Chapter 105

Chapter 105

Tom had no choice but to order another glass of red wine for him.

"Hurry up and tell us!" Claire slammed the glass on the table, clearly annoyed. "You've learned to keep us in suspense now!"

Nuo Yi chuckled and pulled out a leaf of paper. "Dream Weaver! The name of that beast pet is Dream Weaver!"

"This is the Animal Pet Shop's 'Dream Weaver Handbook.' Do you know what a handbook is? A handbook is..." Before he could finish, Claire interrupted him, snatching the handbook from his hand.

"Stop rambling! Do we look like we don't know what a handbook is? We've seen so many today..." Claire muttered under her breath, thinking he was treating them like fools. Asking if they knew what a handbook was!

Handbooks for the Crystal Ice Flame Dog, the Wind-Breaking Horse, the Flower-Spitting Root, and the Bamboo Lantern! She had seen all sizes today, from palm-sized to as tall as a person!

However, before she could finish speaking, she was stunned by the words she read, her voice trailing off until she was reading intently with a tight-lipped expression.

Tom, who was leaning over to read the handbook with her, had the same reaction.

As they continued reading, their expressions grew increasingly serious, shifting from relaxed to solemn and then to surprise, finally looking up at Nuo Yi with doubt.

"Nuo Yi, are you trying to fool us?" Tom asked tentatively.

Given their relationship, playing small jokes on each other was common, but if Nuo Yi had gone through the trouble of creating such an incredibly realistic fake handbook just to trick them, Tom felt he would definitely repay his good friend with a beating.

Nuo Yi looked satisfied at their reactions.

Sigh, foolish people! How could they not believe this?

But then again, geniuses like himself were rare. He had immediately believed it was real without a second of doubt!

Nuo Yi conveniently forgot how shocked and disbelieving he had been earlier at the Animal Pet Shop.

"Hmph!" He raised his head arrogantly, nose in the air. "Believe it or not, I've already warned you. It's your problem now!"

"But let me add one more thing: there are only about a thousand Dream Weavers available at the Animal Pet Shop right now. If you act fast, you can still get one. If you're even a step late... hehe."

"You know about the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, right? I went there to reserve one, but my place in line is now over a year and a half away!" Nuo Yi said, sounding rather disgruntled.

Everyone had said nine months, but who knew it would keep getting pushed further back. Today, he was told that, barring any unexpected delays, he would have to wait a year and a half.

Claire and Tom exchanged glances.

If the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs had such long waiting times, missing out on the current batch of Dream Weavers could mean an indefinite wait!

"And besides, these beast pets aren't just useful for us; they work for those priests too!" Nuo Yi added fuel to the fire.

Claire couldn't resist the temptation and couldn't sit still anymore. Even a fool could see the importance of these beast pets, especially since they were limited in number! Missing out now meant not knowing when the next chance would come!

Humans have no resistance to 'limited' or 'exclusive' items. Something not entirely necessary becomes a must-have once they know it's only available now.

From ancient times to the present, from ordinary people to professionals, the 'scarcity effect' has always worked wonders.

Especially since these were essential for magic users.

Nuo Yi mentioned that these little creatures were also useful for priests. If they acted too late, the priests might snatch them all!

Those guys were always so annoying!

Suddenly, a thought struck Claire. "Nuo Yi! Can we see your Dream Weaver?"

Nuo Yi instinctively refused. "No! My little guy just arrived..."

As soon as he spoke, he realized he had fallen into his friend's trap. Seeing the joy in their eyes, he gave up on keeping them in suspense and shook his head helplessly. "Fine, fine! My Dream Weaver is in my house. This little guy is relatively fragile, so you can only see it from the doorway..."

"No problem, no problem!" Tom nodded eagerly, afraid Nuo Yi might change his mind, while feeling a surge of excitement inside.

This proved that the Dream Weavers were real! As he had said, if these beast pets were real, Nuo Yi would definitely bring one back!

Indeed!

Nuo Yi had initially wanted to tease his friends more, but seeing their eager faces, he knew he would be the one getting beaten if he continued.

Two against one, he didn't stand a chance.

After Nuo Yi reluctantly led them to see the Dream Weaver nestled in its soft bed, munching happily on a piece of specialized beast pet snack, Claire and Tom were transfixed.

They weren't even upset when Nuo Yi ushered them out of the house, instead bombarding him with questions.

