Chapter 66: She has a generational debt!

The command was easy to give, but the thought of the debt pressing down on her shoulders was great.

Beauty laughed, the host was beginning to re-think her purchases, but it was too late. [Why don’t you see the shelter first.]

She clapped her tiny hands, and the structure materialized, floating right in front of Zyra’s face.

[Take a look,] Beauty said, crossing her arms with a smug grin. [Everything that you desire has been included. I have included a water trench at the top that will transfer safe rainwater into the water tanks and a pump to draw water from an underground spring. Also, a flower garden on the roof top for beasts...but you can use it too.]

Zyra stared at the structure, her jaw dropping so low it almost hit her boots. It was breath taking, vast and the whole thing had taken less than a minute to create.

Right in the center sat a towering, black-jade mansion. It looked incredibly sleek but felt as solid as a mountain. Surrounding it were exactly one thousand smaller courtyard villas, neatly arranged in concentric circles like the rings of a giant tree. The outer walls were thick and dark with faint white lines that gave off a few sparks.

[See those white lines? That’s the high-grade invisibility and defense array. When you turn it on, the entire one thousand units of energy will twist the space around the wall. To anyone outside, this valley will just look like an empty, foggy cliff. Flying vessels and beasts will slide right past it, and if a stray lightning bolt drops from the sky, the walls will just absorb the energy and use it to power your lights.]

She clapped her hands.

[Why talk when I can show you?]

She was suddenly pulled into the beast domain, along with the animals. While they frolicked, and she paced for a full ten minutes, checking the time every other second. Beauty was silent. As suddenly as she had been pulled into the space, she was pulled out.

She was not standing outside anymore, she was in a hallway, in proper house! With proper clean walls that smelled brand new!

The beasts were confused. Zyra, however, squealed and ran forward, her eyes sparkling like a kid in a candy store as she checked the important aspects of the main house.

She opened the closest door to a heavily secured room. "Ooh! Is this the security room?"

[Correct.] The walls were covered with one giant screen that covered every side. It had dozens of small boxes; each marked with a letter of the alphabet and number. Cameras around the property zoomed in, showing everything in the valley and beyond.

[The whole security system is connected to me, so nothing can get passed your eyes. As soon as I sense something dangerous to any beast in this shelter, I will warn you.]

She tilted her head, sneering lightly. "I have seen parents with favorite children, but you are really a class above. Everything is beasts with you. Well, you better add me, the host into the equation. Keep an eye on anything dangerous to my home."

[It will cost you.]

She snorted. "Better you than a human," she replied. "Nobody is sneaking up on me as long as you are in charge. What about the emergency exit?"

[Follow the green arrow on the wall.]

Where she walked, the beasts followed cautiously. Beauty guided her to the underground floors of the house. The lights went on and Zyra saw a circular iron door.

[This is the emergency exit, traveling through the bedrock of the mountain, and popping out far away in a hidden riverbed near the Aurora Dominion. You can go from this country to another in a heartbeat and harvest their strong beasts. This reinforced tunnel is complete with automated poison traps every ten meters. Happy?]

"Extremely happy," Zyra chuckled, rubbing her hands together like a cartoon villain. They returned to the next floor, and she stopped by a window. Her eyes drifted to the left side of the main mansion. She blinked. "Wait... what is that massive, glowing side over there? It’s probably nicer than my penthouse upstairs."

[Ah, that,] Beauty smiled sweetly, though her eyes flashed with mischief. [That is the Beast Paradise Pavilion. Remember the fifty-fifty rule? Since you wanted a penthouse equipped with luxury, the beasts get a fortress-level resort. That dome contains a heated volcanic mud bath, a waterfall that pumps liquid made from life sap roots for energy and for enhancing their strength, and a relaxation lounge with soft grass mats and automated belly-scratching massage chairs]

Zyra’s jaw dropped again, this time in pure disbelief. "Wow, just wow!" She said sarcastically. "Belly scratching massage chairs. You..."

Her words were cut off as Tyrant leaped out of a window with Spice and the Squirrel on his back. They headed to the Beast Paradise Pavilion as if it was calling them! From their happy squeals, Zyra could tell that they were very happy.

"Right, shared ownership, you don’t need my permission." She muttered. Zyra sucked in a sharp breath, trying to regain her composure as a serious leader. "The beasts deserve to be happy. They fight hard. But let’s get to the real question. What’s the price tag on this bad boy? How many resonance points are we talking about?"

Beauty didn’t answer right away. Instead, she let out a slow, dramatic sigh and looked at Zyra with deep sympathy. [Zyra... my dear host... It is not that expensive.... just 200,000,0000 resonance points or energy stones.]

The price almost made her faint. "What!" Zyra shouted, her voice suddenly getting higher. "200 million energy stones? How am I supposed to pay them off?"

[Oh, come on host....do not be lazy,] Beauty countered. [You have a map to find dungeons, use it and get tenants too... and the debt is hereditary, your children, your grandchildren, and your great-grandchildren can hunt for beasts and get energy stones every single day without taking a single afternoon off...]

Zyra let out a mocking laugh. "You have to be kidding me! My great grandchildren?"

[...You might pay off the front gate by next century since you are lazy.

Oh, small warning. The shelter’s functions will slowly fail if do not meet your periodic quarter payments.]

Zyra stiffened, turning pale. "Are you joking? Beauty, tell me you’re joking!"

[I wish I was and I cannot take back the shelter since it has been used already...your beasts are enjoying paradise already. This is now considered used property, and the Beast bank will not take it back.] Beauty chuckled, scrolling down on the screen to show the beasts in the bubble pool.

"Shit!" Zyra cursed.

[Think positive host...the monthly rent for the human units means every single person who moves into any of those side houses will need to hand over three low-grade stones a week just to keep the protective shield running. It’s the easy way out.]

"Three stones a week for rent..." Zyra muttered, her eyes suddenly sharpening as her inner landlord awoke. A slow, calculating grin replaced her look of despair. She turned to look at her new home, wondering how she would find these tenants. "I’ll charge 50 stones a week."

Beauty blinked, genuinely surprised by how fast Zyra’s brain had switched from panic to a capitalist hustle. [Host, do you want to be a slumlord?]