A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

I walked straight over to Usumgallu, who was sitting by the counter, absorbed in a pile of documents.

The moment he saw me, he adjusted his monocle with an air of quiet importance.

"Owner, I see that you've returned safely," he said, his voice as smooth as ever, but something about the way he said it made me feel like there was more to the story.

I narrowed my eyes, suspicion creeping in. This guy knew something I didn't.

"You seem to know exactly what happened after the knowledge transfer. Care to explain?" I said, exasperated. "Usumga-whatever your name is." His name was a mouthful, but at least I got the first part right.

Usumgallu, without so much as a blink, adjusted his monocle again and sighed. "If it's too difficult for you to say, you may call me Usum."

His tone didn't change. "And yes, I was aware that the transfer process could cause a few... slight complications. Though, I assure you, such occurrences are extremely rare."

"Rare?" I echoed, incredulous. "Might cause slight complications? How is that helpful?!" I was growing frustrated, but I kept my voice level, trying to maintain some semblance of control.

"Couldn't you have warned me about this before? I've told you, I'm new to all of this!" I gestured dramatically, encompassing the entire room of strange artifacts and ancient relics.

Usumgallu blinked again, his stoic expression unflinching.

After a beat, he reached down and pulled out a worn, tattered journal. The pages looked as though they'd seen centuries of use, but he handed it over to me without a second thought.

"This is the guide for new owners. The last remaining copy. Would you like to purchase it?"

I stared at the journal for a moment, dumbfounded.

"Really?" I groaned, rubbing my temples. "I'm drowning in information, and you expect me to pay for this too?"

I could feel the weight of the situation pressing down on me. Between the overwhelming influx of knowledge from the Forest of Forgotten Tales and the constant barrage of new tasks, I was perilously close to an information meltdown.

Usumgallu didn't respond, only looked at me with a neutral expression. He didn't even seem phased by my frustration.

"I assure you, this journal will help you organize and understand what has been... bestowed upon you," he said coolly.

"Fine," I grumbled. "Give me the damn copy."

I handed over the necessary essence for the purchase, grumbling all the while. I couldn't believe how much I was spending.

I had barely scraped the surface of the fragmented core I possessed, and I wasn't sure how much essence was left.

Would I even have enough to fix the corrupted leylines that had been left in tatters?

The constant grind of information, endless purchases, and unfamiliar magic was exhausting.

Right now, though, my priority was simple: get out of this weird in-between realm and back to Mythica. Maybe next time, I'd think twice before diving headfirst into anything that came with a price tag.

I looked over at the three gods lounging in their various positions of relaxation, as though they had no care in the world. If they noticed my frustration, they gave no sign of it.

I waved my hands in their direction, hoping to get their attention. "Hello?" I called out, voice tinged with impatience. "We have urgent tasks here, if anyone is paying attention."

Agnos lazily flicked his tail in acknowledgment, but he didn't bother to move. Amaterasu raised an eyebrow at me, her calm demeanor unwavering, but she didn't speak. Jiuge, however, seemed the most responsive, sitting up straight and giving me a curious look.

"What's wrong, Carl? Something urgent?" she asked, her tone light but with a hint of concern.

"Yes, something very urgent," I replied, trying to keep the annoyance out of my voice. "I need—we all need—to get out of here. This place—whatever it is—feels wrong, and I'm not sure how much longer I can stay without it driving me crazy. We've got to figure out how to cross realms or—"

"Ah," Agnos interrupted, cutting me off with a raised paw, "So you're feeling the pressure now, huh?"

I shot him an irritated glance. "No, I've been feeling the pressure since I got here. Can we just get moving?"

Amaterasu chuckled softly, her gaze finally locking on me. "Carl, relax. We'll handle this. But, perhaps you should take a moment to... collect yourself. You're treading water in unfamiliar territory, and that's going to take its toll."

I clenched my fists, my patience thinning. "I don't have time for moments. We need to leave now."

I couldn't pinpoint why, but irritation bubbled up inside me, as if a feeling I had never experienced before was suddenly clawing its way to the surface.

What was this feeling?

It was raw, intense, and made me want to just let go and unleash everything. It suddenly felt...odd.

Jiuge stood up at last, brushing off her clothes. "Okay, okay. Let's all take a deep breath and work together on this. We'll find a way out." She gave me an encouraging nod. "But first, you've got to tell us what exactly happened. No more dodging. Spill."

I sighed. "I... was in heaven. Somehow I met another realm god, and now... I have all this knowledge flooding my brain, and it's about to short-circuit me. Oh, and by the way, I just got sold another guidebook," I added with a wave toward Usumgallu, who was still standing stoically by the counter.

Agnos raised an eyebrow at the mention of the guidebook. "Information overload. Nice. Well, you should've just asked for help."

"I didn't know where to start!" I snapped. "You guys seemed so relax, and now I'm this close to losing my mind. Are you guys not worried at all?"

"Okay, you need to calm down, Car," Amaterasu said, rising to her feet with a soft but firm tone. "And you were right—first thing's first, we need to get you back to Mythica before you crack under the pressure."

She leaned in and whispered to Jiuge, who was watching me closely with a concerned expression. "Is he okay? He seems...irritated."

"Well, if it's up to me," Jiuge added with a frown, "he's acting like he's going through a midlife crisis. Or maybe an identity crisis. Hard to tell."

"I'm starting to get that feeling," I muttered under my breath.

She glanced at me with a raised brow, her tails twitching slightly as if sensing something was off.

Usumgallu, noticing the sudden shift in the air, straightened up and mumbled under his breath, his monocle flashing as he adjusted it nervously. "Oh boy. The owner's experiencing side effects…" he whispered, more to himself than anyone else.

Agnos, who had just passed him, froze mid-step. His sharp cat ears twitched before he turned on Usumgallu, narrowing his eyes. "What did you just say? Carl's having side effects?"

There was a brief silence, the air thick with tension. Agnos's gaze turned to me, piercing and calculating, as if trying to gauge just how bad this situation really was.