Due to how tough their scales are, it is really hard to kill them in one hit. However, as the battle continues the wounds I am inflicting quickly add up. As they are wounded they lose some of their speed and it becomes easier to hit them.

  Of course, I am also taking wounds from their attacks, but the potions I absorbed deal with them. Luckily, either they aren't poisonous or for some reason their poison doesn't affect me. Not having to worry about poison, the bites and stings I take don't amount to much.

  As I am fighting the pack, I notice that a couple of the beasts that I left wounded are dead. I didn't think the wounds would prove to be fatal, but I understand a few seconds later. I watch as Maximus moves to finish off another of the wounded beasts.

  I am not yet used to having him with me, so I forgot for a moment that he can help in combat. As he kills the wounded beast I also spot him picking up some loot from it. It turns out that having a soul pet is a lot more useful than I thought it would be.

  From that point on, after a beast is heavily wounded I ignore it and leave it to Maximus. As the number of beasts drops, it becomes a lot easier to deal with the rest of the pack. With less distractions, I am able to kill my opponents one by one until none are left.

  8 Wolfizards defeated! 40,000 Soul Exp gained!

  Loot: 2,943 Soul Coins, 3 Soul Crystals, 2 Soul Healing Potions, Armor Leggings +4 Defense!

  Five thousand exp each and they come in groups, this could be a really good farming spot. They also dropped decent loot, although Maximus directly ate the soul crystals. That isn't too surprising, but I will have to be careful that he doesn't level too fast.

  Since he is done with the cleanup, I lead the way to continue exploring the cavern. As I am looking for beasts to fight, Maximus keeps darting off to gather plants. It happens so often that I stop keeping track of the plants that he uproots.

  I am a little worried that my soul palace is going to turn into a jungle, but I'll worry about that later. As long as some of the plants are sellable it won't be a big deal to let him harvest them. If they aren't, then I am probably going to have to figure out something to do with them.

  The problem is that I don't know how to stop Maximus from gathering them. I've tried telling him not to, but he doesn't seem to understand what I want. I might have to put off further exploration until after I find out more about him.

  Before I can decide what I want to do, I hear a familiar buzzing sound. I am not about to pass up free exp, so I fly up above the trees to take a look. When I fly up, Maximus just sits down where he is to wait for me to come back.

  When I can see above the trees I easily spot the swarm, but it also spots me. The entire swarm instantly changes direction and heads straight for me. It is a fairly intimidating sight, but I just calmly put a lightning field in the air in front of me.

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  2,841,083 Blood Flies defeated! 28,410 Soul Exp gained!

  *DING*

  Congratulations! Skill Lightning Field has progressed to level 3!

  Lightning Field

  Level: 3

  MP Cost: 180 Covers an area in lightning.

  Area 40 feet. Damage 15-30/4 seconds. Duration: 2 minutes.

  Once the swarm is dead I land and Maximus returns to my side. Instead of continuing to explore, I start making my way back to the gate. I want to go to Soul City and find out more about the plants and Maximus before I continue.

  Maximus returns to the soul palace when I return to the hallway. Before doing anything else I mark the door and move the arrival location to the bigger cavern. Then I head through the white door to return to Soul City, but I don't summon Maximus.

  I want to talk to the employee about him without him hearing it. I would feel strange talking about him like that in front of him even though he probably wouldn't understand. Luckily, I mostly remember the way to the pet store and manage to find it without getting lost.

  When I enter the store and look around, I quickly spot the same employee that sold me Maximus. She also spots me and walks over with a smile on her face.

  Employee says "Welcome back! I didn't expect to see you again so soon. I hope nothing is wrong with the mammoth?"

  "No, nothing is wrong exactly. I just hoped to get some more information and help in understanding a few things."

  Employee says "I will be happy to help if I can! What would you like to know?"

  "First, is it normal that mammoths are not pure white like the other beasts?"

  Employee says "Yes, it is. Although no one knows why. All the known species of mammoth have colored fur, but the skin underneath is still pure white. Mammoths are the only species that has been found that has any color to it."

  "That's weird, I wonder why that is. Anyway, as long as it's normal I won't worry about it. Is it also normal for mammoths to be obsessed with plants?"

  Employee says "No. Why?"

  "Well, when I took him into another world with me, he ran around collecting plants."

  Employee says "Really?! If so, then you hit the jackpot!"

  "How so?"

  Employee says "The ability to collect things is a rare and valuable skill. It is not something we test for before selling a beast. If your mammoth has this skill, then you got really, really lucky."

  "Does that mean that the plants he keeps collecting are valuable?"

  Employee says "Most likely. Most everything that can be collected is valuable. The only exceptions are things that no one has found a use for yet. Still, some people will buy them so that they can research them."

  "Great! Does that mean that there are shops in the city that specifically deal with such plants? I don't want my soul palace turning into a jungle."

  Employee says "There are a few, but they are all close to the city center. You will have to go there to find one."

  "Alright, I will go there next. The last question I have is about the mammoths leveling speed. I want to know if leveling it up quickly will cause any problems?"

  Employee says "No. You can level any soul beast as fast as you want without causing any issues. The only thing you need to worry about is the pet outgrowing the soul palace."

  "Good. Alright, thank you for the information!"

  Employee says "No problem. I am glad that I could help. Have a great day!"

  I leave the pet shop, call Maximus to my side, and start looking for the city center. On the way, I come across another small market and get distracted for a bit. Luckily, none of the stalls have any plants so I quickly get back on task.