Chapter Forty-Three: The Busy Landis

In Luoyun City, anyone with a decent level and enough money to cover the teleportation fee flocked there in droves. Ever since a helpful player had shared the method of soul exchange in this place, players had gone wild, forming teams to converge on the city, eager to trade every soul they possessed for high-level, undoubtedly top-tier equipment.

Naturally, before leaving, Li Ren had already entrusted Lantis with certain permissions and had also raised the limits on how much equipment could be exchanged for souls. Even so, as Lantis sat in the lord’s castle, watching the city’s stores of equipment and gold diminish at a staggering rate, she couldn’t help but raise the exchange rate even higher. She adjusted it three times in succession, but the exchanges showed no sign of slowing.

Some players questioned what the soul count really meant—perhaps it had some other use for them—and so they hesitated, waiting and watching, sparking fierce debate on the player forums. But, as expected, no conclusions were reached. Players had no way of knowing what these souls truly were, and in truth, they served no purpose for them at all.

Some even tried to cheat, grinding monsters in low-level, densely populated areas, only to discover that collecting souls there barely increased their total; the lower the monster’s level compared to their own, the less they gained. Reluctantly, this group abandoned their schemes.

Watching the ever-growing crowd of players in Luoyun City, Lantis rested her chin on one hand while idly tapping the table with slender fingers, her brow furrowed in mild frustration.

“At this rate, everything will be gone soon. This won’t do! There’s just not enough stuff!” she grumbled. “Who knows what the master and Shadow are doing now. If I were in charge, hmph! Sigh, just hurry up and bring back more supplies! If you can’t handle it, just let me go instead—gathering equipment is hardly difficult, honestly.”

At that moment, the very Li Ren she complained about was busily hard at work. Now at level 71, Li Ren gripped his longsword, surrounded by a horde of underlings, slaughtering centipedes with wild abandon. Both he and his minions glittered with various auras—a clear sign of Shadow’s support.

Another massive spell crashed down on a nearby Iron Saw Centipede, and a terrifying string of damage numbers burst above the monsters’ heads. All within the area lost over half of their HP, making it easy for Li Ren and his followers to dispatch them swiftly and efficiently.

Truth be told, Li Ren was feeling quite pleased with himself. The three-headed hounds hadn’t just provided them with a batch of starting equipment and funds, but had also given Li Ren a considerable boost. Who knew how many of those hounds had once inhabited that hollow? All Li Ren knew was that his attributes had become utterly monstrous.

Character Name: Bone-by-Bone
Level: 71
Race: Elite Skeleton
Attributes: HP 500,000/500,000, MP 500,000/500,000
Strength (1800) +2500, Intelligence (1290) +2500, Constitution (1830) +2500, Agility (1930) +2500, Bone Structure (999), Luck (15), Souls Absorbed (154)
Class: Skeleton Centurion
Hidden Attributes: Free Advancement, Absorption (Level 0)
Upgradeable Skill: Blink (Level 4) — Instantly teleport 60 meters regardless of terrain, 25-second cooldown.
Custom Skill: Crescent Slash.
Talent Skill: Summon Elite Skeleton Guards (Guards have 40% of base attributes, each summon consumes 100 souls, lasts 3 hours, max summon: 100, upgradable), Blood Essence Conversion.

After popping those “candy beans” like mad, his attributes had transformed completely: Luck was now maxed out, and all other stats had leapt by over a thousand points. The experience gain had rocketed him straight to level 71!

Notably, the three-headed hounds had generously provided Free Skill Points, which were needed for upgrading Blink, giving two points at once and making the skill far more practical.

With maxed-out Luck and Shadow’s assistance, the drop rates for equipment and gold from these centipedes were predictably outrageous. Swathes of centipedes fell, and with them came showers of gear, experience, and blood essence. These items could all be traded for souls, and souls could in turn be used to summon NPCs! With more NPCs, Luoyun City’s development would accelerate even further—a wonderfully virtuous cycle!

Li Ren laughed rakishly, feeling a surge of confidence. Surviving in this world suddenly didn’t seem so daunting. He grinned, relaxing a little, though he didn’t slack off in his monster-hunting.

Meanwhile, he had no idea how much Luoyun City had already changed.

“Hey! Where’s the quest NPC? What’s going on? I just got here and it’s all gone? Damn, 30 gold just for the teleport!” The not-so-spacious streets of Luoyun City were packed with people, and with all the roadside buildings temporarily closed and devoid of NPC shopkeepers, no one could go inside. They could only wait outside for the exchange quest.

This situation had arisen some time before. As player numbers swelled, even with Lantis repeatedly raising the exchange rates, many continued to trade their monster-earned souls for whatever equipment and gold remained.

Compared to the utterly useless soul count, equipment and gold were far more desirable.

When the last piece of equipment and final gold coin vanished from the city’s warehouses, Luoyun City became what it was now.

“Forget it, better issue a notice, or these people will never stop...” Lantis sighed in boredom, ordered an announcement from the castle, and the players outside soon heard the message:

“Soul exchange is temporarily closed. The quest is suspended and will reopen at a later date—stay tuned for further notice.”

With that, the skeleton guard who had been handling the quest was relieved of its duty and returned to patrol. The latecomers groaned in disappointment, while those who had caught the final wave of exchanges smirked triumphantly.

Glancing at the current soul count in the Field of Death’s Wishes, Lantis seemed somewhat satisfied. Well, not a huge amount—just about nine million souls.

Tch—how could she be impressed by a sum that couldn’t even summon a single one of her own class? Ridiculous.

Lantis pursed her lips. “Hmph, I don’t care anymore. Do as you wish. I’ve already sold all that stuff for you; how you clean up after, that’s your problem. Sigh, so boring, just like before. Boring, boring! If not for my bloodline inheritance—hmph! Whatever, I’ll just take a nap.”

She grumbled and complained, then sprawled across the desk and drifted off to sleep.

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