Chapter 291: Observation

Chapter 291: Observation

For the past few days, Bran became a full-time caretaker, inspecting his sleeping animal companions every day. For easier observation, the fallen fragments from the Ancient Tree hadn’t been cleared away.

During this time, Feiyu, the White Wolf, and the Snow Falcon had each woken up twice. After waking, they still buried their heads in eating, but their appetites were noticeably smaller. Some tiny changes had already appeared; Bran sensed strange Mana Fluctuations on them.

Bran had seen this situation before, on that dragon. At the moment when that dragon’s Soul left its body, as its life was about to fade, its dying Flame of Life could no longer block Bran’s scrutiny. Bran watched as the poured-in Mana circulated inside the dragon’s body according to a certain pattern, and strange Mana Fluctuations arose along with it.

Now, Bran saw similar fluctuations on his own animal companions. Although the fluctuations were still very weak, they lifted his spirits.

Just as Bran was filled with anticipation, waiting for the upcoming surprise, Mary appeared before him accompanied by Zack, earnestly stating that her body was undergoing changes.

“Especially today, the feeling is strongest. Help me see if it’s a prelude to increased strength, if I should eat more fragments.”

Bran didn’t even lift his eyelids. “There are plenty on the ground if you want some, pick them up yourself. As for strength, I don’t see any.”

“How is that possible? I really have a clear reaction. Look carefully.”

Hearing Mary’s insistence, Bran also became uncertain. As a Warrior, she certainly knew her own condition well. If she said so, it was almost certainly true. So, Bran began looking Mary up and down, hoping to find something.

Finally, Bran’s gaze rested on Mary’s lower abdomen, where a faint light of life was flickering. He raised his head, looking at Mary’s nervous, expectant face, then at Zack, who was also staring intently at him, and couldn’t help but laugh.

Bran’s smile was full of joy and sincerity, but Mary and Zack were left baffled. He beckoned to Mary, signaling her to lean in close.

Zack watched Mary’s expression change from astonishment to delight. After straightening up, she even proudly walked away, leaving him behind. He looked at Bran, then at Mary’s retreating back, feeling a bit confused. It wasn’t until Bran said to him with a smile, “Take good care of Mary. She’s preparing a surprise for you.”

Watching the two leave, a happy Bran couldn’t help but hum softly, “Because I love your love…”

The song clearly reached Xialuo and Shajia’s ears, surprising them greatly. As the Mana concentration in the city recovered, the other Wizards had all left. Only they lingered, having received some special consideration.

They never expected to see this side of the Great Wizard. In that instant, the image of Bran as a Demon God in their minds began to crumble.

Shajia glanced at Xialuo not far away, who was also shrouded in a small patch of thick fog, and couldn’t help but smile slightly. She had disliked Xialuo very much at first. This girl was used to arrogant commands, which was really annoying. Moreover, her habit of hovering around Zoya and secretly telling on others was equally unforgivable.

She believed Xialuo must have ulterior motives for sticking close to Zoya.

It wasn’t until she followed her teacher Pachu to quell the unrest in Green and casually mentioned Xialuo. She knew that the White Robes, including her teacher, didn’t like Xialuo, so she once thought her teacher would also criticize her. Unexpectedly, her teacher merely shook his head with a wry smile and told her: “I simply don’t like her, but I cannot lose my sense of propriety over it. In Northland City, does the Great Wizard have anyone he hates or dislikes? Look at what he has done?

Distance is just my personal attitude because I don’t like her. But I also recognize her strengths, knowing she is a trustworthy friend. Provided you can become her friend.

You all only see her hovering around Zoya, but overlook her other friend Mavi, that boy in a very difficult situation. She has always been giving help within her power; it’s not easy. In Northland City, young people habitually use being a Wizard as a label to distinguish closeness. This makes her seem at odds with you all because she doesn’t consider you fellow Wizards as friends.”

Her teacher’s words were proven true. When Xialuo galloped back to Northland City to seek aid, anyone could see the anxiety and worry. Perhaps she really was a friend worth making. But some familiar faces flashed before her eyes, and Shajia couldn’t help but sigh, suppressing the thought that had just arisen again.

