CHAPTER 24: THE GATE ROOM

Damn... Master really is too soft.

With her sharp ears, Mimi had also picked up every whisper echoing through the manor—how her master had summoned the weakest magical beast, how she was now considered the clan’s greatest disappointment.

It made Mimi’s fur bristle with irritation.

If she were Emilia, she would have already stood up and taught those fools a lesson!

But she wasn’t Emilia. She was just a cat... what could she possibly do?

No—wait...

Because she was a cat, there were things only she could do!

Mwahahaha! I’ll mess with them! I’ll cough up furballs all over the hallways! I’ll drag dead rats into their rooms! I’ll knock everything off the tables so they’ll spend all day cleaning up! I’ll make their lives miserable! Mwahahahah!

Her imagination ran wild, picturing herself as a demon lord of chaos, dashing around the estate, tormenting every last one of Emilia’s haters. Her tail swished back and forth in excitement, as if cheering her on.

But then... she paused.

Wait... if I turn into a bad cat, wouldn’t that just ruin Master’s reputation even more?

Mimi let out a soft sigh, a tiny mewl slipping from her lips.

Then the only thing I can do... is get stronger! I’ll prove to them that Noctifelis aren’t the weakest! That Master Emilia was chosen by the goddess to raise the most powerful Noctifelis ever!

Her little paws curled, and determination burned in her wide eyes.

But... that was easier said than done...

Even though Mimi had all the knowledge of beast taming from playing the game, it would still be really, really difficult, if not impossible.

__________________

Moments later, they arrived at the Chamber of Teleportation.

It was a vast, circular hall, its marble floor polished to a mirror-like sheen. At its heart stood a colossal crystal pillar. The crystal pulsed like a heartbeat, releasing steady waves of energy that nourished and stabilized the dimensional gates nearby, their surfaces swirling with rippling light like water disturbed by unseen hands.

There were sixteen gates in total, each one marked differently.

Five towering archways loomed at the front, each connected to one of the great cities of the Dravalon Kingdom. Ten smaller gates lined the sides, reserved for the Silvervein clan’s exclusive mines and dungeons,

And then, at the far end of the chamber, stood the most sacred of them all, a gate built from pure gold—the Forbidden Peaks Gate, where their Guardian Deity, Lord Siamelumis resided.

The chamber was heavily guarded. Several knights clad in silver armor stood watch, each one a beast tamer of at least five stars, the dragon head sigils etched across their breastplates.

According to clan rules, every arrival and departure had to be carefully recorded. And if someone wished to use the gates, they were required to obtain prior permission from the clan authorities.

____________________

Coincidentally, as they walked toward the Gate leading to the Forbidden Peaks, one of the smaller Gates rippled and began to glow. From its swirling surface stepped two figures and a magical beast.

The three paused in their stride. The moment the newcomers noticed them, they lowered their heads and bowed deeply.

"Greetings, Clan Head. Greetings, First Lady. Greetings, Young Lady Emilia."

At the sight of them, Emilia’s expression darkened, irritation flashing across her face, though only for the briefest of moments.

But Lord Draco and Lady Ariana remained calm, for they recognized the two men at once.

They were Lord Arcanis Silvervein—Ariana’s elder brother—and his youngest son, Valerian Silvervein.

Arcanis bore the unmistakable marks of the Silvervein bloodline. His long, flowing hair was white as snow, and his sapphire-blue eyes carried the same dignified air as Ariana and Emilia. He was tall and imposing, clad in exquisite silver armor with a flowing blue cape. A diamond-inlaid dragon sigil gleamed across his breastplate, while his helm was shaped like a dragon’s head, complete with horns and eyes. In his hand rested a long, fearsome spear that was zapping with blue electric sparks.

Meanwhile, his son, Valerian Silvervein, though younger and slightly smaller, he too was tall and proud, his posture sharp with youthful arrogance. His short white curls framed a face that glowed with confidence. He wore gleaming froststeel armor, polished until it shone, and carried a spear modeled after his father’s. His other hand rested lightly on the neck of his summon: a huge wolf with ice magic.

The beast was magnificent.

Its fur was thick and white like snow, each breath it exhaled carrying a frosty mist that chilled the air around it. Ice crystals clung to its claws and fangs, and its piercing blue eyes glowed with cold brilliance.

An epic-tier magical beast.

____________________

"Woah... an Articanine?"

Mimi’s eyes widened the instant she saw the beast.

Ooooooohhh!

Woooohooo!

An Articanine!

Aaaaahhh!

It’s so beautiful!!!

Even though she liked cat-type magical beasts the most, wolf-types had always been her second favorite.

Seeing an Articanine in the game was already epic. But now, seeing one in real life?

HECK YEAH!!!

She absolutely loved everything about it!