Chapter 610: First Stage Completed, Returning to the City
“Your idea is quite interesting; I saw the shadow of the Spellbook and… the Spellbook Rack up there.”
After sending off that person, Sister Agnes spoke up beside me.
“I already have the Spellbook Rack in my spellbook.”
“No wonder.” Sister Agnes seemed to realize this, as such spellbooks are rare in the Witch Academy.
She didn’t find anything wrong with studying this kind of power, a framework and power system that is downward compatible.
For some witches, the focus is not on how the final product enhances them, but rather on whether they gain anything from the process.
The game qualification I created has no substantial increase in power for me as the final product.
However, the two most obvious benefits it brings are:
First, my Knowledge Power, or the order of my Heart Realm, is artificially continued and spread, relying on a large base of power to help me complete the foundational aspects.
Second, it completes a “rehearsal” derived from the Spellbook Rack, testing the compatibility of Knowledge Power with the Spellbook Rack’s spell framework, and making an attempt on how to integrate it into the Great Knowledge Tree system.
With the completion of the “Job Change Ceremony” and the construction of the “Skill Tree,” the players’ plan has basically completed the first stage.
This means it has reached a level of “basically playable.”
Next, all that is needed is to incorporate the Job Change Ceremony into the Wanlian Main Network Tree system.
As for the subsequent additions and improvements to the “Profession System,” they will actually emerge from different focuses, resulting in more characteristic combat styles.
After that, the Wanlian Main Network Tree will only need to do basic “addition” until it encounters any important technical breakthroughs.
What is addition?
It is pursuing step-by-step progress without a threshold, allowing time to complete the capabilities preset based on the existing techniques, which is also known as micro-innovation.
Just like with the Profession System; once there are Sword and Blade Masters and Mages, then there will also be classes like Berserkers, Spellblades, Archers, Healers, etc.
For instance, in the Skill Tree, now that the Small Fireball Spell is unlocked, based on this technique, it can lead to the granting of skills like Small Ice Arrow Spell, Small Bind Spell, Small Blindness Spell, and so on.
With the characteristics of job changing equipment, it is also possible to build an “Equipment System.”
What does this signify?
It means that even without me here, the small team of witches led by Sister Agnes can take over and continue to improve!
Indeed, the witches who came here aren’t just Sister Agnes; there are also several other sisters who love games.
Currently, they are still focused on the designs for health bars and mana bars.
Of course, there are still issues such as weapon durability, spell casting time, damage display, and the rationality of values.
After all, the reality is that complex problems are hard to express with simple data; they need a calculation method that connects data with reality to correspond to these value changes.
“Your annotation technique is really convenient; it should be said that it pairs well with your Knowledge Power. Have you thought about promoting it?” Sister Agnes asked.
“Promote? It shouldn’t be too necessary, right?”
“This kind of temporary enchantment feature is actually quite a popular technique, and your annotation technique, using your Knowledge Power as a medium, is the best-performing technique of this type I’ve encountered. Perhaps you could try promoting it; it might help you refine it further by leveraging others’ insights. I can see that your technique isn’t completely refined yet, right?”
“Really? Sister Agnes noticed this?” I said, a bit surprised.
“Of course. After all, I have the vision of an Extraordinary Witch; many techniques can only reach a higher level through mutual exchange. There’s no need to hide it. Of course, it also depends on your own choices. However, a very useful technique being made public will not be undervalued by the witches who can see its true worth.”
“Is that so?” Hearing Sister Agnes say this, I felt a bit tempted.
Currently, my annotation technique for Knowledge Power is actually based on the framework I learned from Sister Natalie and has developed into the annotation technique I have now, so I naturally wish to refine it as soon as possible.
“Then if I get the chance, I’ll organize this technique’s data and share it within the Great Knowledge Tree.”
“I’m just making a suggestion; there’s no need to rush.” Upon hearing my decisive decision, Sister Agnes quickly added.
“I’m not in a rush; this is a well-considered decision.”
