Space Squad

When Lin Maoxian arrived at the Adventurer Zone, he discovered it was unexpectedly vast. The roads were packed with people coming and going, and he couldn't even see the end of them at a glance.

Watching the crowds setting up stalls and haggling, Lin Maoxian found a random spot and walked over.

"What are you looking to buy? Everything I have for sale is laid out on the mat; see for yourself," the vendor said. Because his body was obscured, his appearance was hidden, but his voice revealed him to be a middle-aged man.

Lin Maoxian leaned down to inspect the wares. There were only three items, all of Common grade. To him, they offered little improvement and were essentially meaningless.

"Uh, I'm looking for an offensive piece of equipment, preferably Fine grade. Do you have anything like that?" Seeing nothing he wanted on the mat, Lin Maoxian stated his requirements.

"Are you mocking me? If I had Fine-grade gear, I wouldn't be selling it here. Everyone setting up stalls right now only has Common-grade items. Who wouldn't keep Fine-grade gear for themselves?" The vendor sounded quite impatient. He had been here for a long time, and most people didn't buy because they couldn't agree on a price. This guy, however, was actually asking for Fine grade—if he had any, he would certainly keep it for himself.

Lin Maoxian was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "Are you also here for the first time?"

"Nonsense, who isn't new to the Space? I've asked around, and everyone I've spoken to is here for the first time. As for whether anyone arrived earlier, I don't know. But that's unlikely, since the entire trading market is currently flooded with Common-grade items. I haven't heard of a single Fine-grade item appearing yet. If you really want Fine-grade gear, you'll have to go to the Space Shop." The vendor was quite talkative and shared everything he knew.

Lin Maoxian gave a bitter smile. "The Space Shop has everything, but it's too expensive—at least several thousand points. Plus, if you sell equipment back to the Space, you only get a tenth of the value. That's why I wanted to see if anyone here was selling Fine-grade gear."

The vendor sighed. "True! Everyone is saying the Space is a total rip-off, buying low and selling high. That's why many people, like me, are just setting up stalls with Common-grade items. If we happen to run into a buyer who likes something, we make a profit."

This matched Lin Maoxian's own thoughts, though he had nothing to sell. Thinking back, his gains in the previous world were far too meager. Others had surplus items to sell, while he had nothing to offer and still needed to buy gear. After bidding the vendor farewell, Lin Maoxian checked other stalls, and it was exactly as the man had said—everyone was selling Common-grade items. After visiting several stalls, he noticed that not one was selling skills. It seemed that either skills couldn't be obtained in the worlds, or those who did obtain them learned them immediately.

Seeing no way to buy the equipment he wanted, Lin Maoxian stopped this futile effort after checking a few more stalls to avoid wasting time. Just as he was about to return to his Private Space, someone rushed past him, shouting, "The Celestial Team is recruiting at the Adventurer Arena! Anyone with an attribute above 10 or a skill can apply! The Celestial Team is the first team in the Space so far, so don't miss out, experts!"

"The Celestial Team is at... don't miss out!"

Watching the person run further away, Lin Maoxian felt a stir of interest. He knew that the Space Shop currently only offered one item for establishing a team: the Black Iron Token, which cost 5,000 Source Points. It allowed five adventurers to enter the same world for missions. Without changing the world's difficulty, it not only made completing missions safer but also allowed more time to explore the world's plot and side quests. Furthermore, once a team was established, they could obtain a team skill that everyone could use, which was incredibly valuable.

"The Celestial Team—someone actually established a team. That's incredible."

"Yeah, the Black Iron Token costs 5,000 Source Points at the Space Shop. My total gains from an entire world haven't even reached that much."

"Same here. Even if someone had more than 5,000 points, I doubt they'd be willing to spend it on a Black Iron Token. To think someone would forgo strengthening themselves just to buy that token—I wonder who it is."

"Why don't we go take a look? There's nothing else to see here anyway."

"Let's go. Let's see who it is and who will become the first members of a team."

