Gods and Transactions

"Earlier, I heard that Green New Company was also a business under the Maiden of the Forest Church. They should count as your people, right? Are you really going to just watch them die?"

Lu PingAn's question went unanswered. The secret realm's response was somewhat stiff.

All along, it seemed to respond only to "requests," but Chris added gloomily.

"Obviously, you don't understand gods, churches, and you understand even less about that bitch, the Maiden of the Forest."

The resentment in those words practically gushed out. Lu PingAn no longer had any reason to doubt that Chris was connected to Lady Lin.

"Isn't that why you're here? Tell me about it."

Lu PingAn had thought that, like before, a few casual compliments would draw out more secrets, but—

"...Even if I told you, you wouldn't understand. Other than them, no one can truly understand why they act as they do. But do you know that the Maiden of the Forest has sixty-seven churches? Eleven major branches? That there are at least nineteen Popes, Holy Sons, and Holy Maidens claiming to be representatives of divine authority on earth?"

No, this really was his first time hearing of it.

Lu PingAn was a little stunned. It was not because of the complicated branches—one particular church from Earth's previous era had been even more chaotic—but because—

"...Isn't this an era where all gods interfere in the mortal world? Even a relatively obscure Life God has such immense influence and so many churches. Then the entire world..."

At that moment, Lu PingAn thought of Ancient City, a small second-tier city, which had several Chaser Gymnasiums and multiple Lin Ci Hospitals with different serial numbers.

The Gods Church had thoroughly infiltrated social welfare sectors such as healthcare and sports, fields that should have been handled by public authority. Was that really not a problem? Even thinking with his knees, Lu PingAn felt that the problem was enormous.

Then there were the administrators or owners of the various secret realms, who had long possessed territories and authority like independent kingdoms. Perhaps this world was not as orderly as it appeared.

Or rather, perhaps only the environment Lu PingAn currently lived in was relatively orderly.

"Take a guess. Among those sixty-seven churches, which one can represent her will?"

"...None of them."

After thinking it over, Lu PingAn gave that answer.

In his memories, for shepherds, it was best for gods to remain high above, doing nothing and letting mortal churches interpret their authority on earth.

"Heh. That's why I said you don't understand at all. Every church bears her power. Every one of them is a church of a True God. But only the strongest one is her representative. In the past ten years alone, that position has changed hands at least three times, and even the core doctrine has been revised three times."

Even doctrine could be changed? What the hell even was a god?

"...Do they fight among themselves?"

"'Those of the Same Kind strike harder than mortal enemies.' Remember that. It applies in many places."

At the church level, the fiercest battles were fought against enemy gods with opposing natures.

But compared to competition between gods of the Same Kind, those were merely children's games.

The internal struggles for rank between factions under the same god were even more deadly and frenzied—

Yet compared to the infighting among subordinate organizations within the same church, even that was nothing.

Lu PingAn was somewhat surprised. He could now understand why Chris said he "didn't understand." This was clearly beyond anything someone at his level could touch.

Ordinary people, himself included, were merely a crowd swept along by the tide of the era.

They had grown accustomed to churches and companies interfering in every aspect of life and work, and did not find it strange that the government was absent from those areas.

Lu PingAn had only one question left.

"Are the other gods the same?"

If they all operated like this, then how chaotic must the entire world be? Was this modern society beneath its outward harmony already close to collapse?

"No."

Lu PingAn sighed in relief. Then things were not quite that bad.

"...The Life Gods generally recognize 'survival of the fittest through competition,' so most of them fight rather directly. Other gods have their own methods of struggle, but without exception, all of them are in a state of competition. Society looks so peaceful now only because someone is keeping them in check, and there is a set of rules and bottom lines that must be obeyed."

Someone was keeping them in check? Oh, the government. Then it was fine.

Before Lu PingAn could praise the greatness of the nation, Chris added gloomily.

"...But how much longer can they keep it in check? Fifty years ago, it was already destined that they would eventually fail. Fear and unease breed a new round of struggles. Don't be fooled by the fact that I am defined as an evil god now. If I succeed in ascending to godhood, I would become another orthodox Life God, with my own church and path..."

