The first stop on Petra's little adventure was a large area in the shallow shores of the 'Land Beast' enclosures, which was home to a large pack of 'Twin-Headed Iron Jaw Wolves!'
These were a relatively common magic beast native to the 'Iron Leaf Forests' near the faintly forested hills of the southern regions' border area. These small forests were famous for their metallic vegetation, such as the iron-rich soil and blade-like leaves that slowly hardened the bodies of the creatures living within it! In fact, Petra had actually passed through these on her way to the south.
Over many generations, these wolves had adapted.
Their bones were dense and heavy, their muscles tighter and naturally coiled, and their claws and jaws were reinforced like tempered steel. Each wolf possessed two fully functioning heads capable of independent thought, allowing them to coordinate attacks with a terrifying level of precision.
In the wild, they hunted in small formations of four to ten at a time.
They were also the number one cause of death for those coming to the south for the first time…
Here, in the Beast Garden, they were contained within a vast artificial habitat designed to mimic their forested homelands. Jagged stone outcroppings rose from the ground, with iron-leaf saplings lining the terrain, and a faintly flickering array that rippled along the reinforced glass walls that seemed to alter the environment within.
Upon closer inspection, this array was not unlike those that Petra had used in the farmland at home.
Suppression runes were embedded into the perimeter, dampening mana surges as well as preventing tunneling or coordinated charges towards the glass barrier.
In short—
They were not getting out!
Mm, probably…
As Petra approached the enclosure, she quickly realized something else.
These wolves weren't just intelligent, they were extremely intelligent! They might be even more intelligent than humans! Perhaps the reason the little cannon balls hadn't tried to escape was because their life here was pretty cushy?
Mm, one of the larger wolves turned towards her, and both of its heads locked onto her simultaneously.
Following the first, there came a second, and a third, then a fourth, and soon, over nine twin-headed wolves were looking at Petra with their big, bloodthirsty eyes!
Levy proceeded to watch as—
Petra crouched down…
Then they crouched down...
She tilted her head…
Then they tilted theirs…
She smiled…
Then they bared their iron-lined teeth, their lips peeling back in a rumbling warning as if ready to rip her face off at any moment!
Petra could only lean back and grimace.
-
Time passed…
After the big dogs, they moved on and soon arrived at another enclosure, this one housing a small herd of 'Azure-horn Elk!' which Petra had actually heard about before!
The exhibit was built like a dim woodland, contained within an isolated building, its interior deliberately darkened to mimic a moonlit forest.
Soft blue light shimmered across artificial trees and moss-covered stones.
Inside stood about a dozen elk, each over three meters tall. Their massive frames were elegant and composed, and their antlers rose another full meter above their heads, branching off and glowing with a faint, ethereal blue light that illuminated the enclosure like drifting starlight.
Even from outside, Petra could still feel that the spiritual energy here had a very unique aura.
These majestic beasts were rarely found wandering through the 'Twin Talents Forest' late at night, their glowing antlers drifting like will-o'-wisps through the darkness. The 'Twin Talents Forest' was one of the places they had passed while traveling to the resort.
There was an old legend that if one followed an Azure-horn Elk without any hostility or greed, it might lead them to hidden treasures or forgotten ruins! Many adventurers had even tried, but—
Most simply got lost or failed to follow…
The beast garden had recreated a small moonlit glade within the enclosure. Artificial trees swayed faintly under magic lighting designed to simulate nighttime conditions, even during the day.
The barrier here was also different from the wolves' habitat, it was less oppressive, and more refined. Instead of heavy suppression, the containment relied on layered runes that filtered a special spiritual energy that somehow prevented their 'treasure hunting ability' from functioning, or so the staff had claimed.
In truth, not even they knew...
Petra suspected that these creatures had the ability to break barriers, and she was right…
Because yes—
Under certain conditions, their antlers could pierce weak enchantments and allow them to reach any target they wanted. If not for their aloof and arrogant nature, then these creatures would make terrifying weapons of war!
