Chapter 221
'Interesting, so there really is a pay-to-win (P2P) strategy.'
Yuki started with casual conversation and actually delved into the Reincarnation Game.
He had wondered before while drinking tea that such a stable way of earning points would surely cause a bloodbath and a bloodbath, but it turned out he had been too naive.
Every building in the Borderlands is created by the players themselves, but ownership of the land comes from special mission rewards, and the land is reclaimed upon the player's death.
It's true that everything originates from real estate; such special rewards are definitely hard to obtain, enough to cause players to fight tooth and nail.
If you think that once you finally acquire ownership, you can make a fortune and climb to the top by redeeming points, then you're thinking too simply.
This is just the beginning. Ownership itself consumes points, and as the points turnover increases, the amount consumed becomes larger and larger. Add to that the cost of hiring players to stay, and it becomes a huge expense.
"Property tax and business tax, they're really ruthless. The Reincarnation Game really does open a window for you, then weld a door shut. As for whether you can find a way out, it all depends on luck and ability."
It's the same familiar feeling: every path in this Reincarnation Game leads to the peak, but the simpler it seems, the more pitfalls lie ahead.
These points can go negative, and ownership cannot be transferred or relinquished. Besides, don't forget, this has never been a business game.
Even with genius-level organizational skills and business acumen, dying in some dungeon means you're finished.
If you really want to go for the pay-to-win strategy, you need something unique. For example, the teahouse where elves were gathered before had maxed out the botany technology tree and had some consumable items that could be used for a long time.
No wonder most buildings have their doors and windows tightly closed. Without something in hand, doing business is tantamount to suicide. Moreover, players in Borderlands cannot attack each other, and forced buying and selling is useless.
"This pay-to-win strategy isn't easy either. Even if you meet all the requirements, it's very difficult to break through using only points."
The Chaos Item side effects; one wrong move and you can easily kill yourself. The improvement of Transcendental Grade skills and physical attributes requires creating epics, and such special achievements can obviously only be accomplished in dungeons.
"The Borderlands is a trap. If you get caught up in it, you'll only get stuck at the 'monster' level and never be able to move on to the next stage."
Yuki pondered this, he looked around and indeed saw many strange and unusual things.
For example, the 'Elysian Domain' is run by players from a certain spiritual faction. As long as enough points are invested, the vast spiritual realm can create all kinds of illusions and fill any empty heart.
If players don't like playing virtual games, they can go to the 'Bionic World', where they can perfectly replicate the people you remember most and desire most, whether they are men, women, lovers, or enemies. You can vent your desires on them to your heart's content.
If you think venting your desires is too low-level, then the most important thing in the Reincarnation Game is survival.
There's a 'Universal Battlefield' where you can build battlefields of varying difficulty using a special item. From the simplest one-on-one arena battles to complex and brain-teasing simulation missions, you can gain invaluable experience by spending points.
There's also "Hundred Eyes of True Knowledge," which claims to offer enough points to tell you even the color of your underwear.
Yuki was overwhelmed. It couldn't be said that it was all entertainment, but it was definitely aimed at emptying the players' points.
No one knows how many years the Reincarnation Crossroads has existed or how many cycles of change it has undergone; however, there are only a few things that can make players willingly spend their points.
For example, the neighborhood that Yuki is following Frieren to is known as the largest Chaos Item trading location in the area.
"Right here?" Yuki stopped and saw a huge oval building, somewhat similar to the deathmatch arena in Calamity of Blood, which almost triggered his PTSD.
"Yes, it has many names, I usually call it 'the Nest of Treasures'," Frieren answered quietly, this was her real purpose for coming to the Borderlands:
While you can monetize the Chaos Item collected in the previous instance at the Outpost, your faction has the right to travel to the Borderlands, so why not go to the wider market?
"Countless worlds, countless players, endless items—with a little effort, you're sure to find what you're looking for."
The girl's poetic murmur drifted over, Yuki raised his head. He couldn't see the top of the outer wall at a glance; humans seemed incredibly small beneath this colossal building, which was about a hundred meters high.
It's terrifyingly large.
Yuki looked down and saw hundreds of entrances, with players dressed in various styles walking into the passageways.
"Which faction does this lair belong to?" Yuki a chill run down his spine just looking at this man, Ryūryū.
"It doesn't belong to any single faction. There are many trading places like this throughout the Borderlands." Frieren walked towards the entrance in line, then remembered something. "We'll be splitting up later. Meet back here in two hours. I'll wait for you for five minutes."
"Wait a minute..." Yuki raised his hand, Frieren had already stepped into the passage and disappeared in the blink of an eye.
You're not trying to dump me, are you? With so many people around, where am I supposed to find you?
Yuki scratched his face. He couldn't bind the Mushroom to his character either, so finding a 'kind-hearted' player to guide him was already quite good.
"At worst, I'll just keep staking out some acquaintances later and replicate the same routine. I hope there aren't any of those clichéd auction tricks involved here."
He glanced at the massive building again, then followed a player with a lizard head into the passageway.
