Chapter 310: Mason’s Profession, Domain Event and Xander The Prey
"I obtained a profession," he announced excitedly.
Caelus raised an eyebrow. "Oh? Which one?"
"I became a Builder," Mason replied with some pride in his voice.
Caelus was taken aback by this unexpected news.
"How did the Origin Expanse remain open while we were away?" he asked immediately.
Mason explained everything that had happened. "A wandering trader arrived during the night while all the players were gone. He offered me the Builder Profession in exchange for making use of my talent."
His expression turned thoughtful. "It was strange. I was really surprised that he somehow knew about my talent."
Caelus’s interest sharpened instantly.
"How did the merchant look?" he asked urgently. "Did he have yellow hair, a green hat, and carry a staff?"
Mason shook his head. "No. He was just an ordinary looking man. Brown hair, plain clothes, nothing special about his appearance."
Caelus fell silent, disappointment flashing across his face.
For a brief moment, he had thought it was Allstar. Ever since crossing over to Earth, he hadn’t found a single trace of that mysterious man.
The fact that this merchant somehow knew about Mason’s talent had made him believe it could be Allstar. After all, Allstar possessed similar abilities to identify hidden things like Talents and Races.
Maybe in the coming days, he would search for him. And for the Celestial Tree Fatty as well, who had always helped him obtain valuable items and intel.
Caelus pushed those thoughts aside and focused on the present.
"Mason," he said carefully. "Use your Builder Profession to place down the Wonder of the World. The Tavern of Endless Food and Drinks."
Mason nodded eagerly. "I can place five copies total."
"Good. Spread them throughout Genesis City so every district has equal access." Caelus gestured toward different sections of the city.
Mason got to work immediately.
Golden light surrounded him as he activated his profession. The first Tavern materialized near the central plaza, its wooden frame and warm lighting appearing from thin air.
The second Tavern rose in the northern district. Then the third in the south. The fourth emerged near the eastern homes, and the fifth completed the network near the western market.
Each building looked identical, with inviting doorways and the smell of fresh food already drifting from within.
Caelus checked the city status.
[Genesis City Status]
[Prosperity: 84%]
[Population: 28,450]
[Wonders of the World: Origin Ore Vein, Tavern of Endless Food and Drinks (5/5 placed)]
He then made a public announcement that appeared in the form of system notification to all Genesis City members.
"Citizens of Genesis City! The Tavern of Endless Food and Drinks is now open to all residents. go check it if you want unlimited food and drinks!"
The reaction to this was immediate.
People flooded toward the nearest Taverns, curiosity driving them forward. The first brave souls stepped inside and approached the counter.
A simple interface appeared before them. They typed the name of any dish they desired.
The food manifested instantly on the counter before them.
"Is this real?" one player gasped, staring at the steaming bowl of noodles that had appeared from nowhere.
"The food is unlimited!" another shouted from inside. "You can order anything you want!"
Players quickly realized the true value of this Wonder. They could store dishes inside their inventory to recover stamina while hunting in the Origin Expanse.
No more worrying about running out of supplies during long expeditions. No more spending precious Origin Credits on basic sustenance.
Meanwhile, the ordinary civilians who used to operate food stalls stared with twitching lips.
Their main source of income had essentially disappeared overnight.
However, at least now nobody in Genesis City would ever have to worry about starving. They simply had to visit one of the Taverns to eat for free.
Caelus then made another announcement.
"Entry for Genesis City residents costs 1000 Origin Credits per visit. Entry for outsiders costs 3000 Origin Credits."
The former foodstall owners who had been watching immediately went pale seeing this.
So no free food?
Caelus turned toward Mason. "Can we build something like a scanner that automatically identifies whether someone belongs to Genesis City and have it automatically make them pay depending who they are?"
Mason thought for a moment before replying. "If we increase our Technology Rank, then it’s possible."
He explained further. "After obtaining the Builder Profession, I also received important knowledge regarding technology. Genesis City is currently only Technology Tier 0."
"Higher Technology Tiers exist and can be unlocked through exploring the Origin Expanse and getting the blueprint." he continued. "Unlike Wonders of the World, ordinary technological devices require sufficient Builder Profession Mastery to construct."
Caelus nodded approvingly. "Then work hard and increase your Builder Mastery."
After that, he checked the city status once more.
[Genesis City Status]
[Prosperity: 92%]
[Population: 28,450]
The Prosperity had increased noticeably. However, it still hadn’t reached 100%.
If he remembered correctly, reaching full Prosperity should unlock a generous reward.
He was looking forward to it.
Just then, a System Notification suddenly appeared before everyone in the Domain.
[Attention All Players]
[Numerous new Tier 2 Towns have officially entered Tier 2 Regional Lord Territory.]
[As a result, a Domain Event has been triggered.]
[Event: Newcomer’s Trial]
[All members of newly established towns are required to participate.]
[Players from older towns may also participate if their level does not exceed Level 30.]
Another notification followed immediately.
[You will now enter the Domain Event.]
[Transporting in 3... 2... 1...]
Blinding light consumed everything.
When Caelus opened his eyes, he found himself standing in an enormous space. Thousands upon thousands of participants surrounded him in every direction.
Players and NPCs alike had been transported here together. The sheer scale of the gathering was overwhelming.
Caelus quickly scanned the crowd and spotted Sylvia nearby. He made his way toward her immediately.
Before he could say anything, a cheerful voice called out to them.
"Caelus! Sylvia! Over here!"
It was Lunari, waving at them from a few meters away. She pushed through the crowd to reach them.
"I didn’t expect to see you both here," she said with a bright smile. "This should be interesting."
Caelus nodded. "Do you know what this event involves?"
Before Lunari could respond, an arrogant voice interrupted them.
"If it isn’t Lunari."
Everyone turned toward the speaker.
Lunari’s expression shifted slightly. She leaned closer to Caelus and whispered.
"That’s Xander."
Caelus looked toward the young man approaching them. He had sharp features, confident posture, and an air of superiority that surrounded him like a cloak.
A slow smile spread across Caelus’s face seeing him.
The prey had appeared much sooner than he expected.
Ever since advancing to Elite Rank, his Extraction Pool had increased from 10 uses to 15 per rank.
He still had plenty of extractions remaining.
Caelus then looked around at the massive gathering.
This place was filled with talented individuals from all over the world.
Each one possessed unique abilities and skills worth taking.
A wild grin slowly spread across his face.
He was going to extract them all!
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[A/N: don’t forget to leave some Powerstones and Comments... they’re basically the life support keeping this book alive.]