Petra stepped forward and pressed both hands against the barrier like a child.
Her eyes sparkled at their ethereal blue glow.
"…Mm, " She tried to imagine how beautiful they would look at night if she borrowed a few to fill the Verdelith Castle. Just thinking about getting up late at night, unable to sleep, then going outside for a quick walk and wandering around in the shadow of night, then turning your head to see a ring of glowing antlers beneath the Emerald Ghost Tree…
Unfortunately, the castle didn't have a forest for them to live in…
But perhaps one day!
Because as the Castle Crawler continued to mature and expand its territory, er—its body, there was potential! The outer barrier was already capable of extending beyond the one-kilometer radius, it simply required more time and energy to grow. When the 'Plant Spirit' of the Emerald Ghost Tree fully awakened, the domain should naturally expand along with the Castle Crawler as well, and if the 'Void Mimic' bloodline matured, the barrier would likely receive some kind of qualitative change and evolve…
As for how?
Petra didn't know yet!
But it should, it definitely should!
Her gaze returned to the glowing herd.
"…I kind of want one," Petra muttered under her breath.
Behind her—
The deer maid, seeing Petra's intense stare, went stiff! She quickly encouraged them to move on…
* * *
Before continuing, there was a small interlude…
While Petra was playing around with Lilly and Luna, Levy left to laze around.
At the same time, the three beast maids took this opportunity to do their own things.
Unlike the Deer maid, who always maintained a relatively close proximity, the Fox and the Raccoon were a lot less reliable. While the Deer stayed close by, the Fox wandered away to do her own thing, only to return a few minutes later with a strange expression.
Before the Deer had a chance to even ask, the Raccoon had also returned, receiving a somewhat 'subtle' glance from the Fox as she swaggered over with a wide smile. There was even a brief moment of respect on the Fox's face, but it disappeared quickly.
The Deer didn't know why this interaction had happened, after all, these two were both troublemakers, but she correctly chose not to ask about it in the end…
* * *
After that brief interlude, some time passed, and the party moved on, eventually arriving at an enclosure containing a single massive tank that housed a 'Crystal-back Basilisk!'
The massive serpentine creature coiled lazily within the artificial cavern, its enormous body, over twenty-five meters long, was partially submerged in a shallow, mineral-rich water.
Its scales were a deep black, absorbing most of the light, while a ridge of jagged, translucent crystal-like spines ran from the back of its head all the way to the tip of its tail. The crystal ribs rippled faintly under the light, refracting a golden aura into prismatic glints that danced across the stone wall.
The Crystal-back Basilisk was an extremely rare subspecies of Basilisk, usually found deep within the 'Crystal Ravines' near the southern region's western coastline, not too far from where the Ice Castle had first appeared! It preferred environments saturated with mineral veins and reflective surfaces, which amplified its natural abilities. In addition, this creature would often inhabit undiscovered Spirit Stone Veins, so it was not uncommon to capture one with a large group of hunters, 'tag it', then release it back into the wild to wait and see.
Unlike lesser basilisks that often relied on a simple petrifying gaze, the 'Crystal-back' variant could magnify its glare through the crystalline structures along its spine. By channeling spiritual energy into those spines, it could refract and intensify its gaze into focused beams of petrifying light that branched out into hundreds, if not thousands, of individual attacks.
In its natural habitat, entire cave systems were known to be littered with half-formed stone statues, which were naturally the unfortunate explorers that had been frozen mid-scream.
As you can probably imagine, containment was no simple matter for a creature this dangerous!
Therefore, the Beast Garden had constructed a multi-layered enclosure.
The glass wall facing the public was not an ordinary reinforced crystal, it was embedded with extremely special runes and a low-level spatial distortion spell. In addition, a rotating illusory field subtly altered the creature's line of sight, ensuring that even if it focused on the viewing barrier, its gaze would never align cleanly with a target outside.
In short, even though you appeared to be looking at it directly, you weren't.
As the group of girls passed by—
It was, strangely enough, Levy who stopped and started to stare.
