Chapter 60

Chapter 60: The Short Monster

When Ajin emerged from the room, Ji Huan was kneeling on the floor of the hall, scrubbing it diligently. He had been at it for an indeterminate amount of time, drenched in sweat. For ease of movement, he wore a worn-out white T-shirt, which was now soaked through, revealing a hint of his skin and the graceful curve of his adolescent back.

The little monster named Hei Dan was crawling by Ji Huan's side, following him wherever he went. Occasionally, when he bumped into Ji Huan's legs, he would giggle playfully.

However, his joyous moment was about to end.

Sensitive to Ajin's gaze, Hei Dan immediately lifted his head, looking towards the corridor. The instant he saw Ajin, he froze.

Ji Huan also noticed Ajin's arrival: "Good morning."

Not only did he greet, but he also raised Hei Dan's tiny paw: "Hei Dan wants to say hello to Ajin too."

With a teary yet not-quite-crying expression, Hei Dan stiffly waved his little paw under Ji Huan's guidance. The moment he was released, he swiftly crawled behind Ji Huan.

"G-good morning." Ajin nodded slightly, returning the greeting to Ji Huan. Then,

"Good morning." The second 'good morning' was directed at the small head that had peeped out from behind Ji Huan.

Little Hei's head, which had just poked out, promptly retreated back in. After a moment, he ventured out again, stealthily emerging when no one was looking.

After several attempts and realizing Ajin wasn't paying attention to him, he finally mustered the courage to keep his head exposed.

Ajin strolled over from the corridor, casually surveying his surroundings. Unsurprisingly, he found the living room spotless. Mopping was the final chore; prior to that, Ji Huan had already wiped all the taller shelves and tables meticulously.

He casually picked up a vase from the display shelf. It was a brand new vase, white with a smooth surface and an elegant shape – something that Ajin would undoubtedly appreciate. However...

He didn't recall there being such a vase in this house.

"Did you bring this over?" Ajin asked, holding the vase as he looked at Ji Huan.

Ji Huan shook his head.

"No, it was already there."

"?" It was already here? Wait... This vase looks somewhat familiar...

Just as Ajin started to rack his brain, trying to recall where he had seen this vase before, Ji Huan continued speaking:

"The vase initially appeared rather old, but to my surprise, it looked almost new after cleaning it. There were some cracks on it, which I mended with the glue I brought along..."

Looking at the flawlessly repaired crack at the vase's base, Ajin's expression turned rather subtle.

He finally recalled why the vase seemed familiar: It was the antique vase he had bid for!

A red-glazed vase, crafted around two thousand years ago during the era of the Huiyaro King. Despite its simple production process and inferior craftsmanship compared to modern standards, its unique red glaze could not be replicated today. Moreover, its shape appealed to his aesthetic, prompting him to purchase it at a high price.

And that was the very vase he held now.

The red glaze, symbolic of its era, had been wiped clean, while the soil that represented the passage of time had been completely removed. The once historically aged red-glazed vase had transformed into a brand new white vase.

Ajin: =-=

"Um... Is there something wrong?" Noticing Ajin's prolonged silence, Ji Huan cautiously asked.

Ajin shook his head and smiled warmly. "This vase must have been difficult to clean. You've worked hard."

Ji Huan sighed in relief.

The vase was eventually adorned with wildflowers that Hei Dan had plucked from the yard. The swaying yellow blooms contrasted beautifully against the clean white vase, creating an unexpectedly pleasing sight. Ajin was quite satisfied with Ji Huan's "flower arrangement." He placed the vase on the dining table.

The priceless antique vase had finally been taken down from its display shelf and resumed its original purpose dating back two thousand years ago.

After this incident, Ajin could maintain his smile without flinching when he saw the yard stripped of its "weeds." If he recalled correctly, those "weeds" were also purchased at great expense. There was a slim chance that they would bear a beautiful flower known as the "Immortal Undying Heart." When it bloomed, it was considered one of the top ten most enchanting moments in the world.

However, Ji Huan didn't uproot all the weeds in the yard. He left a patch in the corner and in the sunny area. Last night, Big Bai's meal had consisted of these plants, and the cat seemed to enjoy them greatly, devouring plenty without any adverse effects the following day. This confirmed that the grass could serve as food for Big Bai. With this realization, Ji Huan decided to preserve some of the weeds.

Ji Huan was an efficient person. Even if there were weeds in the yard, he wouldn't let anyone perceive them as such. He trimmed the remaining weeds into neat shapes. In just a short morning, he had cleaned the house, weeded the yard, and even styled the surviving grass. Ajin gained a new appreciation for Ji Huan's capabilities.

