Sugar Bean

The Tusk Appraiser's excitement was impossible to hide. Even someone who knew nothing about teeth could sense from his emotions that this was extraordinary. Especially since the tooth emitted lingering streams of black vapor, drifting as though a demon had descended. Such a phenomenon was enough to make an ordinary person understand that something new had been created.

"What is a Black Demon Tooth?"

That was everyone's question, and Li Ziran was equally curious.

Ridiculously, even now, he still could not figure out what exactly he had created. But his keen spiritual perception told him that the Corpse Dragon's teeth had undergone a qualitative change.

They had lost some of their sharpness and gained a special kind of magical energy.

"It is a special kind of tooth. Ancient parchment records say that Black Demon Teeth possess powerful anesthetic properties and elemental suppressive power, an exceptionally rare ability during a Tide Element." Tago explained excitedly, "Just now, I sensed a peculiar divine fluctuation. But whether it is truly the legendary Black Nightmare Fang still needs to be verified."

"Verified? You still aren't sure?" The Elephant Captain eyed the Tusk Appraiser suspiciously, his pupils rolling as though calculating something. "You mean this tooth is something incredible?"

"Of course. This is absolutely a magnificent achievement. I never imagined I would see such a precious tooth in my lifetime. Naturally, without testing it, I cannot provide precise data yet, but it is certainly extraordinary." The Tusk Appraiser was already walking toward the Corpse Dragon's teeth, eager to determine their properties.

Li Ziran wanted to find out as well. What exactly had he tinkered into existence?

Dragon teeth, Medusa's petrifying power, and Necromantic Power—through the neural network, the three energies had wondrously fused into a unique power.

This bizarre process was like conducting a chemical experiment.

It was fascinating, yet incomprehensible.

Just as Li Ziran eagerly wanted to determine the tooth's effects, the Elephant Captain unexpectedly refused to let the Tusk Appraiser approach. He even had Tago taken out of the underground space.

This strange behavior baffled Li Ziran. The captain seemed terrified that anyone would learn the tooth's secret.

After Tago had been driven away, he called out to Karen within the Corpse Dragon's teeth, "Karen, you've been up there for a while. Hurry down. I've prepared good wine. Let's have a comfortable drink and let the master finish modifying the teeth in peace. Once this swamp disappears and we capture all those crocodiles, Medusa will be ours."

At the mention of having Medusa in the bag, everyone cheered excitedly.

Karen smiled along with the crowd, then gave Li Ziran a strange glance. That look was peculiar, as though he had just achieved something remarkable.

"Li, I knew you could do it. Keep it up. We'll be waiting for a generous reward." His voice was loud, as though he was not speaking to Li Ziran at all, but deliberately addressing everyone in the underground space.

After saying that, he gave Li Ziran a huge hug. Yet as he leaned close to Li Ziran's ear, he smiled strangely and said, "The laws of survival tell us not to be too clever, right?"

Then he inexplicably patted Li Ziran on the shoulder and slid down the rope.

That bizarre gesture made every hair on Li Ziran's body stand on end.

Li Ziran had always lived by the Survival Law. He strictly followed every rule of survival, and that was the foundation that had kept him alive on the Wasteland.

But hearing those words from someone else now felt as though his mind had been torn apart, filling him with an inexplicable panic.

He stared motionlessly at Karen's figure, replaying every step since joining the Thornflower Slave-Trading Corps. He realized he was completely lost in fog.

He could not tell whether his next step would lead onto flat ground or into an abyss.

Li Ziran slowly gathered his thoughts. He understood that now was not the time to act. Sometimes, the more desperately one wanted something, the less likely one was to obtain it.

Seizing the right moment was one of the most important Survival Laws. He needed to wait for an opportunity.

That opportunity would need to be created by heaven itself. If it never came, he might very well remain trapped in this slave-trading corps forever.

The crowd was cheering, while Li Ziran gradually calmed down. He needed to proceed with the next phase of work methodically, according to someone else's rules.

He controlled Medusa's petrifying teeth and guided necromantic energy into them. The petrifying power vanished, the Necromantic Power vanished, and the Corpse Dragon's teeth lost their sharpness as well. In their place appeared condensed clusters of black threads.

One tooth, then two.

Li Ziran completed his task like a puppet. Every time he altered a tooth, another round of cheers erupted.

