Death... and me

Along the way, Roan took the opportunity to ask Kihin. "So, how was it? Did you find your compatible star beyond the barrier?"

Kihin sighed in disappointment, telling Roan, "Not even close. You told me you could feel your star's presence when you got close enough. However, the sea of stars is just too huge. Besides, I don't know whether I would be able to feel its presence or not, even if I was close. Perhaps that was something that only happened to you."

Roan nodded. "Unfortunately, I can't confirm that either. But then again, the stars beyond the barrier are much better with Starlight Energy than the ones inside it. Don't forget what I told you. While you're looking for the right star, you won't be doing anything else. If it takes too long, you will lose too much of your young age, which you should be using for training."

Kihin sighed and nodded in understanding. "I know that, alright? I'm starting to consider leaving the Starlight Body Cultivation Technique aside for the moment. Once I get much older and time stops mattering too much, I'll go after the perfect star again."

Suddenly, Roan paused. "What did you say?"

Kihin looked at Roan, puzzled. "That I will leave body cultivation aside?"

Roan shook his head, replying, "No, after that."

"That I will wait until I'm much older so that time won't matter?" Kihin asked.

Roan's eyes lit up when an idea popped into his mind. "That's it. I think I know a way for you to find your compatible star."

"What?!" Kihin was shocked to hear that. "How?"

Roan shook his head, telling him, "Let me finish this thing with Glatica first, then I'll come with you to your home and tell you what you should do."

Kihin didn't like that but nodded nonetheless. Immediately, he increased his pace. "Then let's go there already, come on!"

Sometime later, the two arrived at Glatica's residence. "Glatica, open the formation. I'm here with a friend."

It didn't take too long before the formation was opened and a woman appeared at the entrance. "What do you want? I'm busy."

Kihin then looked at Roan, saying, "That's your problem. Go ahead."

Roan nodded before introducing himself. "I'm Roan Larks. I was the one who left the message about the Molten Divine Rock Flower in the Alchemist Hall. Do you have the information I seek?"

Glatica's expression changed immediately after that. "Oh, so it was you! That depends. How much are you willing to pay for the information? I might as well tell you that there aren't many people who know about that flower."

Kihin was puzzled. He sure had never heard of something like it. But then again, he wasn't an alchemist, so he didn't intervene.

Roan nodded, telling her, "I'm willing to pay 100000 Merit Points."

Glatica pondered over it for a bit and shook her head. "200000, and the information is yours."

Kihin's mouth could not help but twitch after hearing their negotiation. "Hey, that's daylight robbery! You can buy four Rank Three Divine Stones with that!" Naturally, he knew how important such a huge amount of points was.

Roan then made a counter-proposal. "In any case, we'll just do useless bartering just so we can reach a middle ground. Let's not waste time with that. 150000 Merit Points. If you want, the Merit Points are yours. If not, then I'll ask someone else. It's not like I'm desperate for the information anyway."

Glatica nodded after hearing that. "I like your straightforwardness. Very well, 150000 Merit Points it is."

Roan also added, "We will include a Soul Binding Contract to make sure both sides are being true to each other."

Glatica was more than happy to comply. If Roan didn't say that, she would. "That's a given. Now, come inside."

The contract was very simple. Once signed, Glatica was obligated to tell the real information while Roan was obligated to pay 150000 Merit Points. However, Roan also added a clause where Glatica must not talk about this deal to anyone. Glatica didn't really care about such a small thing, so she accepted that. That was Roan's way of protecting himself. After all, if she leaked the information about him looking for this flower, perhaps the Blood Path Sect would have someone waiting for him once he went after it. He didn't mind Kihin seeing it as the guy did gain his trust.

Eventually, the contract took effect and bound their souls... well, Glatica's soul, at least. The contract had no effect on Roan, not that she knew that. Not to mention that Roan also paid to keep the uselessness of the contract a secret.

Glatica began to explain, "I have received your Merit Points. Very well, I'm part of the Searing Blood Race, so we're quite knowledgeable regarding items related to the Fire Element. The Molten Divine Rock Flower just so happens to be an item we would love to have."

"Where can I find it?" Roan asked.

However, she shook her head, explaining, "It won't be easy. First of all, you won't find this flower in our Huring Continent. My clan's elders traveled all around the realm in the past, and it was during one of those travels to the other continents that they found that flower."

Roan narrowed his eyes, asking, "So it's in another continent?"

"Correct." Glatica nodded. "To be more specific, it can be found in Treavin Continent as it's a huge desert. Fire Element is constant and very pure in certain parts of that continent, necessary for the flower's growth. The elder who brought one of those flowers in the past told me that he bought the flower in an auction there and that it's very rare. With that said, you will have to find it by yourself. Or, of course, you can try to buy it there."

Kihin couldn't help but comment, "Isn't that kind of useless information? There's no way he can travel to such a faraway continent."

Glatica laughed in response. "The agreement was that the information had to be real, not that it was easy. Now then, this is all that I know, so you two can leave already."

Roan nodded, not minding it too much. Treavin was also part of the journey, so he and Rean would get there eventually. "Alright, Kihin. A deal is a deal, so don't bother about it. Let's go."