Rearing Demons-Chapter 9: Shopping Spree

This chapt𝒆r is updated by frёewebηovel.cѳm.

Yur awoke after several hours of deep sleep, stretching his newly developed muscles. A long yawn revealed his sharp fangs, making the nearby, injured imps quake in fear.

"That was a good rest," he muttered, rising to his feet. He casually scooped up one of the wounded imps and tossed it into his mouth without a second thought, its shrieks ending in a swift crunch. As he ambled toward the tunnel leading to the Bahirath pools, he picked up several more imps, tucking them under one arm like snacks. Their terrified cries failed to rouse any pity in him.

"Wonder what the Bahirath tastes like," he said to himself, hopping down into the hole. His steady descent revealed the corpses of imps that had either fallen or been trampled by their peers on the way down. Laughing to himself, he occasionally kicked live stragglers off the ledges, watching with morbid amusement as they splattered below.

[Sanity: 24/100 (>50 = Insanity!)]

Reaching the bottom, Yur noticed a distinct rise in temperature. He inhaled deeply; the air carried a captivating aroma that explained why imps flocked here in the first place. Stepping over to one of the Bahirath pools, he scooped up a handful of thick, crimson liquid and sipped it.

"Whoa...this is delicious!" he exclaimed, greedily taking another gulp. He hadn't realized how thirsty he was until the rich taste revitalized him. "It's so refreshing," he said, wiping his mouth. Surveying the area, he spotted dozens of these pools, some even larger than the one he'd originally found. Each bubbled and popped, releasing fumes that might have once smelled vile, but now only enticed him further.

"Zul, what happens if I absorb another Bahirath?" he wondered aloud.

[Nothing! Host is now Vashra!]

"But seriously, is there no extra benefit?" He recalled that the Bahirath had once saved him from the brink of death, so surely it still held value.

A new screen popped up:

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Bahirath

Demons use the Bahirath to replenish their blood. As a Vashra, Host has a high healing factor. The Bahirath is only useful to Host when severely injured. For now, it does nothing!|——————————————————————|

Yur nodded thoughtfully. "I should protect this place, then. Having so many Bahirath pools around could be crucial later on." With that in mind, he waded into one of the pools, relishing the molten warmth against his skin. It felt like a cozy hot tub, perfect for easing his tired muscles.

"Now, let's see what I can do with my points." He called out, "Zul, open both the Zulmasharr and Afloria shops, then filter items I can afford with my current balance."

[Calculating...]

[Filters Applied!]

Two screens materialized before his eyes—one trimmed in black and red, the other in white and blue. Each displayed various goods for purchase. Near the top, Yur noticed an icon resembling a small cart, presumably for checking out items.

He opted to look at Afloria first. He'd originally come from the human world, so he felt more comfortable with its merchandise. Sifting through weapons, clothes, books, and more, he frowned in confusion over which ones were actually useful.

"Zul, I'm not sure what I need. Could you recommend something?" he asked, recognizing his own lack of direction or goals beyond what the system provided.

[Calculating...]

[Filters Applied!]

[Shops will now show items useful to the current Host!]

The Afloria section immediately shrank from thousands of entries to barely ten. Meanwhile, the Zulmasharr shop still had hundreds of options. Yur skimmed the ten Afloria items, noting the cheapest one was a Seed for eleven points. Curious, he tapped for details.

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Seed of the Orb

A common item given to anyone who has awakened their Nascent Orb. By embedding it into the Host's Orb and nurturing it with essence, the seed will transform over time!

Highly recommended!

|——————————————————————|

"Oh, so it's standard for awakened humans. Might as well grab it in case I ever go back to Afloria." He added it to his cart. Scrolling further, he found a few other highly recommended items but decided on only two more due to their cost.

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Pouch of Holding

A common item issued to Nascent Orb disciples upon entering a sect. Highly durable, contains a 1-cubic-meter internal space!

Highly recommended!

|——————————————————————|

Yur's eyes lit up at the idea of easy storage. It would make collecting items from both worlds far simpler. Finally, he selected a Travel Clothes bundle, which offered a dozen sets of clothing resistant to heat, cold, and minor physical damage. "That'll be useful if I ever step foot in the human world again," he thought.

Not wanting to risk ruining his purchases in the Bahirath pool, he held off on finalizing until he'd exited. He turned his attention to the Zulmasharr shop. Despite the filter, it still boasted hundreds of items, most labeled "highly recommended."

One category stood out: Mother Tree Seeds, each named after the demon type it produced—Imp Mother, Fletch Mother, Rike Mother, Erept Mother, and so forth.

"What's up with these?" he asked, perplexed.

[Host will require various sacrifices in the future!]

[Growing Mother Trees expands Demon Rearing capabilities!]

Yur raised a brow. "Just one Imp Mother takes a ton of space. Where would I even put these?"

[Mother Trees mature in about a month!]

[Find Open Space!]

"Huh. That's not too bad." He flipped through some other listings—clothing similar to what he'd bought from Afloria, along with various small trinkets. Then he paused at a peculiar entry:

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Asheseed Relic (Unique Item!)

A small black seed pulsing with faint, fiery veins, born from the ashes of a burnt Mother Tree and fused with Demon essence. When grown with the blood of an Ashkavaal, it becomes a living anchor for rituals. A small tree will sprout, producing Ritual Fruits that contain basic rituals!

Highly recommended!

|——————————————————————|

"Unique item?" he echoed. Tapping for more details, he saw advanced versions also existed, which produced rarer fruits with more potent rituals.

[A Unique Item is useable only by the Host!]

He rubbed his chin, considering the cost. The Asheseed Relic alone cost fifty points, leaving him enough for only one Mother Tree seed—each also costing fifty.

After some deliberation, he opted to buy one of each. "I'll figure out where to plant them soon," he muttered, stepping out of the Bahirath and heading back up the winding path.

Finally, he mentally confirmed his cart items, hearing a chime as the system processed the transaction:

[Purchased: Seed of the Orb!]

[Purchased: Travel Clothes!]

[Purchased: Pouch of Holding!]

[Purchased: Asheseed Relic (Unique Item)!]

[Purchased: Erept Mother!]

[Demon Points Remaining: 2]

[Human Points Remaining: 7]

A series of items materialized before him in a gentle glow, and he grinned. It was a modest haul compared to the entire shop's stock, but it felt like an excellent start.