A World Lord's Needs

"It had only been a year. Why were they already urging me about my progress?" Wang Yu was somewhat surprised.

To the strong, a year was a very short time.

Besides, they had given him ten years. Logically, that World Lord expert should not have been this impatient.

"Looks like something happened. I just don't know whether it's good or bad." Wang Yu immediately made a guess, then contacted Emperor Ivan.

A screen appeared out of thin air. Ivan's expression on it looked somewhat grave.

"Wang Yu, how is the procurement going? Has there been any progress?"

"Some progress. I've already procured part of the resources," Wang Yu answered readily.

"Your Majesty Ivan, did something happen?"

"Mm..." Ivan hesitated slightly, but still spoke softly.

"Just now, the three ministers gathered all senior members above the rank of deacon and announced a major matter."

"The three ministers?" Wang Yu was slightly startled.

At a Virtual Universe Company branch, Domain Lords served as "deacons," World Lords as "supervisors," and ordinary Immortals as "chief stewards" managing at least dozens of starfields.

Those who could be called ministers were the heads of the three major departments—the Commerce Department, Martial Department, and Military Department—within a universe country branch.

They were all Marquis Immortals!

What kind of major event could make the three Marquis Immortal branch ministers gather all senior members for a solemn announcement?

"Wang Yu, you must know about the Extraterritorial Battlefield, right?" Ivan asked.

"I've heard a little. It's a massive battlefield where our Humanity fights alien races such as the Demon Race, Insect Race, and Machine Race." Wang Yu nodded.

Not only had he known from the original novel, but as a member of this world, once he broke through to the Universe-level, he would be notified that he could join the Universe Army and head to the Extraterritorial Battlefield to fight.

"Then do you know about the Ethnic War Campaign?" Ivan asked again.

"I've heard a little. I heard it happens once every thousand epochs, a colossal war in which super existences from every faction take the field!" Wang Yu already had a guess in his heart.

"Could it be... an Ethnic War Campaign is about to begin?"

"You know quite a lot." Ivan glanced at him and sighed.

"That's right. The three ministers said that in a thousand years, the Extraterritorial Battlefield will begin an Ethnic War Campaign!"

"And not only that—this time, a new Extraterritorial Battlefield will also be opened!"

"A new Extraterritorial Battlefield?" Wang Yu was even more astonished.

"There are currently six Extraterritorial Battlefields. Opening another will make it the Seventh Battlefield, and the date has been set for one hundred years from now." Ivan's expression was solemn.

"In a thousand years, the Seventh Battlefield will join the other six battlefields in the Ethnic War Campaign!"

"The three ministers summoned us so that everyone can prepare as quickly as possible. The Martial Department and Military Department must intensify troop training and improve combat strength. The Commerce Department is the same—we must gather resources quickly and ensure logistical support."

"Once the war begins, consumption will be astronomical! Weapons, combat suits, potions, spacecraft... demand for every kind of resource will soar!"

"So the Commerce Department urgently needs capable people. Lord Lawrence asked me to inform you that the assessment requirements have been slightly adjusted."

"As long as you can procure resources on the list worth one hundred million Universe Coins within two years, you will pass the assessment and immediately become an External Deacon."

"One hundred million within two years?" Wang Yu nodded lightly.

It had originally been ten years and one billion. Now it was two years and one hundred million. The difficulty had actually decreased. Although the time had been shortened, the workload had been reduced even more drastically.

Of course, it would not be easy for others. The difficulty might even have skyrocketed.

After all, an Ethnic War Campaign was about to take place. Every universe country of Humanity would see a massive surge in demand for resources. Rare resources would become extremely sought after, and obtaining them would become far more difficult.

It would not affect him, though. His way of acquiring resources was the system!

"Lord Lawrence said that this is a time when capable people are needed. If you can prove your abilities, the Commerce Department will give you the position and treatment you deserve," Ivan added.

"You said just now that you had already made progress and procured a certain amount of resources. How much exactly?"

"Quite a bit. I've already obtained goods worth one hundred and twenty million Universe Coins, mainly Silver Fluid, Golden Flower Fruit, Mu Ya Crystal, and Comet Dew." Wang Yu smiled.

"One hundred and twenty million!?" Ivan's eyes widened in disbelief.

"Only one year has passed, and you've already procured so much? Wang Yu, you're truly capable!"

