Sure enough, he was a merchant!
Without another word.
Lynn's gaze quickly focused on its information interface.
In an instant, his vision blurred as the scene before him rapidly distorted and peeled away.
And in the very next moment, he found himself sitting on a chair in a narrow room. The space was small, containing only a lamp on the front desk and a mysterious figure draped in black robes standing behind the counter.
"Guest, what may I assist you with today?"
The black-robed figure spoke calmly to Lynn who had suddenly appeared.
Lynn glanced around, his eyes settling on the black-robed figure as he said composedly:
"You're the intelligence agent sharing information?"
The black-robed figure seemed accustomed to such questions, responding smoothly:"I am Intelligence Agent No. 24 responsible for Zone 900. I can provide you with all valuable intelligence within this region, though the prices are not inexpensive."
Lynn glanced at it and said:
"But this place looks rather deserted."
No. 24 replied slowly: "This is an independent grid I applied for from the Sight. Every customer entering my shop gets transported to a separate grid space. I am currently simultaneously serving 754 other customers across different grids."
Lynn nodded.
Impressive.
Handling so many customers at once.
This definitely wasn't something a normal constitution could achieve.
Lynn didn't waste more words. After thinking for a moment, he seriously inquired:
"I want to purchase some intelligence, depending on whether you have relevant information sources."
"Please proceed," No. 24 said slowly, his voice concise.
Lynn adjusted his non-existent monocle and said seriously: "First question, I want to know Bloodsaw's exact location."
A brief silence fell.
The candle flame flickered.
Then No. 24 replied in an unchanged tone: "50 Black Skull Coins."
Lynn: "What?!"
Fifty Black Skull Coins? That was a full five hundred thousand Skeleton Coins!
Insane!
I couldn't raise that amount even if I sold my entire shop!
No. 24 said slowly: "The target's information was upgraded to A-class one day ago. Real-time tracking for information acquisition is ongoing. The price has increased fiftyfold. You are not the only customer currently seeking the target's coordinates."
Lynn's heart stirred.
Just as he thought.
His teacher's current situation wasn't good at all.
Besides him, the Demonkin Association was definitely using various channels to track down his teacher too.
Lynn composed himself and said calmly: "Second question, how can I quickly establish long-distance communication with a specific creature?"
No. 24 continued without any pause: "Fees vary depending on the method. Minimum charge: 100 Skeleton Coins. Maximum charge: 100,000 Black Skull Coins. You may choose your preferred standard."
Lynn closed his eyes: "The cheapest one."
Direct transfer initiated.
[Skeleton Coins -100]
No. 24 nodded and said slowly: "Payment received. Answer: The fastest method for long-distance communication with a specific creature is through the Sight. The Sight is a mirror world overlapping with the Dark World. Because it possesses transmission functionality, you can communicate with any creature logged into the Sight from any region within this world."
"..."
A brief silence followed.
Lynn asked doubtfully: "And then?"
No. 24 said slowly: "Answer complete. Thank you for your patronage."
"..."
Lynn said with exasperation: "That's worth a hundred coins?! If I could contact someone through the Sight, why would I need to ask you?"
No. 24 said concisely: "This is the lowest grade intelligence."
In other words:
You get what you pay for.
Lynn struggled to calm his emotions, closed his eyes, and said heavily:
"Same question, but this time I need intelligence worth 1 Black Skull Coin."
Transfer successful.
[Skeleton Coins -1000]
No. 24 paused briefly before saying slowly: "Payment received. Answer: You may hire [Contract Messengers] for long-distance message delivery. Delivery speed varies depending on the Contract Messenger's pricing."
After speaking, No. 24—who had remained as motionless as a statue until now—extended a pale, slender hand from within his black robes and placed a directory on the counter.
"We simultaneously operate messenger hiring services here. You may select any messenger from our offerings."
Lynn glanced at it.
This information seemed somewhat worth the price.
Lynn's gaze then fell upon the directory on the counter. He opened it and began reading.
[Ill-Fated Bat]: Aberration-type messenger. Can rapidly deliver messages using target's bodily tissue and true name, while simultaneously bringing misfortune to the target.
[Tamed Hellhound]: Possesses keen sense of smell and tracking abilities. Can deliver messages long-distance with just a trace of scent, but has high probability of not returning.
[Void Leap Beast]: Extremely efficient messenger with the fastest speed in the Dark World. Delivers messages quickly, teleports quickly, dies suddenly quickly—fast in every aspect.
[Rotland Turtle King]: Possesses top-tier defensive capabilities and armor at the pyramid's peak of the Dark World. Guarantees 100% message integrity. Exceptionally reliable. Maintains industry's 0% accident rate. Perennially ranked first on information security charts—unshakable position.
Lynn looked through the options and felt the Turtle King seemed somewhat reliable.
"Rotland Turtle King, I'll use that one."
No. 24 paused, seemingly checking something, then said slowly:
"Making reservation for you. Currently five Turtle King messengers available. Accident rate: 0%. Speed: 1m/h..."
"Wait a moment!"
Lynn instantly interrupted, asking doubtfully: "1m per hour??"
No. 24 nodded: "Yes. Due to special breed improvements, speed has increased more than tenfold compared to previous years. The Turtle King you're reserving consistently holds our shop's Turtle King race-walking competition record—temporarily unbeaten by any other turtle."
Lynn: "(꒪Д꒪)..."
After a long pause.
"Do you have anything slightly more reliable here?" Lynn took a deep breath, closing his eyes and clenching his fists.
No. 24 said slowly: "Only these four messenger types are currently available. However, we are accelerating the taming of more messenger varieties. If unsatisfied, you may return another day for our services."
Lynn frowned deeply.
His mind raced rapidly.
After a long moment.
He asked hesitantly: "The Turtle King has high security but slow speed?"
No. 24 nodded: "Correct."
He thought for a moment: "The Void Beast is fast but dies suddenly quickly?"
No. 24 paused briefly before nodding: "Correct."
Lynn slapped the table and said calmly: "Schedule two of each messenger type for me. I have urgent needs."
No. 24 nodded, paused briefly, then said slowly:
"Reservation successful. Please provide your Dark World address. We will dispatch your order promptly. Since this involves biological contracts, transactions cannot be conducted through the Sight."
"Rest assured, we will not disclose your information. You may provide it with confidence."
He placed a form before Lynn.
Lynn hesitated for a moment.
Then he glanced at it and casually wrote down his neighbor's address.
No. 24 retrieved the form and said slowly: "Two Void Leap Beasts, two Rotland Turtle Kings. Processing your payment. Total hiring fee: 2,600 Skeleton Coins. Dispatch will commence immediately upon payment."
Lynn: "???"
"Didn't I just give you 1,000 coins?" Lynn said furiously.
No. 24 said slowly: "That was intelligence consultation fee. This is messenger hiring fee. Separate settlements required."
"..."
[Ding! Skeleton Coins -2600]
No. 24 said slowly: "Payment received. Arranging dispatch now. You may return and await delivery. Biological contract scrolls will reach you within two hours, accompanied by instruction manuals. Please follow instructions for proper usage. Thank you for your patronage."