Considering the other collectibles stored on the second floor, Ajin offered a suggestion, "Do you need anything else? Go out and buy it. Many things in this house are outdated. We might as well replace everything with new items."

"Although they're old, they're still functional..." Ji Huan hesitated. He was quite frugal.

Not giving him time to deliberate, Ajin promptly said, "You'll need to buy groceries anyway, right? You can't have brought too much food, can you?"

The moment those words left his lips, Ji Huan's retreat was immediately cut off.

Ayi and Hei Dan stayed at home, following closely behind Ajin as Ji Huan stepped out once more.

Before leaving, Ajin had instructed Ji Huan to wear his cloak. It wasn't until about half an hour after they'd set out that the reason for this became apparent: the temperature began to soar abruptly.

The sunlight grew unusually intense, and Ji Huan had no doubt that without the cloak, he would have been roasted by the sun's rays.

"Our residence has equipment installed on the roof to absorb radiation. Once we step outside its range, it's like this," Ajin explained as they walked. "Radiation is quite strong here. If you're worried about it, it's best to avoid going out between 11 am and 2 pm."

"…Though, if safety is your top priority, then you should go out during that time."

Ji Huan was taken aback.

"During this period, high-level monsters tend to avoid the heat and stay indoors. The ones that venture out usually aren't very powerful."

Nodding, Ji Huan indicated that he understood.

"Don't stray too far. Avoid the garbage mountain and places that seem prosperous, especially the latter."

"Remember this path we're taking today, as you'll be coming here often in the future."

Despite the scorching heat, Ajin's voice remained as calm and soothing as ever. Focusing on his words, Ji Huan felt the temperature seemed to drop slightly.

While listening to Ajin's narration, Ji Huan also divided his attention to observe their surroundings. As he mapped out their route, he noticed that the number of people around them gradually increased.

Everyone was draped in large cloaks, much like the folks in the town they visited yesterday, though those there had more elaborate and thinner cloaks. Here, however, the cloaks were predominantly black and gray, with many of them worn threadbare.

Though Ji Huan and his companions' cloaks were relatively new, the intense sunlight forced everyone to cover up, so they didn't attract any special attention.

These people appeared to be heading in the same direction as they were, and the crowd around them grew thicker.

The multitude was eerily quiet.

At one point, Ji Huan genuinely thought the people around him were an illusion brought on by sunstroke.

Fortunately, they soon reached their destination, and following the flow of the crowd, Ji Huan found himself in a long alleyway. On either side were low houses with tiny doors and windows. The structures were rustic and robust, giving off an air of great sturdiness.

Presumably for shade, wide awnings of various colors adorned the rooftops of these houses. Despite it being broad daylight, the alleys beneath them were shrouded in a gloomy darkness.

Stepping under the shelters, Ji Huan immediately felt relieved. These sheds did serve their purpose. Although the temperature beneath them wasn't much lower than outside, the absence of harsh sunlight made it much more comfortable.

A pungent scent of blood wafted upward. Lowering his head, he saw a grotesque, blood-soaked monster with unseeing eyes on the chopping block. Startled at first, he then glanced around and noticed similar stalls everywhere. Only then did he realize that this was actually a marketplace.

"Ajin," his voice echoed in Ji Huan's ear again, "this place has the most meat, and the prices aren't expensive. The prey is freshly hunted from the southern desert each morning, so you don't have to worry about freshness."

Ji Huan scrutinized the "wares" displayed on the stalls. He found that the most abundant were creatures with sharp fangs and claws, resembling wolves. To distinguish them from the beasts in the human world, Ji Huan decided to call them magic beasts.

Aside from the prevalent wolf-like magic beasts, he also spotted a snail-like creature. Resembling a soft-bodied snail, its size was comparable to a goat, with a pink body covered in slime. It looked utterly revolting.

"Oh! This is a Kaltla. They usually dwell deep in the sand and are rarely seen," Ajin commented as he glanced at the magic beast.

The Kaltla seemed particularly sought-after; it was purchased after only two glances from Ji Huan.

"Kaltlas are rich in water content. Their flesh and blood can almost substitute for drinking water, which is why they're so popular," Ajin explained, sensing Ji Huan's confusion.

Next, they passed by a water-selling stall. There were only two such stalls in the entire marketplace, located side by side, both with long queues stretching out before them. Some customers carried only buckets, while others held both buckets and their hunting spoils.

"Here, water... is it very scarce?" Thinking about the water he had used for cleaning, Ji Huan was taken aback.

"Well, it's quite scarce. Water is the most expensive commodity here," Ajin confirmed.

They continued on their way.

