CHAPTER 88: CHAPTER 88 – EXPLORING THE TOWER (2)

The group ascended to the fourth floor of the colossal tower. Not knowing what to expect, they no longer dared to underestimate this place; each floor was more breathtaking than the last, and they were only at floor four.

The moment the elevator doors opened, their breath caught in their throats once again.

Before them stretched a space that looked like a compressed world within another: hundreds of crystal spheres floated in the air, each one displaying inside it a colossal creature.

There were Fire Horses (C) with flaming manes and hooves that burned without consuming their bodies, Shadow Wolves (A) that faded in and out of darkness, and even a titanic Condor with a wingspan of over 500 meters (S), so gigantic entire fortresses could be built upon its wings.

Further ahead, sea beasts swam inside suspended orbs of water: Abyssal Sharks (B), Arcane Whales (B+), and Krakens (S-) with endless tentacles. Some were indescribable, with hundreds of razor-sharp teeth and snake-like bodies. Among them, a colossal 300-meter Orangutan, its skin covered in ancient scars, bore a title carved into the crystal: Primordial Emperor of Beasts (S+).

But it wasn’t only monstrous creatures. There were also rows of exotic and domestic birds: chickens with iridescent feathers, with extravagant names such as Prismatic Gallus (A), Celoflower Bird (A+), and Stellar Peacock (S+). Some were so rare they looked more like living jewels than edible animals. According to the descriptions, eating any of these creatures could increase one’s strength, speed, and even grant exclusive abilities.

"What are those spheres?" Jax asked, his eyes gleaming with fascination.

One of the beast tamers a tall woman with golden skin, feline eyes, and fluffy, silky hair, a member of the Emperor Lion Tribe smiled proudly.

"They’re animal transportation orbs. They keep the beasts alive and portable. Without this method, it would be impossible to showcase creatures of this scale, and besides... nobody wants to be in a place reeking of beast stench."

"Truly impressive specimens, but..."

Before she could finish her sentence, Jax’s heart skipped a beat as his gaze locked onto one in particular. Inside an emerald sphere rested a green-feathered eagle, its wings vast, its eyes as sharp as blades of wind. It was only a fledgling, yet even within the orb, its pressure screamed at Jax that it would kill him if he dared attack.

The floating sign before it read:

Emerald Blizzard Eagle – Ancient Race (Near Extinction).

"How much is it?" Jax asked gravely.

"One hundred million GRB points, due to its extreme rarity and the sheer impossibility of finding even a fledgling. Adults would rather kill themselves than bow to any being," the lioness replied without hesitation.

Jax frowned. It wasn’t just the price it was the statement of how rare this creature was.

"I see. They must be incredibly hard to find in the wild."

"Indeed. They live only inside the Magic Forest. There’s only one guild in the entire world capable of entering that place. I can assure you that our beasts are absolutely the best in existence."

For a moment, Jax was impressed by the vendor’s words. But as he remembered one of his rewards, a smirk tugged at his lips the Magic Forest was right in the center of his own guild’s territory. That would be his target. He would hunt one himself.

As he kept watching, the beast tamer displayed examples of prices. Jax’s subtle reactions did not go unnoticed; the vendor began to suspect he had some sort of connection to the Magic Forest. Perhaps he knew the guild with access to it or perhaps it was just coincidence. But still... It won’t kill me to ask, the lioness thought.

"I hope I’m not being too forward, but do you have access to the Magic Forest? If so, I’d like you to consider working with us—selling us some of the creatures. I assure you, the price will be more than fair."

She didn’t stop there. Lifting a small orb, she showed him a shimmering emerald-green spider inside.

"This is the Deadly Emerald Spider. Impossible to breed. It lives only ten days, but in that time it produces enough venom to wipe out an entire city. Market price: 100,000 GRB points."

"And the buying price?" Jax asked.

"Twenty thousand," the lioness explained calmly. "We resell them at full price for profit. But with you, it’d be different... we’d pay you double the standard purchase rate, forty thousand for every hundred thousand."

Jax arched an eyebrow.

"Does the system regulate these prices?"

"Yes. Anyone can check a beast’s value in the GRB system, free of charge. No scams, no tricks. The problem is that only our guild, Ancient Lion, holds the Tower’s contract for the next hundred thousand years to manage this store. So even if you wanted to sell directly... you couldn’t compete globally."

Jax understood immediately... it was a monopoly disguised as tradition. He felt like a farmer forced to sell his crops to supermarket chains.

Seeing his expression, the lioness smirked slyly and, leaning closer, handed him a small green ring.

"This is a gift. [Emerald Beast Dream Ring (S)], a recent creation by the dwarven blacksmith guild. It can store up to a hundred beasts and keep them alive in eternal slumber for two years."

Jax grabbed it and checked the system.

[Value: 100,000,000 GRB points.]

"A gift... worth a hundred million?" he muttered in disbelief.

The feline woman leaned closer, her warm breath brushing his skin as her lips neared his ear.

"Our race is direct in business, Jax. There is no falsehood in our words. If you want... we could have a long-lasting relationship of cooperation."

At the same time, her hand slid over Jax’s pants, squeezing his hardened shaft firmly without releasing it, while her tongue grazed his ear.

Jax jerked back sharply, his face flushed, heart pounding wildly.

Activating his analysis, he confirmed the truth:

[Queen of the Emperor Lion Tribe, Lvl 98]

Exactly the same as the elf from the first floor.

"I.... I need to go. Thank you for everything..." he stammered, backing away as his companions followed, their smiles a mix of curiosity and jealousy.