Kulkan

After what had just happened, the family of three no longer had any interest in continuing to eat ice cream.

Carrying their purchases out of the ice cream shop, they first went to Eeylops Owl Emporium. Since it was for the family, all three of them made their choices. Sean wanted a Snowy Owl, because it was genuinely gorgeous. Martha wanted a Ulin Owl, while Yad wanted an Eagle Owl. In the end, they settled the matter with rock-paper-scissors. Yad won, and they bought an Eagle Owl named Rob.

In Diagon Alley, owls were not sold alongside other pets.

Eeylops Owl Emporium specialized in selling owls, while other pets had to be bought at the Magical Menagerie. It carried most of the pets permitted for sale in the Magical World, so the final stop of their trip through Diagon Alley was the Magical World's most famous pet shop, the Magical Menagerie.

Perhaps all the shops in Diagon Alley shared similar traits. Like Ollivanders Wand Shop, the Magical Menagerie was packed. Irregularly sized cages were stacked together and filled the shop, each containing an animal. Miraculously, none of the animals inside appeared to feel cramped or confined. Clearly, the cages had been enchanted.

"Welcome to the Magical Menagerie. We have every pet you could want."

The owner of the Magical Menagerie was a Middle-aged Female Wizard. She wore a plain cotton robe and was slightly plump. The moment she saw Sean's family enter, she warmly came over to greet them.

"Hello. I'd like to buy a pet, but I haven't decided what kind yet. Do you have any recommendations?"

The plump witch looked at Sean and nodded slightly. "A new Hogwarts student? Then you shouldn't get a pet that's too troublesome. Personally, I wouldn't recommend anything too large, or pets like Crups that need plenty of exercise.

"So, I recommend cats, rats, or reptiles—pets that can be kept within Hogwarts. What kind do you like?"

As Sean listened to the plump witch, he was just about to look at the cats when he suddenly caught sight of a flash of white in the corner. Turning his head, he was immediately drawn to the little creature in the cage there.

So beautiful!

That was Sean's first thought when he saw it.

It was a pure white snake, without the slightest trace of another color.

It was about a meter long, its thickness and curves perfectly proportioned, like a beautiful work of art that filled one with delight. Its ruby-like eyes made it even more alluring. Even Sean, who had no particular fondness for amphibians, was captivated by its beautiful appearance at first sight.

Seeing where Sean was looking, the plump witch immediately understood. She smiled and shook her head, walking over to him. "Its name is Kulkan. My husband brought it back from America three years ago, when he went looking for rare pets.

"I have to admit, it's truly beautiful. But its temper is just as remarkable as its appearance. Kulkan has bitten five people who tried to raise it, including my husband. So I wouldn't recommend buying it. Kulkan isn't something a Young Wizard about to start school like you can handle."

"Sean, choose another one. Didn't you say before that you wanted to raise a cat?"

Hearing his mother's words, Sean hesitated. Just as the plump witch had said, beautiful as the snake was, if it really was aggressive, there was no way he could bring it to Hogwarts to keep.

With a slight shake of his head, Sean was about to go look at the cats with the plump witch.

But at that moment, Yad smiled and said to Sean, "Sean, if you like it, go take a look. Maybe you'll be the special one. If you don't like it, then forget it. But since you do like it, don't give up so easily. At least go see it properly. That way, you won't regret it."

His father's words truly caught Sean off guard, but he quickly smiled and hurried over.

Squatting in front of the cage, Sean looked at Kulkan, the White Snake inside. Judging by its size, Kulkan could clearly slip through the gaps in the cage, yet it obediently remained inside. Just as Sean had guessed earlier, these cages really did contain some kind of magic.

When Kulkan saw Sean approach, it immediately coiled up and raised its head. Its ruby-like eyes stared fixedly at Sean, its forked tongue flicking rapidly in and out. It looked every bit like it was preparing to attack.

At the sight, Martha let out a startled cry. Regret also appeared on Yad's face, and he wanted to tell Sean to give up. Encouraging his son to try was one thing, but seeing that it was impossible and that he might get hurt was another matter entirely.

Naturally, Sean also considered giving up.

He liked it, certainly, but it was clearly impossible to have, and he might even get hurt. There was no need to force the matter. Just as Sean was about to stand and leave, another prompt suddenly appeared before him.

Kulkan has challenged you. Begin the Duel?

Sean stared at the prompt, then looked at Kulkan in the cage in surprise.

The fact that it had triggered a response from the panel meant two things.

First, Duels were not limited to humans. As long as a magical creature possessed intelligence, it could also trigger the panel and form a Duel.

Second, Kulkan clearly was not an ordinary White Snake that only had looks. It possessed at least the intelligence of an ordinary magical creature, if not more.

What could I gain if I won the Duel?

The moment that question appeared in Sean's mind, he had already made his decision.

Turning to the plump witch, Sean asked with a smile, "Excuse me, this snake isn't venomous, is it?"

The plump witch's expression shifted slightly as she asked hesitantly, "Do you want to touch it? It is indeed nonvenomous, but that doesn't mean nothing will happen if it bites you."

"Don't worry. As long as it isn't venomous, I'll take responsibility for anything that happens. Besides, it's so small. As long as there's no venom, even if it bites me, it won't be a big problem. It'll just hurt a little."

"Sean, don't be reckless." Martha came over to him, looking worriedly at Kulkan, the White Snake.

Seeing this, Yad also came over and crouched beside Sean. He looked at him seriously. "Sean, are you sure?"

Nodding, Sean said, "Of course. I'm sure. Besides, I might not even get bitten. Let me try."

"Fine. But if you get bitten, you're not allowed to cry about it."

"Don't worry, I won't!"

The plump witch looked at Yad, who nodded at her. Though she was hesitant, she did not delay. She took out her Wand and lightly tapped the cage. It immediately opened, and Kulkan, the White Snake, immediately let out a hissing sound of warning.