As soon as Shalltear rushed into the protective shield, she immediately reined in her strength and flapped her wings in place, afraid that rushing too hard would expose her. Upon entering, Shalltear felt her vision blur, and the surrounding scenery instantly became unfamiliar. Having been blocked by the barrier before, she finally had the chance to glimpse the full extent of this breeding base.
Beneath her feet and beside her was a man-made stone path, which extended along the outermost edge of the hemispherical protective shield, curving to the horizon. At the same time, on this circular ring road, branching paths would split off every so often, extending toward the center of the circular base. After these paths converged inward for a certain distance, they would meet and intersect with another, smaller circular ring road. These circular arcs, like concentric circles, appeared every hundred meters or so. This distribution made the entire breeding base, when viewed from above, resemble a circular spider web or a dartboard magnified several thousand times.
Between these paths were neatly divided animal enclosures. Some of these enclosures were completely open-air, with soft, comfortable grass laid on the ground inside. Although the magical creatures within looked a bit dispirited, the environment was quite comfortable. Many enclosures were wrapped in large weather-control blankets, just like the ones Alan had seen at Scamander's park. Not far from where Shalltear could see, there was a large enclosure housing eight Re'em. At this moment, these creatures were staring wide-eyed at Shalltear, observing each other. Perhaps they thought this bat posed no threat, so they just stared blankly at her.
As Shalltear looked up and into the distance, she discovered something that left her speechless: at the intersections of these crisscrossing paths, there were many magic lights used for illumination. Shalltear recognized at a glance that these were all products sold by the Silver Lightning Trading Company, specifically the cheapest, standardized imitation oil-lamp hanging lights. These neatly arranged rows of lights illuminated the entire base brightly.
*Damn it, this miserable club is quite generous; they actually take such good care of our business. But don't you know to buy something better? You only use such cheap goods.* Shalltear, trapped in enemy territory, had a surprisingly good attitude and even had the presence of mind to grumble.
But just as she finished surveying her surroundings, she heard footsteps and faint human voices nearby. Startled, Shalltear darted forward, diving into the Re'em enclosure in front of her. There was no other way; the main road was simply too open, with no place to hide. After rushing into the enclosure, Shalltear landed and burrowed into the grass. She pulled down her erect bat ears with her claws, only revealing two large, round eyes to observe the surroundings.
Just as she nervously hid, the footsteps grew louder. Soon, she saw two wizards walking side-by-side past the enclosure, chatting idly.
"Speaking of which, ever since we switched to these magic lights a few months ago, the entire park has become much brighter. I wish we could use these lights when training outside too," a wizard in a hunting outfit said listlessly.
"Don't even think about it. The boss said long ago that these magic lights can only be used inside the park. Their light is too bright, and the Shield Charm used outside isn't strong enough. Using these lights would increase the risk of exposure," another wizard, dressed in a long robe, replied.
At this moment, his peripheral vision caught his shoelace, which had come undone. He stopped, strolled to the Re'em enclosure, propped one foot on the railing, and leisurely tied his shoelace. The spot where he stood was exactly where Shalltear was hiding. She was startled by the patrolman and almost cried out, but luckily, she managed to cover her mouth in time.
"That's boring. When patrolling outside, besides a dog, there are no other human figures around. Don't you find it scary when it's pitch black?" the younger wizard asked with a slightly naive voice.
"You idiot, if you found someone next to you, that would mean big trouble." The older wizard had tied his shoelace several times, but it kept getting tangled. He turned his head impatiently and shouted. Then he looked at his companion with a teasing expression. "But how old are you? Why are you still so timid? Are you still afraid of the dark? If you ask me, patrolling outside is much more interesting than staying in this miserable birdcage. At least you can breathe fresh air outside. What else can you smell in here besides the stench of animal dung?"
He glared at the Re'em in the enclosure. "I'm talking about you guys. Your dung stinks so much, and you don't even pay attention to personal hygiene!"
He looked at his companion expectantly. "Not to mention, when we go out on patrol, we can also use the new equipment the boss provided for the park!"
"Are you talking about that strange-looking vest?" the younger wizard pouted disdainfully. "That thing is so ugly, without any decoration. It doesn't look powerful at all. Are you just bragging?"
Shalltear, carefully hidden behind the railing, heard this complaint and covered her mouth, stifling a laugh. She completely agreed with this wizard's opinion! As the chief designer at Silver Lightning Trading Company, Shalltear had long disliked those tactical vests. She had always wanted to beautify them with some designs, but this was strongly resisted by Alan, as if to express his final stubbornness. Her master only valued practicality and absolutely refused to let her add decorations. He insisted on keeping that rustic appearance, and even wanted to paint colorful camouflage patterns on it, which almost made Shalltear cry in frustration.
The older wizard in the long robe, hearing his companion, stopped tying his shoelace and glared fiercely at him. "What do you know? That kind of vest is designed for combat; the simpler and more convenient, the better. If you add some strange decorations, wouldn't that make your opponent laugh in battle?"
Shalltear pouted indignantly. If her master heard what this wizard said, he might consider him a kindred spirit.
"And how can you so arbitrarily assume that the equipment is no good if you haven't even seen it?" The older wizard grumbled, then mysteriously beckoned his companion to lean in. The younger wizard leaned closer, curious.
"Let me tell you, when that vest first arrived, I secretly tried it on, and the effect was better than expected. Even if someone hides in a corner and secretly casts a spell on you, that vest will automatically raise a Humanoid Iron Armor Curse. With your current spell-casting level, I could stand here and let you attack for half a minute, and you still wouldn't break my defense."
"Really? A Humanoid Iron Armor Curse? I still can't even cast that spell. And that vest can cast spells automatically?" The younger wizard looked at him in disbelief.
"Of course it's true. I saw it with my own eyes. But don't you dare tell anyone else, or I'll definitely not let you off." The older wizard waved his fist.
"Don't worry, my lips are sealed. Last time, when John secretly ate Fizzing Whizbees in the Billywig's nest, I didn't tell anyone," the younger wizard chuckled, then asked curiously, "You said this vest is powerful. Where did the boss and the others get it from? I've never heard of such a thing before."
The older wizard looked speechlessly at his companion. "Ah, you're asking about that vest. That piece of equipment seems to be an import. They say it's imported from a company called Silver Flash Alchemy Development Company, just like the magic lights currently used in the park."
"Oh? Is this alchemy company that powerful, that they've even expanded their business to West Germany?" The younger wizard sighed with a hint of envy. "It's a pity. We can only go out once every six months, and we have to have our memories of working in the park erased. Otherwise, I'd want to buy some magic lights for my home right now. What do you think it's like outside now? We don't even know."
"Heh, you're dreaming. But even if you went out, you probably wouldn't be able to buy them. According to the people who just came in for the shift change, these magic lights are only sold in East Germany." The older wizard shrugged helplessly.
"Huh? Why? What's wrong with West Germany compared to East Germany? Why don't they sell them here? Are those East Germans secretly causing trouble?" the younger wizard complained angrily.
"How would I know? We have to stay in this park for half a year once we enter. We might not even know if things change outside. If it weren't for the good pay and the boss's guarantee, who would be stuck here?" The older wizard sighed disspiritedly.
"If we go out next time and find that West Germany has achieved independence, that would be great. Otherwise, we'd still have to live under the same roof as those East Germans." The younger wizard grumbled resentfully.
"Who knows." The older wizard pursed his lips speechlessly. Young people are just young people; anyone can brainwash them and make them lose their way.