After gaining Slightly Sharp from the mantis, Aiden began considering the possibilities of his Class more seriously.
The thought of absorbing the soul essence of Earth’s countless creatures and inheriting their unique traits was undeniably tempting.
A strength-related trait from a dung beetle or rhinoceros beetle. The explosive striking power of a mantis shrimp. The concussive burst of a pistol shrimp. The instantaneous snap of a trap-jaw ant. The adhesive mastery of a gecko. The regenerative abilities of a salamander. The heat-sensing capabilities of a pit viper.
Even the absurd resilience of a tardigrade. The possibilities were practically endless.
If he had enough time, Aiden could theoretically turn himself into a walking collection of nature’s most extraordinary adaptations.
But there was one problem which was time.
These creatures weren’t treasures conveniently waiting on the roadside for him to collect.
Many were rare, difficult to locate, or confined to environments he couldn’t casually reach. Some were so tiny that finding even one could be like searching for a needle in a haystack. Others were nocturnal, elusive, or lived in places where locating them could take hours or even days.
And finding them wasn’t enough. He had to kill them before he could absorb their soul essence.
That meant tracking them down, hunting them, and spending precious time acquiring abilities that, while fascinating, might contribute little to his immediate survival.
Still, that didn’t mean the idea was useless; if anything, it was quite the opposite.
Aiden had already learned enough from the mantis shrimp to understand the problem.
An extraordinary trait wasn’t necessarily an extraordinary ability for him.
What mattered was usefulness after all he couldn’t afford to collect everything simply because it was interesting.
Aiden stood outside the Eclipse Online Pod Shop, watching the crowd for a moment before turning away.
His mind was already moving ahead after all he had only a few hours left.
Aiden took a slow breath, "Then I’ll prioritize."
His thoughts immediately returned to the creatures he’d considered.
Some traits offered obvious combat potential. Others could improve his senses, mobility, survivability, or utility. And a few were simply too valuable to ignore.
The mantis had already proven that even a single ordinary creature could give him something useful.
The pistol shrimp was worth pursuing for its concussive burst.
The pit viper could potentially give him an entirely new form of sensory perception.
Beetles offered possibilities related to strength and physical performance.
And the salamander... Aiden’s eyes narrowed slightly. ’Regeneration.’
Even if the trait transferred at only a fraction of its original effectiveness, it could become invaluable once the apocalypse began.
These were the kinds of abilities he needed to prioritize. Not the strangest and also not necessarily the strongest but the ones that could make the greatest difference to his survival.
But there was still another problem. Finding them himself would take too much time.
Aiden’s gaze shifted toward the street ahead. Then, suddenly, a faint smile appeared on his face.
’Why search through forests and oceans when someone else has already done the work for me?’
The modern world had spent centuries cataloguing, studying, breeding, trading, and keeping creatures from almost every corner of the planet.
If he wanted rare animals, he didn’t necessarily need to find them in the wild.
He only needed to find someone who already had them.
Aiden pulled out his personal terminal and began searching for specialized exotic-animal retailers nearby.
Several results appeared. His eyes quickly scanned through them before stopping on one.
A licensed aquatic and exotic-animal facility less than twenty minutes away.
His smile widened slightly. ’Perfect.’
Without wasting another second, Aiden changed direction.
His destination was a shop he knew well.
The shop was considerably smaller than the Eclipse Online Pod Shop, but its interior was clean and surprisingly sophisticated.
Rows of aquariums lined the walls, filled with brightly colored fish weaving through artificial reefs. Small crustaceans crawled between rocks, while several larger tanks housed amphibians and reptiles beneath carefully controlled environmental conditions.
Holographic labels displayed information about each species, including habitat requirements, feeding schedules, temperament, and legal ownership restrictions.
Aiden walked toward the counter, where a young attendant looked up.
"Welcome. Looking for anything specific?"
"Yes."
Aiden glanced toward the aquatic section. "Do you have mantis shrimp?"
The attendant blinked. "Mantis shrimp?"
"Yes."
"Actually..." The attendant’s expression became slightly more interested. "We do. They’re not exactly our most popular animals, though."
"I’ll take one."
The attendant stared at him. "You know they’re not beginner-friendly, right?"
"I know."
"They’re highly territorial. Some species can damage aquarium equipment, and you absolutely don’t want to put one in a community tank."
"I understand."
She studied him for another second. "You’ve kept one before?"
"No."
"Then are you confident?"
Aiden gave a small nod. "I’ll manage."
The attendant shrugged. "All right."
She checked the inventory. "We have one suitable specimen."
Aiden nodded. "And pistol shrimp?"
The attendant paused again. "You want both?"
"Yes."
A faint smile appeared on her face. "You’re setting up a rather unusual aquarium."
"I’ve always liked unusual animals."
The excuse was weak, very weak. But apparently convincing enough.
The attendant laughed softly, "Fair enough."
She checked another inventory list then said softly, "We have a pistol shrimp as well."
"Good." Aiden had just finished confirming the purchase when another thought occurred to him.
"And pit vipers?"
The attendant’s smile disappeared. "Pit vipers?"
Aiden nodded. "Yes, preferably a young one."
The attendant stared at him. For the first time since he’d entered the store, her expression became genuinely cautious.
"Those aren’t sold like ordinary reptiles."
"I know."
"Venomous species are heavily regulated."
"Do you have any that are legally available?"
The attendant hesitated before answering. "We have a licensed specimen that has already undergone veterinary procedures to prevent it from delivering venom. But even without that capability, it’s still a pit viper."
"Then I’ll take it."
"You’re sure?"
"Yes."
She studied him carefully. "Even a defanged specimen isn’t harmless. It still has the instincts of a venomous predator. It can bite, strike, coil, and become defensive if it feels threatened."
Aiden almost smiled. ’I’ve fought things that could swallow this animal whole.’
Outwardly, however, he simply nodded, "I understand."
The attendant eventually accepted his answer, "All right. I’ll have to confirm the paperwork."
She spent the next few minutes completing the necessary checks.
Aiden waited patiently. Eventually, she looked up.
"Everything is approved."
"Good." She entered the final order. "One mantis shrimp, one pistol shrimp, and one defanged pit viper."
A second employee who had been organizing supplies nearby overheard the list.
He looked over. "Mantis shrimp, pistol shrimp, and a pit viper?"
He laughed, "That’s a strange first aquarium."
Aiden glanced at him, "You haven’t seen the rest of my list."
The employee laughed again, "You’re serious?"
Aiden smiled faintly. "Very."
The employee shook his head. "Good luck."
’I wonder how their expressions will be if they knew I’m buying these stuffs to kill them...’ Aiden smiled inwardly as he completed the payment.
The transaction was straightforward. However, there was one problem. Delivery.
Because the three animals required different environmental conditions, transporting them together wasn’t something the shop could do casually.
The mantis shrimp needed an appropriately stabilized container. The pistol shrimp required controlled aquatic conditions.
The pit viper needed a secure enclosure with temperature regulation and appropriate ventilation. The animals also had to be monitored throughout the journey.
The attendant checked the logistics estimate, "It’ll take around seven hours."
Aiden’s expression tightened, "Seven?"
"I’m sorry." She raised her hands slightly. "We don’t want to rush the transport. The animals have to be kept under controlled conditions, and your delivery location is outside our immediate delivery zone."
Aiden looked at the time.
Seven hours. That was longer than he wanted. But there wasn’t much he could do.
"Fine."
The attendant smiled apologetically. "Sorry for inconvenience. We’ll send you an update once they’re dispatched."
Aiden nodded. "All right."