Bai Yi focused his mental strength, and suddenly, the bindings on the more than a hundred individuals—both young and old—were released. They stared at the young city lord in disbelief before turning to their ancestors, the family they feared might soon vanish.
In the next instant, they started to persuade one another without hesitation.
Scholars were regarded as extraordinary individuals. Thanks to a scholar in their family, these people had lived in affluent areas despite lacking natural talent.
Grateful to the elderly scholars who had supported their families for generations, they wanted nothing more than for them to thrive.
Bai Yi watched with a smile. Although the Federation and various cities would soon take measures to extend the lives of these old scholars, he knew these individuals were unaware of that.
The Federation had little regard for ordinary citizens. Given their previous attitudes and the inertia of these people's thinking, Bai Yi doubted anyone could resist the allure of transcendence and longevity.
Sure enough, it wasn't long before twenty elderly scholars picked up the potions before them. Some, too frail to lift them alone, gestured for their descendants to assist.
As they consumed the Source of Life, the vitality in the city lord's house surged.
Scholars who had been lying in bed sat up, those in wheelchairs stood, and even those who had relied on crutches found themselves walking unassisted.
The effect of the Source of Life wasn't merely to extend life; it revitalized their energy.
[Effect of the Source of Life: Significantly restores bodily vitality and replenishes energy consumption over a limited time.]
This potion didn't just prolong their lives; it filled them with vigor. Provided they avoided injury and didn't deplete their energy reserves, they could continue to live well for years to come.
If they used this time to study arcane arts, once they reached the silver rank, their bodies would transform, adding over a century to their lifespans.
At that point, running, jumping, and fighting would be well within their capabilities.
"Thank you, Lord Bai Yi."
With gratitude echoing throughout the room, the atmosphere filled with appreciation. They hadn't anticipated that the young lord would remember them.
"You're welcome. But there's a price. The arcane system is powerful. You will work under Marshall in the Scholar's House. In the future, Tobu City may lead the establishment of an arcane alliance. I'll discuss the details with you soon."
Bai Yi instructed Zero to issue orders and turned to Sifu. "Take them to the Scholar's House first. Arrangements for their accommodation will be made."
Sifu nodded respectfully and led the grateful group out of the city lord's house.
Bai Yi felt a surge of happiness. As long as this group of scholars grasped the essence of arcane arts, they would quickly attain silver rank in their respective fields. With continued study, achieving gold rank wouldn't take long.
At that point, Dongwu City would gain over twenty golden-level warriors, and given their relatively young ages, they would remain active for years.
Arcane arts were a magical system, and having multiple gold ranks would greatly benefit both Dongwu City's development and Bai Yi's own aspirations.
Now, he intended to enter seclusion to replenish the legions, create soul and luck potions, and begin work on divine bones.
He planned to tackle simpler tasks first before delving into the more complex technologies.
With Yue Fang and Bato by his side, Bai Yi began manufacturing exoskeleton machinery—an intricate golden-level alchemical transformation that fell under Yue Fang's expertise.
Both apprentices took their training seriously. They understood that as they progressed, the days of receiving answers to every question would fade.
Thus, they dedicated themselves to learning without disrupting Bai Yi, recognizing that the more questions they asked, the better.
Time flew by. The capital and city lords faced a dilemma after losing track of Bai Yi. Given the impossibility of judging his actions, they could only resort to moral condemnation.
However, as scholars began to advocate for Bai Yi, such condemnation lost its power.
This shift prompted the federal government to recognize the importance of scholars and arcane arts.
Dongwu City emerged as a beacon of hope, with the Olympic Mathematics College rapidly ascending.
Even schools in other cities undergoing mergers began simplifying their systems.
In Tobu City, the educational structure was reorganized into three phases.
The first phase focused on enlightenment and assessment, mainly gauging students' interests and talents over a two-year period.
The largest basic schools then assigned students to various specialized institutions.
The second phase included schools for warriors, mages, assassins, and other disciplines.
This stage represented the culmination for most students; those who excelled here could advance to elite institutions.
These elite schools were typically aristocratic vocational schools located in the inner city, admitting students based on talent and performance, without imposing tuition fees or pressure.
Teachers in these schools were generally at least silver rank, with occasional golden-level instructors guest lecturing.
The arcane arts school operated similarly, being a newly established discipline with numerous arcane colleges in every city.
Civilians in Dongwu City were mostly literate and had received basic education. Under the current laws, those eliminated from schools who couldn't achieve extraordinary status could now enroll in arcane colleges for a mere 50 copper coins for half a year's tuition, excluding fees from noble academies.
