Chapter 214: Back to Work

Chapter 214: Back to Work

After returning to the Animal Pet Shop, Lorant got back to work and went straight into his beast storage.

It took him more than a day to take stock of the number of beasts he currently possessed.

Although Lorant hadn't been focusing much on obtaining new beasts during his break, Lancelot and others hadn't had a single day of rest.

The beast capture team's results were quite astonishing—an average of two to three beasts were sent to the Beast Tower daily.

Thankfully, the Beast Tower had enough space to properly house these beasts; otherwise, Lorant would have been worried about having too many live beasts.

Given the current numbers, Lorant's Furious Ragdoll Bear could now consistently produce at least two batches of monster eggs each week.

This was absolutely great news for Lorant, as it meant that after the Glassy Ice Flame Dog and the Windbreaking Horse, the Animal Pet Shop finally had a popular pet that wouldn't sell out right away.

A steady supply of beast pets meant steady income and a more stable position as a Beast Tamer.

In addition to the Furious Ragdoll Bear, there were also significant gains with other beasts. They were even close to collecting a complete set of beasts needed for breeding the Holy Light Peacock, except for the high-level beast.

The reason these beasts were considered a 'set' was mainly due to Lorant's strict management of his breeding groups.

Just like the Dream Weaver females.

In theory, under extreme conditions, the Blood-sucking Tall Spiders could lay eggs every month. If forced to breed at their maximum potential frequency, the Blood-sucking Tall Spiders in Lorant's beast storage should have been able to produce at least three batches of Dream Weaver females by now.

However, Lorant didn't want to breed them this frequently.

It was true that the beast pet market was currently a huge gap that needed to be filled. Almost everyone was eagerly awaiting beast pets. Even for relatively stable beast pets like the Windbreaking Horse, it would take more than a decade to fully saturate the market.

This calculation even factored in the later self-breeding of Windbreaking Horses and the continuous expansion of the breeding scale at the Animal Pet Shop each year.

In other words, as long as Lorant was willing, the market could absorb however many beast pets he bred.

This commercial operation model, where sales were not a concern, was enough to make any merchant envious.

However, Lorant chose not to do so, because each type of beast had its optimal breeding time.

Take the Blood-sucking Tall Spiders, for example. Although they could lay eggs every month, the quality would inevitably decrease, and there would be a higher chance of producing deformed beast pets. Such extreme breeding would shorten the optimal breeding period of the beasts.

Beasts that should have been in their prime breeding years for several years might rapidly enter a decline within less than a year.

Lorant had long lost any compassion for these beasts.

Having seen more and more practitioners who had been deeply hurt by beasts, Lorant's understanding of the relationship between humans and beasts grew deeper.

This was an irreversible relationship.

A life-and-death struggle was not even enough to describe the connection. Only when one side was completely annihilated would the other side potentially lay down their weapons.

Lorant had indeed developed a deep sense of disgust for the beasts he handled.

The deep-seated malice contained within their bodies made it seem like they were created by some indescribable entity with the sole purpose of destroying all sentient beings.

Therefore, Lorant's decisions were entirely based on his interests, not out of any desire to mistreat these beasts.

To better utilize these beasts to breed more outstanding beast pets, Lorant's attitude towards them was sometimes so good that people might suspect he was one of those 'reformists.'

Lorant takes extra special care of precious beasts like the Bloodsucking Long-legged Spider.

All of this is done solely to maximize his profits.

After checking the new monster eggs he had acquired, Lorant then looked over the list that Joe had compiled of those seeking partnerships with monster eggs during this time.

The debut of the Furious Ragdoll Bear had indeed stirred many people's hearts; over 300 custom orders were placed by the 400 people present, and almost half of the customers had already delivered their chosen dolls to the shop.

The breeding of Furious Ragdoll Bear monster eggs has now stabilized, so Lorant began prioritizing these custom orders.

Monster eggs are notoriously selective. Lorant wasn’t just inflating prices; some of what he said was genuinely heartfelt.

As Lorant mentioned, some dolls might take several months before a monster egg selects them as a Furious Ragdoll Bear.

