“Actually, gods aren’t as weak as you might think. Some of the most ancient gods have histories that predate the entire wizard civilization.”


    “Over countless epochs, these ancient gods have expanded their divine authority to an incredibly terrifying extent across multiple nes. They have even be part of the very fabric of the rules themselves.”


    “However,” Nocturne shook his head, “it is said that even gods who have be intertwined with the rules face numerous restrictions. They are part of the rules, but they are also bound by them.”


    “Multiverse nes are said to be infinite. To this day, no one knows where the end lies. A great wizard once remarked that the multiverse is in a constant state of expansion.”


    “Yet within the reach of our wizard civilization, many nes are either being invaded or connected through the Gods Alliance. They seek to weave a to ensnare our wizard civilization within it,” Nocturne exined. “These are insights shared by Lady Maybetessa.”


    So that was the case. But the gods themselves were indeed carriers of their own divine statuses.


    For instance, the Fire God governs mes. The ways in which such a god was born were diverse—through faith in fire, the use of fire, or resonance with fire. Thus, the divine upation held by a god often rtes closely to the god’s race and the forces they interact with.


    “So, having said all that, what is your answer?”


    “Is it also a 30-70 percent split?” Lynn inquired.“Of course, Lady Maybetessa is always generous. She treats all her partners equally.”


    “It would be an honor to coborate with Lady Maybetessa,” Lynn said earnestly. “However, I might have a small request. If it’s not too much trouble, could you pass along a message to her? Specifically, I’m interested in observing the construction concepts for a particr attack-oriented sector at the first-level wizard tower. I’m willing to advance some future benefits in return. Do you think Lady Maybetessa would agree to this?”


    Lynn might have hesitated to make such a request in the past. But now that he had established a cooperative rtionship, and given that Lady Maybetessa seemed approachable—though this didn’t mean Lynn considered her to be na?ve—he decided to ask Nocturne for assistance.


    Nocturne, hearing Lynn’s request, quickly grasped Lynn’s intention. He found the situation amusing, realizing that Lynn had set his sights on Lady Maybetessa. However, he considered it a minor matter.


    Much like a country’s arsenal.


    The ones in theboratory, the most advanced, currently operational, on the verge of being phased out, outdated.


    The first three levels were, of course, kept strictly confidential from outsiders. Even within the fourth level, there were some technical blueprints that were not shown to just anyone.


    However, the fifth level’s secrets became less tightly guarded. Even outdated weapons, while not avable to just anyone, required a certain status and background to ess. Fortunately for Lynn, his connection with Lady Maybetessa provided him with an opportunity.


    “I’ll inquire for you,” Nocturne said with a nod. “It shouldn’t be too difficult.”


    Even the various sectors in his wizard tower had been significantly updatedpared to when it was first constructed, greatly enhancing its efficiency.


    The wizard tower was the ultimate representation of a wizard’s mastery of knowledge and technology. As a wizard continued to learn and grow in knowledge, the technological level of their tower would also advance ordingly.


    “By the way,” Nocturne continued, “did you give any more thought to our previous discussion? I understand that human aesthetics may differ from those of our crows folk, but aesthetic appreciation can be cultivated.”


    “No need.” Lynn replied, surprised that Nocturne still remembered the matter.


    “Alright then. I’ll head back to theboratory now. We can continue this discussion another time,” Nocturne said with a dismissive wave and a hint of regret.


    After some time had passed, Lynn received a message ryed by other apprentices. The fly demon had sent word through the apprentices who had entered the Abyss, requesting a batch of weapons.


    Lynn had the dwarves expedite the production of a new batch of weapons. He then selected various weapons from the earlier batch and, armed with these, made his way to the Abyss Market.


    Traveling to the ne of the Abyss Market was not restricted to a once-every-ten-year event.


    It was just that the market itself opened for business only once every ten years.


    Apanied by his bodyguard, the four-armed brute force demon, Lynn entered the ne and retrieved the egg that the fly demon had given him previously, tossing it onto the ground.


    This was the fastest way to notify the other party of his arrival in the Abyss.


    <em>Crack!</em>


    The white egg transformed into a pile of foul-smelling yolk.


    Lynn rubbed his hands.


    After about a day of waiting, a dark silhouette appeared in the distant sky. The evil-winged bird circled overhead, and from its back, a shadow descended. The fly demon spread its wings andnded.


    “It’s been a while,” the fly demon said as it touched down, its wings fluttering slightly.


    “I’ve prepared the goods. Take a look at their appearance,” Lynn said, reaching into his spatial ring to retrieve a collection of various styles of weapons crafted by the dwarves.


    The fly demon picked up a longsword and swung it toward its pitch-ck arm.


    <em>ng</em>—


    The de scraped, sending sparks flying, and left a small chip.


    The fly demon remained silent, gazing up at Lynn. Itspound eyes seemed to convey a thousand emotions.


    “Ahem, I want you to judge the appearance, not the quality. These are not for sale.” Lynn remained calm.


    “…”


    Lynn continued, seizing the opportunity, “Forget about the quality for now. Just tell me if these weapons look good!”


    The weapons crafted by the dwarves had a rugged, primal hunting aesthetic—sturdy and robust. This rough-hewn style suited the demon race’s tastes perfectly.


    “It does look good, but…” The fly demon hesitated, despite having been ordered to make the trade.


    However, it couldn’t just buy some worthless junk and take it back!


    These weapons couldn’t even break through its own defenses. Buying them would be hard to justify.


    “The quality of the weapons depends on the ores used,” Lynn exined. “Given the rushed timeline and theck of suitable ores on my end, these aren’t finished products. If you could provide some ores as a deposit, I can get the weapons ready for you in a short while.”


    The fly demon’s brows furrowed, and realized something was wrong.


    Wasn’t this supposed to be a weapon trade? How had it ended up about to lose a batch of ores without even securing any weapons yet?


    “How about this,” Lynn proposed, “you provide the ores, and I’ll pay half the amount now. Once the weapons arepleted, I’ll settle the remaining bnce. How does that sound?”


    Half? That was eptable.


    The fly demon nodded. At least it would still earn some profit.


    Lynn then added, “However, I don’t have that much money on me at the moment. Didn’t you say I could pay half up front? Here’s what I propose: I’ll give you half now, and leave the remaining half of the ores with you as coteral. Does that sound fair? Once I return with thepleted weapons, I’ll settle the remaining bnce.”


    The fly demon seemed a bit dazed, feeling something was off. The four-armed brute force demon standing nearby, who had been listening intently, rubbed the back of its head, feeling as if its brain was going to drill out of it.


    “No way! You’re trying to get something for nothing!” the fly demon suddenly realized.


    “Don’t put it that way. I’ve been low on funds recently,” Lynnforted the fly demon, telling it not to think too much.


    “These ores can only be found in the Abyss. I don’t have any ores on my end. Don’t we have any trust between us? I’ve only got this small amount of magic stones on me. Take a look and see how many pieces of ores you can get with them. I’ll forge a few weapons and bring them back to you. We can continue the trade then. I don’t mind the hassle. I can get to the Abyss quickly; it’s not like you, who has to fly all day.”


    With a resigned sigh, Lynn threw out more than a hundred magic stones from his spatial ring.


    Standing there, looking at the magic stones on the ground, the fly demon’s antennae twitched incessantly. It just felt that this noisy world was so annoying!


    ——