Translator: CKtalon
On the way back, Zhou Wen walked along the streets of Luoyang with Ya’er. He could clearly sense that Luoyang was much more desolate than when he had first arrived.
Life was difficult to begin with, and there were often break-out creatures appearing. In such chaotic times, having a stable home was already difficult. Raising children was even harder. Many people chose not to have children.
Even though the Federation had been promoting childbirth, the birth rate of newborns continued to decrease.
Ya’er looked around curiously. Everything here was new to her. Although she wasn’t a real child, her inner world wasn’t much more mature than a child’s.
After all, she had always been trapped near the Kuman Nee. Xiao Tianfang wouldn’t take her out unless she was needed in a fight.
Zhou Wen thought that since he was out today, he should relax and take Ya’er shopping nearby. He bought some things for her and let her try out some normal entertainment.
Although Ya’er didn’t say anything, it was obvious that she was happy.
Should I take her out more often in the future? Zhou Wen thought to himself.
Zhou Wen felt that he was taking care of Ya’er, but he didn’t realize that without Ya’er, he might have become more and more accustomed to being alone.
While Ya’er was playing a VR game, Zhou Wen’s phone rang. It was Zhang Yuzhi.
“You previously asked about the Mystic Bird. Do you only want a Mystic Bird, or do you want any Companion Beast that can help you escape?” Zhang Yuzhi asked.
“Actually, I want a mount that can teleport. Do you have a way?” Zhou Wen asked doubtfully.
Zhang Yuzhi said, “Not at all. If you only want to escape, our Zhang family will be selling an Earth Escape Companion Beast recently. Perhaps you can try to obtain it.”
“Earth Escape Companion Beast? Is it a mount-type?” Zhou Wen hurriedly asked.
If it was a mount, it would be very attractive to Zhou Wen if it could use Earth Escape with its owner.
Apart from teleportation, Earth Escape was almost the best escape skill. Zhou Wen naturally wanted a mount that knew Earth Escape. However, if it wasn’t a mount and it couldn’t bring along others while using Earth Escape, its value would be much lower.
Take Tai Sui for example. Although it could also use Earth Escape, it wasn’t of much use when it couldn’t bring people along with it.
“It’s a mount, and it’s at the Mythical stage. However, there are many people competing this time. I reckon it will fetch a high price,” Zhang Yuzhi said.
“Why would your Zhang family sell such a Companion Beast?” Zhou Wen was somewhat puzzled.
No one would find such a Companion Beast excessive. Zhou Wen found it unbelievable that the Zhang family wanted to sell it.
If Zhou Wen had such a Companion Beast, he definitely wouldn’t sell it.
“The reason is very complicated. It’s a long story, but the Companion Beast is definitely genuine. If you are interested, you can come over to take a look. When the time comes, I can do my best as a host,” Zhang Yuzhi said.
“Alright, what Companion Beast is it?” Zhou Wen asked.
“It’s an Earth Elemental Beast of the Five-Elemental Beasts.” Zhang Yuzhi thought for a moment and said, “There are a total of five Five-Elemental Beasts. They are the five types of Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth. They each have different abilities. They are obtained from a dimensional zone. One needs a corresponding special physique to obtain Companion Eggs of different attributes. There’s no problem with the origins of the Earth Elemental Beast, but there are many people who want it. The price might be very high.”
Zhou Wen immediately understood that the Earth Elemental Beast was likely the same as Banana Fairy. They were Companion Eggs obtained from special dimensional zones and not dropped from killing dimensional creatures.
After chatting with Zhang Yuzhi for a while, he knew that the auction would be held next month, so there was no rush.
It’s good to take a look when the time comes. With my present strength, I don’t need to worry about the bureau. I’ll use that batch of Essence Crystals I have. Zhou Wen thought for a moment and felt that he couldn’t directly use the Essence Crystals directly at the auction. Therefore, he asked An Sheng if he had any channels to sell them.
“Sunset Army’s weapons factory requires a large number of Essence Crystals. Just sell them to the weapon factory. We will definitely not fleece you,” An Sheng said.
“Alright,” Zhou Wen agreed.
After discussing the details of the deal with An Sheng, An Sheng suddenly said, “Are you interested in coming to the factory to take a look?”
“That’s not appropriate, right?” Zhou Wen was slightly taken aback.
“There’s nothing inappropriate about it. To others, the factory is a secret, but you are different. Furthermore, there’s something I want you to see,” An Sheng said.
Zhou Wen didn’t wish to go, but since An Sheng had said so, he had no choice but to agree.
After setting a time, Zhou Wen took Ya’er to the factory.
The weapon factory itself was in a dimensional zone. It used the dimensional zone’s rules to effectively ensure that outsiders couldn’t enter. Furthermore, the weapon factory itself had tight security measures.
It was different from what Zhou Wen had imagined. The weapon factory was modern and the various instruments were very advanced. It looked like a high-tech laboratory from a movie.
It was rare to see such a laboratory in this era.
“Overseer searched for a long time before finding this dimensional zone. The taboo rules here are very special. They won’t affect the operation of the apparatus,” An Sheng introduced as he walked.
Zhou Wen saw many of the Sunset Army’s equipment, such as Essence Gold bullets, Essence Gold shields, Essence Gold armor, etc.
There were also some that Zhou Wen had never seen before. They were likely still in development. The entire factory was built in an underground space, divided into several levels.
Zhou Wen was surprised to see an engine and accelerator made of Essence Gold.
“Overseer has put in a lot of effort in the weapon factory. Every year, he will invest a large amount of money. The expenses on materials are huge. Thankfully, scientists aren’t valued by society these days. Otherwise, it wouldn’t be easy to hire so many high-end professionals,” An Sheng said.
“How powerful are the Essence Gold weapons now? Can they resist Mythical creatures?” Zhou Wen asked.
“Pure Essence Gold weapons are still lacking, but just like the Bamboo Blade you use, some high-level Essence Gold weapons can fight Mythical creatures if the user is strong enough. However, this isn’t absolute. The item we are researching might be a breakthrough.” As An Sheng spoke, his eyes seemed to glow. It was obvious that he was very proud of that item.
“What’s that?” Zhou Wen asked curiously.
“You should see for yourself.” An Sheng didn’t answer Zhou Wen directly. Instead, he took him to the lowest level of the factory.
When the door to the independent experimental zone opened, Zhou Wen was immediately alarmed by what he saw.