After coming out, Aion took all the beasts out of the Mirage Pavilion. Their condition was much better compared to the first time they entered. Hazel and Umbry looked exhausted, but they were still in much better shape. After feeding them, Aion placed them into their spirit nurturing chambers.
It was already night, so Aion closed the shop, put Aurin into the beast space, and went to rest.
Early in the morning, he woke up around 9 a.m. He looked at the resting beasts and woke them up. Then he put Daniel's beasts, along with his own, into the Mirage Pavilion for their last session. This time, he placed both beasts together to help them develop some team coordination.
It was still early in the morning, so no new customers had arrived yet.
After the beasts finished their training, Aion took them out, fed them, and let them rest. To his surprise, all four of them had increased by one level, and several of their skill proficiencies had also improved.
After some time, a knock came at the door. It was Michael. He entered and asked Aion, "How's your business doing?"
Aion just smiled and replied, "It's just as usual."
He then brought out Michael's spirit pet and handed it to him. The wolf immediately ran to its master's side, wagging its tail and showing an unusual amount of excitement—or so it seemed.
This was the first time Michael had seen his pet so animated. He bent down, ruffled its fur, and said with a grin, "I didn't expect you to be this happy—and even stronger now!"
Michael could clearly see that his pet's level had increased by one, and several of its skills had improved as well. He looked at Aion in surprise. "I didn't expect your training facility to be this good. I'll definitely send my beasts and others here again."
Aion smiled and replied modestly, "It's nothing special. Your pet is just more talented, that's all."
What Aion didn't say—and what Michael didn't realize—was that the wolf's excited expression wasn't joy, but relief. The training inside the Mirage Pavilion had been tough, and the poor beast was silently vowing never to go through it again.
After that, Aion asked politely, "Do you need anything else?" and showed Michael the catalogue of available beasts and resources.
Michael looked through it but found that most of the items were for elite-level beasts, which he didn't need at the moment. "I don't need anything for now," he said, "but I'll promote your business to my friends and acquaintances."
Aion thanked him sincerely for that, and Michael soon left for home.
At noon, Daniel came by and asked, "Boss, how are my pets doing? They didn't cause you any trouble, right?"
He didn't bother asking about their progress—it was almost impossible for beasts to improve much in just one day.
Aion smiled and brought out Daniel's two pets. The moment they appeared, both beasts had a dejected look, thinking they were about to be thrown into that torture chamber again. But when they saw their master, they immediately ran to his side, whining softly as if complaining about Aion. However, when Aion gave them a calm but sharp look, their voices quickly quieted down.
Seeing this, Daniel was surprised and gave Aion a big thumbs-up. "Boss ! You are amazing. "You disciplined my pets so well!" he said while checking their status panel.
The next second, Daniel's jaw dropped in disbelief. He looked at Aion, opened his mouth to speak, but didn't know what to say . Then, without warning, he rushed forward to hug Aion's leg. Aion took a step back, dodging Daniel's dramatic attempt to hug his leg.
Daniel stumbled, failed for balance, and almost fell flat before straightening up and brushing the dust off his clothes like nothing happened. His eyes sparkled with exaggerated admiration as he said excitedly, "Boss, you're really amazing!" Damn, in just one day not only did both their levels rise by one, but even some of their skill masteries improved! You're my lucky charm—my guiding angel!"
Aion, hearing all this flattery, could only sigh and say, "Okay, okay, stop! You have your finals to participate in. Go now, or you'll be late."
Daniel scratched his head in embarrassment and said, "You don't know, boss—you're really my savior! If I had found your shop earlier, I might've been Rank 3 by now!"
Aion chuckled and teased, "I opened the shop the same day you visited. You're my second customer, remember?"
Daniel laughed awkwardly and then asked, "Boss, are you coming to watch the match? After our class finals, there'll also be the third-year finals."
Aion thought for a moment and nodded. "Sure, I'll come watch."
So, he closed the shop and went with Daniel to Bridgetown Beastmaster Academy to watch the finals.