The morning sun was shining brightly over the outer district of Pantheon, a less developed area filled with mossy cobblestones and ancient stone houses.

Albedo had arrived here earlier, standing before a modest house with runes barely holding their enchantments together, the kind of place that made it obvious the resident wasn’t connected to any Noble house or rich organization.

~KNOCK~KNOCK~KNOCK!~

He knocked three times, waiting for a few seconds before the door clicked and then creaked open, a chain still locking it in place from the inside.

A girl’s voice floated out, “Who…?”

“Albedo. Lucian sent me.” He said, waiting for the response.

There was a long pause. Then, after a few soft clicks, the door opened fully, revealing Diona, who was still clutching the doorknob tightly.

Diona Vale stood there, clutching the doorknob tightly.

She looked exactly how Albedo remembered her from the Novel and its illustrations. Still young, still soft-featured, with the same honey-brown hair tied into a rough braid and large, gentle eyes the color of warm chestnut.

She wore a simple dress, patched in a few places, her shoes slightly too big for her feet.

In the Novel, she’d later be known as The Saintess of Light. Her awakening had caused a massive Divine phenomena across the world revealing her fate as the Saintess, and she had quickly gone from just a childhood friend, to one of Lucian’s most important and influential allies.

But right now?

She looked like a frightened rabbit trying to stand tall. as she stared at him. She looked around her home, it was quiet, a little cold, mostly empty, and then turned back towards Albedo.

“Where would I be staying?”

“With me,” Albedo replied. “And my little sister. We’ve got enough space,” Albedo replied.

Diona hesitated, teeth lightly sinking into her lower lip.

“…Would I be a burden?”

Albedo blinked and shook his head no.

‘If anything, you’re a blessing,’ Albedo thought to himself, pulling out a black box from his inner coat pocket and opened the lib. Inside were 3 rectangular chocolate bars.

“What’s that?” Diona asked, confused.

“Mana-infused chocolate,” Albedo said, “They’re delicious, and one bit should be enough to sustain you all day,”

Albedo said. This was the Achievement Reward he had received for winning the duel vs the Upperclassmen.

He got 50 boxes each of which had 20 boxes of these chocolates. Not only were they extremely delicious, they replenished Mana, and had enough nutrients to sustain him for 24 hours.

He broke off a small piece and offered it to her. Diona looked at it like it was an offering from a deity. Albedo had known that chocolate was her favorite snack from the Novel, so it was an easy way to get into her good graces.

“It’s good,” Albedo said. “Try it.”

She did, eating it, and the change in her expression was immediate. Her eyes widened, and her entire expression lit up in delight.

“Wha—this is…!” She tried to compose herself, but ended up giggling behind her hand, “It tastes like warm light.”

Albedo raised a brow, “Warm light?”

“I don’t know how else to describe it,” she said sheepishly, cheeks flushing as she continued to chow down on the chocolate and enjoy it.

“Then you’ll fit right in,” he muttered, more to himself than to her.

Diona looked at him curiously, but Albedo simply gestured over his shoulder.

“Pack whatever you need. I’ll wait.”

It took less than five minutes. Diona didn’t own much, just two enchanted books, a few sets of clothes, a cracked mirror, and a small wooden pendant carved into the shape of a lily.

When she stepped out of the house again, holding a satchel barely larger than a schoolbag, she looked back only once.

“I guess this place won’t miss me,” she murmured.

Albedo nodded and quickly headed home. Once they arrived, Diona’s breath got caught in her throat as she saw the house they would be staying in. The masterfully build villa drew her in and made her eyes widen.

Ember greeted them near the entrance, her body glowing with white-blue flames and a mane that crackled with suppressed heat. Diona practically jumped behind Albedo in surprise.

“What is that?!”

“My companion,” Albedo said, “Her name’s Ember. She’s harmless unless provoked.”

Ember huffed softly, snorting a curl of harmless steam in Diona’s direction.

“…Are you sure?”

“Pretty sure.”

Diona took some slow steps towards Ember and stared at her, enchanted by the mare’s beauty.

As she was staring at Ember, the door opened, and Gwen came skipping out in a dress, her hair bouncing as she saw Diona, immediately pausing.

“Oh! Is this her?”

Albedo nodded and Gwen’s face lit up, immediately going up and greeting her, “Hi! I’m Gwen Neverwinter! What’s your name?”

“Diona,” she said quietly. “Diona Vale.”

Gwen grinned, “You’re pretty! Come inside, I’ll show you the best reading spots!”

Albedo watched the two girls disappear down the hallway, Gwen talking a mile a minute and Diona smiling more naturally than she had all day.

Once he made sure Diona was all tucked in, he headed to the Academy. His First Class was supposed to be Beast Taming with Professor Luna, but she had some kind of prior commitment that cancelled the class.

Due to that, Albedo found himself back at the Mission Hall, deciding to take on his 2nd mission. He still didn’t forget he needed to gather as much Merit as possible.

The place was busy, as always. Students scanned boards, formed groups, and bargained over team rewards.

