The contract with Wuyu consumed one point of Pei Ze's maximum Spiritual Power, lowering his Spirit attribute to 20.58.
But he felt it was well worth it.
He could recover one point of Spiritual Power with five days of Meditation. Trading that for a magic pet with immense potential was an excellent deal.
Snapping out of his thoughts, Pei Ze looked at Wuyu in the cage, who was in the middle of converting its kin.
'Come to think of it, crows are omnivores.'
After most animals were converted into magic pets, their physical structure didn't change fundamentally. At most, they were just further enhanced, so their diet wouldn't change much either.
'Cases like Wuyu, whose body has completely turned to mist, are few and far between. I wonder if it can still eat its original food?'
Pei Ze thought for a moment, then got up and left the apartment.
A short while later, he returned with a bag. He went straight to the kitchen, took out a small, unmarinated steak, placed it in an aluminum soup bowl, and brought it out to the living room floor.
CLINK!
The moment he set the bowl down, Wuyu dissolved into mist and flew out of the cage. It re-formed on the floor, lowered its head, and began to eat quietly.
It ate with surprising elegance, occasionally lifting its head at a forty-five-degree angle to gaze at the sky beyond the balcony, exuding a strange, melancholic air.
'It can eat raw meat. Looks like its diet hasn't changed much.'
Pei Ze nodded to himself.
'Still, I should probably find some proper Magic Pet Food.'
A magic pet grew stronger as its master's Spiritual Power increased.
Eating energy-rich Magic Pet Food could accelerate this process.
In addition, magic pets could also absorb Magic Stones for an even more significant boost.
Of course, this was an extravagant practice that the average Wizard Apprentice simply couldn't afford.
...
「The next morning.」
Pei Ze woke early. After breakfast, he changed into his Apprentice Robe and headed out.
"Time to go, Wuyu."
Hearing its master's call, Wuyu snatched the last piece of raw meat, tilted its head back to swallow, then dissolved into a wisp of black mist that flew toward him and coiled around his right wrist.
At a glance, it looked as if Pei Ze were wearing a black bracelet on his right wrist.
'This ability is really convenient.'
The corners of Pei Ze's mouth lifted in a slight smile.
Magic pets were converted from small or tiny animals, so they usually weren't very large. Still, carrying one around all the time was inconvenient.
Wealthy Wizards could purchase special Spatial Items to house their magic pets, but that was far beyond Pei Ze's means.
Although those items were cheaper than dimensional pouches, they were still Sub-Magical Items that cost thousands of Contribution Points, something an ordinary Wizard Apprentice couldn't possibly afford.
Stepping outside, Pei Ze took a deep breath of fresh air, feeling utterly refreshed.
The raucous cawing that usually filled the air had vanished.
Last night, Wuyu had flown out and absorbed every crow within a one-kilometer radius.
It had swept the area clean, leaving not a single crow behind.
As a result, it now housed over five hundred Fog Crows within its body.
Pei Ze planned to test the combat prowess of Wuyu and the Fog Crows today.
He chose the Magic Laboratory as the location.
As the name implied, it was a place designed specifically for testing one's Magic Power.
After all, many spells were incredibly powerful and created problems like energy pollution. Without a restricted area for them, the academy would probably be bombarded daily.
The Magic Laboratory was located on the far-left side of the academy's Experimental District, a rather remote spot.
The building was over ten stories tall and constructed entirely of white marble, giving it an exceptionally sturdy appearance.
Stepping inside, one could see walls covered in dense arrays of solidified Enchanting Runes.
Some reinforced the walls.
Others gave them self-healing properties.
And still others insulated against energy radiation and pollution.
Seeing Pei Ze enter, a young woman with delicate features smiled from behind the counter and asked, "Are you here to test some magic?"
Pei Ze nodded. "What are the rates here?"
"We have two main areas here: the Apprentice District and the Wizard District." The young woman glanced at the Apprentice Badge on Pei Ze's chest. "Wizard Apprentices can only use the Apprentice District, which is further divided into a public hall and private laboratories. The public hall is crowded, so you might be disturbed, but it's cheaper—one Gold Coin or one Contribution Point per hour."
"The private laboratories offer exclusive use, but they're more expensive at three Gold Coins or three Contribution Points per hour."
Pei Ze did a quick calculation. He had 135 Contribution Points, and in three days, he would get another 50 from the herb garden. His funds were more than sufficient. "I'll take a private laboratory," he said decisively.
"For how long?"
"I'll start with two hours. I'll pay with Contribution Points."
"Alright. That will be six Contribution Points."
After Pei Ze paid with his badge, the young woman added with a smile, "Our private labs also have special testing equipment to measure the precise power of your magic. I guarantee you'll find it's worth every point!"
"Oh, and this is your key card. You're in number 12."
The young woman handed Pei Ze something that looked like a black crystal slate.
Pei Ze nodded and headed inside.
The first and second floors were public halls, where dozens of Wizard Apprentices were engrossed in practicing their magic.
The sounds of incantations and the roar of spells striking targets filled the hall, creating a deafening clamor.
The third floor and above were all private laboratories.
Laboratory 12 was on the fourth floor. Both sides of the corridor were white marble, and the runes etched into them glowed with a crystalline light.
More than half of the rooms had 'In Use' signs hanging outside, yet not the slightest sound escaped from within. The only thing to be heard in the corridor was the sound of Pei Ze's own footsteps.
'The soundproofing is pretty good.'
Pei Ze nodded to himself. He soon found Laboratory 12 and swiped the black crystal slate across a protruding black pedestal in front of the door.
CLICK! The door slid open, and a robotic female voice sounded at the same time.
"Welcome! You have two hours of usage time. Please plan accordingly..."
The room was huge, roughly the size of a standard basketball court.
In the center of the room stood several humanoid targets that appeared to be made of some kind of Crystal Stone.
According to the instructions on the wall, whenever a user attacked a target with magic, the surface of the Crystal Stone would display corresponding data about the spell.
"Go on, little one. It's time to show me what you can do."
The moment Pei Ze finished speaking, the 'black bracelet' on his wrist instantly dissolved into a black mist. It re-formed in midair into the shape of a crow and shot forward like an arrow released from a bow, transforming into a streak of black light as it charged the humanoid target.
A muffled roar echoed as it tore through the air.
Wuyu's speed was faster than a flash of lightning. In the blink of an eye, it was upon the target, its hooked talons slashing viciously at the head!
CRACK!
Several deep gouges instantly appeared on the target's head, and powdered stone trickled down.
At the same time, two lines of text materialized in the center of the target's chest.
'Category: Physical'
'Power: 1.8 Units'