Mirage Owl

Wearing a white turtle neck paired with a beige cardigan and gray slacks, Hadrian exited his run-down apartment.

It is only 5'o clock in the afternoon, but the moon is already hanging above them. Such a phenomenon only happens here in Nightbourne City.

Moments pass by, and Hadrian arrived at the Nightfall Breeding Center on the public bus.

The building was huge on the outside, the walls are made of high-quality glass. Walking inside, the floors are oak brown, the interior design is intricate.

The plants planted at the front door are glowing, and common-type beasts are flying inside, the Lantern Firefly, making the ambiance of the settlement more lively because of its skill.

[ ★ Illuminate (Intermediate Skill)

• Attributes: Light

• Description: A skill that made the user lighten up the environment, making it more lively and relaxing. Illuminating to the extreme can cause one's vision to narrow, and worse blindness.]

Walking to the front desk, Hadrian was met with a middle-aged man that has brown hair and brown eyes with a smile on his face.

"A pleasant evening to our establishment. I'm the staff, Mr. Hughes. What service do you need, sir?" The middle-aged man asked with a smile.

"A pleasant evening. I made an appointment before to buy a beast. The name is Hadrian Ace Ziegler." I nodded to him as I say.

"Okay, sir. Please wait for a second while I check the registration record." The middle-aged man said softly before opening a device that looks like a laptop at the table.

He seems to scroll the device before he stops and closes it and looks back at me.

"Okay. Mr. Ziegler, follow me to our ecological park. It's already evening so please bear with us if any other beast is already asleep." The middle-aged man said with an apologetic look.

After all, the man in front of him is a customer and seems to be a rising beast tamer.

"It's okay. And just call me Hades." Hadrian says. It doesn't matters if the beast is asleep. He can come back another time.

As for his name, he doesn't like to be called Mr. Ziegler, it made him look like an old man. So better to call him his nickname, Hades. It was also his nickname back then on earth. And it just fit right on his handsomeness, okay?

As the two began the walk in a hallway, the middle-aged man kept talking about other services of their breeding house.

Like selling basic resources, nurturing, fostering, and even selling some evolution plans.

As they reach the end of the hallway, the middle-aged man opens the door. And what Hadrian amazed him. He's like a little kid, curious about a toy.

The field was huge with illuminating trees at the side like a mini-forest. In the middle, there was a lake with different species of magical beasts like the Blessing Koi, Ardent Spark Eel, and many more.

At the illuminating trees, there seems to be a nest, a sign that bird species have been living there. Hadrian even saw the wind-light dual attribute exotic-type beast, Gale-wing Sparrow.

"Although we didn't have many beasts compared to the breeding centers of other level base cities, we will do what we can to your needs. So what type of beast do you require, sir?" The middle-aged man, Mr. Hughes, said softly.

"The attributes, as long as it light-type, it's okay. As for the cost, as long as it's not above 400,000 Spherium." Hadrian said. Spherium is the main currency used in this world.

Aside from his requirement that it must be light-type, it isn't hard. After all, light type is the main element of Nightbourne City.

It is just that the cost of light type is double that of other elements. Under 400,000 Spherium, only an uncommon light-type beast can be bought. As for other elements, it's almost worth of exotic-type beast.

Although it will be a pity if he can't buy an exotic-light type beast. It doesn't matter, after all, he has the Skill Archive of the Tome of Beast Taming. And he already has the advanced skill of Moon Enlightenment.

Nodding, Mr. Hughes, began to introduce every type of beast they have.

"That is the Glowing Squirrel, an uncommon-type light attribute beast. It only has two intermediate skills, Light Missiles, and Light Shield. It's a good choice for every new beast tamer. It has the evolution form of Light Seeking Beast. It costs 320,000 Spherium."

"That little bird there is a Light-billed Pigeon, an uncommon-type spirit-light dual attribute beast. Its skills are Feather Dance and Rapture. It's also a good choice for new beast tamers, after all, it has two attack-type intermediate skills. It has also had the evolutionary form of Luminance Bird, an exotic-type beast. It costs just about 290,000 Spherium."

Hadrian nodded as he said, after all, he already scan those skills with Skill Archive just now. Those beasts seem hyper although it's night already.

Well, it's understandable. After all, they are light-type beasts. Their attributes affect their behavior, such as light-type being more active at the night. And like beasts, being strong seems to be engraved in their bloodline and soul. So it's no wonder they are still training.

[★ Light Missiles (Intermediate)

• Attributes: Light

• Description: The user can condense needle-like made of light by borrowing light power. The stronger light borrowed, the greater damage it can cause.]

