Chapter 159: Chapter 159: The Beast Sanctuary
Nymira, in her fluffy white cat form with shimmering blue eyes, approached Seojun as he sat under the tree. Her soft paws barely made a sound as she settled down in front of him, her small frame adorned with a delicate necklace that Seoyang had gifted her. The necklace gleamed in the sunlight, adding to her regal appearance.
"I have a favor, Master," she spoke softly.
Seojun, still absorbed in his book, glanced at her briefly. "Hmm?" he hummed in response, not fully looking away from the pages.
Nymira tilted her head slightly. "Can I leave for a while? There's a problem going on in the Beast Sanctuary. Not just in USA but here as well. As the Mother of Familiars I have to fix this."
At her words, Seojun finally closed his book and looked at her properly. Nymira's white fur seemed to glow under the afternoon light, and her calm blue eyes stared back at him.
"You don't have to ask," Seojun said, a soft smile forming on his lips. "It's your responsibility to take care of these things."
Nymira bowed her head slightly in gratitude. "Thank you, Master. I will return as soon as everything is resolved."
Seojun nodded, watching as Nymira stood up and turned to leave. He trusted her completely.
"Be careful out there, Nymira," he added.
She glanced back at him, her eyes filled with determination. "I will, Master." With that, she leaped gracefully, disappearing into the trees,
Seojun sat under the tree, feeling the peaceful breeze. He raised his hand and summoned a small dark flame that flickered gently in his palm. With a soft smile, he guided it down toward the ground. As soon as the flame touched the earth, it transformed into a perfect replica of Nymira—a white cat with fluffy fur and bright blue eyes.
"That should do it," Seojun murmured, satisfied with the result. This version of Nymira would act as a substitute while the real one was away handling her duties.
Just then, the door to the house opened, and his mother, Seoyang, stepped out. She looked around and spotted the 'Nymira' sitting on the ground. With a warm smile, she walked over and picked up the cat.
"Feeding time!" Seoyang said happily as she cuddled the white cat in her arms. Not far behind, Silla and Huno followed her, eager for their turn at some food.
Seojun watched from a distance. He wanted to make sure his mother wouldn't worry about Nymira's sudden absence. The fake Nymira acted and looked exactly like the real one and it was enough to keep his mother happy.
As Seoyang fed the animals, "It's impressive that Huno, Silla, and Nymira can all speak now." He muttered
[It's all because of your max-level host. It took them a while to speak because they were adjusting,] the system explained.
Even though they were granted the ability to speak when they became Seojun's guardians, the system forbade them from speaking to encourage Seojun's mental and emotional growth.
While the guardians could help him in combat, the system believed that by limiting verbal communication, Seojun would be forced to rely more on his intuition, problem-solving skills, and independence outside of battle.
This way, he could grow stronger not just physically, but mentally as well, without becoming overly dependent on their guidance.
He leaned back against the tree, watching his mom enjoy her time with his guardians and Everything seemed peaceful for now.
Suddenly, his phone buzzed against his thigh, he answered the call without looking at the screen.
"Who?"
[Hey, it's me, Alex! Save my number, will you? Anyway, Seojun, do you have more of that crystal?]
"Yeah, why?" Seojun replied, opening the book and start reading again.
[Well, you see the crystal is used up and all the animals have turned back into beasts. We're trying to make more of the crystal but it shattered. So maybe I can have one?]
In the place where he brought his mother for her birthday, the animals are actually beasts; no ordinary animals exist since 1 year ago. He had used a crystal called the Dreamstone to suppress them and keep them in their ordinary form. Since the Dreamstone has shattered, it means it only had a shelf life of five days before losing its power.
"Yeah, why not?"
[Thanks, Seojun! Maybe this can help us in some other way,]
"Take Alexa and come here. You can get as much as you want," Seojun offered.
"Sure, We'll be there soon!"
Meanwhile, Nymira, in her white, fluffy cat form, took a few minutes to travel using the wind, floating gently through the air until she arrived at the Beast Sanctuary in USA. As she descended slowly, she noticed something was wrong. The atmosphere felt tense, and a thin fog hung in the air.
As she walked toward the entrance, her sharp blue eyes caught sight of a group of people. They were awakeners—individuals with special powers—arguing with the two guards stationed at the sanctuary's entrance.
One of the awakeners, a tall man with an angry expression, shouted, "It's been a few weeks! Why are you still forbidding us to enter?!"
A woman beside him added, "She's right! I need to get a familiar now! This is ridiculous!"
Another person joined in, "You keep saying it's for our safety, but we can handle ourselves. Let us in!"
The guards stood firm, shaking their heads. "I'm sorry but the Beast Sanctuary is closed for now. No one is allowed to enter. It's too dangerous."
"Too dangerous?!" one of the awakeners yelled, "We've been training for this! We need familiars to grow stronger. You can't just block us like this!"
Nymira stayed silent as she observed the scene. She could feel the frustration coming from the awakeners, and the tension was growing. Something serious was happening in the sanctuary, and it was clear these people were desperate to get inside.
As the two guards struggled to hold back the frustrated awakeners, they were saved only by a protective barrier that prevented anyone from entering. The crowd was growing louder and more impatient, pushing against the invisible wall.