Chapter 254 – Contention in the Greater World

Despite Breeze Wine mentioning bad news, everyone present behaved as if they didn’t hear him, their expressions remaining calm.

“Bad news?” Alice, who had tied her hair into a ponytail and was wearing a light blue sports top, looked at Breeze Wine curiously. Then, she revealed a faint smile as she asked in a mature tone, “Could you perhaps be talking about how we will only be permitted to live in this city for a month, Commander Wine?”

Purple Jade, Prosciutto, Thousand Scars, and the others showed no reaction to Alice’s words. This was because they, too, knew about this piece of information. It was something they had learned through the players of the other God’s Domain.

According to the foreign players, although the Greater World was a vast world with technology far more advanced than what was available in their homeworld, there was very little space suitable for human life. It was especially true for living spaces like the Greater World’s cities. The number of cities in the Greater World wasn’t even 1% of the number of towns.

Yet, as it just so happens, the resources available in the Greater World’s cities were vastly superior to that of towns.

One example of the difference between towns and cities would be the residents’ average life expectancy. People living in the Greater World’s towns could expect an average life expectancy of around 200 years. In contrast, the average life expectancy in even the lowest third-tier city was 500 years.

Five hundred years were enough for a country to change dynasties multiple times during ancient times. Yet, people living in a third-tier city in the Greater World could easily outlive ancient dynasties. Not to mention, their bodies could also remain in peak condition for up to 300 years.

Unfortunately, there were just far too many parallel worlds. As more and more of these parallel worlds merged with the Greater World, it became increasingly difficult for people to live in the Greater World’s cities.

Each city could only accommodate a limited population. Normally, unless one came from a world that had managed to establish a city in the Greater World, one would have to pay a certain amount of Contribution Points each month to stay in a foreign world’s city.

Contribution Points had to be earned by completing tasks issued by the city. Either that or one could complete quests in the Greater God’s Domain. These were the two main methods a person could earn Contribution Points through.

If a person failed to earn enough Contribution Points after a month, they would be kicked out of the city. Even Tier 6 God-ranked experts were no exception.

Of course, if a person didn’t have enough Contribution Points to pay their rent, they could also purchase Contribution Points using Star Coins. Only, Contribution Points were not easy to come by, and few people were willing to sell them. Even if one chose to sell Contribution Points, one would typically only sell to close friends and relatives.

“It seems you’ve done your homework,” Breeze Wine said when he saw the confident look on Alice’s face. Then, he shook his head and continued, “But this isn’t what I’m talking about. Since you have already researched the Greater World to a certain extent, you should know that the Greater World’s various cities will hold simulation battles in God’s Domain to compete for the Greater World’s precious resources. These simulation battles will be held at three levels, and all participants must be under 50. In order to win these simulation battles, the various cities will form their own city legions to recruit and nurture young experts.

“The training the various cities offered to their respective city legions might not be comparable to that of the various conglomerates, but it is still vastly superior to the average corporation. This is also why the Green God Corporation is willing to pay the hefty price of bringing all of you to the Greater World ahead of time. The corporation hopes you can get selected as a reserve participant during Star Lake City’s selection.

“So long as you can become a reserve participant of Star Lake City’s city legion, not only will you receive Star Lake City’s training, but you will also receive the Green God Corporation’s resource support. I believe all of you should have been informed about this.

“However, Star Lake City won’t just be recruiting talents from its territory. The selection is also open to the hundreds of neighboring towns and cities. In previous years, there would only be around 200,000 God-ranked experts applying for Star Lake City’s selection. This year, however, the number has increased by more than fivefold. Yet, the city is still only accepting the top 1,000 applicants as reserve participants like always, with the top 100 applicants being able to become official participants directly.

“Currently, there is only one month left until the selection deadline. So, the Green God Corporation only has one requirement for you: enter the top 1,000 within this one month.”

“Over a million God-ranked experts are applying for the selection?”

Purple Jade and the others were greatly shocked. Although they had long known that there were countless God-ranked experts in the vast Greater God’s Domain, they still couldn’t help but doubt their ears when they heard Breeze Wine’s words.

It should be known that the various superpowers of their God’s Domain treated every one of their God-ranked experts as their backbone. Yet, God-ranked experts were only the most common experts participating in Star Lake City’s selection…

At this moment, Purple Jade and the others weren’t the only ones feeling pressured by the information Breeze Wine had just shared with them. Even Thousand Scars, who had many interactions with the Greater God’s Domain’s experts due to the Flower of Seven Sins, was experiencing much stress.

