Beast Hack: Customizing Beasts and Capturing Beauties - Chapter 291

Chapter 291: A-Rank Beast, S-Rank Price
The spectral staff soon brought out another set of beasts—five large armored wolves.

Each one of them stood with perfect discipline and unwavering presence.

Liline smirked, scanning the crowd. “Now that the auction has concluded, we move on to the next highlight of our grand opening.”

She gestured toward the five wolves standing before her.

“These beasts before you are Vornis—they were not as strong as Vorafang, yet highly versatile and adaptable in combat.”

At her signal, the spectral staff once again moved, distributing detailed papers containing the full stats, abilities, and weaknesses of the Vornis.

The moment the attendees read the descriptions, a wave of murmurs and surprised reactions spread across the hall.

“What the hell is this?!”

“A wolf that’s an A-Rank beast but still this strong?”

“It’s not just strong—it’s flexible! It can be an attacker or a defender?!”

A nobleman, reading through the stats, adjusted his monocle, his hands trembling slightly.

“This isn’t just a simple battle beast. It can function in solitary combat or in group tactics. That alone makes it more valuable than some of the standard S-Rank beasts.”

A seasoned beast tamer, known for leading mercenary squads, let out a low chuckle.

“Tch. It’s a damn soldier. Look at the details—it moves in formation, it adapts to its pack, and it has a hunting mark ability.”

Another bidder, a well-dressed woman with piercing eyes, frowned.

“Wait… does this say that its steel armor can change forms?”

She looked at Liline.

“Are you telling me this beast can reshape its armor into melee or ranged weapons at will?”

Liline grinned, nodding.

“You are correct. Depending on the situation, Vornis can transform its armor into defensive plating, bladed weapons, or projectile-based attacks. It is not just a battle beast—it is a warrior.”

The murmurs grew louder.

Some were shocked, others intrigued, and many were already considering placing a purchase.

But then—

A well-dressed merchant raised his hand.

“What about weaknesses? This beast must have a flaw.”

Liline smirked, expecting this question.

“Indeed, it does. Its diet.”

She raised her hand, and at her signal, a spectral display appeared in the air, highlighting the Vornis’s primary weakness.

“Vornis does not eat normal food. It consumes steel.”

The room went silent for a moment before someone spoke.

“Steel? That’s it? That’s the weakness?”

Another merchant scoffed.

“Hah! With the amount of money floating around in this room, feeding it steel is nothing!”

A noble tamer stroked his chin thoughtfully.

“Wait. If it consumes steel… then wouldn’t feeding it higher-quality steel make it even stronger?”

Liline nodded, smiling elegantly.

“You are correct. If fed with refined or enhanced steel, Vornis will gradually grow stronger and possibly evolve. The quality of its diet directly affects its potential.”

A ripple of realization spread through the hall.

One tamer laughed, shaking his head.

“They really thought this through. They made sure the beast is strong, flexible, and constantly growing—but also made it so only wealthy or resourceful owners could maximize its potential.”

Another noble grinned.

“Meaning this beast is not just for warriors—it’s an investment.”

Liline folded her arms, her smirk never fading.

“Now then… who among you is ready to claim a Vornis?”

Lucius, watching from above, grinned. “Heh… This is going even better than expected.”

Liline then raised her hand to remind them something about the sale.

“Before we begin the sale, I want to remind you all of something important.”

The bidders focused on her, waiting for what she had to say.

“Vornis is not a limited-edition beast. Unlike Vorafang, it will be available for purchase regularly at Luxoria Castle.”

Some bidders nodded, acknowledging this, but Liline wasn’t finished.

“However, today’s sale is special. For the grand opening, we will sell only five Vornis today.”

She paused, letting that information sink in.

“And the price will be set at 10 S-Rank beast cores per Vornis.”

A wave of stunned reactions spread through the hall.

“What?!”

“10 S-Rank beast cores? That’s nearly the price of a top tier S-Rank beast!”

“Why are you pricing an A-Rank beast so high?!”

One bidder, a muscular man with battle scars across his arms, scoffed. “Hah! 10 S-Rank beast cores for a single A-Rank beast? You’re overpricing this thing!”

Another noble, less emotional but clearly skeptical, nodded. “Even if it’s strong, it’s still not an S-Rank beast. Why would we pay so much?”

Liline chuckled softly. “What do you know?”

She crossed her arms, smirking. “Vornis isn’t just any A-Rank beast.”

She gestured toward the five wolves standing in formation.

“This beast has a stable, perfectly balanced stat system. Unlike wild S-Rank beasts, which can be unpredictable or difficult to train, Vornis is battle-ready for any situation.”

She lifted a finger.

“One. It is an adaptable combatant—able to switch between offense and defense with its shapeshifting steel armor.”

Another finger.

“Two. It is an elite tracker—with its Hunting Mark ability, no prey can escape it.”

A third finger.

“Three. Its true strength shines in numbers. With Pack Tactics, a group of Vornis is far stronger than a random assortment of S-Rank beasts.”

Some of the smarter tamers started murmuring amongst themselves.

“Wait… Pack Tactics? If they work in formation, that means…”

“They’d be able to fight like a military unit!”

“That’s right! Even if S-Rank beasts are stronger individually, a team of Vornis would be far deadlier in a coordinated assault!”

Liline smirked, watching as the crowd slowly came to understand the real value.

Then, she gave the final push.

“And lastly…”

She smiled coldly.

“You cannot get this beast anywhere else.”

Silence.

A noble tamer clicked his tongue, frustrated. “Damn it. She’s right. No other pet shop in the world sells something like this.”

A merchant, who had been skeptical before, sighed heavily. “That means they control the supply. If you don’t buy one now, you’ll be forced to come back later—at their price.”

Liline grinned, tilting her head slightly.

“Exactly.”

Then, she clapped her hands once, signaling the sale to begin.

“We only have five stocks.”

Her eyes glowed with amusement.

“So hurry up and buy one before they’re gone.”

The moment she finished speaking—

A flurry of raised hands filled the room.

The battle for Vornis had begun.