The moment Loki heard that, he knew a deal was possible. He quickly pulled five special materials from his inventory.
[Thor’s Hammer: A hammer forged from Digital Alloy. Indestructible. It can serve as a weapon for Digital Sprites or as a material for ultimate evolution.]
[Evil Trident: A trident forged from Dark Alloy. Contains extremely pure Dark Energy. It can serve as a weapon for Digital Sprites or as a material for perfect evolution.]
[Holy Ring: A ring imbued with Holy Energy. It can be worn by a Digital Sprite as an accessory to boost its strength or serve as a material for mature evolution.]
[Dark Gear: A gear containing Dark Energy. It can be fused into a Digital Sprite’s body to greatly increase its powers, though there is a chance the Digital Sprite will lose its mind.]
[Bone Spike Hammer: A hammer forged from the bones of a Zombie Tyrannosprite. It contains immense destructive power and can serve as a weapon for Digital Sprites.]
Han Wu examined all five materials. Some were valuable, while others were less impressive. The one that caught his eye was Thor’s Hammer. It could serve as both a weapon and a material for ultimate evolution, making it perfectly suited to his current needs. If he ever summoned a War Saint Locustman that wielded a hammer, it would be a perfect fit.
He also liked the Holy Ring. It contained Holy Energy, just like the Devout Crucifix he already possessed. Together, they could support mature and perfect evolution respectively. If he could find one more Holy Energy item suitable for ultimate evolution, he could develop an entire evolution path centered around Holy Energy.
Holy Energy was versatile. It excelled at both support and tanking. If he could gather all the necessary components, it would be invaluable. As for the other three materials, they held little appeal for him.
“I want Thor’s Hammer and the Holy Ring,” Han Wu stated.
That request made Loki hesitate. The value of special materials depended on more than utility alone. Thor’s Hammer looked impressive, but it could only be used for ultimate evolution. Among all the contestants, how many could realistically raise an ultimate Digital Sprite?
The Holy Ring was different. It could be used for mature evolution, making it far more widely applicable. In terms of overall value, it was arguably on par with Thor’s Hammer.
After a moment of thought, Loki said, “That won’t work. One for one.”
Han Wu frowned.
“Do you not understand the supply-and-demand situation here? You’re the one asking me to trade, not the other way around. Besides, I have the strength to keep you here. If I did that, all your special materials would become mine.” A hint of threat lingered in his words.
Oddly enough, once Han Wu said it, Loki actually relaxed slightly. If Han Wu had truly intended to rob him, he would have already done so instead of negotiating.
“If you insist on trading one special material for two, it’s not impossible. You’ll need to throw in 200 crystals. Any type will do,” Loki countered.
Han Wu thought it over for three seconds before agreeing. Crystals were produced in decent quantities, but he had little use for them. At present, their primary purpose was to recharge the Iron Abyss Bug. He had killed plenty of Digital Sprites and accumulated a sizable stockpile. Trading away 200 of them posed no issue.
Han Wu handed over the Centaursprite War Banner and 200 crystals. In return, Loki gave him Thor’s Hammer and the Holy Ring. Both parties were satisfied with the deal.
Since the trade had gone smoothly and Han Wu possessed real strength, Loki proposed something else. “I actually know the location of some ruins not far from here. Interested in exploring them together?”
Han Wu raised an eyebrow. “What ruins? Tell me more.”
Loki’s smile was barely noticeable. “Do you know that, in the history of the Sprite Civilization, there was once a period when several rulers dominated all the others? They were known as the Four Dark Masters. These ruins contain the evolution path and required special materials for one of them: Machinedrasprite.”
“Machinedrasprite!” Han Wu repeated.
Its three attributes—mechanical, dragon, and dark—overlapped with his own.
“I’m very interested in your proposal. How do we split the loot?” Han Wu asked.
A cunning glint flashed in Loki’s eyes. “Whoever can use an item gets it. If it suits both of us or neither of us, we roll a die to decide.”
“No problem. Deal,” Han Wu agreed without hesitation.
His quick acceptance didn’t come from trust. It was quite the opposite. He didn’t trust Loki at all, which was precisely why he was willing to set the rules. As long as both sides followed them, everyone benefited. The moment someone broke them and a conflict of interest arose, they would have no one to blame for the consequences.
With the Machinedrasprite ruins on his mind, Han Wu set off alongside Loki.
As they traveled, Han Wu continued communicating with his avatars. Through the extensive broadcast equipment, they confirmed that a set of ruins indeed existed along the route. The site was sealed, however, and the avatars couldn’t see inside. They would have to wait until the two entered.
Before long, they arrived at the entrance. A massive mechanical door towered above them, making both Han Wu and Loki look tiny by comparison.
Loki was already familiar with the ruins. He stepped forward and entered a passcode.
With a deep grind of gears, the door opened. Beyond it lay a pitch-black, eerie interior.
Loki gestured to Han Wu. “After you, my friend.”
Han Wu nodded and walked in with Stinger and Thunder Halberd. The Iron Abyss Bug was too large to fit through the entrance and had to stay outside.
Loki followed behind him. His perfect Metal Tyrannosprite barely squeezed through the entrance, and the smaller Tyrannosprites entered without difficulty.
As they moved inside, two small broadcast drones trailed after them. Back in Han Wu’s divine realm, the avatars now had two screens to monitor. One tracked Han Wu’s every movement, while the other followed Loki.
The pair maintained a cautious distance from each other and remained clearly on guard.
Just as they moved deeper into the dark space, an alarm blared.
“Intruders detected. Intruders detected...” the mechanical voice repeated endlessly.
Rows of mature Digital Sprites marched out from the corridor in tight formation. They were Commandrasprites, clad in lightweight armor and armed with assault rifles.