Chapter 82: Deal
It had been over a year since Sein began his solitary life in the Sand World.
One could only imagine Sein’s excitement when he finally heard another voice he could communicate with, though it came at the cost of enduring excruciating pain in his head.
As he glanced back at the pitch-black passageway he had come through, he realized that he was most likely lost in this underground space.
With little choice, Sein decided to heed the guidance of the voice and continue deeper into the passage.
In fact, the sheer power of the voice left no room for compromise or resistance.
Just the sound alone had already inflicted enough pain on him. If it had intended to harm him, Sein would have collapsed by now.
After walking for about an hour, Sein reached a relatively empty sand cave.
The darkness surrounding him was dispelled not by sunlight but by the radiant yellow glow emitted by the yellow energy crystals embedded throughout the cave!
These were energy crystals that exceeded Sein’s comprehension, far superior to any he had ever seen in Master Morsidor’s laboratory.
The brilliance of these yellow energy crystals was nearly blinding to Sein, and dozens of them adorned the walls of the sand cave.
“Do you desire these Grade Two energy crystals?” The familiar voice reappeared in his mind, this time with less intensity, sparing Sein from a splitting headache.
Sein could not help but look in the direction of the voice, but immediately froze by the sight that greeted him.
The voice came from a massive worm with only half of its body remaining, encased in translucent yellow amber.
Despite missing half of its body, the creature stretched nearly a hundred meters in length.
The entire wall of the sand cave was fully covered by the coiled body of this colossal worm.
Its enormous fangs and the severed end of its body sent shivers down Sein’s spine.
Despite its terrifying appearance, its voice was quite amiable, as if it did not mind giving those valuable Grade Two energy crystals to Sein.
Faced with the inquiry from this creature, which was likely the king of all sandworms, Sein lowered his head and remained silent.
In Gloomhaven, beings of unequal strength could not engage in equal communication.
Sein did not believe he possessed anything that could intimidate this formidable Sandworm King.
Although Sein remained silent, the Sandworm King encased in yellow amber continued speaking.
It explained, “Energy crystals indeed serve as universal currency in many planes within the Astral Realm. I assume your advanced Magus Civilization operates similarly.”
“These Grade Two energy crystals are essentially the geo elemental energy that my body volatilizes and eventually condenses. While they are rare treasures to you, they hold little value for me. I observe your life level, and it seems you haven’t even reached Rank One,” the Sandworm King commented.
Sein continued to remain silent, unsure of how to respond to this colossal creature before him.
Communication between individuals of vastly different life levels was often exceedingly challenging.
Their perspectives, thought processes, and interpretations of reality differed greatly.
Sein had rarely encountered Grade One energy crystals, and his exposure to them had been limited to his mentor’s laboratory, let alone Grade Two energy crystals.
As for the Rank One the Sandworm King referred to, it probably corresponded to the life level of full-fledged mages, like Master Mosidor.
After a prolonged silence, Sein finally spoke up. “You mentioned a deal earlier. What kind of deal are you proposing?”
Lacking proficiency in telepathic communication, Sein spoke in the language used in the Magus World.
Fortunately, the enigmatic colossal worm understood his words.
Sein had multiple objectives in mind, one of which was to discern his strengths or where his utility might lie.
What could this mysterious and potent creature possibly require his help with?
Since it was a deal, there must be something that Sein possessed which could be of value.
As a spellcaster, Sein was not willing to be entirely at the mercy of others. He needed to regain some control over the situation.
The colossal worm fell into a contemplative silence in response to Sein’s question.
It was only after a long pause that it began to speak, “I am an otherworldly creature who mistakenly entered your Magus World through a space-time rift. In terms of recognized power levels in the Astral Realm, I belong to the Rank Four.”
“The guardian from your world seemed to have misunderstood my intention and banished me, leaving me stranded in this broken plane. I hope you can convey my goodwill to the Magus Civilization on my behalf. I’ve heard that the Magus Civilization has formed the Magus Alliance, and I wish to be part of it,” explained the colossal worm with only half of its body remaining.
Judging by its appearance, the guardian had not been merciful when she expelled the colossal worm from the Magus World.
“In return, I can offer you all of these Grade Two energy crystals. Moreover, I’ve noticed that you’ve been searching for a way back to your world. I can guide you to the area where the spatial passage had been,” the Sandworm King added.
It was evident that this Sandworm King had been observing Sein for a while, as it was aware of his quest to return to the Magus World.
However, the mentions of the “Magus Alliance” and the “guardian” were beyond Sein’s knowledge.
While Sein had come across the term “Magus Alliance” in a few of his magic tomes, his knowledge of it was very limited.
He vaguely remembered reading that Centaurworld was one of the Magus Alliance’s members.
As for the guardian that it mentioned...
Sein vaguely recalled hearing about that individual during the battle between the two peak Rank Three grand mages on the other side of the spatial passageway.
Nonetheless, her identity remained elusive to him.
Despite his limited understanding, Sein did not remain silent.
The Grade Two energy crystals were certainly appealing, but his primary interest lay in the Sandworm King’s offer to guide him to the area where the spatial passage had been, which could potentially enable his return to the Magus World.
“How can I be of assistance?” Sein inquired.
Given his low life level, he had limited exposure to the secrets and higher echelons of the Magus World.
The Sandworm King appeared to understand the challenges he faced and took a moment to reflect before continuing, “You can attempt to establish contact with one of the Divine Towers in your Magus World and convey my circumstances.”
“As long as a tower master is willing to vouch for me, there’s a high likelihood that I can resolve the misunderstanding with your Magus Civilization and secure my membership in the Magus Alliance,” the Sandworm King replied.