Chaotic Zenless Zone Zero Chapter 22 (Patreon)

Seeing as I needed local help in destroying a small hollow in an official manner, I had very few options here in the Waifei Peninsula. But if I could get Yunkui Summit/The Suiban Temple to help... Then everything would be fine.

So there I was walking through Chenghui Square as I made my way past Sweety's resturant and hotel and up to the mountain that Yunkui Summit was built into.

Once I made my way up to the main gates of Yunkui Summit, I saw a disciple of Yunkui Summit standing guard at the entrance.

"Hello, welcome to the Suiban Temple. May I help you?" The female disciple asked with a gentle smile as she gave me a light bow.

I nodded and said calmly. "My name is Jake Bariss, and I was hoping I could meet with an elder disciple of Yunkui Summit for both a business opportunity and humanitarian concerns." 

The disciple paused at my words before she asked helplessly. "Did... You make an appointment? We don't let salesmen into the temple even if they are from the TOPS."

My lips twitched before I said dryly. "I am not from the TOPS. I actually want to help humanity. Not suck it dry."

Clearing my throat, I said more firmly. "Please, while I am willing to make such appointments, the collaboration with the Yunkui Summit and their mystics is very important."

The disciple bit her lower lip before sighing and saying. "Fine. I will ask for a senior disciple... Just don't blame me if they escort you off the temple grounds."

I nodded in understanding as that was more than fair.

She then stepped past the temples grand door she cracked open to slip into. And I could hear a bell in the distance that she probably pulled a rope to activate.

Then she came back out and said sheepishly. "A senior disciple should come out in a bit, I guess."

I nodded in understanding and just waited patiently as I felt my backpack weigh heavily on me as I was carrying several 'products' I wanted to introduce to Yunkui Summit.

And while I was hoping for someone 'easy' to fool in Ju Fufu, Yin Panhua, or even Yixuan who was easy to get along with. I paused at the sight of a tall stout Thiren man I recognized as the 'Supreme Brother-In-Law'

'Ye Shiyuan, Ye Shunguang's older brother.' I mused as the man's cold eye's took in my form and noticeably focused on my Gorgon Thiren traits.

"Please come into the temple grounds, guest." Ye Shiyuan said in a deep voice as he seemingly realized I wasn't just a charlatan.

Following the mysterious Thiren into the temples grounds he quietly led me to a meeting room with a low table where we were going to have to sit on the ground.

'Hmm, is this meeting room supposed to put the guest on the back foot with how he is going to sit on a higher landing and above me?' I mused with some amusement.

And my thought was proven more true as Ye Shiyuan said coldly. "Take off your shoes guest."

Meanwhile, he very much didn't take off his shoes as he went over and sat at the end of the table.

But I didn't throw a tantrum or act disrespectfully. I knew Ye Shiyuan's story, he was the external brain of the Yunkui Summit, and after dealing with the TOPS for years, it was a literal miracle he was even giving me this time at all.

So after kicking off my shoes, I brought my backpack and opened it up to take out three things that made him raise an eyebrow.

The first object was a 1/5th scale minature droideka which unrolled with a loud clicking noise and stood up on the table with an energy shield forming over it.

Second was a stack of thin strips of ebony metal which I made from my Alteration magic after a month of fucking around with the transmute spell. And I quickly learned the highly magically conductive ebony metal was also... HIGHLY reactive to ether energy as well.

And lastly, and most importantly, inside of its own sealed container was a pack of 'medicine' in shredded-up spicy octopus sticks that had been pressed into the form of pills.

"This is a personal battle droid I have made called a Droideka. It's mobility is best in its rolled-up form where it can travel at high speeds, while in it's walking form. It's six legs allow it to go over rough terrain with ease."

I took a breath and continued explaining my Droideka's abilities in it's energy shield which could easily block high-caliber rounds as well as especially ether-based projectiles, and how it was armed with dual matter disruptor rifles.

After explaining that, Ye Shiyuan held up a hand and with a slightly warmer tone he asked slowly. "What is a matter disruptor rifle exactly?"

I paused and said thoughtfully in turn. "You got anything in the room you don't mind being disintegrated?" 

Ye Shiyuan gave me a long look before he reached under the table and tossed over a metal thermos before saying cooly. "I do hope the size of that machine won't affect the demonstration that badly."

To which I shook my head and said calmly. "Not a problem at all. The way a matter disruptor rifle works is by sending an energy beam at a target. And as it's hit, it expands over the target and forcibly pulls apart the atoms that make up the surrounding area."

A loud, shrill zipping noise rang out. And I saw Ye Shiyuan's face go still as the thermos sank in on itself after I controlled this particular Droideka with my phone to shoot it with the empty thermos falling down on it's side as the bottom half of it seemingly 'melted'.

Clearing my throat, I then pointed to the stack of ebony sticks and said. "While I am sure that my Droidekas can be used by Yunkui Summit to guard special areas, as their energy shields also protect them from ether corruption."

"And can be set to not attack humans at all so they can be used in rescue missions in a hollow."

"This new metal I have created I believe, will be of much greater interest to you all in Yunkui Summit. This metal is capable of augmenting ether reactions by five times at the very least when used to channel ether."

Yunkui Summit may have been budget cultivators basically. But they weren't without actual supernatural methods even besides the two void hunter weapons they had on hand.

At Ye Shiyuan's suddenly extremely strong reaction at my words, I slid over one of the sample sticks of Ebony metal towards him and said bluntly. "But even still, making this metal is... Prohibitively difficult, dangerous, and expensive. So do not expect massive shipments of this."

Ye Shiyuan slowly took up the strip of metal, and with a hum, he took a deep breath before the ebony glowed powerfully as he held it like a dagger that spun through his hand.

And after a moment of thought, he carefully put down the strip of ebony that slowly lost its glow as he said quietly. "I didn't have a W-Engine active... Nor is there enough passive ether in the air to project an ether field. How does this metal function?" 

But I shook my head and said with a smile. "Trade secret I am afraid. But now onto something I am sure that Yunkui Summit and literally any other organization will do anything for that I have come up with."

I then unsheathed the 'pills' and pushed them forward with Ye Shiyuan giving me a more dangerous look as he was well aware how fucking evil TOPS could be. So evil that even Umbrella would look upon them with shock.

But I didn't hesitate as I said bluntly. "These pills have the ability to purge ether corruption within someone inside of a hollow. Even to the point that they are starting to get physical ether corruption, with crystals growing on their body as well as giving them a moderate resistance to medium-tier ether activity while in the Hollow."

Ye Shiyuan's face went stiff before he sighed and said in agreement. "That... Is indeed very useful. But what is it's cost? Is it extremely toxic to the human body?"

I gave Ye Shiyuan a look before I said bluntly. "There is a great amount of pain involved... The chemical and ether reaction feels like you ate the spiciest shit imaginable as the ether is purged from your body, and the burning sensation remains while it provides passive protection to you."

Even to his disbelief, I said helplessly. "I am not joking... And don't look down on the spice level, as I have seen girls actually cry after eating it."

Well, Nicole was also crying after I told her the costs involved, as I wanted to get several massive food processors and a line to make these ether corruption cures. But that didn't matter!