32 Book 3 Chapter 28

Piles of ores, metals, and other materials filled the haven. It was a dizzying sight; darkstone was pitch black, manatide released motes of light, and luminescent ore glittered. Each had its unique effect, a common trait of high-grade goods.

Andy stood before a pile of jewels, feeling heartache. He acquired most of these through various, ahem, illegal means. Although Peter compensated him, he'd much rather have the gems.

"Excuse me?" Just as Andy was considering which store to visit next, a stern middle-aged woman walked up to him. She wore black glasses and a business suit to match. In her hand was a clipboard with numerous drawings.

Andy turned to the woman, immediately finding her unpleasing to the eye. There was nothing for him to 'inspect.'

"Karen, in charge of construction." She nudged her glasses while giving him a look as if to assess his worth, "You can create illusions?"

As soon as Andy replied, she turned and walked away. "Come with me."

Andy followed helplessly. This type of serious person clashed with his personality, leaving no room for fun.

After a short distance, Karen stopped near the edge of the haven. She pointed with her finger and stated, "Create a transparent wall, fifteen feet wide and thirty feet tall around the entire haven. I want a watch tower every fifty feet, and…"

She listed off various specifications for a minute. Andy, initially irritated, found the task refreshing. After several minutes, he was able to bring her blueprint to life.

Karen turned and reevaluated Andy before asking. "How long can you maintain this?"

"I created a divine grade spear for Shenlong, so a few hours at most," Andy replied, sighing inwardly. While he did as Shenlong asked not long ago, he didn't like the fact Shenlong preferred ordinary-looking spears. It went against Andy's artistic style! He wanted to create a heavenly, awe-inspiring spear, not some ordinary stick.

"Great, thanks." Karen released a small smile.

A short while later, Jason opened his eyes, feeling much more relaxed than before. He didn't expect this floor to leave him so traumatized. Thankfully, he was able to logic his way through it. This time would be different. He had powerful allies at his side, their potential in full bloom. Better yet, they were all on the same team. It wouldn't be like before where they built separate havens and backstabbed each other.

"Oh!" A marvelous barrier surrounding the edge of the haven greeted Jason. It was silver, made entirely from an alloy recently discovered by Su Long. It boasted incredible defense and could even regenerate. Watchtowers were seen now and then, magical cannons and ballistae built inside of them.

Lastly, artillery in the hundreds filled the interior of the haven not far from the wall. Each shot cost several gold and were war weapons from the thirtieth floor. Even Jason would have a hard time surviving under their combined barrage.

All this greatly reassured Jason. He stood to his feet and found Peter to help with any remaining tasks.

Not much time passed before a commotion came from the lookouts on the wall. "Shenlong's back!"

"Get a healer!" Another quickly added.

The gate to the north opened. Shenlong entered with a calm expression, but his attire was anything but. Numerous cuts and wounds covered his body, and he was even missing several fingers. Thankfully, it was nothing healing couldn't solve, and sure enough, he was soon back to full health.

Peter and Jason ran up to Shenlong, both wondering if there were any more changes. Before Jason could ask, he couldn't help but widen his eyes in surprise when he saw what Shenlong was holding. "What! You got essence?!"

"Mm." Shenlong held up the viscous ball of black mist. "I wanted to ask for advice before I used it."

(Tier 1) Essence

Worth 100 essence.

Essence is used to create a tattoo representing a concept.

Peter turned to Jason with an uncertain look. "Didn't you say these were exceptionally rare?"

"One in ten thousand," Jason nodded, feeling a little doubtful as well. Was Shenlong this lucky?

"Oh. I suppose I should add it came from a mutant demon," Shenlong commented casually.

"A mutant?! Here?" Jason exclaimed as a jolt of electricity shot down his spine, a terrifying idea entering his mind.

"I'm certain. Also, although the monsters I found were few, they were all mutants."

Jason and Peter both swore repeatedly. Only after reminding themselves they were mutants too did they calm down. Peter asked for clarification. "Were they demons?"

Shenlong rubbed his beard thoughtfully. "They shouldn't be like Cay Wolf. More like demonized monsters than demons."

"That's good." Jason sighed in relief. If they encountered bonafide demons so early, it would be terrifying.

Shenlong held up the essence in his hand. "Anyway, how exactly should I use this? Your report was a little vague."

Jason felt a bit envious as he explained, "There's a lot of freedom. For starters, you can create or enhance a skill. You can even evolve attributes." Jason paused. "Try this: look at the essence and imagine creating a skill that allows you to see into the future."

Shenlong followed the advice and frowned. "It says I need a trillion essence."

"A trillion essence isn't bad for precognition, right?" Jason shook his head and continued. "Now try to imagine creating a skill that allows you to see one second into the future, then try one second into the future but only for the target in front of you."

Following this experiment, Shenlong expressed his understanding. "Mm. So having focus reduces the cost."

Peter clicked his tongue. "This mechanic is ridiculously overpowered."

"They were extremely rare back then," Jason commented dejectedly.

"I'll save it for now." Shenlong stored the essence away after a moment of thought

After discussing various topics for a while, the north gate opened once more. The scout team arrived with a detailed map of the surroundings, in addition to making a shocking discovery.

A town populated by demons was only forty miles to the north-east!