“Wait, that’s not right. What about the other ten billion people?”
Finally, someone noticed the discrepancy in the numbers.
The total number of people who received rewards added up to just over seven billion—not even reaching eight billion.
Yet, the world channel showed that eighteen billion people were currently alive.
Didn’t that mean there were more than ten billion people who didn’t receive a world channel rating and weren’t included in the ranking?
Those who hadn’t quite figured it out yet began asking this soul-searching question once they realized the math didn't add up.
“They probably merged. I’m looking at a Level 3 shelter right across from me that’s housing over twenty people,” someone answered.
“Tsk, tsk. A Level 3 shelter is only 180 square meters. Having twenty-odd people living in there... doesn't it feel cramped?”
“If you lack quality, you rely on quantity. That’s a universal standard everywhere, isn't it?”
“The S-rankers are almost certainly living alone—they’re the kind of people who can withstand the mana tide by themselves, like that Witch of the Tower. Naturally, there are also people who huddle together for warmth and mutual defense.”
“That’s true.”
“Her title is the Witch of the High Tower.”
“It’s all the same thing.”
“Cramming a dozen or more people into a Level 3 shelter to resist natural disasters or keep others from prying is no big deal.”
“By that logic, it would only take three or four billion Level 3 shelters to house everyone who doesn't have a shelter and isn't included in the rankings.”
“Heh, if they don't even have a shelter, that means they don't have the magic desk that comes with it. Can they even send messages on the world channel?”
“How else would it work? Abandoning your own shelter to join a Level 3 one is better than dying, right? Besides, once a Level 3 shelter hits Level 4, if it triples in size again, that’ll be over five hundred square meters. It won’t be as crowded then.”
“What are these people doing? A whole month and they couldn’t even upgrade to a basic Level 2 shelter?”
“Do you think there’s a possibility that since almost everyone is at Level 2 now, Level 2 shelters simply don’t count toward the rating? Maybe even Level 3 doesn’t count?”
“Uh... that is actually a possibility.”
“Enough talk. I’m going back to being jealous of those 58 S-rankers. They got both magic and tools.”
“I’m actually more interested in the books and knowledge. Didn’t that Witch of the Tower get recognized by the world consciousness because she learned alchemy? I suspect she’s definitely among the S-rankers.”
“Please remove the word ‘suspect.’”
“It’s practically set in stone.”
“I’ve already started hitting the books to make up for lost time. As a former top student, how can I let myself fall behind others in learning?”
“Must be nice. I can’t even find any books to buy now.”
“Don’t worry. Aren’t over three hundred thousand books about to enter the market? There are always people who don’t like or aren’t good at reading. You can just grab one when they put them up for sale.”
“I’m broke. I can’t afford the price.”
“Then what are you even talking for!”
Whether others could afford to buy books was one thing, but Lan Qingyou certainly could.
【Congratulations, individual ‘Lan Qingyou.’ Your rating for this full moon is S-rank. You have received: 1 C-rank magic of choice, 1 C-rank tool of choice, 1 book of choice.】
The moment she heard the notification, Lan Qingyou rushed to her shop to adjust her trade listings.
The target of her trade was, of course, books.
Fifty bottles of life-saving healing potions for one book—she wanted them regardless of the genre. Her valuation of books was clear.
And it was for good reason.
While others were still envying the C-rank magic and tools, her biggest reaction to the rewards was the book.
She knew very well what the foundation of her livelihood was.
Only after finishing her shop updates did she leisurely begin to select her rewards.
Just then, the voice of the world consciousness rang out again.
【Ding! In view of the destruction caused by the mana tide, some regions are left with only a hundred or so people. A regional merger will now take place. This will occur once a month until all regions are open.】
Lan Qingyou, who was about to choose her rewards, felt her lip twitch.
When you say ‘some regions,’ you wouldn’t happen to be talking about Zone 666, would you?
Why not just say the zone number? Why act so distant by saying ‘some regions’?
Regardless, she wasn't afraid.
【Ding! This region will merge with surrounding regions. Merged regions include ‘Zone 661 Abandoned Mountains Upper Layer,’ ‘Zone 662 Abandoned Valley Upstream,’ ‘Zone 663 Abandoned Mountains Lower Layer,’ ‘Zone 664 Abandoned Valley Midstream,’ ‘Zone 665 Abandoned Ruins,’ ‘Zone 667 Abandoned Lake,’ ‘Zone 667 Abandoned Beach Left Section’...】
Good grief.
The world consciousness listed over a dozen regions in one breath, and every single one of them started with the word ‘Abandoned.’
It seemed this was what a normal-sized region was supposed to look like.
“One mana tide and my already struggling family is even worse off.”
“Hahaha! The merge is happening! Lan Qingyou, Shang Chuan, Xin Tianle—I’m going to make sure everyone in the new regions knows exactly what kind of lowlifes you all are!”
“Exactly! ‘Witch of the High Tower’? You’re a blood-sucking witch! A witch who profits from disasters!”
“Hilarious. I can understand calling Shang Chuan a profiteer or Xin Tianle a beast, but what did Lan Qingyou ever do to you? Don’t tell me you didn’t buy mana potions from the profiteers during this mana tide.”
“Hmph, so what if I bought them? I paid for them. It’s Lan Qingyou’s fault for letting a profiteer like that monopolize the sale of mana potions.”
“Yeah, we’re all in the same zone. Wouldn’t it have been better if they were cheaper so everyone could survive together? Now so many people are dead.”
“Yo, yo, yo, ‘survive together’? Did you already forget about the hundred-plus people in Xin Tianle’s shelter who just died!?”
Ailuel wasn't one to put up with these idiots.
“I didn't say we had to live together. I just meant making things a bit cheaper so more people could get through the crisis. Is that so wrong?”
“Why should anyone give you a discount? Is it because of your big ego, or because you don’t wash your ass?”
“Ailuel, you just wait. I’ll settle the score with your foul mouth sooner or later, you bitch.”
“Come on then. Like I said before, come track me down through the chat line and try it. If I don’t die, you will.”
“Damn it.”
Watching the bickering on the regional channel, Lan Qingyou smiled faintly.
She never cared about the slander of others.
She wasn't even angry.
In her eyes, these people were nothing more than clowns trying to carve a piece of meat off her. Getting upset with them would only be a disservice to herself.
Just like the two thieves who had once appeared in her room, there was no need to even speak to them. Throwing down two potions with laughably low production costs solved the problem.
What was there to say? What was there to talk about?
She even suspected that the reason she had been assigned by the world consciousness to a ‘Valley of Villains’ like Zone 666 was likely related to those two.
Three people in one room, and two of them were criminals.
If they didn't put you here, where else would they put you?
So, she simply blacklisted them. She wouldn't even let them browse her shop.
If you want to buy potions, go find the profiteer you were talking about. Shang Chuan wasn't nearly as easy to deal with as she was.
“Hmm!”
Just as she was thinking this, she saw her regional channel change.
Rate on N.U.