A shadow flashed overhead; it was a wild Giant Falcon that had flown in recently. Ever since that day when the city underwent a change, some dangerous birds and wild beasts hiding in deep mountains and vast marshes had continuously appeared at the city’s edge.

When they appeared, the Great Wizard warned not to harm them unless necessary. He also had people record and report the types of these dangerous creatures. Awed by the power in the city, they didn’t dare get too close and, so far, hadn’t actively attacked the city’s residents.

Currently, most losses were caused by some small herbivorous beasts. Her own land, being on the outskirts, had suffered heavy losses. Walls and fences weren’t much use against those small creatures; they always sneaked in at night and nibbled away. Farms around the city had suffered losses to varying degrees, and some people began to secretly hunt them despite the ban.

How could such a thing be hidden from the Great Wizard? But the Great Wizard showed no reaction. She had also considered hunting them down but was dissuaded by her teacher Pachu. He asked her to observe these beasts attracted by Mana more closely, paying attention to their characteristics.

Following her teacher’s advice, she began carefully observing and comparing. After a few days, apart from witnessing their great variety, she made no other discoveries.

What exactly were the characteristics? A pity! Her teacher didn’t know either; he just felt something unusual was happening.

The Mana in Northland City had always been very dense, but it hadn’t attracted so many dangerous birds and beasts before. Now, when the city’s Mana concentration hadn’t fully recovered, they had appeared. Most importantly, it was the Great Wizard’s attitude toward them. Finally, her teacher asked her if she had seen the White Wolf and Snow Falcon recently.

Only then did Shajia realize, no wonder she felt something was missing in the city. Thinking of her own fox, which had fallen into deep sleep after nibbling on the fragments. She finally realized, belatedly, that so many unusual events had occurred in just a few days. Maybe something big really had happened, yet being right in the midst of it, she hadn’t noticed in advance.

Her teacher’s recent behavior was somewhat similar to Scholar Baz’s, constantly recording things. He said when one gets old, memory is prone to errors. Every evening, her teacher would call her to his side, asking her to help compare notes, hoping to discover something.

The Great Wizard had been hiding in the thick fog without showing himself, perhaps also busy with similar matters; otherwise, why would he issue such an order?

Coming here during the day continuously to enjoy special treatment made her feel somewhat embarrassed. Just when she wanted to stop this embarrassing behavior, it was her teacher’s requirement that she must go every day and bring Xialuo along.

He said what needed observing weren’t just those animals, but also them. Seeming to notice some ambiguity, he added: all living beings in the city, including them White Robes, were actually objects of observation, so she should just go without worry.

The wild beasts outside the city were fine; at most, they loitered or rested near the city’s edge. The birds, however, used their flight advantage to skim low over this place from time to time, growing bolder. Especially several Giant Falcons, which, after continuous testing, would even land on the tower top to look down.

For the first time, she noticed that these birds of prey had rich expressions. They stared intently at the thick fog, full of desire but not daring to cross the line.

A subtle flash of electrical light flickered within the thick fog, followed by a cry that echoed to the clouds. Soon, she saw Feiyu stagger out of the thick fog. Feiyu’s changes weren’t big, but Shajia felt faint electrical light flickered within its feathers.

Seeming to sense the gaze from the tower top, Feiyu raised its head and made eye contact with the Giant Falcon on the tower. There was no imagined conflict; everything remained calm. The Giant Falcon on the tower first slightly bowed, showing submission, then descended from the tower top, crowding around Feiyu and rubbing against it. It was just that they were all much larger than Feiyu, making this fawning seem somewhat uncoordinated.

Shajia didn’t understand how they communicated. She only saw that after rubbing against Feiyu, they clustered around it and walked outward together.

When Feiyu woke up, before Bran could examine it carefully, he heard Tansuo the Ancient Tree’s slightly panicked voice: “Huahua is gone!”

Bran was first startled, then pleased. He could no longer attend to Feiyu. Reminding Tansuo not to move, he flashed into the Sea of Magic. In the center of the vortex, Huahua curled into a ball, sleeping peacefully inside a bubble.

And Feiyu waited in the thick fog for quite a while but didn’t receive Bran’s praise. So it walked out of the fog, disgruntled…