Lilith nodded, finalizing another lightning-fast transaction with Izera. This time, the golden pipe materialized directly above the fields, and a hail of 2,000 seeds showered the working goblins, who rushed to collect them with shouts of excitement.
She leaned against the cool stone of the Abyss Altar and let out a long breath. "Fortunately, I can set the exit point for these deliveries," she muttered to Lysandra. "If that pipe were to dump thousands of seeds straight onto my head every time, this territory would quickly become very annoying."
In her system warehouse, which displayed her territory's stockpiles, there were still over 5,000 batch of Giga Potatoes. She was just about to list another batch on the general chat when her private inbox flashed with an intense violet light.
Succubus Queen Serena: "Friend, do you have any more of that food in stock?"
Lilith raised her eyebrows, her eyes sparkling with curiosity. It was rare for other players to address her as "friend," but the race name caught her attention.
Succubus Queen? she thought, analyzing the ID.
It looks like among the ten million Demon Kings, there are more unique variations of succubi than just mine. This Serena must also be some powerful evolution if the system granted her such a title.
She felt a strange thread of kinship, though in this world, "kinship" often meant nothing more than dangerous competition. She replied briefly and to the point:
Lilith: "Yes. I have supplies."
The reply came almost instantly, as if Serena were camping by the interface.
Succubus Queen Serena: "Great! I'll take everything you have left."
Lilith snorted, an expression of disbelief crossing her face. She thought of the mountain of potatoes still piled high in the fields. "This woman probably has no idea what she's talking about," she whispered to herself, shaking her head. "Why the hell would one player need that much food at once? That's freezing a massive amount of capital."
She tapped her talon against the screen, writing with slight skepticism:
Lilith: "Are you sure? I have over 100,000 kilograms left. That isn't exactly a small bag of snacks."
The reply was short, confident, and struck a tone Lilith knew well - the tone of someone who doesn't count the cost because they have a specific goal.
Succubus Queen Serena: "It doesn't matter. I'll take any amount you are able to sell me."
Lilith raised her eyebrows, a predatory smile blooming on her lips. She had found a "big fish." She quickly converted the weight of the goods into gold, taking into account the bulk quantity and current market prices.
Lilith: "Since you're taking it all, let's round it off. 20,000 gold pieces and we'll call it even."
The reply came almost immediately, but it made Lilith freeze with her finger over the interface.
Succubus Queen Serena: "I don't have gold coins."
Lilith's face hardened. She felt a wave of hot rage flood her temples. Talons slid from her fingers, and her chest began to heave with rapid breaths. Troll! she thought, already composing the most flowery string of insults in her head for someone wasting her time in the middle of the night. However, before she could strike the keyboard, Serena sent another message.
Succubus Queen Serena: "But in exchange, I can give you this: [Blueprint: Demon King's Castle]."
Lilith blinked once, then twice, and her eyes nearly popped out of their sockets when she opened the attached schematic.
[Blueprint: Demon King's Castle]Construction
Costs: Darkness Gem x1, Iron x100, Wood x300, Stone x500, Gold x1,800.
"Holy hell!" Lilith screamed at the top of her lungs, making Lysandra nearly jump and look at her strangely. "Lysandra! Do you see this?! Finally... finally, we'll have a roof over our heads! A real roof!"
However, after a moment of euphoria came the sobering reality. Lilith narrowed her eyes, feeling a rising unease. Why? she thought feverishly. Why would anyone want to trade the blueprint for such a crucial building for stupid potatoes? Sure, 100,000 kilograms was a mountain of food, but on the market, it was still only worth gold. The cost of building this castle alone was colossal, and the blueprint itself had to be worth a small fortune.
She looked at the nickname Succubus Queen Serena.
Succubi don't need that much food to survive... their diet is different, as I've learned firsthand... she analyzed suspiciously. However, the sight of the design for her dream residence - a place where she would no longer have to sleep under the open sky by the altar - was too tempting. Even if Serena had some hidden motive, Lilith felt she was the one making the deal of a lifetime here.
She exhaled loudly, deciding to take the risk.
Lilith: "Deal. I'm in. Send the trade invite."
The transaction window materialized in the center of the field. Lilith, her hands still trembling slightly, confirmed the transfer of 5,000 batch of potatoes. The golden pipe appeared over the mountains of vegetables and, with a deafening whistle, began to swallow them at record speed.
As the last tuber vanished into the abyss of the pipe, a heavy black scroll tied with a purple ribbon materialized in Lilith's inventory. She held the deed to her future power in her hands.
"This is really happening," she whispered, looking at the empty system notification where tons of food had lain only moments ago.
Lilith held the heavy black scroll in her hands, feeling the chill radiating from its magic, but deep down she still couldn't stop thinking about it. That blueprint was worth a fortune. Out of pure curiosity, unable to help herself, she tapped out a message:
Lilith: "Why did you do it? This project is worth far more than potatoes. Even if they are Giga Potatoes, this trade is extremely unfavorable for you."
The answer came almost immediately, carrying a note of desperation, but also cold calculation.
Succubus Queen Serena: "If not for the fact that I am so dramatically lacking food for my servants right now, I wouldn't have sold this project for anything."
Succubus Queen Serena: "Besides... treat it as an investment. I hope you'll remember this gesture, and in the future, if the need arises, I'll be able to count on your help."
Lilith smiled crookedly, and understanding flashed in her eyes.
So that's it, she thought.
For several days, Lilith had been incredibly active on the Demon King chat; she was constantly listing things, selling, and for some time had even been pestering others for building blueprints. Serena must have decided that Lilith was a "big shot" - someone developing at a terrifying pace. She took the opportunity to kill two birds with one stone: feed her army and "buy" the favor of a powerful neighbor.
On one hand, Serena lost out financially on this deal, but on the other - she showed incredible generosity, building the foundation for a future alliance.
"Political games..." Lilith sighed, rolling the scroll between her fingers. "Even among monsters and demons, I can't escape diplomacy. But be that as it may, I made a massive fortune on this."
Wasting no more time, Lilith sent Serena a friend request.
Lilith: "I appreciate the gesture. If you need more food in the future, contact me directly. I'll give you a proper discount."
The notification for the accepted invitation popped up instantly.
Succubus Queen Serena: "I'll hold you to that! I'll definitely be in touch. Good luck fighting those disgusting heroes!"
Lilith closed the chat window and looked at Lysandra, who had been watching the entire exchange with interest.
"I didn't expect my first official friend in this new world to be another succubus..." Lilith murmured with a slight smile.