She stepped forward, her eyes narrowing at the informational plaque. "…This is wrong, so wrong!" she muttered… She pointed at a line describing the basilisk's meridian structure and a brief description of how its ability deviated from that of a normal basilisk.
Petra looked at her, perplexed.
Why did she seem to care so much?
"How did they even research this? The amplification doesn't originate from the spines on its back, no-no-no, it's a resonance feedback loop within the optic nerves, then it uses the crystalline growth to fire it. Who came up with this nonsense? Tsk-tsk-tsk!"
She folded her arms aggressively!
For the next few minutes, yes minutes… she continued muttering to herself.
None of the girls, Petra included, dared to stop her.
Levy was just that focused! Petra felt as if she was one step away from pulling out her whiteboard and ruler, and beginning a literal lesson for this big lizard…
How awkward would that be!
The basilisk blinked lazily from inside its tank, its eyes turning ever so slightly. She didn't know who this crazy woman was, but why did she seem to be making so much sense?
Closing its eyes, the female basilisk began to quietly listen…
* * *
Time slowly passed as the day ticked away.
They visited quite a number of exhibits after that, before taking a quick break to eat at the fantasy version of the Beast Gardens cafeteria, then continued their day…
-
Eventually, they found their way to an enormous aviary that contained a flock of 'Thunder-feather Roc' hatchlings, all huddled together in a massive ball of feathers and oversized talons. Looking back at the flock, there had to be nearly a hundred of them, all clustered together in a single corner!
Those little pom-pom-like bodies were quite cute…
Petra looked around, finding that there didn't appear to be an 'adult' in sight, which Petra found odd…
The enclosure rose several stories high, capped with strange, layered magic instead of solid glass.
Artificial cliffs curved inwards, mimicking a mountainous nesting ground.
The hatchlings were perched on a tiered stone platform, some preening, some squawking, and some just stared down at the visitors below with bright, crackling eyes.
This species was native to the eastern mountain range of the southern region, not far from the Hot Spring Resort. Adult Thunder-feather Rocs could grow to an astonishing twenty-meter wingspan and were capable of flying at a terrifying speed! Their feathers naturally accumulated lightning-element spiritual energy, and when agitated, they discharged arcs of electricity. What was worse, their screech carried a concentrated sonic shockwave that could destroy stone, rupture eardrums, and knock lesser cultivators from the sky.
Of course, under the right conditions, this could also shatter glass…
One may think that this was already terrifying enough, but for those who wandered the eastern mountain range of the southern region, they were not unfamiliar with these terrifying birds!
People would often get scooped up, disappearing in a flash of light, and never appear again!
This was one of the many reasons people never 'went around the back' to enter the central valley of the hot spring resort. It was often said that they were rarely sighted in the wild. Not because they were scarce, no, because they were violently territorial! Most people who encountered an adult didn't survive long enough to record the sighting, and those who did were usually people who couldn't be bothered.
As for their containment—
The Beast Garden had clearly spared no expense for this particular species!
The aviary was layered with multiple containment arrays, with a modified 'anti-flight zone' that subtly increased the air density near the upper boundary, alongside lightning-dissipation runes which had been embedded along the mesh ceiling, and special sound-dampening artifacts that had been woven through the enclosure walls, and stone platforms that were carved from mana-conductive rock that harmlessly grounded stray electrical discharges.
In short—
The hatchlings could scream all they wanted, and nothing was getting out!
There was an upper and lower level of the viewing deck. Petra positioned herself on the topmost level.
She stepped towards the railing, then looked down…
One of the larger hatchlings, its feathers faintly crackling with static electricity, turned towards her with its big black eyes. Then another, and another, and another, and soon, almost all of them were looking at just one person, which naturally drew attention. A small cluster of fluffy, lightning-charged bird balls were all staring up at her with an intense gaze.
This was normal—
Or so Petra believed! She stared back…
Silence!
One second…
Two seconds…
Three seconds…
After an uncomfortably long period of time, Petra was soon pulled away.
-
Time slowly passed…
* * *