Evolution Begins with Elemental Domination

The trading post also doubled as a social gathering.

It was a rare occasion for so many powerful individuals to gather, so naturally, there was much sharing of combat experience and intelligence.

Additionally, most of these small teams had names, such as ’the Scavengers,’ ’Spinebreakers,’ ’the Cleaner Fish,’ and ’Band of Brothers.’

While having a name helped with team cohesion, a major driving force behind it was the official Resource Coordination Department.

All the major border towns of Dongfu City had Resource Exchange Depots that would purchase designated herbs, rare minerals, and even the carcasses of large animals, paying with Rune Essence or bundles of supplies.

To ensure the goods were legitimately sourced, a registration process was usually required.

Many powerful independent groups simply registered under a name and established stable sales channels with the exchange depots.

For them, it was an unexpected windfall anyway, so why not take advantage of it?

According to current prices, if you could haul back the carcass of a giant bear or a Titan boa from the forest, you could get at least six Rune Essences of any kind.

A piece of Flame Crystal Ore glowing with firelight, a Thunder Crystal, or even a common Jadeite Ore Crystal could fetch over ten Rune Essences, depending on its quality and size.

’Interesting.’

Not long after Su Chen entered the hall, a staff member handed him the latest resource exchange price list.

He glanced at the list and saw that even a single Thunder Vine had a buyout price of half a Rune Essence.

Though a Thunder Vine was as dangerous as a high-voltage line and perilous to touch rashly, it wasn’t too difficult to cut one down and drag it back, provided one took proper safety precautions like using insulation.

"They’re obviously for infrastructure."

Yan Ruoruo spotted something called an "Earth Vein Worm," with a buyout price of five Rune Essences.

This type of worm fed on minerals in the soil. It not only excreted high-purity mineral particles but could also secrete a slime that bonded any substance together until it was as hard as a rock—far more effective than any quick-setting cement that existed back on Earth.

’The forest really is a treasure trove.’

Beyond the threats, people were also trying to come to terms with the forest, slowly extracting from it the sparks of a new civilization.

"The official price is too low," someone said with a glance at the latest list, scoffing. "A fresh bear carcass, if you get it here fast enough, can fetch 13 Rune Essences on the black market."

Someone nearby immediately chimed in, "Exactly. With the parasite plague going on, the risks are much higher. The official price increases can’t keep up with the black market. They’ll probably adjust prices again tomorrow."

As for why large monster carcasses were so sought after...

One major reason was their bones, which were harder than any alloy and were natural materials for weapon Enchantments.

Their pelts were valuable as well. Animal furs were already a mature market, and after being tanned, the finished products not only provided warmth but were also highly resistant to damage. They also possessed impressive elemental conductivity.

Furthermore, the meat of some monsters had incredible restorative properties, with nutritional value far surpassing ginseng. A single bite could make one feel an immediate surge of Vitality, their mind instantly refreshed and energized.

Many people firmly believed that long-term consumption would undoubtedly strengthen their bodies.

There was also another reason...

Anything even remotely associated with aphrodisiac properties would naturally spark a buying frenzy.

Just as at the beginning of the cataclysm, when old men would marvel at a tiger’s penis and want to infuse it in wine, the price for such an item had now been driven up to over three Rune Essences on the market.

With all these factors combined, powerful Rune Casters were all competing for the precious monster flesh on the market, causing black market prices to soar far beyond the official rates.

Moreover, some of the more powerful teams had hired their own professional leather tanners and blacksmiths, so they had mostly stopped selling their raw materials.

"The furrier among the resident vendors can process them. I hear the young owner is a master leather artisan, an inheritor of an intangible cultural heritage. As long as you provide the materials, he can custom-make you a cloak or leather armor. Things like invisibility cloaks are child’s play for him."

All the owner charged was a processing fee.

Su Chen and Yan Ruoruo stood to the side, casually listening in on the conversations. The social ecosystem of the town was indeed different from that of the campsite.

At least that lawless zone had no resource exchange depots. When it came to monster remains, the most common practice was to take the bones to make arrowheads.

At the same time, after reading the latest price list, Su Chen realized he could go through a black market intermediary to acquire some of these exotic attribute ore crystals he’d never heard of before.

’That’s a good idea.’

The items defined as "Scorching Sun Ore" and "Thunderlight Stone" could most likely help boost his Power and agility attributes.

’That Jade Lingzhi with Spiritual Sense isn’t on the list,’ Su Chen thought. ’It most likely hasn’t been discovered yet.’

And that strange purple flower he had personally encountered, the one wreathed in lightning, also had no official information listed. Unlike minerals, which could be crafted into Rune weapons, these peculiar flowers did seem to have more limited applications.

’Maybe I could spend some money to buy information on their coordinates.’

As he was thinking about this, a petite staff member came jogging over and chirped excitedly to Su Chen, "We’ve found a match for the Rune Essence and Spiritual Dust Sand you need! They’re willing to trade with you. Please come this way."

"Alright," Su Chen replied, standing up. That was much faster than he had expected.

Someone nearby watched them walk away and couldn’t help but mutter, "Talk about special treatment."

In this day and age, good looks were still a huge advantage. Handsome men and beautiful women were, after all, a scarce resource that always came with some invisible perks.

The hall used movable partitions to create simple booths, ensuring privacy.

Fully armed personnel from the Combat Defense Department stood guard outside. People were willing to visit the Qixia Night Market precisely because they valued the fact that it had official backing.

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