For the past three years, Gilgamel has successfully operated his appraisal business, earning a strong reputation within the city. Even his colleagues at Owl are familiar with his part-time job.
Despite his high fees, Gilgamel is highly regarded for his credibility, and his assessments are always entirely accurate.
Initially, many questioned Gilgamel's appraisal skills due to his young age.
However, as he continued to provide honest and precise information to his clients without any distortion for personal gain, these doubts gradually diminished. Furthermore, Gilgamel's affiliation with Owl further reinforced the trust the community placed in him.
Owl maintains a firm policy against illegal activities among its members. Any involvement in fraudulent practices will lead to legal repercussions, including the involvement of law enforcement, which will hold those responsible accountable.
Members of Owl are encouraged to act with confidence; however, they are strictly prohibited from engaging in unethical conduct or ignoring established rules. Even if such behavior goes unnoticed by Owl, the Magic Council has the authority to intervene.
The Magic Council, which serves as the highest governing body within the wizarding world, consists of seven top-ranked wizards. It has a structured hierarchy with dedicated branches for each continent, ensuring efficient governance on a global scale.
As the primary authority in the wizarding realm, the Council wields substantial control, acting as the leading governmental entity with responsibilities that encompass all legal wizarding associations throughout the Arcane World. This includes overseeing and regulating their activities, as well as managing incidents involving wizarding individuals and imposing penalties for violations of established laws.
In the Moniyan Empire, Owl possesses significant influence and prestige; however, this authority is minor compared to that of the globally ruling Magic Council. To prevent attracting the attention of the Council, Owl must consistently monitor and manage its members, a practice that also extends to other legal organizations.
Given the stringent regulations imposed both internally and externally, how dare Gilgamel cheat his customers? Not to mention, he had no intention of doing such a thing from the beginning.
The last reason many people believe in Gilgamel's credibility is his possession of Divine Protection.
Divine Protection is a unique blessing bestowed upon individuals at birth, granting them specific abilities that can enhance alongside their personal growth.
The distinction between Divine Protection and magic talent is that the former can manifest among non-wizards, while the latter is exclusive to wizards.
Many believed that Gilgamel possessed Divine Protection, but he did not refute this belief, despite being aware that his abilities did not originate from such a blessing.
It was said that those born with Divine Protection are said to be aware of their blessing without external confirmation.
However, if that strange book was a form of Divine Protection, how could Gilgamel not realize it?
Additionally, Divine Protection is generally considered an innate gift, while the appearance of the mysterious book coincided with Gilgamel's entry into the world of wizardry.
This timing further supports Gilgamel's belief that his strange book is not an embodiment of Divine Protection.
As for where his strange book came from... Who knows? It was probably an exclusive gift from the Cosmos Traveler Alliance for travellers like him.
Anyway, admitting he had a Divine Protection didn't cause him any harm. In fact, it was beneficial to him. Thanks to it, he could be more valued by the organization.
Gilgamel locked the door of his shop. Then he looked at the black dog lying by the door and said, "Let's go home, Dodo!"
"Woof!"
The black dog immediately woke up and ran after Gilgamel.
In Gilgamel's family, there exists a unique tradition wherein each family member receives a magical beast known as a Steel-Clawed Dog during their childhood.
These Steel-Clawed Dogs are intended to serve both as playmates and guardians.
Despite the fact that Gilgamel was not fully embraced by his family, he too was given a Steel-Clawed Dog by his father.
This gesture, while seemingly fair, was met with scepticism by other family members who believed he did not deserve it. Gilgamel, however, was acutely aware of the underlying implications of receiving this creature.
From the outset, he had little faith in the family's goodwill, which made him wary when he was treated with fairness.
Upon careful examination of the dog he received, Gilgamel discovered that it was not a true Steel-Clawed Dog, but rather an ordinary black dog. This led to misconceptions among family members, who assumed that he would be unable to discern the differences between the two types of dogs.