Were they really playing this big?

But at that moment, the settlement was finally complete.

Settlement complete. Please prepare for settlement. However, the Secret Realm Master has made a request, asking whether you wish to sell two new varieties of Tier 2 magical plants. If you sell them, your settlement evaluation may be increased once more.

"Eh? So it wasn't joking? It really wants to buy them? These things can be traded?"

Earlier, when Lu PingAn saw the secret realm message that said, "That disgusting Dark Green Vine Beard Monster is still there. Are you selling it? I'll offer a good price," he had thought the other side was joking.

"...Are you selling?"

This time, Lu PingAn was asking Chris.

"Is there any point in keeping that module? Are you planning to write a book and compete with Green New Company for the market?"

"Sell."

According to Life Bank rules, all transactions are to be paid in Life Points as a priority. After evaluation, the bids for the two unnamed magical plants are 0.63 Life Coin and 0.41 Life Coin. The Secret Realm Master agrees to this price. Confirm transaction?

Together, they were worth only one coin? It cost at least twenty coins to make each one!

That did not even include Research and Development costs. Including those, the price should be several times higher.

Even looking only at the products themselves, you were buying one-hundred-dollar goods for five dollars. Even capitalists were not this ruthless!

But after a brief moment of shock and anger, Lu PingAn was filled with joy.

"...I've finally found a way to obtain Life Points. My guess was right—they can only be obtained through transactions."

The essence of Lu PingAn's system was "Life Transaction," so naturally, the way to acquire points was also through transactions.

The reason he had never received a prompt before might simply have been that the transaction targets were not valuable enough, or that the transaction partners were not wealthy enough.

"The essence of Life Points is Life Force of an extremely high grade. Only gods, or beings comparable to them, have the ability to trade in Life Points."

Lu PingAn had inferred this from his previous experience investing in magical plants.

At the time, one Life Point had degraded twice in succession, from a Life Point into Life Source Power, then further deteriorated into Life Curse Power. Only then could it be absorbed by the magical plant and turned into nourishment that rapidly ripened it.

Qualitative change was never easy. There should be an enormous gap between every tier. All of his current supernatural abilities carried the suffix "curse," meaning they were probably the lowest grade of "quality."

Back then, Lu PingAn had guessed that only extremely high-level beings possessed transaction equivalents equal in value to "Life Points."

Now that he had truly seen this "1.04 Life Coin transaction," he saw hope for survival. But—

"...One Life Point is meaningless to me. Can it be exchanged for another equivalent?"

Coordination complete. It may be incorporated into the settlement reward to increase its evaluation.

"Settle it."

The Tier 1 secret realm 'Three Ring Forest' has been completed. Lu PingAn's overall evaluation is 'S+'.

Secret Realm Master's message (Maiden of the Forest virtual personality): You finally killed those pests that were harming the seedlings in my garden. Big Sister is giving you an extra reward.

Host has obtained 100 Shop Coins. (This currency may only be used during settlement in secret realms related to the Maiden of the Forest.)

This short evaluation revealed much information that made Lu PingAn uneasy.

As a virtual personality, the Secret Realm Master clearly possessed its own will and preferences.

But from the information it had revealed, it could only act according to the rules. For most secret realm travelers, they could treat her as though she did not exist. At most, she could make her presence felt during settlement.

If she had not encountered a High-Level Rules-type ability user like Lu PingAn, she would not even have been able to convey her consciousness.

Based on the overall evaluation and the Secret Realm Master's attitude, your secret realm reward is as follows. Please make a choice within three minutes, or the Secret Realm Master will randomly choose for you.

A. Grant your body additional contamination. (Purified by the Maiden of the Forest.)

B. Random blessing from the Maiden of the Forest. (Below Tier 3.)

C. Grant one of your items additional contamination.

D. Open the Secret Realm Shop. (S-rank authority.) Allows the purchase of specific targets.

These seemed to be standard options, not much different from last time, but there was an additional system prompt.

Transaction complete. The host may select one additional option. However, the total additional reward obtained may not exceed the estimated value of the transaction targets. (Approximately 100 Shop Coins / 1 Life Coin.)