Resource Procurement

Ivan tapped his finger lightly and opened a small screen displaying a list of various resources.

"His Excellency has instructed you to procure resources for the Commerce Department, with a budget of one billion Universe Coins. Purchase the resources listed here."

"You do not need to buy every type. It depends on your abilities and connections. As long as the total amount reaches one billion Universe Coins and the average price does not exceed the stated requirements, you may purchase only one type of resource if you wish."

"Procuring resources?" Wang Yu looked toward the screen.

There were a hundred types of resources on the list: metals, rocks, plants, liquids... every kind imaginable. All of them were materials used to manufacture various items.

However, none of them were ordinary resources. They were all rare resources among their respective grades.

For example, one of them was the C-grade metal, "Silver Fluid."

Ordinary C-grade metals were worth only several thousand to ten thousand White Dragon Coins per ton, but Silver Fluid... was worth nearly two hundred million White Dragon Coins per ton!

Metals of the same grade could differ in value by more than ten thousand times!

The reason was simple. Grade only represented factors such as energy and durability, while value came from demand.

Silver Fluid could be used to create many highly effective items. For instance, Luo Feng had obtained a Silver Guard in his early days. It was an excellent intelligent bodyguard that could even hold up a Universe-level expert for a short while. Many major factions arranged such guards for their juniors.

Although Silver Fluid itself was not of a particularly high grade, demand was great and production was limited. Its price had therefore soared to an extreme level, more than ten thousand times that of other metals of the same grade.

The Azure Wave Marrow he had ordered before was the same. Its effect in accelerating Planetary-level body strengthening was simply too good, and there was no shortage of powerful people in the universe with astonishing wealth. They did not care about paying extra.

Thus, a mere cultivation resource for Planetary-level users could sell for the shocking price of ten thousand White Dragon Coins per gram, far exceeding ordinary C-grade metals meant for Universe-level users.

Both Azure Wave Marrow and Silver Fluid were among them. All one hundred resources on the list were rare resources of this sort.

A designated purchase price was listed after every resource. Wang Yu took a look and found that the requirements were not high. They were simply normal market purchase prices and did not deliberately make things difficult for him.

However, unless one was willing to raise the price to an outrageous extent, it was difficult to obtain much of these rare resources at normal prices.

Using one billion Universe Coins to procure these resources would definitely not be a small order.

To accomplish it, one needed connections, business methods, or commercial wisdom. It was indeed a suitable assessment for someone in the Commerce Department.

"Wang Yu, since you wish to join the Commerce Department, you should be able to tell at a glance that everything on this list is a rare resource," Ivan said softly.

"You must purchase one billion Universe Coins' worth of resources at the required purchase prices."

"It is easy to calculate how much one billion Universe Coins can buy at the designated prices. If you forcefully raise the prices but fail to meet the required quantity, it will still count as failing the assessment."

"Lord Lawrence is giving you ten years. If you pass the assessment, you will become an External Deacon. If not, you will only be an ordinary staff member."

"Understood. No problem." Wang Yu nodded lightly.

"Please thank Lord Lawrence on my behalf, Your Majesty."

"Oh?" Ivan looked at him, somewhat surprised that he had agreed so readily. This assessment was no simple matter.

"It seems you are very confident. Then I wish you the best of luck. From now on, we will be colleagues in the Virtual Universe Company!"

After explaining the matter, Ivan chatted with Wang Yu for a few more moments before leaving.

Wang Yu was in a relaxed mood.

This resource procurement test posed no difficulty for him at all. He only needed to buy them directly from the System Shop and take them out.

The System Shop had unlimited purchase quantities, and its prices were even about ten percent lower than the required purchase prices. He did not need the profit from the difference. When the time came, buying more than the required quantity would make him appear capable and earn him greater status and attention.

Tian Shi tried fighting others in the Decisive Battle Space and immediately became addicted. One match after another, he kept choosing to fight again.

Real life-or-death battles were very quick. As long as one was willing, one could fight several hundred matches in the Decisive Battle Space in a single day. Tian Shi was completely engrossed in it and fought more than two hundred matches in half a day.

Tian Shi had comprehended Artistic Conception and possessed a seventeenfold Force Amplitude. Though he could not be called especially strong, he was still above average among Planetary-level fighters. He won all two hundred-plus matches without a single defeat, rapidly reaching four stars.

