As they entered the "Roar of Beasts" beast shop, the presence of Gray the Wolf, a Bronze Level 5 beast, immediately caused a stir.
The adult beasts in the shop cowered, sensing its power. It was then that Eddie realized the high regard in which a Bronze Level 5 beast was held by ordinary warriors.
The shopkeeper, a plump man, eagerly approached Eddie, making an offer he thought was irresistible.
"We'll give you a 500 gold deposit now. If you accept, you and your friends will become our shop's VIPs forever, enjoying a 20% discount on all purchases. Plus, we'll gift you a four-star Bronze Level beast egg to compensate for your loss."
"If your friends select a beast each, and we successfully sign a contract with this two-headed wolf, we'll pay another 500 gold!"
Inan scoffed at the offer. "Do you really think you can acquire a telepathic two-headed wolf for just a thousand gold?"
The shopkeeper, not deterred, replied with a grin, "The price is negotiable. We can sit down and discuss it further."
But Sophia was adamant, "We're not selling, no matter the price!"
Eddie, who had grown fond of Gray the Wolf's mischievous yet endearing nature, supported her stance. "We're here to buy beasts, not sell them. If you're not interested in doing business, we can take our business elsewhere."
Gray the Wolf, despite not being officially contracted, had become an integral part of their group, providing both comic relief and a means for Eddie to vent his frustrations. Without this greedy yet clever wolf around, life would be far less entertaining.
Eddie couldn't help but feel a sense of pride and protectiveness towards Gray the Wolf. Selling it was out of the question – it was a beast he had nurtured himself.
The shopkeeper, realizing Eddie's firm stance, eventually gave up. He, however, left the door open, reminding Eddie that he could always come back if he changed his mind, no matter the time or circumstance.
In the "Roar of Beasts" shop, they found mostly common beasts, mostly of Level 3 or lower, and even a Level 4 beast was a rarity, let alone a Bronze Level beast.
Inan and Sophia, after a thorough search, weren't impressed by any of the beasts.
On the other hand, Yehken and Hessian had to be more pragmatic due to their circumstances.
Yehken lamented the loss of his former Gold Monkey King as he considered a Level 3 Great Baboon. The Hessians were more straightforward, opting for two Wind Wolves to complement their Wind Shrew. They were grateful to have met Eddie, knowing well that they wouldn't have had such opportunities without him.
Eddie, upon hearing their choices, frowned slightly. Turning to the shopkeeper, he inquired, "Do you have any higher-quality beast eggs?"
The shopkeeper, still eyeing Gray the Wolf hungrily, quickly replied, "You're welcome to look at our beast eggs. All of you can pick one each, free of charge. That's if you're willing to sell us the two-headed wolf."
Inan, growing tired of the shopkeeper's persistence, interjected, "We'll just take the beast eggs, thank you."
The shopkeeper, though disheartened, showed them to the beast eggs. Though more expensive than adult beasts, beast eggs offered the potential of finding a truly exceptional beast.
Yehken was quite satisfied with a beast egg he found, which showed potential for a Level 4 Iron Arm Demon Ape, not much inferior to his former Gold Arm Monkey King.
However, the beast eggs that could hatch into Bronze Level Roaring Wind Tigers and Shadow Wolves were far beyond his reach, priced at over a hundred gold coins each.
Given their limited reward of a hundred gold coins for the demon hunt and their minimal contribution, getting the Iron Arm Demon Ape would already be a huge achievement.
Eddie shook his head disapprovingly, "All trash. Do you have any other beast eggs?" The shopkeeper almost choked upon hearing this. From Eddie's perspective, with a Bronze Level Five Two-Headed Wolf, these eggs might seem worthless. But for others, the Bronze Level Shadow Wolf and Roaring Wind Tiger were highly coveted.
Still, the shopkeeper, maintaining his best service attitude, brought out the shop's treasure for Eddie to inspect. Priced at five hundred gold coins, it was a Bronze Level Lightning Leopard egg.
It had been consistently evaluated as a four-star beast after twenty assessments, with potential to reach Bronze Level Four or even Five with the right diet.
Its major downside was its long maturity period of at least three years and a very slim chance of evolving into a Silver Level beast. In this particular shop on the first level of the Tower of Warriors, it was indeed a treasure.
Eddie dismissed it instantly, "No, it's trash!" His discerning eye could see through the egg's actual quality. Compared to his own beast egg obtained from the White Sheep Palace's energy cauldron, this so-called four-star Lightning Leopard was significantly inferior, barely reaching three and a half stars.
"Isn't there anything better?" Eddie inquired, already aware that finding a beast egg comparable to his own five-star one would be a tall order in this shop.
