"But this is still too valuable. That fruit isn't worth a blue-quality weapon," Jin Sha pondered. "If you insist on settling this, let's trade."
"Oh?" Bai Ye chuckled. "How do you propose we trade?"
Jin Sha said, "I only have beast companions. Are you interested?"
As Jin Sha spoke, she produced a pile of red and white spheres. "These are beast companion orbs, containing different beasts. These are from my world, these were caught elsewhere, and these were captured in the ice fields."
Bai Ye considered. "I have no experience in raising beast companions. If I'm to trade for them, I'd prefer immediate combat power. However, exchanging a blue-quality weapon for a blue-quality beast companion wouldn't be considered settling a debt."
"It's fine, I can't possibly use so many," Jin Sha said. "You can add something, or pick more if you like, as long as we can reach a consensus on value."
After she finished speaking, Jin Sha playfully stuck out her tongue at Bai Ye.
"After all," Jin Sha added, "I don't want to owe you a favor."
Bai Ye smiled. "So you can hold nothing back if you ever need to kill me?"
Jin Sha replied, "Uh-huh, exactly!"
"Alright!" Bai Ye shrugged. "What do you need?"
Jin Sha thought for a moment. "I think you should know what I need."
What does a beast tamer need?
It was actually quite easy to guess. Did beast tamers need beast companions? No, it was definitely things that benefited themselves, or more directly, things that could enhance their own combat power. This was because beast tamers had a very obvious weakness: if their beast companions were difficult to deal with, then deal with the tamer directly.
This was why Bai Ye had given the Zanpakuto to Jin Sha; that item was very suitable for her.
Serpent's Mouth was not a melee Zanpakuto, allowing its blade to be used like a whip. Thus, when someone tried to attack Jin Sha, she could engage in mid-to-long-range combat, preventing them from getting close.
Besides that, what else was suitable for Jin Sha...
"You decide for yourself. Honestly, I don't have much left," Bai Ye said, tossing his belongings onto the ground. He spread his hands. "Take a look. What do you like?"
"Ah, a plasma cannon? Isn't that a Predator's shoulder cannon?" Jin Sha's eyes lit up. "Did you kill a Xenomorph Predator?"
Bai Ye shrugged. "Got lucky, it was by chance."
Truth be told, the plasma cannon was also very suitable for Jin Sha.
To be precise, any long-range weapon suited Jin Sha, helping her prevent opponents from closing the distance. Second were defensive gear, which could help her defend against ranged attacks. By improving in these two areas, other matters could be left to her beast companions.
As for improving her own physical attributes...
That was stating the obvious, as it applied to anyone.
However, a plasma cannon, a black-quality high-grade item...
Bai Ye truly didn't believe Jin Sha had any beast companions of comparable value to offer.
As expected, although Jin Sha eyed the plasma cannon with longing, it was only longing. She couldn't produce a black-quality beast companion. Moreover, a beast tamer's development path primarily focused on their companions; using a black-quality beast companion to trade for a plasma cannon would be counterproductive and weaken her own strength!
The core of any transaction was exchanging what you didn't need for what you did.
"Ah!"
At this moment, Jin Sha suddenly cried out again, startling Bai Ye.
Bai Ye asked, "Why are you so jumpy?"
Jin Sha picked up two stones, her eyes wide with excitement. "Beast companion fossil, and a Super Stone! Why do you have this? And they're a matching set!"
"Ah?"
Bai Ye looked at the two stones Jin Sha held, a little stunned.
He had almost forgotten about these two items.
The Super Stone was Bai Ye's first-kill reward for defeating a participant in the Beast Companion World. The fossil of Aerodactyl was obtained for saving Dr. Harding, who longed for freedom only to be eaten by a monster.
First-kill rewards were generally quite good...
Bai Ye silently added: except for that Sunflower Manual that wanted to castrate him.
And Jurassic Park was a hidden quest. The rewards for hidden quests were naturally excellent.
However...
The problem was that Bai Ye had absolutely no idea what the Super Stone and the Aerodactyl fossil were used for. Items that couldn't be used, no matter how powerful or rare, were meaningless. Therefore, these two stones had been gathering dust in Bai Ye's inventory.
If he hadn't casually thrown out all his belongings, Bai Ye would have nearly forgotten about these two things.
"I want the plasma cannon!" Jin Sha said after a moment's thought, producing a gem-encrusted pendant. "I have a Key Stone!"
"Ah?"
Bai Ye didn't react, looking at Jin Sha blankly.
Jin Sha continued, "Or, are you planning to trade the Aerodactyl fossil and the Super Stone?"
Bai Ye tilted his head again. "Ah?"
Jin Sha stamped her foot. "Give me an answer!"
Bai Ye wiped his brow. "I don't know what to say. I don't understand any of what you're talking about!"
For a fleeting moment, Bai Ye felt like crying, blaming his lack of knowledge. "Holy crap" was all he knew how to say.
Jin Sha explained, "This Aerodactyl fossil is from my world. We call it a Secret Amber there. As a very rare ancient species of beast companion, Aerodactyl is extinct. The only way to revive it is to extract its genes from a Secret Amber."
Jin Sha picked up the Super Stone again. "Super Stones can allow some beast companions to undergo ultra evolution. Coincidentally, Aerodactyl is one of them, and your Super Stone happens to be compatible with Aerodactyl."
"Such a coincidence?"
Bai Ye thought of the beast tamer commanding the yellow-skinned mouse outside Jurassic Park. Would that person deliberately seek out Aerodactyl fossils?
Bai Ye asked, "However, ultra evolution still requires a Key Stone, right?"
"Yes!" Jin Sha held up the pendant. "I happen to have one."
Bai Ye said, "Understood. So, your trade is the Key Stone for the plasma cannon?"
Jin Sha replied, "That's meaningless to you. The Aerodactyl would still be a stone. My trade is to help you revive the Aerodactyl, plus the Key Stone, but that will take some time."
Bai Ye asked, "How much time are we talking about?"
Jin Sha said, "I know of a beast companion area, from my world. I'd have to find someone there to revive the Aerodactyl, and it might involve doing a quest. It's quite troublesome."
After she finished speaking, Jin Sha's expression showed a hint of hesitation.
Seeing Jin Sha's struggle, Bai Ye probed, "Do you have other ideas?"
Jin Sha said, "If you're willing to part with the fossil and the Super Stone, I do have another deal, but..."
Jin Sha glanced at the items on the ground and then took a deep breath.
"I want all of it!"
...