Chapter 23 : Upgrading the Chamber (1)

Lloyd was in the middle of a peaceful dream, a serene landscape filled with fluffy clouds and endless fields of tobacco flowers.

'Ah, this is paradise...'

He was lying under the shade of a tree, smoking a cigarette as he contemplated the landscape, when suddenly...

*Peck!*

A small but persistent pecking sensation on his cheek jolted him awake.

"Ugh...!"

He squirmed and swatted at whatever was assaulting his face, still half-asleep.

"Five more minutes..." he mumbled, trying to escape the persistent annoyance.

*PECK! PECK!*

It continued, growing more insistent.

"Argh..."

Finally, with a groggy sigh, Lloyd forced his eyes open.

In his half-awake state, he expected the familiar scene of Selita scolding him for oversleeping or muttering rude remarks in his sleep. However, instead of Selita, he was met with the sight of his new feathered companion, Misty. She was perched right on his nose, her large round eyes staring directly into his own.

"Hoo, hoo !" she hooted impatiently.

Lloyd blinked, momentarily disoriented.

"Huh, Misty ? What are you...?"

Before he could finish his sentence, Misty extended her beak and pecked his nose again, this time a little harder.

Her message was clear : the lady was hungry and requested her human to feed her.

With a groan, Lloyd threw his arm over his eyes.

"Alright, alright ! I'm up !"

As he reached for the pouch of seeds in his inner pocket, he couldn't help but chuckle at the absurdity of being woken up so early in the morning by an owl.

"Sigh, are you sure you're not a hen in disguise ?"

"Hoo ?"

"Hoo, my ass. Nocturnal birds are supposed to sleep at this hour, you know.'

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As Lloyd was giving Misty the last handful of seeds in the pouch, Selita's voice echoed in his head.

[If I was you, I would mentally prepare myself before going downstair.]

Her tone hinted that something happened while Lloyd was asleep.

'What do you mean ?' he mumbled.

[Well... You should see for yourself. Just don't scold Blackie and Misty too hard, alright ?]

Lloyd had a bad feeling.

'Wait, did you just say Blackie too ?'

[...]

Lloyd's heart raced as he quickly grabbed Misty by the neck and examined every detail of her petite frame, searching for any signs of injury.

"H-Hoo ?!"

To his relief, she wasn't badly injured, her feathers gleaming in the soft morning light that filtered through the window.

However, as he gently ran his fingers along her back, he felt a small bump just above her tail. Looking more closely, Lloyd noticed a cut that had already started healing. It was a small wound, but enough to confirm his suspicions.

He sighed, having an idea of what happened while he was sleeping.

'Let me freshen up first.'

The trip to the Starshade Fores had left him so exhausted that he hadn't even bothered to change his clothes before collapsing into his bed.

After taking a quick shower and changing into new clothes, he started descending the stairs with Misty on top of his head. She seemed to like this spot a lot.

Before he even reached the lobby, he spotted small pieces of shattered wood scattered on the steps.

'What the...?'

When he left the stairs, the scene in front of him was nothing short of chaos.

His counter was full of scratches, and one of the tall shelves that stood next to the shop's entrance had been completely crushed, all its contents strewn across the floor.

Lloyd's eyes widened in disbelief.

Hiding behind his counter, Blackie had both of his heads down with his eyes closed, pretending to be asleep.

Lloyd's anger-meter soared through the roof, but he took a deep breath and tried to stay calm.

He knew that his dog and his new owl weren't the only ones to blame. It was also his fault.

He thought about it when he was in his bed, about to fall asleep ; he expected them to fight since he had let Misty roam free in the lobby, but at that time, he didn't have the strength to leave the comfort of his blanket and go downstair to move Blackie to another room.

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He just hoped Misty and Blackie wouldn't mind each other, or at least, they wouldn't hurt each other.

His hope had been vain, though.

Now that the wrong had been done, he was partly responsible for this mess.

Lloyd turned to Blackie.

"Your acting is terrible."

"..."

It was obvious that Blackie was pretending : he always snored loudly when he was asleep.

"If you keep acting, I'll throw you alone into the Dark Chamber."

"..."

"I'm not kidding."

"Woof..."

Feeling the anger in his master's tone, Blackie realized that Lloyd was serious. He would really do what he just said if he didn't comply.

Blackie timidly raised his two heads and glanced at Lloyd with guilty eyes.

"Grrr..."

"Hoo, hoo !"

He understood that he'd done something wrong, however, he couldn't resist growling and baring his teeth when he noticed the annoying fluffy bird perched on top of his master's head.

Sighing deeply once more, Lloyd addressed his two stubborn companions with a stern voice.

"Stop it, you two. Because of your night-time scuffle, I'm the one who has to clean your mess. We'll talk about your punishment later, and trust me, you won't like it."

"Hoo !"

"Yes, I was talking about you too, Miss Morning-Owl. Instead of complaining, you should be grateful to only end up with a scratch on your back after fighting Blackie."

Lloyd didn't know if Blackie went easy on her, or if Misty was smarter than she looked, but it was a miracle she didn't end up as a 3am snack for his dog.

"You guys don't even think about starting another fight. Got it ?"

"Woof..."

"Hoo..."

Blackie grumbled lowly, and Misty hooted softly in response, as if they both understood the gravity of the situation.

Lloyd got to work, cleaning the mess, all the while hoping that this wouldn't become a regular occurrence every morning.

___

After spending the morning tidying up the store lobby, Lloyd ate a hearty breakfast, before making his way to the reserve to check on the other beasts he captured.

Once he confirmed that they were all doing well, he wasted no time and passed the door behind his counter, venturing into the Dark Chamber.

