Chapter Forty-Six: Redemption Reopens, the Craze Returns

"Shadow, should we first put up those items we brought back from the Iron Saw Centipede before exchanging for more souls? Otherwise, it looks like our resources are running a bit tight," Li Ren said, feeling a pang of heartache as he watched the soul count in the Death Wish Arena plummet rapidly.

This fellow had never realized that, deep in his subconscious, he harbored a bizarre compulsion to hoard resources, materials, equipment, gold coins—anything that might benefit him. Seeing these things disappear so swiftly was enough to make his heart ache unbearably.

Shadow, having the experience of a previous life, was more than familiar with such situations. How could he not know what kind of person his master was by now?

"Understood, Master. But you can rest assured: with the amount of gold we have now, converting it into souls is no small sum. Not to mention the equipment we've gathered this time—though some are of higher level, their quality is quite decent. The only concern is if too much of this equipment floods the market, demand may dry up and they'll be left unwanted," Shadow analyzed calmly as he reported his findings to Li Ren.

"Yes, that's a valid concern. But given our level, going after lower-level equipment is a challenge in itself. Most players are still around level 35 to 40—the majority. If there's level 40 or 50 gear, there's certainly demand, but compared to the experience we gain, it might not be worth it," Li Ren mused about the current situation. It wasn't that he hadn't thought about hunting for lower-level gear, but when weighed in the balance, his own strength was what truly mattered. Going back to killing low-level monsters now would be an exercise in futility.

Shadow nodded, showing not a trace of doubt about the current issues.

Trusting Shadow, Li Ren saw the confidence in his demeanor and decided not to ask further, simply watching as Shadow displayed the items they had retrieved from the centipede’s lair on the task board in the quest hall.

With the development of Falling Cloud City, the so-called "Hidden NPC" Skeleton Guard was no longer needed. The existence of the quest hall made everything so much more convenient.

“Hey! The quest hall has been updated! We can exchange for souls again!” Someone shouted, and the entire city broke into a frenzy. From above, it would look as though the dense crowd was surging toward the quest hall, as if it were some ancient behemoth about to swallow them all.

Fortunately, while the buildings in town appeared small, each actually possessed infinite space. If the hall was full, newcomers would be randomly allocated to another identical space—the same hall, the same quests, just different players around them.

Once you left the quest hall, these layered spaces would vanish—a benefit the system provided to accommodate the masses. Of course, player-owned shops lacked this feature. If your shop was popular, well, you’d just have to queue.

This time, the gear available for exchange was clearly a tier lower than last time—naturally so, since the loot from the level-eighty Elite Three-Headed Dog was far superior to that from ordinary monsters like the Iron Saw Centipede.

Still, this was not a bad thing; equipment levels had dropped a bit, making them more accessible.

After reviewing the exchange rates once set by Lantis, Shadow couldn't help but nod in approval. He secretly admired Lantis’s judgment—she had increased the exchange rate five times in a row without ever reaching an unmanageable point. That was no small feat. Without her overseeing Falling Cloud City, their harvest this time would have been far less.

One could say that Lantis played a pivotal role in the city’s growth.

For ordinary players, gold was invaluable. In the Land of the Gods, gold could be exchanged for real-world currency at a set rate, though that rate fluctuated as the game progressed. Compared to the uncertain purpose of souls, gold was a tangible reward—whether buying equipment, serving as startup capital, or exchanging for cash, it was a considerable income for the average player.

With the first batch of successful exchanges, those players swiftly put their new wealth to work, becoming shining examples for the rest. The others, filled with envy, rushed in—especially since the soul exchange quests in Falling Cloud City were limited in number! It was a mad scramble; everyone grabbed what they could.

Over three million gold coins and more than eight thousand pieces of equipment were exchanged in a flash after Shadow reopened the soul exchange quests. Even so, more players kept pouring in through the teleportation arrays, while those who had finished exchanging hurried away, their souls spent, eager to put their newfound funds to use—buying top-tier gear and quickly grinding for more experience and souls, hoping to be ready for the next exchange.

As for those who had spent thirty gold just to teleport in, they decided to stay put—a round trip cost of sixty gold was not something the average player could afford. Since they still had souls left, they’d wait it out, hoping to exchange for more gold next time.

This had become the prevailing attitude of players camping in Falling Cloud City, lying in wait for opportunity.

The crowd surged ceaselessly, and the teleportation array’s glow never dimmed, not even for a second. Even without any other light sources, the brilliance from the endless teleportations was enough to illuminate a vast area. The factions who had bought shops and were busily preparing watched the scene before them, feeling both satisfied with their foresight and envious of the city lord.

Merchants seek profit, and to them—having paid three hundred thousand gold in rent—the city lord was nothing short of a vampire. No doubt, they all cursed him silently in their hearts.

Even if Li Ren knew this, he would not care. With profits to be made and strength to be gained, the rapid growth of Falling Cloud City was all that mattered.

As for the others—why should he care? On his turf, they had to play by his rules. If he said pay up, they had to pay up. Refuse? Hah!

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