Chapter 75: Chapter 73: Nightmare Beast, Water Serpentfolk, and Dryad
Ron nodded slightly and began to look around.
The interior of the trading post was much more spacious than it appeared from the outside. The space was divided by iron bars into dozens of cages of varying sizes, each containing different kinds of alien race creatures.
"Are you interested in ordinary servants, combat slaves, or perhaps test subjects?"
The chubby merchant asked tentatively, his eyes darting around, "We have everything you might need here."
"I need a slave to serve as a Magic Potion Assistant," Ron stated his purpose directly, "and I am also interested in learning about other types of slaves."
"I think I understand your needs, sir." The merchant became somewhat excited, jogging a few steps to lead Ron:
"However, let me first show you our latest stock."
He guided Ron through rows of cages, continuously introducing the traits and uses of various alien races along the way, as if he had a kind of boastful desire to showcase his merchandise.
The first creature to capture Ron’s attention was a peculiar one with four arms.
It had a face similar to a human’s, but its skin was a pale green, and it had two pairs of translucent small wings on its back, curled up listlessly in the corner of the cage.
"What is that?" Ron inquired.
"Oh, good eye, sir!" The chubby man rubbed his hands:
"That is a descendant of an elemental fairy, likely a hybrid between a wind fairy and a human. This kind of creature is extraordinary at precise tasks, especially suitable for work requiring the handling of fragile items."
Ron continued to walk forward, his gaze sweeping over the cages.
A dwarf with rhino-like thick skin was curled up in the corner, with knotted muscles covered in gray-brown stony scales, and a crystal stone embedded in the center of its forehead.
The merchant explained that it was a hybrid between a dwarf and a mountain rock spirit. The crystal stone on its forehead was a Control Mark, and if it tried to resist its master, the stone would violently stimulate its spirit, causing severe pain.
This hybrid dwarf’s thick skin was almost impervious to blades and bullets, and due to its innate anti-magic traits, standard Apprenticeship Period magic was difficult to penetrate.
"It’s worth mentioning," the merchant pointed to the plaque on the dwarf’s iron cage, "this fellow was once the chieftain of a mountain tribe. He fought fiercely when captured, killing two members of the Slave Capture Team. But now..."
He casually knocked on the cage, and the former chieftain shrank into a ball like a frightened small animal, extreme fear flashing in its eyes:
"This guy has been fully tamed, and its memory has been reshaped, retaining only necessary skills and instincts. This is our standard procedure for dealing with adult slaves—erase the self, preserve the value."
Ron nodded expressionlessly, but mentally noted this point.
Erasing memory and reshaping the spirit required quite advanced spirit-based magic. It seemed the forces behind this trading post were no ordinary entity; the seemingly unremarkable merchant might even be a family member of a Wizard.
A few steps ahead, the merchant proudly pointed out a gigantic iron cage: "Look at this rare item!"
Inside was a giant four-legged beast with huge bat wings, its size twice that of a horse and its skin showing an unhealthy grey-purple.
Its back had a specially designed saddle, clearly meant for riding.
"This is a mixed-blood Nightmare Beast from the southwestern swampland, capable of carrying passengers through the harshest weather for dozens of miles without rest."
The merchant lowered his voice: "However, there’s a small drawback—they can only be active at night. During the day, they fall into this semi-dormant state. But for Wizards needing nocturnal travels, this is an advantage instead."
The colossal beast drowsily lifted its eyelids, letting out a deep growling sound from its throat.
The merchant went on to explain that this creature naturally had the ability to perceive magic power fluctuations, enabling it to navigate precisely in the dark, seeking the paths with the most abundant magic.
"Initially, they were pack predators, attacking travelers passing through the swamp. Now, after domestication, their aggressiveness has been significantly reduced, but their flying and perception abilities are fully intact. Price... well, three hundred Magic Stone Fragments, including basic training and Control Mark engraving."
Further along, a large glass tank filled with water caught Ron’s attention.
Inside swam a pair of water serpent sisters, their upper bodies resembling human girls, but their lower halves were snake tails shimmering with blue-green scales.
Their skin was a pale blue, with delicate gills on either side of their necks, gracefully coiling in the water.
"These sisters come from the nearshore coral reef. They are pure-blood water serpents, incredibly rare."Nᴇw ɴovel chaptᴇrs are published on ɴo(v)elFɪre.ɴet
The merchant seemed particularly fond of these two "products":
"They can remain underwater for hours without breathing, and their intelligence is almost equivalent to humans, making them especially suited for gathering rare aquatic plants in deep water areas."
"Moreover..." the merchant winked, his tone carrying a subtle insinuation:
"They can sing a special Siren’s Song, said to soothe frenzied Aquatic Magical Beasts. Of course, some male buyers might find they have other... entertainment value."
Ron noticed the fear and aversion flashing in the water serpent sisters’ eyes, clearly understanding the merchant’s implication.
"Where did all these come from?" he asked with some curiosity.
The merchant chuckled:
"You may not know, sir, but most of these goods come from the School’s ’Slave Capture Team’. Every year, the School sends out several teams to remote regions to hunt for rare materials and alien race specimens. If they find suitable ones, they bring them back and hand them over to licensed slave merchants like us for proxy sale."
Speaking as he led Ron to a separate enclosure in the backyard:
"Earlier, you mentioned you were hoping to find a slave to serve as a Magic Potion Assistant. It just so happens I have a special ’product’ here that might suit your preferences."
The creature inside the enclosure was visibly different from the other slaves, possessing a vaguely human plant-like body.
Its skin was light green with small scales, and its hair resembled soft vines, gently swaying in the breeze.
It showed no signs of gender, marking it as a kind of asexual extraordinary species.
"This is a tree spirit from an ancient forest," the merchant introduced quietly:
"It’s said this race has a natural bond with plants, able to understand the ’language’ of plants and sense the activity of herbs."
Ron stepped closer to examine it more closely. Despite being shackled in chains, the creature’s gaze maintained an air of transcendental calm.
A stark contrast to the despair and numbness displayed by the other slaves.
"Not bad," he mentally evaluated the potential value of this assistant:
"An assistant with a unique perception ability regarding plants would indeed significantly enhance the efficiency of Magic Potion Refining."