Chapter 37: A Strategic Partnership
Volcano thoughtfully floated within the endless Void, his gaze shifting back and forth between the two descriptions as countless possibilities flashed through his mind.
"...Which one would benefit Volcan the most?"
The Glacial Heartstone possessed the ability to stabilize opposing elemental forces. If one day Volcan expanded beyond its scorching volcanic regions, perhaps it could even allow entirely new environments to flourish where none should naturally exist.
The Aurora Crystal, on the other hand...
Its extraordinary ability to conduct and store mana made it seem like an invaluable treasure for any civilization that eventually stepped onto the path of magic.
"...Both of them sound amazing."
A helpless sigh escaped his lips as he scratched the back of his head.
"If only she’d let me choose both..."
He stared at the two descriptions for another moment before suddenly shrugging.
"...Ahh, fuck it."
"I’ll just ask."
Without overthinking it any further, his fingers immediately tapped across the virtual keyboard.
Volcano: Hey, Nova. Can’t I... like... take both of those?
Several moments passed before a reply finally arrived.
Nova: .....
Another message quickly followed.
Nova: Don’t be too greedy. Those are both Epic-tier resources. You should already know how generous I’m already being with you, Volcano.
Volcano awkwardly smiled while rubbing his cheek.
Volcano: I-I know... seriously... how did you even get resources like these? And how come my world doesn’t have any?
Nova’s response came almost immediately.
Nova: I won’t be commenting on that.
Nova: Everyone has their own secrets.
Volcano quietly fell into thought.
If Volcan somehow obtained both of these resources, the possibilities would become almost endless. The Glacial Heartstone alone could gradually stabilize opposing elemental forces, while the Aurora Crystal would undoubtedly become an irreplaceable treasure the day one of his races learned how to wield mana. Given enough time, perhaps he could even create an icy region upon one of Volcan’s volcanic mountain ranges—a place where blazing magma and eternal frost coexisted in perfect harmony. Such a thing should have been impossible from the very beginning.
The more he thought about it...
The harder it became to let either one go.
A sudden idea quietly surfaced inside his mind.
Since asking for both directly hadn’t worked...
Perhaps increasing the value of what he was offering would.
A grin slowly spread across his face as his fingers once again danced across the keyboard.
Volcano: Fine... you caught me. I was trying to be a smartass.
Volcano: Then I’ll simply tell you exactly what I received from the redeem code. You can judge whether it’s worth both resources or not.
After a brief pause, he added another sentence.
Volcano: After all... one of the rewards is a premium item capable of advancing your world five hundred years into the future.
The chat instantly fell silent.
For several long seconds...There wasn’t a single response.
Only after what felt like an eternity did another message quietly appear.
Nova: ...A premium item, you say?
Volcano: Yep. The rewards were five bundles of 10× Time Acceleration Tickets, ten Soul Shards, and an additional five hundred Faith Points.
Far away...
Nova’s fingers slowly came to a stop above her virtual keyboard.Her calm eyes quietly lingered on the message as she reread it several times.
Time Acceleration Tickets...
She understood the value of those items better than most.
Back when her civilization had only just begun, she had stumbled across a bundle inside the Premium Store and spent nearly every Faith Point she possessed to purchase it. Those tickets had allowed Icefrost to skip centuries of painfully slow development, bypassing the tedious years where her elvish civilization would have otherwise struggled to learn language, establish culture, and lay the very foundations of society.
And now...
Someone was offering information that could grant her five more bundles.
True...
Trading away those resources would temporarily slow Icefrost’s development.
But only temporarily.
Resources could always be reproduced.
If another five hundred years of accelerated growth awaited her...
Recovering those losses would hardly take any time at all.
No matter how she looked at it...She would still come out ahead.
Even so...
Nova wasn’t the type to hand over valuable resources simply because a trade benefited her. If an opportunity presented itself, she would squeeze every possible advantage from it. After all, the person negotiating with her was still a newcomer who barely understood market values. Otherwise...
Who would willingly exchange only twenty kilograms of Froststeel Ore for one hundred cubic meters of magma?
Yet despite that...
Volcano didn’t strike her as foolish.
Rather...He seemed surprisingly genuine.
When almost every Lesser God inside Godcraft Genesis spent their time scheming, calculating, and searching for ways to climb over everyone else, this strange newcomer was simply trying to enjoy the game with an open heart.
Perhaps he was a little naïve.
