NOVEL SIMPLE 0048 – Master Tamer
February 5th, 9:00 AM.
Zoe Carter finished her morning workout and, in one go, handed over a substantial pile of manuscripts she had written over the past few days to her editor, Meteor. The editor, visibly surprised, showered her with praises, blending astonishment with admiration.
According to Meteor, given Zoe's current writing quality combined with her impressive output speed, she was bound to soar in the literary world soon.
Zoe, although happy with the praise, remained noncommittal. Writing novels to earn money was necessary, but it wasn't her primary focus. After all, she still had family and the desire to live a normal life in modern society. Yet, the necessity for her to make money wasn't as pressing as before. If making money was her only goal, she could have long used her extraordinary abilities to dominate the casinos.
In her presence, any gambling master or professional con artist would have to step aside.
If her novels took off, it would be great. If they flopped, it wouldn't matter much.
For Zoe, writing novels served as a way to pass the sleepless nights, a task that had become more important than merely earning money from it. After discussing the novel's content for a while with Meteor, who had to rush off to endless meetings, Zoe mounted her electric scooter and headed to the nearby subway station.
According to her short-term plan 3.0, this was her leisure and entertainment time, designed to prevent her from becoming a mere exercise machine. During this time, she intended to fulfill a plan she had noted down the previous night: to purchase some lab mice for experimentation.
She aimed to test the emotional fluctuations of animals under stimuli using her mental perception.
Before setting off, she did some research. There was a breeding base for lab mice on the eastern outskirts of Sunny City. However, upon contacting them, Zoe discovered that they did not accept private orders, only large-scale purchases from pet markets or research labs. Her order of fewer than a hundred mice wasn't significant enough for them to make an exception.
After further investigation, she found that major pet markets also sold lab mice, albeit as pets, priced at twenty to thirty euros each. Understanding the situation, Zoe decided to visit a pet market near Royalty Road.
She took Line 4, then transferred to Line 1, arriving at her destination by 10:20 AM.
The market was bustling with activity. Crowds of people, mostly women and children, moved about. Various plants, flowers, and cages were displayed in front of the shops, housing common pets like cats, dogs, rabbits, turtles, parrots, hamsters, colorful chicks, and crickets even ants.
Several exotic reptile shops also drew curious onlookers.
Zoe looked around, intrigued. She rarely visited such places, having spent most of her time at home. Absorbing the cacophony of sounds and the mixed odors, Zoe silently increased the power of her Perceptive World 2.0.
Unlike before, when she was nearly driven mad by the overwhelming sensory input, Zoe now handled the complex flood of information with ease.
Ignoring the smells of excrement, fish, and the noisy environment, she sensed the simple joys hidden in the corners of this bustling city. Here, the air seemed to flow more slowly, with flowers and plants spreading at her feet, and the sounds of birds and insects filling her ears. Lush, diverse life forms interacted here, contrasting sharply with the feeling of being surrounded by concrete and steel.
The urban jungle's lid had been lifted, revealing the vibrant breath of city life mingled with vitality and fun, bringing her closer to nature.
Subtly, Zoe found herself increasingly fond of this place. For someone who could repel mosquitoes with a mere thought and didn't need to eat or sleep anymore, she developed a certain yearning for true nature.
As she pondered this, she suddenly looked up. It wasn't because she had bumped into someone while lost in thought—her subconscious was always on autopilot to navigate and avoid people—but because something was about to collide with her.
Even though it didn't trigger her Perceptive World 2.0's warning for fast-approaching objects, it snapped Zoe out of her reverie immediately.
In the perceptive realm of Zoe's Transparent World 2.0, the approaching entity was immediately apparent. It was a small stray puppy with brown and white fur, exuding an intense... excitement? Agitation? The puppy weaved through the legs of passersby with boundless energy.
Trailing behind was a middle-aged man, his emotions marked by palpable anxiety, desperately trying to catch up to the puppy. Despite the puppy's small size, its erratic and excited movements, combined with the bustling crowd, made the man's pursuit difficult. The puppy, able to dart swiftly between people's legs, eluded capture.
Seeing this, Zoe extended her hand, aiming to intercept the rapidly approaching puppy. Almost instantly, she heard the middle-aged man’s urgent shout from not far away:
"Hey, buddy, don't touch—"
Before the man could finish his warning, Zoe had already grabbed the puppy by the scruff of its neck, lifting it effortlessly. The once hyperactive puppy instantly became still, tucking its tail between its legs. A closer inspection would reveal a small, colorless puddle beneath it.
“Wow, lady, you’re incredible!” The middle-aged man finally caught up, eyes wide with astonishment. “This little rascal has always been a handful. Ever since it was born, not a single day has it been well-behaved. Even grabbing it by the scruff doesn’t usually calm it down.”
He continued, “Its tiny teeth may not hurt much, but they’re sharp enough to be painful. How did you manage to tame it so quickly?”
The man, now standing in front of Zoe, could not hide his amazement. He raised a thumb in admiration, “I swear, this puppy has been my biggest headache since I started running my pet shop. No amount of discipline could tame it. It’s stubborn and never backs down.”
He explained further, “We usually keep it in a cage, but today, a careless customer let it out. It’s been causing trouble ever since.”
To the man’s shock, this unruly puppy had been subdued with just a single grab. He swore the puppy’s submissive posture showed genuine fear and obedience.
The surrounding pedestrians, intrigued by the man’s praises, gathered around to watch. Zoe looked at the middle-aged man and then at the puppy, which now hung limply in her hand, its tail tucked between its legs. A curious smile played on her lips.
Just moments ago, the puppy had indeed been poised to bite her. However, when Zoe sensed the impending attack, she gave a slight glare. An almost imperceptible wave of killing intent emanated from her.
Although the intensity of the intent was minimal, it was enough to immobilize the puppy instantly. The feeling was akin to facing a prehistoric predator, leaving a profound and bewildering impression on the little dog.
Since the killing intent was directed solely at the puppy, the onlookers merely perceived Zoe as an exceptional animal tamer.
The puppy, after a moment of fear and confusion, looked up at Zoe with its tongue lolling out, emitting a sense of tentative submission.
“How much for this puppy?” Zoe asked, approaching the middle-aged man with genuine interest, unfazed by the curious gazes of those around her.