The moment I stepped in, that disorienting feeling, like a randomly generated instance, returned. I instinctively closed my eyes, and when I opened them, my pupils contracted slightly.
What kind of trading venue is this?
His earlier complaints were completely meaningless. He found himself standing above a starry sky, and looking to his left and right, there was not a single person in sight; it was all pitch black, like the night sky.
Yuki stood there all alone, almost thinking he had been ambushed, but when he looked down, he saw twinkling stars. If he focused his mind a little, he would see that each star was like a tombstone.
Welcome to the trading arena! You can choose any name you like, for a small fee of one point per hour.
[The trading platform guarantees absolute privacy, security, and efficiency, and also provides buying and selling functions.]
[The Ouroboros assures you that there are no middlemen taking a cut, accompanying you on your journey through the cycle of reincarnation]
A murmur echoed in the starry sky. Yuki listened for a while before realizing that the murmur was imitating a notification sound. Any player who heard this sound would immediately become serious.
The Ouroboros must be some kind of powerful organization. Earning 1 point per hour? That's even more ruthless than the Reincarnation Game.
Yuki memorized the name. This trading place simultaneously facilitated transactions for thousands of players—it was terrifying to even think about.
He found his imagination too limited; at first, he thought it was like sitting on steps waiting for an auction, or strolling through thousands of stalls.
How could it be so low-level? Staying at the Borderlands is burning points, so of course the higher the efficiency, the better.
"It has a search function. Once sold, you can simply place it on the ground and set it to sell automatically within a certain point range. It's much more efficient than Player Forum."
Yuki raised an eyebrow, guessing that he had also become a 'tombstone' in this sea of stars, and that others could directly contact the seller after searching for him.
I used to be so tired of reading trading posts on the forums that I could only rely on luck to actively exchange items. Even if I listed something for sale, I had to see if the other party could use what they were offering. That's why there were awkward situations like having Chainsaw Sword listed for two dungeon cycles without being able to be traded.
Another point is that in the real world, the Transcendental Grade level is already the peak, and the overall strength is incomparable to that of the Borderlands. In addition, the number of players is less than 1,000, and the power system is even more singular. Someone like Adam's corpse might not even be able to sell it even if it is dismantled.
"Besides, this place contains more than just Chaos Item."
Yuki licked his lips. Just by entering 'Bloodline Object', dozens of tombstones lit up, showing how rare they were. In reality, they were absolutely unique, so who would put them up for sale?
When he looked closely at the dozens of tombstones, Yuki's expression turned constipated again.
First, it's too expensive. Each Bloodline Object costs at least 500 points, which is equivalent to 5 enhancement points.
Secondly, not everyone can use it. For example, the 'Angel Wings' is described as having a rejection effect on bloodlines of demons or evil spirits, but the seller says you can gamble with your life and the returns are extremely high if you win.
"So that's a setting too." Yuki's eyes were opened again.
He only knew that Bloodline Object would bring corresponding abilities, such as the Demon Heart, which was born from the Philosopher's Stone, and that soul energy was the foundation.
Besides the precious Bloodline Object, there were also various Chaos Item, study notes on Transcendental Grade skills, and even various summoned creatures and contracted demons, which dazzled Yuki.
Just as he thought, Transcendental Grade skills can be learned. As long as one has a foundation like 'Magic Circuit', one can learn 'magic'. In fact, as long as one is willing to spend time and points, the 'foundation' can also be obtained through extensive learning.
Yuki saw someone selling 'Spirit-Binding Stone', one type of which brainwashes the soul inside the stone, turning it into a portable old man who then imparts all his life's skills to the user.
I want them all, there's simply not enough time to see them all. If it weren't for my points burning through, I could stay here until the next dungeon begins.
Because he skipped the Outpost phase, many things were completely new to him.
It turns out that Transcendental Grade skills really can be learned, that story characters have a chance to be taken out of the dungeon, and that Chaos Item can be forged more than 3 times.
His head was throbbing, Yuki forced his eyes shut. There was no point in looking any further, since he only had 69 points left, not enough to buy anything.
I still need to pick out some gifts for my senior classmates. I'm so broke, but thankfully I have this.
Yuki took out Adam's body, the former nightmare, which was almost completely shattered, riddled with holes, and even much of its steel skeleton had melted.
In reality, this corpse would be considered worthless; even if it were dismantled and sold, the buyer's ability to repair Chaos Item like the Flamethrower would be crucial. However, Yuki saw the Spirit-Binding Stone and knew that the corpse was highly valuable.
Even without the Pain Engine, this thing is still a Humanoid Weapon of at least Level IV Transcendental Grade. Once repaired and implanted with a soul or chip, it should be able to activate.
Ding ding.
Yuki patted his bald head, making a crisp sound. According to the information he got from the Mushroom, the Borderlands was full of players at the monster level and even epic level, but based on the trade goods he had just searched, there were none.
Transcendental Grade- level puppets and summoned creatures are worth over 1000 points. Adam properly upgrades them, such as by equipping them with armor, they can reach monster-level status.
