After parking the shared electric scooter, Lin Guang walked into the mall and looked at the guide at the entrance.
The first three floors of the mall sell gray inferior and white ordinary level Spirit Beasts, which are sufficient for most ordinary Spirit Masters. Access to the fourth floor and above requires showing proof of Combat Spirit Master status, where even blue elite level Spirit Beasts are for sale, although their high level often makes it impossible for novice Spirit Masters to contract with them.
Compared to the crowded entrance and elevators, a rather eerie scene unfolded on the right side of the mall. Despite having elevators and clear entrances, only a handful of people headed that way.
This was an illusion array set by a Spiritual Spirit Beast, capable of deceiving ordinary people and electronic devices. Only those who can resist illusions and see through the truth can discover the area shrouded by the array.
Generally, if one wants to do business, the threshold can't be set too high. A two-star Spirit Master or a one-star Spiritual Artifact is enough to see through the mist, so Lin Guang had asked Ouyang Wei for a special "ticket" from the military.
A robust man greeted Lin Guang. His whole body was hidden under a trench coat, with a mask on his face, and a badge with the Afu Boutique Spirit Beast Store Logo pinned to his chest.
"Young man, what would you like to buy?"
"..."
Lin Guang rather wished for a pretty girl with a sweet voice, but thinking about how this was an underground black market, he gave up that idea.
After hesitating for a moment, Lin Guang recounted all the types of Spirit Beasts he had attempted to contract at the Beast Breeding Base, detailing their species and attributes.
"Do you have any rare Spirit Beasts, other than the ones I just mentioned?"
The masked man fell silent. Just as Lin Guang thought he might have overwhelmed the man with his long list, the man responded in a deep voice, "Yes, we do."
"You do?"
Lin Guang was slightly taken aback.
"On the underground first floor, there are Spirit Beasts you want."
"Then let's go take a look below."
Following the masked man, Lin Guang descended to the underground first floor.
As he reached the end of the stairs, he blinked, adjusting slightly to the lighting here.
The space was unexpectedly vast. In the darkness, only a few shop neon signs provided the only sources of light amidst the dimness.
It's hard to imagine how this underground was originally planned, whether the surrounding structures carry any risk of subsidence, but the deliberately adjusted dim and eerie atmosphere made it hard to see the faces of people just a few meters away.
A few people were sparsely standing not far away, their figures shrouded in black and gray cloaks.
A few glances shifted over, but upon seeing Lin Guang's age and the silver key deliberately pinned to his chest, the gazes quickly withdrew.
Lin Guang smiled slightly.
Spirit Masters have senses far sharper than normal people and can surely see what was on his chest. Coupled with him deliberately showing off his young true appearance…
A student who visibly seemed to lack money yet entered the black market with a military Spirit Master's card would naturally be seen as not an easy mark.
Regardless of whether he truly had no money or pretended not to, if he got conned, having family elders come around would not be a fun matter.
The very existence of a black market here indicates that it adheres to some rules. This gray area is not a lawless zone; their ability to issue special cards to retired military Spirit Masters attests to this.
And without enough incentive, who would want to do anything mischievous to a minor who is also a student?
Following the masked man, Lin Guang moved forward while examining the surroundings and goods.
Unlike the bright and dazzling mall above, the environment of the underground black market is not good. Most guests here have been to the wilderness and wouldn't care about these aspects, so shopkeepers are happy to save the maintenance costs — rust, blood, and excrement smells vie to fill Lin Guang's nose, dancing around inside.
Lin Guang naturally understood why it was so.
The Spirit Beasts here were often captured in the wilderness outside the city, not only are they hard to tame due to their wild nature, but they often sustain some injuries during their capture, bleeding being a normal occurrence.
Following the faint whimpering and purring noises, he directed his gaze to the alloy cages on either side.
Sure enough.
On the left, the Ironback Wolf had severely damaged iron scales on its back with gaping wounds exposed, breathing heavily with muddled eyes.
In the cage on the right, the Fire-tailed Fox was curled up in a corner, its tail flames dim as though about to extinguish. A rough bandage around its left hind leg had been soaked reddish.
Looking around, very few Spirit Beasts in cages were intact, the only difference being the severity of their injuries.
The majority of the Spirit Beasts here were caught from the wilderness, but certain protected areas in the wilderness are specifically established to help breed rare Spirit Beasts, preventing overexploitation. Thus, capturing there counts as poaching, something not openly displayed.
The masked man picked up a walkie-talkie hanging from his chest: "Number 130... Wood Ether Shards... Stimulant."
130?
Lin Guang calculated the numbers on the nearby cages, looking toward the direction of number 130, which coincidentally lay in his path.
Several cloaked people surrounded a giant Apple Turtle, its hard shell covered in cracks, its apple tree singed and leafless, whispering to each other before shaking their heads and dispersing in swift and decisive movements.
Passing by the cage, Lin Guang's gaze swept over it, his eyebrows slightly furrowed.
Because around its neck, retracted inside its shell, was an old-looking ribbon tied in a bow.
It was owned... or perhaps, once was owned.
Seeing this, Lin Guang couldn't help but lightly sigh.
"Kid, are you feeling sympathetic towards them?"
The masked man rasped, "I urge you not to harbor any unrealistic thoughts."
"No, it's just a pity that you've managed to keep such an easy-to-raise species on the brink of death. With Plant-type Spirit Beast's easily learned skill 'Sunny Day', or simply getting a UV lamp for periodic exposure, many Plant-type Spirit Beast's status could at least improve by twenty percent."
Such basics were known even to those with a bit of experience, they simply didn't give a damn about the lives of low-tier Spirit Beasts.
Lin Guang restrained his expression, shaking his head slightly, his eyes flashing a hint of disdain and sharply criticized, "With such poor product quality, how do you expect people to trust you enough to return?"
"I doubt you could even keep a cactus alive."
"..."
The masked man paused, clearly at a loss for words, after a moment of silence, continued on, "I suppose there's no helping it, having lights on here makes many returning customers uncomfortable."
"However, you do have a point; if they die, we're stuck with them. I'll make a suggestion to the higher-ups."