The shopkeeper was on the verge of a breakdown. "Young master, how can you call this a trash? It's a four-star rating! You're expecting a five-star? Who would sell a five-star beast egg in a beast shop? Even if there is one, it would be a priority purchase for the state or major families, who would pay a hefty price. To find a five-star beast egg, you'd need to go at least to the third floor of the Tower of Warriors! What's the rating of the beast egg you have? Let me test it with the crystal tester. Oh my god, five stars? I'm going to faint!"
Eddie initially wanted to find a good beast for Sophia, but realizing that the available beasts were subpar, he decisively decided to give her the five-star egg he had. The shopkeeper tested it and promptly fainted from shock. How could this young man casually carry a Bronze Level Five Two-Headed Wolf and produce a five-star beast egg?
Sophia promptly refused the egg, insisting Eddie keep it, as she preferred plant-based beasts. "I'm also stunned," Eddie admitted, looking at the shopkeeper on the floor.
"Let's take a gamble then," Inan suggested. " Yehken, pick a beast egg and try merging it with a chaos egg to see the outcome. If it doesn't work out, well, that's just fate." This was a risky gamble, typically avoided by mercenaries.
Only elite soldiers, desperate for a breakthrough, would resort to such extreme methods, gambling their lives.
A chaos egg is a primitive egg without an embryo, its properties unknown. The chance of a successful merge enhancing the beast is only about five percent.
There's also a minuscule chance, one in ten thousand, for an extraordinary mutation or upgrade, potentially evolving an ordinary beast into a Bronze Level one.
Yehken hesitated, knowing the risks, but finally agreed. Eddie and Sophia watched, intrigued by the possibility of witnessing a rare transformation.
For thousands of years, countless attempts at fusion have been made, with most ending in failure, except for a few lucky ones. The chance of one in ten thousand is disheartening.
For instance, in the Beast Roar Beast Store, there hasn't been a successful mutation in over fifty years.
The last lucky individual on the wall is a memory from over five decades ago.
"I'll take the risk!" Yehken's hands trembled, but he gratefully nodded to Inan. It was his last chance for redemption. Without sufficient funds, he had no choice but to rely on luck. Already reduced to a wreck, he clung to this slim chance. If the chosen Iron Arm Gorilla egg could rise to the Bronze level, everything could change. The dreams of his youth, his parents' hopes, could all be fulfilled – as long as fate didn't abandon him and granted him enough luck.
Eddie was curious about this gambling method. Could his Eye of Insight talent come into play here? Noticing the shopkeeper's mockingly polite expression, anger surged in Eddie's heart. He decided to pick the right chaos egg just to spite the shopkeeper.
Yehken was nervous, his whole body shaking. Holding the Iron Arm Gorilla's egg, he hesitated over which chaos egg to choose. This was his only chance. If he chose wrong, his life would be effectively over.
"Is it so hard to choose? I think this one looks good," Eddie casually picked up a chaos egg and handed it to Yehken. His nonchalant attitude shocked everyone. This was not a joke; it required the utmost caution. Once the fusion process began, there was no turning back. The beast's life was at stake, and it would occupy two summoning slots.
Unbeknownst to others, Eddie's level two Eye of Insight had already identified the most compatible chaos egg for the Iron Arm Gorilla. His casual demeanor was just to mislead the cunning shopkeeper, who would surely take advantage of the situation if he knew the true potential of the chaos egg.
"I trust you, Eddie," Yehken said, encouraged by Eddie's confident smile. Biting his finger, he trembled as he drew the same contract pattern on both eggs. Overcoming his inner fear, he closed his eyes and simultaneously contracted with both eggs.
In a moment, the fate of the fusion was sealed. The two beast eggs merged, and what would emerge – death or transformation, enhancement or mutation – was about to be revealed. Suddenly, a burst of golden light surged through Yehken's fingers, leaving the shopkeeper agape, his mouth wide enough to fit a war kodo beast. A miracle he hadn't seen in over fifty years was unfolding before his very eyes!
"It's a success! A Bronze-level Diamond Gorilla! Eddie, my life... you've literally saved it!" Yehken fell to his knees, clutching Eddie's legs, overwhelmed with emotion. His gamble had paid off.
From this moment on, the once-ruined Yehken was reborn. The dreams of his youth and his parents' expectations could now be reclaimed. Finally, he could face his parents without seeing despair in their eyes. He was reborn, granted a second chance at life.
A faint smile appeared on Eddie's lips. This was just the beginning. His Eye of Insight would uncover more. While finding the right chaos egg was difficult, and Yehken's success was a lucky coincidence, with the Eye of Insight, he could continue searching without worry.
His sister Sophia and Inan also needed powerful beasts. Why not use this gambling method to select suitable beast eggs for them?
As Eddie was about to comfort Yehken, he noticed something peculiar about the chaos egg in Hessian's hands. This chaos egg was distinctly different from the others. What kind of beast egg was it, and what effect would it have?