Throwing the ancient chamber pot as far away as possible, Yuzhou revealed the true forms of the remaining three "antiques."
Two spatulas and a club.
All equally useless.
"So, did you find your treasure?"
Dack chuckled, clearly amused by Yuzhou's earlier optimism.
"Forget it." Yuzhou shook his head with a sigh. "Guess I was dreaming."
Since none of these relics held value, he tucked the junk back into his space bracelet, intending to dispose of them later.
As Yuzhou stepped out of his room, he unexpectedly ran into Eri.
"What a coincidence, Eri." Yuzhou waved casually.
"Eh? You two are staying here too?" Eri blinked in surprise.
"Yep. On your tab, of course."
Yuzhou grinned shamelessly.
"That's fine. Just a drop in the ocean." Eri waved it off without a care.
Yuzhou watched him, stunned. So, this is what true detachment from money looks like… Not even close to my level.
"You guys enjoy yourselves. Food and lodging are covered by me. I've got business to take care of." Eri, exuding a dignified aura, walked down the hall.
Yuzhou was about to head for the teleportation lift when Eri stopped before a door and rang the bell.
"Hello, is Mr. Charija in?"
Yuzhou froze. Charija? The monster merchant? Why would Eri be looking for him?
And then it hit him. The Gijera extract… or something that can replace it. Could it be… a time machine?
The door opened slightly, and Charija's cautious face peeked out.
"What business do you have with me?"
"I heard you're a monster merchant," Eri said smoothly. "I wish to sell a monster. Would you be interested?"
"Monster!?"
At the very word, Charija's eyes lit up.
"Yes, a monster."
"What kind of monster?" Charija leaned forward eagerly.
"That… is something you'll have to see for yourself," Eri replied, deliberately mysterious.
Yuzhou frowned. Monsters? Super-ancient humans were always the invaded, never the invaders. Monsters were their enemies. Giants of Light were their protectors. So why would Eri—one of their leaders—possess a monster?
Charija hesitated. He wasn't foolish enough to walk into a potential trap. Though he had his Zoigers and King Guesra, the super-ancient civilization's technology could easily overwhelm him. Yet the lure of a new monster was irresistible.
His eyes shifted—and landed on Yuzhou. With a sly grin, he said:
"I'll go. But only if I can bring someone along."
"Someone?" Eri raised a brow. "Who?"
"Him." Charija pointed straight at Yuzhou.
"…Eh?" Both Eri and Yuzhou froze.
What the hell? Yuzhou thought. Did he just recruit me as his bodyguard!?
"Mr. Yuzhou?" Eri's confusion deepened. Why would a Giant of Light be chummy with a monster merchant?
"Is there a problem?" Charija pressed. "If he doesn't come, neither will I."
"…Fine." Eri reluctantly agreed. Yuzhou owes me favours. He won't turn against me anyway.
"…."
Yuzhou sighed inwardly. Great. I've become the designated tool again.
Still, curiosity gnawed at him. What kind of monster could super-ancient humans possibly raise?
Together, the three arrived at a massive research facility. White-clad scientists bustled in and out of the entrance.
"Mr. Charija, I assure you—you'll be very interested in this monster." Eri said with quiet confidence.
"Just tell me one thing," Charija asked, eyes gleaming. "Is it sea, land, or air?"
"…Sea, land, or air?" Eri blinked, then nodded. "Land, I suppose."
"Perfect!" Charija slapped Eri's leg in delight. "I've got sea and air covered already. A land monster completes the set!"
"…This guy's luck is absurd." Yuzhou muttered, watching him. From two Zoigers to King Guesra, and now this—Charija was practically speedrunning monster collection.
"This isn't just any land monster," Eri continued, voice dropping low with weight. "It is the shock trooper of thirty million years ago—the beast that could split continents apart. Golza."
"What!?" Yuzhou's eyes widened. "Golza was one of the vanguard beasts that invaded your people back then! Why would you control it now?"
"Indeed," Eri nodded. "Back then, it took the power of the Giants of Light to repel the invasion. But when our world faced destruction, we departed Earth with samples of monster cells. Over millions of years, we studied them. Perfected them. And now… we've cloned monsters that obey our commands."
He gestured proudly toward the depths of the facility.
"This Golza is one of them."
Yuzhou's mind flashed to Professor Otomo—the man who once tried and failed to clone monsters to defend Earth. Otomo never had the time nor resources of the super-ancients. But here, on this planet of endless research and patience, they had succeeded.
If only Otomo was here, Yuzhou thought. He'd be ecstatic.