"Hehehe... Koger, my old friend? What a rare guest! By my count, it’s been a few thousand years since I last heard your voice, hasn’t it? So, you’ve finally decided to reach out to me?" The will issued a series of laughter, carrying with it a composure of one long accustomed to authority.

Koger, suppressing the heartache caused by the rapid depletion of the Thousand Soul Golden Crystal, struggled to keep his mental fluctuations steady: "Light Chaser, it’s not that I didn’t want to make contact, it’s just that the cost of trading with you... is too heavy. My meager possessions can’t withstand such frequent squandering."

"Hahaha!" The will of the Light Chaser laughed heartily, "Costs and rewards are always proportional, my friend! You are too cautious!"

"Take my advice, in this Endless Void, opportunities often come with risks. Venture out more, take more adventures! With me around, whatever information you need, I can get it for you, enough to help you avoid most dangers and maximize your gains!"

"No, I think in the Endless Void, it’s better to be cautious..."

"Oh, don’t be afraid, I’m here with you!"

Koger laughed coldly in his heart.

Easy for him to say, if I really followed his words, relying frequently on external information for adventures, then most of the resources I’ve painstakingly accumulated would probably end up in his pocket.

If that were the case, wouldn’t I just become his puppet, working for him while bearing the risks?

Koger, to become the Master of a World, is certainly not someone who likes to depend on others.

Thinking this way in his heart, Koger showed no emotional response on the surface, only responding with silence.

Light Chaser, seeing no reaction from Koger, felt a bit dull, then cut to the chase: "Alright, back to business. You’ve spent such a cost to contact me this time, what information do you want?"

Koger immediately said: "I need the specific information of a world, an unknown civilization that suddenly appeared near my territory... What is the cost?"

"The specific information of a world?" The will of the Light Chaser seemed to ponder for a moment, "That depends on which world it is. Our world, though it has recorded information on many powerful worlds and ancient civilizations, the void is infinite; there are always areas beyond our reach."

"If it’s just some insignificant small world, perhaps we haven’t paid attention. Tell me the name of the world you wish to inquire about so I can determine its value and give you a quote."

It paused, then added: "Additionally, when providing the name of the world or civilization, it’s best to use the name they ’call themselves,’ which improves retrieval accuracy and avoids confusion."

Koger looked at the golden crystal in the center of the Array, which was visibly shrinking and starting to appear dull, heartache making his whole body almost twitch.

Daring not to delay, he quickly transmitted the organized information: "They call themselves—’Wizard.’"

He bundled the vague images recorded at the front line, the energy spectrum characteristics, and the few decoded language fragments and sent them over.

"Wizard?"

The will of the Light Chaser received the information, fell silent for a moment, seemingly searching a vast database, then responded with a hint of uncertainty:

"This name... doesn’t seem to match any known record of powerful civilizations. It sounds like a recently risen world or a name a secluded indigenous civilization gave themselves. There’s no direct information in the database."

"This..." Koger’s tone turned stiff, clearly quite dissatisfied with this result.

"However..." Light Chaser’s tone shifted, "since you’ve spent the ’Thousand Soul Golden Crystal’ to initiate communication, we will provide the service. I can use my authority to conduct a targeted foresight and information collection for you, but this will take time. Wait for me some time, when I have the results, I’ll contact you again to inform you of the final cost you need to pay."

Before waiting for Koger to ask anything further, the vast will that had descended quickly retreated like a tide.

The suffocating pressure in the secret chamber vanished instantly, and the glow of the Array also dimmed rapidly.

Crack...

A slight cracking sound echoed.

In the center of the Array, the originally brilliant gold crystal had entirely lost its luster, its surface covered with cracks.

Eventually crumbling into a small heap of dull gray powder, like ashes burnt to their end.

Koger looked at the pile of powder, his massive body swayed powerlessly.

The condensation of tens of billions of High-level Souls... just gone like this!

What he got in return was merely a promise of "waiting for notification."

"Look on the bright side, even that fellow Light Chaser has no specific information, which suggests this Wizard Civilization isn’t famous. It must be a weak civilization..."

Though he consoled himself this way, Koger still felt the heartache.

"Hopefully... the intelligence you provide is worth this price." He hissed lowly, laden with endless heartache and a hint of unease, slowly leaving the secret chamber.

...

...

On the other side of the Endless Void, a mysterious realm shrouded in eternal radiance.

A being composed of pure energy and the light of order—"Light Chaser"—withdrew its projected will.

It "looked" at the remnant of the Thousand Soul Golden Crystal, although half consumed, it was still incredibly valuable, the surface of the light mass rippled with waves of delight.

"Such a generous rich upstart... just communicating, dragging time, and I reap so much ’deposit.’ Small places have their benefits." It mulled with satisfaction.

After all, if it were some major world, it could easily understand his sneaky actions.

"So, how long should I wait before replying to that blob of goo?"

It began calculating precisely: "Replying too fast would make it seem like information was easy to get, which makes it hard to charge more later... Replying too slowly, while it could keep the appetite whetted, might harm my reputation for efficient response... Hmm, a well-timed response is needed."

While weighing the benefits for maximum gain, it almost instinctively activated its innate racial ability.

Using the name "Wizard" provided by Koger, along with those images and energy characteristics, its perception, like invisible tendrils, silently reached into the surging stream of information connected to these details.

Trying to peer into some clues in advance, to add stakes to the subsequent "quotation."

However, just as its Perception Power barely touched the edge of a blurry concept...

A calm, indifferent, yet seemingly weighty information inherent to the entire void abruptly and forcefully branded itself onto its Mental core:

"Oh? Interesting, daring to actively probe us, are you? Let me see..."

Upon hearing this, the brilliance of the Light Chaser suddenly solidified.

(Extra update today, another Chapter coming soon!)