novelraw Chapter 69: Black Market and House Snail
Chapter 69: Black Market and House Snail
Lu Yu hadn't expected Sun Jie to be so reckless as to advance mid-air. When he saw the carriage burn to ashes, he almost thought he was about to experience a plane crash in another world and get sent on a second transmigration.
Because… he couldn't fly!
If he were to swing through the air with spider silk, he wouldn't be smashed into meat paste and it would even save spiritual energy, but what was the difference between being Tarzan and complete Social Death?
The entire act from before would have been for nothing.
But if he had Little Spider use spatial transfer to move a big living person like him, getting from high altitude to a safe landing would require at least five or six Blinks.
The Spiritual Energy Fluctuation would be impossible to hide, and he would expose himself.
Fortunately, Sun Jie and the Soul Lantern were sensible enough to know to keep supporting him with spiritual energy; otherwise, the situation would have gotten awkward.
Even so, he still found a hard rock to stand on to relieve the numbness in his legs…
'I must get a Flying-type pet beast in the future…'
On the surface, Lu Yu was looking at the moon, but in his mind, he was pondering which Flying-type pet beast would be a better choice.An eagle? A falcon? A condor? Or perhaps some bizarre chimeras, wyverns, flying ghost beauties, floating giantesses…
Hmm…
It felt like something good had gotten mixed in there.
As his thoughts reached their conclusion, Lu Yu thought of his wallet and entered Sage Mode.
He already had two Gold-Swallowing Beasts at home; raising another would put him in debt.
He would first contract Little Mouse and let it evolve before anything else.
It had to earn money too!
The Lu Family doesn't support freeloaders.
At this thought, Lu Yu lowered his head. Sun Jie came closer, his gaze fervent and reverent, already having turned into a little fanboy.
He said gratefully, "Thank you for your guidance, Your Excellency. If there is anything you need me for, please do not hesitate to ask.
I will do my utmost to help."
At the same time, Sun Jie had already prepared himself.
As long as this mysterious【Collector】didn't want to buy the entire black market, he would cover all the expenses for the night.
Tonight, all expenses are on Young Master Sun… Uncle Sun will pay!
If he didn't have enough money, he would just find a reason to borrow from the neighboring 17th Squad's funds.
If Zhou Cheng had an issue with it later, it would be the perfect excuse to bring him before this mysterious entity. If he managed to get a word or two of guidance, it would be a massive gain!
To think of his brother like this, it would be an understatement not to call him Righteous Father.
'Got it.'
Having received the promise, Lu Yu was delighted but neither nodded nor refused, walking toward the black market as if he hadn't heard a thing.
Sun Jie was a little disappointed, but on second thought, it made sense. How could a grand figure like this possibly need a Beast Tamer who hadn't even reached the Morning Star Rank, unless there was some junior who needed help.
He just needed to keep the favor in mind and find an opportunity to repay it. With that, he quickly followed.
Walking into the black market, the scene that greeted him gave Lu Yu his first true taste of the visual impact of a supernatural world.
Unlike the carefully selected and arranged goods of large merchant guilds, the black market's main focus was its wild beauty.
Supernatural items were displayed casually. The convergence of numerous Beast Tamers and pet beasts created a visual impact more stunning than any superhero movie.
After all, in the movies of his previous life, could you see a living stall?
There were small wooden houses constructed with Mechanism Art, giant water-spouting camels carrying platforms, and more…
Not far away, a Beast Tamer in a red cloak threw a black ball on the ground. The next moment, it expanded and turned into a snail.
The little snail extended its eye stalks, its eyes swiveling around, cautiously observing its surroundings, appearing quite timid.
However, after eating the raw meat offered by the Beast Tamer, the shell on its back rapidly inflated, turning into a one-person black hut in a matter of seconds.
Its appearance was similar to a newsstand, with a horizontal plank for placing items that could also be folded up to create an enclosed cabin.
Noticing Lu Yu had stopped to watch, Sun Jie assumed this great figure had never seen such a low-level pet beast and took the initiative to explain:
"This is a House Snail, one of the House-type Pet Beasts discovered in a new ecological mystic realm at the Borderlands a couple of years ago.
It has average intelligence and no attack power, but it can change its size at will, for instance, into a house with some defensive capability and the ability to sense its surroundings as a warning.
Moreover, the House Snail has a gentle temperament and doesn't need a contract.
It can be controlled just by feeding it raw meat, so it's very popular among Beast Tamers. Unfortunately, it has no evolved form, so its potential is limited…"
In this world, not all pet beasts required a contract to be used.
Before the Morning Star Rank, the three tiers represented three Contract Slots, which were needed to build a Spiritual Puzzle. Each one was exceptionally important and could not be wasted casually.
However, humans, relying on their wisdom, discovered the patterns of some pet beasts and utilized them, thereby indirectly using their abilities.
