, these are indeed the anesthetics and nutrient solutions I used for Level 1 beasts."

Jacqueline couldn't help but smile proudly. "Of course, we can deduce these formulas. Although the process was wasteful, we are confident that we have succeeded completely."

Lorant put down the bottle and turned to look at Jacqueline. "Uncle Jacqueline, I want to know if the Beast Tower is interested in all my breeding methods or something else?"

Jacqueline firmly shook her head. "Young one, don't misunderstand. The Beast Tower is not after your breeding methods. We are more interested in why you chose this particular path."

In other words, compared to ready-made results, the Beast Tower values the principles behind animal pet breeding.

Lorant nodded silently, finding such research-oriented mages fitting his expectations.

Compared to short-term gains, they should be more interested in uncovering the truths of the world.

Perhaps smoothness is unavoidable, but at least when facing the truths they seek, they should remain pure.

But this was precisely what Lorant couldn't tell them.

Lorant shook his head. "Sorry, Uncle Jacqueline. It's not that I want to keep secrets; I just don't know how to explain it. Those breeding methods... I don't understand the principles behind them. It's as if I suddenly had inspiration on how to proceed."

He was partly truthful—indeed, he didn't understand the principles—but the guide in his mind was the fabricated part.

The disappointment Lorant expected from Jacqueline did not appear on her face.

She seemed to have anticipated this, showing no surprise but rather relief. She stepped forward, floated in the air, and walked step by step to a position slightly taller than Lorant before gently patting his head.

"There's nothing strange about this, child. If you could explain the principles of animal pet birth fluently, I would find that odd."

"Throughout history, geniuses emerge."

"The genius who first created magical runes may not have understood the hidden aspects studied for centuries, but they created those marvelous texts."

"I won't say history is driven by individuals, but without geniuses, its progress would be delayed immensely."

"You are that genius, child!"

The teenage girl's face was filled with maternal kindness, and Lorant could only silently accept her misunderstanding.

Well, being a genius is better than explaining anything else.

Since she had provided him with an excuse, he had no reason not to go along with it.

"Uncle Jacqueline, I'm grateful for the Beast Tower's trust. As a member, there's little I can do."

Lorant looked up at Jacqueline, his eyes sincere.

"If I share the breeding method for the Slime animal pet, would it help your research?" Lorant asked, looking at Jacqueline like an innocent child.

Jacqueline's hand paused, and her floating body abruptly landed on the ground.

"Really? You mean it, Lorant? You're willing to share a breeding method with us?" Even after living for over two hundred years, Jacqueline couldn't hide her excitement.

Lorant nodded. He had considered this for a long time.

Firstly, the Slime animal pet was the one he wanted to promote most at this stage.

Only with enough numbers could they truly fulfill their value.

The current stagnation of the Slime farm was due to his sole involvement.

From breeding secondary beasts to preparing potions to final breeding, everything required significant time and effort. Lorant was already feeling overwhelmed.

He had considered entrusting the process to his brother or mother, but that would increase their risk.

Knowing too much was dangerous, and Lorant didn't want to expose his family to such risks.

Secondly, the breeding method for Slime animal pets was fundamentally different from most other animal pets, lacking even a hatchable egg!

Thus, it offered limited reference value for other breeds.

Even if everything the Beast Tower said today was a lie, Lorant didn't think he would lose much.

Almost all the genuine research materials on exotic beasts, plus the ability to use them freely, made Lorant feel that it was indeed worth the price.

Expecting him to bare his heart and soul at their first meeting was truly asking too much of Lorant.

"Of course, Aunt Jacqueline, I am willing to provide the entire breeding route for the Animal Pet Slime for research in the Beast Tower. I also look forward to the day when the secrets of animal pets are uncovered," Lorant said sincerely. "However, I have a small request."

"Go ahead!" Jacqueline was now quite excited. Even if Lorant had asked to use that Level 13 exotic beast, as long as it wasn't killed, she would have agreed without hesitation.

"Firstly, I hope that the Slime animal pets produced in the Beast Tower experiments can be purchased and recycled by the Slime House."

"Once the needs of the initial Slime Ranch are met, the Beast Tower may then choose whether to cooperate with the Animal Pet Shop to open a Slime Ranch."

Such a situation would essentially mean opening a Slime Ranch that Lorant wouldn't need to worry about, just waiting for the profits. Naturally, Lorant was more than happy with this arrangement.

Jacqueline had always been highly attentive to the Animal Pet Shop and knew exactly what conditions Lorant was referring to regarding the Slime Ranch.

She agreed without hesitation.

A Slime Ranch was a gold-making machine; this was a consensus among everyone.

The number of people wanting a share of the Slime animal pet market could circle the Congress of Magic!

Jacqueline couldn't think of any reason to refuse.

Moreover, Liszt hadn't misled Lorant; the Beast Tower was indeed in decline and was not financially well-off.

Therefore, such cooperation was nothing but beneficial for Jacqueline.

For Lorant, it was even more advantageous.

Both parties quickly reached an agreement and finalized the collaboration swiftly.