Chapter 113: The Little Wolf's Advice

In a modest mid-range tavern somewhere in the imperial capital, Barman sat in a corner, coldly watching the man seated opposite him. His entire face was as rigid and unyielding as the ancient ice fields of the northwest.

The man before him seemed completely unfazed by Barman’s obviously unwelcome demeanor. Instead, he smiled warmly, teasing, “You’ve got quite the ego—across the whole country, there must be only a handful who can make the Grand Steward himself come to see them personally.”

“Instreicher,” Barman said coldly, his tone laced with unmistakable sarcasm, “since I arrived in the capital, you’ve followed me like a hunting dog. Now you finally can’t help but show your face?”

Being compared to a canine did not bother Instreicher in the slightest. He leaned back comfortably in his chair, still smiling brightly. “My men have been lost because of you. Of course, I’m here to get some answers.”

“Your men?” Barman raised an eyebrow. “We’ve always kept to ourselves. When have I ever laid a hand on your people?”

“Pedia Aubrion.”

Instreicher’s answer twisted Barman’s brow into a knot.

“What nonsense are you spouting? Since when did Pedia become your man?”

“My chosen heir is naturally mine,” Instreicher’s tone shifted sharply, despite his smile, it was like a blade unsheathed, the edge aimed directly at Barman. “He is the one I’ve chosen—don’t even think about stealing him from me!”

Pressed by Instreicher’s intensity, Barman involuntarily projected an equally formidable aura in response. If Instreicher was a sharp, imposing blade, then Barman was a heavy, blunt greatsword. Their clash held firm, neither yielding an inch.

After a brief confrontation with no gains on either side, they quickly withdrew their attacks. Compared to Instreicher, who had taken the initiative but failed, Barman was slightly more satisfied, a faint smile rising at the corner of his mouth. “Pedia’s future isn’t for either of us to decide. Setting aside Amos’s wishes, even if the father and son agree, do you really think your old master upstairs would consent to Pedia’s succession?”

Barman’s question struck a sensitive nerve. Instreicher’s expression darkened as he snorted coldly. “Don’t presume Amos is on your side. Even if he were, you’d better sort out your own connections first.”

Those words silenced both men, their faces sour—who could keep a good expression when their weak points were exposed?

Two stern-faced men sat across from each other, glaring silently for a long while. Finally, Instreicher relented, “Let’s not talk about the future for now. I came to discuss Pedia. I’ve already sent people to locate him. If there’s any news, I hope we can keep each other informed. After all, our goals align.”

“That’s no problem.” Instreicher’s proposal perfectly matched Barman’s intentions. Without hesitation, Barman agreed. After confirming their means of future communication in the small tavern, they parted ways, each satisfied.

☆☆☆

Pedia slowly opened his eyes, gazing at a world shrouded in gray. For a moment, he could not grasp who he was or where he was. It felt as if he had just awoken from an interminably long dream, full of countless experiences—but now, he couldn’t recall a single detail. Vaguely, he sensed something strange and mysterious had been added to his consciousness. Unconsciously, he lifted his gaze toward the distance—in that direction, in that faraway place, something seemed to be calling him… No, not calling him, but summoning a part of his very being.

That sense of being summoned stirred a strong unease within him. Resolute, Pedia decided to head directly away from the source of that calling, as if moving in the opposite direction would help him reclaim a sense of security.

…

“What a thrill! Absolutely exhilarating!” The little wolf rolled gleefully on the gray sand, shouting joyfully, “Absorbing the energy of a void demon is equivalent to devouring ten purity-five ‘Demon Hunting Orbs’—it’s just too satisfying!”

Theresa watched the playful wolf and the small eagle silently absorbing energy with closed eyes, her heart tinged with envy. “Tsk, too bad I’m nursing internal injuries—looks like you two lucky brats get all the fun. Alright, little wolf, stop rolling around and learn from the little eagle. Finish absorbing that energy quickly!”

Sensing Theresa’s mixture of envy and jealousy, the little wolf sprang to his feet, shook himself off, then strutted proudly past her before curling up beside the little eagle, obediently closing his eyes to continue the absorption process.

Despite his rare display of pride, the wolf’s small frame made the scene adorably endearing, causing Theresa to smile despite herself.

