Whether it was winning people over or trusting those he put to work, Shea was indeed a pretty good boss—with one exception: every now and then, she liked to test people with a little "killing intent."
The sixty Vine Stones were a very generous reward, and Chen Rui certainly wouldn't refuse them. "Thank you, Your Highness. There's one more thing. I once promised those two Wyverns I'd help them escape their cage. I wonder if Your Highness would allow it?"
"You've already gotten to the point where you can communicate with them?" Shea's gaze flickered. "Even to the entire Fallen Angel Empire, Wyverns are an extremely valuable resource. I'm afraid I can't let them go. But... if you can guarantee they'll be safe, I can allow them out of their iron cages to move around freely."
Chen Rui thought it over before replying, "There shouldn't be any problem with their safety. Besides, I need to communicate with them further. My power is too weak, and I urgently need materials that can provide special energy, like Vine Stones, so I can use the Beast Taming Technique more effectively. If the Eldest Princess has any, I'd like to make another shameless request for some."
"There should be about ten Vine Stones left in the storeroom, though they're only medium quality. I'll have Kagulon send them all to the laboratory in a moment. There's plenty of open space nearby, so you can keep the two Wyverns there. The excuse we'll give others is that they're for Aldas to study their venom. But until you can guarantee their safety, you must keep them under control to prevent any accidents."
"Understood." Chen Rui had earned another ten Vine Stones, and he was delighted. "Your Highness, I'll go take care of the Wyverns right away. I'll take my leave."
On Shea's orders, the guards brought the Wyverns to the laboratory under the pretext of having the "master" study them. Aldas was delighted to see the two Wyverns.
After the others had left, Chen Rui explained the "Grandmaster Inheritance," and Aldas finally understood. So the third contest had actually been a solo performance by Chen Rui. While marveling at the power of the Grandmaster Inheritance, the Dark Elf master also lamented that he hadn't received an inheritance involving potions.
Chen Rui walked up to the iron cage holding the Wyverns and activated Analytical Eye.
"Kegu, Mengda, I've kept my promise. I rescued you from those bad people."
The two Wyverns shifted around in the cage, trying hard to stretch their heads out.
"Thank you. Can you let us go?"
From their earlier exchanges, Chen Rui knew that Wyverns were more intelligent than Horned Wing Beasts, but not by much. Their emotions were relatively easy to manage, and they were nowhere near as clever as a Dragon like Pagliu. These two were still young, too, so they should be easier to fool.
"I'm afraid not. Those bad people are very crafty and might try to capture you again at any moment. This is the only safe place."
The Wyverns hissed repeatedly, frightening the Lesser Devil, who had wanted to get a closer look, into plopping down on his backside. To Chen Rui, however, their hisses sounded mournful. "Mengda wants to go back to Gloomy Night Wetland! Kegu wants to go back too!"
Gloomy Night Wetland! The name sounded familiar to Chen Rui. Then he suddenly remembered that Pagliu had once asked him to retrieve a treasure from a secret lair—and that lair was in Gloomy Night Wetland!
Several thoughts raced through Chen Rui's mind before he finally made up his mind. According to Pagliu, Gloomy Night Wetland was extremely dangerous. Even a High-Rank Demon could lose his life there at any moment. He'd have to wait until he was stronger before considering that route.
"Kegu, Mengda, don't worry. We're friends. I'll definitely find a way to help you return to Gloomy Night Wetland, but I can't do it just yet." Chen Rui reached into the cage to soothe the two Wyverns. The gesture nearly scared the Lesser Devil unconscious, but the Wyverns only leaned their heads affectionately against his hand. How could these be the most terrifying aerial beasts? They were clearly two docile Magic Dogs!
"My friends, I can let you out of this horrible iron cage and give you food. But you must promise me that you won't leave this place or hurt anyone. Understood?"
"Understood, Chen Rui. Good friend." The two Wyverns perked up at once.
Chen Rui opened the cage, and Mengda and Kegu shot out. Even Aldas was startled, lightning already gathering in his hand.
The two Wyverns beat their wings and took to the sky, circling above the palace. The palace guards weren't the only ones who noticed; even passing demons pointed and stared.
Just as Chen Rui began to worry that the Wyverns might fly away for good, Kegu and Mengda slowly descended and landed beside him, acting affectionately. Aldas and the Lesser Devil gaped at the sight.
"From now on, you'll stay here. Remember, you absolutely mustn't leave the palace grounds." Chen Rui pointed at Aldas and Sli. "Those two are my friends. You must never attack them. Understood?"
"Understood! Kegu wants something to eat."
"Sli, go get some fresh meat." At Chen Rui's order, the Lesser Devil finally snapped out of his daze and hurried off.
