Chapter 708: Root Network
Danny was just as surprised and disgusted about some of the things he learned about the Will and the Achievement Shop.
"You can purchase the races that sought asylum...Isn't that slavery?" Michael asked while Danny continued raging on.
[So they sought asylum in the Origin Expanse, only to be sold off to some disgusting perverts?!? Where is the logic? Justice, where are you?!]
The World Serpent laughed, or the brothers presumed that it was laughing.
[It is universally known that the Will is not fair. Maybe not in a backwater galaxy, but everyone knows it. The racial debts and the Will's conditions are part of the responsibilities you will have to carry if you accept the War Rune. Nothing is forced upon you. You can still reject the War Rune by not entering the Origin Expanse in the first 24 hours after manifesting it. The Will doesn't force you to agree to its conditions. However, by entering the Origin Expanse, you accept them. It is as simple as that.]
The World Serpent hissed again.
[That was enough talking for a few months. Don't bother me. If you need my help to extract another Curse, call me. Other than that...you can use my Seals. I don't care. Don't get killed. It would be annoying to search for another-...]
The World Serpent didn't finish the last sentence. It disappeared again and deactivated the Serpent Seals.
"But you haven't answered my other questions yet," Michael grumbled alone in his room.
He secretly hoped his brother would say something, but Danny was silent.
His mind felt empty all of a sudden. It felt weird and unfamiliar. Michael chuckled lightly.
"I would feel lonely after I've been alone for so long. Sharing my mind with two weirdos sure is different."
At first, he was a bit annoyed that the World Serpent could enter his mind and read his thoughts at will, but it didn't bother him that much anymore. If anything, Michael was more curious about the World Serpent and what it could do. He was also curious why his Curse didn't start talking to him. Maybe his Curse could tell him some things about his bloodline or why it was so powerful compared to the other Curses.
Michael wanted to know why he awakened Extraction, why the Curse inside him was so strong, and if all of that was more than a mere coincidence. He encountered far more powerful beings that called him 'Cursed Child' than he wanted to count. In fact, he lived above one of those hibernating beings in the Untamed Jungle.
Michael was not sure if that being was a Curse or if it was like the World Serpent. Either way, Michael was surrounded by those mysterious beings. It did not feel like a coincidence.
'The Achievement Shop can buy everything. What if someone wanted me to have Extraction? But if that's the case...why? That doesn't really make sense, does it?'
Michael fell into a downward spiral of thoughts once again. Danny had to pull the back of his mind with some force to pull him back out of the world of thoughts.
[Focus on your tasks and the things you can change. I don't know why you're always overthinking. You cannot spend the rest of your life thinking about all those questions. Get stronger and find the answers through hard work rather than being idle while thinking about something you cannot find out with your current knowledge!]
Danny returned only to scold him. In the next moment, he disappeared again.
"Right. There is no time to stay idle. I have to expand my territory!" Michael smiled lightly. He thought about Alice and smiled lightly.
After sending her a message saying that he would enter the Origin Expanse for the next few days, Michael entered the Bartholomew Shop on campus to pick up the goods he had purchased. Various valuable goods were stored in storage satchels and other storage devices. However, none of them were for Michael. Everything stored in the storage devices was for his subjects and the territory.
Michael also finished the preparations for the next Soultrait Auction. Rumors about the Soultrait Auction spread through the Saphirelake Military Academy's campus, and it was only a matter of days before every supreme family, noble household, clan, and guild would realize about it. That gave Kraft Viton little time to prepare the s for the next Soultrait Auction.
Michael didn't interfere plenty with Kraft Viton's plans. He prepared the Soultrait Symbols, upgraded to 3-Star, alongside information sheets about the respective Soultrait Symbols. Other than that, Michael showed Kraft Viton what he needed, including the last part to initiate the Summoning Gate's upgrade to the intermediate rank, before he left the campus.
The Lord of the Untamed Jungle returned to his territory with various treasures.
Arx looked as beautiful as ever. The origin energy in the surroundings was even denser than before, but that was not the only thing that had changed in the last six months. The energy density entire over the Untamed Jungle had increased drastically.
However, the area around the Greater Nature Spirit was the most affected. At this point, the Greater Nature Spirit accelerated the growth of all life tens of kilometers around it. Its root network stretched even farther, reaching into the Savannah Region and the Zentika Empire's plains.
Michael had to start extracting the chaos in the chaos-infested land that separated the Zentika Empire from the Untamed Jungle because the Greater Nature Spirit was harmed by the chaos infesting its roots. The environment changed wherever the Greater Nature Spirit's root network reached. More monsters nestled in range of its root network, and the flora spread wildly as well. It felt like the border to the Savannah Region was being adjusted as the Untamed Jungle expanded - stimulated by the Greater Nature Spirit.
Michael didn't really mind the changes, but he willed the Greater Nature Spirit to spread deeper into the Zentika Empire and the Untamed Jungle rather than pushing the Savannah Region aside. The Valyrs were their allies, cushion, and the reason Michael could implement the trading cycle.
The trading cycle earned Michael far more than the Agriculture Project. But that wasn't surprising. After all, Michael used the needs of five races and their massive pile of supplies to pay a low surcharge to gain massive profits. He felt a little bit like a scumbag for taking advantage of the Valyr, the Forest Elves, and the members of the Tritan Alliance, but it was not like he was asking for a huge overpay.
He paid the market price for their goods and sold them at the market price as well. Michael didn't ask for more. After all, he earned more than enough that way already
The massive profits, however, disappeared faster than Michael had expected. Preparing the materials for his monsters' evolutions drained his wealth faster than anything.
But the investment was worth it. Michael talked with Tatjana for a long time about the monsters' evolution paths and determined that their evolution would help his territory in every way.
Michael called the attendants to search for Tatjana and bring her to the Ranch, but she was already there when he arrived.
Tatjana noticed Michael's arrival and smiled from one ear to another.
"Did you bring it?" She asked, her eyes glimmering brightly.
"Yes," He nodded, "I'm ready to evolve some monsters!"
"Yay~"