In the fourth layer of the origin battlefield.
municating with the Universal Cornerstone again gave Michael more information.
The first was territory management.
Through it, Michael was able to learn that the entire Level 3 Region contained a total of one registered individual and approximately three thousand four hundred unregistered creatures.
There was no map available at Level One, but Michael didn't need one to know that the majority of those three thousand four hundred belonged to his undead, with the remainder likely being the awakeners lurking near the domain's edges.
Whether ordinary monsters were also included among the unregistered count would require his own investigation to confirm.
The next function under territory management was registration. According to the Universal Cornerstone, when individuals registered, roles could be assigned to them.
At Level One, there were three types of registered individuals.
The first was moners. This offered no benefits beyond being recognizable by the Universal Cornerstone within its territory and being able to access certain functions like the trade hub.
The second was the Privileged. These were similar to moners except they could interact with the Universal Cornerstone in additional ways beyond what ordinary residents could.
To Michael, they felt closest to staff.
The third was Registered Lords. These were individuals who, like Michael, had claimed a Cornerstone of their own but had chosen to bee his subjects.
This granted them almost no visible benefit and functioned more as a formal confirmation of submission.
Of course, there were likely benefits he couldn't see yet. The information mentioned that Registered Lords would have their Cornerstone linked to his.
Perhaps that meant they would share in certain effects, or freeload from him in some fashion. As for the specifics, he could only wait for a future version of himself to figure it out.
The next registered individual was himself. It was through this entry that Michael understood how his identity as the Cornerstone's owner could be lost, aside from its destruction or his death.
The final method was voluntarily passing ownership to someone else.
Territory management wasn't limited to these functions, but many options remained greyed out. Only time would reveal what else awaited him.
The next function that caught Michael's attention was the Trade Hub.
According to the information provided by the Origin Will, this function allowed trading with the Origin Will itself.
"Trade with the Origin Will?"
Michael frowned in confusion.
It didn't really make sense on the surface.
To many in the universe, the Origin Will was simply the name of a system with established rules. Something like a base intelligence that only performed specific tasks and resolved problems.
But after many encounters with it, Michael knew this enigmatic system possessed intelligence no lower than any intelligent being in the universe, and was likely the most supreme existence of all.
And the Universal Cornerstone was claiming he could trade with such a figure.
"Is it referring to the system or the will itself? Surely even legendary-grade treasures have limits."
Regardless of his doubts, Michael was filled with anticipation.
A panel immediately appeared before him.
[Buy] [Sell]
After a brief hesitation, Michael decided to try the sell function first.
"Best to save the best for last."
As those words left his mouth and he made his selection, the panels dissolved. Instead, a strange object slowly materialized from the Universal Cornerstone.
It resembled a table, though not a normal one supported by legs. It was a perfectly smooth rectangular platform of translucent crystal that simply floated before him at about waist height.
Countless tiny runes flowed beneath its surface like rivers of light.
The moment it fully formed, information entered Michael's mind.
Trade Table. Anything placed upon it would be evaluated before an offer was made.
Michael's curiosity immediately grew.
"So that's how it works."
The process was remarkably straightforward. Place an item on the Trade Table and it would be evaluated. If the owner agreed with the offered value, the trade would be pleted immediately.
No bargaining. No negotiations. Just a direct exchange.
"…Quite simple."
Michael looked around before opening his storage. Among the numerous resources he had collected throughout the Origin Battlefield, he selected something of relatively low value.
A Two-Star Rare Grade medicinal herb. Although considered valuable, he had harvested several identical ones throughout his travels. Selling one wouldn't affect him in the slightest.
He gently placed the herb onto the floating platform. The instant it touched the crystal surface, the entire table lit up.
Golden runes spread beneath the herb before converging into a translucent panel.
[Item Evaluation plete]
Name: Frostleaf Grass
Grade: Rare
Evaluation: ★★
Condition: Excellent
Primary Uses:
Can be refined into intermediate recovery potions.
A mon ingredient for frost-aspect medicines.
Can be consumed directly to permanently strengthen resistance against low temperatures to a minor degree.
"So it even analyzes the item."
Michael quietly read through the information. His attention quickly shifted toward the bottom of the panel where another line had appeared.
Estimated Value Origin Points: 239
Would you like to proceed with the transaction?
[Yes] [No]
"Origin Points…"
Michael frowned slightly.
It was obvious this was some form of currency, but unfortunately the Universal Cornerstone didn't provide any further explanation. It merely displayed the amount the herb was worth.
Michael sighed helplessly, then looked toward another detail on the panel.
Evaluation: ★★
Unlike the seven universal grades he currently knew, this evaluation appeared to follow an entirely different system using only stars.
Was it grading quality? Rarity among items of the same grade? Usefulness to the Origin Will? Or perhaps overall value?
Michael had a feeling it was most likely the last, but without a way to confirm, he couldn't jump to conclusions.
However, running more tests in the future would inevitably reveal more.
Looking back at the herb resting peacefully on the floating platform, Michael didn't hesitate for long.
Two hundred and thirty-nine Origin Points didn't sound like much, but the herb itself wasn't particularly valuable to him either.
More importantly, he wanted to understand how the Trade Hub truly functioned. The only way to learn was through experience.
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