The closer one got to the central district of Area No. 1, the more prosperous it became. Luxury stores and many high-consumption service industries could even be seen along the streets. After an entire era of reproduction, the Fallen Elves had formed a unique civilization here.
The vehicles on the streets were mostly steam-powered. In truth, Void technology could be divided into two systems: steam and electricity. The former was used more for heavy processing and large-scale battlefield applications, while the latter focused on high-tech advancement and was known for precision and diversity.
If the two sides fought and both were destroyed, the steam system would be absurdly powerful. The high-tech system's gravity, antimatter, and other system weapons were formidable, but when it came to explosives—steam cores. These things compressed solar fusion into a core for thermal energy output.
Simply put, the steam system pushed boiling water to the limit. Everyone knew high-tech products were better, more convenient, more intelligent, and offered a better user experience. The problem was that the large machinery of the steam system was genuinely cheap. Its purchase cost was only 35% that of comparable high-tech products, while its later maintenance cost was less than 20%.
The steam system might not be the strongest, but it was definitely the king of cost performance.
Take the steam vehicles filling the streets around them. When this thing was first developed in the Second Era, it had been absolute junk, getting crushed by fuel engines and the like. But after its driving experience and maintenance costs were reduced, it became a best-selling product in 90% of the high-level worlds of the Astral Realm. The reason was simple: this thing could run on any liquid! Freshwater, sewage, waste liquid, and so on.
If one lost fuel in the wilderness, one