Chapter 78: Deal
As the strange encounter proceeded, Ain’s initial dread and apprehension dissipated, leaving only doubt.
The other party’s identity was still a mystery, and so were their methods. Ain considered his chances of safely escaping this situation, but it seemed impossible with his current strength and methods.
As he silently contemplated, the text on the holographic screen changed once again.
[You will develop the AMD. I will manufacture, distribute, and secure them against imitation. We will share the profits. This is the deal.]
After reading this message, Ain finally made up his mind.
[I agree.]
Since there was no escaping it, the best option was to agree. Moreover, this deal was extremely beneficial to him, especially if the “share the profits” part was true.
Ain’s original objective in developing the AMD was money. He didn’t have grand ambitions to revolutionize the world, nor did he chase after fame.
His profits were directly linked to his path as a spirit tamer. Although Ain’s expenditures had increased dramatically, this was just the beginning. He had yet to focus on properly nurturing Nox. But as his abilities as an alchemist and spirit master improved, especially the latter, the true pit for energy crystals would surface, sucking in all his wealth.
Moreover, with the recent surplus of energy crystals, Ain finally planned to obtain a large number of meditation techniques, body tempering techniques, and spells, feeding them all into his foundation for Analysis and Deduction.
The Secret Phantom Technique he obtained from the academy could only be considered a basic ghost meditation technique. That’s why it was available in the spell repository in the first place. Its value was low, and so was its price.
If Ain wished to obtain better techniques and spells, besides their source, his wealth played the most critical role.
Just like Teacher Turner’s teachings, this first year was solely to build a foundation for the future. Students would truly step into the world of spirit tamers upon graduating.
To Ain, wealth was also a crucial foundational resource.
The success of his attribute traces measurement service brought about a phenomenal change to his pockets. But the profits from selling the new AMDs could easily surpass that of his service, potentially freeing Ain from financial burdens in the foreseeable future.
Compared to making regular transactions and the associated hassle, Ain preferred to invest the time and effort once and reap the entailing benefits from home.
It was like planting a seed. Once the seed sprouted into a towering tree, Ain would secure a constant supply of ripe fruits.
Furthermore, from the other party’s words, Ain was only required to develop the AMD, which coincided with his previous plans. He had recently shelved the AMD research due to a lack of progress, but with the present circumstances, it was reasonable for him to pick it back up.
In his original plan, manufacturing and distributing his AMDs were a source of headaches, as the potential of his identity being exposed was infinitely greater.
Simultaneously, Ain wasn’t confident that his technology wouldn’t be stolen and replicated. After all, patents were a laughable concept to those with enough power.
But now, these burdensome matters were conveniently taken over by the mysterious hacker.
Only after considering all these aspects did Ain agree to the deal.
He glanced at the holographic screen, which was displaying a new message.
[I will reiterate. I have no intentions to harm you. Develop the AMD with peace of mind.]
Ain saw this message and promptly ignored it. It was impossible for him to feel completely at ease.
Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.
Instead, he thought of another important matter. The reason his AMD research progressed at a snail’s pace was due to a lack of mechanical knowledge, especially pertaining to AMDs. If the other party wished for him to develop an AMD, the relevant knowledge was imperative.
Therefore, Ain decided to make a simple request.
[I need systematic mechanical knowledge, different types of AMDs, and all their blueprints.]
If others were to see Ain’s “simple” request, their eyes would twitch uncontrollably. But Ain didn’t find this request excessive. It shouldn’t be difficult for the other party, after all, they had the ability to hack Cyberspace.
Moreover, the other party seemed to be aware of Ain’s search for mechanical knowledge in Cyberspace, hence aware of his needs.
As expected, the text immediately changed.
[I’ve already fulfilled your request.]
Ain raised an eyebrow at this response. As if foreseeing his confusion, new text appeared.
[A package will be available at the Cyberspace transmission hub that you visit.]
“Oh,” Ain muttered.
At this point, unknowingly, his emotions had already calmed down. But there were still numerous questions in his heart, and the one at the forefront was still the same one.
[So, who are you?]
Ain returned to the first question he had asked.