Although Wang Yu had boldly requested to join the Commerce Department and looked extremely confident, so he likely had some connections and channels, this progress still shocked Ivan.

Those were all rare resources. Even during ordinary times, it was not easy to procure them in large quantities.

In one year, buying rare resources worth over one hundred million Universe Coins at ordinary market prices was no easy matter even for him, the emperor of a low-level nation backed by a World Lord clan ancestor.

Wang Yu's move had truly surprised him!

"Not bad. I was just lucky." Wang Yu smiled and did not explain further.

"You have methods." Ivan smiled and wisely did not ask more.

Who in the universe did not have a few secrets and channels? Probing into someone else's resource sources would not only get no answer, but was also extremely rude. It might even create an enemy!

"Since you've already procured so much, not only have you completed the assessment, you've exceeded it!" A smile appeared on Ivan's face.

"I'll contact Lord Lawrence right away and introduce you to him!"

"Alright, then I'll have to trouble Your Majesty." Wang Yu nodded.

Ivan sent an email and quickly received a reply. He then traveled with Wang Yu through the Virtual Universe to meet Supervisor Lawrence.

Virtual Universe.

Jade Crystal Mountain.

This mountain was located on White Dragon Sea Island. A massive palace had been built on its summit, serving as the White Dragon Sea Branch office of the Virtual Universe Company.

Having obtained permission, Wang Yu was also able to teleport there.

Ivan and Wang Yu teleported simultaneously and appeared on the enormous plaza before the palace.

There were not too many people here, but at a glance, there were still several hundred—and... none of them were weak!

Although within the Virtual Universe, everyone's body was uniformly set to the level of an Apprentice Grade rank four, the strong had undergone tempering over long years. Their gaze, bearing, temperament, and other traits were completely different from those of the weak. Even in the Virtual Universe, one could roughly judge another person's strength from those things.

Clearly, there was not a single weakling here.

"The White Dragon Sea Branch has over seven thousand members. The minimum requirement is Universe-level; they do not recruit anyone below the Universe-level." Ivan smiled.

"In other places, Universe-level experts are rarely seen. My Blue Silver Empire has ten star systems, yet only around a hundred Universe-level experts. But this branch alone has over seven thousand Universe-level members!"

"I heard the Ganwu Branch is even more exaggerated. It has hundreds of millions of members in total, including several hundred Immortals!"

Ivan spoke with a proud expression. Wang Yu cooperatively put on a shocked look, as if drawing in a cold breath. "Hiss! That's far too powerful!"

In truth, he knew very well.

In the future, the Ganwu Branch had a total of 820 million members, 322 Immortal Army Lords, and three Marquis Immortal ministers.

The era was different now, so there would naturally be some differences. There might not be as many people, but there should still be four or five hundred million members, with perhaps one or two hundred Immortal Army Lords.

Moreover, those worthless Universe-level experts forcibly raised with nutrient fluids, with no foundation or real strength, would never be recruited. Those recruited were all relatively capable Universe-level experts.

A single Ganwu Branch was already a colossal existence that countless people needed to look up to and fear.

Naturally, that included himself.

"I only have a few Universe-level subordinates right now. In the universe, that really amounts to nothing. Any World Lord level faction could easily crush me. There are simply too many powerful people in this universe. I have to maintain reverence for it at all times!" Wang Yu thought.

Ivan led Wang Yu into the palace and soon arrived at an enormous office.

The office was huge. Inside sat a fat man with purple skin, dressed in luxurious robes. Dozens of small screens floated before him. His eyes were wide, his expression somewhat ferocious as he stared at them, his fingers tapping rapidly while he muttered under his breath. He looked like an office worker busy to death.

"Lord Lawrence!" Ivan quickly bowed in salute.

"Greetings, Lord Lawrence." Wang Yu followed suit.

"Mm." Lawrence did not even raise his head. His fingers continued swiping across the screens, and only after a few seconds did he speak casually.

"Wang Yu, right?"

"Yes."

"I heard you've procured goods worth one hundred and twenty million?" Only then did Lawrence stop moving. He leaned back in his chair, rubbed his brow, and wore an exhausted expression.

"Let me make this clear first. I'm busy right now, extremely busy, busy enough to go insane! If you dare talk nonsense and waste my time..."

As Lawrence spoke, he glanced at Wang Yu. Even though this was the Virtual Universe, the gaze of a World Lord expert...

Still made Wang Yu feel a burst of pressure.