Soul Echo

"It's nothing. I just wanted to say hello and ask you something while I was at it," Richard said calmly, looking at the Lich Old Man.

"Ask something? Hmph!" The Lich Old Man flared up after hearing Richard's words. "Now you need me! Earlier, when you didn't need me, you threw me into that iron box. I'm still angry about that."

After a pause, the Lich Old Man looked at Richard's expression and grew even more displeased, nearly stamping his feet as he said, "What? What's with that look on your face?"

"I only meant that throwing you into the iron box happened three days ago," Richard said.

"Three... days ago? Has it really been that long?" The Lich Old Man froze for a moment before continuing to shout as if unaffected. "I don't care! Either way, you have to apologize to me! And you have to agree to help revive me for free. Only after that might I consider helping you."

"Are you sure?" Richard looked at the Lich Old Man and asked seriously. "What I want to ask you isn't particularly difficult. I think it might only take a little effort on your part. Compared to that, you can't even guarantee the chances of your own revival succeeding. The difference between the two is far too great, isn't it? That doesn't conform to the principle of equivalent exchange."

"No, in my eyes, this perfectly conforms to the principle of equivalent exchange," the Lich Old Man declared loudly. "Only if you help revive me will I help you. Otherwise, I won't provide you with any knowledge. I'm not stupid, after all. What if you squeeze all my knowledge out of me bit by bit and then abandon me? I'd be the one getting the short end of the stick."