“What would you like out of your spirit companion, Mr Roy?” The shop assistant asked.
“That’s an excellent question,” Nil answered, thoughtfully studying the eggs in front of him. No light leaked through the shell, and he saw no notable patterns. However, a few stood out. A couple were smooth and matte, like they’d sat in running water for a long time. One appeared to be made out of tangled roots, and another was spiky and abrasive like jackfruit. “I don’t know what to expect of a spirit companion or what I want.”
“Well. We sort them into four categories. Physical or magical offense. The latter of the pair is fairly rare, as are long-ranged attackers. Then there is the mage or archer’s best friend, a defensive companion that will lay traps for foes or get in their face and keep them busy. Then we have enhancers who empower their master and perhaps their companions. They’re often magical beings and as rare as arcane attackers. Finally, we have debilitators. These include creatures like spiders that entangle or envenom their foes or imps that hex or enchant. You’ll often find creatures that fall into two of the four groups. They’re not as potent as specialists but are more versatile.”
“I think I’m fine for personal enhancements.” Nil studied the eggs thoughtfully. “And, I spend a good deal of my time in the frontlines, so it will need to be something hardy that can take a hit or be reasonably mobile. I think a durable debilitator would suit me best.”
“Most individuals like you prefer enhancers. Are you sure you don’t want the same?”
Nil nodded. “It would be nice, but I think I’m covered in that department. My primary concern is locking down or slowing my foes.”
The shop assistant thoughtfully studied the eggs for a moment. “Given your requirements, we should prioritize durability or the power to regenerate first,” she said. “You could teach it to restrain foes or guide its growth for debilitations physically. More can come as it grows and ascends.”
“I’ll trust your guidance, miss—”
“It’s Hwang Mei, Mr Roy.” She bowed. “I’m sorry it took so long to introduce myself. Would you like my advice?”
“It would be welcome.”
“Spirit creatures that live in environments where they’re not the apex predator or compete with others for superiority often have eggs made to blend in with their habitat. This also makes them hard to identify. However, we can use the appearance and outer texture to make an educated guess of their physical qualities.” Mei kneeled and stroked what Nil had assumed was one of the stones bordering the patch of eggs. “This was found among crags and almost passed our hunters’ gaze. It radiates Earth Essence and might be some sort of bull, crocodile, or even a rock creature. They can often heal themselves by reconstituting or consuming stones.”
“Mammals, reptiles, and nonorganic creatures all come from eggs?” Nil raised an eyebrow, also feeling the egg’s surface. It felt like rough granite.
“Spirit beasts toe the line between the material and spiritual,” Mei replied. “They don’t follow the standard rules. There are several higher-realm mammalian beasts that give birth naturally, but they’re usually too smart or rare to do it around hunters or individuals with sticky fingers.” She turned his attention to an egg that looked like grey-brown branches had wrapped around each other to form a rough egg shape. “This is undoubtedly from a beast carrying Nature or Life Essence. They won’t be as hardy as the last but will be better at recovering from injuries. They’re likely to develop enhancing or debilitating effects as they ascend.
“The few that are smooth and light for their size are most likely from avian beasts. They might not be hardy or have swift recovery abilities, but they compensate for it with speed and mobility.” Mei pointed at a melon-sized, off-white specimen that looked like an oversized chicken egg. It was icy cold to the touch. Then, she moved to one that was oblong and slimy. “I suspect this one came from a snake or lizard of some variety. You’d once again be replacing durability for mobility and speed. Their venom and secretions are likely to produce strong debilitating effects.”
“Do you have the means of guessing their potential?” Nil asked after poking, prodding, stroking, and checking the weight of several eggs. There were dozens of unidentified eggs, and he didn’t know where to begin.
Mei shook her head. “Unfortunately, that’s beyond us. We can tell their current potential and guess if they have the potential to transcend a realm or two but nothing more. Almost all the specimens here will hatch at the Iron Realm and will make it to Bronze. We can’t tell more than that.”
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Fortunately for Nil, he had the means to dig deeper. When he focused on Energy Instinct, his surroundings lit up with a variety of bright lights. It wasn’t as blinding as looking directly at Song Yi, but it was still overwhelming because of the volume and variety of stimuli. Once he got used to it, Nil was pleased with the new level of detail he felt and saw.
All the eggs contained motes of energy. Nil saw reds, blues, greens, golds, and combinations of them. Some were dense with well-defined spherical shapes. While others resembled swirling vortexes of vapor. All carried black or grey specks. Some even had hints of Cursed Energy.