"Nuo Yi! Is everything in the handbook true?"

"Have you experienced it?"

"Can it really increase mental power?"

"Are you sure it only requires sleeping?"

Nuo Yi relished the sudden attention, puffing up with pride. "Of course! Who am I? I experienced it at the Animal Pet Shop, so I'm certain!"

"If it wasn't useful, would I spend so much money on it?"

"Are you two doubting me..."

Nuo Yi was shaking his head, gloating, when he suddenly realized his two friends had silently slipped away.

Nuo Yi: "…"

Sigh, never mind. It's not their fault; they just haven't seen it before!

I should go back and continue to bond with my Dream Weaver! What should I name it?

Mengmeng? Bai Bai?

...

Such scenes were happening in various corners of Sakuren.

Some mages like Nuo Yi, who usually worked alone, naturally only informed a few close friends.

But some mages were different.

Some were semi-core members of a Mage Tower, perhaps with their mentors being core members themselves.

Others were part of peculiar groups like the Rain Spell Research Team.

Many of these people weren't voluntarily waiting outside the Animal Pet Shop; they were sent by their organizations after the selection trials to gather information.

And now, not only had they learned about the Crystal Ice Flame Dogs, but they had also exceeded their mission by bringing back news of the Dream Weavers.

Some members of smaller organizations were already gathering their few comrades to share the information.

Most likely, as soon as they raised enough funds, they would all appear at the entrance of the Animal Pet Shop tomorrow morning.

Members of larger organizations, on the other hand, were reporting to several high-ranking figures they had never met before, who were brought to the upper levels of the Mage Tower for decision-making.

For example, a member of the Evocation School was watching his Dream Weaver being passed around among the elders, feeling heartbroken.

"Where is that old William?" An elderly woman in a red dress carefully handed her tiny Dream Weaver to the next curious mage, then turned from her gentle demeanor to an angry shout.

She was one of the seventeen great elders of the Evocation School, a peer of William.

The Evocation School was a powerful school within the current magical community, with seventeen elders above level ten stationed there.

Each of these seventeen elders had their own Mage Tower, but when important matters arose, they would be summoned to the oldest central tower of the Evocation School for discussions.

Usually, only one or two elders would be present in the central tower.

Once a matter requiring discussion arose, the authority elder would be notified immediately to decide how many elders needed to participate in the discussion.

"He has been summoned," said a calm middle-aged man sitting to the left of the elderly woman, flipping a page in his book gently. "Don't be so impatient, Ma Peier. You'll make the children laugh."

This middle-aged man, Quinton, was currently the strongest elder of the Evocation School and the authority elder of this generation.

Only he could handle Ma Peier, the great mage. Otherwise, no other mages could match her in either seniority or strength, leaving them to endure her temper.

For example, the 'child' he referred to, a level five mage, was trembling nearby.

He wished he could bury his head in the ground and avoid any mention.

Of course, if he could get his Dream Weaver back and leave, that would be best.

Knowing there would be news about the Animal Pets today, Quinton had stayed in the Mage Tower.

His level of attention was unique among all Mage Towers, due to his high interest in the Animal Pet Shop because of William.

Hearing this, Ma Peier glanced coldly at the poor young mage and snorted, "Let's see who dares to laugh at me!"

The innocent young mage shrank further, hoping to turn into dust and disappear from the room.

"Ma Peier!" Quinton raised his voice, somewhat exasperated with her behavior, especially in such informal settings.

It wasn't appropriate to reprimand her for this, but her excessive arrogance as an elder was a headache for Quinton.

Hearing Quinton's raised voice, Ma Peier quieted down and sat to the side.

After a while, William, dressed in a bright green mage robe, finally arrived.

"What is it, Quinton?" William hadn't even entered the circular meeting hall when he heard his voice. "My research is at a critical stage! Do you need something?"

Hearing this, Ma Peier immediately exploded.

"Critical stage! Your experiments are always at a critical stage! Every time we need you, you have an excuse! How dare you!"

The furious red-robed elder was incredibly combative, and if she were closer, William would worry about her spitting on him.

William blinked innocently, caught off guard by Ma Peier's sudden outburst.

"What's wrong?" He deliberately moved to the side, avoiding the furious Ma Peier, and cautiously asked Quinton.

Although Ma Peier was usually hot-tempered, she wasn't the type to lash out at anyone.

Especially with her colleagues, their interactions were generally harmonious.