[★ Light Shield (Intermediate)

• Attributes: Light

• Description: The user can condense a prism of light on their body to protect themselves from any negative effects.]

[★ Feather Dance (Intermediate Skill)

• Attributes: Spirit, Light

• Description: A skill specifically of avian magical beasts. The user reflects light on their feathers, allowing them to produce illusory feathers with varying effects such as optical illusion, disrupting senses, and spiritual explosion.]

[★ Rapture (Intermediate)

• Attributes: Light

• Description: Allows the user to borrow any light power to produce small explosions. The greater the light power, the better explosion.]

Hadrian only proceeded to record the skills Light Shield and Feather Dance. Light Shield can form a defensive ability for the beast he will choose.

As for Light Missiles, its attacking power can be overlapped with the strategic power of Feather Dance, the same goes for the explosion effects of Rapture.

Of course, that alone isn't the reason why he chose to copy Feather Dance. It's because he already knows what type of beast he will buy. The only problem is how much it cost after all it's an exotic-type beast.

With a solemn expression, Hadrian looked towards a certain distance.

A white bird with huge amber eyes flapped its wings, leaving behind a flicker of light. On its place before are illusory bodies similar to its silhouette like an afterimage.

It appeared in another place, and feathers flew out of its body like a dagger and stabbed at the nearby tree. On another tree, there is a similar species of itself, with white light appearing above it. It seems to be bathing on it.

Hadrian's brain rumbled as the details of the skills appeared in his mind.

[★ Flickering (Intermediate)

• Attributes: Light

• Description: It allows the host to borrow the light power to stimulate one's speed comparable to that of the speed of light as if teleporting.]

[★ Fleeting Phantoms (Intermediate)]

• Attributes: Spirit, Light

• Description: Produce life-like illusions on the surface land by borrowing the power of light. The greater the light borrowed, the greater the realness of the illusion.]

[★ Piercing Feather (Intermediate)

• Attributes: Spirit

• Description: A specific skill of avian magical beasts that allows the user to control one's feather on its will as a weapon.]

[★ Moonlight Sheen (Intermediate)

• Attributes: Light

• Description: A skill to borrow moonlight power to bathe on it to improve the physical dimension of one's body. It can also remove negative effects on the body and remove injuries.]

In a daze, Hadrian immediately recorded those skills. These intermediate skills belong to one species, that white bird, the Mirage Owl. It's an exotic-type beast.

Seeing Hadrian looking in another direction, Mr. Hughes looked toward it and saw the herds of Mirage Owls. He hurriedly began to introduce it.

"That's a Mirage Owl. An exotic-type beast of the spirit-light dual attribute with four intermediate skills of Flickering, Fleeting Phantoms, Piercing Feathers, and Moonlight Sheen. It costs about 360,000 Spherium" Mr. Hughes said.

Hearing this, Hadrian had a puzzled look on his face. Because for an exotic-type beast, it's a little bit cheap.

And as if reading what's on Hadrian's mind, Mr. Hughes began to talk again.

"As for the reason why it looks cheap, as an exotic-type beast, there is no advanced skill. It can be said it's weak in the same race type. There is also no evolutionary form." Mr. Hughes said, heaving a sigh.

"A pity that although it's unique and can be said to be a representative pet of Nightbourne City, only a few will choose it as a first contract much less after they had another contract. That's why the Mirage Owl here can be said to be numerous." Mr. Hughes added.

Hearing this, Hadrian nodded. He understands that much. Race type is based on mana volume, physical aspects, and skill of the beast. For a beast that is strong physically and has a huge mana volume, not having an advanced skill can be said to be difficult.

One had to know skills are varied in different levels such as Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Superb, and Ultimate. From lowest to highest. Intermediate Skill is the highest an uncommon-type beast can have, Advanced Skill for exotic-type beast, Superb Skill for rare-type beasts, and Ultimate for imperial and higher races type of beast.

And there's no need to say more about evolutionary form. Race type is related to growth. Meaning to say evolution form can increase racial type. And an increase in race type means a higher growth limit.

A beast-tamer will always grow in the realm, so the beast must also grow with the beast-tamer. If you can't keep up, won't you be left behind? That's why few will only choose those type of beast that doesn't have evolution form to break their limit.

Although Hadrian heard this, he doesn't have much hesitation in his heart. After all, he has the skill archive. With this, Hadrian doesn't believe that his beast won't be strong enough to break their limit.

With that decision in mind, Hadrian looked intently toward the nests of Mirage Owls. However, when he glances there. A strange thing happened.