But Nova was fairly certain of one thing.
He didn’t seem like the kind of person who would betray someone who genuinely benefited him.
A faint smile unconsciously appeared upon her lips.
Perhaps...
A long-term partnership would be worth far more than a single successful trade.
Her fingers gently resumed typing.
Nova: I understand, Volcano. Even so... it still isn’t quite enough.
She paused briefly before continuing.
Nova: How about this instead? Along with the redeem code, the two of us exchange any information that might benefit both our worlds. Whenever either of us discovers something valuable, we give the other the first chance to negotiate before making it public.
Volcano blinked.
"...Information?"
His eyes widened slightly as another possibility dawned upon him.
Volcano: You mean... a strategic partnership?
A small smile appeared on Nova’s face.
Nova: Call it whatever you like.
Nova: If you agree... I’ll give you both Epic-tier resources, along with a few samples of the resources I showed you earlier.
She sent one final message.
Nova: What do you say, Volcano?
Do you agree?
Volcano’s eyes immediately lit up.
No matter how he looked at it, he had absolutely nothing to lose. The redeem code hadn’t cost him a single Faith Point, yet it had somehow become the bargaining chip for obtaining resources capable of changing the future of his world. More importantly, having someone he could genuinely rely on inside a game as vast as Godcraft Genesis didn’t sound bad at all.
Without another thought, his fingers immediately flew across the virtual keyboard.
Volcano: Alright!! That’s a great idea! I’m in!
A faint smile slowly appeared on Nova’s face as she read his reply.
Nova: Then it’s a deal, Partner.
Nova: Accept the agreement.
A familiar notification immediately appeared before Volcano.
[Ding!]
[Goddess Nova has sent you a Strategic Partnership Agreement.]
Do you accept?
[Yes / No]
Without even thinking twice, Volcano pressed Yes.
Almost instantly, another notification emerged before him, this one written entirely in crimson.
[Warning!]
[Any breach of this agreement, deliberate deception, or betrayal will invoke catastrophic misfortune upon your world along with severe contractual restrictions.]
Do you still wish to proceed?
[Yes / No]
Volcano’s finger paused above the screen for only a brief moment.
"So... it goes both ways."
If betraying the agreement would bring catastrophe upon his own world, then Nova herself would undoubtedly be bound by the exact same restrictions. It wasn’t merely a promise between two people—it was a contract acknowledged by Godcraft itself.
Without another thought...
He pressed Yes once again.
Several moments later, Nova’s message quietly appeared.
Nova: ...You accepted that rather quickly.
Volcano laughed before replying.
Volcano: Why wouldn’t I? We both benefit. If either of us discovers something useful, we can trade it instead of letting it gather dust inside our inventories.
His fingers paused briefly before typing one final sentence.
Volcano: Besides... you don’t seem like the type of person who’d sabotage me. It’s more fun playing with friends than doing everything alone.
Far away, Nova simply stared at the floating messages.
"...Friends?"
That single word felt strangely foreign within Godcraft Genesis.
Ever since entering the game, nearly every interaction she had witnessed revolved around profits, negotiations, deception, or competition. Trust itself had become another resource people bargained with, yet the person on the other side had casually spoken about friendship as though it were the most natural thing imaginable.
A faint smile unconsciously found its way onto her lips.
"...You’re a strange one, Volcano."
Her fingers once again began moving.
Nova: Then it’s settled. From today onward, we’ll exchange information whenever it benefits both our worlds. If either of us discovers a valuable mechanic, hidden opportunity, or rare resource, the other will receive the first chance to negotiate before that information becomes public.
Volcano couldn’t help but grin.
Volcano: Deal!
The very moment his reply was sent, another familiar notification echoed throughout the endless Void.
[Ding!]
[A Mutual Cooperation Agreement has been established between the Lesser Gods: Volcano and Nova.]
[Relationship Status Updated.]
• Strategic Partners
Volcano blinked several times before scratching his cheek.
"...Eh?"
"...There’s even a notification for this?"
Nova softly chuckled.
Nova: Godcraft offers infinite freedom... infinite opportunities... and infinite chains of cause and effect. This is merely the beginning, Volcano. If every new discovery surprises you this much, you’ll probably die from excitement before uncovering Godcraft’s greatest secrets.
Volcano laughed together with her.
Volcano: That sounds terrifying... but I’m in.
Volcano: Let’s play this game until the very end.