[Elite Citizen "Tian Shi" received a four-star rating in the Killing Fields. Reward: 10 Origin Energy]

"Star ratings in the Killing Fields also come with rewards. Not bad." Wang Yu was quite satisfied.

Starting from six stars, one could be considered a true expert among those of the same rank. Four stars represented the average standard. The system gave no rewards for one to three stars, but once one reached the average standard at four stars, it counted as an achievement and rewards began to be issued.

This little bit of money was not worth caring about in itself. What mattered were the rules. It was not just Tian Shi—others could likewise receive rewards by improving their star ratings in the Killing Fields.

They could not earn much, but at least they could make back their own Killing Fields fees. That was still something good.

"Manipulating the outcomes of Killing Fields matches behind the scenes to farm money..." Wang Yu pondered it, but quickly dismissed the idea.

The Virtual Universe only established a Killing Fields venue for at least a starfield or a medium-sized nation.

At such an enormous scale, he had no chance of controlling it right now. By the time he truly could, he probably would not care about such a small amount.

If he simply wanted funds, the fastest way was still to have his citizens break through to the Planetary-level and Star-level.

Besides, he was not simply short on money right now. He had too much money, yet not enough to reach a truly heaven-defying level.

If he had enough funds right now to purchase a supreme treasure, such an unbelievable matter would make anyone imagine that it involved super experts and secrets of the universe. It would absolutely intimidate everyone. No one would dare move against him lightly; instead, they would have to treat him with great care, fearing that something major would happen if he died.

Unfortunately, he was not rich enough to reach that level yet. If he merely possessed several dozen mixed-element units, it would not be particularly shocking. Others would only think he had been lucky enough to find the inheritance of a powerful World Lord, which would instead attract powerful people seeking to rob and kill him.

The same went for rapidly becoming stronger by adding points. Leaving aside how far his points could raise him now, even if he could immediately become Immortal, it would not be very useful. Ordinary Immortals were ants in this primal universe. There were countless experts capable of casually killing ordinary Immortals.

If he truly broke through to Immortal at a heaven-defying speed, powerful people would certainly believe that he had obtained a heaven-defying treasure like the Ice-Fire Fruit. The experts coming to rob and kill him would only become more numerous and stronger!

The universe is too dangerous. I still need to keep a low profile and take things slowly, Wang Yu thought.

Although it was a virtual body, it used his consciousness. After more than two hundred battles, Tian Shi had still expended a great deal of mental energy. Only then did he finally exit the Decisive Battle Space.

"Tian Shi, you rose to a five-star rating so quickly. Well done," Wang Yu praised.

"Thank you for your praise, Master!" Tian Shi froze for a moment. Receiving his master's praise made him somewhat excited.

"However, there is something I need to mention," Wang Yu continued.

"As your master, I see that you are still using your fists. You merely selected metal gauntlets as your equipment during battle."

"Although gauntlets are also a type of weapon, and as one's strength and realm continue to improve, using secret techniques is not truly limited to any particular weapon."

"The same secret technique can become a saber technique, a sword technique, an axe technique, or a spear technique."

"However, if you choose one weapon and use it for a long time, you will naturally be able to study it more deeply over time and bring out greater results."

"A weapon?" Tian Shi listened with a solemn expression.

Even though he had not seen much of the world, he naturally understood that a weapon was the most crucial thing for a martial artist. The type of weapon he used would have a profound impact on him.

"You used your fists before perhaps because your circumstances were limited. You had no good weapon that suited your hand, so you naturally practiced fist and palm techniques," Wang Yu continued.

"But now that you have entered my school..."

"When I teach disciples, I prepare the best resources and conditions for them. Secret techniques, weapons, and treasures will not be lacking. Therefore, you can take this opportunity to think carefully about what kind of weapon suits you best and what you prefer."

"Of course, continuing to use fists and palms is not impossible either. The higher one climbs, the fewer restrictions weapons impose. Some powerful people even use treasures in the form of nets, bells, mirrors, and the like in battle, and they are still incomparably powerful."

"I am not saying this to force you to change. I simply want you to consider your choice carefully. As for what you ultimately choose, decide according to your own wishes."

"Yes, Master..." Tian Shi pondered with a grave expression.