Since the little wolf and little eagle needed to absorb the soul energy harvested from the void demons and could barely move, Theresa had no choice but to pause the boat, setting up a temporary camp around the two young ones. She rested while keeping watch over them.

Although the two void demons had fought each other to the point of near destruction, the soul energy they contained was still overwhelming for the little wolf and eagle. Though all the energy had been forcibly contained by secret arts, once digestion began, their insufficient core souls became apparent—they could not channel all the soul energy at once, resulting in a loss of control over some energy, which drifted to their bodies’ surfaces, unknowingly nourishing their puppet forms.

Watching the increasingly lifelike alchemical puppets, Theresa murmured, “Are these still puppets? If this continues, won’t they eventually be no different from ordinary magical beasts?”

“The hypothesis you’ve made is precisely the ultimate goal of soul puppets,” the book spirit floated over, swaying gently as it explained. During the battle between the little wolf, little eagle, and the void demons, this creature had stayed to the side, ‘mooching’ a bit of energy—it wasn’t much, but enough for her to grow, now over twice her previous size.

Feeling satisfied after her ‘meal,’ the book spirit cheerfully elaborated, “Soul puppets originally developed as a branch after resurrection magic failed. Legend speaks of an ancient alchemist whose beloved pet died in battle. To revive it, he conducted extensive research, but all he managed to create was this technique…”

Theresa listened intently and couldn’t resist interrupting, “And then? Did the alchemist manage to resurrect his pet?”

The moment she asked, a comical vein pulsed visibly on the book spirit’s forehead—a real, tangible effect here in the virtual realm, where imagination manifests reality.

The vein throbbed rapidly before subsiding under the book spirit’s forced calm. However, her good mood was disrupted, and she snorted heavily, scolding, “I’m telling you this to help you grasp the essence of soul puppets. How can you miss the crucial point and worry about such irrelevant details?”

The grumpy book spirit was the one Theresa truly felt familiar and safe with. So, faced with the loud reprimand, Theresa only smiled more brightly and said, “I understand. You mean soul puppets require harmony of body and soul, especially strengthening the connection between spirit and form—this is their foundation and greatest weakness.”

“That’s more like it,” the book spirit grumbled, collecting herself before continuing, “Your two little ones have only undergone one evolution, so they’re low-grade soul puppets at best. Yet, from just two puppets, you have two distinct development paths—one agility-based, the other intelligence-based. Seems you have some talent in nurturing soul puppets.”

“Huh? The developmental paths of little wolf and little eagle are their own choices, not mine,” Theresa replied, puzzled by the book spirit’s praise.

The book spirit gave a coquettish eye-roll and explained, “You are their soul contract master. No matter how they develop, they cannot escape your expectations. If you truly wanted two identical soul puppets, they wouldn’t look like this today! By the way, you still need three more soul puppets to complete a perfect set: one focused on power offense, one on power defense, and one support type. Five soul puppets in total—that would be flawless.”

Theresa glanced at the book spirit, whose cheeks flushed and eyes sparkled with stars, but decided to keep quiet, not wanting to dampen such hopeful expectations. Soul puppets were practical but difficult to create and sustain. Two were already a blessing; adding three more was unthinkable. If that happened, she might as well bury herself in the gray desert and drown.

As Theresa’s thoughts wandered, the light around the little wolf and little eagle gradually faded. Before long, both awoke. The little eagle, upon regaining full awareness, let out an excited, long cry, soaring high and circling rapidly in the distant sky, reveling in the satisfaction of having eaten well and digested thoroughly.

In contrast, the little wolf was more relaxed. He pressed his forelegs to the ground, arched his body into a straight line, stretched luxuriously, then leapt onto Theresa’s shoulder. Nudging her temple affectionately, he struck a charming pose and said, “Tess, master, let’s go hunt void demons again. Just one kill is enough to fill me and the little eagle, and it saves you ten purity-five ‘Demon Hunting Orbs.’ Think about how valuable that is!”

Theresa couldn’t help but smile wryly at the wolf’s coaxing. She reached out and gently patted his head to soothe him, saying, “With our abilities, we can only handle one-on-one fights. If we encounter a squad of four or more void demons, running won’t even be an option.”

The little wolf pouted, reluctant to let go of the idea.

Seeing this, Theresa kept silent but was already plotting ways to gain greater benefits… (To be continued)