House-type Pet Beasts and Transportation-type Pet Beasts were prime examples of this.
They would work as long as they were fed. There were even some rule-based pet beasts whose power could be borrowed through other means.
Lu Yu's interest was piqued. After all, whether he was venturing deep into the Wilderness or exploring a Mystic Realm in the future, he would need a place to live.
However, he had no use for it at the moment, so he turned and continued walking inside.
Sun Jie stroked his stubble, a look of regret in his eyes.
He had been all ready to pay, but the great figure wasn't interested.
As expected, the Collector's standards were high.
This kind of pet beast was only novel in appearance; its potential was too poor.
If Lu Yu knew his thoughts, he would probably laugh out loud.
Potential too low?
The Eye of Truth had already revealed several Evolution Paths, such as the Iron House Snail that could turn into a steel house, and the Sand Castle Snail, where one snail was a castle, effectively becoming a mobile fortress.
There are no weak pet beasts, only undiscovered potential.
And Lu Yu held the Truth!
On these stalls were displayed a large number of materials rarely seen in the outside world.
For example, at the stall of a muscular man wearing a pig mask, there was a monkey corpse.
Its fur was dark green, and a large number of mushrooms, rooted in its flesh and blood, grew on its black mane and head. Its head looked as if it had been smashed in, a bloody mess.
This was a top-tier servant pet beast called the Mushroom Monkey, a mountain delicacy that came with its own ingredients. When the mushrooms were made into a soup and poured over the monkey's brain, the taste was exquisite and highly favored by the wealthy.
Furthermore, the brains of primates could promote the evolution of some Brain-eating Pet Beasts and strengthen their mental power, so they were often hunted and were scarce in number.
The Mushroom Monkey was initially an option for the Peach Pig Project, but it was abandoned because its dark and humid growing environment easily bred germs and poisonous insects.
Most importantly, it had a ferocious temperament and loved to fight amongst itself, easily ending up with bloodied heads.
And since its most valuable parts were the brain and mushrooms, the investment could easily result in a total loss.
That's why it was given up, but who would have thought that the Peach Pigs would be even harder to raise.
The Mushroom Monkey being sold by the stall owner before him was likely a spoil of war.
The market price for one was fifty thousand, but since its head was smashed, leaving only some mushrooms, it probably wouldn't sell even if priced at ten thousand.
This showed just how difficult material collection was.
'Good thing I'm a Cheater!'
Besides that, there were also White Jade Wall Insect Eggs that could whiten skin, though in reality, it was their mild toxins that made the skin pale; a curse that could make a third hand grow; a simulated vocal cord that could make poultry sing, and more…
There was even a Magic Potion made from the body of a Three-Eyed Mountain Demon covered in reproductive organs. After consuming it, one could rouse their Manly Vigor and transform into a Spray Warrior, splattering anyone they saw.
However, as soon as it appeared, it was snatched up in a frenzy. The person who bought it stuffed it into his coat and walked away furtively.
'Why does that silhouette look a bit like Director Wang from before…'
Lu Yu was lost in thought, clearly sensing that Sun Jie beside him was a little disappointed, gazing reluctantly at the person's departing back.
'Hmph, a bunch of old men!'
'Too bad a Perpetual Motion Machine like me has no use for it.
'
Lu Yu silently closed his Eye of Truth. He was just curious about the Magic Potion's formula and wanted to learn a little.
The two of them continued to walk and chat idly.
However, most of the time it was Sun Jie racking his brains to find topics, while Lu Yu only responded with a few words occasionally.
Many powerful Beast Tamers, who had been drawn by the commotion at the entrance and had been secretly watching, felt a chill in their hearts when they saw this scene.
As regulars of the black market, how could they not know who Sun Jie was.
He was the captain of the Special Division's 16th Squad—the Ghost Lantern Squad, a notoriously ruthless figure. Squads 15 and above were all composed of Morning Star Rank powerhouses.
Moreover, Sun Jie had transferred from the Borderlands army. He was extremely bloodthirsty, had not only transformed his spirituality but also followed the Beast King System.
Once a battle began, he could control thousands of Ghost Fire Lanterns to attack, creating a滔天 Sea of Fire that had incinerated more than a dozen Evil God Cult bases.
He was given the nickname—the Darkness Burner.
However, the members of the Dark Organizations he hunted cursed him as a pyromaniac, a Barbecue Shop Owner, and so on…
The general meaning was that he burned everyone on sight and had a very fiery temper.
He was one of the top Beast Tamers most likely to advance to the Morning Star Rank; otherwise, the Great Abyss City Alliance wouldn't have arranged for him to manage the unruly black market.
Yet, such a god of slaughter was acting like an attendant, respectfully following this person in the Yellow Robe and explaining things along the way.
Who was this person?
Could he be a big shot from the Alliance?
Everyone was shocked, and right at that moment, another group of people entered the black market…