Modern Cultivation : The Strongest Couple Bonded by Vampire System-Chapter 580 - 580: Myrmeks

The more Alex thought about it, the more it felt like the most likely reason.
He pushed the thought to the back of his mind.
He focused back on the market and switched to the slave section.
There were many species there, most of them far beyond Aira's budget.
Each cage had a floating panel beside it, listing the creature's traits and its price in credits.
There was a race called Starvine Dryads, thin, pale humanoids with vine-like hair that constantly released faint glowing spores.
Their spores could accelerate crop growth and purify polluted soil. Price: 1,750,000 credits each.
Next were Ironcarapace Moles, squat beastmen with plated backs and drill-like claws.
They could tunnel quickly, detect mineral veins, and refine low-grade ore into mid-grade raw materials inside their bodies.
Price: 2,100,000 credits each.
Another entry showed Auric Gale Fowls, fat bird-like creatures with metallic feathers.
They laid one golden egg every ten days, and the eggs contained both precious metals and trace energy suited for alchemy.
Price: 3,500,000 credits each.
There were also Crystal Dew Sylphs, tiny winged humanoids trapped inside a glass-like cylinder.
Wherever they danced, dew with high elemental affinity formed, perfect as a catalyst for advanced potion-making.
Price: 2,800,000 credits each.
While the list went on, Alex suddenly saw a familiar name.
Nessara Dune Leviathan.
The image showed a creature shaped like a long-necked aquatic beast, similar to the Loch Ness monster, with smooth scales and wide fins.
It could swim through both water and sand as if both were liquid.
It ate almost anything, from rotten meat to scrap metal, then excreted a substance called Nitro Water.
Nitro Water had a mild calming effect on the mind and left a refreshing, cool feeling when drunk, making it valuable as a recovery drink and meditation aid.
Price: 220,000 credits each.
Alex did not hesitate.
"Aira, buy two Nessara Dune Leviathans, one male and one female."
He still remembered how this creature had turned his desert dungeon exploration into a complete mess.
He feel satisfied with this purchase.
They keep searching for another useful species.
One entry near the bottom of the list caught Alex's eye.
Myrmeks Hive Queen.
The image showed a bloated insect the size of a small car, with a dark purple carapace and a swollen abdomen covered in faint hexagonal patterns.
Behind it, countless smaller worker bodies moved in neat lines, each about the size of a dog.
He tapped the panel and more details unfolded.
The description said the Myrmeks were an engineered hive species specialized in construction and logistics.
Workers could carry three to four times their own body weight, dig stable tunnels, and secrete a resin that hardened into concrete-like material for walls, supports, and roads.
Builder variants had thicker forelegs and stronger mandibles, suited for shaping and stacking the resin blocks, while Wardens had heavier armor and acted as guards and traffic controllers around work sites.
All of them followed the Queen.
Her pheromones formed the command core of the hive, coordinating pathing, load distribution, and basic defense.
As long as the Queen remained healthy, the hive stayed calm and obedient, responding to artificial pheromone tags and signal plates that translated radio commands into simple orders such as carry, dig, stack, and guard.
There was also a breeding note.
A single Queen could lay hundreds of eggs per week.
Eggs hatched in three to five days, and larvae grew into adult workers in about two weeks under proper feeding.
Life span for a worker was listed as five to seven years in optimal conditions.
Below that, the cost figures appeared.
Worker Myrmeks: 45,000 credits each.
Builder Myrmeks: 75,000 credits each.
Warden Myrmeks: 90,000 credits each.
Myrmeks Hive Queen starter colony: one Queen, two hundred eggs, fifty adult workers, ten Builders, and five Wardens included, priced at 2,500,000 credits.
Alex could already imagine a swarm of these insects moving materials around a construction site, carrying stone, metal, and crates in endless lines while building underground warehouses on their own.
But unfortunately, the price was far beyond their budget.
They had only received 1,000,000 credits from the Mechalyte, so they needed to use it wisely.
After purchasing the two Nessara Dune Leviathans, they only had 560,000 credits left.
"Buy a few workers, Wardens, and Builders, Aira," Alex said.
"What for, Alex? We can just build things with the construction module from the city," Aira asked.
"I have a use for them."
Alex's main goal was to get their genes. He wanted to try modifying them to be more useful, keeping the core traits of hive mind and fast breeding while improving everything else. He also thought that if he ever needed to develop an area quickly, these creatures would be very helpful.
Aira hesitated for a moment, then followed his instructions and ordered a small batch of Myrmeks workers, Builders, and Wardens, leaving a bit of credit as reserve.
After finishing their purchases, Alex started exploring the entertainment category.
He found many virtual reality devices, from simple headsets to the full pod that Aira had used before. There were also many games to choose from.
As they kept scrolling through the list, one item made Alex frown.
'NRV, 1,000,000 credits! Bastards! They stole my creation!'
Alex remembered leaving the device at the Suzaku Guild base.
They had probably looted the tech after taking over the planet, then improved it and sold it on the market.
At this moment, Alex understood Faerith's feelings.
Having her research stolen and then used without her permission, with no profit at all going to her, was enough to make anyone furious.
'They even expect me to pay if I want to get one. These Mechalyte idiots, don't they understand copyright? I will make sure they pay for this later.'
He started cursing nonstop in his mind.
His gaze turned cold as killing intent spread around him.
Aira felt a chill and cold sweat ran down her back.
"Alex, is something the matter?"
"No. Never mind. That should be enough for now."
He turned away from the list and looked toward the Mechalyte representative.
"Let's go to the Mechalyte now, Aira."
"Now? What are you planning, Alex?"
When they came here, Aira had thought Alex only wanted to meet the other city lords.
But now, feeling his intent, she could guess he had some kind of plan involving the Mechalyte.
"Don't worry. I already have a plan. Everything will be over before anyone realizes anything."