From what we know, the more a doll's shape resembles the image that appears in Lorant's mind from the ability chart, the higher the chance it will be chosen.

Conversely, the more unconventional the doll’s design, the lower the chances, unless another monster egg, like the one that only liked rabbit dolls, comes along. Finding the right match could take a considerable amount of time.

Of course, those who paid to send their dolls had accepted this condition, so Lorant wasn’t in any rush.

In addition to this, Lorant also arranged for Joe to start acquiring some other materials.

These materials, including rare items like Millennium Snow and Heart of Ore, were primarily for breeding the Wulu Shell, which would require some effort to acquire.

As for the beasts required to breed the Wulu Shell, unsurprisingly, all the beasts needed could be found in the Beast Tower, except for the Seven-Colored Mermaid, which Lorant had never seen.

Once he found the Seven-Colored Mermaid, he could begin breeding the first batch of beast pets.

Even if the quantity wasn’t enough for sale, it would still make his daily life easier.

Lorant thought to himself.

He had already spent over a decade adjusting to this world without smartphones.

But the idea of having his own phone again, even if it lacked internet capabilities and only performed basic functions, thrilled him.

He couldn’t wait to hold the magical Wulu Shell in his hands.

Before that, he needed to address some long-standing issues at the shop.

Lorant first sent a list of additional beasts to Lancelot in the Lopulo Mountains, instructing him to begin capturing them. Then, Lorant sent people to the Knights Academy to announce the next class schedule.

The beast pet class was undoubtedly a highly valued course for the students at the Knights Academy.

As the performance of beast pets in the Lopulo Mountains improved, the demand for beast pet classes among the students at the Knights Academy gradually grew.

But for various reasons, Lorant had paused the beast pet classes for some time.

This left countless students anxiously waiting, scratching their heads in frustration.

When they saw the announcement on the school bulletin, the students were quite excited, but then, upon seeing the class time on the notice, their excitement waned.

The nearest beast pet class wouldn’t be until next week.

Of course, the students at the Knights Academy soon understood why Lorant had postponed the beast pet class again.

Because soon after, everyone following the Blue Star Platform saw the notification information certifying practitioners as Beast Tamers.

By the afternoon of the day the information appeared, a line had formed at the entrance of the Animal Pet Shop.

Prepared in advance, Mike and Taya directed the staff to organize the arriving people into several queues.

Those who owned Glassy Ice Flame Dogs were grouped together, those who owned Dream Weavers were grouped together, and those who owned Windbreaking Horses were grouped together.

The certification process for each type of beast pet was different. For those who owned multiple beast pets, they could choose one for certification. The other beast pets could be registered under their name with a simple procedure after the first certification was successful.

Once the certification was complete, both the beast tamer’s and the beast pet’s information would be recorded in the register, and the beast pet would be issued a corresponding small tag.

The process of certifying as a Junior Beast Tamer was quite simple, as it was only the initial level. One only needed to demonstrate a basic understanding of beast pets and the ability to properly care for their beast pet to obtain the beast tamer status.

On the surface, the threshold seemed extremely low, as if anyone could come here and directly gain the status of a practitioner.

However, anyone who carefully read the rules for advancing as a beast tamer knew that the tests to raise one’s beast tamer level became much more complex as they progressed.

For those becoming beast tamers through the Glassy Ice Flame Dog, advancing from Junior to Level 1 required testing the coordination and combat abilities between the beast pet and its owner. They needed to work together to kill a high-level beast to succeed.

The specific level of the beast depended on the owner’s status. For those who were already practitioners, they needed to challenge a level seven or eight beast, while ordinary people with no combat experience, due to the inherent strength of the Glassy Ice Flame Dog, needed to challenge at least a level six beast to succeed.

This meant that those who became beast tamers through the Glassy Ice Flame Dog would have at least the equivalent of a Level 6 practitioner, which was significantly different from other practitioners.

To say the least, when the strength was established, the value contained in this simple title was quite astonishing.

