Jeremiah rubbed his eyes with both hands and tried to will the tightness out of his shoulders.
He had spent nearly an hour combing through the Fixtures listings — opening tabs, reading descriptions twice, picturing the layout shifting in his head, then closing everything again. Some options were genuinely clever. Others tempted him the way any shiny new tool would. A few were practical enough that they would have made daily operations noticeably smoother.
And still, he had bought nothing else.
Mero drifted upside down over his shoulder, arms folded behind his head as he watched the silent back-and-forth.
“Kid,” Mero said, “I know yer tryin’ not to make any mistakes, but that don’t actually matter much if you don’t buy anything.”
Jeremiah let his hands drop to the desk and exhaled. “I know,” he said, his voice flat with frustration. “I’m just… trying to be smart here.”
Mero flipped upright and tapped his chin with one finger. “If yer lookin’ for a smart deal, why not check out the specials?”
Jeremiah blinked.
It wasn’t that he had forgotten about the newly unlocked menu. Not exactly. He had simply told himself he would circle back to it after covering the basics. It seemed the smart way to do it. Like how you didn’t visit the clearance aisle until you got your shopping done. But somewhere between caution and outright choice paralysis, he had hesitated.
Still, Mero wasn’t wrong.
If he stayed indecisive, nothing changed. The whole point of having marks to burn was to turn them into something real. Something the shop could use.
“Fine,” Jeremiah muttered. “Specials it is. If nothing else, maybe they’ll give me some ideas.”
Mero grinned. “Attaboy.”
Jeremiah backed out to the main menu and selected Special Offers & Featured Items.
The interface shifted with a soft ripple.
He frowned almost immediately.
The storefront that appeared was surprisingly small. In fact, as far as he could tell, it held only two items.
Jeremiah leaned forward, curiosity sharpening despite himself, and focused on the first listing.
He opened it, and his heart stuttered.
Jeremiah straightened so abruptly that his chair creaked beneath him. His eyes scanned the header once, then again, slower this time.
“No way,” he breathed.
The fatigue evaporated in an instant, replaced by a sharp, electric clarity that sent his pulse racing.
——————❇——————
Recovery Wing
Rank: E
Quality: Exquisite
Keywords: Medical room, beast care, diagnostics, emergency response, template.
Description: A compact clinical wing designed for the treatment and stabilization of beasts and bonded creatures. The Recovery Wing is equipped to handle minor illnesses, injuries, and chronic disorders in a controlled, sterile environment without escalating into full hospital-grade intervention.
At its core is an integrated AI nurse, certified for non-life-threatening procedures including wound suturing, vaccinations, non-invasive sterilization, basic diagnostic imaging, and routine corrective treatments. The system continuously monitors patient vitals and behavioral stress markers, allowing for early detection of complications before they become critical.
If a patient’s condition exceeds the wing’s treatment limits, the AI automatically initiates emergency stasis and deploys a sealed transport drone, routing the patient to the nearest approved animal hospital without delay. The process prioritizes comfort, stability, and continuity of care rather than invasive intervention.
While modest in scale, the Recovery Wing excels as a frontline medical space, ideal for day-to-day injuries, post-surgery recovery, and preventive care.
System Note: This facility is restricted to beast-class patients only. Life-threatening conditions cannot be treated on-site and will trigger mandatory evacuation protocols. Due to the owner’s documented medical training, installation and operation efficiency bonuses apply. Significantly reducing acquisition cost due to a one-time and non-transferable discount provided on behalf of the Galactic Advocates for Holistic Beast Care.
Donor Message -
“We saw what you did, Mr. Bridge. Know that we approve, and will be keeping an eye out for you from now on. Treat them with care, and they will return the favor.”
Cost: 5,000 Marks (-45,000)
——————❇——————
Jeremiah didn’t blink as the description finished loading.
He read it once.
Then again, slower.
His fingers tightened slightly against the edge of the desk. His pulse spiked.
“My own clinic…” he whispered.
The words slipped out before he could stop them. His chest tightened, something sharp and old pressing at the edges of his composure. His face twisted as he forced himself to breathe through it.
“Okay. Not a clinic. A… beast care room,” he reminded himself.
That wasn’t his future any longer. He’d made peace with that. Mostly.
Even so, while this room wasn’t a true clinic as he had once imagined himself running, if he was reading this correctly, it might be the next best thing.