[Irrelevant. But you can use Maximus-A for reference.]
After this line of text appeared, more followed under it shortly after.
[Cyberspace’s security can be bypassed by some powerful individuals. Your luck is prominent, as I was the first one to discover you. I’ve erased your sensitive information and transferred your avatar, Wise Man, to an untraceable ghost account with a 5-star access. Even those comparable to me will find it difficult to trace it. Consider it a gift.]
[Your hololink has gained access to this ghost account. This account contains the mechanical knowledge and the AMD blueprints. It must also be used to receive the package containing the various AMDs.]
[Focus on developing the AMD. Farewell.]
Ain’s eyes quickly passed over the blocks of text. His expressions also shifted just as quickly, from apprehension to a pondering expression, and finally to some hints of surprise and joy.
His apprehension was at Cyberspace’s security. It was indeed a problematic matter. He would need to exercise caution in the future.
Following that, his pondering expression was due to his “prominent luck.” He read between the lines here, realizing Maximus-A’s intent. Maximus-A didn’t pose a threat to him, but the same couldn’t be said about the others who could tamper with Cyberspace.
And his final expression, with traces of surprise and joy, was obviously due to the gift from Maximus-A.
An untraceable ghost account.
Ain wouldn’t take its ability to hinder individuals similar to Maximus-A seriously. But it could still prove to be incredibly beneficial, especially with its 5-star access.
3-star access was limited to the Emerald Garden, but 5-star access extended to the entire Dawnstar Federation.
Cyberspace was strictly regulated in the Dawnstar Federation. Except for special news, access to markets, forums, and information was limited by one’s access level. With higher access, Ain could potentially discover better resources and techniques through Cyberspace.
After these morphing expressions, Ain’s gaze landed on the final message. Without allowing him to respond, Maximus-A had concluded the conversation.
Before his eyes, the text slowly melded into the black background, as it slowly began to disperse. The holographic screen ceased its abnormalities, and Ain’s usual background appeared once again.
Gazing at the familiar icons, the entire sequence of events prior seemed unreal.
This sensation was familiar to him. He had felt the same way when he returned from his first trip outside the city and had to attend the spirit academy the next day.
One day, he was completing missions, experiencing life-and-death against spirit tamers and powerful spirit beasts, and the next day, he had to peacefully return to the spirit academy.
During both occasions, Ain experienced a brief moment of disconnect from reality.
In the end, this sensation only lasted for a few minutes.
Ain thought back to what had just occurred and finally pondered on his doubts.
Why was Maximus-A’s approach different from what he expected?
Truthfully, Ain was expecting to become a human AMD upon being discovered. But his fears weren’t realized, and Maximus-A led him down an unexpected route.
Did Maximus-A appreciate his talents? Or did they wholeheartedly wish for the advancement of AMDs?
Even after contemplating extensively, Ain couldn’t understand. But one thing he was confident about was that Maximus-A must be an extremely powerful mechanic! Moreover, his abilities must be superior to his peers.
After all, it was a fact that Cyberspace was created by Sovereign Auto Augustus, one of the few Sovereigns in history. The difficulty in tampering with Cyberspace should be immense.
Ain sorted out his thoughts for another second before glancing around.
He still stood across from the mirror, with his hair waiting to be tied up. Glancing out the window, the morning sun seemed energetic, dispelling the last vestiges of dawn.
All this reminded him of what he was doing before the sudden event.
Ain was preparing to head out to the Cyberspace transmission hub to complete today’s business before stopping by the Liberty Firm to purchase a spatial storage device.
He glanced back at the mirror and fixed his hair swiftly before returning to his hololink. His Wise Man avatar, where he conducted his transactions, had been transferred to a new ghost account.
He needed to investigate this account first before heading out.
On the holographic screen, Ain spotted a message with some instructions, guiding him to access the ghost account.
“It must be from Maximus-A.”
Ain followed the instructions and gained access to the ghost account.
At a glance, there was no obvious difference. Only upon closer inspection would one notice that there was no name associated with this account.
After fiddling with his hololink for a while, Ain checked on the slumbering cat and pups before leaving for the transmission hub.