As for these challenge points, Zong Shen planned to spend at least half of them with Alpha, while saving the other half for the second mysterious merchant—the one codenamed Beta.
The mysterious merchant Alpha had just said that the two merchants offered somewhat different exchange options. Alpha had more Defense Challenge-exclusive items available, while Beta had more practical items that could be brought back to the Endless Continent. Their focuses were different.
Since Alpha was the first mysterious merchant to appear, judging by the timing, the Defense Challenge should currently have been at its fiercest stage.
Therefore, his exchange offerings included more exclusive items that could help one get through the challenge successfully, allowing lords who found Merchant Alpha to gain an advantage in the challenge.
Based on the challenge timeline, Beta, who appeared later, belonged to the final stage of the challenge. By then, the overall situation would have basically become clear, and lords could begin considering what came after the challenge, exchanging for practical items they could bring back to the Endless Continent.
That was the fundamental reason why the proportions and priorities of the two merchants' goods differed. Given Zong Shen's current circumstances, Beta was clearly more suitable for him, but he had no intention of skipping Alpha either.
As for how exactly he should divide his exchanges between the two mysterious merchants, Zong Shen still had to assess the actual situation. First, he needed to see whether Alpha had anything worth exchanging for.
Zong Shen's words made Alpha's smile grow even more enthusiastic.
He bent at the waist and extended both hands toward the open chest lid in an inviting gesture.
"Please jump into the portal on the lid."
"Inside is the mysterious exchange space exclusive to this challenge."
Zong Shen narrowed his eyes at the