“Alright then~ It seems like you’re really adorably naive in some aspects, Xiao Han…”
“What?”
“Nothing, Xiao Han. The Wanlian Main Network Tree has completed the first stage, so what are your plans next? The perfection of the first stage also takes time, and during this period…”
“I plan to go tree planting in the Entire Expanding Realm,” I said.
I understood what Sister Agnes meant: now that the challenges of the first stage were overcome, the remaining content could be addressed by them, so they were inquiring whether I was already starting theoretical research on the second stage.
“Oh… the game is starting the full public test in the Entire Expanding Realm?” Sister Agnes asked with a smiling metaphor.
“Sort of; first, plant the trees, and then the challenges of the second stage will emerge, such as the interconnection and synchronization update issues between the Wanlian Main Network Trees. Let me think… there’s also the cross-region problem for players, which is the connection and matching of game qualifications and the Wanlian Main Network Tree,” I explained.
“Based on what you said, it seems we’ll be busy after this.”
“So, there’s no need to rush,” I laughed and said, “Even if I say I’m going tree planting in the Entire Expanding Realm, it’s not that urgent. I’m also thinking about visiting Ninglan New City to see how it is now.”
However, even if I don’t go, I can understand the current situation through the Great Knowledge Seed.
For instance, I know about the overlapping dream crisis in Ninglan New City, the invasion of dream creatures, and how Instructor Elena teaches Dream Demon Spells, etc.
But some things are best seen in person; the cold textual descriptions and data from the Great Knowledge Tree will never compare to witnessing it myself.
Of course, I also didn’t expect that Dongli Yiren and Yu Yatian also came to Ninglan New City.
Meanwhile, on the other side of the Disaster Refuge.
“He’s back! Wan Zhuang is back!”
As someone shouted, everyone’s eyes turned to the figure slowly approaching.
Seeing the other party returned safe and sound, they even felt that Wan Zhuang himself might be more excited than they were.
“Brother! How was it? What did you gain from this journey? You should be alright, right?” A few men eagerly asked.
“Of course it’s fine! Just look at how he’s smiling; he can’t hide it!”
“Exactly—quick, tell us, how was it?”
At this moment, Wan Zhuang could no longer suppress his joy.
“The gains are immense! I have already mastered Extraordinary Power!”
With Wan Zhuang revealing his situation, it left people utterly astonished.
“Really? You’ve mastered Extraordinary Power already? So fast?”
“Quick! Show me!”
“Wait… I’ll just demonstrate. Let’s find an open space!” Wan Zhuang recalled what he had said; Extraordinary Power was not a capital for him to boast about, and his basic rationality kept him from being dazzled by the surrounding flattery.
But to meet the expectations of his companions, he still chose to try, after all, the power he had mastered also needed testing, didn’t it?
“Let’s go! I know a suitable place.”
……
Ninglan New City.
Outside the city.
As more preparatory witches arrived in Ninglan New City, the alchemical items for extracting Extraordinary Minerals became increasingly refined, and as the number of these alchemical tools grew, many witches turned their attention to the refugees outside the city.
After all, the City Guard and Defense Army in Ninglan New City were limited in number and needed to maintain order and defend against the occasional attacks from mutated beasts, so they weren’t the first choice for miners.
Those refugees who had their food and lodging issues resolved and had working hands became a tempting source of labor for them.
As those refugees’ lives gradually improved, the relief food provided by Ninglan New City also began to decline. Until they felt that they still weren’t full even after finishing their individual portions, they seemed to realize late that the relief food had indeed decreased.
However, now they were becoming hesitant to confront or revolt against Ninglan New City, as they had begun to enjoy a “stable” life. Although they were reliant on others, they knew that if they resisted, they might lose everything they currently had.
Of course, the main reason was that they couldn’t compete with Ninglan New City; if the other side decided to wipe them out without mercy, that would be the end, and while there were those who took chances, these few couldn’t effectively stir up collective emotions.
With communication becoming easier, they had no choice but to approach the other side to negotiate about the relief supplies.