It reminded him of the setup they’d had at the animal shelter. They’d treated infections, stitched up cuts, and monitored recoveries day after day. Working alongside the nurse they’d had on staff had been what finally solidified his decision to follow his late mother into the veterinary field.
They couldn’t handle the truly serious cases, but for everything else?
He knew exactly how much difference a room like this could make.
His gaze drifted back to the listing.
Only one detail made him hesitate.
“Galactic Advocates for Holistic Beast Care…” he repeated, eyes narrowing slightly.
He turned toward Mero. “I don’t recognize that name. Do you?”
Mero drifted closer, peering over his shoulder. He shrugged. “I’ve heard of ’em. Couldn’t tell you much, though.” He scratched at his jaw. “From what I remember, I’d not call ’em controversial — not like some nut jobs out there. But they’ve got a… reputation.”
Jeremiah shot him a look.
“Nothing terrible,” Mero added quickly. “They wouldn’t have System Shard access if they were. But they can get a little passionate.”
He tilted his head, thinking. “As for what they ‘saw’? No clue. Could be any number of things. Maybe the Ironmaw fight’s hit the right circles. Maybe it was somethin’ else entirely.”
Jeremiah frowned and looked back at the listing.
He didn’t like the idea of being watched.
The donor message wasn’t a threat — not exactly. But it made one thing clear: people were paying attention to him, for better or worse.
His jaw tightened.
“Do you think it’s safe to take this?” he asked. The question came out quieter than he intended, and he hated that.
Mero rolled his eyes. “Anyone ever tell you not to look a gift horse in the mouth, kid?” He folded his arms. “This is a System-approved donation. If they were tryin’ to sneak somethin’ shady into the deal, you wouldn’t have seen the offer in the first place.”
Five thousand marks.
Five thousand for something that should’ve cost ten times that. Something he hadn’t realized the shop desperately needed until it was placed in front of him.
Mero was right.
He couldn’t afford to turn this down. Even if some part of him still wanted to pick at it, fuss over it, and look for any reason to find a flaw, that same mentality that had caused him to waste the last two hours looking through Fixtures with nothing to show for it.
He exhaled again, steadier now.
“Maybe you’re right… But if this comes back to bite me, I’m blaming you,” he said with a smirk in his voice.
Mero’s grin sharpened. “Fair enough.”
Jeremiah hesitated one last heartbeat. Then, before he could talk himself out of it, he added the Recovery Wing to his cart and confirmed the purchase.
Instantly, a new notification slid across his HUD.
—✦—
You have obtained a new room template. Please select a room to apply this template to.
System Note: The first time you purchase a new room template, the price includes all applicable equipment for the room to function. Any future applications of this template will require funds equal to the equipment cost minus the template cost (typically 20%).
—✦—
Jeremiah blinked.
Then his eyes widened.
A grin spread across his face before he could stop it.
“It just keeps getting better,” he murmured.
He leaned forward and read the note again, slower this time. If he was understanding it correctly, the Recovery Wing came fully outfitted the first time it was installed. It was unlikely that the provided equipment was the best on the market, but given the price, he suspected it wasn't low-quality stuff. There was always the option to buy upgrades later if something didn't meet his standards as well.
That alone made the discounted deal almost absurd.
Beside him, Mero let out a low whistle. “Congratulations on your first room purchase, kid.”
Jeremiah nodded, trying to calm the rush of adrenaline buzzing through his chest. His gaze lingered on one word.
He read the notification again.
“What does it mean by template?” he asked.
Mero folded his arms and drifted down until he hovered at eye level. “Glad you caught that,” he said. “Let me explain how rooms work.”
The fairy held up two fingers.
“Rooms fall into two categories. The first you’ve already seen. They’re called additions.”
“Like the staff room?” Jeremiah asked, thinking back to the reward he’d received earlier.
“Yup.” Mero grinned. “As the name suggests, additions attach directly to the shop. They increase your total floor space by generating entirely new rooms. It could be a physical expansion onto your plot. I could be spatial compression. Sometimes it’s even portals. It all depends on the design and purpose.”
Jeremiah remembered the expansion options he’d seen earlier in the catalogue. That was easy enough to understand.
Mero lowered a finger.
“The second type is templates. Unlike additions, templates require you to already have an empty room ready and available.”
Jeremiah frowned.
