Chapter 187: Chapter 187 The Value of the Pet Launcher

The marketplace was located near the seaside, and at first it was just a small fair where Mutators who hunted Base Variant Creatures at sea would trade supplies and catches on a temporary basis.

During that tremendous oceanic beast tide, this place served as a logistics hub between the front lines and the rear, playing a significant role.

Many wounded were treated and rested here, and numerous Mutators exchanged goods that they could use.

After the beast tide, the marketplace was preserved and became an important fairground.

Back then, the marketplace was only open on weekends, but later, as Sea Corn Base expanded, the marketplace was incorporated into the base. It remained in use as a fairground, opening daily with a scale much larger than before.

In the past, setting up a stall in the marketplace meant simply spreading a piece of cloth on the sand, but now, the ground was covered with alloy plates. Many large warehouses had been constructed for stall setups, along with a vast area of shops, far bigger than the market at Yashen Base.

Lin Shen walked through the marketplace, surrounded by a dazzling array of goods, including pets and Base Mutation Eggs, as well as sections for Base Mutation Fluid, materials, and weapons, among others.

Entering through the east gate, directly ahead was the weapon zone, where all kinds of iron weapons, alloy weapons, and Crystal Base weapons were displayed on stalls. Crystal Base weapons, rarely seen in Dark Bird Base, were commonplace here.

Lei said that most of the weapons here were man-made, with only a few being natural Base Mutation weapons. Naturally occurring Base Mutation weapons were generally more expensive, and some people passed off crafted weapons as Base Mutation weapons.

However, weapons crafted by some masters could be more valuable than the natural Base Mutation weapons. It wasn’t always the case that natural Base Mutation weapons were better.

Lin Shen had little interest in weapons. After a cursory look, and with Death Powder on hand, he didn’t need any other weapons.

Moreover, he had an Ascension Level Spirit Base weapon buried at home. Once he had enough strength, he could use it directly as his weapon.

“They even sell Pet Launchers in this shop?” Lin Shen said, surprised as he passed by a shop.

“Pet Launchers are rare, but too expensive. Most Mutators can’t afford them. Only in a Super-Base like Sea Corn Base would such shops exist. As far as I know, there’s only this one shop in Sea Corn Base,” Lei explained.

“Let’s go inside and take a look,” said Lin Shen. He wasn’t really interested in buying a Pet Launcher. He just wanted to see how much they could fetch. He had several Pet Launchers he had snatched from Tian Xin.

Apart from keeping the best-Attribute Pet Launcher for his sister, he would keep one and alternate with the Angel Revolver. If the price was right, he could trade the others for something he needed, like variant Base Mutation Fluid.

After entering the shop, Lin Shen saw a few Pet Launchers displayed behind the counter. They looked somewhat old-fashioned and not very advanced, probably not even as good as those used by the lieutenant commander of the Ultra-Burn Tribe.

Yet, the price tags were alarming. None was less than six figures—the cheapest was over four hundred thousand.

Lin Shen looked carefully at the information on a nearby sign. The firing rate was only 23, capable of loading six Pet Capsules.

The higher the price tag, the happier Lin Shen became. If a launcher with a rate of 23 could sell for over four hundred thousand, then those he had in hand, with speeds around forty, would fetch an even higher price.

There were six Pet Launchers on display in the cabinet, with the best one having a capacity for ten shots and a firing rate of 37.

This Attribute was almost the same as the worst one Lin Shen had, and its price had already reached five million.

By Lin Shen’s calculations, the Pet Launchers he held were worth tens of millions.

“I need to sell these Pet Launchers soon. As the war between Humans and the Ultra-Burn Tribe escalates, more Pet Launchers will be captured. They’re only going to get cheaper. It’s better to sell them now for a good price,” Lin Shen thought to himself.

“Does the guest have any launchers in mind? You can take one out to try. There’s a firing range at the back,” the shop assistant offered politely.

“Do you have any launchers with a higher firing rate?” Lin Shen asked casually.

“We do, but those are much more expensive, costing over ten million. It’s not worth it. Actually, the difference in firing rate is only a few points, which is generally imperceptible in average use,” the shop assistant explained patiently.

“Price is not a problem. The key is a fast firing rate. Do you have any around fifty?” Lin Shen posed as a wealthy young master, though he only had the two hundred thousand his sister had just given him in his pocket.

“The guest must be joking. The highest firing rate for a Base Mutation level Pet Launcher is 41, and that’s already a rare gem that’s hard to come by. For most Mutators, 40 is already top-tier. If the rate was higher, that would have to be an Ascension Level Pet Launcher, which our shop doesn’t stock, and Mutators can’t use,” the shop assistant explained, without a hint of impatience.

“It seems my 44-speed Angel Revolver is already a gem among gems. No idea where Tian Xin got it from, or maybe the Celestial Race’s level of technology is high enough to produce even better Pet Launchers.”

As Lin Shen was thinking, he heard the shop assistant continue, “We do have a 41-speed Pet Launcher in the shop, considered our treasure. It’s still unpriced because our boss cherishes it dearly. If the guest is interested, maybe you can have a talk with our boss. If the price is right, he might be willing to part with it.”

“Only 41 speed? Forget it,” Lin Shen found an excuse to take Lei and leave.

He’d learned enough about the pricing. If he wanted to trade his own launchers for something, he wouldn’t be at a disadvantage.

“Disregarding a 41-speed launcher, you must have even better items in hand, right?” Before Lin Shen could leave, a voice came from the entrance.

Lin Shen turned to see a young man in his twenties, as thin as a stick, entering the shop.

“Boss,” the shop assistant’s address confirmed for Lin Shen and Lei that this man was indeed the owner of the shop.

“Not at all. I was just speaking off the cuff, no offense intended. It was a poor choice of words. Don’t take it to heart, boss,” Lin Shen had simply been looking for a way out and wasn’t interested in saying much to a shop owner. He politely excused himself and prepared to leave.

“Please wait, sir. If you’re not satisfied with 41 speed, I actually do have a launcher that nearly reaches fifty. Although it’s not quite fifty, at 43, it’s an extremely rare find. Even in the universe, it’s hard to find a Base Mutation level launcher of such speed,” the lean owner said, making Lin Shen slightly embarrassed.

Even if he had the money, Lin Shen couldn’t afford it.

Yet, reputation mattered in life, and although he couldn’t afford it, Lin Shen still pretended not to care and said, “Your shop actually has such an extraordinary item?”