As for the Windbreaking Horse and Dream Weaver, these two types of beast pets did not require combat-based tests for advancement, but they still had specific assessments. For example, the Windbreaking Horse required a horsemanship test, while the Dream Weaver had its own unique evaluation.

The beast tamer needed to work with the Windbreaking Horse to perform various high-difficulty maneuvers, and they had to complete various tasks while the horse was moving at high speed to be considered successful.

In short, those who achieved the level of Level 1 beast tamer were all individuals with strong cooperative abilities with their beast pets. This was true whether they were originally practitioners or ordinary people with no combat experience.

The renovation of the current animal pet shop is still ongoing, and most areas were still empty. However, the tavern and inn that was built first was expected to open officially before long.

In Lorant’s final plan, he had actually prepared a venue for beast tamer certification within the entire animal pet shop, but it had not been built yet.

Under these circumstances, the employees conducting the beast tamer certification had to complete the related work with the limited conditions available.

Fortunately, the beast tamer certification had only just begun, and almost everyone was applying for the initial beast tamer qualification. Hardly anyone chose to directly apply for a Level 1 qualification review.

This allowed Mike to breathe a sigh of relief. On the first day of the review, although some things were already prepared, it was better to take things step by step.

At least it prevented him from being overwhelmed and unsure of what to do.

Naturally, Lorant did not miss the first day of certification either. He wandered around the back area and met many familiar faces there.

The earliest customers of the animal pet shop were students from the Knights Academy. The students' curiosity was strong, and they were quite familiar with the animal pet shop, so quite a few people came in groups to prepare for certification on the first day.

However, most of these students were leading Windbreaking Horses, and only a few of them owned Glassy Ice Flame Dogs.

Hai Li was one of those who brought a Glassy Ice Flame Dog.

Hai Li’s Glassy Ice Flame Dog was Little Nine. Upon seeing Lorant, the little one, who had been sitting calmly, suddenly sprang to its feet, its eyes sparkling as it looked at Lorant.

Its tail wagged so vigorously that it created a gust of wind.

Hai Li smiled and let go of the leash, allowing Little Nine to run towards Lorant.

Due to Lorant's busy schedule and Hai Li's recent long internship, Little Nine hadn't been back to the Animal Pet Shop to play for a while, let alone seen Lorant.

Seeing Lorant, Little Nine was naturally overjoyed.

Lorant was greeted with an enthusiastic hug from the Glassy Ice Flame Dog 'Little Nine' and could only let her nuzzle against him affectionately.

If not for the boost in his physical strength after becoming a ghost spider's contractor, Lorant might have been knocked off his feet by Little Nine's enthusiasm, just like before.

Of course, that would only happen if he were on his own.

At that moment, Maomao, acting like a responsible guardian, followed closely behind Lorant, silently supporting him, ensuring he wouldn't be knocked over by the excited Little Nine.

Once Little Nine had finished being affectionate, Maomao went forward and gave her a gentle nose bump as a greeting.

Little Nine lowered her head and followed Maomao.

As the leader of the Glassy Ice Flame Dogs, Maomao held absolute authority over the pack. Now, all the Glassy Ice Flame Dogs had fully acknowledged Maomao's status.

Whenever Maomao appeared, the other dogs, regardless of age, would step aside for her.

If Maomao joined them for a meal, she always got to pick her food first. Even if all the food looked the same, she could take her time choosing a piece that appealed to her.

This was the respect Maomao commanded as the pack leader.

Lorant bent down to pick up Little Nine's leash as the happy dog trotted alongside him, tail wagging and paws lifting high in joy. He then returned it to Hai Li's hands.

"So, which level of practitioner certification are you planning to take?" Lorant asked with a smile, looking at the familiar knight girl in front of him.

Hai Li averted her eyes, a bit embarrassed. "Teacher, I... I'm preparing for the primary certification. I'm not quite ready for the Level 1 certification yet."

Though a bit embarrassed, Hai Li stayed grounded and didn't push herself beyond her comfort zone.

Lorant nodded, not surprised by this.