As Ajin had mentioned, the predominant "merchandise" here was "meat." Throughout their walk, Ji Huan only spotted a single stall selling a small bunch of green vegetables.

The wares were rather unrefined; they were displayed as they were hunted, with no attempt at cleaning. Water being precious, no one bothered to rinse their prey, resulting in a rather unsightly presentation across the market.

Ji Huan also observed that besides the stalls run by households lining both sides of the alley, there were others set up in the middle of the path. These stalls typically offered just one or two items, occasionally with a decent catch, but mostly quite modest.

This would be classified as a "temporary stall."

Among these stalls, Ji Huan spotted the monster that had attacked him the previous night.

Initially, he didn't notice it, for monsters were naturally adept at concealment. The ones here seemed particularly skilled; their presence was so faint that they almost blended into the background, virtually indistinguishable unless someone inquired about their wares.

Ji Huan initially overlooked this inconspicuous little stall. Lost among the temporary stalls, it appeared even more humble than its surroundings, lacking even a simple cloth curtain. Instead, a circle was drawn on the ground with stones, within which lay meager offerings posing as "merchandise."

One item was a monster the size of a rat, while the other was a green-colored candy.

Having been trained by Hei Dan, Ji Huan had become acutely sensitive to the color green. Amidst the dull browns and grays, that splash of green somehow caught his eye.

Surprised, Ji Huan looked toward the vendor's position and indeed spotted that gray figure.

Silently crouching there, the small monster was only a fifth the size of the surrounding creatures.

However, size didn't necessarily equate to age for monsters; they could be deceiving.

Still, Ji Huan eventually knelt down as well.

Opposite the diminutive creature, he gazed at the green candy. The brand name on it was familiar – it was one of the candies he had bought for Hei Dan.

After a night and a morning exposed to the elements, perhaps due to the sun, the candy had begun to melt.

Ji Huan glanced at the monster opposite him, unsure if it recognized him. The creature remained silent.

Not the slightest hint of guilt for selling stolen goods, it continued to crouch there, motionless.

Observing it for a while, Ji Huan stood up.

There was no point in lingering; it was already late, and Ajin had taken him on a tour. They needed to hurry up and finish their shopping.

While Ji Huan was purchasing "meat" from a neighboring stall, a commotion erupted precisely where he had just been. Turning his head, Ji Huan saw that the source of the noise was the spot where he had knelt just moments ago.

It was the stall belonging to that diminutive monster!

Carrying the freshly bought meat, he approached and witnessed a tall, cloaked monster engaged in a dispute with the small monster.

The cause of the conflict was immediately clear: the towering monster seemed to have set its sights on the candy, but instead of paying, it intended to simply take the sweet without any compensation.

The small monster, naturally, refused to comply. It leaped up, clinging tightly to the taller one's body. With ferocity, it bit down, enraging the larger creature.

Fights between monsters concluded swiftly. With a single swing of its arm, the tall monster sent the smaller one crashing to the ground. The candy inevitably landed in the taller monster's grasp, but before departing, it tossed a sparkling object that Ji Huan assumed to be money.

Ji Huan had no idea how much a "sparkling" item was worth, but judging by the fact that no one bothered to pick it up, it clearly wasn't valuable. The disturbance subsided as quickly as it arose, and the surrounding monsters dispersed, resuming their business as usual.

Though seizing items by force went against the principles of trade, the law of the land here was that the weak had no right to possess anything. No one paid attention to the plight of the small monster.

The tiny creature, resembling a deflated bag, lay motionless in the dirt. As Ji Huan assumed it might not survive this time, it astonishingly managed to rise once more.

Swiftly lifting the "mouse" from his original "stall," he then delved into the soil beside him. After a long search, he found the coin left behind by the tall creature.

Without wiping it clean, he stashed the coin in his pocket.

Next, he drew a new circle on the ground with his claws and threw the "mouse" inside, resuming his vending.

Ji Huan tugged at Ajin, guiding him to the small creature's stall. He asked Ajin to purchase the "mouse" on behalf of the other.

This time, Ajin didn't pay with gold coins but instead used the "shiny objects" like everyone else, offering three in total. With that, they obtained the lone item in the diminutive monster's inventory.

The tiny creature, having received payment, promptly departed. Ji Huan carried the "mouse" and watched him silently join the queue at the water stall. When his turn came, he retrieved four "shiny objects" from his pocket, exchanging them for a water bottle cap-sized quantity of water.

Drinking it all in one go, the small creature left without looking back.

"Everyone here grows up this way. Let's go," Ajin murmured beside Ji Huan before turning to leave.

So, had Ajin grown up like this as well?

Lost in thought, Ji Huan stood frozen for a moment before hastening to catch up with Ajin's strides ahead.