Yet they had to do so carefully; after all, they were essentially begging. They had moved past the stage of being in rags and starving due to disaster and were now completely healthy individuals, capable of supporting themselves with their own hands, while continuing to distribute relief supplies would consider those who truly could not support themselves, like the elderly, children, the disabled, and pregnant women.
However, they soon encountered an unacceptable issue: as Ninglan New City offered relief to so many people, the supplies within the city began to dwindle, leading to a necessary reduction in this aspect.
But Ninglan New City also provided new solutions: they could offer “job opportunities” for the refugees to earn money themselves, while relief supplies would be saved for those in greater need.
It could be said that Ninglan New City has indeed done a lot in this regard, after all, helping so many people “for free” brought them no benefits.
Having escaped the survival crisis, they shouldn’t expect to be freeloaders, and Ninglan New City naturally wouldn’t want to support a group like that.
In simpler terms, it was just a mutually beneficial arrangement in a different format; moreover, Ninglan New City dominated in this relationship.
The idea behind this plan didn’t just come from Ninglan Qiuyue, but since Ninglan New City had begun to implement this, it indicated that she had at least nodded in approval.
After all, she couldn’t just stand by allowing Ninglan New City to support a group of freeloaders using its own resources!
This solution inevitably met with a lot of opposition, but opposing it proved ineffective; they no longer had the qualifications or the guts to raise a blade of rebellion against Ninglan New City.
Furthermore, within this group were many weak, old, or sick individuals; they simply wanted stability. They had been unable to survive and needed to resort to that previously, but now that they weren’t starving, there was no need for that. Among the able-bodied, some were very simple workers hoping to earn a living through hard work.
With those capable individuals gone, the distribution of the relief supplies would also become more. Those who were unable to work could also get enough to eat.
So, as long as public opinion was subtly guided, those able-bodied freeloaders would face immense pressure and exclusion from the surrounding people.
In this way, Ninglan New City acquired much “cheap labor,” improving the extraction efficiency of many rare extraordinary material mines.
And some mining areas with dangerous radiation and ability crystal deposits required matched protective alchemical equipment and specialized mining tools to extract. However, as these tools increased, even ordinary people became capable of handling the work.
Gradually, some students who came to Ninglan New City noticed… they seemed to be… unemployed?
The places that once rented alchemical tools seemed to have decreased?
Although as visitors to Ninglan New City, they could go anywhere for resources without restrictions, once they reached the mining area, they encountered numerous ordinary people competing for resources… anyone would feel uncomfortable about that, right?
And the extraordinary materials mined by those ordinary people all entered the storage equipment of their higher-ups.
In an instant, it felt as if the gap between people had widened.
Yet most of them still lacked the courage to confront the bigger organizations or teaching assistants directly.
This situation also made them realize that being a “miner” had no future!
Joining an organization or group would yield better benefits.
For instance, the building department associations, as well as those for planters and alchemists, were currently in high demand.
After all, at this point, one who correctly associated the job of helping refugees rebuild basic infrastructures was needed, paired with food supplies.
Buying food outside was simply too expensive, as it could lead to rising food prices in some areas, etc.
The territory of the Expanded Realm is vast, with plenty of land—failing to utilize it would be a significant waste; self-sufficiency is currently the best way to cycle resources.
In simple terms, large organizations establish a macro environment, smaller organizations join to fill gaps in demand, while skilled individuals need not worry about not finding their place under this big environment.
However, those who are greedy and want to reap benefits without any skills wander about, clueless.
Even lower-grade students can take this opportunity to apprentice with higher-grade seniors, learning practical skills since professions like planters and alchemists always require labor and apprentices for trivial tasks.
And at this busy moment in Ninglan New City, a figure appeared in the city, and that figure was, of course, me.
With the news of my return spreading, many people’s sights would likely be on me again; I hadn’t forgotten their definition of me as an unstable factor.
But this time, returning to the city felt simplified, as I only needed to register my name to be allowed in.
“It’s a bit lively here… I didn’t expect that they even set up a market within the city? That’s interesting.”
