Liam's heart thumped. Information packets… and teleportation tokens…
Weren't these the two things that he needed the most at the moment? The upgraded system shop actually provided both of those. He was utterly shocked as he had expected many things from the system shop but did not think something would exist, a perfect solution to his problems.
Wait, wasn't this too good?
Liam suddenly felt that something was amiss. If he purchased an information packet about the divine temple clan, then would they get some sort of notification?
In the myriad realms, information was as much a currency as any precious metal or mana core. It was power, and power came with risks and consequences.
The thought that the divine temple clan, or any other powerful entity for that matter, could be alerted when someone sought information about them was not far-fetched. Many organizations would go to great lengths to monitor who was prying into their affairs, and the system shop could potentially be a tool for them to track such inquiries.
Liam also knew that the system shop was confidential. Otherwise, he would have never stepped inside personally. He could have simply sent in Rey or Madan or Lan Deming.
However, he still had a lingering doubt, an unsettling feeling of sorts so he decided to ask the fairy for clarification.
"Tell me," Liam began, his voice measured, "how does the information transaction work? Is the buyer's identity kept confidential? And is there any chance that the subjects of these inquiries are notified?"
The fairy replied with a professional tone. "Grandmaster, all transactions in the system shop are encrypted and secure. The identities of our buyers are of utmost importance, and we ensure that their confidentiality is maintained." "As for your other concern, it is our policy not to notify the subjects of inquiries. However, we cannot control what external factions might do with their own monitoring methods."
The fairy explained further, "Only some information packets are available from us directly." "The rest of the information packets are sold by the clan and we simply act as the middleman. Purchasing these exclusive information packets might or might not trigger a notification. I am unable to confirm that."
Liam's face twitched. Of course, something was going to be there. It looked information center was indeed too good to be true.
"What about the teleportation tokens? Would my purchase be confidential?"
The fairy quickly nodded. "Yes, Grandmaster. The purchase and use of teleportation tokens are completely confidential. We ensure the privacy and security of all our customers' transactions."
Seeing that Liam was still unsure, she quickly added. "Please do not mistake us. Even the fact that you entered the system shop today is completely confidential." "No fairy working in the shop would divulge any information regarding you. Our magic ensures strict confidentiality and security."
Liam nodded. He was not naive enough to blindly believe the fairy as nothing in this world truly had a 100% guarantee.
But the fact was that they needed information badly. He scrolled through what was available on the system screen and then selected a few options. These were not targeted at any specific force or clan or kingdom or family. They were rather some general information about the world they had suddenly plunged into. As far as Liam could tell, getting this much should not raise any alarm flags. These were also sold by the system shop itself and not from any third party source. Because these were very generic, they weren't all that expensive which was an additional perk. He quickly made the purchase and then proceeded to move on to the next counter.
Information was only half the power. He needed actual power too in order to face his enemies. For that, he needed to go somewhere, and do something. Liam did not know exactly what path he should take, but the teleportation tokens offered a myriad of possibilities. They were gateways to new worlds, new resources, and potentially, new allies and he first wanted to see what options were available to him.
Watching him, Dante gritted his teeth in anger. "You can only teleport in this sector with your soul strength. Anything beyond this sector needs a higher soul strength."
Liam turned to give him a glance. The guy seemed fine which meant that he was not lying. "Is that why you are stuck here?" He asked.
"Obviously. Otherwise, why would I stay in this rotten place." Dante spat. "No offense." He added to the fairy standing at the counter.
"None taken, Grandmaster." The fairy respectfully nodded.
Both Madan and Rey immediately rolled their eyes. Considering how well the guy had integrated with this small world, even going as far as to set up a big business enterprise, who would believe his words?
Liam ignored his rant and checked the list of available options. At the same time, he couldn't help but become nervous. His soul strength was definitely better than Danter's. However, it was nowhere near what he would have liked. Would he also be facing a similar issue?
As Liam perused the options, the list was indeed impressive. Each token was labeled with the name of the destination, a brief description of the environment, the dominant powers, and the known hazards. It was clear that these tokens weren't just random chances but carefully curated paths to specific worlds, each with its own set of opportunities and dangers.
"The teleportation token would take you to a private chamber inside one of the system shops in the respective world and from there you would be able to purchase one of our local teleportation tokens." The fairy explained how the system worked. He knew that most first-time users mainly worried about how and where they would be teleported.
"Of course, you also have the option to return to your home shop in case you change your mind or whenever you please. You can choose your default home system shop from this menu."