Murphy's probing exchanges with the powerful department in the other world hadn't taken up much of his time or energy.
They didn't even rank among his top five concerns at the moment.
It wasn't that Murphy truly didn't care. He simply had no way to exert any greater influence over the other world yet, so all he could do was preserve as much of his mystique as possible and keep the other side wary. But since the authority to "cut off the network" remained in his hands, this "deterrent" wasn't exactly a bluff.
As long as the power to enter the other world was in his hands, the initiative in this "third kind of contact" wouldn't shift to the other side. Murphy felt secure in his position and had nothing to fear.
Even in the worst-case scenario, he'd only have to change countries and start over with a new group of minor players.
But Murphy's vampire instincts told him the other side wouldn't pass up this "opportunity." Given that all the players currently came from the same country, this could also be considered a valuable "first-mover advantage."
With that in mind, Murphy actually had quite a few cards to play.
He had no intention of lifting this "fig leaf" too early. Only by maintaining an air of mystery could he keep the other side cautious, minimizing the impact on his plans for Transia.
The two sides could cooperate!
Murphy firmly believed that.
It was just that he still lacked the leverage needed for cooperation. He had nothing they wanted. But if he could find some of the clues they were seeking on this continent, then even if he got only a few chances to trade, Murphy believed they could become his "trump card" for turning the tide in a crisis.