Monster Paradise absorbed the haul without complaint. Crystal after Demi-God crystal fed into Xhalthuun's queue until the shop practically hummed with anticipation.
John spent the better part of an hour distributing the resources he brought from the shop. Growth pills went to Alfred and the rest of his freshly Eldritch-evolved pets. Attribute-refining draughts went to Yuna, Azelis, and Jibril. A handful of techniques he simply tucked away for later, without explaining to anyone what they did yet.
"Everyone's a little stronger by morning," Chuthulos reported cheerfully. "Some of them considerably more than a little."
...
Two days later, John stood at the edge of Dranvok's northeast territory, staring down at a walled estate that looked entirely unremarkable from a distance.