No age or race restrictions applied; anyone willing to pay could enroll.
However, to prevent exploitation, only residents over 16 who hadn't achieved extraordinary status and were level 11 or lower could attend. They would need to pay for their meals.
This initiative sparked a wave of learning across the Federation.
Arcane arts didn't require innate talent; within a month, the number of extraordinary individuals surged, with many mastering basic knowledge.
Whether profound or superficial, as long as they committed to understanding their chosen field, many could learn to execute one or two arcane skills to strengthen their spirit and magic.
While they might not become immensely powerful, breaking through from level 10 to level 11 was more attainable than previously thought.
Of course, this shift would deter many ordinary individuals from remaining idle for half their lives. Attending school and engaging with literature was no easy task.
Yet knowledge became the most accessible path to gaining superiority in this era. They could only compel themselves to learn or push future generations to pursue education.
It didn't matter if they lacked innate talents in magic or assassination; arcane skills could bridge that gap.
"This is astounding! The infrastructure madman didn't do this, did he?"
Demacia marveled at the rapid changes in Dongwu City.
In just a month, nearly all the outer urban areas had constructed buildings that were sturdier than wooden homes.
These structures included the players' resurrection points. Its mechanism was difficult to comprehend. With over 80% of surrounding buildings completed, the players' resurrection point had transformed from a wooden shack into a standard residential building.
When the announcement was made, the game company simply stated, "Full open games, please explore for yourself."
The Guard Brigade dismissed the fuss. "It's normal. If treasure exists in reality, then the construction here won't lag behind."
"But that financial officer is outrageous. I even heard players are expected to conduct business like NPCs and pay taxes!"
The guards grumbled. "While I appreciate that he treats us players like human beings, I still wish he wouldn't treat us like NPCs. Thank you."
Demacia shook her head, exasperated. "Sabo's antics are something else. Forget him. But 1.0 seems to be approaching its end. The trailer for the Sun and Star server has been released. Why are we so far behind?"
"Not only did the cat from the trailer fail to appear, but the main battlefield has shifted from Nanling City to Tobu City. How ridiculous!"
The guard pondered, "Didn't you read the game rules?"
"What rules?" Demacia inquired, curiosity piqued.
"The consent form that popped up during real-name registration." The guard sighed. "I vaguely remember it stating: there's no fate in the game. Please don't regard the company's announcements as prophecies."
Demacia: "Who even reads that stuff?"
Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed, causing Demacia to freeze. She turned and hurried away, closely followed by the guard.
"Hey, don't go! Look at my muscle lines, these charming biceps, and my back muscles!"
A boisterous voice called out as an L-type transformation warrior jumped in front of them, flexing and showcasing his impressive three-meter-tall physique.
Demacia couldn't help but complain, "You spent 100,000 war merits to buy a one-time transformation?"
"Hey! Who said it's one-time? I'm the strongest player now! As long as I don't die, this transformation won't reset!"Xiahou Fuxing beamed proudly.
After amassing five million military achievements, he had decisively opted for the L-type transformation. While the M-type transformation was appealing, the power and visual impact of the L-type won him over.
Post-transformation, he had gained a considerable following among players.
However, earning 100,000 combat achievements was still out of reach for most players.
Moreover, players couldn't gain experience from transformations, and the transformation state would vanish upon death.
These revelations had dissuaded many players from considering transformations.
After all, if they exchanged military achievements for materials and then converted those into gold coins, they would still have over 100,000 yuan in real currency, despite the current depreciation.
Only local tycoons could afford such luxuries.
Demacia observed Xiahou Fuxing, who was enthusiastically showing off to a crowd, and couldn't help but feel amused.
"This game is getting more interesting."
The houses below stretched out in an organized manner, extending far into the distance.
Occasionally, a luxurious building would appear, housing entertainment venues, schools, and law enforcement halls.
The orderly layout brought comfort to those with obsessive tendencies. Watching players teach residents various skills made Demacia realize this game was more than just a time sink.
The authenticity of the NPCs made them feel like real people. Players received requests to assist NPCs in starting businesses, whether it was a bun shop or a cake shop.
Players earned mission rewards while NPCs found new ways to generate income.
The outer urban area was beginning to flourish, and players, now bound by the laws and requests of residents, found themselves in a transformed environment.
Demacia recalled a player attempting to steal firearms from the law enforcement team and felt her mouth twitch in disbelief.
"Well, we need to deal with these troublesome players."
(End of this chapter)