Jie Ming spotted a group of strikingly familiar creatures!
Their spider-like segmented bodies and elongated, snake-like abdomens and tails were unmistakable.
Aside from their slightly smaller attacking forelimbs and the fine, dense fur covering their glossy black carapaces, these creatures were near-exact replicas of the “spider-snake” he’d captured in the wild, the one capable of wielding spatial powers!
Most crucially, the sheer number of these creatures at this stall was staggering!
Beyond the few live specimens displayed at the front, the wizard had several massive metal cages behind him, each containing at least hundreds of these creatures.
“What are these?” Jie Ming suppressed his surprise, pointing at the caged creatures as he inquired with the stall owner.
He made no effort to hide his interest—wizards weren’t fools, and sudden inquiries always had a reason.
The wizard, looking somewhat disheveled, glanced at Jie Ming and immediately flashed an enthusiastic grin, launching into an introduction. “You’ve got a sharp eye, wizard! These are what I’ve temporarily named ‘Sonic Spider-Snakes.’ They’re low-tier food chain creatures living at the bottom of the cloud mist. Their biggest traits are living in colonies and using ‘sonic’ abilities.”
“When an entire colony attacks together, their combined sonic waves pack a decent punch, enough to affect a second-rank wizard’s mind. But their individual strength is weak—barely on par with a first-rank wizard apprentice. They’re easy to catch.”
“As for other specifics, I haven’t had time to study them thoroughly due to the short capture period…”Listening to the introduction, Jie Ming calmly picked up one of the “spider-snakes” chained as a live display sample, examining it closely.
After a thorough inspection with his All-Purpose Eye, Jie Ming was confident these creatures were of the same species as the powerful “spider-snake” he’d captured.
However, the one he caught was likely a one-in-a-million “mutant.”
“To think, a creature so weak it’s practically ‘harmless’ could become so formidable after mutating, even threatening me!” Jie Ming marveled inwardly.
This only underscored the terrifying potential of “spatial” abilities.
Considering he planned to conduct comprehensive research on the mutant spider-snake, having a large number of its ordinary kin as reference samples was crucial.
And with proper breeding, he might even cultivate more mutants.
With his decision made, Jie Ming inquired about the price.
After a heated round of haggling, Jie Ming purchased the entire stock—over ten thousand “spider-snakes” from the stall and the wizard’s reserves—for five thousand military merits.
The wizard, overjoyed after the deal, beamed with delight.
Low-tier creatures like these, lacking combat prowess or unique resource output, rarely attracted bulk buyers.
To show his gratitude, he even threw in a few cages with basic sealing capabilities.
Jie Ming felt he’d struck a bargain.
The transaction was a win-win.
But soon, a new problem arose.
“Where do I store all these…?” Jie Ming rubbed his temples, vexed, as he watched the endless stream of cages being delivered.
In his excitement, he’d bought them all, only to realize their sheer volume was overwhelming.
Even caged, they took up an enormous amount of space.
His internal space couldn’t possibly hold this many “goods.”
Noticing Jie Ming’s predicament, the wizard kindly offered, “If storage is an issue, you can rent a large warehouse for breeding creatures at the camp’s Affairs Center. But those warehouses aren’t cheap.”
“If you rent for too long, the cost might exceed the value of the spoils themselves. In that case, selling them directly to the camp might be more cost-effective.”
“I see. Thanks for the heads-up,” Jie Ming said, expressing his gratitude.
He then employed his Alchemy Technique, lifting the hundred-plus heavy iron cages off the ground, suspending them behind him.
With this massive haul in tow, he made his way “grandly” toward the Affairs Center.
Fortunately, in a camp filled with powerhouses and monsters, wizards with even grander displays weren’t uncommon, so his procession didn’t draw much attention.
Jie Ming quickly located the alchemy puppet at the Affairs Center’s front desk.
“I’m here to rent a warehouse.”
“Very well. Please select the type of warehouse you wish to lease.”
After a quick selection, Jie Ming rented a “high-grade warehouse” theoretically capable of housing up to a million small-to-medium creatures.
Following the puppet through the camp to its inner depths, they arrived at an unremarkable, plain-looking door.
When it opened, Jie Ming saw not a room as expected but a vast, independent breeding space brimming with vitality!
It was fully equipped with environmental simulation systems.
Constant temperature systems, nutrient supply systems, energy circulation systems… it could accommodate creatures of various sizes and unique living requirements.
Jie Ming stared at this near “artificial ecosystem,” astounded. “The camp mastered the local spatial rules in just a month? This technical prowess is terrifying.”
The reason he assumed it was only “local” spatial rules was due to the Void Plane’s inherent nature.
A vast plane rich in wind elements, lacking a unified “gravitational core,” likely had subtle differences in spatial rules across regions.
After placing the chattering “spider-snakes” inside and activating the warehouse’s built-in arrays and specialized alchemy puppets, Jie Ming allocated a portion of his military merits to purchase a large stock of high-energy nutrient feed.
Only then did he consider these creatures, vital to his future research, properly settled.
After all this, Jie Ming glanced at his terminal’s military merit balance. “Renting this warehouse for ten years cost a hundred thousand merits—way more than the spider-snakes themselves!”
“But… considering that mutant spider-snake with spatial powers, this upfront cost is worth it.”
Jie Ming wandered the plaza a few more times but couldn’t find the artifact he needed.
As the time for his meeting with Jack approached, he stopped lingering and headed toward the agreed-upon rendezvous point.