He decided to visit the Backroom first before opening the store today. He brought with him both Blackie and Misty.

"H-Hoo..."

Misty was terrified when they traversed the Dark Chamber. The moment they entered the Dark Chamber, she turned invisible and hid under Lloyd's shirt, her entire body shivering.

He had no idea what she had seen in the darkness that made her react this way, but he preferred not to know. As long as whatever was hiding within the thick darkness of the Dark Chamber wasn't hostile to him and his pets, he didn't mind.

Misty soon calmed down once they arrived in front of the monolith.

Stepping into the control room, the system recognized his presence, and a robotic voice reverberated in his mind.

| Beginner Quest (1/4) completed. Rewards have been transferred to the owner's personal storage. Mission status updated. |

'Did the monolith recognize Misty as a tamed beast ?'

Apparently, the system had its own way of knowing when a mission had been completed.

For some reason, a surge of satisfaction enveloped Lloyd.

The first quest he had undertaken—which was to capture a magical beast—was a success. Although it hadn't been too hard thanks to Thelec's help, it still filled him with pride and a sense of accomplishment.

"Selita, can you show me the new mission status ?"

[Sure.]

Selita displayed the system interface within Lloyd's field of view.

| Beginner Quest : Starting As A Pet Store Owner In Another World (2/4) |

| Description :

The system detected that the new host's business involved the sale of animals and pet care resources whereas the host has no animals to sell yet, which is a shame for a pet shop. |

| Task : Hatch the Crackling egg rewarded by the system within the time limit.

Additional Information : The larva inside the egg is very sensitive to its environment. It can not survive long under ambient temperature. |

| Current Progress : Egg in a stasis state. |

| Rewards :

Nether Points x 10

Small Bag Of Mana Crystals x 1

Low-grade Elixir x 1 |

| Time Limit : 9d 23h 59m left |

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After reading the new mission, Lloyd fell in thought for a moment, before asking Selita.

"What in the world is a Crackling ?"

Selita started explaining, giving Lloyd a bit more information about this mysterious egg he had to hatch.

[Cracklings are small but dangerous creatures native to H44-E2, a telluric planet in the Beta-Tharcirion megacluster. They have a very hierarchical society, much like ants, and live in hives within cold and humid subterranean tunnels and underground caves.]

Lloyd raised an eyebrow, intrigued.

"So, they're like insects but from yet another world ?"

Selita confirmed.

[Exactly. After observing and studying them for a decade, Igor took a liking to their species, so he brought back a few specimens and registered them in the system database. He also stored some eggs in the Backroom's storage, like the one you received as a reward. Do you want to read his notes about them ?]

"Sure."

Lloyd's interest grew even more at the mention of Igor's involvement.

He knew Igor was no ordinary person, but learning that he had spent over ten years studying these creatures on a distant planet at the edge of the universe was astounding.

'Whatever Igor's goal is, I can't deny that he's extremely dedicated to his duty,' Lloyd thought.

With a perfect transition, Selita's voice shifted to mimic Igor's distinctive way of speaking, capturing his elegance and refined mannerisms.

___

"Cracklings study. Entry n°3670. Final report."

Selita, speaking with Igor's voice, began.

"Ah, H44-E2,

A truly remarkable celestial body far in the cosmos, orbiting a blue supergiant star lost in the Beta-Tharcirion megacluster.

Its surface is bathed in perpetual storms. When its atmosphere is cleared up of the toxic gases leaking from the super-volcanos scattered on the planet, its sky is truly a sight to behold—a mesmerizing blend of deep blues, like the purest sapphires, stretching as far as the eye can see.

The surface conditions are extreme, I must say. Near the equator, where the star's radiant heat is the most intense, temperatures can soar to scorching highs during the day. Yet, as twilight falls, a chilling cold sweeps over the land, transforming the planet into an ice-covered realm. Geothermal activity and the intensity of the toxic gas storms ravaging the planet's atmosphere vary greatly depending on the time of the day.

Its unusual surface for a telluric planet is worth researching, but it's in the undergrounds where the true wonders of H44-E2 lie. Hidden from the storms, radiations, and toxic atmosphere of the surface, a surprising native life has evolved to thrive in the subterranean labyrinth of tunnels and caves.

Although the lack of a source of light makes it always dark down there, those tunnels and caverns have more stable temperatures, a higher level of humidity, and even a thin atmosphere ! It is not enough to sustain human life, but it is a haven for these remarkable creatures.

I named these intriguing bio-organisms 'Cracklings', in reference to the unique sound they make when hunting their prey. Fascinating little creatures they are ! I must admit, it was quite a challenge studying them without being noticed, and thus, affecting their ecosystem. These creatures, despite their bad eyesight, have excellent senses. They also built intricate societies in the darkest depths of underground caves.

It wasn't easy to infiltrate their habitat.

I've mentioned in the previous reports how territorial they are, but the most surprising observation I've made so far was the innate psychic link that bounds all the members of the colony to their Queen—the matriarch who's at the top of their hierarchy.

During my last fortnight there, I succeeded in stealing a bunch of eggs from the Queen's nursery. It took me quite some time and a lot of errors, but after analyzing their entire genome, I managed to modify it just enough so they could recognize the first person they saw after hatching as their master. Those modified cracklings became loyal servants who followed any of my commands to the letter.

Unfortunately, I've spent more time here than I should have.

Much to my regret... It is now time for me to leave.

I'll make sure to take with me a few hundred specimens for further experiments, though. I would love to recreate a scaled-down version of their hive once my next project, the Backroom, is completed.

End of transmission."