Albedo headed over to the priority mission listings, but he only found one, but it was extremely vague. In fact, it didn’t have any information about it whatsoever.

Confused, Albedo head to talk to the clerk.

“Name?” the clerk asked when he approached,, a girl with lilac hair and mana-reinforced glasses. She glanced up, froze for a half-second, then composed herself.

“Albedo Neverwinter,” he said.

She tapped quickly on the crystalline screen in front of her. Her eyes squinted at something that flickered across the interface.

“You’re here about that Myth-Class posting right. It’s a special listing sent in by a unique client. The reward is big though, 4000 Merit.”

“Did you say 4,000?” Albedo said, shocked. For a mission with that high of a reward, it had to be extremely difficult, and posted by someone with a-lot of influence in the Academy.

The clerk nodded and Albedo raised an eyebrow, “So you do I need to meet?”

The girl hesitated and then spoke,”Professor Luna Evervale.”

That made him pause. Luna in the Novel was still a rather mysterious character. She kept to herself and just taught, and wasn’t involved in much of the drama at all, which made her mysterious.

“Can I see the details?” he asked.

The clerk shook her head, “Not unless you’re pre-approved… or willing to meet with her directly. She flagged this one with a locked descriptor. You’ll need to speak with her personally before accepting it.”

Albedo exhaled and nodded.

“Alright. Where is she?”

“She’s in her faculty office at the Beastarium Spire. Fourth floor. Use the east side elevator, it’s keyed to student access during daylight hours.”

“Thanks.”

He turned and left immediately, heading towards her office.

***

Beastarium Spire – Fourth Floor

The scent of exotic fur and faint traces of beast mana hung heavy in the air as Albedo stepped into the faculty floor.

The elevator ride had taken him through visible levels filled with enchanted cages, magical incubators, and sleeping mystical creatures, ranging from Flame-Furred Kitsunes to Razorback Salamanders.

Luna’s door was marked with a rune-sealed plaque: Professor Luna Evervale – Head of Beast Taming Division.

He knocked once.A few seconds later, the rune glowed and the door slid open with a faint hiss.

“Come in,” came the familiar, elegant voice from within.

Albedo entered.

Luna Evervale sat behind her desk, her long emerald hair cascading over her shoulders.She wore her usual elven robes, trimmed in silverleaf and etched with beast sigils that glimmered faintly.

Behind her, the wall was lined with scrolls, crystal-encoded recordings, and a few animated portraits of ferocious magical beasts in mid-roar.

Her piercing, silver eyes locked onto him immediately.

“Albedo Neverwinter,” she said, her voice calm and almost melodic, “I didn’t expect you to be the one who came.”

Albedo inclined his head slightly, “For 4,000 Merit, I practically sprinted here.

Luna gave a small, amused exhale through her nose, “That makes sense.”

She stood, her robes whispering as she moved toward the side of her office, “That reward is high for a reason. This isn’t your average mission, and it won’t be over in a day or two.”

Albedo didn’t flinch. “How long?”

“At least a week,” Luna replied, “Possibly more, depending on weather conditions and how well you can withstand the pressure of the region.”

He raised an eyebrow. “Weather conditions?”

Luna tapped her finger against a crystalline panel embedded in her desk. An arcane projection shimmered into the air between them, an animated map showing a jagged mountain range surrounded by swirling storm clouds that shifted constantly.

“The Mirage of Thunderstorms,” Luna said, and that already had Albedo’s jaw almost dropping to the floor.

“I’m sure you’ve heard of it. A volatile hidden zone located in the Thunderspike Exapnse. The zone creates Mirage’s relative to your rank and bombards you with them until you break through the other side. Enchanted by wild weather patterns and even chaotic mana storms.”

She glanced at him with an almost teasing glint in her eyes, “Still interested?”

Albedo crossed his arms, expression unmoving “Depends. What exactly do you need me to do there?”

Luna turned fully toward him, lifting her hand. A magic seal glowed, and with a soft pulse, a nearby compartment clicked open. She walked over, reached inside, and returned with a softly glowing egg-shaped orb cradled in both hands. It was wrapped in a thin film of runes, water droplets constantly forming and vanishing around it.

“I need you to take this,” she said. “And submerge it in the Black Thunder Pool, a natural phenomenon within the Mirage of Thunderstorms. Leave it there for three days. After that, retrieve the pet that breaks out and bring it back to me,”

it and bring it back.”

Albedo’s eyes sharpened, “What is that?”

Luna walked forward and gently set the orb down on a beast pedestal. A faint heartbeat echoed from within it.

“It’s a Beast Incubator,” she said softly, “Inside is a sleeping creature who I just contracted. I’m swamped with work so I can’t go there myself, which is why I posted the mission to the Myth Class students to hopefully take on.”

“And what kind of beast are we talking about?” Albedo asked, eyes narrowing.

Luna hesitated, just for a moment. Then, she met his gaze and answered.

“A Baby Leviathan.”

The room went completely silent.

Albedo stared at her for a long moment and the only sentence he could muster was,

“Are you f*cking crazy!”

Source: Webnovel.com, updated by NovelKeep