But to Li Ziran, those cheers were nothing more than a ridiculous joke.

This was not his achievement at all.

The Corpse Dragon's dental modification took an entire day, and he was tortured for an entire day.

There was not much work, but when he climbed down from the gums, he was nearly collapsing.

The mental pressure left him unable to breathe. He needed to rest properly.

Or rather, he needed to have a proper conversation with Medusa. Ideally, he wanted to find out what had happened between the girl and Karen. That would help him understand Karen.

By now, Li Ziran had realized that he was gradually becoming a puppet. Not through magic, of course, but because all his thoughts had to cling tightly to another person's way of thinking.

He hated that. It was like being forced to chase another runner with all his strength, desperately trying to match the other person's pace.

That pressure was suffocating.

So he needed to figure some things out now.

Clearly, heaven was not giving him that chance.

Clap! Clap! Clap!

Thunderous applause erupted as the creatures centered around the Elephant Captain clapped desperately for him.

"Let us welcome our hero with the warmest applause!"

The Elephant Captain's long trunk extended all the way beneath Li Ziran's feet. His most important organ now seemed to have become Li Ziran's red carpet.

Li Ziran touched his head. Was letting someone trample his trunk not an insult to his dignity?

Of course, it could also be seen as the highest form of welcome.

He could not refuse the gesture of goodwill. He allowed the long trunk to coil around him and lift him high into the air, where he accepted everyone's cheers.

Yet Li Ziran's eyes were searching the crowd intently for Karen.

He found him!

Karen was in a corner with his head lowered, seemingly lost in thought, completely out of place amid the lively crowd.

Yet the noisy creatures seemed more like background props arranged solely for him.

"Li, you've helped us tremendously this time. Do you have any wishes? So long as it is something I can do, I will certainly find a way to satisfy you!" the Elephant Captain said excitedly.

Li Ziran shook his head. He had no wish, because this was not his achievement.

If he did have a wish, there was only one: to tell him what exactly the captain of the Thornflower Slave-Trading Corps was up to.

"It was Karen's contribution, actually..."

Li Ziran wanted to tell the truth and bring Karen into the spotlight.

But at that moment, Karen suddenly stood and said, "Li, perhaps you still do not understand the Elephant Captain's influence. On this Wasteland, anything you want—whether precious gems or peerless beauties—can be obtained. He has close ties with many slave towns. Ask boldly. Do not let anyone look down on you."

He was smiling as he occasionally glanced at the Elephant Captain.

The Elephant Captain seemed greatly pleased. The wrinkles on his brow nearly curled into a smile.

But Li Ziran caught a flash of sharpness directed at Karen.

Li Ziran noticed that subtle emotional fluctuation. This was a good opportunity.

There was friction between them.

Li Ziran had also been puzzled. From the beginning, the Elephant Captain had been meek and submissive, possessing none of the authority expected from a high-ranking slave-trading corps captain. It was as though someone had a hold over him.

Now, at last, there was a trace of a captain's authority.

This entire change had come only after the teeth were modified. It was as though these teeth were not for capturing slaves at all, but a bargaining chip in a struggle between the two sides.

"Captain, we still haven't tested the teeth. What if they bite a Crocodile Warrior in half? Then all our efforts will have been for nothing." Li Ziran wanted to add some fuel to this minor conflict. He did not know whether it would be useful, but saying a few more words cost him nothing.

Li Ziran knew his own worth. Excessive enthusiasm often concealed ulterior motives. Especially in a slave-trading corps where profit came first, such enthusiasm was filled with interests visible to the naked eye.

But if one carefully sorted through it using the Survival Law, an interesting phenomenon emerged.

Excessive enthusiasm often meant that there was ample room for profit.

Although Li Ziran did not know what value he held for Captain Cannon, he could make simple use of it.

"Hehe, since you want to see it, let everyone open their eyes." Captain Cannon pointed toward the underground space.

The mountain-like Corpse Dragon slowly rose. Its massive head pressed directly against the ceiling, and its tightly shut eyes suddenly opened. Two pale beams of light shot forth like spotlights.

At the intersection of those two beams sat a figure entirely shrouded in a black robe, cross-legged. A White-Bone Skull Staff stood beside the figure, the skull atop it flashing red repeatedly. With every flash, the Corpse Dragon's mouth opened a little wider.

Gradually, two rows of icy teeth were revealed. Strands of eerie black vapor spread outward, as though an enchanter had imbued the teeth with special magic.