Within the household, it is well known that Steel-Clawed Dogs possess iron claws, yet Gilgamel noticed that his dog's claws were merely typical dog nails, without the strength and sharpness characteristic of a Steel-Clawed Dog. Moreover, while other Steel-Clawed Dogs typically exhibit a commanding presence, his dog appeared timid and frail, resembling a Chihuahua.
Despite these shortcomings, Gilgamel formed a deep bond with his ordinary dog, whom he affectionately named Dodo, after a pet he had in a previous life.
This choice reflects his ability to cherish companionship, regardless of the creature's origins or abilities.
"Dodo" was a loyal dog who died with him in the fire. He even suspected that it was also reborn in this world and became the current Dodo.
Three years have passed, and the small puppy has developed into a majestic creature resembling a golden retriever, displaying remarkable growth and transformation.
As early as Gilgamel acquired appraisal ability, he could see detailed information about his dog, including its age, name, race, potential, etc.
He was thrilled to learn that his dog had the potential to evolve from an ordinary animal into a magical beast.
This discovery led him to realize that not only humans but also other creatures, like animals, could evolve into extraordinary beings. In short, he realized that anything is possible in this world, and it all comes down to chance and resources.
Dodo was the only family he recognized, and Gilgamel naturally didn't want it to die early.
The average life expectancy of regular dogs is around 10-17 years. However, after Dodo transforms into a magical beast, its life expectancy increases to 150 years, which is 50 years longer than the lifespan of a First Circle Wizard.
In their mortal state, animals generally have much shorter lifespans than humans. However, this situation is reversed when they become extraordinary beings.
One year ago, Gilgamel allowed Dodo to consume the blood of a magical beast called Dark Hound and several elixirs that matched its characteristics.
Dark Hounds belong to the dog species of magical beasts, similar to Steel-Clawed Dogs, but they rank higher than Steel-Clawed Dogs based on bloodline and magical abilities.
With Gilgamel's careful preparation, Dodo successfully evolved and became a Dark Hound. Although the process appeared painful, it was ultimately fruitful.
Gilgamel was pleased with the result.
He peaked at Dodo to see its information.
————————————
Name: Dark Hound (Dodo)
Race: Magical Beast
Level: 7
Bloodline: 3
Attribute: Dark Element
Magical Ability: 1. Sniff [The ability to track objects by smell.] 2. Dark Approach [The ability to blend into darkness and make it hard to detect.] 3. Dark Claw [The ability to gather dark energy in its claws to perform attacks. The dark energy will leave a mark on the affected enemy and slow healing.]
Evolution Path: 1. Dark Flame Dog
Tips: Feed Dark Dogs dark-attribute foods regularly to boost their dark energy. It will be beneficial for their future evolution.
————————————
Dodo is currently at level 7, which means its power is on par with that of a First Circle Wizard. In fact, Dodo's progress is much faster than that of its owners.
Although Dodo used to be an ordinary dog, it has now become a creature with talent equivalent to a wizard with an advanced talent. Moreover, it has been consuming many resources daily with little effort.
Its life is more comfortable than its owner's.
Even though Gilgamel had Goldfinger, he still needed to work until his mouth was dry, but his dog only required it to act cute to get half of what he earned.
'Life is truly unfair.' Gilgamel sighed inwardly.
That's it!
After all, it's his dog. If not him, who else would take care of it?
The bloodline of a magical beast determines its potential. For instance, the Dark Hounds could only reach a maximum bloodline level of 3, which limited them to reaching level 39, equivalent to the peak of a Third Circle Wizard.
Theoretically, it was impossible for them to surpass level 40, but there were still two possibilities to overcome this limitation.
The first possibility was to find a godly opportunity.
This world was never short of opportunities. It's just that meeting them is not as easy as finding pebbles by the riverbank. One can only rely on miracles.
The second possibility is to evolve to a more advanced form.
Based on the information in the peculiar book, Dark Hounds can evolve into three different forms: Dark Flame Dog, Ghost Hunter Hound, and Devilish Dog. Each of these evolutions has specific criteria.
Gilgamel had already chosen the evolutionary path for Dodo early on. However, he had yet to make any preparations because Dodo's level was still far from reaching the peak of level 39.