23 Vats

"It seems like you can use these teleporters safely for non-monster materials too. Just need to move them away from the Teleport area when they arrive huh." Jinao said as he watches Ji Liu place the last computer in the open space.

"Ask Zhao and Xiao Su to move them off the other end of the teleporters when you get back while you help me explore here. I'll summon you back in 15 minutes." Ji Liu then sent them back.

He walked around more and found nothing interesting aside from the stairs going down. There was a stair going up but was blocked by fallen debris that he did not dare move in fear of collapsing it even more.

The two went down, and then down, down and down some more. The stair just kept going down until finally, they reached a wide area where there are 5 vats. 4 of the vats were filled with different kinds of liquid while the leftmost one seems to have broke based on the machine that fell on its side.

Ji Liu was looking around when he was called by Jinao.

"You better take a look at this Ji Liu." Jinao was staring at the vats.

"Why? What's inside? Could it be Friez--" Ji Liu made his way and choked on his words when he laid his eyes on what's inside the vats.

______

Baby Qilin

Type: Cloud

Level: Peak stage Silver

Status: Unconscious

Abilities: Cloud Movements, Improved Reflex, Augment Sense, Advanced Fire Attack

Evolution condition: Slay 500 (500 left) Silver or higher level monsters, Survive for 2922 (0 left) days

Special evolution: Consume 10 (1 left) Illusion-type monster nucleus, Consume 1 (0 left) Space-type monster nucleus

______

Swamp Troll

Type: Swamp

Level: Peak stage Silver

Status: Unconscious

Abilities: Swamp Movements, Improved Reflex, Augment Sense, Advanced Water Attack

Evolution condition: Slay 500 (500 left) Silver or higher level monsters, Survive for 2922 (0 left) days

Special evolution: Consume 10 (1 left) Cloud-type monster nucleus, Consume 1 (0 left) Space-type monster nucleus

______

Crystal Vampire

Type: Crystal

Level: Peak stage Silver

Status: Unconscious

Abilities: Crystal Movements, Improved Reflex, Augment Sense, Advanced Earth Attack

Evolution condition: Slay 500 (500 left) Silver or higher level monsters, Survive for 2922 (0 left) days

Special evolution: Consume 10 (1 left) Swamp-type monster nucleus, Consume 1 (0 left) Space-type monster nucleus

______

Space Jam

Type: Space

Level: Peak stage Silver

Status: Unconscious

Abilities: Relocate, Infest, Devour, Spatial Attack

Evolution condition: Slay 500 (500 left) Silver or higher level monsters, Survive for 2922 (0 left) days

Special evolution: Devour 1 (0 left) Teragram weight of monsters, Consume 1 (1 left) monster nucleus

______

'Four monsters. And all of them looks really strong. I don't have enough space to make a contract to all of them if I want to still have an extra 1.' Just as Ji Liu was wondering about how he should deal with the problem, a ringing sound followed by a soothing female voice rang inside his head.

*Ting*

"System has detected Origin monsters nearby, Young Ji Liu is advised to find a way to fully assimilate one Origin monster. Fully assimilating an Origin monster would improve the system."

'Origin monsters? So these are Origin monsters? These are even stronger than I thought.' Ji Liu commented then asked, 'System how do I assimilate a monster? Is there a special method or would it be automatic like fusing?'

"You eat the monster, done." A scruffy male voice rang in his head.

'I need to fully eat the monster? Is that it? WTF! Are you serious system?' Ji Liu asked but no answer again came.

'Aside from the tutorial, the system only made contact to me twice these past 4 months. How unreliable.'

"Jinao, can you look around for a good place to rest?"

"Okay" Jinao nodded and went looking around.

Looking at the monsters, Ji Liu thought, 'How did this liquid manage to let them survive anyway?' He looked at the broken vat but it was already dried. 'Something must have been here right? No corpse means they can really still be revived. I have to think this thoroughly.'

After a while of looking closely at the monsters inside the vats, Ji Liu gave up and just decided to eat the troll since it was the smallest one, only the size of his hand.

He looked at the other 3 monsters and wondered why there were monsters here, 'perhaps this was a factory of some sort?' He thought as he looked at the ancient machines all around him.

"There's no good place to rest up ahead. There's also a stair that leads down but it's blocked halfway, only small monsters can fit through. Some of the rooms are locked shut." Jinao came back without finding a good place to rest.

"It's okay, you can return to The Base to rest now. Just be ready to be called again alright? And also, I'll be contracting some new monsters, be prepared."

"Okay." Jinao nodded and stepped on the teleporter.

******

Ji Liu first opened the vat containing the Space Jam. Just as he was opening the vat, steam rose and the liquid immediately evaporated. The cables suspending the monster snapped and sent it plopping on the ground scaring Ji Liu as it may have regained consciousness.

Judging it safe to approach, he noted that it was a basketball-sized Purple Slime-like monster with no other features aside from having a cold touch. After making a contract, he sent it to The Base to let Jinao take care of its accommodation.

On the next two vats, Ji Liu learned his lesson last time so he moved quickly to take the monsters before the cables snap. He also sent the two quickly back to The Base before they regained consciousness due to the hassle of waiting.

The last vat, the one containing the troll, was not opened as he decided to he returned to the upper floor where Goldberry and the rest are.

It was a long day and fatigue finally came to his body. He looked at the time and it was already past 3 late in the night. Realizing this, he went to a corner and immediately fell asleep.