After all, fighting each other wouldn't benefit anyone, and arguing was pointless.

It was more satisfying to scold their juniors.

Quinton slammed his book shut, looking at the innocent William with displeasure.

"What's wrong?" He pointed to the Dream Weaver, which had been passed around and was now drowsy. "Have you seen this thing before?"

Seeing Quinton's attitude, William felt a sense of unease. Could he have overlooked something?

No, right? He had been in the Mage Tower since returning from the Animal Pet Shop and hadn't gone anywhere else!

Even his wife he hadn't seen in a long time! What could possibly be the issue?

He followed the direction of Quinton's finger and saw a small, fluffy creature with snow-white fur that looked like a toy doll, tilting its head curiously at him.

Unfortunately, the dense white fur completely obscured the little creature's eyes.

Leaving William unable to see its full appearance.

"What is this?" William scrutinized the creature, searching his mind for any clue, but couldn't figure out what it was.

This made the usually unserious Archmage turn serious: "Could it be a new beast from the Lopulo Mountains? It makes sense; another five years have passed, and the Lopulo Mountains are due for some unrest. I should contact those guys at the Beast Tower! This is their domain..."

As he spoke, he noticed Quinton's expression becoming increasingly odd, causing the Archmage to trail off, confused about where he had gone wrong.

He looked at his senior brother, bewildered. Wasn't he right? For a new beast, one would naturally go to the Beast Tower. Those guys must be ecstatic to finally have a new beast after all these years!

The centuries-old man stood there, looking lost and somewhat pitiful.

In Quinton's mind, memories flashed back to when this person was still a child, brought before him by their father, who was also their teacher. All his anger dissipated.

William had always been like a child, so it was normal for him to overlook things!

Sigh! Forget it!

Quinton sighed, exasperatedly saying, "William! This is an animal pet! I told you to keep an eye on the Animal Pet Shop, and you let yourself be distracted by a Wind Horse?"

He knew William had been involved in the breeding of the Wind Horse at the Animal Pet Shop and then returned to the Mage Tower to seclude himself.

Before today, Quinton wouldn't have thought anything of it, but sometimes, unforeseen circumstances arise.

The once-important Wind Horse was now completely forgotten by Quinton.

After all, everything pales in comparison to the Dream Weaver.

"But, I did watch the Wind Horse..."

"Wind Horse! Why even mention that thing? You didn't even know the Dream Weaver was bred! And you claim to have a good relationship with the Animal Pet Shop? Is this how good relationships work?" William tried to defend himself, but Ma Peier, standing nearby, couldn't help interrupting.

She glared at William, her dissatisfaction with this person, whom Quinton always protected, growing stronger.

It was one thing for him to be unreliable normally, but to mess up something so important was practically a sin against the Evocation School!

"Even if you were busy with your research, didn't your good disciple work at the Animal Pet Shop? How could he not inform you about such a big event?" Ma Peier frowned. "Did you perhaps offend him without realizing it?"

Ma Peier's words made William fall into deep thought.

Had he really done something to upset those two brats, Lancelot and Lorant?

Was it because of the time experiment that angered them? Or did they find out about the secret experiment that led to the death of an animal pet egg?

That shouldn't be the case; Lorant seemed to think it was a normal loss during the breeding process...

And it was just one egg; he hadn't dared to do it again since then!

Or was it because he wasn't proactive enough during the beast tide? But he had said he would intervene if there were any issues...

Seeing William's demeanor, Quinton began to doubt his junior brother as well.

Indeed, he had spoiled him, and while William meant no harm, he always spoke bluntly, never considering others' feelings. Coupled with his rapid progress in power, his character flaws had never been corrected.

Thinking about it, it was easy for him to offend others without realizing it. They might not say anything to his face, but once he left, they wouldn't bother to inform him of anything.

"Lancelot didn't inform you about this?" Quinton still harbored some doubts, mainly because he had met Lancelot, who didn't seem like someone who would be ungrateful.

Even if William had many faults, Quinton didn't believe the elegant young man would treat his teacher this way.

This question made William ponder. He thought carefully and replied, "Um... I don't know, Senior Brother..."

Quinton's eyes widened, and anger surged within him. He almost disregarded his image and forced his junior brother to recall the beatings from their youth.

Seeing Quinton's intense gaze, William shrank his neck and whispered, "I really don't know. After I came back, I went straight into the tower and haven't collected any other information. If that kid had something urgent, he would have found a way to contact me..."

