Chapter 8 – Florida Man Feeds Dire Wolf to His Cat
Half a day after Han Meng's visit, Leo finished decorating his store. It was modeled after a butcher shop.
A display refrigerator and freezer chests were arranged on the west side of the store. This area was for the butchered beef, pork, chicken, and random meat. But for now, these freezers were left empty as he hadn't completely butchered the dire wolf yet.
As for the east area, Leo put fruit display refrigerators there and stored black weed in them. He arranged the grass like vegetables, making it easy to pick up.
The center area and the north zone were still empty. Leo couldn't place anything on the south area either as it was connected to the entrance and windows.
For now, the store's furniture was completed. However, Leo felt like this place lacked variety.
Leo looked around and inspected the cabinet freezers.
There was one major problem. This place had no electricity, so the freezers didn't work.
Leo scratched his head. He lightly touched the freezer glass and frowned.
It was hot. As the black grass kept emitting radioactive air, the surrounding temperature kept rising.
"What am I going to do with you? This is a waste of lifespan!"
Leo felt like he was scammed. He had the urge to throw away the freezer to the trash dump at the boulder. Thus, he lightly slapped the side of a refrigerator.
DING
<Would you like to upgrade the equipment?>
Leo paused for a minute. He stared at the fridge and the system window. He had never seen this type of upgrade before.
Curious, Leo pressed the confirm button.
<Upgrading this refrigerator costs 100 years of lifespan.>
Leo frowned. The system gave him prompt messages, but it didn't show what the upgrade could do. He rechecked his balance, wondering if he could afford it.
<Your current lifespan: 237 Years, 11 months, 18 days, 20 hours, and 16 minutes.>
After spending so much on furniture and refrigerators, Leo had 200 years in stock. Leo looked around and counted the fridges.
Three glass-door fridges, two meat displays, and five slide-door chests – Ten in total!
"Do I need 1,000 years of lifespan to upgrade everything?"
Leo clicked his tongue. As he had nothing to lose, he agreed to spend 100 years on the upgrade.
DING
<The Supermarket Showcase Refrigerator has been upgraded to Level 2.>
The refrigerator glittered. The outward appearance didn't change. However, Leo instantly noticed the upgrade.
The electric wire no longer existed, yet the LED light was turned on. Moreover, cool air came out, rapidly decreasing the grass temperature.
"… Wow."
Leo was in awe. The fridge no longer required electricity.
Inspired, Leo touched the second fridge.
DING
<Would you like to upgrade the equipment?>
"YES!"
DING
<The Supermarket Showcase Refrigerator has been upgraded to Level 2.>
Just like that, 200 years of Leo's lifespan was gone. He gazed at the two upgraded showcase fridges and nodded in approval.
Since Leo only had two working fridges, he got busy again. Leo rearranged the black grass and put the rest outside the store. For now, he would eat the leftover food to get his lifespan back.
.
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Meanwhile, Han Meng returned to the sect and rushed into the tallest pagoda. He got to the top floor and strode into a large hall, where a bald man had been meditating inside alone.
Han Meng brought out the black grasses and put them on the floor. He cupped his fist and reported.
"Father! Look what I've found. I've brought you 50 blades of immortal grasses!"
The bald elder opened his eyes and gazed at his son. He wore a long coat and white robes – The uniform of the sect's grand elder. He had no facial hair or eyebrow, and his wrinkled skin seemed coarse and thick.
When the grand elder saw the black grasses, he was stunned. He kept looking back and forth between Han Meng and the pile of grasses for a minute.
"THAT'S A LOT OF IMMORTAL GRASSES!"
"Yes, father. With these, we can refine so many elixirs. We can increase our lifespan by at least 5,000 years or so!"
The grand elder deeply nodded. He stood up and picked one of the grass blades. Then, he sniffed at it.
Its odor was the same as burnt iron. They were legit immortal grasses of high quality.