After some thought, Nil brushed his initial requirements and desires aside. He focused on what was best since he could pick whichever one he wanted. Watching the Song sisters and Kim Hwan had taught Nil to differentiate between quality and the strength of Qi, energy, or whatever people wanted to call it. The Immortal had no black flecks or impurities. She carried pure silver. Her energy was dense, and her channels appeared well-defined when it flowed through her body. So, Nil looked for the closest thing.
A mixture of emerald and gold caught his attention. It didn’t stand out much at first. The swirling lights pulsed like a heartbeat, spending several long seconds dim before releasing a bright wave that flowed through miniature channels within. The emerald and gold contained a few black flecks, while some of its neighbors had none. However, the energy was dense and sat in a well-defined sphere.
“What happens if I’m unhappy with my selection or it doesn’t turn out to be any good or have much potential?” Nil asked.
“You can buy another,” Mei answered. “Hopefully, not a blind pick. Then you fuse them. The superior intellect and consciousness will absorb the other. Their personalities, consciousnesses, and powers will merge. The new creature might just enjoy a boost in power or might assimilate some of the other’s abilities.”
“So, I’d essentially be feeding one to the other?”
“Not quite. They become one entity. There is no death or killing involved.”
“I want this one,” Nil said, picking the egg that looked like a marsh-green jackfruit. It was heavy—probably over twenty kilograms—and almost sounded metallic when he tapped it.
“That’s an interesting pick,” Mei said. “We have a rough idea of what it might be but can’t be sure enough to put it with the rest. If you’re sure, we can hatch it and confirm.”
“Why haven’t you hatched any already? Wouldn’t it be more profitable to showcase the babies like the other stores?”
“These are spirit beasts.” Mei almost sounded offended. “They’re not ordinary magical creatures like the others sell. You’re not getting a pet but a companion whose soul will be linked to yours. It will live as long as you do and grow with you, and that’s not possible if it hatches with any Qi or blood that isn’t yours.”
The shop assistant led Nil out of the basement into a private room. Symbols akin to the summoning ‘formation’ Song Yun used covered all surfaces. Mei gave him detailed instructions before retreating to a corner.
Nil’s heart rate picked up as he cut his finger on the spiky jackfruit-like surface. He let the blood flow for a moment before Expending the minutest fraction of energy through the cut. The egg pulsed emerald and gold. Instead of cracking, it bloomed like a flower, and a rough woody sphere covered in rusty metallic thorns sat within. It unfurled into a little creature that resembled an ankylosaurus but without the weighted tail. The creature chirped, looking up at Nil with emerald eyes.
You’ve soul bonded with an Ironroot Whelp!
Ironroot Whelp: Iron 0
* Reinforce: Iron 0
* Regenerate: Iron 0
“Fascinating,” Mei gasped. “I expected a Metal Brambler, but this certainly isn’t that.”
“What is it? The Schema called it an Ironroot Whelp.”
“I’m not sure, to be honest. It looks like two spirit beasts that usually wouldn’t mate got together. The mother must’ve been some variety of Ironroot. They’re creatures made of wood, branches, and roots. The younglings don’t have a fixed shape and adapt to their environment, taking on whatever form they like best. They can remold their bodies, growing extensions or reshaping themselves to fit the situation.”
“And the father?”
“That’s the mystery. You’ve got something potent, Mr Roy. There is no telling how it will end up, but it's going to reach Silver, if not Gold, at least.”
“Excellent.” Nil only half listened to the woman. The Ironroot Whelp had his attention. It looked like a meatball someone had dropped in a fryer and then rolled in rough breadcrumbs. When he picked it up, the creature scurried up his arm, over his shoulder, and down his chest. It scratched at his solar plexus for a moment before sinking into him. He felt the presence nest wherever Brutal Battery stored his energy. It wasn’t an uncomfortable feeling. Instead, it was like he’d always been empty and was suddenly whole. “What do I feed it? Does it need any special equipment? Will it just live in me?”
“You’ll need to store her in your soul space when traveling between worlds, but it can roam free. I’d suggest keeping the whelp under constant supervision. There is no telling how it will behave. A flower pot with dirt and fertilizer should be enough to start. Ironroots usually just feed on water, sunlight, and rich soil, but things might be different for your new companion.” Mei paused, checking an ornate pocketwatch which seemed out of place when compared to her outfit and their surroundings. “Should we collect your samples now, Mr Roy? My manager wishes to welcome you and discuss the best products for someone of your disposition.”
“Let’s go,” Nil said. “And if possible, please thank Miss Song Yi and the Control-World benefactors for this generous gift.”