Captain Cannon quietly watched the rising black vapor, his eyes filled with utter fascination.

Li Ziran, meanwhile, watched Karen. Karen was looking at Captain Cannon in his entranced state, his eyes full of disdain.

Then a thunderous boom sounded, as though huge rocks were rolling down. When Li Ziran finally saw clearly, he realized dozens of fully armed Crocodile Warriors had fallen from above.

The warriors desperately swung their tails in midair, hoping to fly like birds, but it was useless.

From such a height, they were basically doomed.

Suddenly, Li Ziran's vision went dark. A violent gust nearly blew him off the elephant trunk. When he came back to his senses, the Crocodile Warriors had already vanished.

Creak! Creak!

Chewing sounds and screams came from the Corpse Dragon's mouth. Looking over, Li Ziran saw Crocodile Warriors stuck between its teeth, rolling around like Sugar Beans.

Crunch!

The teeth closed together. What should have been a bloody slaughter produced not a drop of blood.

The formerly sharp dragon teeth seemed to have turned into soft cotton. The instant they touched the Crocodile Warriors, they sank inward.

Yet strangely, the Crocodile Warriors stopped moving.

The Black Nightmare Light instantly knocked the struggling Crocodile Warriors unconscious.

This effect... was it the effect of a sedative?

It was too fast. They lost all ability to resist almost instantly.

Just when Li Ziran thought it was over, crackling sounds suddenly rang out. The completely unconscious Crocodile Warriors began to shrink bizarrely.

Cracks appeared in their hard shells, spreading from their heads all the way to their tails.

In the blink of an eye, the Crocodile Warriors' armor shattered. Yet there was no spray of blood as expected. The broken armor and flesh continued compressing toward the center.

Centered around the Crocodile Warriors, an extreme collapse zone seemed to form.

Li Ziran opened his mouth in excitement. He could not believe this was energy created by his own hands. He abruptly turned toward Karen, only to find him smiling faintly, seemingly with a trace of peculiar satisfaction.

What kind of person was he?

He was definitely no ordinary slave-trading corps captain. A slave-trading corps captain would not possess such powerful alchemical skill.

The appearance of the Black Nightmare Fang did not rely merely on knowledge of organ transplantation. It involved far more alchemical elements.

What Karen seemed to need was merely the most basic neural energy input involved in organ transplantation.

The Crocodile Warriors' screams had completely disappeared. The entire underground space was filled with the crackling sound of popcorn being made.

Finally, with a sweep of the Corpse Dragon's long tongue, all the warriors were rolled into its pitch-black belly.

The sound of machine chains came from nearby, followed by the hum of conveyor belts. From a machine resembling a doorway on the left side of the cavern, a thumb-sized Sugar Bean was delivered out.

Fishman laborers picked up the Sugar Bean and handed it to Captain Cannon.

"How did you do it?"

Captain Cannon examined the tiny Sugar Bean as though he were appraising a priceless gem.

Li Ziran was completely stunned. If nobody had told him, he never would have imagined that this had once been a heavily armored Crocodile Warrior. He was even somewhat tongue-tied.

"What?"

"Li, you truly are a genius. The teeth are perfect. You absolutely have the potential to become a top-tier Grand Witch Doctor." Captain Cannon's praises spilled forth.

"Yes, they are perfect!" Karen also held a Sugar Bean, gently turning it in his fingers. "I expected you to perform brilliantly, but I never expected you to be this brilliant. Even those renowned Grand Witch Doctors of the Wasteland could never accomplish something like this."

The flattery made Li Ziran want to vomit. Others might not know, but did Karen not know how the Black Nightmare Fang had appeared?

"Not at all. I just thought of it on the spot. The Goddess of Fortune favored me!" Li Ziran replied with an awkward smile.

But the Fire Elephant Captain did not see it that way. He immediately said, "Li, in light of your outstanding performance, I plan to give you five percent of this swamp's harvest. Come to my slave-trading corps in the future. What do you say?"

That one sentence gave Li Ziran a tremendous shock.

If the earlier promises had been empty words, this was a real and tangible share of the harvest.

Five percent. Based on the scale of the swamp before him, he could receive at least fifty Crocodile Warriors and five Medusas, not to mention countless Fishman laborers.

He would become rich overnight!

But... was that possible?