There's an owl there, flying. It uses one of its skills Fleeting Phantoms, leaving behind several afterimages. The amazing thing though, the images it left behind are numerous. Meaning the proficiency of the skill is high.

One had to know skills have corresponding levels. The higher the proficiency, the greater power it can display. From Beginner, Competent, Proficient, Excellent, and Mastery.

For most of the beasts, the higher proficiency they can attain under normal circumstances is Excellent-level. And to break through the limit of Mastery is almost close to impossible.

That aside, there is one thing he noticed. That is unlike other owls, this owl's white feathers have bronze feathers mixed in. Its feathers also have yellowish streaks, signifying its old age.

However, just when he was about to speak. Strange things happened. That weird owl seems to have eyes on its back. Its profound eyes gaze at Hadrian. There's a feeling of itchiness in his brain.

After that, there's a familiar sound, echoing as the owl seems to blurred and appear at another tree, leaving behind after images.

[★ Telepathy (Basic Skill)

• Attributes: Spirit

• Description: The user can transmit his thoughts to any other mind through the power of spirit. Training to the extreme can also allow the user to read the surface thoughts and emotions of beings surrounding it.]

In a daze, Hadrian proceeded to record that skill.

Telepathy!

Although there are many spirits attribute beasts in the nation, beasts that have Telepathy skill is few. No one knows why. Maybe because after being contracted they have something similar to telepathy but only limited to their contractors?

That was what scientists think here. And those who have Telepathy skills are intellectual, most of them are magical beasts at a higher realm. They don't have beast masters and instead live in their respective territories as a guardian.

So a lot of scientists and archeologists that Telepathy can increase intelligence and spirituality. Meaning to say they have a higher chance to learn skills and attain higher realms. So beasts that have Telepathy are rare back then and sought after.

But still, after a few studies. They learned that Telepathy skills can only transfer thoughts to ordinary beings and can only read the minds of ordinary creatures. If they try to do that at a creature that has mana, there will be a backlash.

And those who even have higher realms can shield their minds from spiritual skills. Meaning to say Telepathy was useless. Unless it relies on external force to execute the power of the Spirit, for example, the Spiritual Poison skill.

And maybe if they have a higher realm and proficiency, only then can the Telepathy skill achieve a tremendous effect like those beasts at higher realms.

So after that. The beasts that have Telepathy skills are tossed aside. After all, a skill that doesn't have a functional use in any specific field is worthless.

Not to mention, it is hard to increase the proficiency of the skill. Only by training it in a battle or using it continuously while having effects, can the skill proficiency increase. And added to the fact that the Telepathy skill also belongs to the spirit attribute. Most spirit attribute skills are hard to train after all.

But isn't this made for Hadrian? After all, he has the Skill Archive. Perhaps he can achieve what those higher-level beasts do. Thinking of this, he can't help feeling get giddy.

Seeing Hadrian look at a particular owl, Mr. Hughes can't help but also look at it. When he saw it, the middle-aged man can't help but throw a baffled at Hadrian, but still began to talk out of work ethic.

"That owl has quite a story. It was a breed of a Mirage Owl and a normal owl. So when it was born, it has a genetic defect. Although its other aspects are still the same as of the same species it was born. It doesn't have the race skills of Moonlight Sheen and Flickering, but it learns the basic skill of Telepathy with the intermediate skills of Fierce Feather and Fleeting Phantoms. But that doesn't matter for some, because although Telepathy can be a functional skill, it doesn't affect specific fields. So until now, no one took care of it yet."

Mr. Hughes heave a sigh. He also hopes that specific owls can be taken care of. But for those who buy pets here, no one would take the initiative to buy this owl.

Though Mr. Hughes wants to take care of it, he's an odd human. The beast he can contract is only three. He already has filled the contract position and can't contract any more beasts.

"I want to buy a Mirage Owl. That specific owl." Hadrian said eagerly.

There's a genetic defect? There's no problem. He can teach the Moon Enlightenment to that owl and help him purify its bloodline. It doesn't have the Moonlight Sheen? No need to say more. It also doesn't have Flickering? Well, it's okay. He can also teach that owl the Moonlight Sheen and Flickering using the Skill Archive.

For Hadrian, this owl that have Telepathy skill is a rare treasure. And he doesn't intend to let it go astray.

"Huh? Are you sure, sir?" Mr. Hughes blurt out as if startled.

"Yes," Hadrian said firmly, with a resolve in his heart.

"Sir, please think about it first. After all, once you contracted it, it can't be broken." Mr. Hughes reminded Hadrian. After all, contracts can't be broken. The only thing that awaits those who broke contracts is death.

"Yes. I will take care of it." Hadrian declared.