“Think of a template less as a physical room,” Mero continued, “and more as the concept of one. When you buy a template, you’re not just buying equipment. You’re buying the layout. The infrastructure. Environmental controls. Workflow logic. All the background systems that make that kind of space function the way it’s supposed to.”
Jeremiah leaned back, considering that.
“So when I bought the Recovery Wing—”
“You bought the blueprint, in essence,” Mero cut in. “Plus everything needed to bring that blueprint to life the first time. After that, you’re mostly paying for hardware.”
Jeremiah’s brow furrowed deeper. “It sounds like additions are the better buy then, right? If I already need an empty room for a template, why not just buy the addition and be done with it?”
Mero’s grin sharpened.
“A couple of reasons,” he said. “First, additions are almost always more expensive. You’re paying for function and for space.”
Jeremiah nodded. That made sense.
“Second,” Mero went on, “templates are reusable.”
Jeremiah’s eyes flicked up.
“As long as you’ve got the room and can front the equipment cost, you can apply the template again and again,” Mero said.
Jeremiah sat up straighter. He could see how that could be appealing. A template wasn’t just a one-time upgrade. It was a capability.
“And third,” Mero added, clearly enjoying himself now, “templates are flexible. Additions come locked into their layout. What you buy is what you get. But with a template, once it’s yours, you can tweak it. Swap out tools. Upgrade components. Adjust the configuration before installation. The System adapts the template around your choices and even makes recommendations if you’re about to do something stupid.”
Jeremiah chuckled at that.
“So if I understand this right,” he said slowly, thinking it through, “additions are best when you only need one of something, and you want it pre-optimized. But if you expect to need multiple versions, or you think your needs might change over time, templates give you more control.”
Mero nodded, satisfaction written plainly across his face.
“Now you’re getting it, kid.”
“Alright. I can work with that.” Jeremiah responded.
He turned back to the floor plan.
The first floor bloomed into view again, rendered in soft gold lines against a darkened backdrop. Most of it lay shaded in grey, already claimed by the café and main shop floor. Apparently, the System had recognized them as “rooms” without any input from him. That was useful to know. Two expansion options glowed at the edges of the layout — one pushing outward into the courtyard, the other carving space into the Maddock wall.
He dismissed both with little thought.
The courtyard was becoming a communal space. He wasn’t about to annex shared ground, not without a way to give something back. As for the outer wall, it had potential, but it would cost extra just to create the base room. Besides, he was already using much of that space as makeshift storage.
Jeremiah shifted his focus upward.
The second floor lit up.
He hadn’t touched that space yet. If he was going to install something new, this was the place to do it.
Eight rooms appeared in neat symmetry — four in each wing, connected by a central hall overlooking the stairwell.
Jeremiah paused.
No. Not eight.
Seven.
He frowned and turned to Mero. “Mero,” he said evenly, “why does the floor plan say one of my upper rooms is already in use?”
Mero chuckled, sounding entirely too pleased. “Funny thing about that—”
Jeremiah’s eyes narrowed. “Is this what you and Sam were so hush-hush about?”
Mero’s grin widened. “She’s tryin’ to do somethin’ nice for ya, kid. Don’t worry about it. Let her cook.”
Jeremiah stared at him for a long moment, weighing the answer. Finally, he sighed and shook his head, turning back to the projection. Whatever they were planning probably wouldn’t hurt him or the shop. Still, he had a sinking feeling it would come with a headache for sure.
For now, he selected the room closest to the stairs on the western wing and applied the Recovery Wing template.
A confirmation window appeared.
Jeremiah accepted.
The selected room expanded and zoomed inward until a glowing wireframe model filled his view. Walls traced themselves in pale light. Counters and cabinets materialized as outlined forms. A treatment table anchored the center. Storage units, diagnostic panels, and environmental controls snapped into place.
He studied the layout carefully.
Most of it felt familiar. Logical. Efficient.
Then he looked toward the stair access and frowned.
“No way I’m carrying a sedated goat up those stairs,” he muttered.
Mero raised an eyebrow. “Sedated goat?”
“Hypothetical,” Jeremiah said.
He added a vertical lift — one that would descend from the first-floor ceiling when activated, wide enough for a stretcher or containment crate. The System recalculated structural support and load limits in real time, lines shifting subtly as it reinforced the design.
He reviewed the room again, slower this time. The default settings were solid. Practical. If he needed to fine-tune the workflow later, he could. For now, there was no sense in overcomplicating things.
