Ant Lord in the Star Realm

Flying Wing Star, Area 1001.

Beside the all-metal constructed headquarters of the Luoli Chamber of Commerce, a Third Level Star Spider, over a hundred meters in length, was parked.

Its mouth opened, revealing a portal for entry and exit.

Giant Taro stood alone at the doorway.

"Chairman Giant Taro!"

Dragon Cypress greeted.

"The primordial gemstone has arrived."

Possessing a gentle and amiable temperament, Giant Taro considerately asked, "Have you accumulated enough primordial crystal?"

Dragon Cypress: "Three billion primordial crystals, just enough."

Giant Taro said little, and seeing no other bugs in the square, the air before them compressed into a viscous mass. Space rippled, and two primordial gemstones fell out.

Dragon Cypress approached closer, activating their Star Network account.

[Dragon Cypress, Giant-Headed Blind Leaf-Cutting Ant King, Star Marks Realm]

[Assets: 601,800,000]

[Liabilities: 0]

Chairman Giant Taro then activated their Star Network account.

Private bug to private bug.

Transferred 3 billion primordial crystals.

Spiritual power mind confirmed the transfer repeatedly.

Dragon Cypress bowed and put away the primordial gemstone.

Transaction completed.

The Star Network individual bug account still had a balance of three billion.

Dragon Cypress, feeling confident, was in no hurry to leave and asked, "Chairman Giant Taro, did this Star Spider just arrive?"

"It arrived last night."

"Where’s Chairman Kansui?"

"It is undergoing maintenance. The Star Spider runs back and forth between the Venus Star System and the White Crystal Star System, so some parts are bound to wear out or even break. As per procedure, upon reaching the destination, bugs need to check and repair them."

Dragon Cypress asked, puzzled, "Doesn’t Chairman Kansui also repair the Star Spider? Isn’t it said that the First, Second, and Third Level Star Spiders and Starships are all equipped with Wisdom Brain systems, which self-check and self-repair before and after each voyage?"

Giant Taro replied, "The Wisdom Brain System is not entirely reliable or omnipotent. It concerns the lives of many Insect Clan warriors, so it is safer to have bugs check it once."

Giant Taro explained in detail, "In the New Cosmic Era, as we live and operate in cosmic space, we mainly rely on Star Spiders and Starships. Mastering the relevant structural principles and maintenance knowledge is an essential skill for surviving in the universe. The Luoli Chamber of Commerce organizes systematic training for its formal members after evolving to the Star Realm."

"Oh—"

Dragon Cypress wasn’t focused on this, casting a glance at the doorway and asked, "Chairman Giant Taro, given the difficulty of a Star Spider’s trip, did it not bring any other valuable goods?"

"There should be—"

Giant Taro countered, "Dragon Cypress Ant King, sensing your primordial energy breath, you are at the peak of the Star Marks Realm. You’re not far from evolving to the Half Star Realm, are you?"

Dragon Cypress honestly replied, "Still far off."

"Understood—"

Giant Taro said, "If you have the intention to continue evolving to the Half Star Realm, you can come to find me and Kansui."

"Every time the Star Spider comes, it transports a batch of Divine-Given Origin Force Food at the Star Realm level for the two old spiders and the Chamber of Commerce-employed warriors that maintain order. If we can’t finish it, we sell it to other needing Insect Clan warriors."

Dragon Cypress: "..."

Seems unnecessary.

Evolving and growing in the Scar Realm, eating Origin Force Food of the Scar Realm is enough.

Only the Star Realm requires Star Realm level Origin Force Food.

Both myself and Ink Orchid have grand ambitions; evolving to the Star Realm is still far away.

Reckoning the time, by then, we should head to the Main Star System for development.

Dragon Cypress tried asking, "Chairman Giant Taro, what about the price?"

Giant Taro: "Long-distance transportation isn’t easy. It may cost about 20% more than the market price."

"A very reasonable price! There will definitely be demand at that time, and I’ll be sure to find you."

Dragon Cypress then tentatively asked, "Chairman Giant Taro, the White Crystal Star System is so vast. Surely there are Soul System Divine-Given Origin Force Food available for sale?"

"There... definitely is..."

Giant Taro pondered, saying, "Hard to find. Prices are steep. Generally, Soul System Divine-Given Origin Force Food costs ten times that of regular Divine-Given Origin Force Food. Here, we might have to charge a bit extra for the effort."

Dragon Cypress’s eyes lit up, asking, "Can I buy it now? I haven’t used Origin Force Food during my Star Marks Realm Age Period 9, so I can eat a little."

Giant Taro: "Of course. If you need it, you can sell some. As for the price..."

Giant Taro paused and said, "We charge a 40% effort fee based on market prices."

Dragon Cypress: "..."

Giant Taro patiently explained, "The Soul System is a power above the Elemental Seven Systems. Due to the Universe Law, throughout the universe, Origin Force Lifeforms with Soul System Talent are very scarce. Likewise, Soul System plants, Soul System Divine-Given Seeds, and Soul System Origin Force Foods are extremely scarce. Since they are scarce and hard to come by, naturally, prices rise."

"Kansui and I, under the name of Soul Casting in the Star Realm, can directly get goods from within the Chamber of Commerce. But it’s not like we can get as much as we want; on the contrary, there’s a quota limit. Also, an average bug, even with primordial crystal, might not be able to buy them. You are not an average bug; you have the privilege to purchase."

Dragon Cypress: "...Understood."

Dragon Cypress was very tempted, calculating: "Considering tenfold in price, I can consume 5 million of conventional Origin Force Food during my Star Marks Realm Age Period 9; if replaced with Soul System Origin Force Food, it will require 50 million? Adding the 40% markup, that’s 70 million?"

Giant Taro: "That’s how to calculate. It’s the most expensive evolution across the universe. With many divine grades and few bugs, you might consider it."

No need to consider!

Dragon Cypress immediately asked, "Chairman Giant Taro, is there any stock?"

Giant Taro: "There is. But with limited quotas, it’s already been reserved long ago. If you need it, you can make an advance order, and if any bug doesn’t need it anymore, freeing up a quota, I’ll arrange it for you."

"Okay!"

Dragon Cypress said, "Approximately every 330 years, a Star Spider arrives in the Venus Star System. Does each trip have one?"

Giant Taro: "More or less. I’ll notify you if there’s an available quota."

"Great!"

Dragon Cypress politely said, "Thanks in advance, Chairman Giant Taro."

Dragon Cypress then continued to ask, "Chairman Giant Taro, the next Star Spider coming from the Dawn Star System, won’t it transport primordial crystals?"