Half a month was enough to utterly transform a community's spirit.
Newborn Town was proof of that.
The sprawling wasteland to the west had disappeared, replaced by vast stretches of carefully tilled gray soil, with straight furrows extending to the edge of sight.
The foundations of the new residential district had been compacted, and rows of channels had already been dug, each filled with Stone-Skinned Soft Vine seedlings poised to grow.
Throughout the territory, everyone from the longtime townsfolk to the Contract Workers wore expressions of exhaustion and excitement.
They walked quickly, worked quickly, and even ate quickly.
It was as though an invisible hand were pushing everyone forward.
That day, Newborn Town welcomed a moment that would go down in history.
The first Contract Worker to redeem a [Newborn Town Citizenship Certificate] had emerged.
Veylin personally held a ceremony for him in the square.
There were no elaborate proceedings, just a table and a sheet of parchment written in magical ink upon it.
Unsurprisingly, just as everyone had expected, the man named Barton stood on the platform.
He had worked in a manner bordering on self-harm, accumulating three hundred merit points in just half a month.
Looking at the burly man before him, both excited and nervous, Veylin had a sudden thought.
[Inspect] [Barton] [Level: none] [Bloodline: Rageblood Barbarian (black iron tier) 32%, Child of the Mountain Forest (bronze tier) 17%, mixed bloodlines 51%] [Abilities: none] [Overall assessment: possesses considerable strength and endurance; bloodline can be activated at any time]
Just as I thought. The corners of Veylin's mouth lifted slightly.
This merit point system really was the perfect filter.
As merit points expanded into more professions, anyone sufficiently outstanding, whether in physical strength or intelligence, would inevitably distinguish themselves within this system and earn far more