Seeing how easily Chen Rui had subdued the notoriously fierce and violent Wyverns, Aldas looked at him with admiration and shared some information about their habits. Wyverns lived in swamps and wetlands. Their hind legs were strong, and they were highly aggressive. They liked poisonous, corrosive environments, so if the two were to live here, they'd need a suitable place. Fortunately, the laboratory had plenty of poison and related plants, so that shouldn't be difficult. They could also grow rare plants that coexisted with Wyverns for use in potion experiments.
Sli soon brought back fresh meat. Afraid of the Wyverns' venom, he didn't dare approach, but Aldas was very interested in the venom of the two beasts. As Chen Rui busied himself setting up a temporary nest for the Wyverns, Kagulon, the palace guard captain, arrived and handed him a leather pouch containing eleven Vine Stones.
Chen Rui was overjoyed and hurriedly thanked him. Kagulon glanced in surprise at the two unrestrained Wyverns in the distance, but said nothing. He gave a slight nod and left the laboratory.
With Aldas's guidance and Sli's hard work, the Wyverns' nest was finally ready. After settling Kegu and Mengda in, Chen Rui hurried back to his room and eagerly began Aura Conversion.
When the last Vine Stone crumbled into powder, Chen Rui's status was:
Title: Starbearer
Evolution Level: One Star
Experience: 1%
Spiritual Energy: 2224
Overall Strength Rating: E
A medium-quality Vine Stone could provide roughly 100–150 Spirit Energy. A high-quality one might provide twice that. By that estimate, if all sixty top-quality Vine Stones arrived, his total Spirit Energy might reach nearly twenty thousand!
Chen Rui immediately entered the Super System and went to the Star God Temple. His gaze fell on the "Buildings" screen, whereupon three temple building models appeared, available for activation. With a fairly comfortable amount of Spirit Energy on hand, he began considering his options.
The Exchange Center was like a shop. Activating it required 1,000 Spirit Energy, and if he wanted to buy anything, the 1,000 or so left over probably wouldn't get him anything good. He also had to keep some Spirit Energy in reserve, so he'd put that option aside for now and reconsider once the sixty Vine Stones arrived.
He was torn between the other two buildings. He'd always coveted the kind of storage equipment Alice had. The Storage Warehouse was basically a high-grade portable space item, and it could automatically upgrade and expand. It also required the least Spirit Energy to activate—only 500. The Training Ground cost twice as much, but it could help with cultivation and training, making it just as indispensable.
The two buildings together would cost only 1,500 points. Looking at the 1,200 or so Spirit Energy he had, Chen Rui suddenly felt tempted to activate both. In the end, though, he decided to activate the Training Ground first and see how it went. If he could afford it, he'd activate the Storage Warehouse afterward.
Chen Rui selected the Training Ground and confirmed its activation. The model instantly scattered into stardust. At the same time, an identical building appeared in the open space outside the hall, radiating a faintly murderous aura. With a thought, Chen Rui went from the throne to the building's entrance. The doors opened automatically, and inside stretched an endless plain, as if he'd entered another world.
A blue screen appeared, detailing the Training Ground's functions and prices. It offered several types of rules, each of which required a certain amount of Spirit Energy.
The first type of rule was the time ratio, which determined the difference between the Training Ground's time and real time. A ratio of 2:1 meant that two days in the Training Ground equaled one day in reality; 5:1 meant five days, and so on. There were three options in total.
This feature was tempting, but the price made Chen Rui draw a sharp breath. The 2:1 ratio cost 1,000 Spirit Energy per day, the 5:1 ratio cost 5,000 per day, and the 10:1 ratio cost 10,000 per day. The 100:1 ratio cost 100,000 per day.
The second type of rule was gravity. Twice normal gravity cost 1,000 Spirit Energy per day, four times cost 4,000, and eight times cost 8,000...
The third type was the environment, with options including volcanoes, glaciers, the ocean floor, and jungles. Each cost 1,000 Spirit Energy per day.
For all the rules above, any use of less than a day was charged as a full day.
These training conditions could be combined. For example, he could choose a volcanic environment with ten times normal gravity and a time ratio of 5:1.
The Training Ground was incredibly powerful, and Chen Rui was practically drooling over it. The problem was that it was just too expensive! He had only 1,224 Spirit Energy left, not enough to do much. It seemed he'd have to find a way to build up his spending power first. The most effective method was to earn Magic Crystal Coins and buy magical materials such as Vine Stones.
Of course, he wouldn't buy them from Joseph's outrageously expensive black-market shop. He'd have to find another source. Chen Rui was naturally much better at business and making money than cultivation, especially in the relatively underdeveloped commercial world of the Demon Realm. What could he do? It was forcing an honest man to become a businessman!
Chen Rui exited the Super System and finally made up his mind: From today on, he'd become a miser! Everything for Spirit Energy!
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