"Heh." Chen Luo sneered.
For the moment, setting aside whether the Imaginary Tree was actually small, this Honkai World probably was not a beginner world either. Therefore, the World Consciousness had to be older than the Imaginary Tree, since it had gone through more than one cycle.
But Chen Luo was almost sick of hearing this sort of thing from the World Consciousness. It was just like mom saying she would help Chen Luo hold onto his new year's money—completely untrustworthy!
"If I skipped you, the middleman, and gave the Imaginary Tree eleven strands of Root Aura directly, would you be angry?"
'Why would I be angry? Would you be devastated because you accidentally missed out on ten Primogems?'
"Yes."
'...'
'Don't you have over eighty thousand Primogems?'
"Yeah, but what does that have to do with me being upset over missing ten Primogems?"
'...'
"Forget it, I understand your attitude. You'll take more if I give it to you, but you won't force the issue if I don't... more or less?"
'Not only that. If you pay me protection money, I will ensure that you successfully attach the world bubble and that it will not fail.'
"No need. I have confidence in myself. At worst, I'll come find you if it looks like I'm going to fail. You wouldn't refuse anyway."
'That's right. But by then, it will cost four strands.'
"...I won't choose the fully managed service. Instead, I'll do my best to help Durandal hang his world bubble back up with my own strength. It'll also serve as a test of my abilities. But can't you ask for something besides Root Aura?"
Ten strands of Root Aura were still a huge sum to Chen Luo. Rounded off, that was equivalent to two hundred Primogems.
Chen Luo would