The sea breeze on Dream Island still carried its salty tang, but there was more bustle than usual.
A Lan stood on a massive rock by the shore engraved with the words "Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce," his black robe billowing in the sea breeze.
As he looked toward the merchant ships of various races continually appearing on the distant horizon, the corners of his mouth lifted slightly.
Things were finally getting lively.
Dream Island, which had been forced to close a few days earlier because of the maritime crisis brought by the Mingwu Race, had now regained its former prosperity.
Merchant ships of all shapes and sizes slowly sailed into the harbor.
There were the Sea Demon Race's Pearl Shell Ships, their hulls inlaid with glowing Spirit Pearls that refracted rainbow halos in the sunlight.
There were the Scale Race's Tidal Wooden Boats and the Xiaoling Race's Abyssal Whale Towboats, enormous whale silhouettes flickering beneath the sea as they towed rafts laden with cargo.
On the docks, members of the Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce were busy directing the unloading.
"Since you aren't planning to store this batch of Moon-Pattern Algae long-term, send it straight to Warehouse 3. Handle the hauling yourselves. Having us Player Race do it costs extra."
"Careful, newcomers. The Gold Coin Chamber of Commerce takes no responsibility for broken Spectral Crystals. You won't receive any security guarantees until registration is complete."
"The count's finished. Take the list. Once you've confirmed there's no problem with the exchange rate between your resources and gold coins, you can enter the island."
Shouts, haggling, and the clatter of cargo mingled into a noisy yet vibrant scene.
A Lan swept his gaze over the docks and nodded slightly after confirming that everything was orderly.
The plan was progressing steadily.
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