Thousand Scars might have caught the Paimon Corporation’s attention. Still, she needed to enter the top 100 of Star Lake City’s selection should she wish to become an internal member of the Paimon Corporation. If she couldn’t do that, she’d have to get into the top 300 at the very least to become an outer member.

Originally, Thousand Scars had scoffed at this requirement. After all, she was strong enough to be close to entering the top 100 of the Miniature Ancient World’s God-ranked Expert List. However, compared to the God-ranked Expert List, the scale of the competition she needed to face in Star Lake City’s selection was on an entirely different level.

The selection is even open to experts from other cities? Shi Feng was a little surprised by this news.

It was very rare for a city in the Greater God’s Domain to recruit experts from other cities. He had only ever heard of such situations happening in the Greater World before. Never had he actually seen it happening. He didn’t think Star Lake City would be taking such action.

After concluding his explanation, Breeze Wine turned to Shi Feng and said, “As for you, Guild Leader Shi Feng, Zero Wing has paid for your travel to Star Lake City, so the Green God Corporation does not have any requirements for you. You are free to move independently once you complete your first entrance test.”

Nobody was surprised to hear Breeze Wine’s words. This was because everyone knew there was no way a Tier 3 player like Shi Feng could remain in the city.

“All of you don’t have to worry too much about scoring poorly in the selection. The simulation battle between cities is different from the standard combat in God’s Domain. Aside from combat standards, the simulation battle mainly tests participants’ mental strength standards. Your mental strength standard will directly correlate to the quality of the weapons and equipment you receive in the simulation battle. The greater your mental strength, the better the weapons and equipment you will receive,” Breeze Wine explained as he returned his attention to the others. “So, the various cities will place more emphasis on mental strength standards and future potential in their selections. The selection isn’t strictly a competition of combat standards.”

Purple Jade and the others relaxed a little when they heard Breeze Wine’s supplementary explanation. Even so, they still felt a lot of pressure. After all, anyone capable of becoming a God-ranked expert would have extraordinary combat standards and Concentration standards.

...

Sometime later, Breeze Wine and the others arrived at Star Lake City’s God’s Domain Association. The God’s Domain Association was also the largest organization in the Greater World, and it had a branch established in every town and city in the Greater World.

Coincidentally, the God’s Domain Association Building was one of the most spectacular buildings in Star Lake City. The building had over 600 floors and was over 3,000 meters tall.

Out of these 600-plus floors, floors 100 and above were reserved as residences for the Association’s members. The requirements to stay in these residences would increase every 100 floors. Those qualified to live on floors 600 and above were bigshots that even conglomerates had to treat with care.

Meanwhile, even the weakest person inside the God’s Domain Association Building had physical fitness at the standard of Henglian masters, while more than 30% of the building’s occupants were at the standard of Henglian grandmasters.

There were even replays of duels between Tier 6 God-ranked experts being played in the lobby, the replays free for all to watch and learn from.

“I recommend that all of you take your first test now. It will give you an idea of your current placings. It will also decide which floors you will stay in the Association for this month. Your first month’s rent is free. This is the greatest welfare offered by the God’s Domain Association to people entering the city for the first time. This will save you from living out on the streets and starving,” Breeze Wine said. Then, he pointed at a long line in the distance and continued, “The Green God Corporation has already credited three test attempts into your watches, so your first three tests will be free. If you want more attempts, you’ll have to spend Star Coins to buy them yourselves.”

Everyone nodded and felt their shoulders growing a little heavier.

It cost 10,000 Star Coins to attempt the God’s Domain Association’s test every time. This was nearly the average resident’s annual salary in the Greater World’s various cities. It should be known that anyone capable of living in a city is an extraordinary individual. Yet, even then, these individuals would have to go through great pains just to earn 1,000 Star Coins a month.

Naturally, earning Star Coins would be even more challenging for people new to the Greater World.

Although the powers behind them were incredibly powerful in their homeworld, their respective powers had only managed to prepare several tens of thousands of Star Coins for them. That was only enough for them to make a few extra attempts.

Meanwhile, after waiting in line for several hours, it was finally Shi Feng’s and the others’ turn to test their mental strength.