On the east side of the Vanilla Marketplace, there was a vast, open area that the Dragon King Chamber of Commerce had occupied years prior for storage.
Food, cloth, fishing gear... All kinds of materials were sorted and piled up in their respective categories.
As one of the three major powers of Freedom Port, the Dragon King Chamber of Commerce was particularly skilled in trade, boasting the widest range of goods.
The largest and most abundant among these were the fish catches obtained from the sea.
Even before drawing near, the strong odor of fish assaulted the senses, while all manner of shouting filled the air.
The fishermen were unclean, especially those who worked at sea. Short voyages lasted at least a dozen days, while longer excursions could span several months. All of life's necessities had to be managed within the relatively cramped confines of a ship. Over time, an unpleasant odor that was very difficult to wash off would cling to them.
Under the urging of the Dragon King Chamber of Commerce's staff, barefooted and bare-chested fishermen were moving all sorts of marine goods.
The life of the lower class here wasn't much better than in the Black City. The only difference was that one was outwardly a slave, while the other claimed to have freedom.
The ground of the cargo yard was full of mud, and occasionally one could see small fish and shrimp jumping about, splashing bits of mud around.
Susan took out a handkerchief and covered her mouth and nose as she walked inside.
It was evident she did not like it here.
Susan stopped in a relatively spacious courtyard and pointed toward an iron cage in front. "It's this thing."
"The Corrupt Giant Crab!"
Carl took a closer look.
Inside the cage was a giant crab that stood two meters tall with an even more exaggerated width of nearly five meters. It was like a low-lying house.
Its shell was covered with moss and mud—thick and sturdy, giving off an impression of being indestructible.
Most striking were its two huge pincers. They were like enormous iron pliers—sharp and powerful. The closer one got, the more intense the sense of oppression became.
Carl didn't doubt that these pincers could easily snap a Knight in half.
Perhaps due to being away from seawater for too long, the Corrupt Giant Crab had dull eyes and remained motionless within the cage.
"For this one, the Chamber lost more than a dozen men," Susan said, her voice muffled by the handkerchief. "The Corrupt Giant Crab lives in the mud near the shore; it has a hard shell and can spray corrosive acid. Those pincers are especially sharp, enough to pierce straight through an ordinary fishing boat. However, the entire creature is a treasure."
At this point, Susan's eyes lit up. "Its shell can be used to make weapons and strengthen ship planks. Its roe and meat are excellent for nourishing vitality and blood. For Knights, the effect of the crab roe is comparable to High-quality Beast Pills, and the taste is also very delicious."
"Oh!" Carl expressed interest, asking, "Can I touch it?"
"Of course you can," Susan shrugged. "As long as you don't mind the filth."
She stepped back, increasing the distance between herself and Carl.
Carl chuckled at her reaction, stepped forward to the Corrupt Giant Crab, and reached out to touch its thick shell.
A wave of mental energy penetrated the body of the Corrupt Giant Crab.
It seemed to sense something, slightly moving its body before collapsing weakly on the ground again.
Creatures living in the sea often experience a sharp decline in strength once they leave the water, becoming lambs to the slaughter.
Carl withdrew his hand and shook his head regretfully.
According to the book "Discourse on Magic Creatures," this Corrupt Giant Crab was just a pseudo-Magic Creature, let alone a Legendary Creature. The only thing of research value was its enormous size and the poison sac within its body.
It seems that the distinction between Magic Creatures and ordinary creatures is not necessarily related to strength, but whether they have special abilities.
"How is it?" Susan asked from behind. "Are you interested?"
"I want some crab roe and some of the shell," Carl turned around. "Keep the cost within a thousand Divine Grace Coins."
"No problem!" Susan said with a smile. "The crab roe might be a bit scarce, as many Knights from the Chamber of Commerce are interested. However, I can give you more of the shell."
"Tie it down, quick!"
"Careful, it's broken free from the chain!"
Loud noises and roars, laced with terror, erupted from the neighboring courtyard, followed by a clattering chaos.
Susan raised her eyebrows, and before she could act, a white figure had already leaped over the wall and pounced.
The figure before Carl's eyes blurred as he sidestepped and threw a punch, sending the white shape flying.
"Thank you," Susan said with a smile. She was a Knight herself, so she wasn't afraid, but the feeling of being protected was always pleasant. "Turns out it's a frenzied Water Monkey."
Carl looked towards the white figure.
It was a monkey about three feet tall, covered in white fur, with blood-red eyes and high-pitched screeches coming from its mouth. Its hands were tightly clamped by iron cuffs, but the attached iron chain was broken. Clearly, it had forcibly freed itself.
To break an iron chain outright, this little guy was quite strong.
"People rarely catch Water Monkeys," Susan explained. "These creatures like to live in groups. A single one may not be strong, but a nest can easily number in the dozens or hundreds, which can be a headache even for a Great Knight. Moreover, once provoked, they become extremely frenzied, and a regular Water Monkey can even injure a Knight."
"Think about it: hundreds of frenzied Knights—what a terrifying sight that would be! Enough to easily destroy a fleet!"
"The key is," Susan continued, "once their rampage starts, their muscles and bones will suffer damage, making them unsellable. So in the end, it's a losing deal, and gradually people stopped wanting to provoke them."
Upon hearing this, Carl's interest was piqued as if he had thought of something.