A Zoologist’s Guide to Surviving Magical Creatures

I pushed open the office door, still lost in my thoughts.

"Have you said your goodbyes?" Agnos asked the moment I walked in. He was sipping tea, the very picture of casual disinterest.

I blinked at him. "Yeah, I did."

Then I glanced around. Something was missing. Or rather, someone.

"Where's Jiuge?"

Agnos's ears twitched. His frown deepened like I'd just asked him to recite his deepest insecurities. "She went to welcome Heim."

I perked up. "Oh, so he's here?"

Silence.

Agnos took another sip of tea. Ignored me completely.

I squinted at him. "Did you just pretend I didn't say anything?"

Nothing. Not even a twitch.

I narrowed my eyes. "You really don't like your half-brother, huh?"

His grip on the teacup tightened.

"If you don't mind me asking—"

"I mind. Stop asking."

Damn. Okay then.

I held up my hands in surrender. "Sheesh. Someone needs decaf."

Agnos looked like he was about to fire back with some sharp remark when the office door burst open.

Jiuge strode in, beaming like she'd just won the lottery. "Everyone! Heim's here!" she announced at full volume, as if we were all hard of hearing.

Then she turned and waved eagerly. "Come on, Heim! Don't be shy!"

The moment the figure stepped into the room, I cursed silently.

Why do gods always have to be so unfairly good-looking? Is it, like, a divine requirement? Do they fill out a form at god registration?

Because if I looked like that, I'd probably have an ego so massive it'd require its own gravitational field.

Suddenly, Agnos' grudge against his half-brother made a lot more sense.

Heim was stupidly flawless—like some cosmic sculptor had gone, Yeah, let's make the perfect Viking warrior and then added a bunch of bonus features just to flex.

The man was built like he wrestled frost giants for cardio, with a sharp, chiseled face that could probably cut through steel.

Unlike Fenrir, who had that undeniable wolf presence, Heim didn't exactly scream wolf god—and definitely not shadow wolf god.

His dark hair, braided neatly at the sides, gleamed under the light. Silver eyes like molten mercury swept across the room, cool and unreadable. Thick furs draped over his broad shoulders, straight out of a Norse saga, and a tribal wolf tattoo curled along the left side of his neck.

Did that make him less perfect? Nope. If anything, it enhanced the whole warrior aesthetic.

Meanwhile, Agnos… well, let's just say if Heim was a legendary warlord who conquered kingdoms, Agnos was the guy who took your order at a cozy cat café.

Jiuge, still grinning like she was enjoying some inside joke with the universe, clapped her hands. "Alright, introductions! Everyone, meet Heim!"

I forced a weak smile. "Uh, hi. I'm Carl. Welcome to MECCP."

Heim gave me a single nod, then did a quick scan of the room, his gaze moving with the efficiency of a predator assessing its surroundings.

Classic cool, silent type.

And then—his eyes landed on Agnos.

The moment he saw him, his whole face lit up like a kid spotting their favorite cartoon character at a theme park.

"Agnos!"

Before anyone could process what was happening, Heim launched himself across the room, grabbed a chair, and plopped down right next to Agnos like an overenthusiastic fanboy who had just won a meet-and-greet with his idol.

Agnos let out the longest, most exhausted sigh of his life and rubbed his temples. "What are you doing here?"

"I came to report an issue in my realm," Heim said, leaning in eagerly. "Then I heard you're working with Naga, and I figured—I'll join too!" He grinned, eyes practically sparkling.

Wait. Hold on. What?

I thought they were estranged. Wasn't this supposed to be some kind of tense, reluctant reunion? What was this? Some long-lost brotherly bond moment? Had I accidentally stepped into an alternate timeline?

Agnos frowned. "You shouldn't be here."

The words barely left his mouth before Heim's entire demeanor shattered. His shoulders slumped. His expression wobbled.

Wait. Wait.

Was he—was he about to cry?

No. No way. This guy looked like he could bench press a small mountain. And now he was sniffling like a scolded golden retriever?

His broad, tattooed, definitely capable of snapping someone in half frame shook with tiny, pitiful sobs.

What. The. Hell.

Agnos looked like someone had just smacked him over the head with a frying pan. He gave me a look that says, Why am I dealing with this? His ears twitching in sheer panic, before turning toward Heim, completely lost.

"Stop crying," he said, his tone flat but visibly panicked. "I'm not mad at you."

He cast a desperate glance around the room before grabbing the nearest cup of tea and practically shoving it into Heim's hands. "Here. Drink this."

Heim immediately stopped crying.

Like, instantly.

He wiped his face, brightened up like someone had just flipped a switch, and took the tea with both hands like it was the single greatest gift he'd ever received.

"Thanks, Agnos!" he chirped. "I knew you were just trying to protect me. But don't worry! I'll be careful! I'm stronger now—I can protect you too! I'm also one of the Unknown Gods!"

…What.

I blinked. So are we all just going to pretend the last ten seconds didn't happen? Because I had so many questions.

I cleared my throat. "So, uh… Heim. Let's get you briefed on the task."

Heim finally tore his gaze away from Agnos and turned to me, his expression instantly shifting from excited puppy to irritated wolf. Oh great. I'd officially ruined his brotherly bonding moment. Too bad—I had zero time for whatever sibling drama was brewing here.

"Ahem." I pushed forward, ignoring the glower radiating off him. "Since there's a possibility of this being dangerous, we need to properly go over the details first."

"I understand." Heim's tone was clipped, like he was indulging me out of sheer obligation. "I was told you're in charge of this task. But just so we're clear—I will only protect my brother. I have no obligation to protect you."

Wow. Okay. Not even a little sugarcoating, huh?

"Well, that's fine." I shrugged. "Because Agnos and Jiuge will be there to protect me."

Heim frowned. "You should learn to protect yourself first before relying on others. If you plan to lead, at least try not to be useless."

Oh. Oh-ho-ho. This guy.

I folded my arms and shot him my best unimpressed stare.

"Well, I didn't sign up for this either, but here we are. Now sit, stay, and listen, because I'm in charge whether you like it or not."

His eye twitched. "You—"

"Agnos, control your brother." I cut him off, waving vaguely in Heim's direction like he was a particularly annoying stray dog barking at me.

"You have no right to order my brother around," Heim snapped. "You're not the Creator."

Oh my god. Why did he sound like a rebellious teenager mad at his mom?

"Well, too bad for you—I am in charge." I clapped my hands together. "And according to Naga, my decisions are final. So unless you want to get kicked off this team and lose your chance to protect Agnos, I suggest you drop the attitude."

His jaw tightened, and for a second, I thought he might lunge at me. But then he let out a sharp breath through his nose and fell silent, his glare still very much active.

That's what I thought.

"Good. Now, let's get started with the briefing," I said, satisfied, flashing a grin.