Chapter 32: Reencounter with Kevin (Request for Follow-up Reads)

Three days later.

"Magic Pet Breeding Manual, Chax must have been referring to this."

In the library, Richard took down the "Magic Pet Breeding Manual" from the shelf. This book recorded some basic knowledge about how wizards breed magic pets, and the Wizard Academy's borrowing price was three magic stones for five days.

According to what Chax had told him when he gave him the Death Crow, aside from being unable to grow naturally, this Death Crow was no different from ordinary magic pets.

After handing over the Academy Coins to a suddenly appearing sprite, Richard touched the book's identification number with a crystal ball, and the borrowing was complete.

Holding the book, Richard returned to his dormitory room.

On his balcony, a Death Crow slightly larger than a common crow, its foot shackled by an iron chain, was staring motionlessly at the distance.

This was the Death Crow created by Chax.

According to Chax, this Death Crow's physique was a fifteen, and it could fly freely at an altitude of six thousand meters. Its feathers were extremely tough, able to carry a weight of 200 pounds without breaking. Due to these feathers, the Death Crow could even disregard a "Magic Missile".

Its claws and beak had also been enhanced by Chax, with razor-sharp claws that could easily pierce through steel plates.

Putting the book down, Richard took out prepared iron pellets from a drawer.

Chax had altered the Death Crow's digestive system to be omnivorous so that it could digest specific metals, maintaining the toughness of its feathers and the sharpness of its claws and beak.

Moreover, this Death Crow also needed to consume ten pounds of fresh flesh and blood daily to sustain its daily consumption.

"Eat, eat, eat a bit more."

Richard opened his hand and let the Death Crow peck at the iron pellets in his palm.

Now, he needed to slowly build a relationship with the Death Crow, which would minimize obstacles when implanting the Soul Seed.

The Soul Seed was at the heart of the Magic Pet technology and was fundamental for a magic pet to obey the wizard's commands. Through the Soul Seed, a wizard could command the magic pet to carry out complex activities and share sensory experiences.

Among wizards, there were those who controlled a large number of magic pets to construct their own combat systems.

However, a Wizard Apprentice like Richard could only distribute two Soul Seeds, and if a magic pet died unexpectedly, the Soul Seed could not be recovered. Therefore, during the apprenticeship phase, magic pets generally took on supportive roles like the one Richard was handling.

After feeding the Death Crow, Richard fetched a watering can and started watering.

Richard had collected many seeds and plants of magic herbs in the Black Stone Mountain Range, and after returning to the Academy, he had planted them in various pots on his balcony.

After watering, Richard returned to his desk, which was covered with many books. Except for the just-borrowed "Magic Pet Breeding Manual," the rest were alchemy books given to him by Jolod.

Richard had skimmed through these books. They recorded foundational knowledge of magic equipment, magic potions, synthetic beasts, and magic arrays and were meticulously detailed.

If these books were borrowed from the library, a significant amount of magic stones would be needed just to access part of them.

But now, Richard had obtained them without spending a penny.

This was the benefit of becoming an official apprentice; some knowledge simply couldn't be acquired just through magic stones.

Attending classes, feeding, watering, reading—Richard's day quickly passed.

In the evening, Richard stepped out of his room, called Ali from next door, and they went downstairs together to a newly opened restaurant not far from the tower.

Since deciding in the Black Stone Mountain Range to develop Ali into a teammate, Richard had started to focus on cultivating their relationship.

Eating meals together daily, attending classes together, visiting the library together, and periodically taking on two tasks, cultivated their tacit understanding in combat.

Relationships deepened step by step like this.

The restaurant's décor was not complex; it could even be described as simplistic. Simple landscape paintings and a few tapestries hung on the walls, and twelve magic stone lamps hung from the ceiling, illuminating twelve tables.

But the simplicity of the decor did not mean the restaurant was simple.

The restaurant's owner had somehow hired a group of mortal waiters who were tall and handsome, each of their movements carried proper etiquette.

The waiter handed Richard the menu and arranged the silver utensils on the table.

"Charcoal-grilled Magic Patterned Pork Ribs — regular consumption could enhance physique," Richard read from the menu and smiled, "The owner has real capabilities; the ingredients are all Magic Beasts."

"Isn't this a bit too expensive?"

Ali looked at the menu nervously. Each dish on the menu was quite pricey, and just ordering a couple could cost three to four Magic Stones.

Converted to Golden Birdcage Coins, this meal would cost the Kingdom's annual tax revenue.

"Let's splurge — it's not like we do this often." Richard checked several items he was interested in on the menu and then passed it back to the waiter.

He was very interested in the effect of enhancing the physique.

The waiter silently retreated, and Richard sat back, casting bored glances around.

The entire restaurant had only twelve tables, and excluding theirs, there were only four other groups of diners.

"Hmm?" Richard suddenly recognized someone at one of the tables, "Ali, look, isn't that Kevin, whom we met on the Flying Airship?"

Ali followed the direction Richard was pointing and nodded.

"It is him."

"That makes things easy."

Richard went up to Kevin with a cheerful air and greeted him familiarly.

"Kevin, long time no see, have you missed me?"

Dining with Kevin was Griffith, who had helped him pass the exam initially. Seeing Richard approach, Griffith also stopped what he was doing.

"Richard?" Kevin was startled, then immediately understood Richard's implication.

"Long time no seе, how have you been lately, Richard?"

As he spoke, Kevin pulled out a hundred-Academy Coin note from his jacket pocket.

"Doing okay, but not as well as you, young master Kevin."

Richard laughed as he took the Academy Coin. The best thing about Kevin was that he knew how to act, both on the airship and now.

"I'm not doing well, just made a little something from a small business recently," Kevin said, shaking his head with a smile.

"Small business?" Richard sniffed subtly; he had smelled a fragrance the moment he approached Kevin.

"The scent of Purple Vine Flowers — useful in crafting Magic Equipment or concocting Magic Potions."

Kevin paused and then conceded. As nobles rooted in business, his family, both old and young, harbored a business mind. After arriving at the Wizard Academy, Kevin, with his keen sense of smell, quickly found business opportunities and started to trade in alchemy materials.

"Sharp insight, Richard, are you by chance specializing in the Alchemy School?"

Seeing Kevin admit it, Richard felt more animated.

His specialisation was in the Alchemy School, and experimenting was essential in his future life. The materials available in the commercial district were plentiful but finding niche items was challenging.

Now that Kevin had started trading in alchemy materials, he would surely frequent the commercial district.

As the saying goes, more friends mean more roads; Richard was also contemplating making acquaintances.