Chapter 10: Funds Ablaze

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As dusk fell over the abandoned district’s main street, the damaged street lamps flickered on and off. Normally, the road was barely visible, but tonight over a thousand people had gathered, each holding flashlights or wearing glaring headlamps, illuminating the street brilliantly.

On the street, the two sides stood opposed. On one side were human nomads, each over two meters twenty or thirty centimeters tall. On the other stood the Crystal Clan—towering over three meters, with gemstones embedded in their foreheads, their muscular bodies like iron. The two groups were less than twenty meters apart, each gripping swords, knives, or clubs, glaring viciously at the other, the tension palpable as if ready to erupt into battle at any moment.

“Hou Fei! You’ve crossed the line! This is our human territory!”

A one-eyed middle-aged man among the human nomads, over two meters forty tall, brandished a silver spear and took a step forward. The concrete beneath him cracked instantly, causing everyone present to gasp.

A single step cracked the concrete—such strength marked him as either a quasi-warrior or at least a warrior apprentice nearing that peak.

“Heavy Spear Qin Mu! I never expected you to be living in this area,” said Hou Fei, a young man over three meters tall from the Crystal Clan, with three sapphires embedded in his forehead. He stepped forward casually, seemingly unconcerned by the scene.

“But Qin Mu, you should know well enough—the Half-Scale Clan has produced several prodigious warriors recently. Some gangs from the Half-Scale Clan have expanded their influence, encroaching on several decent abandoned zones. Many nomads from other clans are now homeless.”

“This abandoned district is quite large. Even if you gave us half, it would still be enough for your people to live comfortably.”

“Get lost! You shameless scum! Just because you want a place to live, do you think we don’t have the right to one?” Qin Mu shouted fiercely, gripping his silver spear. “Since the founding of Radiant City, this area has always been our human settlement. Back then, none of your clans cared for it, and now you have the nerve to come snatch it away!”

“If you want a place to live, there are plenty of other abandoned zones. You can move there right now—no one will contest you!”

The atmosphere on the main street grew even tenser with their exchange. More and more people gathered on both sides, nearly surpassing two thousand in number.

“Heavy Spear Qin Mu?”

“Are those prodigious warriors from the Half-Scale Clan really that influential?”

Lin Qi, who had just arrived, heard their words and was surprised to learn that the one-eyed man was quite renowned. He also gained a deeper understanding of these prodigious warriors.

He had assumed that the emergence of prodigious warriors in Radiant City would only affect the upper echelons—perhaps increasing rents paid by outlying clans—but had never expected the abandoned district to be drawn into this conflict.

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As Lin Qi marveled and fretted over the influence of these prodigious warriors, behind him stood Fang Zhen and his two companions, dressed in dark gray long-sleeved shirts, their curiosity piqued by the unfolding scene.

“Damn! Damn! Damn! Such a massive scene! So many NPCs! And I didn’t experience any lag! This technology is incredible!” exclaimed Twilight of the Gods, utterly at a loss for words witnessing the grandeur and exquisite detail of the scene.

With the continual advancement of virtual technology, the immersion had grown ever deeper. However, this brought a significant problem: overly grand scenes, especially with over a thousand characters, often caused severe lag. Major companies had invested enormous manpower researching this issue, but their only solution was to reduce the quality—yet lag remained unavoidable.

But now, with over two thousand people on the screen in a high-martial world, not only was there no lag, the virtual immersion hadn’t diminished in the slightest. It was nothing short of miraculous!

“Sand swirling everywhere, a thousand people on screen—no lag at all?” Fang Zhen watched as each of the thousands performed different movements amidst the suddenly swirling sand. Each grain was crystal clear as it struck the crowd. His jaw dropped. “Art! This scene is pure art! No, every single frame is art!”

As a professional gamer, Fang Zhen had experienced countless sandstorms in the game Mech Continent and knew how demanding such weather was on virtual systems.

Usually, when more than ten players fought, the sand grains blurred, making battles a test of players’ vision and judgment.

But here, with a thousand people on screen amid a sweeping sandstorm, Fang Zhen could even feel the grains hitting his body one by one. The budget required to achieve such realism was unfathomable.

“Any impact on you?”

Almost simultaneously, Wu Chang, holding an alloy shovel, began digging vigorously at the cement beneath her feet, growing more excited by the moment.

No impact!

Her bodily control was unaffected—if anything, she didn’t sense any interference at all!

However, the behavior of Fang Zhen, Twilight of the Gods, and Wu Chang drew many curious glances from the gathered nomads. It was impossible not to notice.

As humans from Blue Star, their physiques were unimpressive in this high-martial realm—worse than middle schoolers. Yet two of the three acted as if possessed, while the woman relentlessly shoveled the ground with increasing fervor.

This scene was utterly incongruous with the tense atmosphere around them.

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“Where did those three kids come from? What about their parents?”

“They’re all wearing dark gray long-sleeved shirts. Could they be from some gang?”

“In this day and age, you really see every kind of parent. Letting three kids join a gang is pitiful. All three hold shovels and wear matching clothes—they must be from the same gang. But none of our human gangs use shovels. Could it be a newly formed gang?”

Whispers spread among the nomads watching the seemingly deranged trio. Lin Qi couldn’t help but step forward a few paces, putting some distance between himself and them.

Though he could understand their mindset, their behavior was undeniably eccentric.

Meanwhile, on the main street, Heavy Spear Qin Mu and Hou Fei, who knew each other, exchanged glances and sighed with resignation.

“Qin Mu, let’s cut to the chase. According to Radiant City’s old rules, are you proposing a group fight or a duel?” Hou Fei drew a line in the air, and the Crystal Clan members looked toward Qin Mu expectantly.

“How would a group fight work? And for a duel, who fights whom? What’s the format?” Qin Mu was unfazed by the questions.

In Radiant City, territorial disputes among nomads of roughly equal numbers and strength always followed a set rule: a contest would decide the land’s ownership.

First, it minimized casualties.

Second, it ensured mutual respect for the outcome.

“A group fight means each faction fields a hundred fighters. Victory comes only when one side’s entire force is defeated. For the duel, it’s just you and me, weapons allowed, but it ends as soon as one scores a touch,” Hou Fei proposed. “I recommend the duel.”

“Fine! Duel it is! I’m eager to see if the Wild Crystal Bear lives up to its name!” Qin Mu nodded in agreement.