The young man’s answer left Jiang Zheyu even more confused.

"We’re all Beast Slaves," the young man said, noticing the confusion in Jiang Zheyu’s eyes and taking the initiative to explain. "Everyone here is an already-conditioned Beast Slave."

The term "Beast Slave" sent a slight jolt through Jiang Zheyu, and her eyes widened. "I was on a crashed Starship, and then someone just inexplicably dragged me up here. I didn’t sell myself to become a Beast Slave." 𝑓𝑟𝑒𝘦𝓌𝑒𝑏𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝘭.𝒸𝘰𝑚

Hearing her words, the surrounding Beastmen fell silent, their faces turning grim.

"I was just walking down the street before I was inexplicably dragged into a Hovercar, too." A pained, suppressed look flashed across the young man’s face.

"Huh? But don’t Beast Slaves sell themselves voluntarily?" Jiang Zheyu asked, pressing her lips together.

"Tch..." A scoff came from another Beastman nearby, as if he found her words laughable.

Jiang Zheyu instinctively glanced over at him.

The man noticed her gaze and sneered. "As long as the existence of Beast Slaves is permitted, and as long as there are massive profits to be made from them, people will ignore the risks. For the sake of even greater profit, they’ll become traffickers, break the law, and snatch Beastmen with low Spiritual Power Levels right off the street."

His explanation struck Jiang Zheyu like a clap of thunder.

Before, when she herself wasn’t in the position of a Beast Slave, Jiang Zheyu had never given their situation much thought. She had figured that if she were to buy one, she would be rescuing them from their misery, freeing them from ever having to be a Beast Slave again.

But now, looking at it from the other side, she realized that as long as people were continuously buying Beast Slaves—as long as the demand existed—there would be a steady supply, and many of them might not be there voluntarily.

Jiang Zheyu had previously considered buying a Beast Slave, but now, that thought was completely gone.

Now, she had become a Beast Slave herself, and her future looked bleak.

"This really isn’t good news, is it," Jiang Zheyu remarked, glancing at the Beastman beside her.

Then again, she recalled what the young Beastman had said: everyone here was an already-conditioned Beast Slave. ’So what will happen to a newcomer like me, mixed in with them?’

"Um, I have a question," Jiang Zheyu asked quietly, her curiosity piqued. "Is there a difference between a conditioned Beast Slave and a newly captured one? Do the new ones have to be conditioned? What does the conditioning usually involve?"

Although Jiang Zheyu had a sinking feeling that this "conditioning" was nothing good, she asked anyway, just to be safe. She needed to know whether she should reveal her status as a newly captured Beast Slave.

’That must be why,’ she thought, ’when I was pushed into the Hovercar, the Beastmen inside were all silent. They must have been conditioned already, and after realizing there was no escape, they just resigned themselves to their fate.’

The young Beastman looked at her. "You’d better not tell them you were just captured. Otherwise, you’ll be sent for conditioning, and... some really vile things will happen."

As he spoke, his own face grew pale and numb.

"Okay, okay, I get it," Jiang Zheyu said, nodding quickly.

The area fell quiet once more, the only thing spreading through the air was the thick, cloying scent of cheap perfume.

"My legs are so sore," Jiang Zheyu mumbled. She was forced to stand, just like everyone else. The slightest movement caused her to bump into another person. Her expression was numb with fatigue, and her legs were aching terribly. She had been so lost in thought that she didn’t realize she had spoken aloud.

"They’re reassigning departments tomorrow," the young man said, his shoulder resting against Jiang Zheyu’s. "As long as you perform well in your new department, you won’t get sent back here for reassignment. You’ll even get your own private cell, so you won’t have to be crammed in with so many people."

The first part of his statement was fine, but Jiang Zheyu almost lost it when she heard about getting her own private cell.

’My own cell? A *cell*?’

"Can’t we get our own rooms?" Jiang Zheyu asked with a forced, polite smile.

The young Beastman just gave her a look. "We’re Beast Slaves. We don’t get our own rooms."

Her heart sank at his words. ’When I get back to the Empire,’ she vowed to herself, ’I’m reporting this to the Star Emperor. This whole business of trading Beast Slaves must be outlawed!’

After that thought passed, she belatedly asked, "What do you mean by ’reassigning departments’?"

"The department heads will come by to pick Beast Slaves tomorrow. They’ll explain it to everyone then," the young man explained patiently. "If you have any special talents, you can volunteer for a department. That way, you won’t give yourself away as a newcomer."

And you won’t be dragged off.

"Okay, I understand," Jiang Zheyu said with a small sigh.

’For a Beast Slave trafficking ring to have so many rules...’ The thought was terrifying the more she considered it. ’This network of profit must be absolutely massive. How else could they have formed such a well-established system?’

Jiang Zheyu was utterly dismayed.

’How did I suddenly end up as a Beast Slave?’

But overthinking it wouldn’t do any good.

’Either way, I have to find a way out of here. I can’t just stay here and be a Beast Slave.’

「Midnight had long since passed.」

The crowded Beastmen leaned against one another, dozing with their eyes closed. From time to time, someone would shift their numb feet after standing for so long, bumping into their neighbor. The person who was bumped would simply shift their own feet in response, and nothing more.

After all, in this small, crowded cage, a riot would undoubtedly lead to many deaths.

’This is a perfect opportunity!’ Jiang Zheyu thought.

’A perfect opportunity to Purify Beastification Value.’

The Beastmen were all pressed up against her, which counted as physical contact. Furthermore, their Spiritual Power Levels were all lower than hers. ’She could easily overpower them, purify them, and complete the system’s mission.’

Jiang Zheyu closed her eyes. Focusing on the warmth of the young Beastman beside her, she used her spiritual power to enter his Spiritual Domain.

The young man’s mind was unguarded, allowing Jiang Zheyu to enter with ease. She quickly put him into a state of spiritual hypnosis.

A pure white Spiritual Domain Space.

A cute tabby cat lay on the flat ground.

As cute and fluffy as it was, Jiang Zheyu was single-mindedly focused on one thing: Purifying Beastification Value to raise her own Spiritual Power Level.

If she could just raise her Spiritual Power Level, she wouldn’t be so helpless anymore.

After purifying the tabby cat, she gained 80 Beastification Value.

After purifying the small pink-and-white rabbit, she gained 85 Beastification Value.

After purifying the little hamster, she gained 80 Beastification Value.

After purifying the white fox, she gained 86 Beastification Value.

...

Like a sponge in the ocean, Jiang Zheyu continuously absorbed Beastification Value as if soaking up water.