Nova: Of course.
She didn’t allow the atmosphere to remain lighthearted for long before immediately returning to business.
Nova: Now... hurry and send me the redeem code.
Without wasting another second, Volcano quickly typed out the sequence.
Volcano: 002547COSMOS.
The instant the message arrived, Nova’s pupils narrowed ever so slightly. Quietly tracing each character with her eyes, she muttered the code beneath her breath.
"002547COSMOS..."
Almost immediately...
A familiar notification appeared before her.
[Congratulations.]
You have discovered a hidden redeem code left behind by one of Godcraft’s Exclusive Personnel.
Rewards Obtained:
• 10× Time Acceleration Ticket ×5
• Soul Shard ×10
• 500 Faith Points
"..."
Nova remained completely silent.
Her usually composed expression froze as she stared at the rewards suspended before her eyes.
Especially...
The five bundles of Time Acceleration Tickets.
"...He wasn’t exaggerating."
For the first time since interacting with Volcano, the lingering doubt hidden deep within her heart quietly disappeared.
"...Perhaps trusting him won’t be such a bad decision after all."
Her fingers gently moved across the virtual keyboard.
Nova: You were telling the truth.
Volcano immediately replied.
Volcano: I told you it was valuable... W-Wait... you actually thought I was lying this whole time?
Nova didn’t bother answering.
Instead, she simply opened the Universal Trade Platform.
This time...
There wasn’t the slightest trace of hesitation.
One after another, she selected every resource they had agreed upon.
---
Recipient: Volcano
Items:
• Glacial Heartstone ×1
• Aurora Crystal ×1
• Eternal Ice Crystal ×20
• Froststeel Ore ×20 kg
• Spirit Ice Essence ×3
Request in Return: None.
---
After carefully checking everything one final time...
She pressed Confirm.
A notification immediately appeared before Volcano.
[Trade Request Received.]
Sender: Nova
Items Offered:
• Glacial Heartstone ×1
• Aurora Crystal ×1
• Eternal Ice Crystal ×20
• Froststeel Ore ×20 kg
• Spirit Ice Essence ×3
Requested Item: None.
Volcano read through the list several times as a satisfied grin slowly spread across his face as his eyes lingered on every single resource.
"Hehehe..."
"What a successful trade."
Without another moment of hesitation...
He accepted.
[Ding!]
[Both parties have accepted the trade.]
[Verifying available resources...]
[...]
[Verification Complete.]
[Removing resources from World: Icefrost...]
[Initiating Interworld Transfer...]
A brilliant pillar of azure light descended from the endless Void, stopping several meters before Volcano.
Just like the previous transfer, it halted directly before its new owner as the surrounding darkness shimmered with countless motes of blue light. One by one, those tiny particles gathered together, gradually taking shape.
The very first object to emerge was a fist-sized crystal.
Its transparent body resembled flawless ice, yet deep within its core, crimson and azure streams endlessly revolved around one another in perfect harmony. Neither fire nor frost attempted to overwhelm the other. Instead, both elements coexisted peacefully, as though they had never been opposites to begin with.
"...The Glacial Heartstone..."
Volcano subconsciously whispered.
Before he could fully admire it, another cluster of light condensed beside the floating crystal. A magnificent prism slowly rotated through the Void, its crystal-clear body containing ribbons of shimmering aurora that resembled fragments of the night sky imprisoned within solid glass. Every gentle pulse quietly released invisible waves of mana into the surrounding space.
"...The Aurora Crystal..."
One after another, the remaining treasures gradually materialized.
Twenty Eternal Ice Crystals floated into existence, arranging themselves into a perfect circle before twenty Froststeel ingots emerged soon after, each one releasing a faint icy mist despite floating within Volcano’s naturally warm divine aura. Finally, three spheres of Spirit Ice Essence condensed directly from pure mana itself before quietly beginning to orbit the rest of the treasures like tiny moons surrounding distant planets.
When the final particle of light disappeared...
Five extraordinary resources silently hovered before him.
Volcano simply stood there, unable to look away.
"...Just look at them."
"They’re beautiful."
Each treasure revolved around him like a tiny celestial body, carrying an aura unlike anything Volcan had ever possessed.
His fascinated gaze lingered on them for several long moments before slowly drifting downward toward the volcanic world quietly rotating beneath his feet.
A smile gradually spread across his face.
"...Now...Where should I place these?"