While Hai Li often seemed energetic and excitable, she was actually quite cautious. Given her cautious nature, it made sense that she wasn't rushing into the Level 1 certification.

Lorant chatted briefly with a few Knights Academy students before continuing on.

Scott and Little Two were nearby. Scott and Little Two were both focused on licking ice blocks under a massive purple locust tree.

Although the weather had gradually turned cooler, the past few days had a lingering 'Indian summer' vibe. During the day, when the sun was out, it felt almost as hot as midsummer.

So, Lorant had asked Joe to prepare plenty of ice treats to distribute freely to those undergoing certification.

The various fruit-flavored ice treats, prepared with syrup, had a refreshing taste. They were not too sweet but had a rich juice flavor, making them a favorite for Lorant and others during the summer.

The Glassy Ice Flame Dogs and people ate ice treats made from the same recipe, except the ones for the dogs were much larger in size.

Otherwise, with the large size of these dogs, a single lick might take everything away, and they might not even feel the taste or the coolness.

Since these large ice treats were introduced, the little ones in the Animal Pet Shop would pester Lorant, Mike, and Taya every day, wanting to eat one or two treats.

Little Two happily wagged her tail and lay on the ground, with Scott thoughtfully placing a table under her chin for support.

Scott, the mage, had always been the most devoted to his Glassy Ice Flame Dog among the early adopters.

His pampering bordered on indulgence. This was evident in the way he filled a large part of his spatial bag, a precious space, with various things for the Glassy Ice Flame Dog.

These included the little one's dining table, soft cushions for sleeping, several meals, snacks, and even toys for the Glassy Ice Flame Dog to play with so she wouldn't get bored outside.

It was completely the image of a doting old father.

Lorant dared to say that even with a biological child, there were only a handful of people who could take care of a Glassy Ice Flame Dog as meticulously as Scott did.

Right now, Little Two was sprawled out comfortably on the ground, facing an adjustable-height food bowl—the most expensive kind you could get from the animal pet shop.

This kind of food bowl could freely change its height, not only perfectly adapting to Little Two's standing posture but also accommodating its postures when it crouched or lay down.

No matter how it sat or lay, the bowl would always be at just the right height, allowing the Glassy Ice Flame Dog to eat without straining its neck too much, which was good for protecting its cervical vertebrae.

"Scott." Lorant greeted him with a smile as he approached. "You came very early."

"You're telling me. I was thinking about resting and coming later, but after I told Little Two, this little guy got so excited that it came to my room early in the morning to pester me."

Although Scott didn't go into details, Lorant immediately looked at him sympathetically.

Given Little Two's personality and massive size, Lorant didn’t even want to think about how much trouble it could cause when it got excited.

When this little one was still small, its favorite morning routine was to sprint and jump onto the bed to wake Lorant up.

If Little Two's owner were just an ordinary person, they really might not be able to handle this little guy's enthusiasm.

Fortunately, Scott had a pretty strong body. As a high-ranking mage, although his physical condition wasn't as good as knights or warriors of the same level, he was still on par with a mid-level knight or warrior.

At least he could physically compete with Little Two's unintentional affection without getting hurt.

Well, at least not seriously injured.

"Alright, I won’t pry into the details of this ordeal, but I have to say again, I do think you're spoiling this little guy a bit too much." Lorant shook his head, rubbed the Glassy Ice Flame Dog's head, and couldn't help but laugh as he tapped Little Two's nose, which looked at him innocently.

The little guy looked at Lorant foolishly, then stuck out its tongue to lick its nose, continuing to look at Lorant with a silly smile.

"Just as long as you know what you're doing." Lorant interrupted as he looked at Scott, who was about to say something. "So, are you planning to go for the basic certification today or are you thinking of challenging yourself to something higher?"

Scott confidently gave a smile.

"Basic certification? What's that!" The mage said, animatedly, to Lorant. "I’m aiming for the Level One Beast Tamer certification, of course!"

"I've already talked to Mike; he’s preparing everything and told me to wait here. I’m going to be the first man to become a Level One Beast Tamer!"