"Contact Wu Buyi! Commission him to make an elixir first. If he's busy, ask him to put everything aside and complete this first!"
"Yes, father! Hahaha, you are going live for a long time."
"Of course, I will! Anyway…" The grand elder tossed the black grass to the pile. He gazed at his son, "Where did you get these? I reckon the next secret realm's opening is a month away. Nobody should have gotten their hands on these."
"Oh, right. I forgot to report. Great news, father. An expert drops by, and he agrees to sell us his herbs. He seems to be a rogue cultivator that practices the art of life force. He asked me for my lifespan when he offered to sell me these."
The grand elder narrowed his eyes, worrying that his son might have been scammed.
"How many years did he ask?"
"Only 10 years per blade of grass, father! Isn't that cheap?!"
The grand elder's expression brightened. He let out a long sigh of relief.
"We're blessed. He seems to have goodwill toward our sect. Had it been me, I would have asked for 500 years for each grass."
"I think so too! Anyway, let's hurry and make you an elixir. We can't afford to let you run out of lifespan and die before your next breakthrough."
"Indeed. Let's visit Wu Buyi together."
The two men strolled toward the alchemy department, paying their pill maker a visit.
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After eating 40 blades of black grasses, Leo rechecked his lifespan.
<Your current lifespan: 77 Years, 11 months, 18 days, 19 hours, and 45 minutes.>
Leo was annoyed. He gazed at the stockpile in the freezer and counted them. From a rough estimation, Leo expected about six thousand blades of grass.
"I ain't gonna y'all! I ain't a COW… mooo."
Leo thought of the dire wolf. Then, he remembered that he hadn't skinned it yet.
"Right. I drained the blood and removed the guts, but I haven't skinned or butchered it. I can make it into a BBQ!"
Leo went out of the store and inspected the hanging carcass in the woods. The blood had been drained, and the waste filled a plastic bin to the brim.
Seeing the wet junk, Leo thought of the unknown roots in the septic tank. He wondered if that mutated plant could use them as fertilizer. He carried the bin to the boulder.
Upon getting back to the boulder, Leo discovered that it was covered in green vines, which bloomed black flowers. The odor of burning iron and the aurora around it indicated that the vines and flowers were contaminated.
Leo put the bin next to the boulder. He lightly poked the vine, wondering if the roots and the vines were from the same body.
"Ay, yo. Do you happen to eat blood and wolf's guts? I have some in the bin. Are you interested?"
WIGGLE
One of the vines extended and slithered toward Leo. It bloomed a black flower and dibbed the tip of the vine into the bin.
The green vine slowly changed color from green to brown as wolf blood entered its body.
WIGGLE
One of the flowers grew larger, transforming into a large mouth of a black chomper plant. The mouth smiled and licked its lips. Then, it extended its long tongue, scooping the wolf's intestines into its mouth.
"…"
Leo quietly gazed at the plant monster. He used to witness monster mutations and evolution processes. However, he had never seen a mutated plant.
"Oh, boy. What the hell did I create?"
Leo laughed at the black chomper. He lightly patted its head.
The chomper plant grinned. Then, it let out a weird sound.
"Meow."
"…"
Leo's expression changed. He had a funny feeling about this chomper.
"Are you a cat or a man-eating plant? Make up your mind!"
"Meow."
"… A cat, I see. Okay, your name is [Cat], okay?"
Within seconds, "Cat" finished everything in the bin. It licked its lips and then almost licked Leo's face. Fortunately, it pulled back its tongue as it sensed something dread from his skin.
"Good choice. Had you licked me, you would have died."
"HISS!!"
The chomper shrunk back in fear. Leo laughed at it and carried the empty bin back.
Seeing that Leo went back to his cabin, the chomper rested its large head on the boulder. Then, it revealed a mischievous grin.
"Meow!"
More vines and roots spread toward the forest. Nearby trees slowly turned blue and emitted dense fog.
