Ryan went inside and brought out some food, including Demon Ape meat. After all, he was a man, not a noble lady, so he had to cook the meat himself. Tori and Chuck didn't dare ask too many questions. After all, magicians were known for their proud nature and strange quirks, often even killing people on a whim. This reputation had led many common people to avoid having their children undergo the magical talent test. However, the truth was that most high-level magicians came from commoner backgrounds.
Darlis and Alice had already gotten up. Both were dressed in elegant gowns, and Ryan couldn't help but be impressed by their noble aura. Darlis's fair skin, long neck, and beautiful figure made Ryan's heart race. It wasn't surprising—any man with adult thoughts would feel that way after being isolated in such a place for months. Even a pig might look like a beauty, let alone two already beautiful women.
"Here, this is wild honey, fruits, chopped Demon Ape meat, cassava, and porridge made from grains. It's great for restoring stamina," Ryan said as he picked up two wooden bowls and placed one in front of each of the women by the table where he had been sitting.
"Thank you, I'm Darlis, Rete," Darlis introduced herself confidently and extended her hand.
"Nice to meet you, noble lady. Just call me Ryan," Ryan replied, quickly kissing Darlis's hand and thinking to himself, Her hand is so smooth. He couldn't resist giving it a small squeeze.
"I'm Alice, Kerr," Alice introduced herself briefly. Given the current confusion—Ryan was their family's slave, but now a magician with a higher status than her father—Alice didn't address him formally. After introducing herself, she sat down to eat.
Ryan watched them eat with discomfort because they ate delicately with wooden spoons, while he hungrily drank his porridge. He hadn't had a chance to eat yet after being busy all morning.
"Hmm? What's this?" Alice, eating her meal, noticed something on the table near the stone wall. There was a crystal bottle leaking yellow liquid, which caught her curiosity as she felt a faint magical aura coming from it. She picked it up and asked, "What's this?"
"Oh, that's refined Demon Ape blood. It's used for engraving magic circles," Ryan answered vaguely, still drinking his porridge.
"Demon Ape blood? Refined? Engraving magic circles? Are you an alchemist?" Alice exclaimed, her red lips parting in surprise. Alchemists required not only exceptional memory but also powerful mental strength, magical power, and, most importantly, talent. For every 10 attempts, a normal alchemist might only succeed 6 times, but someone who only succeeded once had no talent. Alice thought to herself, Doesn't he know one should specialize in one field?
"It's not really done yet. The Demon Ape's skin still needs to soak for two more days, and the bones haven't been crushed. The magic circle still needs practice," Ryan answered honestly and then went back to eating.
"You... you have Demon Ape skin?" Alice asked in shock as she stood up.
Ryan, seeing her reaction, answered honestly, "A few days ago, a Demon Ape came to the stable and ate some of the horses. I killed it, so..."
"Was it an Earth-type Demon Ape?" Alice asked quietly.
Ryan was confused. "Are there other types of Demon Apes?"
"Of course! Demon Beasts, like people, can belong to different elements. For example, Demon Wolves: Wind-types have blue fur, Fire-types have red, Ice-types have blue, Earth-types have yellow, and Golden-types have golden fur. There are others like Darkness-types, but most Demon Wolves are Fire, Wind, Earth, Ice, or Gold. Water-types haven't been heard of, and Darkness-types are rare. Light-types almost never exist, and Thunder or Space-types are unheard of. This depends on their environment," Alice explained, showcasing the knowledge she had gained over the years of her education, which surpassed Ryan's.
"It's an Earth-type Demon Ape," Ryan answered honestly.
"Open the door," a voice suddenly called from outside.
Ryan stiffened, quickly dropping his bowl and rushing out. Niu Niu was too fierce. He shouted, "They're here! They're here!" as he ran out quickly. Fixing the door in this weather was not a good job.
"Cousin, didn't they say magicians have frail bodies? How come Ryan runs faster than the guards in town?" Darlis asked, confused, watching Ryan rush out.
Alice didn't respond to her cousin's question and instead started examining Ryan's things. The Demon Ape skin soaking in the wooden tub and the Demon Ape bones piled nearby confirmed that Ryan hadn't been lying. Alice couldn't help but think to herself, To kill an Earth-type Demon Ape, you'd need at least a level 2 magician. But she couldn't sense any magical aura from Ryan. If it weren't for Alice seeing him cast Fireball, she might have doubted his magic abilities. "Ah! Instant cast! His Fireball is instant cast!" Alice finally realized.
"Qing, come in," Niu Niu said, and for the first time, she let the giant wolf enter. It quickly slinked in as though it was afraid of Niu Niu.
Ryan looked at Niu Niu in confusion, and Niu Niu, embarrassed, explained, "Give it some food, Demon Ape meat will do."
As the giant wolf entered, Tori and Chuck quickly stepped aside. Tori's legs were shaking. The two-meter-tall green wolf was clearly a Wind-type Demon Wolf, a mid-tier magical beast known for its speed. Tori felt a chill run through him—this Wind-type Demon Wolf could easily take down a hundred people like him, and only a warrior awakened with battle aura might stand a chance against it.
"Okay, come on in," Ryan said nonchalantly, holding a bundle. Niu Niu sat on his shoulder. This was the stuff Niu Niu had gotten, but Ryan didn't care about the details. A level 5 Wind-type Demon Wolf obeyed Niu Niu, and Ryan didn't want to know how she managed it. He didn't want to know to avoid ruining his confidence.
"We'll sleep in the stable and guard the road up the mountain," Tori finally said, pulling Chuck with him as they ran to the stable. When they got outside, they practically rolled into the straw, gasping for air. Chuck, confused, asked, "Captain, what's wrong?"
"What's wrong? That giant wolf is at least a mid-tier magical beast! Do you know what that means? It's worth tens of thousands of gold!" Tori shouted, trying to release his stress. He started to wonder if, by spending more time with Ryan, he might actually die of fear.