He confirmed the parameters.
The wireframe brightened, then solidified.
—✦—
Installation scheduled. Estimated completion time: 6 hours.
—✦—
Jeremiah blinked. “Six hours?”
“Were you expectin’ it to be instant?” Mero said, brow raised. “Even the System’s got limits, kid.” The fairy drifted off a few inches. “For now,” he added under his breath.
Jeremiah huffed. Fair enough. He would check it in the morning.
That left one more deal to examine.
He leaned back in his chair and reopened the Special Offers listing.
One item remained.
He clicked.
Jeremiah grinned. Not disappointed at all.
——————❇——————
ICBL Unified Terrarium Ecosystem
Rank: F
Quality: Epic
Keywords: Habitat Integration, Ecosystem Management, Creature Monitoring, Upgradeable, Living Display, Contract Enforced
Description: An integrated habitat framework that links multiple modular terrariums into a shared, semi-continuous environment. Registered creatures may move between connected sections under controlled conditions, allowing limited interaction and more natural behavior than isolated enclosures.
The system tracks basic health indicators, activity levels, and environmental comfort, making routine adjustments to lighting, humidity, and airflow to keep conditions stable. If aggressive or incompatible behavior is detected, affected sections can be automatically or manually sealed, gently separating inhabitants without causing harm or panic.
Designed for Tiny-class beasts such as magical beetles, insects, rodents, and reptiles, the ecosystem remains fully visible to customers, transforming the terrarium wall into a living exhibit. Manual controls allow fine adjustment or override when desired, while upgrades can be purchased to simulate more advanced environments or conditions.
System Note: This fixture is recognized as a Living Display. Tiny-class terrestrial beasts experience reduced stress, improved acclimation, and increased bond stability. For small-class and larger beast habitat needs, please see our Linked Habitat Node collection.
Due to the user’s qualification as an ICBL-certified host, the user qualifies for the vendor discount. Purchasing this module will unlock further upgrades and discounts on beetle care items from ICBL-affiliated suppliers.
Cost: 5,000 Marks (-2,500)
——————❇——————
Jeremiah’s grin widened as he finished reading.
He glanced toward the current beetle wall, where rows of morphic crates were stacked in careful symmetry. It wasn’t a bad setup. He had adjusted airflow, layered substrate properly, and even staggered light cycles to mimic natural variance.
But it had always been temporary.
Which, if he was honest with himself, showed.
The deeper he’d dug into beetle care — especially magical variants — the more complicated it became. Lifecycle synchronization. Controlled environmental shifts to trigger development stages. Managing interactions without encouraging territorial stress. Subtle behavioral cues that, if missed, could spiral quickly.
He’d spent more than a few late nights scrolling through forums and archived lecture feeds, watching breeders debate humidity tolerances and metamorphosis windows like they were discussing advanced chemistry.
His original plan had been simple: learn as he went. Improve things gradually. Replace one enclosure at a time as his understanding grew.
The ICBL Unified Terrarium Ecosystem promised to expedite that entire learning curve.
And the vendor discount was hard to ignore. The only other time he’d seen something like that had been with the Gentlebond Morphic Grooming Table. It seemed the ICBL clearly rewarded hosts who took their responsibilities seriously.
The markdown on the ecosystem itself wasn’t as dramatic as the Recovery Wing’s, but it was less opaque.
He still didn’t love the idea of large organizations watching him too closely, but it at least made sense, given he had an established relationship with the ICBL.
At least Reggie — Reginold, he guessed — had seemed like the decent sort.
Jeremiah nodded once and added the ecosystem to his cart without overthinking it.
He leaned back and pulled up his remaining balance.
Still plenty left.
His fingers drummed lightly against the desk as he considered the possibilities.
Jeremiah’s posture straightened instantly as an idea came to mind.
He reopened the ecosystem listing. After reading it over once more, he nodded.
“This could work…”
He backed out and returned to the Fixtures catalogue, this time filtering by the Linked Habitat Nodes and Living Displays mentioned in the item's description.
The results populated instantly.
A long list unfurled across the interface. Most were well beyond his current budget. Some were clearly meant for shops several times his size.
But there was potential here.
Jeremiah continued narrowing the filter results, quietly building the framework of something bigger in his head.
It was time the Mystical Menagerie started living up to its name.