"But if it wasn't urgent... it might be with my senior disciple."

The Archmage said, feeling aggrieved. He truly didn't know. In his life, he had always been taken care of—first by his teacher and senior brother, then by Jaina, and later by his disciples. He never had to worry about trivial matters.

Everything from food to shelter was arranged for him, leaving him free to focus solely on his research.

Silence filled the meeting room. Everyone present, except for William, understood the gravity of the situation regarding the Animal Pet Shop.

But precisely because they understood, they realized the implications if the other party truly hadn't informed William.

Everyone, except William, felt heavy-hearted.

A few minutes later, William's senior disciple was summoned to the meeting room.

The senior disciple, unaware of what had happened, visibly relaxed upon hearing Quinton's question.

"Lancelot probably mentioned it," the senior disciple sighed, relieved. Unlike William, he had his own judgment and knew the consequences if Lancelot had completely ignored the Evocation School.

For his junior brother, his school, and his teacher, the consequences would be severe!

"The teacher said not to disturb him unless it was extremely urgent, so all external communications were directed to me," the senior disciple explained calmly. "Lancelot visited a few times. Once to ask if the animal pet certification the teacher promised was ready, and another time to inquire about the Beast Tower."

"The most recent visit was a few days ago. He said the Animal Pet Shop had made new progress and was about to open. He left something here, saying it wasn't urgent and could wait until the teacher emerged."

He sliced open space and took out a paper bag, saying, "This is the information Lancelot left behind during his visit."

Quinton reached out to take it and saw that the thick stack of leaf paper contained not only continuous observational data on the Ice Flame Hound and Windbreaker Horse but also an illustrated guide of the Dream Weaver.

In addition, there was a more detailed document attached, which described some functions of the Dream Weaver and several possible data tests proposed by Lancelot for this type of beast pet.

It looked as if they were discussing potential experiments.

Quinton sighed helplessly yet felt greatly relieved at the same time.

He handed the documents untouched to Ma Peier, who was eagerly watching him: "Take a look. Judging by the timing, these should have arrived shortly after the breeding results came out."

Hearing this, everyone present heaved a sigh of relief. This at least indicated that the relationship between both parties remained very good.

The current situation was merely due to the negligence of an unreliable Archmage.

The worst-case scenario everyone had feared—that the Animal Pet Shop would directly confront the Mage Tower and fully align with another force—thankfully did not happen.

"Since that's the case, Chairman Quinton, I believe we should propose to the permanent parliamentary delegation of the Congress of Magic that once this beast pet is released, it will no longer be something our Shaping School can keep under wraps," suggested a member of the Shaping School.

"That's right. This matter cannot be kept secret. According to the information brought back, many people already know about it. Most importantly, the Animal Pet Shop is also promoting it. Unless we prepare for the worst and forcibly control the Animal Pet Shop, it will be difficult to keep it hidden."

Quinton glanced at the speaker and coldly said, "Considering whether to keep the news secret is foolish in itself. Wanting to monopolize such a beast pet is a greedy and irrational thought."

"The appearance of this beast pet will not only affect the Congress of Magic but will also cause a stir within the Church." Quinton continued without paying attention to the fear in the other person's changed expression: "Send someone to inform the permanent parliamentary delegation and dispatch someone to the Animal Pet Shop immediately."

"At the end of the day, since this matter originated from the Animal Pet Shop, it ultimately needs to be resolved there."

"What we can do is maintain our advantages. In fact, compared to other Mage Towers, we already have a significant advantage! Now, you need to consider how to further expand this advantage. As far as I know, the Beast Tower people are restless, and other Mage Towers and schools may not have taken it seriously before, but what about now?"

"Soon, the entire Congress of Magic will focus its attention here!"

"Todd." He turned to William's senior disciple: "You've always had a good relationship with Lancelot. Tell him that the Congress of Magic is already stirring with undercurrents. Have him seek out his mother and involve the Church. Tell him that only through multiple parties engaging in a game of wits can he and that young genius's Animal Pet Shop gain the greatest benefit."

"Also, remind him that the Shaping School will always stand behind him. If the Congress of Magic tries to pressure him, tell him not to worry; we will handle it!"

Quinton said without hesitation.

He was first the chief elder of the Shaping School, and secondly, a member of the Congress of Magic.