Watching the people nearby who had intended to buy things head toward the arena, and even some vendors packing up their goods, Lin Maoxian followed suit. He was curious about who had spent 5,000 Source Points on a Black Iron Token. Since they could afford to spend that much on a team, they must have kept the majority of their points for attribute upgrades and skills, meaning their total gains were likely no less than 10,000 Source Points. He knew that in the last world, if he hadn't used his talent, he would have only earned a little over 10,000 points himself. He was quite curious about such a powerhouse.

When Lin Maoxian reached the vicinity of the arena, it was already packed with people. He couldn't even see the person speaking; his voice was drowned out by the noisy crowd.

"Everyone, quiet down! Quiet down! I am the founder of the Celestial Team. As for my real name and ID, I won't disclose them; you can call me Celestial. We will now screen applicants. As long as you have one attribute above 10 or a powerful skill, you are welcome. I highly encourage experts to come forward." Because of the Space's interference, he couldn't see what the man looked like, but his voice confirmed he was male.

After the noisy crowd quieted down, a male voice asked, "What benefits do we get from joining the Celestial Team? And what do we have to give in return?"

Upon hearing the question, Celestial replied immediately, "A good question. I won't list the benefits of joining a team; I believe everyone has seen the description of the Black Iron Token. What I want to say is that since I established this team, the rewards from the next world's adventure must be used to repay my 5,000 Source Points. After that, rewards will be distributed based on contribution. If your contribution is low, your share of the rewards will not exceed that of those with higher contributions."

Seeing no one else speak, Celestial continued, "As for what you must give: because of the team structure, friendly fire is disabled. Furthermore, for every team member who dies, the other members will be penalized 3,000 Source Points. That's the first point. Secondly, because of the contribution system, if you don't strive to increase your contribution after joining, your rewards will be minimal, and you will be kicked from the team if your combat power falls behind the other members."

At this point, Celestial looked at the crowd. "Does anyone have any other questions? If not, you may come to me to apply as a formal member."

The crowd fell silent for a moment. Those without the ability were just there to watch the show, while those with the ability were debating whether to join and how it would affect them. For a moment, the atmosphere turned cold.

At this critical juncture, the man who had asked the first question spoke up again: "Captain Celestial, I want to join the Celestial Team. Here are my attributes." Before his voice faded, a figure emerged from the crowd, walked up to Celestial, and sent over his attributes.

Celestial glanced at them. "Not bad. Your Agility and Strength are both above 10, and you've learned a basic skill. That's quite good. If the next few people don't have four attributes higher than yours, you'll be a member of the Celestial Team. Also, what should I call you? No need for your real name, just a title you use in the Space."

"Captain, you can call me Walker," the man said.

Celestial announced loudly to the crowd, "Everyone, we have someone named Walker whose attributes meet the entry standards. If no one else has higher attributes, he will be a member of my Celestial Team. Who else wants to join?"

"Oh my! This play is being performed quite convincingly; it almost makes me want to applaud," a sarcastic voice rang out from the crowd.

"Who? Who is that? If you have the guts, come out and say it to my face, don't hide in the crowd." Celestial's pupils constricted, but he controlled his emotions. He knew this wasn't the time to lose his temper; dealing with this person was the priority.

"You say that even though you know I have no guts, but I'm really not afraid of you. If I come out, what can you do to me?" A figure emerged from the crowd. Her voice and build made it clear she was a woman—no wonder she said she had no guts.

Seeing the figure emerge, Celestial suppressed his anger and asked, "What did you mean by 'acting' just now? Are you here specifically to sabotage me?"

The figure covered her mouth and chuckled at Celestial. "Whether it's acting or not, anyone with eyes can see. I'm just pointing it out; why be so angry? As for sabotaging you? How could that be? I'm here to borrow your stage."

After saying this, she addressed the crowd: "Everyone, you can call me Phantom. I have also established a team, and I hope you will consider my Heavenly Demon Team. As for the terms and requirements, I think Captain Celestial explained them very well, so the Heavenly Demon Team will just adopt those. Captain Celestial, is that alright?" She finished with a teasing tone directed at him.

Lin Maoxian watched the increasingly interesting spectacle from the crowd, feeling that the show alone made the trip worthwhile.