"If I weren't so poor that I couldn't afford Spirit-Binding Stone or know how to modify it, I would definitely keep Adam by my side as a bodyguard."
Yuki's hand swept over the nozzle, over the scarlet electronic eye, over the steel-like bones, and finally he made up his mind.
"Auction mode, based on 1000 points, with no upper limit, auction time is one hour, and the final choice is mine."
Once the settings were complete, Adam's corpse was immediately accessible to all players without him even needing to hold up a sign. Among the thousands of stars, any player searching for 'puppet,' 'familiar,' or 'human modification' would instantly receive the information.
It's so efficient! People who aren't interested won't click in, so as not to waste each other's time. Each competitor is in an independent space, so they can't connect or have any dramatic, petty squabbles.
The Reincarnation Game is ultimately rational; the value of any Chaos Item comes from demand. Yuki was overjoyed to see his auction points rise to 1200 in the blink of an eye.
It takes at least two dungeons to get more than ten points, it's just too... too difficult.
The battle against Adam was many times more dangerous than the battle for a dozen or so points. Yuki and Zhang Jin, they were overwhelmed and could hardly breathe. If it weren't for the special rules of the Calamity of Blood, they would have been killed long ago.
But regardless, they made a fortune off Adam, earning a reward comparable to an entire dungeon's worth of quests.
"Pick your items first, then we'll see how much they're worth in an hour."
Yuki glanced at his stats. He only had 2 enhancement points, but 5 specialization points. His Bloodline Object had Demon Engine, but after upgrading it, he would need to reserve 8 enhancement points to equip it.
It can be extracted from Adam's corpse. By the way, should we even bother equipping this thing?
Upgrading bloodline skills requires more enhancement points, and Bloodline Object determine the abilities after activation. They may not be identical, but they are definitely related.
Yuki didn't know what the purpose of installing the Pain Engine was, but that didn't stump him at all.
The auction mode was restarted, and the Pain Engine was added. The bidding points skyrocketed, even surpassing those for Adam's corpse.
"Priceless; every player with bloodline skills wants it."
Yuki grinned sinisterly, immediately canceled the auction, and declined all private messages, tossing the heart-like engine up and down in his hand.
He had anticipated this; with this thing, Adam could indeed break through the limitations and reach monster level. After having players from different factions 'appraise' it, he was immediately relieved.
"I'll keep it for myself, and then I'll gather eight more specialization points to raise my physical attributes to monster level. The rest I'll leave to them."
After thinking for a moment, he searched for 'support category' by role. In just one second, a lot of results popped up. Yuki looked through them carefully and his eyes lit up.
Here's the gift for my senior classmate.
Chapter 8 Monster, Yuki (5K)
[Chaos Item. Demon Angel Brooch (Arcane Grade Level)]
[Reduces the cooldown of all support skills by 20%, and increases the strength of defensive items by 5%]
[Side effect: Increases the cooldown time of offensive skills by 25%]
[Description: Just like the wings of a demon and an angel, one side is light, the other is darkness; what you gain is always equal to what you give.]
This is the significance of the Borderlands. Even during the day, Arcane Grade -level (Level 5) items are considered treasures of the museum, with only one or two belonging to A-rank members. But here, Yuki saw hundreds of Arcane Grade- level and above items for sale.
It's designed for dedicated support; ordinary players will find it almost useless for attacking. No wonder it only costs 500 points, while common Arcane Grade -level items cost over 1000 points. This is almost half the price.
Support characters like the senior student who entrust their entire life to their teammates are rare throughout the entire Reincarnation Game, making this brooch seem rather useless.
Yuki decisively added it to her 'shopping cart' and continued searching for 'defense items', getting results in just a few seconds.
[Chaos Item: Sacrificial Chain (Transcendental Grade)]
[With consent, bind any object, creature, or spirit, and Damage Transfer received.]
[Side effect: Damage is doubled on the transferred target]
[Description: Sacrifice requires immense courage for anyone.]
This is also a Chaos Item with equally huge advantages and disadvantages. Without the prerequisite of 'obtaining consent', it would probably be worth more than Adam's corpse. But with this condition, the conditions for its use are restricted.
It's designed for players with special skills like puppeteer, summoner, or mind hypnosis; no wonder it only requires 400 points.
Yuki promptly added it to her shopping cart. Shiina Hiyori, and with the Sacrificial Chain, she can enrich the uses of the Void Puppet.
Because he was too poor, he could only make up for it with his intelligence, trying to choose unconventional but suitable items for the system.
For example, the senior student doesn't need offensive abilities to pick off an easy target; another example is Hiyori, Reality Reading, the Void Puppet, and the Sacrificial Chain can form a closed loop.
The trait is a faction's 'talent,' which is equivalent to having an extra Transcendental Grade skill, thus increasing Yuki's computational redundancy.
This advantage reached its Limit when it came to Kaguya, which made Yuki laugh.
[Chaos Item. Scatterlight Arrow (Transcendental Grade)]